PN Review goes mobile...

 I've just discovered that PN Review is now available for subscription on iPad, iPhone and Android mobile devices. This latest move means that the fully searchable archive is now available right at your fingertips, making it easier than ever to find exactly what you are looking for, wherever you are.

Editor of the PN Review, Michael Schmidt, explains that "Carcanet has been an innovator in its publishing from its foundation, and we are very pleased now to be offering annual and monthly subscriptions to our poetry
magazine through iTunes".

With a simple tap you can now instantly view the works of the likes of Hugo Williams and Fleur Adcock, take and send screenshots of your favourite poems, and sync issues for offline reading. You can even sample it for free, making it easier than ever to read a little Ned Denny whilst on the move.

The app is available to download for free at http://bit.ly/PNReviewApp

Monthly and annual app subscriptions can be purchased within the app for £2.99 and £24.99, respectively.

Tune in to Twitter radio: Culture FM

Tune in to CultureFM http://twitter.com/culturefm this Friday, an arts and heritage flavoured twitter stream that in another life would have been a radio station!


TweetJockeys (TJs), including archive, gallery, library and museum professionals, visitors, students and guest TJs, will be running regular CultureFM shows, tweeting about their day-to-day work, the lives of collections, behind-the-scenes secrets and much more.

Check out the CultureFM blogfor more information on theprogrammes and some background of our TJs and their shows:http://culturefm.wordpress.com/. 

CultureFM producers are Kostas Arvanitis (Centre for Museology and Institute for Cultural Practices, University of Manchester), Steve Devine (Manchester Museum and Whitworth Art Gallery), Dave Govier (Manchester Archives+), Martin Grimes (Manchester Art Gallery) and Sue Lawson (Manchester Libraries). Chiara Zuanni (PhD student at the Centre for Museology) and Katharine Sutton (Intern at Manchester Archives+) volunteer the much needed admin and research support.

Currently, the project are looking for ideas for future CultureFM shows and TJs, so do get in touch if you’d like to propose a show or suggest an institution or an individual (including yourself!) for a TJ. Tweet or email culturefm2012@gmail.com.


So, tune in to CultureFM on 25th May 2012 to experience the first shows of this twitter station!

The Poetry Society National Poetry Competiton opens: first prize £5000!

Established in 1978, the Poetry Society’s National Poetry Competition is one of the world’s biggest and most prestigious poetry contests. The judges this year are Vicki Feaver, W.N. Herbert and Nick Laird.

Winners include both established and emerging poets, and for many the prize has proved an important career milestone.

The prizes are: £5,000 for the overall winner, £2,000 for the second, £1,000 for the third, with seven commendations of £100. The deadline is 31 October and you can enter online or download an entry form from the Poetry Society.

Saturday! Meet Best-Selling Crime Writer Mandasue Heller at the Avenue Library

Are you a crime fiction fan? Don't miss your chance to meet best-selling crime writer, Mandasue Heller, at the brand new Avenue Library and Learning Centre in Blackley. on Saturday 26 May at 2.30 pm.

Mandasue will be talking about her new novel, Lost Angel and you'll get the chance to chat to her about her books and writing. 

Born in Warrington, Cheshire, Mandasue was a professional singer for many years, touring with her country & western band, Missouri Sunshine. You might also have spotted Mandasue on Coronation Street, Brookside, Albion Market, and Boys From The Black Stuff!

After moving to Manchester in the early 80’s, she immersed herself in the underground music scene, fronting an original rock band and sessioning with various blues, jazz, and soul artistes. Forced by illness to temporarily quit singing in the late 90’s, she turned her attention to writing crime fiction, and her first book, The Front, was taken by Hodder & Stoughton.

She has since gone on to write a further eleven books and still lives in Manchester with her musician partner, Wingrove Ward. Between books and family commitments, she can be found locked away in the studio with him, writing and recording songs.

This event is free but tickets are limited - please call 0161 219 2393 for more information or to book tickets.

Writers @ Manchester Libraries: Mandasue Heller at the Avenue 

Saturday 26 May

Avenue Library and Learning Centre

Victoria Avenue East

Blackley

Manchester

M9 6HW

Crime on Tour! Meet three crime writers at City Library

To celebrate their first 10 years, the internationally renowned Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival is taking to the road, bringing 'Crime on Tour' to a venue near you!

And we're delighted to welcome the 'Crime on Tour' festival to City Library. This special event will be hosted by best-selling UK crime writer Chris Simms. Chris will also will introduce two up-and-coming northern debut authors, ones to watch in 2012, Tom Benn and Alex Walker.

Along with nominations for Crime Writer’s Association Daggers and the Theakston’s Crime Novel of the Year award, Chris was selected by Waterstone’s as one of their ’25 authors for the future’.

Tom Benn was born in Stockport and studied at the UEA, doing his BA there, followed by their MA in Creative Writing. The Doll Princess is his debut novel.

Alex Walter's first novel, Trust No One (published in September 2011) has sold 20,000 e-books and was described by the Hull Daily Mail as ‘a relentlessly exciting debut crime novel’. Alex’s second novel, Nowhere to Hide is out in October 2012.

To book your tickets please visit the Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival website. Be quick, places are limited!

7 June 2012
6.30pm
£5
City Library
151 Deansgate
Manchester
M3 3WD

Flash fiction @City Library: Each to Their Own

We are delighted to present Each to Their own by Sue Barnard, written at  Monday's City Library Flash Fiction workshop with author Valerie O'Riordan. City Library is on Deansgate and the workshop took place on Monday night. There was quite a noisy parade going on outside at the time...


People said it would never work out.


Mixed marriages are always risky. And in this case, the differences seemed irreconcilable. But they said that love would find a way - and they agreed, right from the start, that neither of them would ever attempt to change the other's vies and beliefs.


But, their critics insisted, what about the children? It’s easy for you - you're one of each. But the children? What are you going to do about them?


Yes, that would be a tricky one.


In the end they agreed to let the children make up their own minds when they were old enough to decide for themselves. In the meantime, every weekend they took turns to babysit, whilst they each went their separate ways to their respective places of worship.


Her side of the great divide always seemed the stronger of the two. In a way that made it harder for her, because although she knew that she needed to respect his views and beliefs, she found it almost impossible to maintain respect and credibility for something which, to her, seemed so bland and insubstantial by comparison. Even the children, despite her best efforts to appear impartial and non-judgemental, seemed to be inclining towards her beliefs rather than their father's.


Strictly speaking it was her turn to go on that particular Sunday, but knowing how much it meant to him she graciously offered to swap. Especially since it was his birthday. And he could go for a drink afterwards if he wanted. Thirst after righteousness...


When she turned on the News, it came as a blessed relief. She smiled to herself. Let him enjoy the victory while he can. If the Red Devils get their act together, it might be a very long time before the Blue Moon shines again.

Creepy crawly knitting at your library...

Create your own webpage: free workshop at City Library

Learn how to create a simple one page website at this free hands on workshop, this Friday at 10am at City Library. Ring Jade on 0161 234 1917 or email Jade to book a place. 

The five most popular images of Manchester from Manchester Archive Plus

Manchester Archive Plus have been very busy for the past year uploading more than 7000 archive images of Manchester on to the photo sharing website, Flickr.

In all, the 7868 photos have had more than 1 million views and here, for your viewing pleasure, are the top five most popular images from the Manchester Archive Plus Flickr collection.

At number five it's a rare colour photograph of Piccadilly Gardens taken during the spring/early summer of 1940. It was taken before June, as an existing black and white photograph of the same year shows what appears to be air raid shelters bordering the opposite side of the gardens. View a larger version of this images and browse thousands more on Flickr.

Our fourth most popular photo is no surprise. Victoria Wood based That Day We Sang, her 2011 Manchester International Festival production, on this event: Manchester Elementary Schools Children's Choir, taken on 24th June 1929 at the Free Trade Hall. The photograph shows Manchester Elementary Schools Children's Choir with the Halle Orchestra, after a recording session (which produced the popular rendition of Purcell's `Nymphs and Shepherds') for Columbia Records. To find out more about the story behind the photo and how to buy a copy visit the Manchester Archive Plus Flickr gallery.  



At number three we've a panel in John Berry's Plan of the Towns of Manchester and Salford published by John Berry, grocer at the New Tea Warehouse, Manchester in 1760. View a larger version of this beautiful map plus more information over at Flickr.



And it's back to Piccadilly Gardens again for number two. Our second most popular Manchester Archive Plus image on Flickr is Manchester Workers Sunbathing in Piccadilly Gardens, snapped in a steamy 1955. For a larger image visit Flickr or to buy a high quality copy of this classic Manchester image from our website for £7 (Plus Postage: UK & Ireland - £2 & International - £4 ).



And at number one it's the amazing Motherwell Spidermen working without harnesses on a construction site high above Manchester in 1962. For a larger images visit Flickr. This photo is also available to buy from our website.



So there you have it - Flickr's favourite images from Manchester Archive Plus. Which is your favourite? Let us know in the comments!

Keep up to date with new images and archive events and news by following Archives on Twitter. You'll find them at @mcrarchives.

Have your say on Full Volume - the library events guide

Have your say on full Volume - with so many events and activities on offer to Manchester residents and visitors to our city, we need your valued opinion on our current Full Volume publication and how it could be improved.


What do you think of the current publication? Would you like to see more information on libraries,
leisure and galleries? To make sure we get it right, we need your help by completing a short survey.

Help shape future editions and for your chance to win a pair of tickets to this year’s hottest sporting event – GB v USA Basketball in July!

Find free Kindle fiction on Amazon

Free Kindle Books - although Manchester Libraries offer free ebook and audiobook downloads our service isn't compatible with the Amazon Kindle. The free download service works with nearly all the other devices, but unfortunately Amazon don't want to work with public libraries in the UK to lend ebooks. Don't despair though - it's still possible to get free books for your Kindle and we're here to help! Here's a list of links for various fiction genres that we hope you find helpful and share with your friends.
All Fiction http://s.coop/la3n
Crime, thrillers and mystery http://s.coop/la3o
Family saga http://s.coop/la3p
Fantasy http://s.coop/la3q
Classics http://s.coop/la3r
Literary fiction http://s.coop/la3s
Romance http://s.coop/la3t
Political http://s.coop/la3u Find lots more genres at http://www.jungle-search.com/UK/kindle.php In the search fields set the price to 0 and 0 and that will give you results for free books. 2177 free books a for your Kindle - updated hourly http://www.ereaderiq.co.uk/free/
Project Gutenberg - Project Gutenberg offers most of its books as free kindle books too.You can download our free kindle books directly to your Kindle by pointing your Kindle browser to m.gutenberg.org
Scam warning - if you google for free kindle booksyou'll find lots of sites that claim to offer free kindle books. Most of these sites are not genuine. They ask you for an up front fee and give you nothing in return that you couldn't have found elsewhere for free. Read how to avoid scam sites here http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Free_Kindle_Books Have you found any free ebook sites for a Kindle? Please share with us in the comments!

Library music videos - not so awful!

We're heartened to see a new crop of library music videos appearing on YouTube! Does this mean the days of uncomfortable looking librarians miming to Lady Gaga are long gone? Let's hope so!

Video number one is from Sky Rocket Jack and is set, I think, in York Libraries.

Video 2 and our favourite here in library towers, is Bitches in Bookshops, performed by La Shea Delaney (@lashea_delaney) & Annabelle Quezada (@annabelleqv). ""Bitches In Bookshops Takes Jay-Z's N****s In Paris And Makes It All Kinds Of Literary" said the Huffington Post.  We love these ladies!