2015 A New Manchester Alphabet Publication with Special Collections and Manchester Writing School

Publication 2015: A New Manchester Alphabet.

A unique collaboration between the Manchester Writing School, the Manchester School of Art, Illustration with Animation and MMU Special Collections.

In 1906, Roger Oldham wrote and illustrated "A Manchester Alphabet". It's a book with a short poem and a picture for each letter of the alphabet, each on Manchester places/people - from Ancoats to Zoo (Belle Vue Zoo). This is a collaboration with MMU Special Collections and the Manchester School of Art. The idea is to update this with a new edition. The MA Creative Writing students provide new words, and illustration students provide new illustrations. The original book is out of copyright, and so can be integrated into the new edition. The appeal will be broad - from children learning the alphabet up to adult ‘Mancophiles’.

There will also be an exhibition to launch the book in November 2015.

How it will work:
The MA Creative Writing students, and tutors, produce half the poems. These poems will be used by the illustration students to respond to. The other half of the poems will be produced the other way around: Illustration students produce an illustration which the Creative Writing students respond to.

The project will initially involve L6 Illustration students as part of UNIT X and then bring in L4 L5 students after Unit X ends in May.

Publication will be supported by joint staff input and use tutorial and workshop sessions to support learning in the context of a live brief.