Rome in Manchester

I received an invitation from the Anthony Burgess Society for the preview of an upcoming exhibition in their headquarters in Manchester. The exhibition is called Rome in the Rain, which is the translation of the French title of his novel Beard's Roman Women, one of his lesser known works, yet a brilliant novel. So it will be about Burgess' Rome, as well as the one depicted in the above mentioned novel and in Abba Abba, another great piece. And I guess his other books when the city is featured (as it is featured a lot). I have never been to Rome, I have only experienced it through fiction, in particular the fiction of my favourite writer. It is a shame I cannot go to Manchester any time soon, neither for the preview, nor for the exhibition itself. Too much to do here, what with the new home and all. I would have loved to visit Rome through Manchester.