Our exciting roster of speakers included authors Hilary Green, Jerome de Groot, Jean Fullerton, Elizabeth Hawksley, Doug Jackson, Ben Kane, Robert Low, Orna Ross, Manda Scott, Mary Sharratt, Harry Sidebottom, and Ann Turnbull, as well as industry experts Jim Gill (United Agents), Marcy Posner (Folio Literary
Mgmt), and Selina Walker (Transworld).

The HNS worked closely together with the Manchester Literature Festival and the Manchester Libraries' Pages Ago promotion. Manchester Libraries' Readers day took place at the same venue on 16th October, and speakers included Alison Weir, Maria McCann and Sarah Dunant.

View our programme as well as speaker biographies.

Manchester Libraries Readers' Day

Historical Novel Society conference attendees may wish to combine their visit to Manchester with the celebrations for Manchester Libraries Readers' Day. Information, location, and booking details for these separate events as follows. Both the Pages Ago and Bernard Cornwell events are part of the Manchester Literature Festival, organised in association with Manchester Libraries.

Pages Ago Historical Readers' Day
In association with Manchester Libraries, Time to Read and the University of Manchester, we present a day of talks, discussions and workshops exploring the fascinating world of historical fiction. The stellar line up of speakers includes best-selling authors Sarah Dunant, Douglas Jackson, Maria McCann, Alison Weir and Robyn Young. Travel back in time to Ancient Rome, Renaissance Italy, Medieval England, and discover where research ends and fiction begins in this unmissable day for anyone who loves reading history. Full programme details can be found on the festival website.

Saturday 16^th October, 11am - 5pm
Location: Mechanics Institute
Tickets: £18/£15 concessions (includes buffet lunch).
Please note: The box office will open in early August.
Book on 0843 208 0500 or
www.manchesterliteraturefestival.co.uk

Bernard Cornwell
Following on from our Pages Ago Readers' Day, one of the world's most popular historical writers, Bernard Cornwell, discusses his new novel The Fort, set in the American War of Independence. Cornwell's impressive oeuvre includes the hugely popular Sharpe novels set in the Napoleonic Wars and adapted for a series of TV films, as well as a trilogy retelling the Arthurian legends, and a series focusing on the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Wessex, including the Burning Land. Don't miss this rare opportunity to discover how one of our greatest living storytellers brings the past to life.

Saturday 16^th October, 7.30pm
Location: Royal Northern College of Music (note different location)
Tickets: £7/£5. Please note: The box office will open in early August.
Book 0161 907 5555 or
www.rncm.ac.uk

Location

The Mechanics’ Institute is in Manchester city centre at 103 Princess Street, Manchester M1 6DD http://www.mechanicsinstitute.co.uk/

The nearest rail stations are Manchester Oxford Road and Manchester Piccadilly.

How to get to Manchester

From within the UK
There are rail services from all over the country to Manchester Piccadilly, some of which also stop at Manchester Oxford Road. The other main rail station is Manchester Victoria, mainly for services from other parts of northern England.

There are also coach services to Chorlton Street Bus Station, which is close to the Mechanics’ Institute.

From some parts of the UK, it may be quicker and cheaper to fly to Manchester.

From outside the UK
Do not book a flight to London! Manchester has a major international airport with direct flights from destinations all over the world, and you can connect to Manchester via European or Middle Eastern airports from cities that don’t have a direct flight. Manchester Airport has its own rail station with frequent trains into the city centre.

See: http://www.manchesterairport.co.uk/manweb.nsf/content/airportinformation

Getting around within Manchester

The city centre is quite compact, and most places of interest are within walking distance of the Mechanics’ Institute.

For information on buses, see: http://www.gmpte.com/journey_planning/

There is also a tram (streetcar) network. See: http://www.metrolink.co.uk/

Hotels

Nearby hotels include:

The Princess http://www.princessonportland.co.uk/
The Ibis http://www.ibishotel.com/gb/hotel-3142-ibis-manchester-city-centre/index.shtml
The Novotel http://www.novotel.com/gb/hotel-3145-novotel-manchester-centre/index.shtml
The Premier Inn http://www.premierinn.com
Roomzzz Apartment Hotel http://www.roomzzz.co.uk/aparthotels/
aparthotel=Manchester+City

There are many other hotels in and around Manchester. For full information, see the Visit Manchester website: http://www.visitmanchester.com/where-to-stay-home.aspx

Apart from providing listings of hotels, http://www.visitmanchester.com is also a good source of all kinds of information for visitors to Manchester.

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