While legendary chanteuse, Edith Piaf, is celebrated as one of France's biggest international stars, much of her life is shrouded in mystery. To shed light on the Parisian Sparrow, DAF showcases an intriguing evening, with a talk by musician and lecturer Derek Blyth, accompanied by Didsbury-based songbird, Jill Taylor. Those who attended DAF two ye...

Get ready for Afro-Cuban rhythms in the park One of the highlights of DAF 2019 will be the Curious Picnic in Didsbury Park with music by the unmissable ZunZun. The band plays Afro-Cuban music – get ready to rumba! 'We play a range of rhythms such as macuta, bata, palo, yuka and rumba. They all have dances associated with them,' said ZunZun band mem...

Finding your inner hero Author, Brenda Mallon, reveals why she is making a 'forgotten' generation the focus of her creative writing workshop… "Over many years I have been struck by the number of times people known as 'Baby Boomers' - those born between 1945 and 1965 - describe themselves as being invisible or overlooked. "The cult of youth has some...

  Nell Stevens In 2013, Nell Stevens struggled to write her Ph.D. thesis about Elizabeth Gaskell while navigating the rocky landscape of a long-distance love affair.In 1857, following the publication of her controversial Life of Charlotte Brontë , Mrs Gaskell escaped to Rome where she met the love of her life, the American author and social re...

A Normal Universe Well-known for his work in TV and film production, Henry Normal is rediscovering his first love, poetry.Deborah Grace catches up with him ahead of his forthcoming appearance at DAF 2019. Henry Normal is in Bexhill with the in-laws.They're just out for a walk with his wife, Angela, and 19-year-old son, Johnny, so Henry's grabbing a...

Former divorce lawyer turned bestselling kindle author, Caroline England, talks to Deborah Grace about the inspiration for her new novel Betray Her. What is your earliest memory? I can't remember much before I was eight.That's when I went to boarding school, which defined my childhood.I vividly remember being homesick and dreadfully missing my pare...

ZunTold Stories A new, independent publishing house, specialising in children's and young adult fiction, aims to place Manchester authors on the front cover. ZunTold is the brainchild of Elaine Bousfield, from Chorlton, whose long-held dream has been to combine her twin passions, literature and therapy. 'I've been a writer, myself, and my backgroun...

Blog post   The Child Who Spoke With Her Eyes, Sue Stern  I'm delighted to be presenting once again at the wonderful Didsbury Arts Festival. This time I shall talk about The Child Who Spoke With Her Eyes, my recently published 1960s/70s memoir of Vanessa, our beautiful, charismatic daughter. She was profoundly disabled by cerebral palsy b...

DAF 2019: A Curious Festival Didsbury Art Festival is 10 years old! And with more than 100 fantastic events packed into nine days, this year's landmark anniversary festival is going to be bigger and better than ever! Poet Lemn Sissay MBE, author Nell Stevens ( Mrs Gaskell and Me ) and Manchester singer/songwriter Liam Frost Writer will among this y...

  Local companies answer the call to be curious ! File Name: Major-sponsors-announced-for-DAF-20192 File Size: 136 kb Download File

After a number of years organising and delivering the community lantern parade, DAF will be taking a step back this year as we look towards the planning of the 2019 festival taking place from 22 - 30 June. Thank you to everyone who has supported, attended or participated in the parade in the past. We look forward to working with community grou...