John Harris: Maybe I’m Amazed - Todmorden Hippodrome - 8pm

In this extraordinary memoir, a father tells the story of how music has opened up the world to his son, James, one song at a time. Maybe I’m Amazed describes how the music of The Beatles, Kraftwerk, Funkadelic, The Velvet Underground, Amy Winehouse and many more were soon woven into the fabric of James’s life, becoming an essential part of who he is. It takes us through the struggles of raising an autistic child in a prejudiced world, and uncovers a hidden history of neurodivergence and creativity that casts new light on why notes, chords and lyrics speak so powerfully to the human mind. Anyone who has fallen in love with a band or heard their life reflected back to them by a song will recognise themselves in the story of this father and his son. And in considering the intense and transcendent way James absorbs and connects with music, it has lessons in listening and living for us all. John Harris is a writer, journalist and presenter. He has a weekly column in The Guardian, writes regularly for the music magazine Mojo and is the author of the acclaimed pop culture history of the 1990s The Last Party and is a past winner of the Orwell Prize for political journalism. Chair: Susan Press

Denise Mina: The Good Liar - Todmorden Hippodrome - 7.30pm

Denise Mina is the internationally best-selling author of over twenty novels including the Garnethill trilogy, the Paddy Meehan series and the Alex Morrow series as well as historical crime novels, graphic novels and plays. She has won the Theakston Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year twice, as well as the Scottish Crime Novel of the Year and the Gordon Burn Prize. She was inducted into the Crime Writers Hall of Fame in 2014. Her latest novel The Good Liar is a timely and gripping crime thriller that centres on a forensic expert responsible for a miscarriage of justice. Denise is a dynamic and thoughtful speaker and tickets for this event are bound to go fast.Chair: writer and bookseller Mark Wright

Flash Fiction Masterclass: David Gaffney - Todmorden Community College - 10am

Can you tell a story in fewer than 500 words? in this workshop you will learn how to condense while keeping your story effective.How to reduce a thousand words to 150 without losing a thing.David Gaffney lives in Manchester. He is the author of three novels, six short story collections, and two graphic novels with Dan Berry. His short story collection Concrete Fields (Salt Publishing 2023) was long listed for the Edgehill Short Story Prize and his prose poetry collection, Whale, was published by Osmosis in 2024. He is Senior Manager for literature at Arts Council England.

Naomi Booth: Fiction Masterclass - Todmorden Community College - 10am

A workshop for those who want to produce unsettling works of fiction. Join award winning writer Naomi Booth to experiment with different approaches to the macabre.Naomi Booth is the author of the short-story collection Animals at Night and the novels Sealed and Exit Management. Her work has been listed for the Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award, included in the Guardian’s Best Fiction of the year 2020, and shortlisted for the Edgehill Prize. Her story, ‘Sour Hall’, which is set in the Calder Valley, won the Edgehill Reader’s Award and was adapted into an Audible Originals drama series. Naomi was born in Bradford and grew up in West Yorkshire. She now lives in York and is Professor of Creative Writing at Durham University. Her most recent novel, raw content, is set between York and the Colne Valley, and was described by nb magazinee as a 'beautiful and thought-provoking story of post-natal mental health, violence, paranoia and unconditional love in all its forms'.

Kerry Andrew & Rozie Kelly: Two Modern Novelists in Conversation - Fielden Hall - 2pm

In an event you won’t see anywhere else, two West Yorkshire based novelists discuss their genre-bending approaches to fiction with Bec Evans. Composer and writer Kerry Andrews’ third novel We Are Together Because starts as a sensual drama and quickly becomes about our own survival, asking us what is truly important in life. Rozie Kelly’s debut novel Kingfisher is a beautifully rendered exploration of the psychology of relationships delivered with a fresh voice, stylistic flair and keen observational insight.

Andrew Furlow: Everything You Wanted to Know About Publishing but Were Afraid to Ask - Todmorden Community College - 12.15pm

With twenty years of experience as a publisher there is nothing about the business of books that Andrew Furlow doesn’t know. Hear him reveal the secrets of getting a book out into the world.

Gordon Corera: The Spy in the Archive - St Mary's Church - 4pm

Gordon Corera is the co-host of “The Rest is Classified” podcast— a top-rated weekly show looking at the world of security and intelligence and has spent two decades as a security correspondent for BBC News. He is the author of a number of books including Russians Among Us, the hunt for Putin’s spies; MI6: Life and Death in the British Secret Service and, most recently, “The Spy in the Archive - How one man tried to kill the KGB”, the story of Vasili Mitrokhin. Chair: Stephen May

Katherine Clements & Neil McRobert: Northern Weird: Turbine 34 and Good Boy - Fielden Hall - 5.30pm

Two writers talk about their new novellas that transport readers into dangerous corners of the North. Turbine 34 by Katherine Clement is an utterly contemporary folk-horror tale set on Walshaw Moor while Good Boy by Neil McRoberts is a profoundly moving piece, has been praised by Stephen King no less as ‘an excellent story. Reminded me of people like MR James.’ Katherine Clements is an author and writers’ coach. Her most recent book was The Coffin Path which was nominated for the HWA Gold Crown Award. Neil McRobert is a writer and the host of the landmark horror podcast Talking Scared.

Stephen May: Novel Writing Masterclass - Todmorden Community College - 10am

What makes a writer’s voice unique? Join novelist Stephen May for this stimulating workshop we will explore how to depict fictional worlds, characters, relationships, and situations so that they seem ‘real’.

Andrew Bibby, Andrew McCloy & Anita Sethi: Pennine Way: Celebrating 60 Years

Andrew Bibby is a writer and journalist. His most recent book, The Borders: The Lands We Share looks at how human activity is shaping the land on both sides of the Scottish/English border. His books have won awards from the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild, with his exploration of Jurassic oolite landscapes, Back Roads Through Middle England winning the Guild’s coveted Outdoor Book of the Year prize. Andrew McCloy is a writer, journalist and consultant, specialising in walking and outdoor recreation, and is currently Walks Programme Manager for the YHA. He’s just produced a series of short walks books to the Peak District and his next is an in-depth and personal profile of the Peak District National Park, which he chaired for five years until 2023. Dr Anita Sethi is an award-winning writer and author of the acclaimed book I Belong Here: a Journey Along the Backbone of Britain which won a Books Are My Bag award, and was nominated for the Wainwright Prize for UK Nature Writing, the Great Outdoors Award and Royal Society of Literature’s Ondaatje. She has written extensively for national newspapers and publications.

Joan Smith: Unfortunately, She Was A Nymphomaniac - St Mary's Church - 2pm

In her superb and illuminating history of Imperial Rome’s most important women, the columnist, author, activist and feminist historian Joan Smith re-interprets the bloody story of twenty-three women closely associated with the most famous emperors of Rome. In doing so she rescues them from ancientand modern misogyny and history becomes a vivid avenue of approach to a burning modern-world concern. Chair: Frankie Mullen

Bobby Joseph: My Dad Fights Demons! - Platform One Gallery - 7.30pm

Bobby Joseph is an acclaimed South London comic creator, the current UK Comics Laureate and the first comic book creator of Indian origin to become Comics Laureate. He has been a vocal advocate for diversity and representation in comic books throughout his career. His graphic novel, Scotland Yardie, published by Knockabout Comics in 2017, was the first diverse graphic novel to be studied as a module on an English Literature MA course at King’s College, London. He has written for The Guardian newspaper, Dazed and Confused, and Vice.com. As a secondary school teacher, he believes that comics are a gateway to literacy and learning and has used comics in the classroom to build subject knowledge. His newly-published graphicnovel My Dad Fights Demons! was released in September 2025 by Self-Made Hero.

Sarah Corbett & Clare Pollard: The Ishtar Gate and Lives of the Female Poets - Todmorden Library - 7.30pm

John Robb: The Rise, Fall & Resurrection of Oasis - Fielden Hall - 7.30pm

Think Oasis was just Britpop and brawls? Think again. In this, the definitive book on Britain’s biggest band, John Robb peels back the layers of Manchester’s best-known musical export, revealing a tale of ambition, talent and attitude. Live Forever is a rollercoaster ride through the Gallagher brothers’ turbulent lives and the music that defined a generation. It is also a portrait of Britain around the turn of the millennium and the places that shaped, and were shaped by, two cocksure upstarts from Burnage. John Robb runs the Louder Than War website and magazine.He is the author of several books on music.

Harriet Wistrich: Sister in Law: Fighting for Justice in a System Designed by Men - St Mary's Church - 7.30pm

A unique insight by the renowned feminist lawyer Harriet Wistrich into ten of her hard-won cases, demonstrating that terrifyingly often, the law is not fit for purpose for half the population. Harriet Wistrich is the founder and director of the Centre for Women’s Justice and a solicitor of over 25 years’ experience. She has worked for many years with civil liberties firm Birnberg Peirce, acting in many high-profile cases around violence against women, including on behalf of women who challenged the police and parole board in the John Worboys case. She is also a founder member of the campaign group Justice for Women. Chair: Frankie Mullen

Rob Chapman: Experimental Fiction Masterclass - Todmorden Library - 10am

This workshop will show you how to adopt experimental techniques to help your creativity. The practical exercises will illustrate how unconventional methods can be utilised in even the most conventional forms of writing.

Amanda Dalton Writing Poems Masterclass - Todmorden Library - 2pm

Whether you’re a terrified beginner or a seasoned writer who fancies an injection of new ideas, this practical, friendly workshop is for you. We’ll be reading some brilliant contemporary poems to inspire your own writing through a series of kick-start, lively exercises. For everyone aged 16+Amanda is a poet and playwright. Her collections How To Disappear, Stray and Fantastic Voyage (2024) are published by Bloodaxe. Pamphlets include 30 Poems In Thirty Days (Arc) and Notes on Water (smith|doorstop). She is a visiting lecturer at Manchester University and MMU’s Writing School, and an RLF Fellow. Amanda lives in Hebden Bridge. Her website is at amandadalton.co.uk

Open Mic

Todmorden Wednesday Writers and Gobshite Group - Monday 10 November 7-8.30pm at Todmorden Library.