Lemn Sissay will deliver his updated poetic vision of Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech at the Manchester literature festival, which takes place in the city from 7-20 October. Sissay’s piece on 19 October has been commissioned to mark the 50th anniversary of the King speech, and will be followed by the Manchester Camerata principal players’ performance of Beethoven’s String Quartet op.130. Top poets at the festival include Owen Sheers and Ian McMillan kicking around their passion for sport and the joys of being a writer in residence for sporting clubs; Jackie Kay and Ali Smith exploring the legacy of Sylvia Plath ; and Elaine Feinstein talking about her memoir. Other poetic highlights include a guided walk  through the city, accompanied by poems along the way, the Commonword Superheroes of Slam final  on 9 October at 7.30pm, and the results of two other poetry competitions, the Manchester Cathedral contest and the Manchester Poetry Prize, announced at special festival events. More details

PHOTOGRAPH: JAMES ROSS