Ginsberg and Manchester: Roger Bygott in conversation

The iconic Beat poet Allen Ginsberg visited Manchester just twice—in 1973 and 1979. Although he barely figures in the city’s history, those two brief visits hold richer stories.

Roger Bygott has uncovered previously undocumented information about Manchester music entrepreneur Alan Wise's longstanding connection with Allen Ginsberg. Wise, manager/promoter of bands such as New Order, Blue Orchids, Donovan, Nico and John Cooper Clarke, lived his life in many ways in keeping with the Beat ethic.

Steven Taylor, Ginsberg's guitarist and travelling companion of twenty years, was from Gorton, east Manchester.

In his book, Ginsberg & Manchester, Roger publishes rarely seen photographs taken by Allen Ginsberg of Nico, John Cooper Clarke (and his mum), Alan Wise, Anne Waldman, and Steven Taylor.

To hear more of these stories, join us to mark the publication of Roger Bygott’s new book Ginsberg & Manchester, out now with the Manchester-based press, Confingo Publishing. Roger will be in conversation with Rachel Connor, and there will be a guest reading of extracts from Ginsberg’s work by writer and performance poet Jonathan Wilson.

Ginsberg & Manchester will be available for purchase at the event.

Doors 7 pm for a 7.20 pm start. Free admission (inc. 1 free drinks token).

Roger Bygott is a writer and researcher living in Manchester. He was an ordained Buddhist for twenty years and lived in a monastery in the Spanish mountains for three years. He studied Interactive Arts at Manchester Metropolitan University, which led him to co-found and co-direct Manifest Arts, a biennial arts festival in Manchester that highlighted the city’s network of arts studios. His essays have been published in Beat Scene and Dark Mountain.

Rachel Connor is a coach, author, facilitator and founder of 'Creative Courage.'  As a creative courage guide, she helps people to unravel the underlying patterns that hold them back from creating so they can speak, write and act with more conviction and courage.

Jonathan Wilson is a proudly Mancunian writer, performance poet and proprietor of bookshop Greenhouse Books in Stockport.His work is inspired by the Beat generation—Allen Ginsberg in particular.

If you can’t make the event but would like a copy of the book, you can purchase it directly from Confingo Publishing:

confingopublishing.uk/product-page/ginsberg-manchester