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19 August 2008 - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BANVILLE NOVEL TO PREVIEW IN NEW MANCHESTER JOURNAL

The first chapter of John Banville’s forthcoming novel The Sinking City will appear exclusively in the new literary journal The Manchester Review, to be launched by The University of Manchester at the beginning of October.

The eagerly awaited book is Banville’s first literary fiction since The Sea, which won the Man Booker prize in 2005.

The Manchester Review will be published by the University’s Centre for New Writing, home to Professor of Creative Writing Martin Amis, as it enters its second year.

In addition to the Banville extract, the first issue will feature new work by high profile writers Ali Smith, Paul Muldoon, M.J. Hyland and Bill Manhire.

The journal also aims to nurture and promote new writers and artists, including Chris Killen, Josh Bell and Larry Goves in the first issue.

It will depart from the medium’s conventions approach by existing only online, but readers will be able to print a stand-alone version of each piece of content on demand.

New issues will appear each spring and autumn, and will often include broadcasts of new music and public debates, visual art and video pieces as well as fiction and poetry.

The journal will be edited by the Centre's co-directors John McAuliffe and Ian McGuire.

John McAuliffe said: “Manchester and The University of Manchester were home to some of the UK’s most innovative twentieth century literary journals, including Brian Cox’s Critical Quarterly and Michael Schmidt’s PN Review.

“The Manchester Review takes its cue from their proactive promotion of new writing, but uses online media to show and sponsor the interplay of poetry, fiction, music, visual art and essays by new and established practitioners.

“We hope that it will find new readers and audiences for exciting and innovative creative work, which is steeped in traditional virtues.

“This will be accompanied by the Review’s lively critical blog, which will take the temperature of - and maybe sometimes set the agenda for – the contemporary arts in the UK and beyond.”

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Notes for Editors

The Manchester Review will be launched at www.themanchesterreview.co.uk at the beginning of October.

John McAuliffe and Ian McGuire are available for interview

Images are available

The full list of contributors to the first issue is:

· John Banville

· Ali Smith

· Paul Muldoon

· M.J. Hyland

· Bill Manhire

· Vona Groarke

· Neil Rollinson

· Roshanak Pashaee

· Kirsty Gunn

· John H Williams

· Matt Welton

· Chris Killen

· Mebdh McGuckian

· Larry Goves

· Josh Bell

For further information please contact Jo Nightingale on 0161 ....

ABOUT THE CENTRE FOR NEW WRITING

The Centre for New Writing at The University of Manchester is home to a range of programmes in creative writing and contemporary literature, from undergraduate to PhD level.

It hosts the major public reading series Literature Live, Martin Amis Public Events and the new online journal The Manchester Review.

Its distinguished teaching staff includes novelists Martin Amis, M.J. Hyland, Geoff Ryman and Ian McGuire, and poets John McAuliffe and Vona Groarke.