Commonword began in 1977 and quickly became an entity to publish Working Class writing, and has grown to include publishing all marginalised voices.

Cultureword is one of the strands of Commonword. It was established in 1986 as a centre for Black creative writing in the North West of England. It has achieved national renown for discovering, developing and promoting Asian, African Caribbean and Chinese writers.

Cultureword provides the facilities for people to develop their writing, and acts as a point of focus for many writers seeking encouragement and confidence.

The Commonword Archive tells the story of Manchester writers from the late 1970s onwards, it’s a great tool for the history of writing in Manchester.