So last night was great - just the right mix of people, music, alcohol, readings… even the lighting was perfect. Personal highlights were Sally Cook’s first ever reading (it didn’t show at all), Socrates Adams-Florou and his laptop, Richard Barrett’s hilarious (in the right way) poems, John McAuliffe’s David Gaffney’s anti-PowerPoint short stories (done incredibly creatively on PowerPoint) and Tao Lin’s video readings. Well done Sally and Chris, and bring on October’s installment.

Things seem to be picking up in the Manchester literature world even before the literature festival begins on 16 October. This Saturday, for example, the Friends’ Meeting House next to Central Library hosts this event:

Inspiring workshops and panel discussions about the short story and all its forms with guests author and screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce, writer and poet David Constantine, author and playwright Elizabeth Baines, publisher and short story specialist Ra Page and producer/director Polly Thomas, who commissions short stories for BBC Radio.

Anyone who loves to read short stories or would like to know more about writing for publication or radio is welcome.

The event, supported by local publisher Comma Press and the National Story Campaign, runs from 1-5pm and tickets cost £8 - call Rose or Libby on 0161 234 1317 or email r.ryan@manchester.gov.uk if you’re interested. You can also download the full programme and booking form here.

‘There’s no point in not being friends with someone if you want to be friends with them.’ It’s a mantra I first spotted on Facebook, and I assumed it was a campaign against denying friend requests on various social networking sites. Hey, maybe it is?

Either way, it’s also the fullest name of No Point in Not Being Friends, a monthly literature (that’s poetry and prose) event that takes place at the Deaf Institute. Here’s more about the 23 September event, tomorrow:

The third night is in the Upstairs Music Hall of the Deaf Institute (new Trof), off Oxford Road. Joe Stretch, David Gaffney, John McAuliffe, and Jenn Ashworth will be reading, along with lots of other scheduled and open-mic readers, and the American writer Tao Lin will be doing the ‘video reading’.

Stretch - singer in local electro band Performance and writer-in-residence at Manchester University’s Centre for New Writing - has had plenty of exposure lately, and Lin’s video reading should be interesting.

The event is inspired by New York’s underground literature scene and there’s a big lit-blog connection too - including through organisers Sally Cook and Chris Killen, Ashworth, who reviewed July’s event, and the event’s own dedicated blog. It’s also on MySpace, so practically every base is covered.

No Point in Not Being Friends kicks off at 8pm and is free. Check out Katie Popperwell’s article on the new-look CityLife website for more information and an interview with Cook.

And while we’re on the subject of Manchester lit, today’s Metro flagged up a free showcase of work by the Centre for New Writing’s PhD students, which takes place in the Committee Room of the Central Library at 1pm on Wednesday 24 September.

It’s normally subjects such as congestion charges that get Mancunians’ temperatures rising. But a recent development in Manchester radioland has proven to be just as controversial. Here’s what Karolyn Judge wrote in Metro a couple of weeks back:

For the past two years, Oldham-based radio station, 96.2 The Revolution, has had an alternative music policy. Listeners could expect music from bands such as Fleet Foxes and Herman Dune, shows dedicated to genres including Northern Soul, rock and old-school house, and locally based presenters such as The Smiths’ ex-drummer Mike Joyce.

In the past week, however, Wham!, Justin Timberlake and Elton John have popped up on the playlist. The change may be due to a decline in listening figures and rumours are circulating that the station has new part owners. And we’re not the only one’s wondering what’s going on. A spokesperson from The Revolution admitted to Metro: ‘We don’t know what’s happening.’ This doesn’t bode well, does it?

Turns out that local TV and radio presenter Steve Penk bought the Rev out and has subsequently completely reprogrammed its schedule - including a weekday breakfast show hosted by him (so expect plenty more where this came from), and a Sunday show featuring, er, Pat Sharp.

The music policy has changed completely too, from interesting, radio-friendly indie (the kind of stuff many hoped XFM Manchester would bring) to pointless drivel. Penk, whose name is dropped practically between every track, cites listening figures plummeting from 80,000 to 17,000 as the reason for the change - but thousands of listeners now feel alienated.

To bring the story fully up to date, How-Do.co.uk reports that several of the Rev’s former presenters - including familiar names from the local music scene such as Mike Joyce, Mani and Martin Coogan - have formed a breakaway group, codenamed Radio Republic. They’re currently looking for investors to help get their phoenix out of the flames.

UPDATE: As pointed out in a comment, Radio Republic now has its own website, http://www.revradio.co.uk, with a test broadcast. It’s hosted by Manchester Radio Online.

Almost a year ago, I attended the launch of a project called MELD. Organised by UCLAN in Preston and Sheffield-based Just.b, it called upon journalists and designers to pitch creative ideas with a view to developing them further at workshops.

This year, Just.b returns with its Mapping Creativity project and another invitation to pitch, this time with four awards of £1,000 and one of £25,000 up for grabs:

Manchester Beacon aims to commission an interactive project that drives Manchester’s collective creativity. The commissioned project will use disruptive, open source or social technologies to aggregate and maximise Manchester’s resources. It will catalyse, facilitate and forge links between disconnected communities through a series of physical and virtual activities. It will facilitate better communication between two or more social groups and provide tools to visualise this interaction.

The project will be co-designed with its users and have the potential to live on after the commissioned project is over. The winning project will be supported, not driven, by technology.

The deadline for submissions was last Friday and the b.TWEEN website has now been updated with around 40 ’seed ideas’. It’s worth taking some time to browse the entries and see what some of Manchester’s creative minds are coming up with. These four are of particular interest to me:

• People’s Voice Media - a collaboration between local artists and community reporters
• Arc Space - a cluster of reconditioned computers based in Hulme
• Beyond the Wall - a democratic music scene system, presented by Band on the Wall
• Manchester Underground - a ‘participatory mobile phone film game’

Visitors are invited to vote for their favourite ideas in order to see them developed further.

We’re less than a month away from this year’s In The City, the first without Tony Wilson, who launched the music conference with partner Yvette Livesey in 1992. And general manager Jon-Paul Waddington has been in touch with details of the live side of the event, which has helped the likes of Mercury Prize-winners Elbow, Coldplay and, er, the Darkness get a record deal.

As well as dozens of fringe shows, the official ITC Unsigned this year features 49 bands you’ve never heard of. Jon-Paul suggests that you check out Jesse Rose, Barn Owl, I Am Austin, Baddies, Flashguns, The Fire And I, Telegram From The Queen, General Fiasco and Oscar Charlie - and I’d recommend The Travelling Band, who I’ve mentioned before. The only other two names I recognise are Nomad Jones and The Paris Riots - but that’s the whole point: hearing something completely new.

Perhaps more importantly for non-industry types, however, are the Live showcases, which invite 22 ITC-related organisations to put on the bands they think are the best in the world right now. Here are some of the most impressive showcases:

Heavenly Recordings: Cherry Ghost, Edwyn Collins, Loose Salute, Romeo Stodart (The Magic Numbers), John Head (Shack), Pete Greenwood

Piccadilly Records: Woodcraft Folk, Beach Fuzz, DA Jaycock Quartet, Magic Arm, Colorama, The Real Dolls, Sophie’s Pigeons, Down The Tiny Steps, Sara Lowes

The Warehouse Project/Eat Your Own Ears (opening party): Reverend & The Makers, Tricky, The Whip, Late Of The Pier, Midnight Juggernauts, Simian Mobile Disco, Four Tet

Fierce Panda: The Spinto Band, Dutch Uncles, Laymar, Airship, Acres Of Lions, Capital

Plus there are plenty of other showcases by the likes of Alan McGee, Drowned in Sound, Twisted Nerve, XFM, Channel M, BBC Introducing and the NME. This information isn’t published online yet, but expect full details to be here soon.

In The City 2008 takes places on October 5-7 and is based at the Midland Hotel.