Writers in the Manchester Salon Review section

Writers of articles on this site are not paid for anything published here, and shouldn't be seen as necessarily reflecting the views of the people behind the Salon - they're primarily published to bring to the fore some current nuances of trends in society.

Anne Ryan

Anne Ryan is currently working at Wythenshawe Hospital, trying hard to keep her particular corner of the NHS going. She is keen to extend her experience and reviewing of Manchester's cultural life, complimenting her wide range of interests including politics, current affairs self-development and culture in the widest sense. When the opportunity arises, Anne is looking to get back into charity fundraising.

Reviews: Carnage, Coriolanus, J Edgar, Shame, The Artist, The Iron Lady, Dragon Tattoo - remake, Dreams of a Life, Deep Blue Sea, Wuthering Heights, Talk about Kevin, Badlands, One Man, Two Guvnors, Jane Eyre, The Skin I Live In, The Tree of Life, Of Gods and Men, Inside Job, Private Lives, The King's Speech, Hamlet, The Social Network, Arcadia, Dr Faustus, Salt and Salander, Coco Chanel, Pygmalion, Dragon Tattoo

Charlotte Starkey

Charlotte Starkey has been an English teacher and lecturer for many years, teaching across the whole range of English Literature at every level of study. The subject of her doctorate examined the poetry of Hopkins with special reference to the affinities between nineteenth century aesthetic and political thought. She writes, reads widely in contemporary and past literary and philosophical works, plays and listens to music.

Charlotte is fascinated by the stories contained in local histories, relaxes by gardening, cycling, visiting the coast - especially in stormy weather, walking her German Shepherd dog and enjoying woodland and hill walking.

Reviews: An Inspector Calls, How to Direct a Play, Wind in the Willows, Adolphe Valette, Ford Madox Brown, Edward II, As You Like It, Lang Lang, Brassed Off, Macbeth, Chopin & Poetry

Dave Porter

After more than 20 years working in weekly newspapers in Manchester, Dave Porter has now established his own business, Porter Media, to provide freelance media services - everything from old fashioned journalism to media training, writing Press Releases to undertaking research work into the current state of the UK media. His interests in terms of reviewing life in the theatre (well catered for in Manchester), music and books.

Reviews: Beautiful Thing, Flashback, David McAlmont, Memento Park, Changing face of journalism, Lloyd Cole, The Lady from the Sea, The Illusionist, Sheesha in Radcliffe, Skeletons, Wallpaper, Art and Culture, Pygmalion, The Road

Denis Joe

Denis Joe is a poet and freelance writer in Liverpool.  He teaches poetry for the Liverpool charity North End Writers as well as co-editing their journal The Accent. He is a supporting member of the Spider Project and Edits the client magazine, Serus for Nugent Care.

His blog, Talking Verse, was set up early in January (2011) as a forum to discuss issues around poetry.

Reviews: Liverpool Poetry Cafe, Also Ran, Gina Czarnecki, 50 Words for Snow, No Thyself, Magazine, Ensemble of St. Luke's, Welsh National Opera, Democratic Promenade, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, On Tolerance, Museum of Liverpool, Gorgeous George, Mersey Ports, The King's English, St Lukes Ensemble, Philharmonic 2011/12, St John Passion, Fusion Wind Quintet, Liverpool Philharmonic, Lunchtime Recital, Capstone, Howl, Liverpool Uni recital, Fauré Piano Quartet, David Jacques, Oedipus, Phantom of the Apple, Nam June Paik

Emily Pitts

Emily Pitts graduated from Manchester School of Architecture with a BA Hons in 2008 and now practices as a full time artist from her home in Manchester.  She combines busy community-led arts practice with development of personal ideas-based work, running art classes & craft fairs, delivering training and assessing NVQs. Her creative artworks involves creative enquiry around themes including relationships, the role of women and internal dialogues.  

Emily is passionate about life and making the most of every moment. Her interests include spending time with her daughter, climbing, running, mountaineering, camping and especially baking gorgeous cakes.

Reviews: Buy Art Fair

Emma Short

Since moving back to Manchester from the Cornish coast Emma has been working in education. She has a background in Philosophy & Ethics, Counselling & Music. She partakes in spoken words events around Chorlton and enjoys a variety of writing projects and collaborations.

Reviews: Two, Celluloid, Tindersticks, Life in the UK, Thrasher

Fat Roland

Fat Roland is a Manchester writer and DJ. He has won awards for his writing, including Blog Of The Year at the 2010 Manchester Blog Awards for his website Fat Roland On Electronica. He has contributed to 330 Words, Greenroom United, Manchester Salon, Write In For Writing's Sake and several other websites, has an extensive history of print journalism snuggled neatly under his belt, and is writer of the comedy lecture "The Gospel According To Aphex Twin". His DJing gigs include various Northern Quarter electronica nights, lengthy skate park mix sessions and pretend-scratching in front of 3,500 pop fans at Manchester Apollo. In 2010, he gave up his telly to concentrate more on writing, though confesses to missing "Homes Under The Hammer".

Reviews: Omid Djalili, John Barrowman, Method Lab 2011, Zack, Frankophilia!, The Social Network

Hannah Mason

Hannah Mason is a high calibre student at New Mills School Business and Enterprise College and since an early age has excelled in English and Drama. Getting all ‘A’ and ‘A*’s’ in recent work, Hannah is a young student wishing to pursue a career in Journalism or in the Performing Arts. Hannah is a huge fan of William Shakespeare as she feels he helped shape the English Language, finding his stories and tales both fascinating and unique. On a recent work experience placement, Hannah interviewed and then wrote about several local business people, and was lucky enough to read and review Melvin Burgess’ new novel prior to its publication, which has helped publicly test out her writing skills greatly, and subsequently has setup her own blog to review life for young people called Fresh Look.

Reviews: Melvin Burgess, Work Experience, Kill All Enemies

Helen Nugent

Helen Nugent is a journalist based in Manchester. After 15 years in London, working mostly for The Times as a reporter, specialist and editor, she has recently returned to her Northern roots. Now working as a freelancer, she is enjoying Manchester and Lancashire life. Current projects include theatre reviewing, corporate writing, property articles, media training and financial freelancing. When she's not working from her office overlooking the Pennines, Helen visits quirky museums, galleries, hostelries and any and every crazy Northern festival. Helen is writing a play and seeing as much theatre, art and music as life will allow.

Reviews: Can't Take it with You, Antonia Fraser, Ramsbottom Festival, Look Back in Anger

Iain Brassington

Iain Brassington is a lecturer in Bioethics at the Centre for Social Ethics and Policy and the Institute for Science, Ethics and Innovation at the University of Manchester. He's also an editor of, and contributor to, the Journal of Medical Ethics' blog, and recently judged school students reasoning in the Debating Matters competition.

Reviews: Not a Chimp, The Bacchae, Glengarry Glen Ross

Katherine Sansom

Katherine Sansom is the editor of Freedom in a Puritan Age. She is a playwright and has won a number of prizes, including the BBC Northern Exposure prize, and had a play performed at Bradford Theatre-in-the-Mill and the West Yorkshire Playhouse. Katherine graduated from Sheffield Hallam University with a master's degree in creative writing, and works as an online copywriter, is a director of Bank Street Arts, is the business manager of The Poetry Business and is also web-manager of the Leeds Salon website.

Reviews: SlutWalks

Kathrine Payne

Kathrine Payne is a student at New Mills Business & Enterprise College. Her wide range of interests includes acting, dancing, and playing both piano and guitar. She is an A and A* student, and generally too cool for school. She’s taken various exams for music, drama and dance and really enjoys the pride that comes from completing them. Other interests include writing, art, and watching plays. Kathrine has a really varied love of books, and always tries to make time to read. In the future she wants to continue writing in her spare time, as this has always been a passion of hers.

Reviews: Melvin Burgess, Work Experience, Kill All Enemies

Sara Porter

Sara Porter originally studied a chemistry degreee, before then retraining as a teacher. Sara now is now a freelance photographer based in the High Peak but travels across the UK for her work. Her work covers a variety of genres including fine art, commercial, wedding, portraiture and event photography. Sara is a member of the Royal Photographic Society, and the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers.

Reviews: Life in the UK, Anarcadia, Nadav Kander, Birth of British Rock

Stuart Comins

Stuart is passionate about music - writing and performing his own music, and producing it at his QWAX Recording Studio in Huddersfield. QWAX Studio has the highest technical standards, helping with arrangement, performance, vocal delivery and much more. Having worked in and around music for many years, Stuart knows plenty of additional musicians for those wanting a complete house backing band. He's now extending his knowledge and experience of music through the review section to write about contemporary trends.

Reviews: Hans Island and Little Comets

Temi Ogunye

Temi is a columnist for Manchester's student paper, the Student Direct: Mancunian Edition.

Reviews: I Ought To Be in Pictures

Yasmin Redfearn

Yasmin Redfearn is at New Mills Business & Enterprise College with a particular academic interest in history and geography. Having spent her life living on farms, Yasmin is a very rounded and practical individual with a bubbly personality that comes out through her drama studies, and young farmers activities. Not one to know her place, Yasmin aspires to be a barrister or criminal.. lawyer. She is a mostly A'S canditate and always tries her best.

Reviews: Melvin Burgess, Work Experience, Kill All Enemies

Yvonne Cawley

Yvonne Cawley is a timed served civil servant adept in a variety of roles from personnel through support to small businesses and even rent redemption. Very widely read with a real passion for murder mystery and crime novels that mask a very warm and friendly nature.

Reviews: Messrs Comedy, Call Me!, Dog Day Dimp, Diaspora