What's On

On sale Thu 13 Aug 2026 at 10am

About

Maggie O’Farrell makes a welcome return to Manchester Literature Festival with her extraordinary new novel, Land – a sweeping, multi-generational epic inspired by her own family history and the dramatic landscapes of Ireland’s Atlantic coast. Set in 1865, in the shadow of the Great Hunger, the novel follows mapmaker Tomás and his son as they survey a devastated country. When they discover an uncharted woodland absent from every existing map, a strange encounter sets in motion a journey through buried histories, longing and survival.

Join one of contemporary fiction’s greatest storytellers as she explores the way history shapes both landscapes and the lives bound to them. Hosted by Alex Clark.

‘A deep-mapping of a place and its people, a heart-bursting story of resilience and love. Land is simply the best novel I’ve read in years’ – Louise Kennedy

Co-presented with the Centre for New Writing and Creative Manchester. Sponsored by The Edwardian Manchester.

Maggie O’Farrell is one of today’s most beloved writers. Her novels have sold over four million copies and been translated into 43 languages. Her memoir I Am, I Am, I Am was a number one bestseller, while Hamnet, The Marriage Portrait and The Hand That First Held Mine have all received major literary acclaim. Land follows the film adaptation of Hamnet, co-written by Maggie O’Farrell and Academy Award-winner Chloé Zhao.

Photo credit: Heather Chuter

Tickets

Full Price £23

If you have step-free accessible seating requirements or require a wheelchair position, please contact the RNCM Box Office by emailing [email protected] or phoning 0161 907 5555. Emails are monitored throughout the week. RNCM phone lines are open on Mondays and Thursdays between 2pm and 5pm. Please note this excludes bank holidays.

Advance tickets for this event are now available for MLF Get Closer Members to buy. To buy tickets, please sign in at the top right-hand side of the screen or call QuayTickets Box Office on 0161 876 2015. Memberships start at £25 per year – visit the MLF website for full details of membership benefits and buying options.

The end time for this event is tbc. More details will be published nearer to the event.