Manchester Independent Books And Arts Fair at PLANT NOMA

Sarah-Clare Conlon, Literature Editor

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Manchester Independent Books And Arts Fair

28 July 2018

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

Dostoyevsky Wannabe Editor Victoria Brown.
Dostoyevsky Wannabe Editor Victoria Brown.
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Earlier this year, Claire Armitstead said in The Guardian: ‘…any publisher called Dostoyevsky Wannabe, frankly, has to be worth a ticket to Manchester, which – along with Sheffield and Norwich – is becoming a soul city of micropublishing’ – and who, frankly, are we to argue?

As well as national press coverage, largely as a result of finding their way onto the boutique 2018 shortlist of über-on-trend the Republic of Consciousness Prize for Small Presses, the two-strong team at staunchly indie publishing house Dostoyevsky Wannabe are making waves from their base in Manchester with a burgeoning list of novels, non-fiction titles and collections. Since getting underway four or so years ago, Victoria Brown and Richard Brammer have published 51 or so books, under different imprints (Original, Experimental, Cities, and so on). They’ve just enjoyed two weeks on The Publisher’s Table at the South London Gallery. They’re being interviewed right now over at 3:AM. Hell, they even have button badges.

Isabel Waidner’s Gaudy Bauble – a Dostoyevsky Wannabe Original – got them on that RoC list (won, incidentally, by Influx Press for Attrib. and other stories by Eley Williams, so we won’t complain too loudly). Manchester-based Richard Barrett and Steve Hanson’s co-authored and hot-of-the-press The Acts – a Dostoyevsky Wannabe Experiment – will be showcased at the Manchester Independent Books And Arts Fair (aka Dostoyevsky Wannabe Goes To Manchester).

Look out also for the even-hotter-off-the-press anthology Dostoyevsky Wannabe Cities: Manchester, featuring contributions from prose and poetry writers Bryony Bates, Tristan Burke, Sian Cummins, Valerie O’Riordan, Lee Rourke, Anthony Trevelyan and Peter Wild. Oh, and your favourite Creative Tourist Literature Editor. It’s the latest in an international DW series so far featuring Bristol and aforementioned and fellow UNESCO City of Literature Norwich, with Brooklyn, Coventry, Dundee, Glasgow, London, Madrid, Nottingham and Santiago hot on its heels.

Alongside Dostoyevsky Wannabe, there’ll be a stall run by London-Manchester publisher Dodo Ink (whose Thom Cuell commissioned Dostoyevsky Wannabe Cities: Manchester), representatives of some of Manchester’s finest indie presses, including if p then q, Knives Forks & Spoons and ZimZalla, and Manchester-based arts collective Generic Greeting.

Basically, you can go home happy with armfuls of lovely books, pamphlets and zines, tees and maybe some cassettes. We’re heading towards Christmas – what are you waiting for?

Where to go near Manchester Independent Books And Arts Fair at PLANT NOMA

Manchester
Gallery
Black Redstart Gallery

Black Redstart Gallery is located in the Northern Quarter and runs a busy programme of exhibitions from emerging and established artists.

RJC Dance Xmas Show
Leeds
RJC Dance

RJC Dance, based in Chapeltown, Leeds, champions youth and education, leading inclusive Black dance in the North through national partnerships.

texture logo
Manchester
Gallery
texture mcr

Possibly one of the city’s most mysterious art galleries, texture is a small and perfectly-formed independent space in Ardwick.

The Beacon at Cliffe Castle Park
Bradford
Park
Cliffe Castle Park

Cliffe Castle Park hosts the Beacon, a stunning performance space that will be touring the district throughout Bradford UK City of Culture 2025.

Hern Food
Leeds
Restaurant
Hern

This produce-driven bistro in Chapel Allerton, Leeds, prides itself on cooking with the only finest ingredients and his headed up by Cordon Bleu-trained chef Rab Adams.

Indie Makers
Leeds
Shop
Indie Makers

Indie Makers, located in Leads’ corn exchange, trades in art and gifts from independent makers across the UK.

Plant Point
Leeds
Shop
Plant Point

Plant Point is designed to help you bring the jungle into your urban or suburban space. The home of beautiful plants in Leeds.

Leeds
Restaurant
Eat Your Greens

Eat Your Greens is a vibrant, organic restaurant bringing a hint of European flair to the city’s plant-based dining scene.

Sela opened in 2004 with an idea to provide quality imported beers from around the world, fun cocktails to compliment the beer selections and a stage for the region’s finest and most talented musicians to play on.Over ten years later, we’re still all about the beer, cocktails, live music and pizza!We carry over a selection of over thirty different beers spanning the globe from Pickering with The Great Yorkshire Brewery’s Yorkshire Blackout, to New York with a selection from Brooklyn Brewery, and Belgium with longtime Sela favourite, Vedett.Our cocktails change regularly too. Our best-sellers are joined by fun, new offerings and our pizza menu is regarded as one of the best the city of Leeds has to offer.As for the live music, Sela has had not only the great and the good from the region. Local funksters, The New Mastersounds are regular visitors and we stage the amazing Mojah Reggae Band for their weekly Wednesday residency.  Our other long running programming incl
Leeds
Restaurant
Sela Bar & Pizzeria

Sela Bar is a cosy Leeds basement spot with live music, great drinks, and a cool, laid-back, atmospheric vibe.

What's on: Literature

Jenn Ashworth at Blackwell's Manchester
LiteratureManchester
Jenn Ashworth at Blackwells

Jenn Ashworth is back at Blackwells bookshop for the Manchester launch of her latest work, reading extracts and chatting to Helen Mort about how The Parallel Path came about.

From £4.00
LiteratureLeeds
Chemistry at The Chemic

Leeds live literature regular Chemistry offers an exciting mix of open mic acts and invited poets – this month the headliners include Rosie Garland.

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Poet Mike Garry. Photo Paul Wolfgang Webster
LiteratureManchester
Word Central at Central Library

Word Central is a long-standing live literature favourite at Central Library and features open mic performers and a special guest, brought to you by Manchester Libraries and Flapjack Press.

Free entry
Cover of a book with a canal boat on it saying boater by Jo Bell
LiteratureManchester
Jo Bell at The Portico Library

Poet and now memoirist Jo Bell invites you to join her “for a friendly evening” at The Portico Library when she’ll be talking about her new “smart, funny” memoir Boater.

From £6.00

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