UNITOM

Sarah-Clare Conlon, Literature Editor Last Updated 25 May 2023

From household names like Taschen and Phaidon to locally made publications and small press titles, UNITOM is home to an extensive range of titles on contemporary art, design, fashion, photography and counterculture, alongside a vast number of independent magazines.

There are also gifts and knick-knacks – sorry, a curated collection of lifestyle brands – plus exclusive prints and artists editions, and you can even grab a fresh filter coffee to sip on while you browse. The shop is just the corner from Chapter 1 and Queer Lit, so why not do a bit of a bookshop tour of the Northern Quarter while you’re there?

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Bookshops in Manchester

Manchester is a UNESCO City of Literature, so of course there are a few go-tos for books. Read our guide to discover the best places to pick them up.

What's on near UNITOM

Until 21 Aug

ComedyManchester

Creatures of the Night Comedy Club

An insanely committed seven-nights-a-week, Creatures of the Night Comedy Club opens its doors (20.30-22.30 typically, though please check) for evening after evening of side-splitting comedy.

from £5.00

Until 18 Aug

ComedyManchester

The Comedy Vault

Every Monday night upstairs at Fierce Bar, The Comedy Vault hosts an outrageously funny open-mic night. Come and try your hand or just to watch and laugh.

free entry

Until 11 Aug

ComedyManchester

Beat The Frog at The Frog and Bucket

Beat the Frog is a legendary amateur comedy night, taking place each and every Monday. Many famous names prove it’s the real deal.

free entry

Until 29 Apr

ActivityAncoats

School of Comedy at the Frog and Bucket

Try your hand at stand up comedy with an eight week intensive course with Dave Williams in the Frog and Bucket’s School of Comedy.

from £300.00

Stalker: 'Tom' 2024, oil pencil on acid-free card 186 x 186mm

3 Apr

ExhibitionsManchester

Memoria et Locus at Saan1

Saan1 presents a pop-up group exhibition from MMU students, exploring place as a whether literal, symbolic or metaphorical subject.

free entry

Until 23 Jul 2026

ActivityManchester

Folk and World Choir at Band on the Wall

Band on the Wall bring people together to make, as well as watch, music. Join them to learn folk tunes from all over the world.

28 May

MusicLeeds

Moin at Band on the Wall

Rock-informed, techno-adjacent musical collagists Moin perform at Band on the Wall this spring.

from £16.50

Until 20 Apr

ExhibitionsManchester

Shadow and Void: Buddha10 at esea contemporary

‘Shadow and Void: Buddha10’ combines historic Buddhist sculptures with contemporary, multisensory artworks that offer a space for reflection

free entry

See all events

Where to go near UNITOM

Manchester

Café or Coffee Shop

GET BAKED

Newly opened cakery in Stevensons Square, Northern Quarter Manchester. Get Baked brings all the Yorkshire charm and sweetness one of the city’s most popular squares.

Manchester

Bar or Pub

The Corner Boy

Back in action for spring/summer 2021, Corner Boy is a welcoming, dimly-lit bar on the edge of Stevenson Square in the Northern Quarter.

Manchester

Shop

Eastern Bloc Records

Eastern Bloc Records is the record store for ‘the true vinyl purist’, and specialises in electronic music.

Northern Quarter

Restaurant

Flok

A much-needed addition to the fast-growing Stevenson Square area of the Northern Quarter. Flok offers sophistication, superb tapas-style food and an impressively well-stocked bar.

Manchester

Restaurant

Turtle Bay Northern Quarter

Ever-popular Caribbean food chain, now based in the Northern Quarter.

Manchester

Selina NQ1

Selina NQ1 is a creative and charming yet sophisticated hotel in the heart of Manchester’s Northern Quarter.

Manchester

Restaurant

Bakerie

Bakerie in Manchester’s Northern Quarter is an open-plan restaurant which features comfy booths, ordinary tables and communal-style benches.

Manchester

Restaurant

Pie & Ale

Locally-made and utterly moreish pies and brews.

Manchester

Restaurant

Slice

When was the last time you stumbled out of a bar and into a takeaway that served up food as fresh as Mama made? If your answer is “never”, we’re guessing you haven’t yet found new Manchester pizza parlour, Slice.

Manchester

Bar or Pub

Dusk Til Pawn

Northern Quarter cocktail bar, not – we repeat NOT – a pawn shop

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

Pop Boutique Manchester

One of the oldest vintage shops in the Northern Quarter (opened here in 1994), Pop is set out across two floors and racks up a cafe, barber’s and basement furniture section, as well as its own label and good-as-new originals – all for very reasonable prices.

See all places

Manchester District Guides

Things to Do in Altrincham

Plan a day out down Altrincham way, and you’ll soon find that one day isn’t nearly enough. Getting there is easy on the tram, or how about cycling along the…

Salford, Greater Manchester

Cross over the River Irwell, and you’ll find yourself in another city entirely – Salford, which is enjoying something of a regeneration.

The Quays, Greater Manchester

The Quays is home to MediaCityUK (the largest media hub in Europe) and studios purpose-built for the BBC’s move up North in 2011.

Chinatown, Manchester

Chinatown is a network of back streets dotted with Chinese restaurants – go to Ho’s Bakery for perfect honey buns, Hunan for spice and Middle Kingdom for a very affordable menu.

Ancoats & New Islington

Ancoats, just off the Northern Quarter in Manchester, is one of the city’s most increasingly desirable neighbourhoods. Find out why.

Canal Street, Manchester

Manchester’s picturesque Canal Street and its surroundings constitute what is reputedly the oldest gay village in the country.

Chapel Street, Salford

Chapel Street has the different counter-cultural feel of another city: still industrial, more casual, temporal. Here’s what the area has to offer.

Culture Guides

Family things to do in the North

Dragon quests, coconut pyramids and topsy-turvy Wonderland adventures... curious?

Music in the North

We’re championing all things underground this month, with a selection of gigs and festivals that embrace the strange.

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.

Exhibitions in the North

Cinematic sets, 90s nightclub photography and even new gallery - we have a great mix of exhibitions for you this month.

image shows pinned butterflies and pretty paper with frames

Tours and Activities in the North

Boozy tours, art workshops and a 'hobby house' that champions all things DIY, get the creative cogs whirring with our latest batch of tours and activities.

Food and Drink in the North

Make the most of the springtime sun with some of the North's best bars and restaurants.

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.

Theatre in the North

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