Two exciting new voices from Stormzy’s #Merky Books come together at Manchester Museum for a special Manchester Literature Festival conversation exploring identity, belonging, migration and a new generation of Black British writing.
Sufiyaan Salam and Monika Radojevic will discuss their acclaimed debut novels, Wimmy Road Boyz and Strangerland, and the very different worlds and experiences that inspired them.
Set over one unforgettable night in Manchester, Sufiyaan Salam’s Wimmy Road Boyz follows three friends searching for freedom, adventure and escape while navigating friendship, masculinity and the expectations placed upon them.
Salam, who is from Blackburn, is a writer, screenwriter and former animator and was selected as one of the Observer’s Best Debut Novelists for 2026.
Monika Radojevic’s Strangerland moves across countries, decades and cultures, exploring migration, displacement, love and the experience of trying to find belonging when home is not easily defined.
Radojevic is a Brazilian-Montenegrin writer whose previous work includes the short-story collection A Beautiful Lack of Consequences and the poetry collection Teeth in the Back of My Neck.
Both writers are winners of the #Merky Books New Writers’ Prize, an initiative established by Stormzy’s publishing imprint to identify and support new literary voices.
Hosted by Ciaron Wilkinson, the conversation offers audiences an opportunity to hear two emerging writers discuss storytelling, identity and the experiences shaping contemporary British literature.
The event is presented by Manchester Literature Festival in partnership with #Merky Books, Manchester Museum, the Centre for New Writing and Creative Manchester.
Time: 5pm–7pm
Admission is free, but advance booking is required.
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