The Queer Lit bookshop is tucked away on Tib Street in the Northern Quarter.
It’s only a small premises, but has more than 6,000 books on display — and a feverish level of interest for a mild Thursday afternoon when the Manchester Evening News pays a visit. There are people flicking through pages of novels, tilting their heads to read spines on shelves, and strategising which book they’ll buy next on a tight budget.
It’s owned by Matthew Cornford, and opened up as a physical store in August 2021. Since then, the shop has donated more than 300 books to MPs on the trans community, and won business awards.
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So, with Matthew being a small business owner in the heart of the city’s trendiest spot, what makes him tick?
Where’s your favourite hidden gem?
Hidden behind one of the old mills, there’s a batting cage where you can go and get p***** up and bat baseballs. I think it’s called base Bar. It’s really quiet, it’s a great date idea and I really enjoy it. I went on a date ages ago, and it’s really cool, but I’ve never known anyone talk about it.
What’s your favourite view of the city or in the city?
If you go on the route going up Hyde Road, you get to see a line straight down to the city and it just shows you all the skyscrapers. You don’t need to be high, you can be at ground level, but you can see everything.
Where’s best to go for your dinner in town?
Nine times out of 10 I go to Rustica, just to get a sandwich. The girls in there are amazing, and look after you. It’s reasonably well priced, so dinner while at work? You can’t get better.
There’s always a huge queue, isn’t there?
Oh yeah, they literally take over their corner.
Where would you take someone to show them the real Manchester?
If I was going to walk somebody about… if you start just before the village, walk past there and carry on down the canals — you get to see the Hacienda, you get to see the big plaque which shows every single person who’s ever played there.
Then it leads you down the path — mainly being attacked by geese as you go — and you end up by three pubs that are really nice to stop at for food. It’s that route which shows off the old warehouses and the pubs that are probably not as big as they should be.
If you had a time machine and could go back and see anyone on that Hacienda plaque, who would it be?
Madonna. Classic Madonna. Classic 80s Madonna.
What’s your favourite Mancunian neighbourhood?
Ancoats Square.
What are the five words that best describe the city?
Vibrant, community-based, free, and left.
Left?
Yeah, well we’re not right-wing, are we? I just don’t know the correct word. I don’t want to say liberal. Anti-Tory probably works.
City or United?
I’m only rugby, I’ve never been interested in football. I used to live right next to City’s stadium, so I suppose them because their fans weren’t normally that much of an a***hole if you lived nearby.
I like union. I’m a little southern boy.
Your favourite city pub is…?
Trof, around the corner
Liam or Noel?
Neither.
Who is your favourite city ‘character’?
Do you know who I see all the time? Him and what does he call her? He is so f***ing lovely, when he walks past.
Joe Gilgun — that’s it! He has a dog and he calls it pig, or something. He goes up to dog shop every two or three days. He always chats to homeless people and always buys them non-alcoholic drinks or a sandwich.
He’s really f***ing chilled. He’ll talk to anybody. You’ll see him down there sometimes, on the pavement, sat down next to a homeless person having a chat with them.
What’s the one thing you’d add to Manchester if you could…
Free parking so people could come and check out the city centre.
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