Books
Manc Noir: Author David Nolan explains how anger inspired his latest book
Back in 2018, David Nolan took an unscheduled detour from his successful career as a journalist and music biographer to write his first novel, Black Moss. A dark crime tale set around Manchester and Oldham in 1990 during the Strangeways riots, it channelled many of Nolan’s fears and preoccupations into a new sub-genre he himself dubbed ‘Manc Noir’.
Read the full story..Book Review: Waiting For The Gift, Edited by Richard V. Hirst
For the bookish, the similarities are self-evident. If the short story is the literary equivalent of a pop song, crafted for brevity and immediacy, then the themed anthology is like an LP record, affording the space for both the instantly captivating and more experimental work.
Read the full story..Less Ginsberg, more Battenberg: Henry Normal writes for Northern Soul
I was checking my latest book was available online to pre-order recently when something caught my eye. Each book on Amazon has a ranking in terms of its sales.
Read the full story..Lessons on debutism and the ‘difficult’ second novel
“It took 17 years from typing the first word of the first manuscript to finally being published.”
Read the full story..Book Review: Fauna by David Hartley
It’s easy to recall the precise moment when I became a vegetarian.
Read the full story..Book Club: Northern Soul’s Right Good Reads
At Northern Soul, we can often be found with our nose buried in a book. As a team, we are notorious bookworms and are passionate about championing all things literary.
Read the full story..“Libraries are hanging on by their fingernails.” Author Patrick Gale talks to Northern Soul
The novelist Patrick Gale knows how to write an opening line.
Read the full story..Book Review: A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers
“You can always count on a murderer for a fancy prose style.”
Read the full story..A Woman’s Work: photographer Anne Worthington writes for Northern Soul
If you visit The Refuge in Manchester, you’ll find a rarity of an exhibition: images by renowned photographer Tish Murtha, as well as a selection of my work from East Manchester.
Read the full story..Editor's Picks
Advertising and Sponsorship Opportunities
Is your organisation interested in supporting quality journalism about culture, life and enterprise in the North of England?
For advertising and sponsorship opportunities contact Northern Soul’s Founder and Editor Helen Hugent at helennugent@northernsoul.me.uk.
Sign up for Northern Soul newsletter
The Northern Soul Poll

Recent Tweets for @Northern_Soul_
Happy birthday to @premierleague legend @alanshearer, who was born on this day in 1970 in Gosforth. The former @NUFC and @Rovers striker and current @BBCMOTD pundit is regarded as one of the the best strikers of his generation. He played 63 times for England, scoring 30. #Prem pic.twitter.com/nRI9KM0mHt
Philosopher and radio personality C.E.M Joad was born on this day in 1891 in Durham. Joad appeared on The Brains Trust, a BBC Radio wartime discussion programme. He popularised philosophy and became a celebrity, before his downfall in a scandal over an unpaid train fare in 1948. pic.twitter.com/kzlbbcIhn3
Theatre Review: The Osmonds – A New Musical, Palace Theatre, Manchester northernsoul.me.uk/theatre-re… ⭐️⭐️⭐️ pic.twitter.com/S4nnGA8YJA
"There’s something about a centre-half lashing it in from distance which lifts the soul." Northern Soul's Football Correspondent, Chris Holmes, muses on the first week of the new Premier League season for the big Northern clubs. northernsoul.me.uk/football-a… ⚽️⚽️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/djkmKTnp7o
@GroomB Ah, we went to St Mary's Lighthouse many times as a child.