The Portico Library

Pan African Conference 80: Black History Month titles 2025 Book recommended by people from the African diaspora at the Portico Library that have shaped them and are on display in our Ubunto: Pan African Congress 80 display.

These books will also be on display in our Ubunto: Pan African Congress 80 exhibition, inspired by the 80th anniversary of the October 1945 Pan-African Congress in Manchester, a landmark gathering that reshaped the global fight for Black liberation and independence.

uk.bookshop.org/lists/pan-af...

As our Black History Month programme continues, here are a few titles from our latest @bookshop-org-uk.bsky.social list, which features an array of books recommended by people from the African diaspora at the Portico...

Are you a fan of what we do at The Portico?

If you are, we'd be eternally grateful if you could nominate us in Benefact Group's upcoming Art & Culture draw.

Nominations are open now and will be until Sunday 19th October.

culture.movementforgood.com

Stone , candles & 4 people- 2 holding books - in an old church.

Lovely time at Harmonicon worshiping all things stones in Tidmordrn with some old books from @porticolibrary.bsky.social.

Notably, The Portico Library actually stands as one of the first Greek revival buildings in Manchester, a city that became a refuge for merchants from Chios and other regions of Greece starting in the 1820s.

The library's collection includes hidden treasures such as the 1762 edition of 'Antiquities of Athens & Attica', which includes the poignant last words of Lord Byron spoken in Greece, and the first travel guide to an independent Greece published in 1854...

CEO Dr Thom Keep and Creative Producer and Historian Dr Debbie Challis welcomed Mr Ioannidis. Debbie showcased some remarkable volumes from our collection, which features numerous works by philhellenes—those passionate about Greece—from the 1820s and 1830s...

We recently had the privilege of hosting Mr Alexandros Ioannidis, the Greek Consul for Manchester, at The Portico!...

Our Portico Ubuntu soup, made with sweet potato, coconut, peanut and spicy seasoning, is just the ticket for combating the temperamental Manchester weather this week!

What's on at the Portico Library from exhibitions, events, talks and so much more — The Portico Library The Portico Library are always looking at ways to bring history and literature to life, along with showcasing artists, writers and researchers to make subjects relevant and exciting for everyone to en...

Our brand-new exhibition, How To Read A Book, will also be on display throughout the week, and our kitchen team will be serving their usual delicious creations.

We look forward to seeing you!

www.theportico.org.uk/whats-on

and her new book provides a guide to building a career focused on professional growth and mental wellness simultaneously...

On Saturday, we welcome the fantastic Bimbo Ponmile for the launch of her new book, The Agile Employee. Bimbo Ponmile is a Tech Leader, Founder, Author, and Agile Practitioner with over a decade of experience across Financial Services, Telecom, E-commerce, Travel, and FMCG...

Then, on Friday, we'll be hosting a special edition of our Slow Reading Club, honing in on James Joyce's Ulysses, which was banned in the US and UK...

We've got another busy week ahead at The Portico...

To mark this year's #BannedBooksWeek, we'll be exploring Machiavelli, whose work was banned across various states in Europe from the 15th to the 16th Centuries, and how his works have been reimagined today...

Reuniting the Portico Library — The Portico Library

🔗 You can read more about The Portico's Reunited project here:

www.theportico.org.uk/reuniting-po...

• A creative Portico Kitchen, celebrating the city’s food culture, writing and history.
• A place for school groups, families, and all people to explore our collection and
experiment creatively.
• Improved collections care for the Library’s 25,000 historic books and archives.

• A step-free entrance and lift, making the Portico accessible to all.
• Exhibition and event spaces to explore the stories of Manchester’s communities and
the city’s local/global heritage.
• A Northern Bookshop, showcasing regional and emerging writers, and independent
publishers.

The transformational scheme, supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, will reunite the building’s three floors for the first time in over a century, creating a fully accessible and sustainable cultural library in the heart of the city.

Plans include...

Drum roll, please....

We couldn't be more excited to share that historic transformation plans for The Portico Library have been submitted to Manchester City Council...

How to read a book — The Portico Library How to read a book is an exhibition by Stephen Emmerson about language, writing, and memory. It also explores themes of neurodiversity by offering different ways of exploring and reading books.

Tonight's launch, which starts at 6pm, is completely free to attend, and you can book your spot here: www.theportico.org.uk/event-calend...

We invite you to explore books in a different way: to read through feeling a decaying book, to read through drawing the line of a book, to ask what a hero is. Is Lucifer damned or damning? What can books tell us about ourselves? What is reading anyway?...

Applying methods found in palmistry to lines found on the covers of well-read paperback books, this exhibition is an invitation to make art out of the everyday...

The collection is an exploration of language, writing, and memory. It also delves into themes of neurodiversity, including dyslexia, by offering visitors an alternative way of approaching books and text...

Today's the day!

This evening, we host the official launch of our brand-new exhibition, How To Read A Book, by the fantastic Stephen Emmerson...

Display of black women & case with zebras in

Newspapers with Obama

Pan African conference history

Books & African women back ground.

Satisfying couple of days installing @porticolibrary.bsky.social main exhibition & a pop up for #blackhistorymonth❤️🖤💚 .

Am one of the 5 in portico with African diaspora- the one with guilt obvs - but did one section & used some of my archive too.

Portico Sadie Massey Awards — The Portico Library Established in 2015, the Portico Sadie Massey Awards (PSM Awards) aims to encourage a life-long love of reading and writing in young people from all backgrounds. The Awards are named after Glasgow-bo...

In total, there are three competitions open for entries:

- The PSMA Short Story competition
- The PSMA Book Review competition
- The Portico Art of the Book Award

You can find full entry rules and application forms for each category here: www.theportico.org.uk/portico-sadi...

Established in 2015, the Portico Sadie Massey Awards aims to encourage a life-long love of reading and writing in young people from all backgrounds.

We're thrilled to announce that submissions for the latest The Portico Sadie Massey Awards for Young Readers and Writers are now open!

Kevin Dalton Johnson — The Portico Library In this inspiring masterclass, Kevin Dalton-Johnson shares his personal experiences as a student, teacher, and leader in the arts.

The insights he offers in this masterclass are truly eye-opening and empowering.

Book your free spot here: www.theportico.org.uk/event-calend...

and highlighting that change is possible, even within the education system.

As an international artist, educator, and academic leader (and trustee of the Portico Library), Kevin uses his art to provide a perspective on the oppressed that is often overlooked in academia...