Elizabeth Gaskell’s House is proud to welcome prize-winning British-Pakistani author Qaisra Shahraz on 11 October as part of the Manchester Literature Festival. Qaisra will be reading from her new book ‘The Concubine and the Slave Catcher’ followed by question and answers.

Following on from The Holy Woman, Typhoon, A Pair of Jeans and Revolt, this new book is a collection of a dozen stories, set on four continents and at different periods in history. Qaisra focuses on the drama of human relationships, played out against various scenarios: the daily struggles for survival of Jews in a Polish concentration camp; the selling of slaves in 18th-century Boston; the tragedies of the partition of India and Pakistan; modern-day friendships in Abu Dhabi, and the fatal jealousy of an Inca concubine and a Spanish wife in 16th -century Peru.

Qaisra is delighted to be talking about her new book in the home of one of her favourite authors. 

This event is free of charge and the tea room bar will be open from 5.45pm. The event will start at 6.30pm