The literary landscape of Manchester is as varied as the city itself. From coming-of-age classics to futurism and psychedelia, discover a new Manchester this World Book Day with my top fiction picks.
Mayflies – Andew O’ Hagan
Recently adapted to TV by the BBC, Mayflies is a bittersweet, coming-of-age insight into male friendship. Divided into two, the first half of the novel is set over a vibrant, chaotic weekend in 1980s Manchester, when a group of Scottish teenagers attend a punk festival in the city and embrace the excitement of being young. Decades later, we revisit the group during adulthood, who reflect on their youth as events take a sombre turn. Be prepared to put it down, wipe away your tears and feel grateful for life’s possibilities.
Manchester Happened – Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi
This collection of 12 short stories explores moving from Uganda to Manchester and was inspired by the author’s personal experience as an immigrant to the city herself. Each account explores the identity, belonging and the meaning of ‘home’, intertwining humour and love with tragedy and prejudice to bring to light the complex reality of the immigrant experience.
So Happy It Hurts- Anneliese Mackintosh
If Bridget Jones, The Holiday or Love Actually are your go-to comfort films, this is the book for you. So Happy It Hurts follows Ottilia, a 30-something Mancunian with a New Year’s Resolution to sort her life out. Through emails, receipts, and transcripts, follow her journey to ditch her toxic relationship and drinking problem on an unconventional path to happiness through Manchester’s streets.
A Taste of Honey – Shelagh Delaney
Originally a novel but later transformed into an iconic play, A Taste of Honey explores working class life in Salford in the 1950s and has become a classic of Manchester-related literature. It follows teenager Jo as she navigates a dysfunctional relationship with her mother and various romantic interactions, dealing with themes of race, infidelity, pregnancy, and resilience. Delaney, who was born in Salford herself, was just 19 years old when the novel catapulted her to fame.
Vurt – Jeff Noon
Described as a “mind boggling, confusing, psychedelic trip,” Vurt is set in a futuristic Manchester that transports readers into a dream-like fantasy. Noon, a former Manchester University student, had the idea for the cyberpunk inspired novel while working at one of the city’s bookshops and deciding he wanted to give writing a try himself. Expect the unexpected as the city’s streets warp into somewhere completely undiscovered.
North and South- Elizabeth Gaskell
As the title suggests, Gaskell’s classic 1855 novel follows protagonist Margaret Hale as she moves from Southern England to Milton, a fictional Northern city based on the author’s home city of Manchester. Written during the Industrial Revolution, Gaskell explores ever-relevant questions around poverty, class, and the North-South divide in this must-read staple of Mancunian fiction.