In Conversation with author VARAIDZO - Launching 'Manny And The Baby'

We are thrilled to be bringing the acclaimed author VARAIDZO back to Liverpool, a place she called home during the formative years of her debut novel, Manny And The Baby. Our host, Ni Maxine, will be in conversation with Varaidzo, who will be signing copies of her book, so bring a copy with you (if you’ve already got one). *We have teamed up with Dead Ink (bookshop) who are making the book available to purchase at the event.

Expect a cultural conversation, sparked by VARAIDZO’s brand new novel, ‘Manny And The Baby’, a very special book about family, relationships, identity and place, jazz and what it means to be ‘Black British’.

Bring along your favourite jazz vinyl to be part of the soundtracking of this very special occasion and put your record on at our ‘Now Playing’ station.

Manny and the Baby is a character-driven debut novel, full of heart, about what it means to be Black and British, now and in the past. With jazz running through this book, we had to shout about it!

Varaidzo is a writer, editor and artist. She is a contributor to the romance anthology Who’s Loving You (Trapeze, 2021). Her short story ‘Bus Stop’ was shortlisted for the Guardian 4th Estate BAME Prize 2018. She is a contributor to the bestselling anthology The Good Immigrant which won the reader's choice at the Books Are My Bag Awards 2016. Her debut novel Manny and the Baby will be published in April 2024.

She was previously the Digital Editor at Wasafiri and the Arts & Culture Editor at gal-dem. Her essays and articles have been featured in The Guardian and New Statesman amongst other publications.