We are delighted to welcome the Centre for New Writing’s Literature Live series for this reading with three début writers, novelists Rory Gleeson and Alys Conran, and poet Joey Connolly. Roddy Doyle wrote of Gleeson’s debut, ‘Rockadoon Shore is terrific’, while Conran’s novel Pigeon is longlisted for the Dylan Thomas Prize. Gregory Award winner Joey Connolly’s first book is just out from Carcanet.

Rory Gleeson is an author and screenwriter. His writing has featured in The Irish Times, The Town Crier, RTÉ Culture, Miscellany Magazine and Far Off Places Magazine. His debut novel Rockadoon Shore was chosen as the Eason Book Club ‘Book of the Month’ by NewstalkFM, and was one of the Dubray Recommends picks for February.

Alys Conran is from north west Wales and is author of ‘Pigeon’ (Parthian Books, 2016), the first novel to be published simultaneously in English and Welsh. Pigeon is longlisted for the International Dylan Thomas Prize. Her short fiction has been placed in the Bristol, Manchester and Bath short story prizes. She also writes poetry and translations and her work is to be found in numerous anthologies and magazines.

Joey Connolly grew up in Sheffield and studied in Manchester. Now he lives in London, where he is the manager of the Poetry Book Fair. His poetry and criticism have appeared in The Poetry Review, Poetry London, The Sunday Times and Best British Poetry 2014 (Salt), as well as on BBC Radio 4. He received an Eric Gregory award in 2012, and his first collection, Long Pass, is published by Carcanet.

To book, please visit the Martin Harris Centre box office at the University of Manchester either in person (Monday-Friday 12.30-2.30pm) or telephone 0161 275 8951. More information here.