What to do in Manchester for Book Lovers (ultimate guide)
For many people, “Manchester City” is practically synonymous with its football club. But for those book loving people, Manchester City is an absolute treasure trove of literary travel destinations to explore.
Just about anyone can name a few famous authors who called London home, but you may not realize how many famous writers have lived in Manchester! Or how many stunning libraries there are to see. Or how many great indie bookstores can be found in Manchester, UK.
Literary travel is kind of my thing — I’ve spent the last few years hunting down the absolute best destinations for bibliophiles and writing about them so you can discover them too, from bookstores, to libraries, to writers’ homes, and more.
So let’s take a literary tour of Manchester for book lovers, so you don’t miss out on anything on your next trip.
Don’t forget to pin this post for future reference, and if you’re planning a trip to Manchester, you can get access to a free Google map of all the literary sites in Manchester to make your itinerary even easier.
As always, this post may contain affiliate links, which means at no additional cost to you, shopping from them may generate small commissions to support the operations of this blog.
Whenever possible, I recommend buying books at local bookshops or through Bookshop.org, because shopping there puts the profits right into the hands of indie bookstores all over the country.
Manchester: A UNESCO City of Literature
Manchester was named a UNESCO City of Literature in 2017, one of 53 around the world. I’ve visited several of them myself so far, and I have to say, Manchester has been the one that takes this title the most to heart.
Cities of Literature falls under the umbrella of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, a program started in 2004 to “promote cooperation among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development”.
There are 295 cities in the Creative Cities Network, 53 of which are Cities of Literature. Manchester is one of 5 in the UK (Norwich, Edinburgh, Nottingham, and Exeter are the other 4).
And Manchester is definitely one of the most literary cities in England. In addition to the many writers who have called Manchester home, there are gorgeous historic libraries, a wealth of independent bookstores, 10 resident independent publishers, and more than one annual literary festival.
Let’s take a look at each of these elements of Manchester for book lovers, and click the links under each section to get more in-depth information about each literary sight!
Famous Manchester writers
Manchester has played an important part in the lives of many famous and influential English writers over the years. Here’s a quick overview of famous Manchester writers who have lived there or had important events there:
- Elizabeth Gaskell, author of North and South, Cranford, and Mary Barton (lived her entire married life here, and wrote all of her novels while living in Manchester)
- Charlotte Bronte, author of Jane Eyre (visited Manchester several times and began writing Jane Eyre while staying here)
- Anthony Burgess, author of A Clockwork Orange (born and raised in Manchester and educated at Manchester University)
- Francis Hodgson Burnett, author of A Little Princess and The Secret Garden (born and raised in Manchester)
- Dodie Smith, author of 101 Dalmations and I Capture the Castle (born and raised in Manchester)
- Emmeline Pankhurst, leader of England’s suffragette movement and political writer; first female to be honored with a statue in Manchester
- Lemn Sissay, a present-day, award-winning poet and playwright (was chancellor of University of Manchester from 2015-2022)
- Carol Ann Duffy, present-day poet and former poet laureate (professor at Manchester Metropolitan University)
- Jeanette Winterson, present-day writer and author of Why Be Happy When You Can Be Normal? (born in Manchester and a professor at the University of Manchester), also editor of one of my recommended Christmas books to read
Related: The world’s first UNESCO City of Literature is just a 3-hour train ride from Manchester. Check out the many amazing Edinburgh literary sights.
Manchester Literary Sights
When you’re looking for what to do in Manchester, there are so many options for book lovers and several literary sights you should put on your literary travel bucket list. Here’s an overview of the literary sights of Manchester, England.
Elizabeth Gaskell’s house and museum
84 Plymouth Grove
My favorite literary sight in Manchester, the Elizabeth Gaskell House is a must-visit destination for book lovers in Manchester. Elizabeth Gaskell was an amazing Victorian writer who took no prisoners. Her novels took on the unfair and cruel labor practices of Manchester’s wealthy factory owners, who happened to be the most prominent members of her minister husband’s church congregation.
Elizabeth Gaskell’s house and museum is such a fun and affordable sight and one of the best things to do in Manchester. Even if you’ve never read one of her novels, you’ll get to explore a pretty part of the city near the University of Manchester and learn more about the incredible woman. Plus, they have a great tea and gift shop, including lots of secondhand books for sale.
Find out more about what you can see at the Elizabeth Gaskell Museum and my insider tips for visiting.
The International Anthony Burgess Foundation
Engine House Chorlton Mill 3 Cambridge Street
Anthony Burgess is another important writer from Manchester, England. He’s best known for the novel A Clockwork Orange, though he wrote extensively in many genres. He was a novelist, poet, essayist, musical composer, screenwriter, and playwright. Colin Firth starred in one of his plays in London in 1993, just a few months before Burgess died at the age of 76.
In 2003, the International Anthony Burgess Foundation was established in Manchester, an educational charity dedicated to promoting the ongoing study of Anthony Burgess’s works. The foundation at one point had a café and bar, but these are no longer open to the public.
Today, if you want to visit the home of the International Burgess Foundation in Manchester, you’ll have to schedule an archive visit or inquire to host an event there.
Frances Hodgson Burnett’s Childhood Home (blue plaque)
141 York Street
Frances Hodgson Burnett is a beloved author of children’s literature who also hails from Manchester, England. Hodgson Burnett is best known for two novels, The Little Princess and The Secret Garden, which are both beautiful novels I can personally recommend.
Born in Manchester, Frances spent her childhood and teenage years there. Today, book lovers wanting to find literary sights in Manchester can track down her birthplace in Cheetham, about a mile outside of Manchester’s city center.
While the home is privately owned, so you cannot enter inside, you can take in the environs of her childhood and search out that famous blue plaque that marks the building’s literary history.
The Secret Garden Inspiration at Buile Hill Park
Frances Hodgson Burnett actually wrote much of her famous novel, the Secret Garden, while living in Manchester. That might surprise you, given that Manchester is most famous as being the first “industrial city.”
Frances was visiting Manchester’s Buile Hill mansion in Salford, Manchester when she wrote most of The Secret Garden. The introduction to The Complete Novels of Frances Hodgson Burnett says that “an overgrown and mysterious garden Burnett had encountered as a child in Salford was never forgotten and much of the novel was written at Buile Hill Park in Pendleton (Salford).”
If you’re looking for what to do in Manchester and want to get out of the city center, consider taking a 30-minute bus ride to Salford to visit Buile Hill Park, now a public park. Maybe bring along a copy of The Secret Garden to read from while you’re there.
Dodie Smith’s birthplace (blue plaque)
609 Stretford Road
Dodie Smith is another English writer who hails from Manchester, England. Smith was born in Manchester in 1896 and lived in the city until her late teens. She is the author of 101 Dalmatians as well as I Capture the Castle, which was one of my favorite reads from 2022 and one of my top recommendations for cozy books to read.
If you’re looking for what to do in Manchester for book lovers, you can consider venturing outside the city center to Old Trafford to see the home in which Dodie Smith grew up. Like many others on this list, the home is privately owned, so you’ll just get to see the blue plaque on the house and take in the surroundings, now much changed from what they would have been during her childhood.
At the ceremony to unveil the blue plaque, Dodie Smith’s cousin said she would have been “thrilled” and that she was “particularly fond of Manchester, where she was brought up.”
Where Charlotte Brontë started Jane Eyre (blue plaque)
59 Boundary Street West
Famous Victorian novelist Charlotte Brontë never lived in Manchester, but she did come to stay several times.
Once she and Elizabeth Gaskell became unlikely friends, she would come to stay with Elizabeth for short periods (at the Elizabeth Gaskell museum, the docents told some amusing anecdotes about Charlotte hiding behind the curtains to avoid all the people the more extroverted Elizabeth would bring to meet her).
But before Charlotte met Elizabeth, she came to Manchester with her father in August, 1846 to accompany him for his cataract surgery. While staying in town at what is now 59 Boundary Street West, she began writing what’s now one of the most widely read Victorian novels, Jane Eyre.
It’s a privately owned building, but fans of Charlotte Brontë might want to make a pilgrimage to the sight and see the blue plaque demarcating where the story first began.
Manchester Libraries
Manchester is heaven for any library enthusiast. The city is home to 4 historic libraries that are open to the public as well as 23 public libraries. For bibliophiles, visiting some of these libraries is high on the list of what to do in Manchester.
Portico Library
57 Mosley St
Portico Library has been among the best Manchester libraries for more than two hundred years. Housed inside a building built to make it look like a Greek temple, pillars and all, it once only served a select group of rich, male members.
Now, anyone can visit the Portico Library for free to view the shelves and shelves of antiquarian books still held there. Anyone can apply for a temporary reader’s pass to examine any of the books in the library more closely, or you can pay for an annual membership.
The gorgeous reading room of the Portico Library is only available to library members, but the general public can still see the beautiful central room of the library during public open hours.
You can read all about what you can see and do at Portico Library in my in-depth guide.
John Rylands library
150 Deansgate
I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again: John Rylands Library might just be a real life Hogwarts. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it really WAS Hogwarts, and the only reason I couldn’t see the witches and wizards all around me practicing magic was due to some muggle confounding charm placed on the joint.
Okay all jokes aside (but still, who knows, I could be entirely right), John Ryland’s is a gorgeous Manchester library and one of the top things to do in Manchester, period.
It’s free to enter and has multiple floors to explore, from the cathedral-like reading room with private study alcoves, to the gothic staircase, to the moody corridors, to the fascinating exhibits over multiple floors.
You can read all about how to make the most out of your visit to John Ryland’s Library on my in-depth guide to the Manchester sight.
Chetham’s library
Long Millgate
Chetham’s Library it’s the oldest public library in England, operating now for more than 350 years. If you’re a lover of that good old book smell, you do not want to miss taking a tour of Chetham’s library while in Manchester. In addition to getting to visit a gorgeous library that’s about as close to Hogwarts Library Restricted Section as you can get, you will also learn a lot about Manchester’s history.
Other highlights on a guided tour of Chetham’s Library (book in advance!) include a look at the devil’s hoofprint he left behind when summoned by John Dee, and the very alcove where Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels studied political theory before becoming the fathers of Communism.
Make sure you check out my complete guide to visiting Chetham’s Library.
Working Class Movement Library
51 Crescent, Salford
Manchester is known as the world’s first industrial city, which means it was also home to some of the first tensions among factory workers and owners. The Working Class Movement Library honors this history and the lives and struggles of working people as both a charity and a library.
Today, visitors can take a 15-minute walk from central Manchester and check out the library’s collection of the stories of Britain’s working class people. It’s housed in a beautiful Victorian building and is free to enter, though it’s only open three afternoons a week. Make sure you check their official website to confirm hours before visiting.
Manchester Central Library
St Peter’s Square
Manchester Central Library is perhaps the most modern library on this list of Manchester libraries, but it should not be overlooked if you’re looking for what to do in Manchester for book lovers. It’s an impressive structure, featuring striking neoclassical architecture. The central reading room has a gorgeous, domed ceiling that lets in lots of natural light. It also has the distinction of being the busiest public library in Britain.
There’s so much to explore at Manchester Central Library. Some of my favorite features here are the extensive family history center on the ground floor, the room dedicated entirely to music, and the small but well-stocked gift shop (I treated myself to a Manchester Central Library t-shirt and wear it proudly).
But my very favorite find in the Manchester Central Library was the statue of the Reading Girl by Giovanni Ciniselli. I really, really, would love to get my hands on a miniature of this gorgeous sculpture, but alas, I haven’t found any! If you happen to know of where I can get one, please do let me know!
Manchester Central Library is free to visit, whether or not you are a Manchester resident.
Poetry library
Manchester Metropolitan University, Grosvenor East
An emerging entity in this scene of Manchester libraries is the Manchester Poetry Library. This newer institution is dedicated to the research and celebration of poetry, and is building up a catalog of contemporary poetry books and recordings.
The Manchester Poetry Library is open to all visitors who are curious about poetry. You can visit 6 days a week, but always check their website for official open hours.
Manchester Bookstores
Manchester has an impressive number of independent bookstores to visit. I thoroughly enjoyed my experiences exploring the many Manchester bookshops and adding to my personal collection.
Check out my post on the best Manchester bookstores to find out more about the stores like these:
- Manchester Book Buyers
- Blackwell’s Bookshop
- Paramount Books (personal favorite)
- Didsbury Village Bookshop
- The LGBTQ+ Bookshop
- House of Books and Friends
- Travelling Man Bookshop
- Chorlton Bookshop
- Chapter One Books
Literary Events in Manchester
If you’re looking for what to do in Manchester for book lovers and you happen to time your visit right, you might be able to catch one of the Manchester festivals for readers. Here are the main events as of 2024.
Manchester Literature Festival
For nearly two decades, every October Manchester has hosted an annual Literature Festival. This literature festival aims to provide a platform for traditionally marginalized voices in writing, such as working class writers, women writers, writers of color, and writers who identify as LGBTQ+.
In addition to the main festival in October, the Manchester Literature Festival also hosts special literary events in the spring, so you might just be able catch one on your trip to Manchester!
Manchester Festival of Libraries
This one is a newer event for Manchester, but one that’s incredibly promising and exciting: the Manchester Festival of Libraries. You might have noticed that Manchester has a number of libraries of note, and that’s not even including the more than 100 public libraries operating in the Greater Manchester area.
The Manchester Festival of Libraries highlights the important role that libraries play in civic life. During the summer festival, participating libraries host classes, public debates, performances, special exhibits, music concerts, and other events.
Other things to do in Manchester for book lovers
I wasn’t kidding when I told you there’s loads of things to do in Manchester for book lovers of all sorts. If you haven’t already filled up your itinerary with book shopping, library visits, and literary sightseeing, then here are some more ideas of things you can do in the world’s first modern city to satisfy your every bookish desire.
Have afternoon tea in a library
A little while ago, I had the treat of having a gorgeous afternoon tea in the library at County Hall in London, and it was the best afternoon tea I’ve ever experienced. I was so excited to discover there is an afternoon tea in a library in Manchester, too! I made sure to book myself a reservation during my weekend visit.
To be completely honest, it really is not an essential Manchester experience. The library setting is cute and cozy, and the price is lower than what you find for most London afternoon teas. But I found the food generally disappointing. All around, this is an adequate option for filling an afternoon in Manchester but doesn’t get my top recommendation.
Library of Enchantment Escape Room
I think this idea sounds like so much fun. The Library of Enchantment escape rooms are themed on classic novels, and puzzles are family-friendly, so even the youngest book lovers (at least 6+) in your group can participate.
“Can you help capture Billi the bookworm and put the chaos right before the Library Inspector arrives within the hour?”
There is a minimum group size of 3 to participate in this Manchester escape room. As I was on a solo visit, I wasn’t able to try it out, but the premise is intriguing, and the reviews quite promising! If you’re traveling with two or more friends or family members, this looks like a great option for what to do in Manchester.
Catch a play
During my trip to Manchester, I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Romeo and Juliet Manchester-style inside the Royal Exchange Theatre. It was extra special that the theater is housed in the site of the old cotton exchange building, a central operation during the days when Elizabeth Gaskell was writing about working class struggles in Manchester. In the past, this theater has even hosted a stage adaptation of Elizabeth Gaskell’s quintessential Manchester novel, Mary Barton.
There are several other venues where you can enjoy theatre, as well, so I’d definitely recommend trying to see some live theater while in Manchester.
Take a train to Knutsford
As a day trip from Manchester, you can take a 40-minute ride to nearby Knutsford, where you can find even more Elizabeth Gaskell sights. Knutsford is the town in which Elizabeth Gaskell grew up, under the tutelage of her aunt. It was the real-life inspiration for her charming novel, Cranford, and also for the town of Hollingford in Wives and Daughters.
Gaskell fans can visit Gaskell Tower as well as Brooks Street Unitarian Chapel, where Gaskell is buried.
Where to stay in Manchester
The greater Manchester area provides a lot of opportunities to find hotels and other accommodations without breaking the bank. Since my time in Manchester was limited, I chose to stay in a hotel that was centrally located in the Northern Quarter, so I could walk to most of the attractions listed above. My stay at the 4-star Crowne Plaza City Centre Manchester was very comfortable, and I can’t imagine a more convenient location.
As you look for somewhere to stay, I recommend checking for lodging on Hotels.com. I almost always book my accommodations through Hotels.com, because you can earn rewards for every night you stay without having to choose only one hotel chain to be loyal to. You can even book locally owned apart hotels and bed and breakfasts.
If you’re looking for privately owned vacation rentals, I recommend checking VRBO. I’ve personally had much better experiences with their owners and rentals than I have with their primary competitor.
Travel Resources At-A-Glance
All of the following are links to sites and services I actually use to book and plan my travel or to purchase books or travel gear.
For flights: Skyscanner is my number one go-to resource for booking flights. I love using the “explore” function to find the cheapest places I can fly during a given time or using the fare calendar to identify the cheapest days to fly.
For hotels and lodgings: For hotels, hotels.com, and for vacation rentals, VRBO.com. I’ve had much better experiences with private rentals through this website than through other popular private vacation rental websites.
For car rentals: Kayak allows comparisons across a wide range of booking agencies and lists reviews of companies as well. I’ve found this to be the most user-friendly and efficient way to compare car rental prices.
For tours & excursions: Viator and Get Your Guide are my top choices for booking excursions and tour experiences in a new destination.
For travel gear: Amazon.com and REI for more outdoorsy items. Check out my travel gear recs here.
For booking trains & buses: I find the Omio app and website to be the most easily navigable for comparing options for public transportation, especially in Europe,
Best travel credit card: My favorite travel rewards credit card for European travel has been the Chase Sapphire Rewards card. Visa is accepted just about everywhere in Europe, and there are no foreign transaction fees on the card. Some of the travel benefits I love on the Chase Sapphire include free TSA pre-check or Global Entry (worth it every time), an annual $200 travel credit, an annual $200 hotel benefit, built-in rental car, and trip insurance, and points are worth 50% more when used to book travel. I travel around Europe a LOT, and I end up with many free flights and hotel stays from using my points on my Chase Sapphire.
For books: Bookshop.org often has prices as good as Amazon or sometimes better, but profits go to indie bookstores all over the country. Whenever possible, consider buying your books from this online indie bookshop resource.
Manchester was one of my favorite solo travel experiences, something I’m a firm believer in — there are so many psychological benefits to solo travel.
There really is so much to do for book lovers in Manchester! From literary sights like the Elizabeth Gaskell home and museum, to beautiful libraries, to swoon-worthy bookstores, there’s more than enough to fill up a long weekend of even more.
Don’t forget to pin this post for later, and subscribe to my newsletter so you never miss out on a bookish travel destination again!
I love this post! If I had seen it sooner, I probably would have added Manchester to our England itinerary this past summer. Who doesn’t love a great literary city. Thank you!