An inspiring evening with two standout debut novelists from Stormzy's #Merky Books

Discover two fresh and uncompromising voices from Stormzy’s #Merky Books as Sufiyaan Salam and Monika Radojevic come together to discuss their acclaimed debut novels and the stories shaping a new generation of writers. Though radically different in style and setting, Wimmy Road Boyz and Strangerland are united by powerful themes of identity, belonging and connection in a rapidly changing world.

Set over one unforgettable night in Manchester, Sufiyaan’s exhilarating debut Wimmy Road Boyz follows three friends chasing freedom, adventure and escape, while grappling with masculinity, friendship and the pressures of expectation. Monika’s sweeping and emotionally rich novel Strangerland spans continents and decades, exploring migration, displacement and a love that transcends borders, languages and time.

Hosted by Ciaron Wilkinson, this special event brings together two winners of the #Merky Books New Writers’ prize and celebrates the power of inventive storytelling.

A Manchester Literature Festival event co-presented with #Merky Books, Manchester Museum, Centre for New Writing and Creative Manchester.

Sufiyaan Salam is a writer, screenwriter and former animator from Blackburn. He was selected as one of the Observer’s Best Debut Novelists for 2026.

Monika Radojevic is a Brazilian-Montenegrin writer whose work includes the short story collection A Beautiful Lack of Consequences and the poetry collection Teeth in the Back of My Neck.

Photo credits: Alina Akbar (left), Barnaby Boulton (right)

Description supplied by the event organiser.