About Manchester Literature Festival presents Mary Portas

Britain’s “Queen of Shops” takes us back three decades to her time stalking the floor at Harvey Nichols, at the height of its Ab Fab-inspired cachet

The Guardian

Join acclaimed author, retail pioneer and innovative businesswoman Mary Portas as she shares the inspiration behind her bold new memoir, I Shop, Therefore I Am: The ‘90s, Harvey Nicks and Me. With her signature wit and no-holds-barred honesty, Mary charts her transformation of Harvey Nichols from a tired department store into a global brand destination.

Mary will discuss how, armed only with the blank canvas of a shop window and her own creativity, she reimagined what luxury and style could be. Hear about the vivid world of ‘90s Britpop and retail, fashion-world revelations, and the highs and lows of a career that shaped the high street. Hosted by Ellah P. Wakatama.


Mary Portas is of the UK’s most prolific businesswomen and creative leaders. A regular on our TV screens, her proudest achievement to date is the creation of twenty-six Mary’s Living & Giving shops for Save the Children.  She is the author of Shop Girl, Work Like a Woman and Rebuild: How to thrive in the Kindness Economy.


MLF Get Closer Membership starts at £25 p.a. and includes advance booking amongst other benefits. Further info here. To access your advance booking, please log in or create a Contact account.

To see the full Manchester Literature Festival 2025 programme visit here.

Dates & times

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