Editing Liverpool (section)

==Culture==
{{Main|Culture of Liverpool}}
As with other large cities, Liverpool is an important cultural centre within the United Kingdom, incorporating music, performing arts, museums and art galleries, literature and nightlife among others. In 2008, the cultural heritage of the city was celebrated with the city holding the title of [[European Capital of Culture]], during which time a wide range of cultural celebrations took place in the city, including [[Go Superlambananas!]] and [[La Princesse]]. Liverpool has also held Europe's largest music and poetry event, the [[National Eisteddfod of Wales|Welsh national Eisteddfod]], three times, despite being in England, in 1884, 1900, and 1929.

===Music===
{{Main|Music of Liverpool|Beat music}}
[[File:The Beatles Statues.jpg|thumb|right|[[The Beatles]] statue at [[Pier Head]]. The group are the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed band in popular music.<ref>[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-artists-of-all-time-19691231/the-beatles-19691231 100 Greatest Artists Of All Time: The Beatles (No.1)] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121115091804/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-artists-of-all-time-19691231/the-beatles-19691231 |date=15 November 2012 }}. ''[[Rolling Stone]]''. Retrieved 29 March 2018</ref>]]
Liverpool is internationally known for music and is recognised by ''Guinness World Records'' as the "World Capital City of Pop".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.visitliverpool.com/site/experiences/liverpool-rocks|title=Liverpool Rocks|publisher=VisitLiverpool.com|access-date=9 March 2010|archive-date=25 July 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725091704/http://visitliverpool.com/site/experiences/liverpool-rocks|url-status=dead}}</ref> Musicians from the city have produced 58 No. 1 singles, more than any other city in the world.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://liverpoolexpress.co.uk/blog-the-beatles-at-no1-puts-spotlight-back-on-our-city-of-music-again|title=BLOG: The Beatles at No1 puts spotlight back on our city of music (again!)|date=11 November 2023|publisher=Liverpool Express|access-date=13 November 2023|archive-date=14 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231114141642/https://liverpoolexpress.co.uk/blog-the-beatles-at-no1-puts-spotlight-back-on-our-city-of-music-again/|url-status=live}}</ref> Both the most successful [[The Beatles|male band]] and [[Spice Girls|girl group]] in global music history have contained Liverpudlian members. Liverpool is most famous as the birthplace of [[the Beatles]] and during the 1960s was at the forefront of the [[Beat Music]] movement, which would eventually lead to the [[British Invasion]]. Many notable musicians of the time originated in the city including [[Billy J. Kramer]], [[Cilla Black]], [[Gerry and the Pacemakers]] and [[The Searchers (band)|the Searchers]]. The influence of musicians from Liverpool, coupled with other cultural exploits of the time, such as the [[Liverpool poets]], prompted American poet [[Allen Ginsberg]] to proclaim that the city was "the centre of consciousness of the human universe".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2007/feb/21/europeancapitalofculture2008.liverpool|title='It's like San Francisco – with greyer weather'|date=21 February 2007|newspaper=The Guardian|access-date=9 March 2010|location=London|first=Alfred|last=Hickling|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510013755/https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2007/feb/21/europeancapitalofculture2008.liverpool|url-status=live}}</ref> Other musicians from Liverpool include [[Billy Fury]], [[A Flock of Seagulls]], [[Echo & the Bunnymen]], [[Frankie Goes to Hollywood]], [[Frankie Vaughan]], [[Anathema (band)|Anathema]], [[Ladytron]], [[the Zutons]], [[Cast (band)|Cast]], [[Atomic Kitten]] and [[Rebecca Ferguson (singer)|Rebecca Ferguson]]. [[The La's]] 1990 hit single "[[There She Goes (The La's song)|There She Goes]]" was described by ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' as a "founding piece of [[Britpop]]'s foundation."<ref>{{cite magazine|title=40 Greatest One-Album Wonders: 13. The La's, 'The La's' (1990)|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/30-greatest-one-album-wonders-20160714/13-the-las-the-las-1990|magazine=Rolling Stone|date=12 June 2019|access-date=12 June 2019|archive-date=30 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180630185917/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/30-greatest-one-album-wonders-20160714/13-the-las-the-las-1990|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool.jpg|thumb|left|[[Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool|Philharmonic Hall]], home of the [[Royal Liverpool Philharmonic]]]]

The city is also home to the oldest surviving professional [[symphony orchestra]] in the UK, the [[Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra]], which is based in the [[Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool|Philharmonic Hall]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.liverpoolphil.com/116/the-orchestra/musicmaking-at-home-and-abroad.html|title=The Orchestra|publisher=[[Liverpool Philharmonic]]|access-date=10 March 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100117192733/http://www.liverpoolphil.com/116/the-orchestra/musicmaking-at-home-and-abroad.html|archive-date=17 January 2010}}</ref> The chief conductor of the orchestra is [[Vasily Petrenko]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.liverpoolphil.com/286/our-history/royal-liverpool-philharmonic-orchestra.html|title=Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra|publisher=[[Liverpool Philharmonic]]|access-date=10 March 2010|archive-date=1 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160101060521/http://www.liverpoolphil.com/286/our-history/royal-liverpool-philharmonic-orchestra.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Sir [[Edward Elgar]] dedicated his [[Pomp and Circumstance#March No. 1 in D|Pomp and Circumstance March No. 1]] to the Liverpool Orchestral Society, and the piece had its first performance in the city in 1901.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elgar.org/3pomp-a.htm|title=Elgar – His Music : Pomp and Circumstance – Introduction|website=Elgar.org|access-date=18 January 2018|archive-date=18 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180118105544/http://www.elgar.org/3pomp-a.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> Among Liverpool's curiosities, the Austrian émigré [[Fritz Spiegl]] is notable. He not only became a world expert on the etymology of [[Scouse]], but composed the music to [[Z-cars]] and the [[Radio 4 UK Theme]].

Well established festivals in the city include [[Africa Oyé]] and [[Brazilica Festival|Brazilica]] which are the UK's largest free African and Brazilian music festivals respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://africaoye.com/index.html|title=Africa Oyé the UK's largest free celebration of African music and culture|website=[[Africa Oyé]]|access-date=29 August 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120823182344/http://www.africaoye.com/index.html|archive-date=23 August 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clickliverpool.com/culture/culture/1213812-brazilica-samba-festival-in-liverpool-this-weekend.html|title=Brazilica samba festival in Liverpool this weekend|website=Click|access-date=29 August 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130102081753/http://www.clickliverpool.com/culture/culture/1213812-brazilica-samba-festival-in-liverpool-this-weekend.html|archive-date=2 January 2013}}</ref> The dance music festival [[Creamfields]] was established by the Liverpool-based [[Cream (nightclub)|Cream]] clubbing brand which started life as a weekly event at Nation nightclub. There are numerous music venues located across the city, however, the [[Liverpool Arena]] is by far the largest. Opened in 2008, the 11,000-seat arena hosted the [[MTV Europe Music Awards 2008|MTV Europe Music Awards]] the same year, and since then has played host to world-renowned acts such as [[Andrea Bocelli]], [[Beyoncé]], [[Elton John]], [[Kanye West]], [[Kasabian]], [[the Killers]], [[Lady Gaga]], [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]], [[Pink (singer)|Pink]], [[Rihanna]], and [[UB40]].

On 7 October 2022, the [[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]] and the [[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU) announced that Liverpool would host the [[Eurovision Song Contest 2023]] on behalf of the previous year's winning country [[Ukraine]], which was unable to meet the demands of hosting the event due to security concerns caused by the [[Russian invasion of Ukraine|Russian invasion of the country]]. The contest was held at Liverpool Arena, and consisted of two semi-finals on 9 and 11 May and a final on 13 May 2023. This was the first time that the contest took place in the city, and was also a record-extending ninth time that the UK has hosted the contest, having last done so in [[Birmingham]] in [[Eurovision Song Contest 1998|1998]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=7 October 2022|title=Liverpool will host Eurovision 2023|url=https://eurovision.tv/story/liverpool-will-host-eurovision-2023|access-date=7 October 2022|website=Eurovision.tv|publisher=[[European Broadcasting Union]] (EBU)|archive-date=7 October 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221007182308/https://eurovision.tv/story/liverpool-will-host-eurovision-2023|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Visual arts===
[[File:Liverpool Cultural Quarter.jpg|thumb|upright=1.50|left|[[William Brown Street]], also known as the Cultural Quarter, was a [[Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City|World Heritage Site]] consisting of the [[World Museum]], [[Liverpool Central Library|Central Library]], [[Picton Reading Room and Hornby Library|Picton Reading Room]] and [[Walker Art Gallery]].]]
Liverpool has more galleries and national museums than any other city in the United Kingdom apart from London.<ref name=visitliverpool>{{cite web|url=http://www.visitliverpool.com/site/what-to-do/arts-culture-liverpool/liverpool-city-region-must-see|title=Visit Liverpool|access-date=16 April 2009|archive-date=7 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907224947/http://visitliverpool.com/site/what-to-do/arts-culture-liverpool/liverpool-city-region-must-see|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[National Museums Liverpool]] is the only English national collection based wholly outside London.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/museums_and_galleries/3383.aspx/|title=Museums and galleries|website=Culture.gov.uk|date=11 October 2005|access-date=18 January 2018|archive-date=5 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110505103451/http://www.culture.gov.uk/what_we_do/museums_and_galleries/3383.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref> The [[Tate Liverpool]] gallery houses the modern art collection of the Tate in the North of England and was, until the opening of [[Tate Modern]], the largest exhibition space dedicated to modern art in the United Kingdom. The [[FACT centre]] hosts touring multimedia exhibitions, while the [[Walker Art Gallery]] houses one of the most impressive permanent collections of [[Pre-Raphaelite]] art in the world.<ref>[http://www.culture24.org.uk/art/tra18176 ''The Pre-Raphaelite Collections''] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120909020028/http://www.culture24.org.uk/art/tra18176 |date=9 September 2012 }} Culture24 website</ref> [[Sudley House]] contains another major collection of pre-20th-century art.<ref name=liverpoolmuseums>{{cite web|url=http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/|title=National Museums Liverpool|access-date=23 April 2007|archive-date=21 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160221060544/http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/|url-status=live}}</ref> Liverpool University's [[Victoria Gallery & Museum|Victoria Building]] was re-opened as a public art gallery and museum to display the university's artwork and historical collections which include the largest display of art by [[John James Audubon|Audubon]] outside the US.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.liv.ac.uk/vgm/art/audubon.htm|title=John James Audubon – Victoria Gallery and Museum – University of Liverpool|access-date=5 September 2010|archive-date=11 August 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120811175540/http://www.liv.ac.uk/vgm/art/audubon.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> A number of artists have also come from the city, including painter [[George Stubbs]] who was born in Liverpool in 1724.

[[File:Nelson Monument, Liverpool.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Nelson Monument, Liverpool|Nelson Monument]] at [[Exchange Flags]]. A short distance away another noted commander from the [[Napoleonic Wars]] is commemorated by [[Wellington's Column]].]]
The [[Liverpool Biennial]] festival of arts runs from mid-September to late November and comprises three main sections; the International, The Independents and New Contemporaries although fringe events are timed to coincide.<ref name=biennial>{{cite web|url=http://www.biennial.com/|title=Liverpool Biennial|access-date=23 April 2007|archive-date=28 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128023227/http://www.biennial.com/|url-status=live}}</ref> It was during the 2004 festival that [[Yoko Ono]]'s work "My mummy was beautiful" invited controversy when photographs of a woman's breast and crotch were exhibited on the main shopping street.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Coslett|first=Paul|date=16 September 2004|title=BBC – Liverpool – Biennial – But is it art?|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool/content/articles/2004/09/16/biennial_breasts_feature.shtml|access-date=15 May 2024|publisher=BBC|archive-date=1 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140501150614/http://www.bbc.co.uk/liverpool/content/articles/2004/09/16/biennial_breasts_feature.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Literature===
[[Felicia Hemans]] (née Browne) was born in Dale Street, Liverpool, in 1793, although she later moved to Flintshire, in Wales. Felicia was born in Liverpool, a granddaughter of the [[Republic of Venice|Venetian]] [[Consulate general|consul]] in that city. Her father's business soon brought the family to [[Denbighshire (historic)|Denbighshire]] in North Wales, where she spent her youth. They made their home near Abergele and [[St. Asaph]] ([[Flintshire (historic)|Flintshire]]), and it is clear that she came to regard herself as Welsh by adoption, later referring to Wales as "Land of my childhood, my home and my dead". Her first poems, dedicated to the [[George IV of the United Kingdom|Prince of Wales]], were published in Liverpool in 1808, when she was only fourteen, arousing the interest of [[Percy Bysshe Shelley]], who briefly corresponded with her.
<ref name="inspidered.wordpress.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.inspidered.wordpress.com/|title=Inspidered|publisher=Inspidered.wordpress.com|date=9 August 2012|access-date=7 November 2012|archive-date=17 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517023830/https://inspidered.wordpress.com/|url-status=live}}</ref>

An engraving of a painting of {{ws|[[s:Letitia Elizabeth Landon (L. E. L.) in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1834/The Wishing Gate|The Wishing Gate]]}} by S. F. Serres was published in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1834 with a poetical illustration by [[Letitia Elizabeth Landon]] to which she adds the note 'I believe that to this haunted gate, a common superstition is attached, namely, that to wish, and to have that wish fulfilled, is the result of such wish being uttered while passing'. It stood on the North Shore before the docks were built and was a place where farewells could be waved to departing voyagers.<ref>{{cite book|last=Landon|first=Letitia Elizabeth|title=Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1834|url=https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=19BbAAAAQAAJ&pg=GBS.PT40|section=poetical illustration|year=1833|publisher=Fisher, Son & Co.|access-date=23 November 2022|archive-date=23 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221123211121/https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=19BbAAAAQAAJ&pg=GBS.PT44|url-status=live}}{{cite book|last=Landon|first=Letitia Elizabeth|title=Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1834|url=https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=19BbAAAAQAAJ&pg=GBS.PT42|section=picture|year=1833|publisher=Fisher, Son & Co.|access-date=23 November 2022|archive-date=23 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221123211118/https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=19BbAAAAQAAJ&pg=GBS.PT47|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Dickens plaque, The Old Bridewell, Campbell Square.jpg|thumb|right|Plaque in Campbell Square commemorating [[Charles Dickens]] who from 1842 gave public readings of his novels at [[St George's Hall, Liverpool|St George's Hall]], and who for one day in 1860 was appointed a special [[Special Constabulary|police constable]] in the city while researching a novel.]]
A number of notable authors have visited Liverpool, including [[Daniel Defoe]], [[Washington Irving]], [[Charles Dickens]], [[Thomas De Quincey]], [[Herman Melville]], [[Nathaniel Hawthorne]], [[Gerard Manley Hopkins]] and [[Hugh Walpole]]. Defoe, after visiting the city, described it, as "one of the wonders of Britain in his 'Tour through England and Wales'".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.inspidered.wordpress.com/|title=WordPress.com|publisher=Inspidered.wordpress.com|access-date=7 November 2012|archive-date=17 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210517023830/https://inspidered.wordpress.com/|url-status=live}}</ref> Melville's novel ''[[Redburn]]'' deals with the first seagoing voyage of 19 years old Wellingborough Redburn between New York and Liverpool in 1839. Largely autobiographical, the middle sections of the book are set in Liverpool and describe the young merchantman's wanderings, and his reflections.<ref name="inspidered.wordpress.com"/> From 1842 to 1869, Dickens visited the city to give public readings of his novels.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.beatlesliverpoolandmore.com/liverpool-and-charles-dickens.html|title=Liverpool and Charles Dickens|publisher=BeatlesLiverpoolandMore|access-date=7 November 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123135001/http://www.beatlesliverpoolandmore.com/liverpool-and-charles-dickens.html|archive-date=23 January 2013}}</ref> Hawthorne was stationed in Liverpool as United States consul between 1853 and 1856.<ref>Philip James McFarland, ''Hawthorne in Concord''. (New York, NY : Grove Press, 2004), p.186</ref> Hopkins served as priest at St Francis Xavier Church, Langdale St., Liverpool, between 1879 and 81.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.openplaques.org/plaques/7935|title=Gerard Manley Hopkins black plaque in Liverpool|publisher=Openplaques.org|access-date=7 November 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140410122040/http://openplaques.org/plaques/7935|archive-date=10 April 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> Although he is not known to have ever visited Liverpool, [[Jung]] famously had a vivid dream of the city which he analysed in one of his works.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/memoriesdreamsre007394mbp|title=''Memories, Dreams, Reflections'' (1961)|year=1963|publisher=Vintage Books|access-date=3 August 2010}}</ref>

''[[Her Benny]]'', a novel telling the tragic story of Liverpool street urchins in the 1870s, written by Methodist preacher [[Silas K. Hocking]], was a best-seller and the first book to sell a million copies in the author's lifetime.<ref>[http://bluecoatpress.co.uk/liverpool/her-benny-silas-hocking/ ''Her Benny''] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121122053532/http://bluecoatpress.co.uk/liverpool/her-benny-silas-hocking/ |date=22 November 2012 }} Bluecoat Press</ref> The prolific writer of adventure novels, [[Harold Edward Bindloss]] (1866–1945), was born in Liverpool.

[[File:CliveBarker_(cropped).jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.75|[[Clive Barker]], Liverpool born writer of ''[[Hellraiser]]'' and creator of [[Candyman (character)|Candyman]]]]
The writer, docker and political activist [[George Garrett (activist)|George Garrett]] was born in [[Seacombe]], on the [[Wirral Peninsula]] in 1896 and was brought up in Liverpool's South end, around Park Road, the son of a fierce Liverpool–Irish Catholic mother and a staunch 'Orange' stevedore father. In the 1920s and 1930s, his organisation within the Seamen's Vigilance Committees, unemployed demonstrations, and hunger marches from Liverpool became part of a wider cultural force. He spoke at reconciliation meetings in sectarian Liverpool, and helped found the [[Unity Theatre, Liverpool|Unity Theatre]] in the 1930s as part of the [[Popular Front]] against the rise of fascism, particularly its echoes in the [[Spanish Civil War]]. Garrett died in 1966.<ref>Michael Murphy, "Introduction" to ''The Collected George Garrett''. (Nottingham: Trent Editions, 1999).</ref>

The novelist and playwright [[James Hanley (novelist)|James Hanley]] (1897–1985) was born in [[Kirkdale, Merseyside|Kirkdale]], Liverpool, in 1897 (not [[Dublin]], nor 1901 as he generally implied) to a working-class family.<ref>An important biographical source is Chris Gostick's "Extra Material on James Hanley's ''[[Boy (novel)|Boy]]''", in the OneWorld Classics edition of ''Boy'' (2007), pp. 181–4.</ref> Hanley grew up close to the docks and much of his early writing is about seamen. ''[[The Furys Chronicle|The Furys]]'' (1935) is first in a sequence of five loosely autobiographical novels about working-class life in Liverpool. James Hanley's brother, novelist [[Gerald Hanley]] (1916–92) was also born in Liverpool (not [[County Cork]], Ireland, as he claimed).<ref>Chris Gostick, "Extra Material on James Hanley's ''Boy''" from the OneWorld Classics edition of ''Boy'' (2007).</ref> While he published a number of novels he also wrote [[radio drama|radio plays]] for the BBC as well as some film scripts, most notably ''[[The Blue Max]]'' (1966).<ref>Irishwriters online.</ref> He was also one of several scriptwriters for a life of [[Gandhi]] (1964).<ref>''The Times'', 29 November 1982; pg. 11; see also "Gandhi's Life As A Film", ''The Times'' 16 December 1964; pg. 7.</ref> Novelist [[Beryl Bainbridge]] (1932–2010) was born in Liverpool and raised in nearby [[Formby]]. She was primarily known for her works of [[psychological fiction]], often set among the English working classes. Bainbridge won the [[Costa Book Awards|Whitbread Awards]] prize for best novel in [[1977 Whitbread Awards|1977]] and [[1996 Whitbread Awards|1996]] and was nominated five times for the [[Booker Prize]]. ''[[The Times]]'' newspaper named Bainbridge among their list of "The 50 greatest [[British literature|British writers]] since 1945".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article3127837.ece|title=The 50 greatest British writers since 1945|date=5 January 2008|work=[[The Times]]|access-date=19 February 2010|archive-date=25 April 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110425050801/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/article3127837.ece|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[J. G. Farrell]] was born in Liverpool in 1935 but left at the outbreak of war in 1939.<ref>Ralph Crane, "A Man from Elsewhere: The Liminal Presence of Liverpool in the Fiction of J. G. Farrell". ''Writing Liverpool:Essays and Interviews''. (Liverpool: University of Liverpool Press, 2007), pp.88–9.</ref> A novelist of Irish descent, Farrell gained prominence for his historical fiction, most notably his ''Empire Trilogy'' (''[[Troubles (novel)|Troubles]]'', ''[[The Siege of Krishnapur]]'' and ''[[The Singapore Grip]]''), dealing with the political and human consequences of British colonial rule. However, his career ended when he drowned in Ireland in 1979 at the age of 44.

[[Helen Forrester]] was the pen name of June Bhatia (née Huband) (1919–2011),<ref name="Obituary">{{cite news|url=http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/edmontonjournal/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=154799376|title=June BHATIA Obituary|newspaper=[[Edmonton Journal]]|date=27 November 2011|access-date=30 November 2011|archive-date=13 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131213185117/http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/edmontonjournal/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=154799376|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/dec/02/helen-forrester|title=Helen Forrester obituary|last=Bradley|first=Kate|date=2 December 2011|work=The Guardian|publisher=Guardian News and Media Limited|access-date=9 December 2011|location=London|archive-date=9 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509230951/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/dec/02/helen-forrester|url-status=live}}</ref> who was known for her books about her early childhood in Liverpool during the [[Great Depression]], including ''Twopence to Cross the Mersey'' (1974), as well as several works of fiction. During the late 1960s the city became well known for the [[Liverpool poets]], who include [[Roger McGough]] and the late [[Adrian Henri]]. An anthology of poems, ''[[The Mersey Sound (book)|The Mersey Sound]]'', written by Henri, McGough and [[Brian Patten]], has sold well since it was first being published in 1967.

Liverpool has produced several noted writers of horror fiction, often set on Merseyside – [[Ramsey Campbell]], [[Clive Barker]] and Peter Atkins among them. A collection of Liverpudlian horror fiction, ''Spook City'' was edited by a Liverpool expatriate, Angus Mackenzie, and introduced by Doug Bradley, also from Liverpool.<ref>{{Citation|first=A.|last=Mackenzie|title=Spook City|publisher=PS Publishing|year=2009|isbn=978-1-84863-025-3}}</ref> Bradley is famed for portraying Barker's creation Pinhead in the ''Hellraiser'' series of films.

===Performing arts===
[[File:Empire Theatre, Liverpool 2018.jpg|thumb|The [[Liverpool Empire Theatre|Empire Theatre]] has the largest two-tier auditorium in the UK.]]
Liverpool also has a long history of performing arts, reflected in several annual theatre festivals such as the [[Liverpool Shakespeare Festival]], which takes place inside [[Liverpool Cathedral]] and in the adjacent historic St James' Gardens every summer; the Everyword Festival of new theatre writing, the only one of its kind in the country;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.everymanplayhouse.com/Show/Everyword/69.aspx|title=Everyman and Playhouse Theatre, Liverpool – 2010|publisher=Everymanplayhouse.com|access-date=3 August 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100712092440/http://www.everymanplayhouse.com/Show/Everyword/69.aspx|archive-date=12 July 2010}}</ref> Physical Fest, an international festival of physical theatre;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tmesistheatre.com/physicalfest/physical_fest.php|title=Tmesis Theatre Company – Physical Fest '05|publisher=Tmesistheatre.com|access-date=3 August 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101114164125/http://www.tmesistheatre.com/physicalfest/physical_fest.php|archive-date=14 November 2010}}</ref> the annual festivals organised by [[Liverpool John Moores University]]'s drama department and the [[Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts]]; and other festivals by the large number of theatres in the city, such as the [[Liverpool Empire Theatre|Empire]], [[Everyman Theatre, Liverpool|Everyman]],<ref>{{cite web|first=Catherine|last=Jones|url=http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2009/07/24/28m-liverpool-everyman-theatre-redevelopment-gets-green-light-with-12-8m-grant-100252-24227969/|title=£28m Liverpool Everyman theatre redevelopment gets green light with £12.8m grant|newspaper=Liverpool Echo|date=24 July 2009|access-date=3 August 2010|archive-date=11 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121011004757/http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2009/07/24/28m-liverpool-everyman-theatre-redevelopment-gets-green-light-with-12-8m-grant-100252-24227969/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|publisher=BBC News|title=Liverpool Everyman reopens after £27m redevelopment|first=Paul|last=Youngs|date=28 February 2014}}</ref> [[Liverpool Playhouse|Playhouse]],<ref name=everymanplayhouse>{{cite web|url=http://www.everymanplayhouse.com/|title=Everyman and Playhouse Theatre|access-date=23 April 2007|archive-date=10 February 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160210164157/https://www.everymanplayhouse.com/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=unitytheatre>{{cite web|url=http://www.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk/|title=Unity Theatre Liverpool|access-date=23 April 2007|archive-date=12 March 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100312094929/http://www.unitytheatreliverpool.co.uk/|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool|Royal Court]], and [[Unity Theatre, Liverpool|Unity]] theatres.

Notable actors and actresses from Liverpool include [[Arthur Askey]], [[Tom Baker]], [[Kim Cattrall]], [[Jodie Comer]], [[Stephen Graham]], [[Rex Harrison]], [[Jason Isaacs]], [[Tina Malone]], the McGann brothers ([[Joe McGann|Joe]], [[Mark McGann|Mark]], [[Paul McGann|Paul]], and [[Stephen McGann|Stephen]]), [[David Morrissey]], [[Elizabeth Morton]], [[Peter Serafinowicz]], [[Elisabeth Sladen]], [[Alison Steadman]], and [[Rita Tushingham]]. Actors and actresses from elsewhere in the world have strong ties to the city, such as Canadian actor [[Mike Myers]] (whose parents were both from Liverpool) and American actress [[Halle Berry]] (whose mother was from Liverpool).

===Nightlife===
[[File:Mathew Street, intersection with Temple Court, Liverpool (2017-11-18 00.12.15 by Björn Golda).jpg|thumb|left|Nightlife in [[Mathew Street]] and Temple Court, [[Liverpool city centre]]]]
Liverpool has a thriving and varied nightlife. The majority of the city's late-night restaurants, bars, pubs, nightclubs, music venues and comedy clubs are located in a number of distinct districts.

In 2023, figures from global data company [[Square (financial services)|Square]] show that night-time spending in bars and restaurants in [[Liverpool city centre]] outperformed all [[City status in the United Kingdom|major UK cities]], including London.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Liverpool nightlife: night-time economy overtakes London in post pandemic recovery|url=https://theguideliverpool.com/liverpool-nightlife-night-time-economy-overtakes-london-in-post-pandemic-recovery|access-date=27 August 2023|website=theguideliverpool.com|date=10 August 2023|archive-date=28 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230828041553/https://theguideliverpool.com/liverpool-nightlife-night-time-economy-overtakes-london-in-post-pandemic-recovery/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Figures by the Liverpool BID Company suggest that the busiest nights of the week in [[Liverpool city centre]] are Friday and Saturday. Using cameras to track the flow of people in key locations between 7&nbsp;pm and 4&nbsp;am, at least 1.5&nbsp;million people pass through the city centre every Friday night and almost 2 million people on Saturday nights. The data demonstrates that Monday night is the quietest night of the week in the city centre and footfall then increases every single night to reach its peak on Saturday nights. 125,889 people worked in the city's night time economy as of 2022, according to the Liverpool BID Company.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Liverpool night-time economy shows strong recovery|url=https://lbndaily.co.uk/liverpool-night-time-economy-shows-strong-recovery|access-date=27 August 2023|website=lbndaily.co.uk|date=7 April 2023|archive-date=13 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231113065121/https://lbndaily.co.uk/liverpool-night-time-economy-shows-strong-recovery/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Liverpool night-time economy shows strong recovery|url=https://investliverpool.com/news/liverpool-night-time-economy-shows-strong-recovery|access-date=27 August 2023|website=investliverpool.com|date=12 April 2023|archive-date=28 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230828041554/https://investliverpool.com/news/liverpool-night-time-economy-shows-strong-recovery/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Liverpool nightlife sees post-COVID surge|url=https://lbndaily.co.uk/liverpool-nightlife-sees-post-covid-surge|access-date=27 August 2023|website=lbndaily.co.uk|date=10 August 2023|archive-date=28 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230828041554/https://lbndaily.co.uk/liverpool-nightlife-sees-post-covid-surge/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Liverpool's nightlife is concentrated in a number of districts including [[RopeWalks, Liverpool|Ropewalks]] which comprises [[Concert Square, Liverpool|Concert Square]], St. Peter's Square and the adjoining Seel Street and Duke Street. Other popular areas include [[Hardman Street]], the [[Mathew Street|Cavern Quarter]], [[Baltic Triangle]], [[Royal Albert Dock, Liverpool|Royal Albert Dock]] and the city's [[Pride Quarter, Liverpool|Pride Quarter]], which is home to a large number of [[Gay bar|LGBT venues]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bars in Liverpool|url=https://www.visitliverpool.com/food-and-drink/bars-in-liverpool/?bounds=false&view=grid&sort=qualityScore|access-date=27 August 2023|website=visitliverpool.com|archive-date=27 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230827102903/https://www.visitliverpool.com/food-and-drink/bars-in-liverpool/?bounds=false&view=grid&sort=qualityScore|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=LGBT+ Liverpool|url=https://www.visitliverpool.com/things-to-do/lgbt-liverpool|access-date=27 August 2023|website=visitliverpool.com|archive-date=1 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230901153806/https://www.visitliverpool.com/things-to-do/lgbt-liverpool/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In the city's suburbs, [[Lark Lane, Liverpool|Lark Lane]] in [[Aigburth]] is noted for an abundance of bars and late-night venues.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Liverpool Foodie's guide to eating out in Lark Lane|url=https://theguideliverpool.com/the-liverpool-foodies-guide-to-eating-out-in-lark-lane|access-date=27 August 2023|website=theguideliverpool.com|date=7 October 2022|archive-date=27 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230827102909/https://theguideliverpool.com/the-liverpool-foodies-guide-to-eating-out-in-lark-lane/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Your ultimate guide to Lark Lane, the bohemian street in the heart of Liverpool|url=https://www.liverpoolworld.uk/news/your-ultimate-guide-to-lark-lane-4184756|access-date=27 August 2023|website=liverpoolworld.uk|date=16 June 2023 |archive-date=27 August 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230827102902/https://www.liverpoolworld.uk/news/your-ultimate-guide-to-lark-lane-4184756|url-status=live}}</ref>