The Other Room 10th birthday at The Castle

Sarah-Clare Conlon, Literature Editor
Poet and performer Camilla Nelson
Poet and performer Camilla Nelson.

The Other Room at Castle Hotel, Manchester 18 April 2018 Entrance is free

Here on the Literature Desk, The Other Room is one of our favourite nights out – and there was us thinking we didn’t even like experimental and avant-garde poetry when we first stepped foot into the Old Abbey Arms, where they used to hold the event many moons ago. Oh, how we were wrong. So wrong, in fact, that when the news was announced that The Other Room will soon no longer be a regular fixture in our diary, we even shed a tear. At the time, we told everyone it was just something in our eye, but we’ll admit it was shock and chagrin.

Yes, after a full decade of serving up fine live literature for over what will be 74 outings, in venues from The Wonder Inn to The Castle, The Other Room is closing its doors. But they’re going out with a storm not a mizzle, putting the emphasis on celebrating their tenth birthday party and the launch of their tenth annual anthology, featuring poets from the year just gone. Think party poppers, pop and plenty of performers – with organisers James Davies, Tom Jenks and Scott Thurston (themselves to be heard reading at The European Camarade on 13 April and at Peter Barlow’s Cigarette on 28 April) introducing an impressive line-up of four poets.

Lecturer in Contemporary Literature and Culture at King’s College London, Amy De’Ath’s most recent publication is ON MY LOVE FOR gender abolition; founding editor of Singing Apple Press Camilla Nelson creates page-based poetry, soundwork, installation and performance; Irish poet and novelist Pascal O’Loughlin is librarian at the National Poetry Library in London and one-third of Stinky Bear Press poetry collective, and Vicky Sparrow’s poems can be found in Front Horse, Intercapillary Space, datableed and Litmus, and her pamphlet Notes to Selves was published by Zarf Editions in 2016.

You’d be daft to miss this lot. As the wizards behind The Other Room curtain say: “Come from round the corner, come from far afield, come down for the first time if you’ve always meant to come along, get babysitters, get two babysitters just in case, introduce friends, opt out of work the next day, return your tickets for the holiday in Spain. See you there.” Indeedy.

The Other Room at Castle Hotel, Manchester 18 April 2018 Entrance is free

Where to go near The Other Room 10th birthday at The Castle

Chakalaka
Manchester
Restaurant
Chakalaka

The very best of South African cuisine in an intimate, friendly space in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.

Manchester
Bar or Pub
Gullivers

Head north on Oldham Street and you’ll come across Gullivers, a ‘no gimmicks and no pretensions’ pub and gig venue.

City Centre
Restaurant
Rewind NQ

A quirky bar, paying homage to the unfortunately deceased Blockbusters video rental stores, with aptly named cocktails and a great atmosphere.

Behind Closed Doors Booth
Manchester
Bar or Pub
Behind Closed Doors

A hidden den of debauchery and indulgence. A fresh take on a basement cocktail bar in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.

Image of Soup Kitchen in Manchester's Northern Quarter
Manchester
Music venue
Soup

Soup Kitchen is a superb communal cafe by day and an excellent live music venue by night. The perfect choice for lunch or a great night out.

Manchester
Shop
Bags of Flavour

Bags of Flavour is the Northern Quarter’s answer to high end vintage with high quality exclusive garments and accessories.

Beermoth shop in Manchester's Northern Quarter.
Manchester
Shop
Beermoth

Beermoth on Manchester’s Tib Street stocks specialist beers, chosen with a quietly confident knowledge.

Manchester
Shop
RPB

Otherwise known as Ross Parlane’s Barber Shop, RPB is a barber shop in the middle of Manchester’s bustling Northern Quarter.

What's on: Literature

Naomi Booth
LiteratureStockport
Naomi Booth at Serenity Stockport

Described as “gripping and life-affirming”, Naomi Booth’s latest novel, raw content, has just been released with Corsair.

from £5.00
Eleanor Rees
LiteratureLiverpool
Eleanor Rees at Open Eye Gallery Liverpool

Launching her shiny new volume of selected poems in Liverpool, where much of it was dreamed up, Eleanor Rees will be reading live and also chatting about the production.

free entry

Culture Guides

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

DaDaFest’s 40th anniversary line-up, contemporary reimaginings and outlandish fringe, check out our top theatre picks for spring onwards.

A woman with black curly hair sings on stage in front of a red curtain
Cinema in the North

David Lynch, International Women's Day and Manchester Film Festival are amongst our cinematic highlights this March.

the artist
Music in the North

The outsiders, the oddities and the outrageous – we’re keeping it weird with a hot new batch of underground gigs about to hit Manchester, Leeds, and Liverpool.

A large sphere floats in a dark room with an ornate wall pattern, flanked by two arched windows and a checkered floor.
Exhibitions in the North

From precarious ceramics to photography festivals, spring is here and brings with it a breath of fresh air in visual art and exhibitions.

Poet Imtiaz Dharker. Photo by Ayesha Dharker
Literature Events in the North

It's like the Woolies pick'n'mix counter this month in live literature land – so much choice, we're not sure where to start digging in.

Classical Music in the North

Read our latest highlights from the live classical music offer in Manchester and the North, taking in a number of the region's most cherished orchestral forces and venues.