THU 9 MAY
From Print to Publishing: The Changing Role of the Book in China and the UK
One-Day Symposium.
In conjunction with the launch of the Chinese Arts Centre's "Tumbler: Indie Print in China exhibition", there will be one-day symposium event ‘From Print to Publishing: The Changing Role of the Book in China & the UK’, bringing together professionals from the fields of publishing in China and the UK to discuss the changing character of print and art book publishing; the developing role of self-publishing and artists’ book initiatives, and the impact of online and digital media on the traditional art book publishing industry. In addition, the symposium will examine practical challenges facing foreign publishers attempting to enter the Mainland Chinese market.
10am-5pm.
More here.

SAT 27 APRIL
The Art of Story Writing
Enjoy a unique day with award-winning short story writers Michèle Roberts, Adam Marek and literary agent Carrie Kania including an evening reading with Lionel Shriver.
Join a small group of leading writers in an intimate setting for an exclusive one-day seminar aimed at finding your voice and getting published.
The cost of £195 includes lunch, snacks, coffee, tea, wine and a bookish goody-bag. Please let us know if you have specific dietary requirements.
YOUR GUIDES
Cathy Galvin, writer and founder of The Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Short Story Award, editor of the Word Factory and a judge for the 2013 Frank O’Connor Award, will moderate the day.
Michèle Roberts, the author of twelve highly acclaimed novels and short story collections, is Emeritus Professor of Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia and will bring the morning alive with an awakening writing session.
Adam Marek, The Stone Thrower (Comma Press), will run a story clinic to help you troubleshoot and edit your own fiction.
Carrie Kania, Agent, Conville & Walsh and former publisher of Harper Perennial US will discuss building your platform, the role of literary magazines and websites, why exposure matters and how to present your story to an agent.
Lionel Shriver, also a widely published journalist, is the author of ten novels, including the New York Times bestsellers So Much for That (a finalist for the 2010 National Book Award and the Wellcome Trust Book Prize) and The Post-Birthday World (Entertainment Weekly's 2007 Book of the Year). Winner of the 2005 Orange prize, the international bestseller We Need to Talk About Kevin was adapted for a feature film by Lynne Ramsay in 2011. Her eleventh novel, Big Brother, which addresses obesity, is published in May 2013. Her work has been translated into 28 languages.
The Society Club, 12 Ingestre Place, Soho, London, W1F OJF.
10am - 5.30pm
More info here

SAT 27 APRIL
Guardian Masterclass: Pitching Your Book
Get your book noticed by agents, editors and readers. A masterclass with Danuta Kean, with specialist contributions from Comma's Ra Page and Random House's Michael Rowley.
More info here

FRI 26 APRIL
A meeting with Pawel Huelle and Antonia Lloyd-Jones.
The Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Dublin and the Ireland-Poland Cultural Foundation cordially invite you to see one of the most successful duets when it comes to cooperation of Polish literature and translation.
Long Room Hub, Trinity College, Trinity College, 2, Dublin
6pm - 7.30pm
Free
RSVP: dublin.culture@msz.gov.pl
Pawel Huelle worked for the Solidarity movement during the fall of the Communist regime, before becoming a journalist and TV producer. Huelle is the author of 9 books, including novels, short stories and essays. He has been shortlisted three times for the Independent Foreign Fiction Award, and is the winner of the Found In Translation Award (2009).
Antonia Lloyd-Jones is a full-time translator of Polish literature. Her published translations include fiction by Pawel Huelle (including The Last Supper, for which she won the Found in Translation Award 2008), Olga Tokarczuk and Jacek Dehnel. Her latest translations of non-fiction include reportage by Wojciech Jagielski and Jacek Hugo-Bader. She also translates poetry and books for children, most recently Kaytek the Wizard by Janusz Korczak.
Supported by the Polish Embassy.

THURS 25 APRIL
Digital Arts Projects Funding Workshop (Grants for the Arts Applications)
Time: 1 - 3pm (with 10-minute one-one-one sessions available from 3-4pm)
Location: Manchester Digital Development Agency
Address: 117-119 Portland St, Manchester M1 6ED
Phone: 0161 241 8200
Are you considering making a Grants for the Arts funding application for an arts project with a digital focus? Arts Council England and Literature Northwest are hosting a one-off seminar on how to optimise your GftA application.
The session will cover:
The kind of digital arts projects ACE will fund.
A step-by-step guide to key sections of the application form.
Examples of successful and unsuccessful applications (and the reasons for this).
Advice from MDDA on what makes a successful and innovative arts/digital project, and how to find suitable digital collaborators.
The opportunity for a one-on-one session with Alison Boyle of ACE, to discuss the preparation of your application.
While the session will specifically focus on literature/digital projects, the advice and outcomes will be applicable to all art forms (Theatre, Music, Visual Arts etc).
To book your place, please email Katie Slade (katie.slade@commapress.co.uk) with your name, your contact details, the name of your organisation and the art-form you work in.
**If you've already begun to plan a specific project, and would like a 10-minute one-on-one session with Alison Boyle of Arts Council England, please let us know in your email.**

THURS 25 APRIL
Cork World Book Festival featuring Pawel Huelle and translator Antonia Lloyd-Jones in conversation with Billy O'Callaghan
Pawel Huelle is a prominent Polish author of numerous novels, short stories and essays. He worked for the press service of Solidarity during the fall of the Communist regime and has also taught literature, philosophy and history. Besides reading and discussing his work, Pawel will show some images of Gdansk and tell the audience a bit about his life and the place he comes from. Pawel Huelle’s Cold Sea Stories, published by Comma (2012), was longlisted for the The Independent Foreign Fiction Prize.
Triskel Arts Centre Tobin St., Cork City
20.30pm
More info and booking here

TUE 23 APR
WORLD BOOK DAY with Zoe Lambert, and others.
Waterstone's, 92 Deansgate, Manchester
6.30pm - 8.30pm
Free.

FRI 19 APR
ONE NIGHT IN ISTANBUL with Muge Iplikci, Murat Gulsoy and Helen Walsh
To celebrate Turkey being the guest of honour at this year's London Book Fair (and to bring it out of London), Comma is hosting a special evening of readings from our perfect introduction to contemporary Turkish fiction, The Book of Istanbul.
The Bluecoat, School Lane, Liverpool, L1 3BX
6.30pm - 7.30pm
Free.
More information here
With support from the British Council.

SAT 6 APR
EDINBURGH LAUNCH: Bio-Punk
with authors Justina Robson and Dilys Rose, and scientists Bruce Whitelaw and Jane Calvert
8-9.30pm at The National Museum of Scotland (Auditorium)
Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF
£8/£6
Part of Edinburgh Science Festival
Bio-Punk was produced with the support of the Wellcome Trust

MON 25 MAR
REEL IRAQ FESTIVAL featuring Hassan Blasim, Glasgow.
Mono Cafe, 12 Kings Court, Glasgow, G1 5RB
8 - 9.30pm
Free
More info here
Visit supported by the Finnish Literature Echange.


SUN 24 MAR
REEL IRAQ FESTIVAL featuring HASSAN BLASIM, Edinburgh.
To mark the 10th anniversary of the illegal invasion of Iraq, the film festival invites writers, filmmakers and artists to discuss, show and read from their work.

DISCUSSION: 'The Invasion of Iraq: Artistic Responses to the War'
3.30pm-5pm
Speakers:
Maysoon Pachachi – Ms. Pachachi is an award-winning documentary-film maker and civil society activist.
Hassan Blasim – Hassan Blasim is an Iraqi-born film director and writer who lives in Finland. He writes in Arabic.He is co-editor of the Arabic literary website http://www.iraqstory.com/
Dr. Alan Ingram, UCL – Dr Ingram is currently researching the responses of artists and art institutions in the UK to the war.
Chair:
Nacim Pak-Shiraz - Shiraz is a Lecturer in Persian and Film Studies at the University of Edinburgh.
Summerhall, Summerhall Pl, Edinburgh, City of Edinburgh EH9 1PL.

READING: The Iraqi Christ
Followed by a Q&A.
5pm-6pm.

More info to follow here
Visit supported by the Finnish Literature Echgange.

SAT 23 MAR
The Word Factory #8 with Hassan Blasim
Launching his highly-anticipated second collection The Iraqi Christ
Featuring readings from Stuart Evers, Joe Dunthorne and Lane Ashfeldt.
The Society Club, 12 Ingestre Place, Soho, London, W1F OJF
6pm - 8pm
£10 on the door
Book early to avoid disappointment
More here

Visit supported by the Finnish Literature Echange.

TUE 19 MAR
Guy Ware at the Telegraph Hill Festival
Actors Reading Writers II
The Hill Station
8pm - 11pm
£4/£2
Featuring a reading of Guy's debut collection You Have 24 Hours to Love Us.
More here

TUE 19 MAR
Beacons: Writing in Defence of the Planet at the Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival
Featuring David Constantine, Joanne Harris and Jem Poster.
At a time of deep unease about the impact of climate change, novelist Gregory Norminton has edited an anthology of short stories on the subject, Beacons. In this event, three contributors to Beacons, all well-known writers in other contexts – David Constantine, Joanne Harris and Jem Poster – come together to give readings from the short stories they contributed and to discuss their work in relation to the environmental issues it addresses.
Constantine, a fellow of The Queen’s College, Oxford, is a poet, novelist and translator, and co-editor of the literary journal Modern Poetry in Translation. Harris is an award-winning writer of many novels including Chocolat, which was made into an Oscar-nominated film, and the more recent Peaches for Monsieur Le Cure and Runelight. Poster is a poet and novelist, academic director of the Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival, and former professor and chair of creative writing at Aberystwyth University.
More info and tickets here

SAT 23 FEB
LONDON LAUNCH: David Constantine's Tea at the Midland
The Word Factory #7 with Ian Duhig, Katrina Naomi and Steve O'Brien
6-8pm at The Society Club
12 Ingestre Place, Soho, W1F OJF
£10 on the door
Book early to avoid disappointment.
More here.

THU 7 FEB
LNW SEMINAR: Make an eBook in an Afternoon: Hands On Session (for PC users)
iterature Northwest hostS the first of two practical workshops aimed at independent publishers who want to learn how make eBooks to a high standard, in-house.
It'll be led by Jim Hinks, of Manchester independent Comma Press, who for the past couple of years has overseen Comma’s eBook production. Jim is self-taught, and sympathetic to the challenge of learning eBook production from scratch!
The session will cover all aspects of eBook conversion into ePub (for Kobo and Nook) and MOBI (Kindle) formats, in a step-by-step practical session, including extracting html from inDesign files, ensuring ePub-3 compliant html and CSS, building contents pages (and automatic TOC generation), adding metadata, and testing.
Please note - the session will assume participants already have some basic experience of working with html (e.g. simple updates to content on your blog/website). If you’re an absolute beginner at html and want to attend, it’d be advisable to get a handle on the key principles. You can find some step-by-step guides to html formatting here: http://www.w3schools.com/
PLACES ARE VERY LIMITED SO BOOK NOW.
What you’ll need to bring:
1) Your laptop
2) An inDesign, rtf, or html file of the book you want to convert
3) Metadata (bibliographic information and blurb) for the book you’re converting.
4) A high-res jpeg (minimum 600x800) of the book’s cover.
5) Any other image files from the book, in jpeg format.
6) You’ll also need download and install the latest version of these two software applications (they’re free!):
Sigil - http://code.google.com/p/sigil/
Kindle Previewer - http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000765261
7) If you own an eReader, it’d be useful to bring it, along with a USB cable.
Please note this is the PC/Microsoft OS seminar (not Mac users - that seminar was last week).
MadLab, 36-40 Edge Street, Manchester M4 1HN.
1pm-5pm.
Places are limited, so if you want to attend, email BOTH jim.hinks@commapress.co.uk and ra.page@commapress.co.uk as soon as possible to book your place.
Places are free, but very limited. Only one person per publishing house please.
See above (31 Jan) for details.
PLACES ARE VERY LIMITED SO BOOK NOW.
MadLab, 36-40 Edge Street, Manchester M4 1HN.
1pm-5pm.
Places are limited, so if you want to attend, email BOTH jim.hinks@commapress.co.uk and ra.page@commapress.co.uk as soon as possible to book your place.
Places are free, but very limited. Only one person per publishing house please.

THU 31 JAN
LNW SEMINAR: Make an eBook in an Afternoon: Hands On Session (for Mac users)
Literature Northwest hostS the first of two practical workshops aimed at independent publishers who want to learn how make eBooks to a high standard, in-house.
It'll be led by Jim Hinks, of Manchester independent Comma Press, who for the past couple of years has overseen Comma’s eBook production. Jim is self-taught, and sympathetic to the challenge of learning eBook production from scratch!
The session will cover all aspects of eBook conversion into ePub (for Kobo and Nook) and MOBI (Kindle) formats, in a step-by-step practical session, including extracting html from inDesign files, ensuring ePub-3 compliant html and CSS, building contents pages (and automatic TOC generation), adding metadata, and testing.
Please note - the session will assume participants already have some basic experience of working with html (e.g. simple updates to content on your blog/website). If you’re an absolute beginner at html and want to attend, it’d be advisable to get a handle on the key principles. You can find some step-by-step guides to html formatting here: http://www.w3schools.com/
PLACES ARE VERY LIMITED SO BOOK NOW.
What you’ll need to bring:
1) Your laptop
2) An inDesign, rtf, or html file of the book you want to convert
3) Metadata (bibliographic information and blurb) for the book you’re converting.
4) A high-res jpeg (minimum 600x800) of the book’s cover.
5) Any other image files from the book, in jpeg format.
6) You’ll also need download and install the latest version of these two software applications (they’re free!):
Sigil - http://code.google.com/p/sigil/
Kindle Previewer - http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000765261
7) If you own an eReader, it’d be useful to bring it, along with a USB cable.
Please note this is the Mac OS seminar. PC users need to book on the session on the 7th. See below.
MadLab, 36-40 Edge Street, Manchester M4 1HN.
1pm-5pm.
Places are limited, so if you want to attend, email BOTH jim.hinks@commapress.co.uk and ra.page@commapress.co.uk as soon as possible to book your place.
Places are free, but very limited. Only one person per publishing house please.

SAT 26 JAN
LONDON LAUNCH: Jane Rogers' Hitting Trees with Sticks
More info to follow.
6-8pm at: The Society Club.
12 Ingestre Place, Soho, W1F OJF
£10 on the door

THU 24 JAN
AN EVENING OF ICELANDIC SHORT STORIES & FILMS
with AGUST BORGTHOR SVERRISON
A rare opportunity to hear one of Iceland's most exciting writers, and author of the acclaimed, Twice in a Lifetime.
Tonight's reading will be accompanied by the screening of two short films based on Icelandic short stories. Vera Juliusdottir's 'The Magician' based on a short story by Jon Atli Jonasson, and Heimir Freyr Hlöðversson's 'Disappear (Hverfa)', based on Agust's own short story 'Disappearing into the World'.
MadLab
36-40 Edge Street, Manchester M5 1HN
7pm.
Free.

FRI 11 JAN
Bokeh_Yeah! & Comma Film present.... Four new poem-films by James Starkie, Madeleine Steeves, Jessica Symons and Adele Myers. Based on the poems by David Constantine and Gaia Holmes.
Tonight's event is also an opportunity to meet up or get to know new people and join Bokeh Yeah! DSLR video club for our future projects.
Black Lion, 65 Chaple Street, M3 5HW, City of Salford.
6.30pm
Entry: £1.
Facebook event

SUN 16 DEC
Actors Reading Writers with Guy Ware
An evening of stories, poetry, drama and music in aid of Crisis at Christmas
The Hill Station, Kitto Road, London, SE14 5TY
7.30pm
Door £4, licensed bar
Proceeds from door entry fee going to Crisis, the charity for single homeless people
Getting there: Rail - New Cross Gate & Nunhead stations; Buses - 21, 36, 53, 136, 171, 172, 177, 343, 436, 453

WED 12 DEC in LONDON
Hassan Blasim
The London launch of Hassan's much anticipated second collection, The Iraqi Christ.
The Mosaic Rooms
A.M. Qattan Foundation, Tower House, 226 Cromwell Road, London SW5 0SW
7pm.
More about the book here
Supported by English Pen. Winner of the English Pen 'Writers in Translation' Award.

TUE 11 DEC in MANCHESTER
Hassan Blasim
The Manchester launch of Hassan's much anticipated second collection, The Iraqi Christ.
International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Chorlton Mill, 3 Cambridge Street, Manchester M1 5BY.
7pm. Free
More about the book here
Supported by English Pen. Winner of the English Pen 'Writers in Translation' Award.

MON 10 DEC
Hassan Blasim in NEWCASTLE
The Newcastle launch of Hassan's much anticipated second collection, The Iraqi Christ.
Lit & Phil Library
23 Westgate Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 1SE (Tel: 0191 232 0192).
7pm. Free.
More about the book here
Supported by English Pen. Winner of the English Pen 'Writers in Translation' Award.

THU 29 NOV
LAUNCH: Jane Rogers' Hitting Trees with Sticks
with Annie Clarkson.
Launching the debut short story collection of one of the North West's most acclaimed fiction writers. Hitting Trees with Sticks is a masterclass in the use of the unreliable narrator, and a tour de force in characterisation through the first-person voice. More about the book here
Tonight Jane is joined by one of Manchester's brightest new talents, Annie Clarkson, whose stories have previously appeared in anthologies such as Brace, Litmus and Lemistry.
MadLab, 36-40 Edge Street, Manchester M4 1HN.
7pm.
Free.

SUN 25 NOV
Guy Ware's You Have 24 Hours to Love Us: The London Launch
A collaboration with Comma Press and The Special Relationship, hosted by Tom Basden and featuring Alex MacDonald, and new stories from Sam Taradash and Jarred McGinnis.
The Book Club, 100 Leonard Street, EC2 4RH.
Doors open at 6pm. Show starts 6.30pm, finishes 8.30pm.
Tickets £5 on the door or online via WeGotTickets.
More info here.
Guy Ware was born in Northampton and studied English at Oxford. While completing a D.Phil. on William Blake he lived and worked with homeless ex-offenders, before training as a public finance accountant. He has published stories in anthologies from Comma (Brace), Apis Books (Tales of the Decongested; Desperate Remedies) Route (Ideas Above Our Station), Earlyworks and Leaf Press.
Alex MacDonald is a poet who lives and works in London. His poetry has been published in several magazines, including recently the Oxfam Book of Young Poets. He also runs the blog Selected Poems and ran the reading series ‘Selected Poems at the V & A Reading Rooms’, championing independent poetry presses.
London’s ‘The Special Relationship’ is the polymath of literary evenings. Comprised of Tom Basden, Sam Taradash and Jarred McGinnis, they play host to poets, authors, playwrights, journalists, comedians, filmmakers and even a rock star or two (exactly two actually). Their evenings combine short films with comedy and performance reading.

TUE 13 NOV
Zoe Lambert at Wordpool
Reading from her debut collection, The War Tour.
With poet Eleanor Rees.
Eleanor Rees & Zoe Lambert Workshops
Blackpool 6th Form College & Blackpool & The Fylde College, Blackpool Old Road, Blackpool, FY3 7LR
Walls Have Voices Readings
6pm-6.45pm, Central Library, Queen Street, Blackpool, FY1 1PX
Eleanor Rees & Zoe Lambert in conversation
7pm-8.30pm, Central Library, Queen Street, Blackpool, FY1 1PX
Contact artsdevelopment@blackpool.gov.uk for information.
More info here.

SAT 3 NOV
Edge Hill Prize Short-listed Writers Event
Part of The Dylan Thomas Festival.
Three of the short-listed writers from this year's prestigious Edge Hill Short Story Prize, A.J. Ashworth, Comma author Zoe Lambert and Rowena Macdonald, read from their work and discuss the merits of competitions. Their collections range from Montreal to Manchester, from boy soldiers to doomsday cults, from love to war to grief to brief epiphanies. Prepare to be entertained!
Dylan Thomas Centre, Somerset Place, Swansea, SA1 1RR, United Kingdom.
3pm
Tickets: Full Price £6, Concessions £4.20, Swansea PTL £2.40
Contact the festival at dylanthomas.lit@swansea.gov.uk or on +441792 463980
More information here.

SAT 3 NOV
Independent Publishers Book Fair, Sheffield.
Organised by Bank Street Arts.
A full day of talks, workshops, discussions, readings, portfolio sessions, opportunities to meet authors and publishers alike in a celebration of independent publishing. Comma will be showcasing our diverse, unique and cutting-edge range of titles at our own stall, PLUS, look out for a special talk from Comma founder and editor Ra Page at 1pm on 'How to get published with an independent press'. To book tickets, click here.
32-40 Bank Street, Sheffield S1 2DS.
10am-6.30pm.
More info here.

POSTPONED UNTIL 2013 DUE TO PROGRAMMING DELAY - COMMA APOLOGISES FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE CAUSED
FRI 2 NOV
A Turing Text
Celebrating 100 years of Alan Turing
With Jane Rogers, Bernard Richards and others (tbc).
Comma presents a special reading and discussion to commemorate the centenary of Manchester's greatest scientist. Featuring a special appearance by the Arthur C. Clarke Award winning author, Jane Rogers, reading a story about Turing's last great theory, Morphogenesis, plus a conversation with Turing's collaborator in the theory, Professor Bernard Richards.
Manchester Museum, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13.
7pm onwards.
More details to follow.

SAT 27 OCT
LONDON LAUNCH: Adam Marek's The Stone Thrower, with Zoe Lambert, David Vann and Chris Palin.
Marking the publication of the much anticipated second collection from the award-winning author. More details to follow.
The Story Salon, at The Society Club.
12 Ingestre Place, Soho, London, W1F OJF.
6pm-8pm.
More info to follow and here.

SAT 27 OCT
Bio-Punk
With authors Dilys Rose and Simon Ings and neuroscientist Dr. Jane Haley.
Is research always fully aware of its consequences? Does science need to grow a conscience? Or are we in danger of being altogether too distrustful of science? Find out at the launch of Bio-Punk, a new collection of specially commissioned short stories and commentaries exploring the human issues surrounding bio-med research.
Simon Ings is a novelist and journalist and an editor at New Scientist magazine.
Dilys Rose is an award-winning writer of fiction and poetry.
Dr Jane Haley is neuroscience scientific co-ordinator at the University of Edinburgh.
Durham Town Hall, Market Place, Durham, DH1 3NJ.
2pm-3pm.
£6/£4
Part of Durham Book Festival
More info here.
Supported by the Wellcome Trust.

WED 24 OCT
Zoe Lambert at Chester Literature Festival
Reading from her debut collection, The War Tour.
Chester Town Hall, Northgate Street, Chester CH1 2HJ.
1-2pm.
£3
More info here.

SUN 21 OCT
Zoe Lambert reading with Jo Baker
Lancaster LitFest
The LICA Building, Lancaster University, LA1 4YW.
4.30-5.30pm.
Vist LitFest.org

SUN 21 OCT
Adam Marek and Guy Ware
Comma Press launch new collections from two of the most exciting short story writers in the business. Adam Marek is the winner of the 2011 Arts Foundation Fellowship in Short Story Writing, and was short-listed for the 2010 Sunday Times EFG Award. His first collection, Instruction Manual for Swallowing, was described as ‘early McEwan meets David Cronenberg’ (Independent). Today sees the much-anticipated launch of his second collection, The Stone Thrower.
Recovering civil servant Guy Ware has published stories in anthologies from Apis Books, Comma Press, Earlyworks, Route, and Leaf. His debut collection is You Have 24 Hours to Love Us.
International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Chorlton Mill, 3 Cambridge Street, Manchester, M1 5BY.
3pm.
£5/£3
Part of Manchester Literature Festival.
Book tickets here.

SAT 20 OCT
Tramlines with Michelle Green & Roman Simic
'Tramlines' is a cross-continental commission bringing together authors from around Europe to explore urban landscapes through the prism of the short story. Using the tram infrastructures of six cities, and the rail and underground networks of many others, the project will produce a new way of ‘reading cities’, and will culminate with the launch of a free iPhone App that allows readers to experience the stories as they travel. This event, the first stop in the journey, sees Manchester author Michelle Green take us on a excursion through the Croatian capital, Zagreb; whilst renowned author, editor and festival director Roman Simic, shines a new light on Manchester’s own Metrolink.
Michelle Green’s debut collection of short stories, about the Darfur civil war, is due out from Comma in 2013.
Roman Simic is the Artistic Director for the Festival of the European Short Story. His own short stories have been translated into German, Spanish, Slovenian, Macedonian, Serbian and in Comma’s own Elsewhere anthology.
In association with Comma Press and Literature Across Frontiers.
International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Chorlton Mill, 3 Cambridge Street, Manchester, M1 5BY.
5pm.
£5/£3
Part of Manchester Literature Festival.
Book tickets here.

THU 18 OCT
Adam Marek and David Constantine
Launching their new collections,Tea at the Midland and The Stone Thrower.
The Round, The Dukes, Moor Lane, Lancaster LA1 1QE.
6pm
Part of the Lancaster Literature Festival.
Vist LitFest.org

SAT 13 OCT
Bio-Punk: the Launch
With authors Jane Feaver and Gregory Norminton and scientists Dr. Melissa Baxter and Dr. Neil Roberts.
Is research always fully aware of its consequences? Does science need to grow a conscience? Or are we in danger of being too distrustful of science? Of demonising it even? These and other questions will be discussed at the launch of Bio-Punk, Comma’s new collection of specially commissioned short stories and commentaries exploring the human issues surrounding bio-med research.
Jane Feaver’s first novel, According to Ruth was short-listed for the Author’s Club Best First Novel Award and the Dimplex Prize. Love Me Tender, a collection of linked short stories, was short-listed for the Edge Hill Short Story Prize. An Inventory of Heaven, her latest novel is published this year.
Gregory Norminton’s novels include The Ship of Fools, Arts and Wonders, Ghost Portrait and Serious Things. His latest book, The Lost Art of Losing, is a collection of aphorisms. His first collection – The Ghost Who Bled & other stories – will be published by Comma in 2013. He currently teaches creative writing at Manchester Metropolitan University.
MadLab, 36-40 Edge Street, Manchester, M4 1HN.
6pm.
£6/£4
Part of Manchester Literature Festival.
Book tickets here.
Supported by the Wellcome Trust.

FRI 12 OCT
For Books' Sake 2nd Birthday Bash
With Zoe Lambert
For Books' Sake have just turned two, so they're having a party to celebrate, and teaming up with BookMachine for their 2nd birthday bash! Come along for booze, birthday cake, live literary performances and party games aplenty, with shenanigans in store including:
Short story writer Zoe Lambert, author of The War Tour. Zoe is one of ten authors featured in the For Books’ Sake pulp fiction collection, Short Stack.
Poet and performance artist Claire Robertson, featured at For Books’ Sake Presents: Books & Blues at Chorlton Arts Festival.
Novelist Emma Jane Unsworth, author of Hungry, The Stars and Everything, featured at the For Books’ Sake’s Mad Hatter’s Tea Party at Not Part of Festival.
Les Malheureux, a live literature collaboration between writers Sarah-Clare Conlon and David Gaffney, combining music, storytelling and visuals to create something stranger than fiction.
Plus prizes, suprises, and lots more, all for free!
The Star and Garter, 18-20 Fairfield Street, Manchester, M1 2QF.
7.30pm-11pm
Free.
Contact the venue on 0161 273 6726
More info here.

WED 10 OCT
Pawel Huelle in Liverpool
In conversation with Antonia Lloyd-Jones.
Gdansk-born novelist and essayist Pawel Huelle has been short-listed for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize three times, and in a previous life worked as press secretary to the Solidarity Movement. His latest collection, Cold Sea Stories, translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones, weaves the history and mythology of the Baltic coast into stories of great power and resonance.
In conjunction with Merseyside Polonia. More info to follow.
Toxteth Library, Windsor Street, Liverpool L8 1XF.
6.30pm
Free
Visit supported by the Polish Cultural Institute. www.polishculture.org.uk

TUE 9 OCT
Pawel Huelle and David Constantine
With translator Antonia Lloyd-Jones.
Ilkley Playhouse Wharfeside, Weston Road, Ilkley, West Yorkshire LS29 (01943 609 539)
7.30pm
£4/£3.
Part of Ilkley Literature Festival.
Book tickets here.
Visit supported by the Polish Cultural Institute. www.polishculture.org.uk

MON 8 OCT
Pawel Huelle and David Constantine
With translator Antonia Lloyd-Jones.
Comma Press presents two of Europe’s most respected short story practitioners, both launching new collections.
Gdansk-born novelist and essayist Pawel Huelle has been short-listed for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize three times, and in a previous life worked as press secretary to the Solidarity Movement. His latest collection, Cold Sea Stories, translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones, weaves the history and mythology of the Baltic coast into stories of great power and resonance.
David Constantine was the winner of the BBC National Short Story Award in 2010, and the only non-US author short-listed for the Frank O’Connor International Award that year. He is also an award-winning poet and was co-editor of Modern Poetry in Translation for ten years. His latest short story collection, Tea at the Midland, is launched this autumn.
International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Chorlton Mill, 3 Cambridge Street, Manchester, M1 5BY.
6pm.
£6/£4
Part of Manchester Literature Festival.
More about his new collection here.
Book tickets here.
Visit supported by the Polish Cultural Institute. www.polishculture.org.uk

SUN 7 OCT
Pawel Huelle at Notes and Letters Festival
Polish novelist and short story writer Pawel Huelle takes us on a musical tour of his work. A wide range of music appears in his writing, ranging from Ukrainian folk songs, via the Magnificat, 18th century Irish composer John Field, and Schubert's Liede, all the way to the Soviet National Anthem.
In this event, he plays recordings of his musical influences and reads extracts from his writing where they appear.
Pawel Huelle is in conversation with translator Antonia Lloyd-Jones.
Kings Place (St Pancras Room), 90 York Way, London, N1 9AG.
12.30pm.
£9.50
More info here.

SUN 30 SEP - SMALL WONDER
Adam Marek with AL Kennedy and MJ Hyland
Featuring the first public reading from Adam Marek's much anticipated second collection, as part of Small Wonder's 'Art of Medicine' event.
Charleston Farmhouse, Firle, Lewes, East Sussex BN8 6LL.
6pm.
£9 (£8 students).
More info here

SAT 29 SEP
BORDER FICTION with Jane Rogers, Zoe Lambert, and Michelle Green
The first public reading from Jane Rogers' debut collection of short stories, Hitting Trees with Sticks (out next month!), alongisde fellow Comma authors Zoe Lambert and Michelle Green.
Comma Press presents three exciting authors, whose short story collections cross personal and political borders. Jane Rogers' collection, Hitting Trees with Sticks, ranges from Uganda to Australia to the West Indies, taking in love, death, and Alan Turing along the way.
Zoe Lambert's The War Tour paints a picture of the world’s conflict zones, giving voice to the silenced casualties.
Michelle Green's forthcoming Jebel Marra, explores the complexities of the on-going war in Darfur through the eyes of aid workers and the people involved.
Didsbury Baptist Church, Beaver Road, Manchester, M20 6SX.
7.30pm-9pm. Free.
Part of the Didsbury Festival.

SUN 23 SEP
Zoe Lambert at Throckmorton Literary Festival.
The 4th Throckmorton Literary Festival at Coughton Court in Alcester, Warwickshire, run by the Throckmorton family who have lived at Coughton since 1409, will feature some of the top names from the literary world. Leading authors and historians will give a wide range of talks including Tudor history, historical drama, war stories, politics and social history and much more.
Coughton Court, Coughton, Alcester, Warwickshire, B49 5JA.
9.45am
More information about the festival here.

SAT 22 SEP
Chorley Word Fest
A unique event for aspiring writers - featuring talks and workshops from:
Jenn Ashworth, award winning novelist
Claire Massey, short story author and editor of Paraxis Magazine
Kerry Wilkinson, successful e-book author
Ra Page, co-founder of Comma Press
plus:
'Writing Astley Hall' competition - a short story/flash fiction/poetry writing challenge with Astley Hall as the subject, with oppurtunities for publication for the best pieces. Authors are also invited to bring any already published work to sell at the Festival bookshop. There will also be a half hour open mic session at the end of the day. If you would like a 3 minute slot contact wordfestivalnorthwest@gmail.com
Tickets available here.
Astley Hall, Southport Rd, Chorley, Lancashire PR7 1NP.
9:30am-3:30pm.
£20 plus (£1.85 booking fee).

FRI 21 SEP
Kagyu Ling Cultural Programme presents The War Tour by Zoe Lambert.
The event starts at 7.30pm with a welcome cocktail. Free but donations are welcome on door.
Kagyu Ling Buddhist Centre, 45 Manor Drive, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, M21 7QG.
More information from Jessica Frye on 0161 850 4450 or culture@kagyuling.org.uk.

SUN 16 SEP
Zoe Lambert at the Alderley Edge Community Book Festival
Reading from her debut collection, The War Tour, in a line-up that contains Jackie Kay, Melvin Burgess and Mike Garry.
Organised by Oxfam.
Reading Room, Festival Hall, Talbot Road, Alderley Edge, Cheshire SK9 7HR.
More information here.
2pm.

FRI 14 SEP
Zoe Lambert at the Festival Number Six, Port Merion.
More info here.

WED 12 SEP
Litmus at the Lit and Phil
with authors Sara Maitland, Zoe Lambert and Christine Poulson
Newcastle's most esteemed literary venue plays host to an evening of science and semi-fiction, as part of Comma's science-into-fiction scheme. More info to follow
7pm
Lit & Phil Library, 23 Westgate Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 1SE.
Venue Tel: 0191 232 0192
More about Litmus here.

THU 6 SEP
Bokeh_Yeah and Film Poem Adaptation
Literature Northwest Seminar
Literature Northwest and Comma Film join forces with Manchester's most exciting filmmaker group - specially dedicated to DSLR users.
If you'd like to take part in this year's set of poem-film commissions, join the Bokeh-Yeah facebook group and come along to tonight's special commissioning event.
MadLab, 36-40 Edge Street, Manchester M4 1PB.
Meeting: 7pm-9pm. Free.

MON 27 AUG
Pawel Huelle at the Edinburgh Book Festival
Thrice shortlisted for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, Pawel Huelle is widely regarded as one of Poland’s most talented living authors. He joins us today, with his award-winning translator Antonia Lloyd-Jones, to discuss a stunningly inventive book of newly translated short stories. Cold Sea Stories tells tales from the Baltic Coast, but all share a common thread: each one is built around a different book, from the bible to a toy shop catalogue.
8.30pm
8.30pm, £7/£5
RBS Corner Theatre, 5A Charlotte Square Edinburgh, Midlothian EH2 4DR.
More event info and tickets here.
More about his new collection here.
Visit supported by the Polish Cultural Institute. www.polishculture.org.uk

SAT 14 JULY
Short Story Ville
A star-studded one-day festival of short stories.
More details here.
Bristol.

THU 12 JULY
Literature Northwest Publishing Seminar: Marketing
Featuring Ruth Killick of the Profile Books and Benedicte Page of the The Bookseller.
Ruth Killick is the Marketing Manager of Profile Books. She is the former Head of Publicity at Penguin Books UK and was previously publicity manager for dictionaries and reference books at OUP.
Benedicte Page is a journalist, news editor and has been the associate editor at The Bookseller since 2009. She previously worked as a book publicist for ten years at Routledge, and is a regular contributor to The Guardian.
More information to follow.
A free seminar for editors, publishers and publishing students. To book a place please email ra.page[at]commapress.co.uk stating which of these you are and naming your publishing house or project if LNW are not already familiar with you.
1pm-3pm.
International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Chorlton Mill, 3 Cambridge Street, Manchester M1 5BY.

WED 20 JUNE
International Short Story Day
Hard on the heels of last year's National Short Story Day (21st December), Comma will be collaborating with a number of other publishers on the day with the shortest night of the year, to promote short story reading across the UK. With events planned for London, Glasgow, Manchester, and other cities to be announced.
Watch this space.
More info will be announced here and on Twitter @shortstoryday.
Event information tbc.

WED 20 JUNE
One Night at The Book Club
In celebration of the first ever International Short Story Day on the shortest night of the year, alternative literary stand-up group, The Special Relationship, host Comma and Stone Skin Press at one of the most innovative and original cultural venues in London, The Book Club, which describes its creative agenda as 'fusing boozing with brain power.' Join us this evening for a duet performance from Jarred McGinnis and Sam Taradash of The Special Relationship, flash-fiction from Scottish author and lecturer Dilys Rose, and short story readings from Adam Marek and Janqui Mehta. Plus intermittent screenings of short films (tbc).
London’s The Special Relationship is the polymath of literary evenings, with a variety of performers on show from poets, authors, playwrights, journalists, comedians, filmmakers and even a rock star or two (exactly two actually). The group is comprised of Jarred McGinnis, Sam Taradesh and Tom Basden. More info here.
Dilys Rose lives in Edinburgh and teaches on the Masters in Creative Writing at the University of Edinburgh. She writes mainly poetry and fiction but has also written some drama and, more recently, text for music. Awards she has received include: The Macallan/Scotland on Sunday Short Story award (1991), Society of Authors’ Travel Award (1998), two Scottish Arts Council Book Awards (1993, 1999), Canongate Prize (2000), UNESCO/City of Literature fellowship (2006), and the McCash prize (2006).
Adam Marek is an award-winning short story writer. He won the 2011 Arts Foundation Short Story Fellowship, and was shortlisted for the inaugural Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award. His first story collection Instruction Manual for Swallowing was nominated for the Frank O’Connor Prize. His stories have appeared in many magazines, including: Prospect and The Sunday Times Magazine, and in many anthologies including Lemistry, Litmus and The New Uncanny from Comma Press, The New Hero from Stone Skin Press, and The Best British Short Stories 2011. www.adammarek.co.uk.
Where genre meets literature, where geek culture meets the mainstream, there is Stone Skin Press. With a series of literary anthologies to challenge the boundaries between genres and creative scenes, Stone Skin gathers together writers from such disparate fields as gaming, literary fiction, F/SF, film, YA, comics, and podcasting. Its eclectic author rosters bring colliding perspectives to bear on themes that combine the classic with the surprising.. More info here.
Janqui Mehta is a new writing talent, re-telling her family’s stories as magical realist fables. Her first published story will be released in Stone Skin Press’s anthology of modern Aesop tales – The Lion and the Aardvark
VENUE: The Book Club, 100 Leonard Street, London, EC2A 4RH.
Doors open 7pm, event starts 7.30pm.
Free event.
Contact the venue at info@wearetbc.com or on 020 7684 8618.
For more info, email katie.slade@commapress.co.uk or jarredmcginnis@gmail.com.

WED 20 JUNE
The Shortest Night
Featuring Claire Massey and Anneliese Mackintosh.
On the shortest night of the year, writers, readers and publishers are joining forces to celebrate the short story. The Manchester leg sees two of the UK's most vibrant and compelling short story writers reading their work and discussing their love of the form.
Claire Massey's short stories have been published in The Best British Short Stories 2011, Murmurations: an Anthology of Uncanny Stories about Birds, Patricide, Cabinet des Fées, Flax, The Adirondack Review and elsewhere. Two of her stories, 'Marionettes' and 'Into the Penny Arcade', were recently published as chapbooks by Nightjar Press. She has read at events including the Lancaster Literature Festival, the Didsbury Arts Festival and the Manchester Independent Book Market. She is an editor and project manager at Litfest and also co-editor of Paraxis.www.clairemassey.co.uk/.
Anneliese Mackintosh was born in Germany in 1982, but now lives and writes in Scotland. Her fiction has been broadcast on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio Scotland, as well as published in various anthologies and magazines, including the Edinburgh Review, Gutter and The Year of Open Doors (Cargo, 2011). She's just finished her first short story collection, and is regarded as one of Scotland's most exciting emerging authors. www.anneliesemackintosh.com.
VENUE: Blackwell's University Bookshop, The Precinct Centre, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9RN.
7pm - 9pm.
Free event.
For more info, contact Ian Carrington at ian.carrington@blackwell.co.uk.
In association with Comma Press and Cargo Press (Glasgow) www.cargopublishing.com.

WED 20 JUNE
Comma and Cargo at Mono
Featuring Annie Clarkson, Ewan Morrison, Allan Wilson and Alan Bissett. With a musical performance (tbc).
The third in a series of flagship events taking place across the UK to celebrate International Short Story Day, the Glasgow event sees Comma partner up with Scottish-based publishers, Cargo.
Annie Clarkson is a poet and short fiction writer living in Manchester. Her collection of prose poems Winter Hands was published by Shadow Train in 2008. Her short fiction has been published by numerous literary magazines, and in the anthologies Brace: A New Generation in Short Fiction (Comma 2008), Litmus: Short Stories from Modern Science (Comma, 2011), and Lemistry: A Celebration of the Work of Stanislaw Lem (Comma 2011). Annie blogs here forgettingthetime.blogspot.co.uk/
Ewan Morrison is the author of the novels, Menage, Distance and Swung, and of the short story collection The Last Book you Read. He was the recipient of a Scottish Arts Council Writers Award 2005, was a nominee for the ARENA magazine O2 Entrepreneur Award 2006, and was awarded a VARUNA writers residency in Australia as part of UNESCO’s City of Literature 2006, where he appeared at the Sydney Writers Festival and on ABC Radio. In 2008 Ewan was shortlisted for the Le Prince Maurice Award for best English language love story. Ewan has worked as a writer-director in television and film for ten years, directed over 200 hours of television, has been nominated for three BAFTA’s and is the winner of a Royal Television Society Best Drama Award. He was script writer in residence in New York from 2002 to 2005 with Madstone Films. More info at ewanmorrison.com/
Allan Wilson is from Glasgow. Wasted in Love – a collection of short stories – was published by Cargo Publishing in October 2011. His work has appeared in The Year of Open Doors and will be available in forthcoming issues of New Writing Scotland and Gutter Magazine. You can get in touch by emailing allan.wilson@hotmail.co.uk or visit www.allanwilsonbooks.com/
Alan Bissett is the Glenfiddich Spirit of Scotland Writer of the Year 2011. He is the author of BoyRacers, Death of A Ladies' Man, The Incredible Adam Spark and most recently, Packmen, which has been nominated for a Scottish Mortgages Scottish Book Of The Year award. Alan is currently working on a number of projects. A film version of Boyracers is in development with Hopscotch Productions, after receiving Creative Scotland funding; a BBC version of The Moira Monologues is being scripted; and he is working on a show, 'Nikki and the Gang', for Youth Musical Theatre UK and a new play entitled 'The Red Hourglass'. alanbissett.com/
VENUE: Mono, 12 Kings Court, Glasgow, G1 5RB.
7pm.
Contact the venue on 0141 553 2400 or visit www.monocafebar.com/.
For more info, email jim.hinks@commapress.co.uk or Mark Buckland at mark@cargopublishing.com.
More info to follow soon.
In association with Comma Press and Cargo Press (Glasgow) www.cargopublishing.com.

WED 20 JUNE
The International Short Story Day Chain Gang Challenge
SOUTH AFRICA vs. BRITAIN!
The Challenge : 6 writers, 6 hours, 1 story.
As part of the International Short Story Day celebrations, The Book Lounge (South Africa) and Comma Press (United Kingdom) will be going head to head across the globe as their teams battle in the chain story competition. At 8.00am GMT* on Wednesday 20th June, the first of the teams of literary legends will sit down around the globe and start writing. An hour later, the keyboard will be wrested from his/her hands and passed on. As each segment of the story unravels, we’ll upload it to the Short Story Day Africa website. Readers will be able to watch the stories unfold online and, at 2pm GMT**, when the last writer adds the final full stop, the polls will open and readers can begin voting for their favourite story.
*The UK team will begin at 9am and finish at 3pm (UK time).
*The SA team will begin at 10am and finish at 4pm (SA time).
The Prize: Bragging Rights and six copies of The Silence Room by Sean O’Brien, published by Comma Press.
UK team: Stella Duffy, Maria Roberts, Sarah Frost Mellor, Nicholas Blincoe, Calum Kerr, and Tony White.
SA team: TBC
More info to follow.
Take up The Challenge yourself by assembling a team of writers and registering your chain gang with us on info@shortstorydayafrica.org.
For more info, contact Katie.slade@commapress.co.uk (UK) or rachelzadok@cybersmart.co.za (SA).
www.shortstorydaysouth.co.za.

FRI 8 & SAT 9 JUNE
The Manchester Independent Book Market 2012
With confirmed headline act, Dean Atta.
The indie-friendly Manchester Book Market returns to St Ann's Square for its fifth outing, offering book lovers the chance to sample new titles by the UK's most exciting independent presses.
With through-the-day readings (12noon-5pm) from some of the best literary performers in the North of England.
St Ann's Square, Manchester, Greater Manchester, M2 7EF.
10am to 5.30pm.
For information on the presses involved and a list of the performers, click here.

THUR 24 - SUN 27 MAY
International Literary Forum
Special guest: Comma Press.
More information to follow.

SUN 27 MAY - FRI 1 JUNE
COMMA AUTHORS at the FESTIVAL OF THE EUROPEAN SHORT STORY, Zagreb and Pazin, Croatia
With Dilys Rose.
Two of Scotland's most intersting short story writers takes part in arguably the best literary festival in the world, FESS. In association with Creative Scotland and the European Cultural Foundation.
With additional support from the Goethe Institut, Munich. More info here.

WEDNESDAY 2 MAY
Zoe Lambert at Writing on the Wall Festival 2012
WoW's 'War Tour' event brings a touch of beauty to barbarism for a night of drama, stories and poetry featuring Comma author Zoe Lambert ('The War Tour' - Comma Press 2012), award winning poet and former American Soldier, Brian Turner, ('Here', 'Bullet', 'Phantom Noise' - Bloodaxe Books 2007), and the Liverpool premiere performance of Bullets and Daffodils, a musical drama written by Dean Johnson and John Gorman based on iconic First World War poet, Wilfred Owen.
Zoe Lambert is a Manchester based writer. She has an MA in Creative Writing at UEA and a PhD from Manchester Metropolitan University. She lectures on the creative writing MA at the Universities of Bolton. Her debut collection 'The War Tour' was published by Comma this year.
Casa, 29 Hope St, Liverpool, Merseyside L1 9BQ, UK.
7.30pm.
Tickets £6/£4 concession.
Tickets are available from:The Unity Theatre box office, 1 Hope Place, L1 9BG.
Tel: 0844 873 2888
Or visit http://www.writingonthewall.org.uk/.

WEDNESDAY 25 APRIL
Putting the Science in Fiction
One-day conference at Manchester University, featuring various contributors to Comma's When It Changed anthology, as well as key science and SF writers such as Ken MacLeod.
9:30am-5pm
Workshop Schedule
9.30am. Welcome to the Workshop and the Issues
10am. Session 1: Creative Collaborations Between Scientists and Writers
Ra Page, Founder and Editorial Manager of Comma Press
Justina Robson, Author of Silver Screen, Natural History and the Quantum Gravity series
Simon Ings, Author and Editor of New Scientist's Fiction Magazine, Arc
Matthew Cobb, University of Manchester, Professor of Zoology
Tim O'Brien, Jodrell Bank, Senior Lecturer in Astrophysics
11.30am. Coffee
12 noon. Session 2: Science in Television, Movies, and Theatre
Ant Neely, subthunk, Composer and Screenwriter, Dimensions
Kirsten Shepherd-Barr, University of Oxford, Author of Science on Stage
Phil Manning, University of Manchester, Paleontologist, Science Consultant for Bizarre Dinosaurs and Fossil Detectives
David A Kirby, University of Manchester, Author of Lab Coats in Hollywood
1.30pm. Lunch
2.30pm. Session 3: Science and Science Fiction
Geoff Ryman, University of Manchester, Scholar and Author of Air, The Child Garden, and editor of When It Changed
Paul J McAuley, Author of the Four Hundred Billion Stars series, the Confluence series, and the Quiet War series
Ken MacLeod, University of Edinburgh, Scholar and Author of the Fall Revolution series and the Engines of Light trilogy
Alastair Reynolds, Scientist and Author of the Revelation Space series, Pushing Ice and House of Suns
4pm. Discussion of the Issues and Next Steps
5pm. Workshop Ends
For further details here.
Zochonis Building, Theatre A (also called B5) - Number 60 on the University of Manchester campus map.

THURSDAY 19 APRIL
Shi Cheng Manchester Launch with Han Dong
In conversation with literary translator Nicky Harman.
To mark the publication of Shi Cheng: Short Stories from Urban China - the Confucius Institute and Comma Press are delighted to host an evening with one of the key figures in contemporary Chinese literature. Han Dong was born in Nanjing in 1961, studied at Shandong University, and subsequently taught philosophy in Xi'an and Nanjing. He began writing in 1980, and has been a major player on the modern Chinese literary scene since the 1990s, as a poet and editor of the magazine, Them. He is well-known as one of China's most important avant-garde poets, and is becoming increasingly influential as an essayist, short story writer and novelist.
Venue: The International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Engine House, Chorlton Mill, 3 Cambridge Street, Manchester, M1 5BY 7pm. Free.
Supported by the Confucius Institute, Manchester, and the British Council.
Free.

THURSDAY 19 APRIL
Annie Baobei and Xu Zechen
In conversation with Alan Bissett
Shi Cheng contributor Xu Zechen joins Annie Baobei, online literary sensation, to discuss the challenge of reflecting the profound social and economic changes China has experienced in recent years in fiction. Confucius Institute for Scotland, Edinburgh.
8pm. Free.
Free.

WEDNESDAY 18 APRIL
Shi Cheng: City Stories from China
Authors Han Dong and Xu Zechen read their stories from Comma's new city-themed anthology, 'Shi Cheng', and discuss the importance of short story writing and the challenges of the translation process with translators Julia Lovell and Nicky Harman.
Han Dong was born in Nanjing, 1961. Han Dong's parents were banished to the countryside during the Cultural Revolution, taking him with them. When the Cultural Revolution ended, he studied philosophy at Shandong University, graduating in 1982, and subsequently taught philosophy in Xi'an and Nanjing, finally relinquishing teaching in 1993. Han Dong began writing in 1980, and has been a major player on the modern Chinese literary scene since the 1990s. He is well-known as one of China's most important avant-garde poets, and is becoming increasingly influential as an essayist, short story writer and novelist.
Xu Zechen has published three novels, Midnight's Door, Night Train and Heaven on Earth, and a collection of short stories entitled How Geese Fly up to Heaven. He has won several prizes within China for new and promising writers, and is generally considered one of the burgeoning new stars of China's literary scene.
Conference Centre, British Library, St Pancras, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB.
6.30pm to 8pm.
Tickets £7.50, £5 concessions.
In association with the British Council and The Confucius Institute at the University of Manchester.
More info here

TUESDAY 17 APRIL
Comma Press at The London Book Fair 2012
Publishing Chinese Authors in the UK
Reflecting this year's London Book Fair China Market Focus, Marysia Juszczakiewicz, founder of the Peony Literary Agency based in Hong Kong, translator, author and lecturer at Birkbeck, Julia Lovell and Ra Page, founder and Managing Editor of Comma Press share with Granta's Deputy Editor Ellah Allfrey their experiences of bringing contemporary Chinese literature to the UK and discuss the future of translated Chinese fiction in British publishing.
Earls Court, London.
More information here

MONDAY 16 APRIL
Comma Press at The London Book Fair 2012
Literary Translation - Turkey and Beyond
The world of literary translation is changing quickly, with the stellar success of international authors such as Orhan Pamuk, Stieg Larsson & Haruki Murakami suggesting a bigger market for translated fiction than ever before. But how can publishers find talented international authors and off-set some of the risks of publishing translated fiction? Led by Professor Onur Bilge Kula, the Director General of Libraries & Publications in the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism, a panel of experts including Orhan Pamuk’s translator Maureen Freely will discuss innovative schemes such as Turkey's 'TEDA' initiative and other models for promoting and publishing translated fiction.
Earls Court, London.
More information here

SATURDAY 14 APRIL
Comma does the Manchester Monster Convention
Comma Press will be trading at the ManMonCon event from 10am - 1pm, showcasing our selection of gothic and horror-themed anthologies.
Sachas Hotel, Tib Street , Piccadilly, Manchester, M4 1SH.
The convention runs from 10am - 5pm on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 April.
For more information, see here.
In association with Grimm up North, Shock Horror, The Soapy Shop of Horrors, and bookreel.tv.

SATURDAY 14 APRIL
Zoe Lambert at Words Together Leigh and Wigan Festival
‘You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you,’ Leon Trotsky once said. How much in the West do we actually know about war-torn countries, about foreign politics, or the people within our own communities who have witnessed unimaginable atrocities?
Join Manchester writer and lecturer Zoe Lambert as she discusses and reads from her debut short story collection, 'The War Tour' at Words Together Festival.
Queen's Hall, 46 Market Street Wigan WN1 1HX.
2pm to 4pm.
Contact Gillian Forrester on 01942 828227

SATURDAY 17 MARCH
Bio-Punk at Cambridge Science Festival
Featuring authors Katherine Orr and Adam Marek, plus scientist Dr Simon Stott. Chair: Ra Page (editor).
Is research always fully aware of its consequences? Does science need to grow a conscience? Or are we in danger of being too distrustful of science? Of demonising it even? These and other questions will be discussed at the launch of Bio-Punk (Comma), a new collection of specially commissioned short stories and commentaries exploring the human issues surrounding bio-med research.
4pm-5pm
Venue: Lecture Room A, Art Schools, New Museums Site, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3RS
See map here and here. Part of the Cambridge Science Festival.
More information here.
Supported by the Wellcome Trust.

TUESDAY 13 MARCH
Science into Short Fiction: Programmable Memory
with Sean O'Brien & Dr Jan Deckers
In 2009 a paper was published in the prestigious journal Cell that claimed scientists had successfully "written" memories into a brain. By artificially evoking activity in specific brain cells with pulses of light, the scientists were able to programme behaviourally meaningful memories in flies. Today, award-winning poet and short story writer Sean O'Brien premiers a new short story specially commissioned for Comma's Bio-Punk project that explores the very real, near-future possibility of memory manipulation. Sean is accompanied by the University of Newcastle's bio-ethicist Dr Jan Deckers who consulted on other stories in the book, and will be discussing the reality behind some of its fictions. Supported by the Wellcome Trust.
Tue 13 March 12.30-1.30pm
Free – book online. Limited numbers.
The Lit & Phil Library, 23 Westgate Road, Newcastle NE1 1SE.
Part of the Newcastle Science Festival.

THURSDAY 1 MARCH
Lem in Liverpool
With Sarah Schofield and Andy Sawyer.
Launching Comma's new celebration of the work of Stanislaw Lem, featuring readings from authors inspired by his work and an exclusive screening of the Quay Brothers' film 'The Mask'.
Please note: last minute chanhe in speaker (Frank Cottrell Boyce had to cancel last minute).
Toxteth Library, Windsor Street, Liverpool L8 1XF.
6.30pm
Free.
In conjunction with Merseyside Polonia.
This event has been made possible by the support and co-commissioning of the Polish Cultural Institute.

THURSDAY 16 FEB
Zoe Lambert and Jon Glover
Zoe Lambert is a Manchester based writer, teaching on the MA in Creative Writing at the University of Bolton. A sequence of her stories first appeared in Ellipsis 2 (Comma, 2006). Her first full collection The War Tour has just been published.
Jon Glover is Research Professor in Creative Writing at the University of Bolton and is the editor of Stand. His last collection was Magnetic Resonance Imaging (2008) and is about to publish his fourth book Glass is Elastic.
7.30pm.
Tickets £4, £3 concessions
Octagon Theatre (Hospitality Room), Howell Croft North, Bolton, Lancashire BL1 1SB
Tickets can be booked in advance at the Octagon Box Office 01204 520661

THURSDAY 9 FEB
National Library Day with Tim O'Brien
As part of the wider National Library Day promotions, astrophysicist Dr. Tim O’Brien will be talking about his work at Jodrell Bank in relation to Comma’s new anthology of science discovery stories, 'Litmus'.
Dr. Tim O'Brien is a Reader in Astrophysics and Outreach Officer at Jodrell Bank. His research concentrates on the study of exploding stars using telescopes around the world and in space, working across the spectrum from radio waves to X-rays.
Halton Lea Library, Halton Lea, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 2PF.
6.30pm
Contact Halton Lea Library on 01928 704455

SATURDAY 4 FEB
National Library Day with Zoe Lambert
Manchester writer and lecturer Zoe Lambert reads from and discusses her contribution to 'Litmus: Short Stories from Modern Science'. Like the creation myths they supersede, the revelations of science are seared into our collective imagination through storytelling.Litmus draws out and distills science's love of narrative from a wide range of scientific disciplines, weaving theory into very human stories, and delving into the humanity of theorists and experimenters as they stood on the brink of momentous discoveries.
Zoe Lambert is a Manchester based writer. She has an MA in Creative Writing at UEA and a PhD from Manchester Metropolitan University. She lectures on the creative writing MA at the Universities of Bolton and Edge Hill. She was the founder of cult Manchester literature night, Verberate, and is a member of the board of the Northwest Short Story Network.
Meadows (Maghull) Library , Hall Lane, Maghull, L31 7BB.
11am
Contact Emma Harrison on 0151 2886707

THURSDAY 26 JAN
Lemistry launch in Derbyshire
Featuring Andy Sawyer and Sarah Schofield.
Author of the twice-filmed novel Solaris, Stanislaw Lem has many titles, accolades and credits, but his influence is felt more widely than his name is known. The Eastern Bloc's answer to Philip K Dick? The forefather of sci-fi comedy? The inventor of virtual reality, nanotech-warfare, eBooks, The Sims computer game... etc, etc. 'Lemistry' is a celebration of the great Polish writer's legacy featuring previously untranslated work and a host of stories and essays responding to, and influenced by, his visions.
Andy Sawyer is the SF Foundation Collection Librarian and Director of MA in Science Fiction Studies at the University of Liverpool.
Sarah Schofield is a young writer whose recent prizes include the Writers Inc Short Story Competition and the Calderdale Short Story Competition. She was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize in 2008 and was runner up in The Guardian Travel Writing Competition.
Alfreton Library, Severn Square, Alfreton DE55 7BQ.
7.15pm to 8.45pm.
Free.
More information here.
This event has been made possible by the support and co-commissioning of the Polish Cultural Insistute.

FRIDAY 20 JANUARY 2012
Literature Northwest Seminar: Digital Publishing and eBook Production
International Anthony Burgess Foundation
Engine House, Chorlton Mill, 3 Cambridge St, Manchester, M1 5BY
Free. Booking by email.
1pm-3pm

TUESDAY 13 DEC
Gaia Holmes and Char March
Comma poet Gaia Holmes reads from her forthcoming collection Occasional China, with fellow Yorkshire-based poet Char March.
More info to follow.
City Library, Elliot House, Deansgate, Manchester.
6pm.
Free.

FRI 9 DEC
Jackanory Gets Festive
With Zoe Lambert and Maria Roberts.
Food tasting and storytelling.
Picchu, 36-38 Sunderland Street, Macclesfield SK11 6JL.
7.30pm. Free.
Tel/text: 07881787744.
Email: picchuevents@btconnect.com

THU 8 DEC
ZOE LAMBERT BOOK LAUNCH PARTY
For those who couldn't get tickets for the MLF daytime event, head on down to this specially convened 'overspill launch party'.
Tonight Zoe will be reading from her debut collection, The War Tour, alongside co-Comma author Michelle Green.
But mainly they'll be just partying.
The Castle, 68 Oldham Street, Manchester M4 1LE.
7pm. Free.

FRIDAY 2 DEC
Stanislaw Lem: A Celebration
With readings and talks from Annie Clarkson, Trevor Hoyle and Wojciech Orlisnki, plus others tbc.
The Eastern Bloc's answer to Philip K Dick? The forefather of sci-fi comedy? The inventor of virtual reality, nanotech-warfare, eBooks, The Sims computer game... etc, etc. Stanislaw Lem has many titles, accolades and credits, but his influence is felt more widely than his name is known.

Lemistry is a celebration of the great Polish writer's legacy featuring previously untranslated work and a host of stories and essays responding to, and influenced by, his visions.
MADLAB, 36-40 Edge Street, Manchester M4 1HN.
7pm. Free.
This event has been made possible by the support and co-commissioning of the Polish Cultural Institute.

CANCELLED:
FRIDAY 28 OCT
Bio Ethics Debate
With Dr Jo Verran, Prof Matthew Cobb, and authors Annie Clarkson + others tbc.
Is research always fully aware of its consequences? Does science need to grow a conscience? Or are we in danger of being too distrustful of science? Of demonising it even? These and other questions will be discussed at this launch event for Comma Press's latest science-literature commission, Bio-Punk. Leading Manchester researchers will discuss their work with the University of Leicester's ethicist Helen Busby, alongside two authors tasked with translating current research into fictional visions of the future.
MADLAB, 36-40 Edge Street, Manchester M4 1HN.
7pm. Free.
Part of the Manchester Science Festival and Manchester Literature Festival.
Supported by The Wellcome Trust.
More info to follow....

SUNDAY 23 OCT
Zhu Wen in conversation with Julia Lovell
MLF and the Confucius Institute at the University of Manchester are delighted to present acclaimed author and film-maker Zhu Wen. His work has been published in China’s most prestigious literary magazines, and he has produced several books of poetry and fiction including I Love Dollars and Other Stories of China, depicting the violence, chaos and dark comedy of the post-Mao era. A frank reflection of the seamier side of his nation's increasingly capitalist society, Zhu Wen's fiction offers an audacious account of the often hedonistic individualism that is feverishly taking root. He will be reading a newly translated short story commissioned by Comma Press and discussing his work in conversation with Julia Lovell, a translator and critic of modern Chinese literature and author of The Opium War: Drugs, Dreams and the Making of China.
4.30pm
International Anthony Burgess Centre
Chorlton Mill, 3 Cambridge Street, Manchester.
Tickets: £5/£3 concessions. Book on 0843 208 0500
Part of the Manchester Literature Festival.

SUNDAY 23 OCT
Alan Turing & Morphogenesis
With Jane Rogers & Martyn Amos
To mark the publication of Litmus, Comma's latest science-into-fiction project, Manchester’s Literature and Science Festivals present a unique event inspired by the life and work of one of Britain's greatest scientists, Alan Turing. Having laid the foundations for modern computers, cracked the German Enigma codes, and performed seminal work on artificial intelligence, Turing worked until his death on the mysteries of life – on morphogenesis. Jane Rogers reads her specially commissioned short story for Litmus, discusses the influences on Turing's life, and considers the wider relationship between science and literature with consultant scientist Martyn Amos. Jane Rogers has written eight novels including Mr Wroe's Virgins, Island, The Voyage Home and most recently The Testament of Jessie Lamb (longlisted for this year's Man Booker Prize), as well as original and adapted work for television and radio drama. Dr Martyn Amos leads the Novel Computation group at Manchester Metropolitan University. His research interests lie at the intersection of computer science and the life sciences, and include synthetic biology, nature-inspired algorithms and crowd dynamics..
2pm
MadLab
36-40 Edge Street, Manchester.
Tickets: £5/£3 concessions. Book on 0843 208 0500
Part of the Manchester Literature Festival.

TUE 18 OCT
European Short Stories
With Bjarte Breiteig & Thijs de Boer.
Manchester’s Comma Press and MLF present newly translated authors from the European Short Story Network. Norwegian author Bjarte Breiteig has written three critically acclaimed collections of short stories, Fantomsmerter, Surrogater, and Folk har begynt å banke på. His stories examine social class, religious longing and the emotional distances between people. Thijs de Boer is a rising star of the Dutch literary scene. His first short story collection Vogels die vlees eten (Birds that Eat Meat) was on the shortlist for the 2011 Dutch/Belgian Youth Literature Award, and was hailed by critics as ‘one of the great literary surprises of the year’. This event is supported by the European Cultural Foundation, Nederlands Letterenfonds, Dutch Foundation for Literature, and NORLA.
International Anthony Burgess Foundation,
3 Cambridge Street, Manchester M1 5BY
6pm.
Tickets: £5/£3 concessions. Book on 0843 208 0500.
Part of the Manchester Literature Festival.
This event also marks the launch of a new website celebrating the European short story - www.theshortstory.eu

SAT 15 OCT
War Stories
With Zoe Lambert and Michelle Green
Launching Manchester writer Zoe Lambert's debut collection, The War Tour and offering a sneak preview of Michelle Green's debut, exploring the characters and situations around the 2004 civil war in Darfur.
Imperial War Museum North
1.30pm
Part of the Manchester Literature Festival.
More info here.

SAT 15 OCT
Litmus Launch
With Sarah Hall, James Higgerson, & Jane Rogers.
Books and TV programmes about science have never been so popular. In a unique new anthology, Litmus, fiction writers and scientists collaborate to bring key moments of modern science alive through the art of story-telling. Authors Sarah Hall, Jane Rogers and Annie Clarkson discuss their stories with the science bits filled in by James Higgerson. Sarah, Jane and Annie will be exploring the discovery and treatment of HIV, Alan Turing's last great theory, Morphogenesis, and Pavlov's Trans-Marginal Inhibition.
4pm-6.15pm.
£3/£2 conc.
The Bluecoat, School Lane, Liverpool.
Part of the Chapter & Verse Festival.
Booking and more info here.

WED 12 OCT
App-ter and Verse
SEMINAR: Independent Publishing and the App
With Sam Easterby-Smith.
Literature Northwest presents a CPD seminar open to anyone involved in literary publishing or the promotion of contemporary literature (including writers): Is the book really about to be replaced by the App? If so, how can small publishers, and individual writers and artists make the most of iPhone and Android technologies to promote or deliver their work? Two leading developers of smartphone applications present a How to Guide to App publishing. Sam Easterby-smith was part of the team that developed the Sunday Times App, and has since worked on apps for art forums and festivals such as In the City.
One further speaker will be pointed shortly. See website for more details.
The Bluecoat (Sandam Room), School Lane, Liverpool.
11am-1pm.
Part of Chapter and Verse. Free, but booking essential (email ra.page[at]commapress.co.uk to book a place).

WED 12 OCT
Short Stories Over Europe
With: Milos Ilic and Gregory Norminton
Milos Ilic is a young Serbian author whose debut short story collection, Beer Stories, earned critical acclaim upon publication.
Gregory Norminton is a novelist and short story writer, currently resident in Scotland. His novels include The Ship of Fools (2002), Arts and Wonders (2004), Ghost Portrait, (2005) and Serious Things (2008), all published by Sceptre. He wrote the stories 'Fall Caesar', 'The Poison Tree' and 'The Fortress at Bruges' for BBC Radio 4 and his short stories have appeared in editions of Prospect, Resurgence, London Magazine and Zembla. Both authors appear as part of the European Short Story Network, supported by the European Cultural Foundation and Creative Scotland.
*Please note - Emil Hakl is unfortunately no longer able to appear tonight due to illness*
8pm-9.30pm.
The Bluecoat, School Lane, Liverpool.
£3/£2 conc.
Part of the Chapter & Verse Festival.

TUE 11 OCT
EUROPEAN LITERATURE NIGHT PART II at the Cheltenham Literature Festival
Emil Hakl, Anna Kim and Diego Marani. Chaired by Roise Goldsmith.
Leading Czech author Emil Hakl makes a rare UK appearance to launch the English translation of his collection On Flying Objects (Comma Press). Tonight he is joined by Korean-born Austrian novelist Anna Kim and Italian novelist, translator and newspaper columnist, Diego Marani.
Cheltenham Literature Festival.

Imperial Square. 7pm-8pm.
£6
More info here.

TUE 11 OCT
EUROPEAN LITERATURE NIGHT PART II at the Cheltenham Literature Festival

3 - 8 OCT
COMMA AUTHORS at INTERNATIONAL SHORT STORY FESTIVAL WROCLAW, Poland
Bernard Mac Laverty and Silke Scheuermann.
Two of Europe's most intersting short story writers take part in one of Europe's best literary festivals - in Wroclaw, Poland. In association with Creative Scotland and the European Cultural Foundation.
With additional support from the Goethe Institut, Munich. More info here.

SAT 1 OCTOBER
Eureka Stories from Modern Science
With Stella Duffy, Maggie Gee, Dr Robbert Appleby and Professor Matthew Cobb.
Books and TV programmes about science have never been so popular. In a unique new anthology, Litmus, fiction writers and scientists collaborate to bring key moments of modern science alive through the art of story-telling. Authors Maggie Gee and Stella Duffy discuss their stories with Professor of Zoology Matthew Cobb (specialist in the genetic basis of animal behaviour) and Dr Robert Appleby (expert in particle physics). Maggie and Stella will be exploring W D Hamilton's revolutionary work in evolutionary biology and Hermann Minkowski's invention of space-time.
As part of ILKLEY LITERATURE FESTIVAL.
St Margaret’s Hall, Wells Road, Ilkley. LS29 9JH.
7.30pm
£6/4
Click on the link above to book.

THU 22 SEPTEMBER
Short Stories from Modern Science
With Alison MacLeod, Maggie Gee, Professor Denis Noble, and Prof Matthew Cobb
Books and TV programmes about science have never been so popular. In a unique new anthology, Litmus, fiction writers and scientists collaborate to bring key moments of modern science alive through the art of story-telling. Authors Maggie Gee and Alison MacLeod discuss their stories with Professor of Zoology Matthew Cobb (specialist in the genetic basis of animal behaviour) and Professor Denis Noble (eminent cardiologist, whose work lead to the creation of the first virtual heart). As part of SMALL WONDER FESTIVAL.
Charleston Farm House, Nr Lewes, Sussex.
6pm. £8 (£7 students).

FRI 9 SEPTEMBER
LEMISTRY launch at The British Library
With Toby Litt, Adam Roberts, John Gray, Wojciech Orlinski, film makers Ari Folman and The Brothers Quay. Chaired by Rosie Goldsmith..
Celebrating the work of one of science fiction's greatest visionaries, Stanislaw Lem, Lemistry features short stories and essays inspired by his work, and translations of three of Lem's stories never before seen in English.
British Library, 96 Euston Road, London NW1 2DB.
6.30pm-8pm
Tickets: £7.50 (£5 conc.s).
More info here.
In association with the Polish Cultural Institute.

4 - 7 JULY
COMMA AUTHORS AT KIKINDA SHORT, Serbia
Bernard Mac Laverty, Gregory Norminton and Adam Marek.
Three of the UK's greatest short story writers take part in one of Europe's most exciting young short story festivals - in Belgrade and Kikinda. In association with Creative Scotland and the European Cultural Foundation.
More info here.

FRIDAY 24 JUNE
Literature Northwest: DESIGN SEMINAR
with David Pearson and Alistair Hall
The eighth publishing seminar in Literature Northwest's current schedule will feature two of the most exciting designers working in literature today. David Pearson is best known for his work on Penguin's Great Ideas, Great Loves and Great Journeys series, as well as Pocket Penguin classics. He is known for creating simple, but instantly identifiable covers, and has won or been nominated for D&DA design awards a total of seven times! In 2005 he was nominated for the Design Museum's Designer of the Year Award, and in 2007 was included in The Guardian's list of 'Britain's Top 50 Designers'.
Alistair Hall worked as part of the same award-winning Penguin design team, on the Great Ideas project before setting up his own design company, We Made This, with help from NESTA's Creative Pioneer Programme. Since then his company has been making stuff with a range of clients, including The RSA, The Crafts Council, Teenage Cancer Trust, Twickenham Literature Festival and, most recently, Nick Hornby's Ministry of Stories project.
Attendance to this seminar is free for any designers or production editors working within the publishing sector in the Northwest, but places are limited and need to be booked in advance by emailing ra.page@commapress.co.uk
This event is in conjunction with the Re-Covered exhibition at Untitled Gallery (Mount St), which opens on Fri 17th June, and the Manchester Book Market (17-18th June). More info on www.ntitledgallerymanchester.com and www.literaturenorthwest.co.uk
International Anthony Burgess Foundation,
Chorlton Mill, Cambridge Street, Manchester M1 5BY
1pm-3.30pm.

FRIDAY 24 JUNE
The Singer Not the Song
All-day conference on the short story and narrative voice.
Sheffield Hallam University.
More info here

FRI 17 & SAT 18 JUNE
Literature Northwest: THE MANCHESTER BOOK MARKET
St Ann's Square. 10am-5.30pm. Both Days.
The popular Manchester Independent Book Market returns to St Ann’s Square for its fourth outing, offering book lovers the chance to sample new titles by the UK’s most exciting independent presses.
In a climate where major corporate publishing is becoming all the more conservative – banking on celebrity memoirs and novelty titles - the UK's independent publishing sector is leading the way in producing intelligent, original and challenging books and magazines.
The North of England in particular boasts some of the UK’s most innovative publishers of novels, poetry, short stories, and non-fiction, and the Manchester Independent Book Market brings them all to your doorstep. This year's market will feature over 30 publishers including Peepal Tree, Route, Comma, Crocus/Commonword, Dreamcatcher, Flapjack, Nightjar, Satchel/Suitcase, Thanatos Books, Hidden Gem, and many others.
Situated in the bustling St Ann’s Square, just off Deansgate, the market’s a great place to browse, grab a coffee, listen to live readings from a selection of talented performance poets and authors, and find the perfect gift for the book lover in your life.
It’s also a great opportunity for aspiring writers to network, and make face-to-face contact with representatives from the North’s independent publishers.
There’ll be live readings on Friday 17th and Saturday 18th June, from 12pm-5pm.
More information to follow.

MONDAY 30 MAY
Comma Press at Hay Festival.... LITMUS: Short Stories from Modern Science
Stella Duffy, Sara Maitland, Robert Appleby and Tim O’Brien chaired by Jim al Khalili
The history of science is often told through eureka moments - those all important 'bolts-from-the-blue' that change the game, shift the paradigm. Put under any scrutiny, however, the reality of scientific progress is much more gradual, complex and fortuitous.
This event marks the launch of a new anthology of short stories from Comma Press, by literary authors commissioned to work in close consultation with scientists - in some cases the scientists that made the historical breakthrough in question - to offer unique 'semi-fictional' insights into some of the most important turning points in the history of science.
Today's event feature two of the commissioned authors and three of the scientists involved.
8.30pm
Venue: Elmley Foundation Theatre
Booking on Hay Festival's website.

MON 30 - TUE 31 MAY
Comma at Festival of the European Short Story
Zagreb, Croatia.
More info here.

SATURDAY 2 APRIL
David Constantine, Winner of the 2010 BBC National Short Story Award, talks to Jem Poster
Award-winning poet, translator and master craftsman of short fiction David Constantine will be discussing his winning story Tea at the Midland, with novelist Jem Poster. This prize-winning story is a moving and bittersweet story about the end of a relationship set against the backdrop of the sea. It was praised by the judges for its rich interweaving of dialogue and poetic imagery. The judges considered it remarkable for the rich poetry at its heart and the economy with which David Constantine creates a story with fully formed characters.
Christ Church: Festival Room 2.
Oxford
2pm.
£10
More info here.

THURSDAY 31 MARCH
Larissa Boehning and Zoe Lambert: A Tour of History: Between War and Wishful Thinking
From Moscow to Sarajevo, Kandahar to Berlin, the realities of war and the political illusions of the twentieth century are the stuff of contemporary literature. The effects echo through generations and weave stories that criss-cross Europe and the world. Two writers examine the personal stories and histories that connect individuals and families: writer-in-residence at University of Liverpool’s German Department, Larissa Boehning (Berlin) reads from her novel The Luck of the Cicadas, and Zoe Lambert (Manchester) reads from her collection The War Tour.
A SOCLAS (University of Liverpool) and Comma Press event, supported by the DAAD.
This event is free but ticketed. To book please contact Tickets and Information at the Bluecoat on 0151 702 5324 / info@thebluecoat.org.uk or visit in person.
Bluecoat, School Lane, Liverpool.
7pm-9pm.
Free.
More info here.

THURSDAY 17 MARCH
Lunchtime Lectures: The Original Light-Bulb Moment
Award-winning poet and short story writer Sean O'Brien takes us back to the evening of October 20, 1880, when pioneering physicist Joseph Swan unveiled the first electricity-generated light source on an unsuspecting world - the original 'light-bulb moment' - in Newcastle's Lit & Phil - the very spot where this short story will be read. Sean's specially commissioned short story exploring Swan's eureka-moment has been written as part of Comma Press's Bio-Fiction project, and with the assistance of John Clayson, Keeper of Science and Industry for Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums. John will also be presenting an afterword on the discovery.
The Lit & Phil Library, 23 Westgate Road, Newcastle NE1 1SE.
1pm-2pm
Free.
Book a place on EventBrite here, or simply turn up on the day.
Part of the Newcastle Science Festival.

TUE 21 DEC, ALL OVER THE UK
The Shortest Day - National Short Story Day
Celebrate the shortest day of the year with the shortest, but most perfectly formed prose form: the short story!
Manchester - along with other cities across the UK - will play host to a special pre-xmas reading in the spirit of MR James' entertainments. With readings from three up and coming short story stars - Michelle Green, David Gaffney and Sarah Schofield.
Manchester's reading will feature three rising talents in the form: award-winning new author SARAH SCHOFIELD, poet, political activist and accomplished performer MICHELLE GREEN and flash fiction master DAVE GAFFNEY, who tonight will be bringing us short fiction through the power of powerpoint. MADLAB, 36-40 Edge St, Manchester, M4 1HN (Opposite Common)
6.30pm-8pm
About the Readers:
SARAH SCHOFIELD won the Writers Inc short story competition with her story ‘Dropped Notes’ which was featured in an anthology adopting the same name. She has been a winner twice in Vanda Inman’s Write Space competition and published online. She was shortlisted for the Bridport Prize and won the Calderdale short story competition. Sarah recently came runner up in The Guardian Travel Writing Competition where her hotel review was featured in the weekend travel section.
MICHELLE GREEN has taken her spoken word work around the UK, performing solo as well as in collaboration with musicians and visual artists. Her poems and short stories appear in various anthologies and magazines, and in 2006 she published a solo book of poetry, Knee High Affairs, with Crocus Books. She is currently working on her first collection of short stories, to be published by Comma Press.
DAVID GAFFNEY is the author of Sawn Off Tales (2006), Aromabingo (2007), Never Never (2008), Buildings Crying Out, a story using lost cat posters (Lancaster litfest 2009), 23 Stops To Hull a set of stories about every junction on the M62 (Humber Mouth festival 2009) Sawn off opera a set of operas with composer Ailis Ni Riain (Radio Three, RNCM, Liverpool philharmonic and tete a tete festival London 2010 ) Destroy PowerPoint, stories in PowerPoint format for Edinburgh festival in August 2009, the Poole Confessions stories told in a mobile confessional box (Poole Literature festival 2010) and he has written articles for the Guardian, Sunday Times, Financial Times and Prospect magazine. His new collection of short stories, The Half Life of Songs, is out now.
National Short Story Day is a nation-wide event with readings and appreciations of the form taking place up and down the UK.
More information about the Day here.
Follow us on Twitter >> @shortstoryday

SAT 27 NOV, MANCHESTER
Version Film Screening 2010
Presenting this year’s poetry and short story film adaptations from Comma Film, featuring new work by Ronald J. Wright, David Wharton, Rachel Laine, Sally Fry, Lisa Risbec, Lorraine Kashdan, Liam Dunlop, Glen Emlyn Richards, Charlotte Caetano and many others. Featuring the poetry of David Constantine, Milner Place, Diana Syder, Gaia Holmes, John Cooper Clarke, Tony Walsh, and others.
With live readings from NABILA JAMEEL and TONY WALSH.
International Anthony Burgess Foundation, Chorlton Mill, 3 Cambridge St, Manchester.
7.30pm-9pm.
FREE!

WED 10 NOV
LAUNCH: THE BOOK OF ISTANBUL
With Nedim Gürsel and Türker Armaner
Celebrated Turkish short story writers Nedim Gürsel and Türker Armaner will be reading stories and discussing their work.
Calder Bookshop, 51 The Cut, Southbank, London SE1 8LF.
More about the book here
7.30pm. Free.

THU 28 OCT - MANCHESTER
Science and the Short Story, part 2
Featuring Annie Clarkson, Trevor Hoyle, Emma Unsworth, with neurologist Sohail Siadatnejad and chemist Zoe Schnepp.
An evening of fiction and science with readings of three stories specially commissioned to celebrate moments of scientific breakthrough. Annie Clarkson revisits a fortuitous flood in the laboratory of Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov. Trevor Hoyle explores the potential ramifications of the brain's recently discovered 'Mirror Neurons' - the neurological seat of compassion, empathy and vicarious pleasure. Whilst Emma Unsworth plays cards with the father of modern chemistry, Dmitri Mendeleev. Followed by discussions with two researchers currently taking these fields further.
Part of Comma Press' Bio-Fiction project.
Supported by the Manchester Area Beacon.
The International Anthony Burgess Centre, Chorlton Mill, Cambridge Steet, Manchester M1.
6.30pm - 8pm.
Free.

SAT 23 OCT
Eureka Commissions
Featuring writers Stella Duffy, Simon Ings and Zoe Lambert, scientist Tim O'Brien and historian of science James Sumner.
The history of science is often told through the shorthand of eureka moments, breakthroughs and bolts-from-the-blue that change the game, shift the paradigm. But like the theories they expound, they are themselves a kind of fiction, a useful apocrypha for symplifying a complex blend of calculated experiment and pure accident. Manchester's Comma Press has commissioned a series of short stories that semi-fictionalise such turning-points, and tonight presents a unique re-telling of three of them.
Simon Ings is a novelist and science writer whose six novels include Hotwire, Headlong, Painkillers and The Weight of Numbers. Stella Duffy is a prolific writer of crime, literary fiction and radio drama. Her novels include Singling Out the Couples, Eating Cake, Immaculate Conceit, State of Happiness, Parallel Lies, and The Room of Lost Things. In 2002 her story ‘Martha Grace’ won the CWA Short Story Dagger. Zoe Lambert's first collection, The War Tour is published this month.
Godlee Observatory, Sackville Building (former UMIST Building), entrance on Grandby Row (by the red rope sculpture). 7.30pm.
Part of the Manchester Literature Festival and Manchester Science Festival. Supported by the Institute of Physics.

SAT 23 OCT - LANCASTER
David Constantine and Adam Marek
Two jewels from Comma's crown headline Lanc Litfest's Great Short Story Day.
Storey Centre, Lancaster. 7.30pm. Part of the Lancaster Litfest. Ticket info here.

SAT 23 OCT - LANCASTER
Science and the Short Story
Featuring writers Kate Clanchy and Sara Maitland, and scientists Sarah Fox (Neuroscience) and Linda Kirstein (Geology).
Kate Clanchy is the author of three collections of poetry, Slattern (which won the Forward First Collection Prize and a Somerset Maugham Award), Samarkand (which won a Scottish Arts Council Book Award), and Newborn, a collection of poems about pregnancy and motherhood. In 2009, her short story, 'The Not-Dead and the Saved' won the BBC National Short Story Award.
Sara Maitland was Runner Up in the same BBC prize last year, for her story 'Moss Witch'. She is the author several novels including Three Times Table, Home Truths and Brittle Joys. Her short story collections include Telling Tales, A Book of Spells and On Becoming a Fairy Godmother. Tonight she reads her new story 'A Geological History of Feminism'.
Sarah Fox's appearance is supported by the Manchester Area Beacon.
Storey Centre, Lancaster. 3.30pm. Part of the Lancaster Litfest. Ticket info here.

TUE 19 OCT - LANCASTER
The Manchester Translation
With Chinese short story writer Ding Liying and translator Nicky Harman
In association with the Confucius Institute at the University of Manchester, Comma and MLF are delighted to launch the inaugural Manchester Translation, featuring Ding Liying, one of a new generation of Chinese women writers, acclaimed for her short stories focusing on the lives of ordinary urban women, her prize-winning lyric poetry, and her translations of Elizabeth Bishop’s poetry. Nicky Harman, who is the translator of several prize-winning Chinese authors and teaches translation at Imperial College London, has been commissioned to undertake the first English translation of Ding’s short story Family Secrets – a claustrophobic tale of a young Shanghai journalist unwittingly drawn into a murder. Join Ding Liying and Nicky Harman for this unique insight into Chinese urban life and the art of translation.
Storey Centre, Lancaster. 3.30pm. Part of the Lancaster Litfest. Ticket info here.
The Lord Mayor's Parlour, Manchester Town Hall, Lloyd Street (side entrance), Manchester M60 2LA.
5.30pm.
More information and ticket purchasing here. Part of the Manchester Literature Festival, with support from the Confucious Institute.

THU 14 OCTOBER - LIVERPOOL
Eureka Commissions
With Frank Cottrell Boyce, Adam Marek and Adam Roberts.
Contrary to popular belief, science can be considered as one long series of narratives - a patchwork of myth and anecdote, hypothesis and that all important 'eureka moment' upon which every breakthrough story turns. Comma Press, with support from the Institute of Physics, has commissioned a number of writers to re-visit some of these key 'eureka moments', to re-imagine and semi-fictionalise their point of discovery and challenge popular perceptions of how science works. The resulting anthology, Bio-Fiction, will be a sequel to Comma's highly acclaimed When It Changed project, and this event offers a sneak preview, with readings by Frank Cotrell Boyce, talking about the great Liverpudlian astonomer Jeremiah Horrocks ('the Keats of Astronomy'), Adam Roberts on Dark Energy and Adam Marek on echoes of the Big Bang.
Frank Cottrell Boyce's film credits include Welcome to Sarajevo, Hilary and Jackie, Code 46, 24 Hour Party People and A Cock and Bull Story. In 2004, his debut novel Millions won the Carnegie Medal and was shortlisted for The Guardian Children’s Fiction Award. His second novel, Framed, was published by Macmillan in 2005.
Adam Marek's debut collection Instruction Manual for Swallowing (Comma, 2007) was described by The Independent as 'Early McEwan meets David Cronenberg'. Earlier this year he was shortlisted for the Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Prize.
Adam Roberts is a novelist, critic and historian of science fiction. He has been nominated twice for the Arthur C. Clarke Award: in 2001, for his debut novel, Salt, and in 2007, for Gradisil.
The Bluecoat, School Lane, Liverpool. 6.30pm. Part of Chapter & Verse Festival. Follow link for ticket info.

SUN 26 SEPTEMBER
Fathers and Sons with Adam Marek and David Vann
Adam Marek and David Vann were short listed for the inaugural Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Short Story Award. Both their stories revolve around rites of passage and a son’s desire both to impress and disown his father. David Vann shot to fame last year with his powerful short story collection, Legend of a Suicide, a fictionalised memoir reimagining his father’s suicide in the salmon fishing wilds of Alaska, where he spent his early years. He now lives in San Francisco. Adam Marek’s distinctive stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies and he has published one short fiction collection, Instruction Manual for Swallowing.
Part of Small Wonder Festival.
Start: 12pm. Tickets: £9 (£8 Students).
Charleston Farm House, Near Lewis, Sussex.

SAT 25 SEPTEMBER
D.H. Lawrence: Short Story Writer with David Constantine
D.H. Lawrence was arguably at his very best as a writer of short stories, in which his intensity and passion were most powerfully focussed. David Constantine is a poet and writer of short fiction for whom, since the age of fifteen, Lawrence has always been a major touchstone. His latest short story collection, The Shieling, is hortlisted for the important Frank O’Connor Award. Is D.H. Lawrence a helpful model for contemporary short story writers or does his peculiarly tormented psyche make him inimitable?
Part of Small Wonder Festival.
Start: 6pm. Tickets: £9 (£8 Students).
Charleston Farm House, Near Lewis, Sussex.




SUNDAY 4 JULY
SCIENCE INTO FICTION
With Geoff Ryman, Michael Arditti, Sara Maitland, Dr Matthew Cobb & Dr. Vonod Danak
When it Changed is a collaboration between leading scientists and literary authors to create a new strain of SF, one that boasts a higher dose of 'hard science' in its bloodstream than usually found in so much of the genre's fantasy and speculation. Fifteen authors met and corresponded with practicing scientists with the task of assimilating their research into new short stories, which the scientists then commented on with afterwords. Today both parties reconvene to discuss the challenges and rewards or bringing science and literature closer together.
Geoff Ryman has published ten books, most recently Air, and is the founder of the Mundane SF movement, which calls for greater scientific realism (and less wild ambition and speculation) in the genre. Sara Maitland's novels include Three Times Table, Home Truths and Brittle Joys. Her short stories have appeared in three collections, most recently On Becoming a Fairy Godmother, and her non-fiction title The Book of Silence came out from Granta in 2008. Her contribution to this collection 'Moss Witch' was Runner-Up in the BBC National Short Story Prize 2009. Michael Arditti's novels include The Celibate, A Sea Change, and The Enemy of the Good. His short story collection, Good Clean Fun, was published in 2004.
Dr Vinod Danak is a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Physics and Liverpool University, and specialises in nanotechnology. Dr Matthew Cobb is Senior Lecturer in Animal Behaviour at the University of Manchester.
South Bank Centre, London. 3.30pm.
Part of the London Literature Festival & the Festival of Art + Science (more details here)

FRIDAY 2 JULY
Contemporary Literature and its Contexts
Comma Founder Ra Page takes part in the 'Publishing Industry' round-table discussion with Claire Squires (Professor of Publishing at Sterling University), Will Frances (Literary Agent) and Nicholas Royle (author). As part of the University of Manchester's 2-day conference.
Martin Harris Centre, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13. 4.30pm.

FRI 25 - SAT 26 JUNE
MANCHESTER BOOK MARKET
St Ann's Square. 10am-5.30pm. Both Days.
The popular Manchester Independent Book Market returns to St Ann’s Square this weekend, offering book lovers the chance to sample new titles by the UK’s most exciting independent presses.
In a climate where major corporate publishing is becoming all the more conservative – banking on celebrity memoirs and novelty titles - the UK's independent publishing sector is leading the way in producing intelligent, original and challenging books and magazines.
The North of England in particular boasts some of the UK’s most innovative publishers of novels, poetry, short stories, and non-fiction, and the Manchester Independent Book Market brings them all to your doorstep. This year's market features over 30 publishers including Carcanet, Comma, Route Publishing, Tindal Street, Crocus, Dreamcatcher, Flapjack, Flax, Dewi Lewis, Nightjar, Satchel/Suitcase, Smokestack Books, Thanatos Books, Transmission, TTA (Interzone magazine), Bewilderbliss, and Inpress Books (which distributes over 50 independents imprints including Bloodaxe, Flambard, and many others).
Situated in the bustling St Ann’s Square, just off Deansgate, the market’s a great place to browse, grab a coffee, listen to live readings from a selection of talented performance poets and authors, and find the perfect gift for the book lover in your life.
It’s also a great opportunity for aspiring writers to network, and make face-to-face contact with representatives from the North’s independent publishers.
There’ll be live readings on Friday 25th and Saturday 26th June, from 12pm-5pm, compèred by the incomparable Gerry Potter (formerly Chloe Poems):

FRIDAY
12noon-1.30pm: Julian Daniel, Mike Duff, Dinesh Allirajah, Rameeza Mehmud, Paul Sutherland, Tim Lees, Amanda Milligan, Nick Murgatroyd.
2pm-3.30pm: Dominic Berry, Rosie Garland (aka Rosie Lugosi), Jackie Hagan, Helen Thomas, Sabeen Hussein, John G Hall, Linda Chase, Alice Lenkiewicz. 4pm-5pm: Muli Amaye, Zoe Lambert, Fergus Evans, Kim Wiltshire, Helen Clare.
SATURDAY 12-1.30pm: Penultimate (Ben Mellor, Martin Stannage, Lucidity, Niven Ganner, Ali Gadema), Nick Royle, Gift Nyoni, Akiel Chinelo, Zahid Hussein.

SATURDAY
12-1.30pm: Penultimate (Ben Mellor, Martin Stannage, Lucidity, Niven Ganner, Ali Gadema), Nick Royle, Gift Nyoni, Akiel Chinelo, Zahid Hussein.
2pm-3.30pm: Marvin Cheeseman, Ed Kangai, Eleanor Rees, Nabila Suriya, Edmund Prestwich, Conor Aylwood, Conrad Williams, Polly Atkin.
4pm-5pm: Chris Jam, Annie Clarkson, Sian Cummins, Alicia Stubbersfield, Steph Pike.

FRI 28 MAY
COMMA FIlM SCREENING at an OUTLET
A special screening of the finished versions of the recent Comma Film Commissions for Version Festival and Huddersfield Literature Festival. Including a Manchester Premiere of MOSS WITCH directed by Lisa Risbec and based on a short story by Sara Maitland. This film tells of a collision between two world views - those of a research scientist and a mythical character. Originally commissioned by the Huddersfield Literature Festival, the film was recently screened at the Cannes Film Festival's short film corner.
Also screening: Letters Home (Ronald J. Wright), Witness Protection (Sarah Eyre), Finding Polish (Caleb Shaffer) and The Sorting Out (Caleb Shaffer/Gwen Osmond).
An Outlet, 77 Dale Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester.
8pm.
Free and all welcome but please RSVP to ra.page[at]commapress.co.uk if you would like to reserve a ticket.

FRIDAY 26 MARCH
The Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Short Story Award
With A S Byatt, Andrew Holgate and Hanif Kureishi and Prize shortlistees:
The Sunday Times EFG Private Bank Short Story Award is the world's biggest and most lucrative prize for a single short story, with £25,000 going to the winner. Here, ahead of the announcement of the winning entry at the festival this evening, judges from this year's award - who include AS Byatt, Hanif Kureishi and Sunday Times Literary Editor Andrew Holgate - discuss with the prize's founder, Cathy Galvin, what makes a good short story, the challenges of judging the award, and the individual qualities of this year's six shortlisted entries.
Short-listed authors who will be participating are David Vann, CK Sted, Comma's Adam Marek and Joe Dunthorne.
Location: Christ Church: Garden Marquee
4pm. £10

SATURDAY 20 MARCH
Literature Northwest @ States of Independence - Independent Press Day
Check out the Literature Northwest stall at this East Midlands event.
Clephan Building, De Montford University, Oxford St, Leicester.
More info here.

FRIDAY 19 MARCH
MANCHESTER CENTRAL LIBRARY: A CELEBRATION
As Central Library approaches its temporary closure, this event will celebrate its splendid history and mark what is definitely - the end of an era....
Hosted by Manchester's own MIKE GARRY, writers, poets & musicians come together to say goodbye (for now!) to one of the best-loved and most famous buildings in the city. One of Britain's best contemporary poets SEAN O'BRIEN, winner of the T.S. Eliot Prize, is joined by novelist & BAFTA nominated screenwriter JANE ROGERS and novelist & master of the unsettling short story, NICHOLAS ROYLE. There will be contributions from many Manchester writers, celebrating not only Central Library, but books, libraries and the love of reading. PluS music from klezmer band THE DELIBABIES and string quartet THE DEANSGATE ENSEMBLE.
The Great Hall, First Floor, Manchester Central Library.
6.30pm onwards. Free, no need to book.

SATURDAY 13 MARCH
SARA MAITLAND PREMIERE
As part of Huddersfield Literature Festival's Adaptation Day, the University has specially commissioned a new adaptation of Sara Maitland's acclaimed short story 'Moss Witch', which receives its world premiere tonight. Directed by animator Lisa Risbec, it tells of the collision between two different worlds - the language and discipline of science and the timeless mythology of fairytales.
Sara Maitland will introduce the film with a talk about the relationship between prose fiction and film, having previously worked with Stanley Kubrick on early drafts of his A.I. project, and seen her short story 'Far North' developed into a feature film by Asif Kapadia, starring Michelle Yeoh and Sean Bean. Sara's first novel, Daughters of Jerusalem, was published in 1978 and won the Somerset Maugham Award. Novels since have included Three Times Table (1990), Home Truths (1993) and Brittle Joys (1999), and one co-written with Michelene Wandor – Arky Types (1987). Her short story collections include Telling Tales (1983), A Book of Spells (1987) and most recently, On Becoming a Fairy Godmother (2003). With Lisa Risbec, she will also talk about the process of adapting this story in particular.
Lecture Hall WG.13, Huddersfield University. HD1 3DH. £7 / £5.
8pm.
Festival box office: 01484 430528
More information about the event via Huddersfield Literature Festival.
See also Paul Welsh's talk earlier in the day, more info here.

MONDAY 8 MARCH
Northwest Voices @ Words by the Water Festival
Readings and discussions from Northwest writers, celebrating the strength and diversity of the region’s wide-ranging literary output, covering poetry, short fiction and novel writing.
Afternoon Session: 1.30pm – 5.30pm
1.30pm • POETRY SHOWCASE
Flapjack Press presents Jackie Hagan, Gerry Potter and Helen Thomas
A showcase of vibrant new voices with children’s writer and poet Helen Thomas, playwright, performance poet and life-long Doctor Who fan Gerry Potter, and politicised stand-up poet Jackie Hagan.
2.35pm • SHORT STORY SHOWCASE
Comma Press presents Zoe Lambert and Annie Clarkson
Zoe Lambert’s stories globe-trot over continents and time-travel backwards and forwards across decades in an unflinching exploration of the long-term consequences of conflict; Annie Clarkson’s work on the other hand studies the quieter, subtler tensions underpinning everyday relationships.
3.40pm • NOVEL SHOWCASE
Literature Northwest presents Jenn Ashworth and Brigid Rose
Two new authors share visions from their debut novels; Brigid Rose’s ‘The City of Lists’ imagines a ‘consciousness revolution’ in a not-too-distant future, while Jenn Ashworth’s ‘A Kind of Intimacy’ draws us into the unreliable world of Annie, the girl who’s never quite invited to the party.
4.45pm • SURVIVING AS A WRITER
To round off the day, publishers Ra Page and Paul Neads lead a discussion with some of the invited authors on the pitfalls and practicalities of surviving as a writer, finding an audience for your work, and most important of all developing a voice.
Today’s events are run in association with Slate.
Theatre by the Lake, Keswick. Day ticket: £20. To book ahead call 017687 74411.
For more information about the festival click here.
Supported by SLATE.

2009


FRI 13 - SAT 14 NOV
VERSION FILM FESTIVAL
The launch of a brand new film festival for Manchester featuring all new, specially commissioned work - short films specially commissioned and adapted from literary texts published in the region. Featuring a new generation of talented and risk-taking filmmakers, as well as work by the best of the region’s writers, this festival will also bring in guests from across Europe and feature masterclasses with screenwriters such as Frank Cotrell Boyce and Jane Rogers and Q&As with award-winning new film directors. Styles will range from stop-frame animation to live action location dramas, from lens-less artist video to mockumentary. Three films will be specially commissioned for this, the first edition of the festival, whilst other work will have been made through a series of on-going challenges and collaborations between writers and directors. The festival is co-ordinated by Manchester’s award-winning short story project, Comma Press, whose previous adaptations have won awards at Birds Eye View and The London Short Film Festival shown at the Berlin and Edinburgh Film Festivals this year.
For full festival info click here
Venues: Cornerhouse, The Green Room, Cervantes.

SATURDAY 24 OCT
Hassan Blasim & David Constantine
Two remarkable talents read from their new collections, The Madman of Freedom Square and The Shieling, respectively. Hassan Blasim is a poet, filmmaker, editor and refugee of the Iraq War. His debut collection (yet to be published in the original Arabic) is a dark excursion into the chaos of contemporary Baghdad, an allegorical snapshot of recent Iraqi history (spanning over twenty years from the Iran-Iraq War through to the Occupation), and a rare critique of the refugee experience in Europe. This book has been selected to receive financial assistance from English PEN's Writers in Translation programme supported by Bloomberg.
David Constantine has been described as 'perhaps the finest of contemporary writers in this form' (The Reader). His previous book, Under the Dam was one of the most critically acclaimed short story collections of recent years and heralded by The Independent as 'flawless'.
Friends Meeting House, Manchester.
4.30pm.
£5/£3.
Part of the Manchester Literature Festival's Short Weekend.
More info and booking information here.
Recommended by English PEN.

SATURDAY 24 OCT
LAUNCH: When It Changed - Science Into Fiction anthology
Geoff Ryman, Patricia Dunker, Liz Williams, Dr Tim O'Brien & Prof Steve Furber
When it Changed is an 'experiment' in almost the correct sense of the word: a collaboration between leading scientists and literary authors to create a brand new strain of the SF bug; one that extends the scientific repertoire of the genre beyond the commonplaces of space-travel, time-travel or AI, and brings it back into contact with diverse, credible, and contemporary research areas. Geoff Ryman has published ten books, most recently Air, and is the founder of the Mundane SF. Liz Williams’ first two novels The Ghost Sister and Empire of Bones were both nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award. Patricia Duncker's first novel Hallucinating Foucault won the Dillons First Fiction Award and the McKitterick Prize. Dr Tim O'Brien is a Senior Lecturer in the Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics. Professor Steve Furber is best known for his work at Acorn and as a designer of the ARM 32-bit RISC microprocessor.
Friends Meeting House, Manchester.
1pm.
£5/£3.
Part of the Manchester Literature Festival's Short Weekend.
More info and booking information here.

FRIDAY 23 OCT
LAUNCH: Hassan Blasim's The Madman of Freedom Square.
Launching a unique debut collection from a young filmmaker, writer and refugee of the Iraq War. Hassan's debut collection is a dark excursion into the chaos of contemporary Baghdad, an allegorical snapshot of recent Iraqi history (spanning over twenty years from the Iran-Iraq War through to the Occupation), and a rare critique of the refugee experience in Europe.
The Madman of Freedom Square has been selected to receive financial assistance from English PEN's Writers in Translation programme, supported by Bloomberg. Calder Bookshop.
51 The Cut, London SE1 8LF, Tel. +44 (0)20 7620 2900. Admission Free.
7pm. Free.
More about the book here.

SUNDAY 19 JULY
Middle East Readings with Joumana Haddad and Hassan Blasim.
Two trailblazing Arabic writers - Hassan Blasim from Bagdad, and Joumana Haddad from Beirut - read from and discuss their contributions to Madinah: City Stories from the Middle East. Hassan Blasim was born in Baghdad in 1973. Having fled Iraq in 2004, he currently lives in Finland. As well as director of numerous short films and one Kurdish feature film, Hassan is a poet and short story writer with work published in various magazines, websites and anthologies. He is co-editor of the Arabic literary website www.iraqstory.com. His first full short story collection, The Madman of Freedom Square, is launched by Comma Press this summer. Joumana Haddad was born in 1970 in Beirut. She is a poet, translator and journalist and head of the cultural pages in the prestigious An Nahar newspaper, as well as administrator of the IPAF Literary Prize (often referred to as the ‘Arab Booker’) and editor-in-chief of Jasad, an Arabic cultural magazine specialising in literature and art of the body. She has published several widely acclaimed poetry collections, including I Did Not Commit Enough Errors, and The Mirrors of Passers By.
Part of the Liverpool Arabic Arts Festival. The Bluecoat, School Lane, Liverpool.
1pm. Free - booking required (book on www.thebluecoat.org or call 0151 702 5324)

FRIDAY 17 JULY
Comma Film @ Latitude Festival.
The best of Comma Film will be screened with readings and discussions as part of the Film & Music Arena at this year's Latitude Festival, along side the likes of David Peace, Jon Ronson, Mark Steel, etc, whilst on the other stage Regina Spektor, Nick Cave, Bat for Lashes and countless other acts rip it up.
Festival runs 16th-19th July. See full line-up.

FRI 17 - SUN 19 JULY
The Manchester Book Market.
The Manchester Book Market returns this weekend for a three-day showcase of the region's indie publishing accompanied by back-to-back performances from the cream of the region's spoken word scene. The market gives the public the opportunity to buy books, magazines and comics direct from leading independent publishers, as well as sample the latest emerging spoken word talent from the North West. Featuring over 20 publishers, the market will cover a wide range of genres and interests, from award-winning poetry and short fiction (from Route Publishing, Crocus Books and Comma) to internationally recognised science fiction and fantasy (from Interzone, TTA and Ballista), as well as childrens books (Bumble Books, DEP, Flapjack), and pioneering new literary magazines (Transmission, Bewilderbliss, Back to the Machine Gun, etc.).
In a special café area each day, over 50 of the region's leading spoken word artists and story-tellers will perform throughout each day.
For a full list of readers and times, click here. St Ann's Square. 11am-5.30pm.
Free. Readings between 1pm and 5.30pm
See www.literaturenorthwest.co.uk for more information.

THU 16 JULY
Mark Anthony Jarman and Zoe Lambert
Canadian author Mark Anthony Jarman is a prizewinning poet and short story writer, described by AS Byatt as author of possibly the greatest short story ever:
‘The writing is extraordinary, the stories are gripping... brilliant.’
Comma Press are honoured to host this event, which will see him read from his masterpiece, 19 Knives, for the first time in the UK.
Tonight he will be joined by a writer-to-watch Zoe Lambert, a Manchester-based author whose short stories explore the contemporary refugee experience and wider impact of war in everyday contexts. Zoe’s stories have previously appeared in Comma’s Ellipsis series.
Central Library (Committee Room, 2nd Floor), St Peter's Square, Manchester.
6.30pm.

To Mid July
Comma Film on BBC Big Screens across the UK.
A selection of eight of the best poem-films commissioned by Comma Film are currently being shown on city centre Big Screens across the UK, as part of the BBC's national content. The films will show through the day on the even hour (10am, 12noon, 2pm, etc). The selected films are:
Heart Wrap (Shamshad Khan/Lisa Risbec), This Heart Disease Called Love (John Cooper Clarke/Gwendolen Osmond), Desires (Gaia Holmes/Kate Jessop), Archaeology (Gaia Holmes/Lisa Risbec), Working Metal (Kath McKay/Terry Wragg), Video Kid (Chris Woods/Charlotte Caetano), Streets (David Constantine/Sarah Eyre & James Fisher), and I Have Become a Stranger to My Own House (Helen Clare/Gwendolen Osmond).
The cities these screens are showing in are:
Bradford, Bristol, Cardiff, Derby, Edinburgh, Greenwich, Hull, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Middlesbrough, Norwich, Plymouth, Portsmouth, Rotherham, Swansea, Swindon and Waltham Forest, and Dover.
For more information on the project and how to take part in our next film challenge, email ra.page[at]commapress.co.uk.

WEDNESDAY 24 JUNE
LAUNCH: The Shieling by David Constantine.
A special, advance hometown reading from the much-anticipated follow up to Under the Dam, by an author described by The Reader as 'perhaps the finest of contemporary writers in the form.'
More info about the book here
Borders Bookshop, 9 Magdalen Street, Oxford, OX1 3AD.
7pm. Free.

SATURDAY 20 JUNE
Comma Film @ International Video Festival, Bochum.
Showcase of Comma Film's work to date. 11am-1.30pm
More info at www.videofestival.org

WED 13 MAY
GAIA HOLMES reads at To the Moon and Back
Comma poet reads on the rooftop terrace, with singing and songwriting special guests.
Century Club, Shaftsbury Avenue, London. 7.30pm

FRI 24 APR
CARTE BLANCHE to COMMA FILM featuring Gaia Holmes
A late-night showcase of 12 films produced as part of the on-going Comma Film project - adaptations of award-winning poems and short stories published independently in the region, featuring poems and stories by John Cooper Clarke, Hanif Kureishi, David Constantine, Kath McKay and many others. Directors include Terry Wragg, Gwendolen Osmond (film pictured), Ronald Wright, Caleb Shaffer, Charlotte Caetano, James Fisher, Kate Jessop and Lisa Risbec. Accompanied by a live reading by Gaia Holmes, many of whose poems are have also been adapted.
Showing as part of the Moves Film Festival.
Cervantes Institute, Deansgate, Manchester.
9pm.
Free.
TUE 21 APR
WORD SOUP screening at The New Continental
The inaugural night of Preston's new literary night, with readings by Jenn Ashton, Chris Killen and Steven Hall.
With a selection of Comma Film adaptations included.
The Continental, South Meadow Lane, Preston PR1 8JP.

FRI 20 MAR
Maike Wetzel
Reading from and launching her first collection in English, Long Days (Comma). More information about the book here.
The Manchester Goethe Institut
Churchgate House
56 Oxford St, Manchester, M1 6EU.
7pm
Free
More information about this event specifically here.
TUE 23 MAR
Maike Wetzel and Zoe Lambert
To launch her first collection in English, Long Days (Comma), the German author will be joined by the North West's own Zoe Lambert reading from her own short fiction in Ellipsis 2. More information about the book here.
The Bluecoat
Liverpool
7pm

TUE 17 MAR
Maike Wetzel
The acclaimed young German author will be reading from and launching her first collection in English, Long Days (Comma). A rare opportunity to see an important emerging voice in European short fiction. More information about the book here.
Lancaster University
Management School, Lecture Theatre 8.
Lancaster, LA1 4YF
6pm
Free

MON 16 MAR
Literature Northwest and ACE Seminar: Grants for the Arts
As an early taster for Literature Northwest's forthcoming series of CPD seminars, the network is teaming up with ACE Northwest to give a comprehensive seminar on the Arts Council's Grants For the Arts funding strand (aka G4A): how to apply, what to apply for, how to increase your chances of being successful, evaluation, etc, etc. This seminar will be focussed particularly on literature and publishing applications.
For publishers (and prospective publishers) only. For more information email Ra Page at ra.page[at]commapress.co.uk.
11am-2.30pm

FRI 13 MAR
The workshop of sensory delights: with Gaia Holmes
Part of the Huddersfield Literature Festival. More info here.
2-4pm
Room WG/13, West Building, University of Huddersfield
£5/ £3.50 (includes refreshments)

MON 9 MAR
Chris Woods and Linda Chase
The Comma poet reads from his recent collection Dangerous Driving with fellow Manchester poet Linda Chase.
The Octagon Theatre, Bolton
7.30pm.

THU 26 FEB
The Uncanny: A Winter Forum (academic conference).
Speakers include: Professor Nicholas Royle of the University of Sussex, Adam Marek, Ra Page, editor of The New Uncanny, and Diana Barsham, biographer.
The Mitre Lecture Theatre, University of Chichester, Chichester. 01243 816 163. www.chiuni.ac.uk
£15
1.30pm-8.30pm (various presentations and papers).

WED 10 DEC
Sean O'Brien
Sean O'Brien is one of Britain's most decorated poets, his awards include the Somerset Maugham Award, the T.S. Elliot Prize (2006), the Northern Rock Foundation Writers Award (2006), and the Forward Prize for Best Poetry Collection, a record three times. He is also a prolific essayist and writer for radio. Tonight, however, sees him launch his first collection of short stories, The Silence Room (Comma Press), a dark, archly gothic ensemble of visions spawned from the vaulted rooms of one particular public library: The Lit and Phil. In this unique event Sean will be reading stories in the very building, and indeed room, that inspired them. Not to be missed.
The Lit & Phil Library, Newcastle.
23 Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 1SE.
7pm


FRI 5 DEC
WRITING THE CITY
Short story reading and debate.
ReBerth: Stories from Cities on the Edge authors Dinesh Allirajah (Liverpool) and Claudia Parman (Bremen) join translator Dr Rebecca Braun, Liverpool sociophonetics expert Dr Kevin Watson and urban planning expert Dr Franco Bianchini to discuss just what it is that gives the 'Cities on the Edge' (Bremen, Gdansk, Liverpool, Istanbul, Marseilles and Naples) their peculiar edginess, and how contemporary short story writers reflect this in their fiction. The Bluecoat, School Lane, Liverpool L1 3BX.
1pm – 3pm
Admission Free

FRI 5 DEC
LAUNCH of ReBERTH: Stories from Cities on the Edge with Alexei Sayle
Comedian, TV presenter and author Alexei Sayle reads an exclusive new short story set on the backstreets of Anfield, and discusses his approach to writing about Liverpool, the city of his birth. Sayle is joined by Valeria Parrella (Naples) and Adam Kaminski (Gdansk), who will be reading stories from the ReBerth anthology in the original languages with English surtitles. The Bluecoat, School Lane, Liverpool L1 3BX.
7pm – 8.30pm
Tickets £5/£4
Bluecoat box office: 0151 7025324

SAT 8 NOV
The European Short Story
With Maike Wetzel, Christian Garcin and Ian Duhig.
Asking the question 'Is there such a thing as a "European Short Story"?' will be award-winning poet Ian Duhig, Berlin's multi-award winning writer and filmmaker Maike Wetzel, reading from her first collection to be translated, Long Days, and Marseille's existentialist thriller writer Christian Garcin (reading from the forthcoming ReBerth anthology). Two of the three readings will be French and Catalan, but simultaneous translations will be provided throughout.
FACT, Liverpool. Time tbc.
Part of the Shipping Lines festival.

SAT 8 NOV
Comma Film Premiere Pt2
Comma Film: Story and Poetry Film Shorts Launching a new film initiative for the region, Comma Films premiere eight short films adapted from the some of the country’s best contemporary short stories and poems. The films, brought to you by eight ‘new directors to watch’ (including Kate Jessop, recently short-listed for the Virgin Media Shorts Prize 2008), are all adaptations of previous published stories, including Brian Patten’s ‘The Flying Baby of Wavertree’, Hanif Kureishi’s ‘The Dogs’, David Constantine’s ‘The Loss’, and Andrea Semple’s ‘25 Reasons’.
The screening of The Loss will be accompanied by a reading by the author himself, David Constantine (12:30-1:30pm), also free. FACT, 88 Wood Street, Liverpool, L1 4DQ.
11:30am-12:30pm AND 4-5 pm.
Free.
Part of the Shipping Lines festival.

FRI 31 OCT
Launch of THE NEW UNCANNY
With Matthew Holness, Nicholas Royle and Gerard Woodward.
Lancaster Litfest is the host to the Halloween launch of Comma's latest venture into literary horror writing; with a gathering specially commissioned to update Freud's famous essay on the unheimlich.
The anthology features exclusive new stories from the likes of AS Byatt, Christopher Priest, Jane Rogers, and many more...
Duke's Theatre, Manor Road, Lancaster.
7.45pm. £5/£4concs.
Part of the Lancaster LitFest.
More information on www.litfest.org.

FRI 24 OCT
Planet-Box
A multi-media, multi-art form launch of a one-off art/poetry collaboration, between acclaimed practitioners Diana Syder and Laura Daly. Featuring exhibition, projections, reading and science. The book constitutes the results of an artist and writer science-art residency project run by Comma Press over the last two years.
The Great Hall, Central Library, Manchester.
7pm.
Part of the Manchester Literature Festival.
More information to follow.

THU 23 OCT
Comma Film Premiere
Following Comma’s previous screenings of short films based on poems, this month sees the premiere of six new films adapted from short stories from the Comma catalogue. Featuring 'The Loss' by award-winning filmmaker Kate Jessop (based on the story by David Constantine), Caleb Shaffer's 'The Dogs' (based on a Hanif Kureishi story), Scott Davenport's 'The Wife and the Waitress' (story by Alice Kuipers), Sarah Eyre and James Fisher's '25 Reasons' (story by Andrea Semple) and others. Filmmakers and writers will be talking about the adaptation process after the screening.
6.30pm.
Part of the Manchester Literature Festival.
Call Cornerhouse 0161 200 1500 to reserve a ticket

TUE 21 OCT
The Middle Eastern Short Story
Gala launch with Joumana Haddad (Beirut), Youseff al Mohaimeed (Riyadh) and Hassan Blasim (Baghdad).
The latest in Comma's city-story projects, Medina offers a diverse set of perspectives from the Middle East, spanning four languages and ten cities from around the region. These stories have been specially commissioned and translated for the window they open onto contemporary Middle Eastern life, the richness of the literary cultures they hail from, and the new interpretations they offer up for Middle Eastern identity. Tonight's stories will be read in Arabic and English, accompanied by simultaneous translations and discussion. Joumana Haddad is a poet, journalist and editor based in Beirut. Her collections include The Time of a Dream (1995), Invitation to a Secret Feast (1998), Abyss (2000) and The Return of Lilith (2004). Yousef Al-Muhaimeed’s novels include Al-Qaroura (‘The Bottle’) and and Wolves of the Crescent Moon and The Dolphin's Excursion - all of them are widely published in the Arab world but banned in his own country. Hassan Blasim is a poet, filmmaker and co-editor of www.iraqstory.com. He studied filmmaking at the Baghdad Academy of Arts and has published widely in magazines and websites. He currently lives in Finland.
Part of the Manchester Literature Festival.
Supported by the British Council.
Lord Mayor's Parlour, Manchester Town Hall.
Manchester Town Hall.
7.30pm. 5pounds (3pounds concs).
In association with the British Council.

MON 20 OCT
The Middle Eastern Short Story
Bookmarks, 1 Bloomsbury Street, London.
6.30pm.
See above. In association with the British Council.

MON 20 OCT
Sean O'Brien
Sean O'Brien is one of Britain's most decorated poets, his awards include the Somerset Maugham Award, the T.S. Elliot Prize (2006), the Northern Rock Foundation Writers Award (2006), and the Forward Prize for Best Poetry Collection, a record three times. He is also a prolific writer for radio and essayist. Tonight, however sees him read from his first collection of short stories, The Silence Room (Comma Press), a dark, archly gothic ensemble of visions spawned from the vaulted rooms of one particularly inspiring public library. Tonight he reads alongside Jane Rogers, also published by Manchester's Comma Press, reading from the forthcoming New Uncanny.
Part of the Manchester Literature Festival.
The Midland Hotel
8pm
L5/L4

SAT 18 OCT
The Middle Eastern Short Story
Part of The Ilkley Literature Festival.
Wildman Theatre, The Ilkley Playhouse.
3.45pm.
See above.
More information here. Scroll down to p34.
In association with the British Council.

FRI 17 OCT
The Middle Eastern Short Story
The first event in a unique UK tour of short story writers from the Middle East, featuring three contributors to Comma's latest '10 City' anthology. With appearances from the acclaimed Lebanese poet and critic, Joumana Haddad (Beirut), award winning novelist Youseff Al Mohaimeed (Riyadh) and editor, poet and filmmaker Hassan Blasim (Baghdad).
Part of The Cheltenham Literature Festival.
More information here.
Cheltenham Town Hall. 10am. L5.
In association with the British Council.

WED 15 OCT
Indepedent Market & Showcase
Come and sample the diverse wares of the region's publishers (including Comma), with readings from five of the publishers.
The Bluecoat, School Lane, Liverpool.
1pm-5pm.
Free.
Organised by Literature Northwest.

SAT 27 SEP
Short Story Readers Day with Frank Cottrell Boyce and David Constantine.
An all day celebration of the short story in the Northwest, with readings, workshops and discussions featuring two Comma authors. Frank Cottrell Boyce is arguably the leading British screenwriting of the last decade. He has also proved a best seller as a writer for young adults and has recently moved into short story writing. David Constantine has been descibed by The Reader magazine as 'probably the best practitioner of the form we have'. Also taking part: author Elizabeth Baines, BBC producer Polly Thomas and Comma founder Ra Page.
In partnership with the Scottish Booktrust, and Manchester Libraries.
Quakers Meeting House. Central Manchester. 10am-5pm.
More information from Central Library.

SAT 6 SEP
Spectangular
A unique audio-visual experience at the New Islington Festival.
Comma Film and Kiosk Gallery present an all-day programme of Manchester-generated short film and photography... all neatly boxed off in the most mobile of spaces (a shipping container turned cinema!). Featuring the best of Comma's adaptation work and three specially commissioned premieres. Filmmakers include award-winning MMU graduate Kate Jessop (recently short-listed for the prestigious Virgin Media Shorts Prize), Gwen Osmond (filmmaker-in-residence with The Ting-Tings), up and coming animator Lisa Risbec, and many more. Featuring the stories of David Constantine, Tim Cooke and CD Rose, and the poetry of over a dozen writers from the region.
Old Mill Street, New Islington, Manchester. 2pm-8pm.
More information from New Islington Festival.
Free.

SAT 5 JULY
Comma Film @ the Hebden Fringe Film Festival
A selection of Comma's recent poem-films by Charlotte Caetano, Christine Flannery, kate Jessop, Sharon Keighley and Lisa Risbec will be showing as part of the Firdge Films festival at Hebden Bridge.
Part of the 'Canned' screening.
Holme Street Arts Centre. Hebden Bridge. 9.30pm.
More info to follow.

THU 29 MAY
Launch: The Book of Liverpool
More info on the book here.
The Bluecoat, Liverpool.
7.30pm.
For more information watch this space, or go to www.thebluecoat.org.uk
For press enquiries about this book, contact Ra.Page@commapress.co.uk.

MON 26 MAY
For Folk's Sake
Am evening of folk and accustic music with spoken word, from Gaia Holmes and Joolz Denby.
Full line up: The Bees Niece (music), Fergus Evans (spoken word), Dominic Berry (spoken word), Jackie Hagan (spoken word), Jenny McCormick (music), Kirsty McGee (music), Mike Garry (spoken word), with Gaia and Joolz headlining.
Cup (Mr. Scruff's cafe), 53-55 Thomas Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester M4 1NA.
6pm-9pm.
More information on http://www.myspace.com/mapsfestival

THU 1 MAY
Launch: M.O. - The Crime Writers Association Anthology
With readings by Martin Edwards (editor), Karline Smith and Martyn Bedford.
Manchester Central Library (Committee Room, 2nd Floor), St Peters Square, Manchester M2 5PD. 6.30pm-8pm.
Free. Plus refreshments.
More information about the book here.

FRI 18 APRIL
Chris Woods at Manky Poets
Reading from Dangerous Driving with other south Manchester poets
Chorlton Library (backroom), Manchester Rd, chorlton, Manchester M21.
7.30pm
Free.

SAT 5 APRIL
Ed Barton Melt Down
Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester.
More information to follow.

SAT 5 APRIL
Adam Marek at the Foyles One-Day Short Story Festival
Foyles Bookshop, Charing Cross Road, London.
More information to follow.

FRI 28 MARCH
Ed Barton live on The Verb
Broadcasting live from the Radio Theatre, with inimitable compere and host Ian McMillan.
9.45pm.
More information on The Verb.

SAT 8 MARCH
Huddersfield 'Small is Beautiful' Writers Day and Book Fair
A combined Reader's Day (featuring Gaia Holmes) and Small Press Fair. With readings, panel debates and workshops.
Part of the Huddersfield Literature Festival.
Fair and workshop 10am-4.30pm, Huddersfield Town Hall, Ramsden Street, Huddersfield.
Followed by 'Small Presses, Big Voices' event at 7.30m, St Paul's Hall, Queensgate, Huddersfield.
More info at Huddersfield Literature Festival.

THU 28 FEB
LAUNCH of Brace
The third of Comma's ground-breaking new author showcases - showcasing a w2hole new generation of British short story writers - will feature readings from Manchester ingenue Chris Killen, plus others, as well as film screenings.
More information to follow.
Cornerhouse, 70 Oxford Street, Manchester M1 5NH.
7pm

SAT 16 - WED 27 FEB
Comma Film on the Bigger Picture
For 12 days a selection of some of the best films to emerge from the Comma Film adaptation project will be screened on the Big Screen in Exchange Square (on the Trangle), in central Manchester. In conjunction with the Cornerhouse and the BBC, a dozen films from the 30+ made to date were screened in 40min sections, repeatedly throughout the day.
Screenings: Mon to Fri, after the news at 9am, after the news at 12noon, 2.05pm, after the news at 5pm, 10.35pm and at various times throughout the weekend.
Exchange Square, Manchester.

FRI 22 FEB
LAUNCH of Chris Woods' Dangerous Driving
Reading with Fellow Pennine poet, Ian Pople
Manchester Central Library: Reception Room, 2nd Floor, St Peter's Square, Manchester M1.
1pm-3pm
Free.

FRI 15 FEB
Gaia Holmes at Manky Poets
Reading from Dr James Graham's Celestial Bed with other south Manchester poets
Chorlton Library (backroom), Manchester Rd, chorlton, Manchester M21.
7.30pm
Free.

THU 17 JAN
GAIA HOLMES
Reading from Dr James Graham's Celestial Bed with other guests tbc.
6pm-8pm
Saltaire Bookshop, 217 Bingley Road, Shipley, West Yorks BD18 4DH (near Saltaire Roundabout).
More directions here. Free.

WED 16 JAN
ROBERT SHEARMAN & ADAM MAREK
Launching debut collections from two writers with a shared penchant for the fantastical: Rob Shearman is a playwright and TV writer, best-known for his Hugo-nominated contribution to the Christpher Eccleston season of Dr Who. His collection Tiny Deaths is a gravity-defying examination of our approaches to mortality and the grieving process, unwinding and unpacking the strange psychological constructions we build around it. Adam Marek is a new writer whose collection Instruction Manual for Swallowing draws us down into the subconscious engineroom of modern man, conjuring a bestiary of animals, mythical creatures and unlikely hybrids from the distant future/ancient past – all deployed to explore and celebrate the most human of truths.
7pm
Calder Books, 51 The Cut, Southwark, London, SE1 8LF (020 7620 2900).
Free.

TUE 27 NOV
COMMA FILM @ Salford Film Festival
Twelve new films from the Comma Film project - short films adapted from literary texts published by the regions' and UK's independent presses. Featuring a premiere of 'Streets' by Sarah Eyre and James Fisher (based on David Constantine's tribute to Salford's WWI losses), two short dramas by Gwen Osmond - Tell Me and The Priest; as well as new films by Lisa Risbec, Scott Davenport, Charlotte Caetano, Kate Jessop, Sharon Keighley, Adam Barker, and others.
Islingon Mill, James Street Salford M3 5HW.
7pm
£3 includes free entry to Girls on Film party afterwards.
More information about the venue here.
More information about the festival here.

MON 19 NOV
GAIA HOLMES and ELEANOR REES
Luddenden-born Holmes reads with Eleanor Rees, author Andraste's Hair followed by an 'open floor' spot for other poets wishing to read their own work.
The Puzzle Hall, Hollins Mill Lane, Sowerby Bridge, Calderdale.
8pm.

THU 15 NOV
ELLIPSES: Short Stories from JEAN SPRACKLAND, JANE ROGERS & ZOE LAMBERT
Three readings from the first two installments of Comma's unique in experiment in 'short story cycles'.
Duke's Theatre, Manor Road, Lancaster.
7pm. £5/£4concs.
More information on www.litfest.org
Part of the Lancaster LitFest.

FRI 9 NOV
ZOE LAMBERT @ Twenty Four Hour Party People!
Reading from Ellipsis 2 as part of an evening of celebrations of all things Manchester, hosted by Lemn Sissay.
Southbank Centre, Southbank, London.
8pm. £8.
More information here

WED 31 OCT
Halloween Horrors
Halloween horror readings from Maria Roberts and Lavinia Murray
Two contributors to the Phobic anthology read new stories from the book - to celebrate the time of year for fear.
Lincoln Library, Free School Lane, Lincoln LN2 1EZ. To reserve a ticket call the library on 01522 782010.
7:45pm. £4/£3concs.
More information about the tour email Alex Davis on alexdavisevents@hotmail.co.uk
More information about the book and the writers here. Part of the Phobic Halloween tour.

TUE 30 OCT
Halloween Horrors
Halloween horror readings from Paul Magrs and Robert Shearmen
Two contributors to the Phobic anthology read new stories from the book - to celebrate the time of year for fear.
Northampton Central Library, Abington St, Northampton, NN1 2BA. To reserve a ticket call the library on 01604 462040
7pm. £4.
More information about the tour email Alex Davis on alexdavisevents@hotmail.co.uk
More information about the book and the writers here. Part of the Phobic Halloween tour.

MON 29 OCT
Halloween Horrors
Halloween horror readings from Chaz Brenchley and Christine Poulson
Two contributors to the Phobic anthology read new stories from the book - to celebrate the time of year for fear.
Pomegranate Theatre (bar area), Corporation St, Chesterfield, S41 7TX. To reserve a ticket call Chesterfield library on 01246 345222.
7:30pm. £4/£3.
More information about the tour email Alex Davis on alexdavisevents@hotmail.co.uk
More information about the book and the writers here. Part of the Phobic Halloween tour.

TUE 23 OCT
The Fear of Salt: Halloween Horror Reading
Halloween horror readings from Nicholas Royle, Conrad Williams, and Emma Unsworth
Three contributors to the Phobic anthology read new pieces and stories from the book to send sodium shivers down your spine.
The Salt Museum, 162 London Road, Northwich, Cheshire CW9 8AB.
7pm. £3.
Tickets available on the door; More information from Anne Sherman on 01244 222 300.

SUN 7 OCT
Elsewhere - European Short Story Tour
With Frode Grytten (Norway) and Dinesh Allirajah (UK)
A combined reading and workshop to celebrate and explore the process of writing about place and non-metropolitan perspective in shoprt stories; starting with a workshop at 1pm, and a reading from the guest writers at 2.30pm (including simultaneous translation). For more information about the Elsewhere anthology click here. Blackburn Central Library, Town Hall Street, Blackburn, BB2 1AG
Workshop: 1pm
Reading: 2.30pm
FREE (to book for the workshop email jim.hinks@commapress.co.uk)

THU 11 OCT
Elsewhere - European Short Story Tour
With Micheál Ó Conghaile (Ireland) and Zoe Lambert (UK) with poet and editor Eleanor Rees
A combined reading and workshop to celebrate and explore the process of writing about place and non-metropolitan perspective in shoprt stories; starting with a workshop at 6.30pm, and a reading from the guest writers at 8pm (including simultaneous translation). For more information about the Elsewhere anthology click here. Bebington Suite, Bebington Civic Centre, Civic Way, Bebington, Wirral, CH63 7PN
Workshop: 6.30pm
Reading: 8pm
Free (to book for the workshop email jim.hinks@commapress.co.uk)

WED 10 OCT
Elsewhere - European Short Story Tour
With Micheál Ó Conghaile (Ireland) and Zoe Lambert, local author Jean Sprackland and poet and editor Eleanor Rees
A combined reading and workshop to celebrate and explore the process of writing about place and non-metropolitan perspective in shoprt stories; starting with a workshop at 6pm, and a reading from the guest writers at 7pm (including simultaneous translation). For more information about the Elsewhere anthology click here. Southport Library, Lord Street, Southport, PR8 1DJ
Workshop: 6pm
Reading: 7pm
Free (to book for the workshop email jim.hinks@commapress.co.uk)

TUE 9 OCT
ELSEWHERE: Manchester Launch
Stories from Small Town Europe
With readings from Micheál Ó Conghaile, Jean Sprackland and Frode Grytten.
The launch of Comma's second translation anthology, Elsewhere, provides a rare opportunity to experience the true internationalism of the short story, with stories read in three different languages (accompanied by simultaneous translations). Elsewhere features stories from 10 small, but defining European towns, and explores the ambivalent position that the ‘small town’ occupies in our collective literary imagination. Home to snug communities and strange, unnerving events, post-industrial torpor and utopian imaginings all at once. Readers tbc.
The John Rylands Library, Deansgate, Manchester.
7pm
To book a place, email ra.page@commapress.co.uk leaving you name, address and contact details. Part of the Manchester Literature Festival.

MON 8 OCT
ROBERT SHEARMAN & ADAM MAREK
Launching debut collections from two writers with a shared penchant for the fantastical: Rob Shearman is a playwright and TV writer, best-known for his Hugo-nominated contribution to the Christpher Eccleston season of Dr Who. His collection Tiny Deaths is a gravity-defying examination of our approaches to mortality and the grieving process, unwinding and unpacking the strange psychological constructions we build around it. Adam Marek is a new writer whose collection Instruction Manual for Swallowing draws us down into the subconscious engineroom of modern man, conjuring a bestiary of animals, mythical creatures and unlikely hybrids from the distant future/ancient past – all deployed to explore and celebrate the most human of truths.
The Godlee Space Observatory, UMIST Building, Sackville Street, Central Manchester.
8pm
£5/£4concs.
To book a place, email ra.page@commapress.co.uk leaving you name, address and contact details.
Part of the Manchester Literature Festival.

SAT 6 OCT
INDEPENDENTS' DAY
An all-day celebration of the region's (and the UK's) independent publishers, featuring readings, discussions, workshops and a panel event on the future of funding support for the small press sector, chaired by critic and novelist DJ Taylor (other guests to confirm)
Includes a launch of Dangerous Driving by Chris Woods.
11.30pm-8pm.
More details to follow.
The Lowry, Pier 8, Salford Quays, Salford M5.
In association with Literature Northwest.
Part of the Manchester Literature Festival.

SAT 6 OCT
Elsewhere - European Short Story Tour
With Frode Grytten (Norway) and Dinesh Allirajah (UK)
A combined reading and workshop to celebrate and explore the process of writing about place and non-metropolitan perspective in shoprt stories; starting with a workshop at 2pm, and a reading from the guest writers at 3.30pm (including simultaneous translation). For more information about the Elsewhere anthology click here. Wheatsheaf Library, Baillie Street, Rochdale, OL16 1JZ
Workshop: 2pm
Reading: 3.30pm
Free (to book for the workshop email jim.hinks@commapress.co.uk)

THU 4 OCT
SPOKEN IMAGE
As part of the region-wide Adaptation project, 12 Northwest filmmakers have been commissioned to interpret short literary texts into stand-alone films, all premiering this evening. Featuring the poetry of Simon Armitage, David Constantine, Julian Daniel, Joolz Denby, Mike Garry, Gaia Holmes, Segun Lee French, Shamshad Khan and Rebecca Goss, alongside short stories by Tim Cooke and Zoe Sharpe. Tonight's premieres include Gwen Osmond's 'Tell Her' and Kate Jessop's 'When the Telescopes Came'.
Screenings will be accompanied by live readings from Chris Woods and Diana Syder.
6.30pm.
Cornerhouse
In association with Literature Northwest, Comma Press and the Manchester Poetry Festival.
Part of the Manchester Literature Festival.

SAT 22 SEP
PHOBIC at Small Wonder
Jeremy Dyson and Matthew Holness
8pm.
Charleston Farmhouse, Nr Lewes, East Sussex.
Part of the Small Wonder Short Story festival.

SAT 1 SEPT
SPOKEN IMAGE TENT at the
URBAN FOLK FESTIVAL (aka the New Islington festival)
All day, free.
New Islington Basin, off New Islington Square, Ancoats, North East Manchester.
An all-day celebration of Manchester writers, filmmakers and publishers, with readings, film commissions and a book market, all part of the Spoken Image Tent.
Live performances by: Lemn Sissay, Anthony Joseph, Tony Walsh, Dave Gaffney, Akiel ‘Scorcha’ Chinelo & Anwen Lewis (on cello), Ben Mellor, Frisko, Michelle Green, Michelle Scally Clarke, Gaia Holmes, Martyn Bedford, David Barnett, Martin Stannage, Anna Tuck, John Hall, Zahid Hussain, Neil Campbell, and Zoe Lambert, plus many more, compered by the wonderful Chloe Poems. Short film premieres by: Sharon Keighley, Adam Barker, Scott Davenport, Gwen Osmond, Charlotte Caetano, Tom O’Grady, Rob Dunne, Sarah Eyre, James Fisher, Kate Jessop and Gwen Osmond.
Visuals by VJ Deyan Raykov (Manchester & Sofia).
2pm-8pm.
Directions to festival site: The Festival is taking place in the area to the right of Redhill Street cornering with Great Ancoats Street (behind the giant Argos building). Basically, a 5 minute walk from Piccadilly Gardens or anywhere in the Northern Quarter - just head up Newton Street to the end, shimmy right onto Gt Ancoats, then quickly left onto Redhill Street and it's on your right (you can't miss it). Multimap link.
Also here.

THU 5 JULY
SUMMER FRIGHTS: Launching Phobic, Modern Horror Stories
with Christine Poulson, Emma Unsworth & Maria Roberts
7.30pm
Arts Mill, Linden Road, Hebden Bridge.
Where does fear lurk in 21st century life? In an age hardwired to keep information flowing and the unknown at bay, what irrationalities still linger for horror writers to tap into? Tonight the itch will be fully scratched, as proceedings are handed over to three new apprentices of the dark arts.
Part of the Hebden Bridge Arts Festival.

THU 28 JUNE
Liam Frost with Zoe Lambert, Maria Roberts and Emma Unsworth
8pm, £6.
Sale Waterside Arts Centre, 1 Waterside Plaza, Sale Waterside, Sale, Manchester M33 7ZF.
Three promising young writers - Zoe Lambert, Maria Roberts, and Emma Unsworth - spin tales from sandy settings, to dark angels of the night, to a fight for survival as Sale feels the heat of global warming. Joining them will be popular singer-songwriter Liam Frost in a compelling evening showcasing bright new talent on the Manchester literary scene.
Contact - Diana Ashcroft on 0161 912 5616; Website - www.watersideartscentre.co.uk; Email - diana.ashcroft@trafford.gov.uk

WED 23 MAY
COMMA FILM @ CHORLTON ARTS FESTIVAL
Premier Screening for the Chorlton poem-Film challenge
The latest offering from the Comma Film project, bringing together the work of poets and independent poets from the region. Tonight's event will screen both award-winning films from the back-catelogue (like Kate Jessop's 'DESIRES' and Charlotte Caetano's 'CLAUSTROPHOBIA') as well as premiere five new films specially commissioned for the Festival. Featuring Chorlton poets including Mike Garry, Julian Daniel, and Michelle Green, and filmmakers Sharon Keighley, Christine Flannery, Fiona Collins, and others. This event will also feature live readings from two of the poets involved in the project: GAIA HOLMES and JULIAN DANIEL. 6.30pm
Iguana Bar, Manchester Road, Chorlton M21.

SAT 19 MAY
Phobic vs. Night of the Museums
As part of La Nuit des Musées - an evening when museums across Europe open their doors late into the night - Comma stages a second reading from its modern horror project, Phobic, in the spectacular setting of the Manchester Museum Mummy Room. Readers Christine Poulson, and Chaz Brenchley will be exploring the relationship between buildings and the fears and possibilities that haunt them.
6.30pm start.
Manchester Museum, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL.
£3/£2
Spaces are limited so to book a ticket, email you name and contact details to: ra.page@commapress.co.uk

SAT 19 MAY
Zoe Lambert at 'A Celebration of Literature'
... Also that evening, on another side of town, Zoe Lambert reads from Ellipsis 2: Comma Modern Shorts, at the Chorlton Festival.
Other readers include Julian Daniel & Grevel Lindop.
Lloyds Hotel, Wilbraham Road, Chorlton M21.
7pm.

THURSDAY 26 APRIL
Zoe Lambert at 'To the Moon and Back'
Star of Ellipsis 2, and 'one of the UK's most promising authors', Lambert reads on the rooftop terrace, alongside fellow Mancunian luminary Giden Conn.
Century Club, Shaftsbury Avenue, London. 7.30pm (Zoe reads at 9.40pm)
8pm-12pm.

SATURDAY 24 MARCH
Hexham Independent Book Market
Stalls, readings and discussions. As part of the Hexham Book Fair.
Huddersfield Town Hall.
10am-4pm.

SUNDAY 18 MARCH
SMALL IS BEAUTIFUL: Small Press Trade Fair and Readers Day featuring Tariq Mehmood
A day's worth of discussions, readings and workshops held at Huddersfield Library, accompanied by a small press market across the road in the Town Hall. Featuring a reading and in conversation with Tariq Mehmood, around his novel 'While There is Light' (Comma, 2003). As part of the Huddersfield Literature Festival.
Huddersfield Central Library and Town Hall.
10am-4pm.

SATURDAY 17 MARCH
POETRY FILM NIGHT
Premier + End of Festival Party
7.30pm
Media Centre, Northumberland Street, Huddersfield.
To round off this year’s Literature Festival, Huddersfield's Media Centre plays host to the premiere screening of a 15 new short films adapted from, and interpreting work by some of the North’s finest poets. This event is a pilot stage in Comma Film’s wider adaptation project – bringing writers and filmmakers together and, in this case, exploring the kinship between verse and video.
Featuring the poetry of Simon Armitage, Joolz Denby, Gaia Holmes, Shamshad Khan, and Helen Clare. With films by Kate Jessop, Sharon Keighley, Christine Flannery, Fiona Collins, Scott Davenport, Lisa Risbec, Gwendolen Osmond, Tony White and Charlotte Caetano.
The screening will be interspersed with readings by two of the poets featured in the screening, Gaia Holmes and Shamshad Khan.
More information here.

MONDAY 12 MARCH
IAN HART READS TESTICULAR CANCER VS. THE BEHEMOTH
Ian Hart (star of This Year's Love, Finding Neverland, and the first Harry Potter movie) will be reading Adam Marek's short story, first published in Comma Press's Parenthsis anthology as part of Prospect's Word Theatre event, alongside readings from three other writers, including Rose Tremain and Michael Faber.
6pm-9.30pm
Cafe de Paris, near Leicester Square, London. There will be stories from three other writers, including Rose Tremain and Michael Faber.
More information and tickets from website www.wordtheatre.com

SATurday 3 MARCH
LEEDS READS - READERS DAY
This will feature a series of readings and workshops featuring five award-winning writers from the city: Jeremy Dyson, Martyn Bedford, Ian Duhig, Shamshad Khan and Tom Palmer.
The day runs from 2pm to 4.30pm, and takes place at Carriageworks, Millennium Square.
All five writers will be reading and talking about their contributions to The Book of Leeds (Comma) and the process of writing about the city generally.
More about the book here.
Tickets can be book through the Central Library.
The Readers Day itself comes after a weeklong series of readings around the city, including Shamshad Khan reading at the Indoor Market on Tue 27th Feb.

MON 18 DEC
Fear and Now:
Horror Stories from beneath the Central Library
This Christmas Central Library and Comma Press invite you to a reading that will haunt you all the way through yuletide. In the great tradition of M.R. James - who composed stories especially for his pre-xmas 'entertainments' - writers from a host of different disciplines have come together to answer the question: What scares us in the contemporary world? What unnerves us in the here and now?
This special event - launching Comma's new horror series, Phobic - will take place in a unique setting: deep in bowels of Central Library, three floors down in its never-before-seen labyrinthine stacks. Guest readers will include the master of modern horror himself, Ramsey Campbell, and award-winning scriptwriter Robert Shearman (author of Doctor Who's Hugo Award shortlisted Last Dalek episode). Other special guests to be announced.
8pm
Tickets are £5 (including £5 off the cost of the book). Places are limited. To book email ra.page@commapress.co.uk (leaving you name and address) or call 0779 256 4747. Bring a torch, and all the courage you can muster.
More information about the book here. Copies of Phobic can be ordered in time for Christmas by sending a cheque for £7.95 payable to 'Comma Press' (free p&p) to Comma Press, 3rd Floor, 24 Lever Street, Manchester M1 1DW. Cheques must arrive by Fri 15th Dec to avoid disappointment.

MON 4 DEC
Gaia Holmes
Debutante poet, Gaia reads from her first collection.
The Black Horse Hotel, Westgate, Otley LS21 3AS.
More details to follow.

WED 22 NOV
LAUNCH: THE BOOK OF LEEDS with TOM PALMER, M.Y. ALAM and SUSAN EVERETT
Celebrating the publication of this unique short story antholoy - chronicling the changing landscape of Leeds over the last 50 years, through fiction.
Waterstone’s, 93-97 Albion Street, Leeds, LS1 5AP.
7pm
More information about this title here.

FRI 17 NOV
Gaia Holmes with Helen Ivory
Exploring the exotic under the fingernails of the everyday, Holmes makes her LitFest debut alongside Helen Ivory.
Duke's Theatre, Manor Road, Lancaster.
6pm
Part of the Lancaster Litfest.

TUE 31 OCT
LAUNCH: Ellipsis 2 with Jane Rogers, Zoe Lambert and Polly Clark
Launch of the 2nd instalment in Comma's s-s sequence experiment, with two stars of Manchester's literary firmament, award-winning playwright and novelist Jane Rogers, and new writer Zoe Lambert, with a third reading (to be confirmed) by poet-turned-short story writer, Polly Clark.
7pm, Free.
Quaker Friends Meeting House, 10 St James Street, Sheffield S1.
Part od Off the Shelf Festival
More information about this title here.

SAT 21 OCT
DECAPOLIS: Tales From Ten Cities – GALA READING
David Constantine (Manchester), Ágúst Borgþór Sverrisson (Reykjavik), Amanda Michalopoulou (Athens).
Part 2 of the Comma’s meeting of the cities event pits Manchester against Europe’s oldest and most Northerly capitals.
Baronial Hall, Chetham’s School of Music.
7pm-9pm, £5/£3
In cooperation with the Hellenic Foundation for Culture as part of Greece in Britain 2006.
Part of the Manchester Literature Festival.

FRI 20 OCT
ARCHITEXT Debate: Translating the City
George Mills (architect), Larissa Boehning (writer), Alexander Buchler (translator), Helen Constantine (translator), plus other speakers tba.
To celebrate the launch of Decapolis, writers, architects and translators trace some of the ideas behind the buzzword that is ‘psycho-geography’. How can a city’s cultural, architectural and linguistic make-up shape affect its fiction, shape its characters, or inform an art form? To what extent is can a fictional story capture a non-fictional landscape. MDDA (Manchester Digital Development Agency), beside Cube, Portland Street, Manchester.
1pm-2pm. Free.
In association with Greater Manchester Public Transport Executive (GMPTE) To book a place, email ra.page@commapress.co.uk
In association with GMPTE
Part of the Manchester Literature Festival.

THU 19 OCT
DECAPOLIS: Tales From Ten Cities - Manchester LAUNCH EVENT
Larissa Boehning (Berlin), Zoe Lambert (Manchester), Empar Moliner (Barcelona).
Imagine all Europe as one city: Berlin as the downtown nightclub district, Barcelona the Latin quarter, Manchester the industrial northside. DECAPOLIS is a new project from Comma Press bringing 10 of Europe's best short story writers into one place - one fictional amalgam of a city. Tonight's reading is the first of three events celebrating disparate and captivating perspectives from the streets of Europe - in a multi-lingual, tri-text experience (and the start of Comma’s new translation imprint). Urbis, Cathedral Gardens, Manchester.
6.30pm-8pm. £5/£3.
In association with Instituto Cervantes and the Goethe Institut.
Part of the Manchester Literature Festival.

WED 18 OCT
SPANISH LITERATURE RECEPTION: Empar Moliner, Rosabetty Muñoz, Yolanda Soler Onis
A special Spanish literature night (with English translations throughout) featuring Catalan author Empar Moliner (see Thu Decapolis listing), acclaimed Chilean poet Rosabetty Muñoz, winner of the 2000 Pablo Neruda Prize, and poet and Cervantes Director, Yolanda Soler Onis, author of Mudanzas (Movings). Insituto Cervantes, 326-330 Deansgate, Manchester
6.30pm. Free.
In association with Instituto Cervantes.
Part of the Manchester Literature Festival.

TUE 17 OCT
DECAPOLIS Scottish Launch Readings: Larissa Boehning and Amanda Michalopoulou
Our Scottish launch for Decapolis with a German focus - Larissa and Amanda will be reading both in English and German.
Goethe-Institut Glasgow, 3 Park Circus, Glasgow G3 6AX
In association with Goethe-Institut Glasgow.
In cooperation with the Hellenic Foundation for Culture as part of Greece in Britain 2006.
7.00pm. Free entry.
Info: 0141 332 2555

TUE 17 OCT
ADAPTATION: anapaest 2 anamorphic
No, not a Charlie Kaufman retrospective, but a showcase of specially commissioned short films exploring the kinship between verse and video; featuring the poetry of Jean Sprackland, Michael Symmons Roberts, Joolz Denby, Simon Armitage, Ed Barton, Helen Clare, Gaia Holmes and others, as adapted by filmmakers like Wilf Darlington, Brian Hill, Gwendolen Osmond, Kate Jessop, Sharon Keighley, Rob Millington, Austin Holdsworth, Richard Skelton, Owen Williams, Adam Wright, Esther Lisk-Carew and others. The screening will be interspersed with readings by Gaia Holmes and Helen Clare.
A special overexposed event in association with Comma Film.
Cornerhouse, 70 Oxford Street, Manchester M1 5NH
Part of the Manchester Literature Festival.
6.10pm. £3.50 / £2.50 concs.
Tickets & Info: 0161 200 1500

MON 16 OCT
BAD LEG with ED BARTON
Launch of the first collection of verse from songwriter, filmmaker, curator, performance artist, painter, designer and now... poet. When Ed’s not penning chart-stompers for the likes of Kylie Minogue (‘Confide in Me’), and Opus 3 ('It’s a Fine Day'), he is consistently pushing the packet on behalf of Manchester’s art and music generally. From his show-stopping appearance on The Tube in the mid 80s (playing a ukulele with a wooden spoon), to his curatorship of Manchester’s first (and only) Dadaist gallery, Oblong… his signature across the disciplines is unmistakable. His music nights Hip Replacement and Misery challenge the notion of what a live event can be, and as a video maker, he’s worked with the likes of James, Dub Sex, The Inspiral Carpets and others. He also draws and crayons. Tonight Ed performs from his unexpected first collection of poetry, Bad Leg (Comma Press), complete with special, undisclosed guests, and a general one-off return for the Hip Replacement magic.
Guests to include Rachel Pratt, The Nature Corner and Welsh rap act, The Delicated Hammers.
Plus films by Sharon Keighley, Scott Davenpoet and others.
Stand well back from the stage and don’t look Ed in the eye.
Matt & Phreds Jazz Club, 64 Tib Street, Manchester M14.
7pm
£4 / £3 concs.
Info: 0779 256 4747, tickets on door.
Part of the Manchester Literature Festival.

SAT 14 OCT
DECAPOLIS & THE BOOK OF LEEDS: The Fiction of Cities
with Larissa Boehning, Amanda Michalopoulou, Tom Palmer, and Jeremy Dyson.
Ilkley Literature Festival twin-launch of DECAPOLIS: Tales from Ten Cities - Comma's major new European translation project - and The Book of Leeds, the culmination of Comma's Leeds Stories project. Tonight promises to be a multi-lingual experience to behold!
More information on Decapolis to follow.
Ilkley Playhouse, Weston Road, Ilkley, West Yorkshire.
9pm
£4 / £3 concs.
Part of the Ilkley Literature Festival.
In cooperation with the Hellenic Foundation for Culture as part of Greece in Britain 2006.

THU 14 - SUN 17 SEP
Comma Film at SMALL WONDER FESTIVAL
As part of the UK's only short story festival, Comma has spacially programmed a series of short film adaptations from classic and contemporary short stories.
Showing throughout the weekend. More details to follow.
Part of the Small Wonder Festival.
Charleston, Nr Lewis, Sussex.

THU 1 - FRI 2 SEP
Comma Press at THE INDEPENDENT BOOK MARKET
Comma is taking part in a unique two-day bookfair in the heart of Manchester, alongside 29 other presses, complete with outdoor readings and evening events. In and around St Ann's Square.
Coordinated by Literature Northwest, DXN and Manchester Markets. Stalls: 10am-6pm, both days. Readings 1pm, 3pm and 5pm.
Includes the Manchester launch of ELLIPSIS 2, Comma's adventure into the short story sequence.
More details to follow.
St Ann's Square, Manchester, M1.
For more details contact: 0779 256 4747.

THU 17 AUG
Gaia Holmes: HOMETOWN LAUNCH
The official hometown launch of Gaia Holmes' acclaimed first collection, Dr James Graham's Celestial Bed.
Upstairs at THE ROYAL OAK.
The Royal Oak, 1 Clare Road, Halifax.
7.30pm. Free.
For more details contact: (01422) 369575

THU 20 JULY
LAUNCH: ID: Crimes of Identity
Editor Martin Edwards launches the latest CWA anthology (and Comma's first foray into crime fiction). With readings by Christine Poulson, Zoe Sharp & Natasha Cooper.
Part of the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival.
5pm.

MON 10 JULY
Gaia Holmes with Char March
Halifax-based poet & Huddersfield University graduate, Gaia Holmes reads from her first collection, Dr James Graham's Celestial Bed. Tonight she's accompanined by poet, playwright and short story writer, Char March, reading from her contributions to Leeds Stories 2 and Bracket. Artsmill, Linden Mill, Linden Road, Hebden Bridge.
8.00pm (to 9.30pm approx).
£5.50.
Part of the Hebden Bridge Arts Festival..

FRIDAY 19 MAY
Helen Clare and Paul Farley
Clare reads from her debut collection with Lancaster University's resident poet. St Martin's College, Lancaster.
7pm
Further details to follow.

TUE 16 MAY
Graham English, Gabby Reed and Rory Miller
Reading from their contributions to Bracket and Comma's new showcase Parenthesis.
6.30pm
Keynes SCR, Keynes College, University of Kent, Canterbury.
Directions - http://www.kent.ac.uk/maps/canterbury/01maps.pdf

SAT 13 MAY
SHORT STORY CONFERENCE
The Department of English at Edge Hill will be hosting this one-day conference. It is aimed at all those writing and researching the short story in higher education. Among the conference speakers is A L Kennedy; there will also be a panel discussion with Patricia Duncker, Jim Hinks (Comma Press), Joanne Reardon and Dan McTiernan of Transmission magazine. If you would like to take part, send 100 word proposals for papers and presentations to Ailsa Cox on coxa@edgehill.ac.uk by end of February.

THU 11 MAY
FESTIVAL OF THE EUROPEAN SHORT STORY
The State of the Short Story in Britain, talk with Ra Page.
10am
Korzo, Rijelka, Croatia; http://www.festival-price.profil.hr/

MON 8 MAY
GAIA HOLMES AT BEEHIVE POETS
Launch of the debut collection from Halifax-based poet Gaia Holmes, Dr James Graham's Celestial Bed (Comma). Gaia's work mixes the urban with the exotic, with bulletins from early the morning bus and the late night streets, postcards from the Orkneys to illustrations of small town life. Gaia reads as part of the monthly Beehive event. For more information about Beehive Poets contact John Sugden on 01274 714522.
8.30pm
The New Beehive Inn, Westgate, Bradford BD1 3AA.
Free.

THU 30 MARCH
LAUNCH: Parenthesis
With readings by
Alistair Herbert, Adam Marek, Anna Ball, and L.E. Yates
To celebrate the launch of 'Parenthesis' - a showcase of the UK's best new short story writers - three captivating new voices read from their contributions.
Committee Room, 2nd Floor, Manchester Central Library, St Peters Square, Manchester M2.
1pm-2pm.
Free. Refreshments provided.
More information to follow.

SAT 18 MARCH
LAUNCH: Dr James Graham's Celestial Bed by Gaia Holmes
First collection from Halifax based poet & Huddersfield University Creative Writing Graduate, Gaia Holmes. Reading with Paul Farley & Jacob Polley, as part of the Huddersfield Literature Festival. For more details on the festival please email Simon Kerr.
7pm.

SAT 15 MARCH
Short Story Masterclass with Nicholas Royle, MY Alam, Tariq Mehmood, Emma Hargrave & Ian Daley.
Part of the Write Out Loud Day in association with Literature Northwest and DXN (Diversity Exchange Network).
Committee Room, 2nd Floor, Manchester Central Library, St Peters Square, Manchester M2.
A day-long series of events run by DXN – aimed at addressing issue of diversity in publishing.

MON 13 MARCH
Zoe Lambert, Maria Roberts & Emma Unsworth
Three short story writers featured in Bracket, Comma’s acclaimed 'new writer' showcase of 2004. Bracket brings together 20 of the country’s most promising, previously unpublished writers. From the cliffs of Flamborough Head to high rise, inner city madness; from lost loves to the last days of civilisation - the settings and scenarios in these stories captivate and unsettle in equal measure, all the time striving for that most unlikely modern thing, intimacy.
Bolton Octagon Theatre. 7.30pm. £4/£2 concs.

Wed 2 Nov
New Shorts
Jamie Campbell, Andy Murray and Charlotte Allan
Lunchtime reading of shorts by new writers - featuring their debut published work in Comma Press’ Bracket and Liverpool Stories anthologies.
Gallery 3 (top floor), Cornerhouse, 70 Oxford Street, Manchester M1 5NH. 1pm-2pm. Free. Part of the Cornerhouse’s 20th anniversary celebrations. Sponsored by Literature Northwest. More information on www.commapress.co.uk

Wed 26 Oct
Sur Shorts
Jeanie O’Hare, Tim Cooke, Emma Unsworth
Lunchtime reading of surreal stories with stories around the Das Umheimlich (‘the uncanny’).
Gallery 3 (top floor), Cornerhouse, 70 Oxford Street, Manchester M1 5NH. 1pm-2pm. Free. Part of the Cornerhouse’s 20th anniversary celebrations and in conjunction with A Haunting – the MMU’s interdisciplinary arts festival celebrating Freud’s famous theorem. Sponsored by Literature Northwest. More information on www.commapress.co.uk

Mon 24 Oct
Off the Shelf Shorts
Sean O’Brien and Sheena Brabazon
Sheffield Hallam creative tutor, Sean O’Brien reads alongside recent graduate Sheena Brabazon. With excerpts from their contributions to Bracket and Ellipsis 1 (both from Comma Press).
Quaker Hall, 10 St James Street, Sheffield, S1 2EW. 7pm. Free. Part of the Off the Shelf Festival (www.offtheshelf.org.uk). More information on www.commapress.co.uk

Wed 19 Oct
Noir Shorts
Dinesh Allirajah, Margaret Murphy and Michael Symmons Roberts
Lunchtime reading focusing on the short story’s obsession with the dark; nocturnal tales, crime stories, narratives of the night. Part of the Cornerhouse’s 20th anniversary celebrations.
Gallery 3 (top floor), Cornerhouse, 70 Oxford Street, Manchester M1 5NH. 1pm-2pm. Free. Part of the Cornerhouse’s 20th anniversary celebrations. Sponsored by Literature Northwest. More information on www.commapress.co.uk

Wed 12 Oct
Body Shorts
Maria Roberts, Zoe Lambert and Patrick Belshaw
Readings from three Comma short story writers, around the subject of The Body; from the surreal to the brutally commonplace, biological functions and misfunctions are explored and celebrated in the first of four lunchtime readings at the Cornerhouse.
Gallery 3 (top floor), Cornerhouse, 70 Oxford Street, Manchester M1 5NH. 1pm-2pm. Free. Part of the Cornerhouse’s 20th anniversary celebrations. Sponsored by Literature Northwest. More information on www.commapress.co.uk

Mon 3 Oct
LAUNCH: Joolz Denby's Pray For Us Sinners
For over a decade Joolz Denby has been one of the most sought-after performers in British poetry; appearing everywhere from Later with Joolz Holland to Glastonbury and the Edinburgh Fringe. More recently she’s made an effortless inroads into prose fiction; with her first novel Stone Baby (1998) winning the CWA New Crime Writer Award, and her third Billie Morgan being short-listed for this year’s Orange Prize. Tonight we are delighted to welcome Joolz back to the genre we love her best for, with the launch of our new collection of poetry Pray For Us Sinners - published by Manchester’s own Comma Press.
Matt & Phreds, Oldham Street, Manchester M1. 7pm.
Tickets are £3, but can be redeemed against the price of the book. Tickets available on the door, to reserve a ticket email ra.page@commapress.co.uk
Read more about this title.

Fri 30 Sep
Ellipsis 1 Launch
With Jean Sprackland and Tim Cooke
Acclaimed poet (and TS Elliot Award nominee) reads from her first body of prose writing, to launch Comma's new 'sequence' series Ellipsis. Reading with new writer Tim Cooke.
Central Library (Reception Room, 2nd Floor), St Peters Square, Manchester, M2. 1pm-2m. Free. Refreshments provided. More info on 0161 234 1981.

Tue 27 Sep
Sean O’Brien, Pat Barker, and others
In conjunction with BBC Radio 4 and the Durham Literature Festival, Sean O'brien will be reading from his new collection Ellipsis 1 – a project dedicated to exploring linked short story sequences. The reading will be recorded and broadcast the following week.
The Gala Theatre, Millennium Place, Durham DH1 1WA. Tickets available on 0191 332 4041. More information about Durham Literature Festival on www.literaturefestival.co.uk. More information about Ellipsis on www.commapress.co.uk

Fri 16 Sep
David Constantine, Sean O'Brien & Sophie Hannah in conversation with Chris Meade
Three poets, first commissioned to try their hand at the short story for Comma's Hyphen anthology, discuss the grey area between the poem and the short. Chaired by Chris Mead of the Book’s Trust’s Story Board.
Small Wonder Festival, Charleston, Nr Lewes, Sussex. 5pm. £tbc. More information on 0208 444 6883 and www.smallwonder.org.uk

THU 14 JUL
Helen Clare
Helen Clare's poetry is captivated by the patterns and patterning of science. Having begun her career as a Biology teacher, she continues to delight in the whorls and sprung-coils of our physical lives. Even her most human, relationship poems are coloured with the intricacy of a cross-section, the emotional strata of a dissector’s imagination. Her work has been described by Hugo Williams as 'a new seam opening up in British poetry, every rift loaded with ore.'
The Albert Hotel (behind the public library), Victoria Lane , Huddersfield HD1 2QF (01484 468861). 8pm. Free.

THU 14 JUL
Helen Clare & Gaia Holmes
Helen Clare has been described by Hugo Williams as "a new seam opening up in British poetry - every rift loaded with ore.” As a poet she is captivated by the patterns and patterning of science. Having begun her career as a Biology teacher, her writing continues to delight in the whorls and sprung-coils of our physical lives. Even her most human, relationship poems are coloured with the intricacy of a cross-section, the emotional strata of a dissector’s imagination. Today she reads from her debut collection Mollusc (Comma).
Gaia Holmes is a young poet who mixes the urban with the exotic, with bulletins that cover everything from early morning buses to late night streets, postcards from the Orkneys to illustrations of small town life. She has appeared in magazines such as Brando's Hat and her previous incarnations include a busker, a gallery attendant, a cleaner and a lollypop lady.
Manchester Central Library (2nd Floor, Reception Room), St Peters Square , Manchester . 1pm-2pm. Free (refreshments provided). More information on 0161 234 1981.
1pm-2pm. Free.

SAT 9 JUL
Helen Clare & Chris Woods
Helen Clare's poetry is captivated by the patterns and patterning of science. Having begun her career as a Biology teacher, she continues to delight in the whorls and sprung-coils of our physical lives. Even her most human, relationship poems are coloured with the intricacy of a cross-section, the emotional strata of a dissector’s imagination. Her work has been described by Hugo Williams as 'a new seam opening up in British poetry, every rift loaded with ore.'
Like Helen, Chris Woods' poetry also draws from his background in medical and human sciences, and his current work as a GP. His work has appeared in numerous anthologies and been broadcast on radio and TV. He came first in the Peterloo Competition and his acclaimed first collection, Recovery, is published by Enitharmon.
The Blue Pig, Midgehole, Hardcastle Crags, Hebden Bridge (advance booking on 01422 842684, tickets also available on the night).
6pm. £3/£2.50

SAT 28 MAY
David Constantine: book launch & creative writing day
The Wordsworth Trust Dove Cottage, Grasmere , Cumbria LA22 9SH (015394 35544). 11am onwards.
A day of events around the launch of David Constantine’s short story collection, Under the Dam (Comma Press, £7.95). From an Americanized Moscow to the shores of the Hebrides , these stories resonant with a haunting sense of place and a knack for freeze-framing each character’s life just at the moment when the past breaks the surface, or when the present, like the dam of the title, collapses under its own weight. 'A haunting collection filled with delicate clarity. Constantine has a sure grasp of the fear and fragility within his characters.' A. L. Kennedy. Reading and creative writing workshops held morning and afternoon in the Wordsworth Trust's Rotunda space. Starting with a morning reading at 11am, followed by a creative writing workshop in the afternoon.
www.wordsworth.org.uk.
£tbc

THU 28 APR
David Constantine
The launch of Under the Dam (Comma Press, £7.95). the first full collection of short stories by acclaimed poet and translator, David Constantine.
Portico Library, 57 Mosley Street (corner of Charlotte Street ), Manchester (0161 236 6785). 7pm. Free.

TUE 26 APR
Comma at WOW: David Constantine, Penny Feeny and Charlotte Allan
Comma Press – a new short fiction collective - presents three of the best short story writers in the UK today. David Constantine is widely respected as a poet and translator; his poetry has been short-listed for the Whitbread and Forward prizes, and he has previously won first prize in the Popescu European Poetry Translation Award. He is also visiting lecturer at Liverpool University . Tonight, though, he reads from his first full collection of short stories - Under the Dam (published by Comma this month). Penny Feeny has had stories published in Route's Naked City and Comma's Bracket anthology, she also features in the forthcoming Liverpool Stories 2. Charlotte Allan is an actress and theatre director, who's first story featured in Liverpool Stories 1.
Unity Theatre Bar, 1 Hope Place , Liverpool , L1 9BG (0151 709 4988). 7pm-8pm. Free.
Part of Liverpool 's Writing On the Wall Festival.
www.writingonthewall.org.uk

WED 20 APR
LAUNCH: David Constantine's Under the Dam
Oxford Borders, 9 Magdalen Street , Oxford , OX1 3AD (01865 203 901).
The hometown launch of Under the Dam (Comma Press, £7.95), the first full collection of short stories by acclaimed poet and translator, David Constantine.
7pm. Free.

THU 3 FEB
Helen Clare
Poet Helen Clare launches her debut collection, Mollusc, which brings scientific interests like microbiology, geology and astronomy to poetry’s table. Clare has been described by Hugo Williams as ‘a new seam opening up in British poetry – every rift loaded with ore.’ Helen will be supported by readings from Adam O'Riordan and James Byrne. Part of Roddy Lumsden’s FourCast Poets series.
The Poetry Studio, Upstairs at the Poetry Café, 22 Betterton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9BU.
8pm. £5/£4. Call 0207 420 9887 for more information.

MON 13 DEC
Open Bracket:
Tom Palmer and Fiona Ritchie Walker
Part 1 of the launch: A lunchtime reading at Manchester Central Library. Reception Room, 2nd Floor, Central Library, St Peters Square, Manchester M1. 1pm-2pm. Free (refreshments provided). More information on 234 1981. Free.

MON 13 DEC
Close Bracket:
Maria Roberts, Jaime Campbell and Zoe Lambert
Part two of the launch. An evening event featuring readings from four Manchester based writers. Tmesis Wine bar, 18-22 Lloyd Street, Manchester M1. Free. 7pm. More information on 0779 256 4747. Free.

SAT 13 NOV
Helen Clare at Lancaster LitFest
Graduate of Lancaster University’s prestigious Creative Writing MA reads from her acclaimed new collection, Mollusc with Pauline Keith and Mike Barlow. Duke's Theatre, Manor Road, Lancaster.
7pm. £5/£4concs.
More information on www.litfest.org

THU 16th SEP
John Latham's Ditch Crawl
Award-winning poet and scientist John Latham reads from his first novel, a surreal scramble through the psychological warren of one man’s imagination. A 272pp novel set entirely within the confines of a ditch.
Stockport Borders, Unit 1B, Peel Retail Park, Great Portwood Street, Stockport. Free.
More info on www.commapress.co.uk or Borders Stockport 0161 476 3392.

WED 20 OCT
Newcastle short story workshop with Julia Darling
Penguin novelist and Northern Rock Foundation Award winner, Julia Darling hosts a 2 hour creative writing workshop on the short story.
Lit and Phil Library, 23 Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne. 6pm-8pm.
More info on www.newwritingnorth.co.uk. To book a place email Ra.Page@commapress.co.uk.

TUE 12th Oct
Helen Clare launch
The launch of Helen Clare’s debut collection (and Comma’s first poetry book) ‘Mollusc’. “A new seam opening up in British Poetry” – Hugo Williams.
Godlee Observatory, UMIST, Sackville Street, Manchester M1. 7pm.
Tickets are free but numbers limited, to book call 0161 236 5725. More info on www.manchesterpoetryfestival.org.
Part of the Manchester Poetry Festival.

MON 11th OCT
Newcastle Stories Launch
Sean O’Brien, Linda France, Fiona Ritchie Walker and Pauline Plummer read from their contributions to Newcastle Stories, at the opening night of the Festival of the Short Story.
Live Theatre, 27 Broad Chare Quayside, Newcastle Upon Tyne. 7pm.
Tickets are £3/£2concs. For more info call 0191 488 8580.

WED 6th OCT
Leeds Stories 1 & 2
Martyn Bedford, Joolz Denby and Janet Fisher read from their contributions to the Leeds Stories series, as part of the Ilkley Literature Festival.
Ilkley Playhouse, Weston Road, Ilkley, West Yorkshire, LS29 8DW. 7.45pm.
Tickets are £3 and available on 01943 816 714.
More information on www.ilkleyliteraturefestival.org.uk

THU 29th SEP
John Latham
Award-winning poet and scientist John Latham reads from his debut novel, Ditch Crawl (see above).
Blackwells, University Precinct, Oxford Road, Manchester. 7pm. Free.
More information on 0161 274 3331 or on www.commapress.co.uk.

ThU 23rd SEP
John Latham
Award-winning poet and scientist John Latham reads from his debut novel, Ditch Crawl (see above).
Borders, 94-96 Briggate Leeds, LS1 6NP. 7pm. Free.
More info on 0113 242 4400 or on www.commapress.co.uk.

WED 22nd SEP
Tariq Mehmood
Reading from While There is Light, ‘a departure in the fiction about the Asian experience in Britain’ (The Guardian).
Bookmarks, 1 Bloomsbury Street, London, WCIB 3QE. Free.
More information from Booksmarks on 020 7637 1848 or on www.commapress.co.uk.

THU 27 MAY
LAUNCH: Liverpool Stories
With guest readings by Ramsey Campbell, Dinesh Allirajah and Margaret Murphy
The first in a unique series of short story projects celebrating the reality of the city through its fiction.
Published and launched in conjunction with Inform magazine, and as part of Writing on the Wall festival.
The Unity Theatre Bar (upstairs), 1 Hope Place, Liverpool L1
6pm-7pm. Free.

WED 26 MAY
Tariq Mehmood at the Bradford Book Festival
Tariq Mehmood's second novel draws on his own experiences of racial tensions, identity and language. Between Pakistan and Bradford his protagonist tries to reconcile himself with 'home'. Charged, direct and funny; hear it brought to life by the author. We chatted to Tariq as he prepares for the Bradford Book launch. 7pm. Free.
Bradford Central Library, Bradford.
More information from Paula Truman on paula.truman@ces.bradford.gov.uk

SAT 20 MAR
LAUNCH: Tariq Mehmood's While There is Light
As part of the 2004 Black Writers Conference.
Set against the social turmoil of the early eighties, While There is Light follows a politicised young man breaking bail to visit his ailing mother back in Pakistan. It is not a trip home, exactly, because 'home' is a hard concept for a man who was exiled as a boy to 'this bitch of a country called England,' but a personal journey for redemption, looking deep into the fabric of both modern Britain and Pakistan. ‘Marks a departure in fiction about the Asian experience in Britain’ (The Guardian). ‘Both hard hitting and entirely believable... a subtle yet poignant novel’ (The Big Issue). ‘Political without being polemic, angry without alienating its readers.’ (Leeds Guide).
Zion Centre, 339 Stretford Road, Hulme, Manchester M15 4ZY. Free. 1.30pm.

THU 4 DEC
LAUNCH: Heather Beck's Home is Where
'Heather Beck's rare talent makes art out of the ordinariness of everyday life... an astounding debut' - City Life.
A lunchtime launch at Manchester Central Library. Reception Room, 2nd Floor, Central Library, St Peters Square, Manchester M1. 1pm-2pm. Free (refreshments provided). More information on 234 1981. Free.

WED 26 NOV
LAUNCH: Hyphen with readings by Ruth Padel, Roddy Lumsden and Gerard Woodward
The second in comma's series of annual, short story anthologies, this year features 20 of Britain and Ireland's leading poets 'turning their hand' to short fiction (most for the first time).
Poetry Cafe, 22 Betterton Street, Covent Garden, London. 7.30pm. Free.
To reserve tickets please email sarahjane@carcanet.u-net.com

TUE 25 NOV
LAUNCH: Hyphen with readings by Polly Clark, Helen Clare and Gerard Woodward
Waterstone's, 91 Deansgate, Manchester. 7pm. Free.
To reserve a place please email sarahjane@carcanet.u-net.com

WED 27 AUG
LAUNCH: Manchester Stories 6 with Mandy Precious and Val McDermid
Comma Press and City Life celebrate Europride week with a special edition of the Manchester Stories series.
Urbis, Cathedral Gardens, Manchester, M2.
7pm.

TUE 22 JUL
LAUNCH: Leeds Stories 1 with Martyn Bedford, James Nash and Tom Palmer
Comma Press and Leeds Guide launch the first in this series of unique short story 'mini-anthologies', featuring six specially commissioned stories from new and established Leeds authors.
Waterstone’s, 93-97 Albion Street, Leeds, LS1 5AP.
7pm.

TUE 25 NOV
LAUNCH: Comma with readings by Tariq Mehmood and Tony Sides
A lunchtime launch at Manchester Central Library. Reception Room, 2nd Floor, Central Library, St Peters Square, Manchester M1. 1pm-2pm. Free (refreshments provided). More information on 234 1981. Free.
To reserve a place please email sarahjane@carcanet.u-net.com

Comma Press would like to thank the following funders and sponsors who made the delivery of the Elsewhere project and publication possible: The Book Institute - the ©POLAND Translation Program, The Granada Foundation, The Golsoncott Foundation, Ireland Literature Exchange, NORLA, and the Royal Norwegian Embassy.