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Five questions with... Festival of Libraries

From the 9-13 June 2021, Manchester City of Literature are running Festival of Libraries – 80 free online and in person events across every Greater Manchester borough. The festival, which is supported by Arts Council England, showcases a vibrant programme covering wellbeing, culture and creativity, digital and information and, of course, reading.

We caught up with Jo Flynn from the festival to discuss how everyone can get involved, how they’ve adapted through the pandemic, the role libraries can play in bringing communities together and her hopes for the future.
10 June 2021

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Two young people in bright yellow boiler suits dancing in a bright library © Hawk Dance Theatre

1. Festival of Libraries is taking place from 9 to 13 June, can you tell us more about what is happening that week across the 133 libraries in Greater Manchester and how people can get involved? 

Libraries are not just about borrowing books or using computers anymore, and neither is the festival! The programme, has more than 50 artists and creatives showcasing the diverse offering of services and support that libraries offer Greater Manchester. 

We have a series of residencies based in libraries for the festival. Artists are working with community groups to create work inspired by library collections. There’s songwriter James Holt at Stockport Library, artists Meha Hindocha and Michelle Collier with The Portico Library and Trafford Libraries, writers Ella Otomewo and Anjum Malik, even virtual residencies with writers from fellow cities of literature Melbourne and Iowa. 

We’ve got some excellent speakers discussing how libraries have supported them and shaped their lives, including Elbow front man Guy Garvey, journalist and writer Gary Younge, former librarians now some of Manchester’s greatest poets Shirley May and Mike Garry. Tickets and information for all of it can be found on our website

Ella Otomewo stands in a colourful jumper smiling in front of a brick wall © Ella Otomewo
Photo by Ella Otomewo stands in a colourful jumper smiling in front of a brick wall © Ella Otomewo
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Poet Ella Otomewo is collaborating with Fatima Women’s Organisation and Oldham Libraries © Ella Otomewo

2. The festival was due to take place in June 2020 but you had to reschedule it due to the pandemic. How have you adapted your plans to meet the restrictions ready for 9 June? 

It’s been tricky, but despite the huge pressure that libraries have been under the last few months, everyone has been so enthusiastic and supportive of the festival so we’ve actually got a great hybrid programme of digital and in-person activity – thanks to the support and project grants from Arts Council England.

There’s a whole strand of outdoor activity, including picnics in the park, hide and seek book trails, outdoor performances of music and dancing, plus our extra special city trails that you can follow via an app, with accompanying video library tours – hosted by the one and only Manchester writer Rosie Garland. 

Of course anything that does take place inside is very carefully monitored within Covid safety guidelines, so whether you’re joining us inside and in-person, outside in the open air or through your screen from home there’s something for everyone to feel comfortable, safe and to enjoy with their local library.

Stuart Maconie reading a book up a cloudy mountain in a raincoat © Country Walking Magazine
Photo by Stuart Maconie reading a book up a cloudy mountain in a raincoat © Country Walking Magazine
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Radio presenter Stuart Maconie is hosting a Sunday Lunch time chat with Salford Libraries and the Working Class Movement Library © Country Walking Magazine

3. You say you “want Manchester to be a city where diverse voices are celebrated, creative talent and industries are nurtured”.  What are libraries doing to bring different communities together? 

By nature of what a library does, it’s got to cater to everyone in the local community, no library in Manchester will turn you away for anything, whether you’re after directions or a whole new language to learn.

In Manchester that means catering for widely diverse communities, there are 200 languages spoken in our city and libraries very much reflect this with their services, especially as every Greater Manchester resident lives within 1.5 miles of a library!

There are books and activities in many languages, like story time for children; homework clubs; also craft groups, debate clubs, even days out into the city centre to see shows.

We have events at the festival to showcase this range of diverse voices, the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Centre and The Portico Library have discussions on decolonizing library collections, and activism like this is really important to us so that everyone, truly everyone, feels that libraries are there to support them.

4. This year has been a difficult one for lots of people and has had a huge impact on our mental health. We know that libraries play a vital role in their communities – what can they do to help people as we move out of lockdown? 

Studies show that reading and writing for just ten minutes a day can massively reduce stress, and what better place to get some sanctuary than a library. 

In our heritage libraries like The Portico, Chetham’s, Central or The John Rylands libraries you can walk in with no expectations and relax in those tranquil and remarkable buildings. There’s nowhere like it that you can visit for free, with no pressure to do anything. People think those libraries aren’t for them, but consider them an extension of your sitting room, everyone is welcome.

As part of the festival we’ve a whole strand of wellbeing activity to acknowledge the year we’ve all had. The brand new Manchester Poetry Library, part of Manchester Metropolitan University, is hosting the Poetry Health Service in residence with poet Hafsah Aneela Bashir, and Creative Manchester and the Centre for New Writing at the University of Manchester have a series of Writing for Wellbeing workshops based in several community libraries between 9-13th June too.

Stephen Holland stands in front of yellow wall holding up several comic books © Stephen Holland
Photo by Stephen Holland stands in front of yellow wall holding up several comic books © Stephen Holland
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Comics Laureate Stephen Holland will speak at Altrincham Library © Stephen Holland

5. What plans does the Manchester City of Literature have for the next 12 months? Is there anything in particular you’re looking forward to? 

Funnily enough, we have a Future Libraries strand at the festival that we’re really looking forward to! In partnership with The Writing Squad and Future Everything we’ve paired writers with creative technologists to imagine what libraries might be like in the future, and they’ll be showcasing creative responses such as poetry projected onto library windows, texts for the library directly from the local community themselves, and the good and bad sides of AI and chatbots next week.

Longer term though, we’re a new organisation, the team only started working together in 2020 so we’ve lost a lot of face to face connection with each other, and with our huge partnership network of 40+ literary organisations in Manchester, as well as with our international friends in the UNESCO Creative Cities network, too – so we really can’t wait until it’s safe to be visiting our cultural venues again and supporting the amazing creativity that comes with the territory.