TURING'S SUNFLOWERS

Manchester Science Festival are planning to brighten up Manchester in the name of Alan Turing.

Turing's Sunflowers is a challenge in which you grow a sunflower throughout the next couple of months. When the flowers are fully grown, the science festival will help you count the number of spirals in the seed patterns on the sunflower heads, with the results being announced in October.

The project will help mathematicians explore Alan Turing’s theories about plant growth (Fibonacci number series and all that). And because we're not one to miss a trick, we are now selling sunflower seeds at every counter in our shop.

There are now even Turing sunflowers in the Blue Peter garden. so get growing. And remember: plenty of water, a nice sunny spot and don't forget to re-pot!

NATIONAL POETRY MONTH AT BLACKWELL'S

Blackwell's are proud host Salt Publishing on 12th April 2012 for a reading to celebrate National Poetry Month.

The featured poets will be Michael Symmons Roberts, a Whitbread Poetry Award winner and professor of poetry at MMU, the Forward Prize-scooping Ian Duhig and Salt Publishing's own Chris Emery.

As well as readings and books by our guests, the event will also feature the Manchester launch of Chris Emery's The Departure. This will be Chris' third collection, and has narrative poems that boast everything from cowboys to checkout girls, and from composers to killers.

The National Poetry Month Reading will take place at Blackwell's Manchester on April 12th at 7pm. It is free, no booking is required, and there will be drinks. For a poster of the event, email ian.carrington (at) blackwell.co.uk. Otherwise, see the event on Facebook here.

UNIVERSITY OF WOMANCHESTER! (nsfw)