A mosque in Manchester is hosting LitFest this weekend.
Khizra Mosque and Community Centre are hosting a literature festival this weekend, which runs for its third year. It plans to highlight books, authors, and creative work within the Muslim community. The festival, which aims to provide a platform for independent Muslim publishers and self-published writers, offers attendees the chance to discover new voices, meet authors, and deepen their engagement with literature.
Organisers say the event has continued to grow since its launch, attracting a wider audience and expanding its programme. This year’s festival featured a weekend of talks, workshops, and family activities, drawing writers, readers, and community members from across the region. Open to the public, the LitFest is positioned as a space for anyone interested in the power of words and storytelling.
Jamil Chishti is one of the curators at Muslim LitFest, he founded Beacon Books in 2013.
He said their aims are to, “try to bridge the gap between publisher, writer and reader,” so as to create a network for people to find new books but also to help new writers learn about the publishing process and how to get their books published.
With 25 different events across the weekend for a variety of ages, including children’s workshops, bookbinding workshops, and lectures, it is going to be an action-packed weekend.
One aim Jamil highlighted was the growth of a hunger for education and reading for the younger generation. He emphasized how important it was for this weekend to improve knowledge in the younger generation and improving society on a personal level.
With the growth each year, Jamil also showed the demand that was in the community for a weekend such as this compared to last year.
Muslim LitFest will be happening on the 6th and 7th December 2025 at Khizra Mosque and Community Centre in Cheetham Hill.