Manchester Literature Festival 2022: Headliners revealed including Ruth Jones and Ian Rankin - get tickets

As the 2022 Manchester Literature Festival approaches, we run through the confirmed headliners and how to get tickets
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The headline events have finally been announced for the 2022 Manchester Literature Festival, and there are some huge names to look forward to as the event returns to a fully live lineup for the first time since the pandemic began.

Now in its 17th year, the festival is set to take place between 7 October and 23 October 2022. In the past, the biggest names in literary fiction and spoken word have taken centre stage in Manchester, as well as some of the most prominent cultural figures from across the globe.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The likes of Tori Amos, Simon Armitage, Margaret Atwood, Kate Atkinson, Malorie Blackman, William Boyd, Vivienne Westwood, Patrisse Cullors (co-founder of Black Lives Matter), Angela Davis, Reni Eddo-Lodge, and many more have all featured at the festival over the years.

Who are the headline stars at Manchester Literature Festival 2022?

It’s time to get excited because we’ll be welcoming one of the best-ever lineups to our city at the 2022 Manchester Literature Festival. You can look forward to seeing some of the biggest names around come October.

Ruth Jones

Who? Famous for writing Gavin & Stacey, Ruth Jones is a BAFTA award-winning Welsh screenwriter, actor, comedian and novelist who will be in conversation with host Julia Wheeler about her career. She’ll discuss her writing, creating, and playing strong characters, as well as her forthcoming novel, Love Untold.

When? 7 October 2022, at 7.30pm.

Where? HOME, Manchester.

Kamila Shamsie

Who? Manchester Literature Festival patron and former Women’s Prize for Fiction winner Kamila Shamsie is to be hosted by BBC News broadcaster Razia Iqbal. Kamila will share her experiences as she launches her extraordinary new novel, Best of Friends - a story set in Karachi in the late 1980s and London three decades later.

When? 8 October 2022, at 7.30pm.

Where? Martin Harris Centre, The University of Manchester.

Sheila Hancock

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Who? The much-loved British actor and writer, who won the 2007 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical for her role as Fraulein Schneider in Cabaret, is still going strong at age 89. She’ll be discussing her remarkable career with Alex Clark as she releases her new memoir Old Rage.

When? 9 October 2022, at 3pm.

Where? Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester.

Ian Rankin

Who? The ‘King of Scottish crime fiction’ Ian Rankin has written over 30 novels and is widely considered one of the undisputed masters of Tartan noir.

Ian will be talking about A Heart Full of Headstones, his new, meticulously-crafted thriller starring Scottish DI John Rebus. He will also discuss creating characters and writing place in a special conversation with poet and former Makar of Scotland, Jackie Kay.

When? 12 October 2022, at 7.30pm.

Where? Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester.

Edward Enninful

Edward Enninful, the first Black British Vogue Editor-in-Chief, attends the 2022 Prince’s Trust GalaEdward Enninful, the first Black British Vogue Editor-in-Chief, attends the 2022 Prince’s Trust Gala
Edward Enninful, the first Black British Vogue Editor-in-Chief, attends the 2022 Prince’s Trust Gala

Who? As the first Black editor-in-chief at British Vogue, Edward Enninful is one of the biggest names in the British magazine industry. Edward is in town to talk about fashion, beauty, identity, leadership, race, and culture, as well as the transformative effect he has had on the fashion world.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He will also share some of the amazing stories told in his memoir, A Visible Man, with award-winning author and fellow game-changer Bernardine Evaristo. You don’t want to miss it.

When? 23 October 2022, at 7pm.

Where? Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester.

How to get tickets for the Manchester Literature Festival 2022?

Tickets for the headline events at the Manchester Literature Festival 2022 are available to buy on the official Manchester Literature Festival website to both the general public and MLF Get Closer members. Tickets for the full programme of non-headline events will be available from Wednesday 24 August 2022.

Away from headline events, the full programme of 40-45 events will be announced on Wednesday 24 August 2022 and priority tickets will go on sale to MLF Get Closer members on this date. Tickets will be available to the general public two days later, on Friday 26 August 2022.

If you would like to get your hands on an MLF Get Closer membership to get priority booking, visit the Manchester Literature Festival website.