Academic and students discuss writing and music at conference

Dr Simon Morrison, Course Leader for Music Journalism, is once again involved with the Louder than Words weekend being held at the Innside Hotel in Manchester from November 14 to 16 2025. The hotel is situated in Tony Wilson Place, named after the iconic Factory records owner and in the shadow of what was Manchester’s Haçienda nightclub. 

Simon will be interviewed on the Friday evening about his latest book, Transatlantic Drift: The Ebb and Flow of Dance Music, with his co-author Katie Milestone. The book has received positive reviews from titles including The Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times as well as leading radio programmes such as Radio 4’s AM:PM. 

He is also chairing a panel on music writing on Saturday at 12.15pm along with student Maisie Brogden. Students from Chester will be in the audience. 

Now in its 13^th year it remains the only festival that truly interrogates that enduring love affair between music and the written word. 

Over the weekend numerous academics and music writers gather for panels, discussions, Q&As, and workshops. As well as hearing their stories, the Festival also offers a unique chance to get up close to people often only seen on the stage; in the much more social, conducive atmosphere of Innside.  

With four rooms operating throughout the weekend, there is plenty to choose from and there is also a pop-up book shop, and also a bar area, for socialising before and after the events.  

Since its first incarnation in 2013, audience and contributor numbers have increased exponentially at Louder, which in turn has only increased the variety of talks, panels and workshops programmed over the weekend. Over those years the festival has welcomed music characters such as Rick Buckler (The Jam), Guy Garvey (Elbow), Edwyn Collins, Viv Albertine, Mary Anne Hobbs, Woody Woodmansey (The Spiders From Mars), Wolfgang Flur (Kraftwerk), Brix Smith (The Fall), Tim Burgess (The Charlatans), Miles Hunt (The Wonderstuff), Bob Geldof, Hugh Cornwell (The Stranglers) and Alan McGee (Creation Records).  

Attendees come from as far as San Francisco and Moscow to engage in a weekend that includes panels, Q&As hosted by Louder's John Robb, amongst others and some very special performances from all four corners of the musical world: from rave to metal; ska to punk. 

Simon said: "I am delighted to be involved with this year's Louder Than Words festival. I have been part of this festival from the very early days - before the first festival in 2013 - and it's one of my highlights of the year. I'm glad to be running my music writing panel again on the Saturday, and involving my current students in both the audience, and indeed on the panel. And Friday provides the perfect platform to launch my last book - the co-authored Transatlantic Drift. The panels and events are always fantastic but really the whole weekend provides a relaxed way to talk music, writing and the finest things in life."