FLYING THE FLAG IN FEBRUARY

Manchester flies the flag for plenty of literary events. Here is a small sample of what goes on in the city.

Tonight, Stirred will be celebrating their "unbirthday" at Sandbar at 7.30pm. We suspect the unbirthday tag is simply an excuse to eat cake. Anyhoo, Stirred allows a platform for the female voice in poetry and guests include Steph Pike and Sian S Rathore (who recently brought the house down at 3MT in Affleck's Palace).

The wonderfully-named Magical Animals is also an uncelebration of sorts. Their Anti-Valentine's bash will also be at Sandbar, from 8pm on February 13th. Hosted by comedian Jackie Hagan, Magical Animals will have comedy from the likes of Adam Blaize and poetry from Miles Hadfield and Jo Warburton.

Short story writer David Gaffney will team up with Sarah-Clare Conlon with a uniquely rhythmic approach to storytelling as support for an album launch by Monkeys In Love on February 17th. It kicks off at 8pm at TV21, £4 in.

Lit scene stalwarts Bad Language will host their second literary pub quiz with the Flash Tag writers, so if you know your Dickens from your Dick Francis, then be at Barcelona in the Northern Quarter for the Flash Language Literary Pub Quiz at 7.30pm on February 21st (£1 per person). Meanwhile, Bad Language will be back with their monthly night at The Castle, from 7.30pm on January 29th, with special guest Peter Wild (The Passenger, Bookmunch).

New Zealand poet Gregory O'Brien, Bridport Prize-commended Rebecca Parry and debut novelist Rachel Connor will mark the return of Literature Live at the John Thaw studio theatre in the Martin Harris Centre on February 27th at 6.30pm. Launched by Louis de Bernieres in October 2005, Literature Live is one of Manchester's underrated gems.

And finally 'unrelated incidents' will be the theme of this month's Say Something, a night where poetry meets spoken word, comedy and its smashing host, poet Zach Roddis. It may be the last one for a while, so grab it while you can at Sandbar on February 28th at 7.30pm.

We've probably missed loads. Leave details of your February Manchester literary event in the comments and we'll add you to the list!