Public Engagement

August 2021: Voices of the Future

The cross-disciplinary project will create new methods of engaging young people with treescapes – landscapes where trees play a significant role. Led by Professor Kate Pahl from the Education and Social Research Institute (ESRI), researchers from across the University will study how trees and society can benefit each other.

15th July 2020: PLACE 2020

The digital project PLACE 2020 replaced a planned physical launch due to take place at Victoria Baths in Manchester. PLACE 2020 is a major collaboration between the Centre and some of the greatest thinkers, artists and writers in the place writing field examines, via a dynamic mix of new writing, poetry, essays, films and podcasts, how ideas of place shifted radically in 2020 during the global lockdown due to the Covid-19 virus.

25th June 2020: Putting Nature into Words

An online symposium between the Research Centre for Ecology and Environment and the Centre for Place Writing at Manchester Met. The aim was to give both creative writers with an interest in place and nature, and environmental scientists with an interest in the art of writing, an opportunity to introduce themselves and their work to each other in an attempt to stimulate and encourage greater interdisciplinary understanding and collaboration. The symposium was joined by Tim Birkhead, Emeritus Professor of Behavioural Ecology at Sheffield University and author who acted as a “keynote listener” and provided a short response to the presentations to close the event. 

22nd January 2020: The Portico Prize Shortlist Readings (Manchester Met)

Manchester Met hosted a special event showcasing the work of the six writers shortlisted for the 2020 Portico Prize for new writing that ‘best encapsulates the spirit of the North’.

4th February 2020: These Silent Mansions

Jean Sprackland & Chris McCabe (London Review Bookshop) Jean Sprackland celebrated the publication of her new prose book, These Silent Mansions, by discussing her fascination with graveyards with Chris McCabe.

19th February 2020: Speightstown

The Search for the Lost Synagogue (Speightstown, Barbados) Rachel Lichtenstein spoke at a public event organised by the National Archives of Barbados appearing alongside Sir Paul Altman - Director of the Synagogue Restoration Trust in Barbados – Lichtenstein discussed her on going research into the lost Jewish Community of Speightstown, St.Peter’s Parish.

24th January 2019: Writing Place Creative-Critical Conversations #3 Assembly Language: Words-Films-Scores / Amy Cutler & Richard Skelton (Manchester Met)

In this event – the third of a series of creative-critical conversations that began in autumn 2018 – Vice-Chancellor PhD researcher, Richard Skelton, was joined by Amy Cutler (Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow in the Department of Geography at Royal Holloway, University of London).

7th February 2019: Writing Place: Creative-Critical Conversations #4 (Manchester Met)

The Hybridity of Place Writing / Ceri Morgan & Nikolai Duffy

Nikolai Duffy was joined by Ceri Morgan (Senior Lecturer, Keele University) for the fourth event in the Creative-Critical Conversations series.

7th March 2019: David Cooper & Amelia Crouch, Practising Place Book Launch (Whitworth Art Gallery)

Cooper and the artist, Amelia Crouch, delivered a performed reading of their collaborative creative-critical essay, ‘The Cul-de-Sac in the Forest: the Supermodernity of Center Parcs’.

12th March 2019: The Vanishing Street / Granada Television's Jewish Identity (Manchester Met)

Rachel Lichtenstein was joined by Isabel Taube – a PhD student researching ‘Granadaland’ within the Department of History at Manchester Met – for this Jewish History Month event organised under the auspices of the Jewish Historical Society of England.

13th March 2019: Andrew Michael Hurley and Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi (King Cross Library, Halifax)

Author talks as part of the Read Regional campaign organised by New Writing North with the support of Arts Council England. 

21st March 2019: Mapping the Jewish East End: Rachel Lichtenstein & Duncan Hay Writing Place: Creative-Critical Conversations #5 (Manchester Met)

Lichtenstein and Hay presented ‘Memory Map of the Jewish East End’: a collaborative project – involving three research units at the Bartlett Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis, University College London – producing a new digital resource exploring space, place, and culture. This event was the fifth in the Creative-Critical Conversations series begun in September 2018.

24th April 2019: Berlin Stories: Paul Scraton, Built on Sand Book launch (Blackwell’s Manchester)
David Cooper chaired this event – also featuring the short story writer, Gary Budden – organised by Influx Press.

9 May 2019: Writing Place: Creative-Critical Conversations #6 - Mapping the Midlands: Place, Voice & Class / Lisa Blower & Natalie Burdett

In the sixth and final event of this series, Natalie Burdett – poet and PhD student – was joined by the award-winning short story writer, Lisa Blower. The event also celebrated the publication of It’s Gone Dark Over Bill’s Mother’s: Blower’s new collection of short stories published by Myriad Editions.

25th  May 2019: Re-Writing The North: Writing, Place and Memory - Jean Sprackland and Jacob Polley (Portico Library, Manchester)

In the run-up to the re-launched Portico Prize for Literature, awarded to new writing that ‘best captures the spirit of the North, David Cooper curated and hosted ‘Re-Writing the North’: a series of six author events that paired a writer from Manchester Met with a writer from outside the University. For the first event in the series, Jean Sprackland was joined by the poet, Jacob Polley, who is a Professor of Creative Writing at Newcastle University.

The Rewriting the North series has been documented in a reflective pamphlet written by Joe Fenn and Nicole Peeters. 

Thursday 27th June 2019: Rewriting the North: Manchester, Fiction & Rewriting the Past - Rosie Garland & Livi Michael (Portico Library, Manchester)

The second event in the series featured Manchester Met’s Livi Michael alongside the Manchester-based writer, poet and performance artist, Rosie Garland.

25th July, 2019: Rewriting the North: Folklore, Myth and Rural Communities - Fiona Mozley and Andrew Michael Hurley (Portico Library, Manchester)

Andrew Michael Hurley was joined by the novelist, Fiona Mozley.

9th September 2019: Secret Rivers: Tales of the River (Museum of London)

Author and psychogeographer, Iain Sinclair, joined co-director of the Centre Rachel Lichtenstein and poet Rachel Nwokoro, to explore the theme of boundaries and the river, through art, culture and politics. The talk was by an hour's private view of the Secret Rivers exhibition.

27th September 2019: Rewriting the North: Here, There & Short Fiction - Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi & Michelle Green (Portico Library, Manchester)

In this event, Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi appeared alongside the short story writer and poet, Michelle Green.

19th October 2019: Rural Eerie (Peer Hat, Manchester)

An evening of sonic immersion and spoken word featuring Andrew Michael Hurley and Richard Skelton alongside several other writers. The event was organised by Flange Circus, MASSmcr and Haunt Manchester as part of the 2019 Gothic Manchester Festival. 

24th October 2019: The Portico Prize Longlist: Exploring Northern Identity (International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Manchester)

Co-Director of the Centre Dr David Cooper chaired a discussion with Faber published poet Rachael Allen, award-winning screenwriter Kamal Kaan and the Director of Collections and Research at Gladstone’s Library Dr Louisa Yates about the fifteen works on the longlist for the 2020 Portico Prize.

7th November 2019: STARVE ACRE: An Evening with Andrew Michael Hurley (Golden Hare Books, Edinburgh)

Andrew Michael Hurley discussed his latest novel, Starve Acre, set in the Yorkshire Dales.

19th November 2019: Julian Hoffman, Irreplaceable (Blackwell’s, Manchester)

Nature writer, Julian Hoffman, discussed his latest book, Irreplaceable, with David Cooper. On the same day, Hoffman also led a workshop for undergraduate students, taking the third-year unit on ‘Writing and Place’, at Manchester Met.

31st October 2019: Rewriting the North: Nature, Identity & the City (Portico Library, Manchester) - Paul Evans & Anita Sethi

Paul Evans was joined by the Manchester-based nature writer and award-winning journalist, Anita Sethi.

28th November 2019: Rewriting the North: Poetry, Fact and Fiction (Portico Library, Manchester) - Blake Morrison & Helen Mort

The ‘Rewriting the North’ series ended with Helen Mort reading alongside the writer, Blake Morrison, who is a Professor of Creative Writing at Goldsmiths, University of London.  

5th December 2019: Tim Cresswell, Maxwell Street: Writing & Thinking Place

Special event to celebrate the publication of Tim Cresswell’s new book, Maxwell Street, and his appointment as the inaugural Visiting Professor of Place Writing at Manchester Met. Chaired by David Cooper, the event began with a talk by Cresswell. This was followed by presentations from three researchers from Manchester Met - Luca Csepely-Knorr (Architecture), James Robinson (Human Geography), and Jean Sprackland (Creative Writing) - who drew upon their disciplinary backgrounds to offer readings of Maxwell Street: an account of Chicago’s iconic market area; and an innovative experiment in the writing of place.

5th March 2018: Green Noise and Gravestones: A Reading of Poetry and Prose (Manchester Met)

Jean Sprackland’s inaugural lecture, as Professor of Creative Writing at Manchester Met, featured readings from two books: the poetry collection, Green Noise; and the work of creative non-fiction, These Silent Mansions.

15th March 2018: Manchester Writing: Rachel Lichtenstein and Gregory Norminton (International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Manchester)

This event celebrated both Rachel Lichtenstein’s appointment as Reader in Place Writing at Manchester Met and the publication of Gregory Norminton’s novel, The Devil’s Highway.

31st May 2018: The Singing Glacier Launch (Manchester Met)

Helen Mort launched her new pamphlet of poems, The Singing Glacier (Hercules Editions), at this event at Number 70. The event featured a talk by Tamar Yoseloff, poet and editor at Hercules Editions, as well as readings by Helen Mort. It was chaired by David Cooper who also contributed a short essay to the pamphlet.

30th June 2018: Book Launch: Radical Essex (Focal Point Gallery, Southend-on-Sea)

Publication launch for Radical Essex: a book featuring new writing from Tim Burrows, Gillian Darley, Charles Holland, Rachel Lichtenstein, Jules Lubbock, Jess Twyman and Ken Worpole, as well as photography from Catherine Hyland. Rachel Lichtenstein took part in the launch.

3rd October 2018: Le Secret Chambre de la Rodinsky (Jewish Museum Paris) 

Special event with Rachel Lichtenstein and Iain Sinclair to launch the French edition of Rodinsky’s Room.

26th October 2018: Whitechapel History Fest (Idea Store, Whitechapel, London)

The Survey of London organised a multi-vocal history festival to mark the end of the three-year Arts and Humanities Research Council funded research project, ‘Histories of Whitechapel’. This three-day event brought together a range of local experts, residents and historians to discuss the past and present of Whitechapel at the Idea Store. The festival opened with a talk by Rachel Lichtenstein on the Yiddish poet Avram Stencl.

8th November 2018: Writing Place: Creative-Critical Conversations #1 -Writing Place: More than 100 Stories - A Collaboration (Manchester Met)

‘Writing Place: Creative-Critical Conversations’ was a series of public events, curated and hosted by David Cooper, that paired researchers from Manchester Met with writers, artists and academics from outside the University. The series began with Sarah Butler and Nicole Mollett (visual artist) discussing ‘More than 100 Stories’: a commission from the Creative People & Places Network in which they were asked to creatively evaluate 21 projects across England.

6 December 2018: Writing Place: Creative-Critical Conversations #2 - Mapping (Manchester Met)

The psychogeographer, Tina Richardson (Manchester Fashion Institute, Manchester Met), was joined by Les Roberts (Senior Lecturer in Cultural & Media Studies, University of Liverpool) for the second event in the ‘Writing Place’ series at Manchester Met.

31st May – 1st June 2017: Place Writing Festival (Manchester Met)

David Cooper curated and hosted a free two-day Place Writing Festival held at Number 70 (the old Cornerhouse) on Oxford Road. The varied programme for the sold-out event included author talks, film screenings, writing workshops, reading groups, public discussions, guided walks and visits to Manchester Met’s Special Collections. External speakers at the Festival included Amy Liptrot (author of The Outrun), Adam Scovell (filmmaker, novelist and critic), and Jos Smith (poet and critic who lectures at the University of East Anglia). The Festival closed with a performance of The Singing Glacier by William Carslake and Helen Mort. The Place Writing Festival was made possible through the support of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Manchester Met. 

6th September 2017: An Evening on the Thames - with Rachel Lichtenstein and Ted Sandling (Waterstones, Gower St, London)

Launch of the paperback edition of Estuary. 

7th October 2017: Hayling Island: Stories at Sea Level (Durham Book Festival)

David Cooper took part in a multi-media creative performance of ‘Hayling Island: Stories at Sea Level’: a collaborative project, funded by Arts Council England, led by writer Michelle Green and also featuring Maya Chowdhury and Caro C. Two further public events were held in October 2017 in Hayling Library and the International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Manchester.

20th October 2017: Michael Symmons Roberts reads from Mancunia (Central Library, Manchester)

Michael Symmons Roberts read from his collection of poems, Mancunia, as part of the 2017 Manchester Literature Festival.

18th March 2016: Poetic Places App Launch (British Library, London)

David Cooper gave a talk – ‘Literary Geographies’ – at this public launch of the Poetic Places app designed by the British Library’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Sarah Cole.

16th April 2016: Norman Nicholson Society Annual Lecture (Millom, Cumbria)

David Cooper was invited to deliver this public lecture entitled ‘”The Past Persists into the Present”: New Contexts for Norman Nicholson’s Writing’

24th to 26th May: Place Writing Short Course (Manchester Met)

A second three-day short course, designed by David Cooper and Jean Sprackland, introducing place writing. The sold-out course included reading seminars, writing workshops, field trips and an author event.

25th May 2016: Place Writing at Manchester Met: Rob Cowen (Manchester Met)

Award-winning writer and journalist Rob Cowen, described by the Guardian as ‘one of the UK’s most exciting nature writers’ read and talked about his creative non-fiction book Common Ground.

11th June 2016: Digital Re-Enchantment: Place, Writing & Technology (Great Hucklow, Peak District)

A public event that brought together writers, literary critics, publishers, artists and creative entrepreneurs, to explore the imaginative possibilities and problems presented by different digital technologies. The day-time symposium was followed by an evening event, held in nearby Buxton, celebrating the work of the Sheffield-based Longbarrow Press. The event was curated and hosted by David Cooper and formed part of Manchester Met’s Humanities in Public programme.

September 2016: Estuary book launch at Estuary Festival (Essex)

Major new festival of arts, literary side curated by Rachel Lichtenstein, with talks from place writers including Iain Sinclair, Robert Macfarlane, Ken Worpole and Deborah Levy amongst others. Lichtenstein’s book Estuary: Out from London to the Sea, was launched as part of the Festival.

23rd October 2016: Lock Songs, Manchester Literature Festival (Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester)

Jean Sprackland presented a new sequence of poems commissioned by Manchester Literature Festival and the Canal & River Trust, and inspired by a boating weekend along the Peak Forest Canal from Whaley Bridge to Castlefield.

31st October 2016: An Evening with Andrew Michael Hurley (Waterstones, Deansgate, Manchester)

Halloween event to celebrate the publication of Andrew Michael Hurley’s second novel, Devil’s Day, set in the Forest of Bowland.

12th to 14th May: Place Writing Short Course (Manchester Met)

A three-day short course, designed by David Cooper and Jean Sprackland, introducing place writing. The sold-out course included reading seminars, writing workshops, field trips and an author event.

13th May 2015: Rachel Lichtenstein in conversation with David Cooper (International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Manchester) 

David Cooper was in conversation with Rachel Lichtenstein about her writing career. This event formed part of the Place Writing Short Course.

21st October 2014: Kathleen Jamie in conversation with David Cooper (International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Manchester)

Kathleen Jamie, one of the key figures in the field of place writing, was in conversation with David Cooper.