‘Writing’ and ‘region’ in the 21st century: Epistemological reflections on regionally-located art and literature in the wake of the digital revolution

Abstract

This article, which draws upon the work of the AHRC-funded research project Moving Manchester (2006—9), looks at the ways in which Manchester’s vibrantly multicultural writing community positions itself in relation to issues of region and regional identity. In particular, it investigates how contemporary writers have both reproduced and challenged the stereotypes associated with the city, issues of filiation/affiliation and the way in which many local writers’ groups may be said to have produced literature which is of the region without necessarily being about it. The innovative ‘grassroots’ nature of much Manchester writing (notably its ‘live literature’ scene) is also considered. The final section of the article compares this community-based experience of ‘writing’ and ‘region’ with that found on digital storytelling websites and posits that the digital form would seem to encourage transnational rather than regional identifications in the texts produced.