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'There's more to life than books, you know. But not much more.' So sang Mancunian pop group The Smiths to a generation of teenagers 20 years ago, writes Caroline Davis. This week, Manchester Metropolitan University hosts the first conference devoted to the band, famed for its themes of misery.

The conference, titled Why Pamper Life's Complexities - a line from a classic Smiths track - will see delegates examine the significance of the city in the group's lyrics. The event is the brainchild of Sean Campbell, of Anglia Polytechnic University, who is researching second-generation Irish musicians in England