06/10/2025
Another mention that The Manchester Literature Festival is 20 years old and celebrating with an exhibition of photography at Manchester Central Library featuring some of the many amazing writers, poets and playwrights they've hosted...and that I've been lucky enough to photograph. You can find out more about it here. It runs until 16 December and is free to visit.
Here are some of my photos from the exhibition. Will be dripping them out over coming weeks. Full set here: https://www.jonparkerlee.com/manchester-literature-festival-photography-exhibition/
1. Poet extraordinaire and the ‘Bard of Barnsley, Ian McMillan. Lovely guy and a joy to hear him read his work aloud. He liked this shot that much he bought the rights for one of his book covers.
2. Joanne Trollope at the Royal Exchange. As with all of these it really is a quick minute or two and they’re off again. You also get the same venues again and again so it’s hard to keep it interesting but managed to get her right in the middle of the 360 degree circular theatre here.
3. Likewise, sometimes you’re just in a library room and have to revert to that standard author portrait, as here with Arne Dahl.
4. Sometimes, however, you get in early enough to setup a nice portrait as here with the renowned pop artist Peter Blake. This is one of my favourites, partly because of who he is but also because I’d like to think I did the subject some justice…quickly setting up a few colour gels on the lights to bring in the red, white and blue of the Union flag that he has utilised throughout his life’s work. Amazing to have met him and, need I say, the man who designed the artwork for arguably the most famous and influential album cover ever.
