Commuters travelling on Manchester’s trams will be able to grab a free book today, as thousands are given away along the Metrolink network.
Free reads have been placed on tram seats at the crack of dawn ready to be picked up by those travelling around Greater Manchester.
It’s all part of the World Book Day celebrations today, Thursday 2 March, created to promote a love of reading among kids and their families.
The free book giveaway on the trams is a partnership between charity World Book Day, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the National Literacy Trust (NLT) and Manchester City Council.
Metrolink staff have placed the books on trams from depots, the majority of which will be for children but a selection will be for adults too.
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And if you miss the books on the trams, there are also freebies being handed out from three city libraries – Central Library at St Peter’s Square, Abraham Moss Library, and the Forum Library in Wythenshawe.
World Book Day has chosen Manchester to host visits from L.D. Lapinski and A.M. Dassu, two of their 14 authors for the special day, who will take a ride on the trams and visit local schools.
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Free books are being given away on Manchester trams. Credit: Unsplash
More than 300 children from five primary schools in the city will visit Central Library during the day for a special ‘meet the author’ session with award-winning author Hannah Gold, winner of the Blue Peter Book Award 2022 for her book The Lost Bear.
Councillor Adele Douglas, Deputy Executive Member for Employment, Skills, and Leisure, Manchester City Council said: “We take reading for pleasure very seriously here in Manchester and want all our children and young people to grow up loving a good read.
“Research shows that reading literally can change lives, and what better day to champion and celebrate this than on World Book Day.
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“So, whether you’re on a tram, sitting at home, or out and about in one of our libraries, pick up a book and see where it takes you!”
Danny Vaughan, TfGM’s Head of Metrolink, said: “We’re very pleased to be supporting partners in marking World Book Day in a very unique way in Manchester, and we can’t wait to welcome pupils and authors onto Metrolink throughout the day as part of the celebrations.
“Travelling on public transport can be a good time for customers of all ages to catch up on some reading, and I hope everyone enjoys the books that will be left for them on the trams today.”
Cassie Chadderton, Chief Executive at World Book Day said: “At World Book Day, we want all families, children and young people to have the opportunity to discover a love of reading. Fun reading experiences are at the heart of helping children and young people become lifelong readers and set them up for future success.
“We’re delighted to be working with our partners in Manchester to help make sure families, children and young people in the city have access to our World Book Day books and develop a lifelong habit of reading for pleasure. Just a short time spent reading together as a family can have a major impact on how children view reading.
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“We can’t wait to see how families across Manchester make this year’s World Book Day their own.”
Featured image: TfGM
What's On
The UK’s biggest weekly artisan market with 100+ indie traders is landing in Manchester next weekend
Emily Sergeant
The UK’s biggest weekly artisan market with 100+ indie traders is landing in Manchester from this weekend.
After a hugely successful first six months for the historic market hall, welcoming more than 50,000 visitors through its doors since opening for the first time in 100 years last summer, Campfield Market is set to expand as part of its partnership with GRUB and St John’s to create the biggest weekly artisan market in the UK.
Launching next weekend for the first time, Campfield Market at St John’s will extend beyond the iconic Campfield building and out onto Grape Street, transforming the area into a one-kilometre loop of market stalls, street food, and independent retail.
Each week, visitors can expect more than 100 independent traders to line the hall and streets, spanning street food, local produce, artisan goods, and makers, alongside an expanded food and drink lineup.
The UK’s biggest weekly artisan market with 100+ indie traders is landing in Manchester next weekend / Credit: Supplied
Just some of the indie traders you can expect to see at the weekly market include Oi Polloi, Sticky Fingers, Suzume, Rack, Joe & Co, Divine Dumplings, Salvis, Mouse Kingdom, and many more.
The expansion marks a major milestone not just for Campfield Market, but for the wider St John’s neighbourhood.
It’s hoped that the new weekly market will bring increased footfall, new opportunities for independent businesses, and just become a regular destination to the city centre.
“This is more than just a market expansion, it’s a reimagining of what a city centre market can be,” organisers declared.
Speaking ahead of next weekend’s launch, Jason Bailey, who is the founder of GRUB, added: “It is absolutely fantastic to see the market go from strength to strength, we’re so lucky to have the best of the best when it comes to traders in this magnificent setting and that Manchester has embraced it.
“This summer, we expect St John’s to become a huge hotspot for day trippers and locals alike.”
Campfield Market at St John’s will take place every Saturday from 10am to 4pm, starting 18 April 2026.
Offering a constantly evolving mix of operators, flavours and experiences, there’ll something new to discover each week.
Featured Image – Supplied
What's On
AO Arena are hosting an ‘Evening 4’ Ricky Hatton in memory of the legendary Manchester boxer
Danny Jones
Manchester is set to host a night of remembrance and celebration in honour of the late, great, local boxer, Ricky Hatton.
Coming this summer, the AO Arena – where Hatton enjoyed so many of his iconic moments – will be holding the first-ever ‘Evening4Ricky’ later this year.
Held at the legendary sports and live entertainment venue just in time for summer, we still know very little about what the actual event will entail.
Sharing the news on social media, AO Arena said: “Join us for an unforgettable night of entertainment as Manchester comes together for Evening4Ricky.
“This will be a spectacular, unique celebration of the life, spirit and legacy of one of the city’s most beloved icons – Ricky ‘The Hitman’ Hatton.”
With seats priced at £25, fans are being encouraged to join the early bird sign-up to secure access to discounted tickets.
They go on to add: “Hosted at the legendary AO Arena, home to so many of Ricky’s big fights, featuring a superstar cast of legends from the worlds of boxing, music, comedy and entertainment.”
So, we do at least know there’ll be some famous faces coming along to help make it a memorable Manc moment, just a few months on from the city and beyond uniting for his public funeral procession.
Ricky was beloved not only by the Greater Manchester community but was a popular figure and friend to many in the sporting and showbiz industries.
The homegrown ‘Pride of Hyde‘ tragically left us on 14 September 2025 at the age of just 46, but his passing has once again helped reassert the importance of having more conversations around wellbeing, suicide prevention, and most specifically, men’s mental health.
You can find more information and see how to grab tickets right HERE.
This isn’t the only charitable in memoriam event happening across the region in the coming weeks, either, as Mancs will be gathering to pay tribute to another fellow inspiring sportsman.
Daisy Jackson -
2nd March 2023 
