Join a group of interested individuals to discuss the world around us over a fresh lunch prepared by the Portico Kitchen.
Join us on Mother Tongue Day as we reflect on the words that defy translation.
These Isles: The Fascinating Story of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales
Bestselling author Brian Groom will discuss the entwined histories of Britain and Ireland’s nations – and the people who have called them home.
A bookclub but with a difference - just a few passages to read & discuss in a relaxed environment over a cuppa.
Join the Portico Kitchen team for a unique afternoon tea experience inspired by great works of literature from Manchester and the wider world.
Did you know that Charles Dickens was a regular visitor to Manchester? Or that he visited the Portico in 1844? Join Dickens' expert Lucinda Hawksley to find out more.
Sneak behind the scenes of the Portico Library and discover some of women - well known and not - in print in the collection.
‘What makes the Portico Library?
Is it the books? Is it the history? Is it the building?
Is it the people who walked through the doors? the readers? the members? the staff?
Or is it the feeling that you have when you enter the room?
Bringing together his years of experience on stage, Cole Stacey’s deeply personal shows are rooted in storytelling - perfect for a library.
Haunting, timely & bold, this new novel on Elizabeth Gaskell explores the limits of compassion & the cost of telling the truth — then & now.
Join the Talland Quartet for one of Beethoven's most revered quartets, which inspired T S Eliot to write The Four Quartets, under our dome.
We will make a small hardback notebook, suitable for the pocket or handbag.
Sneak behind the scenes of the Regency Portico Library and discover some of evocative spaces and things. Dive into a 19thC book or two too.
A Book Club you don’t have to do the reading for. We’ll read it to you… Explore an eerie tale by Manchester's own Elizabeth Gaskell.
In a world where the lives of strangers and survivors are weighed and traded for political gain, this Cressida is determined to define her own value. With Stephe Harrop.
Artists have long used portfolios to hold, protect and transport their work, however they are also useful for everyday filing, safely holding loose sheets in one place. They can be custom-made to any size - ours will be for holding A4 sheets.
This attractive A6 notebook/journal features an Italian patterned paper front cover (with a colour co-ordinated book cloth on the rear cover).
An opportunity to get creative making a variety of ingenious, fun and useful items. A treat for yourself and an opportunity to make some unique Christmas gifts.
Ancient bog man’s story unearths magic, murder and mystery in Wilmslow - find out more in this performance with Rachel Pugh and Lucy Nolan.
Join us for a lantern making workshop with an artist from the Manchester Chinese Centre. Celebrate the Year of the Horse by making your own lantern to take home.
A BSL tour of exhibition How to Read a Book led by deaf guide, Jennifer Little.
A bookclub but with a difference - just a few passages to read & discuss in a relaxed environment over a cuppa.
For total beginners, and others not too confident.
In this one-day workshop we will create three finished books: all using the simple but versatile pamphlet stitch.
This new show dives into the recurrence and remarkable flexibility of “the cock” across English literature - from medieval metaphor to modern innuendo.
Explore book covers and the arts and crafts movement with bookbinder and arts & craft expert Barry Clark.
Try an experimental yoga flow class that combines poetry with movement to bring light to the dark days.
Sneak behind the scenes of the Regency Portico Library and discover some of evocative spaces and things. Dive into a 19thC book or two too.
Join contemporary storyteller Stephe Harrop for a creative writing workshop inspired by traditional tales of witchcraft and enchantment from northern lands.
A bookclub but with a difference - just a few passages to read & discuss in a relaxed environment. Perfect for a Friday afternoon. . .
Join us for a special evening with poet Mike Harding as he shares some stories from his latest books - including Specky Four Eyes.
Try an experimental yoga flow class that combines poetry with movement to bring light to the dark days.
The Creative Society Manchester and The Portico Library invite you to step into a world of intrigue, suspense, and mystery. Don't miss this unforgettable Murder Mystery Evening, where you'll have the chance to unravel a centuries-old Victorian enigma.
Listen to a series of quickfire talks with specially invited guests from across the history and heritage sector, then take to the stage yourself to share your own historical passions!
The Portico Christmas Feast returns!
Join us for our ever-popular yearly shindig of fine food, entertainment, and fundraising for the Portico.
Join artist and writer Stephen Emmerson for an evening of curated poetry relating to his exhibition How to read a book.
Step into an unforgettable evening of powerful true storytelling on the theme “Owning It”, where our storytellers take us from the quiet beginnings of self-discovery to celebrating their stories and sharing them on stage.
A bookclub but with a difference - just a few passages to read & discuss in a relaxed environment. Perfect for a Friday afternoon. . .
A film that beautifully captures how staff, books, and ideas within the library, are impacted and changed through decolonising practices.
A display of words, spineless wonders and dialects from the singer Jennifer Reid interwoven with books from the Portico Collection. Ballads and broadsides sing out under the Portico Dome, moving between the worlds of the nineteenth-century street and the library of the elite.
We will make a proper hardback book with a difference!
A rare chance to hear the eerie stories of M R James, performed by R M Lloyd Parry, in an atmospheric 19th century Library.
Rewriting the lives of the Brontës and Elizabeth Gaskell through material evidence - An evening with Sharon Wright and Graham Watson
Free - drop in! Spend time finding about bees and their importance with beekeeper and author of A Bee, Natasha Devine, Secretary of the Manchester & District Beekeepers’ Association.
A bookclub but with a difference - just a few passages to read & discuss in a relaxed environment. On Halloween at dusk, it has to be The Vampyre. . . .
Join the Portico Kitchen team for a series of unique dining experiences in one of the city’s most extraordinary settings.
Join us to explore witches, wizards and magical creatures in our collections and more recent children’s books. And for an excuse to dress up and make the most of our Halloween costumes.
Step into the rich world of Islamic illumination – a centuries-old art form used to beautify sacred manuscripts with intricate floral motifs and shimmering gold accents.
In this inspiring masterclass, Kevin Dalton-Johnson shares his personal experiences as a student, teacher, and leader in the arts.
