| We have a lot of gold in the Library right now, but we also have another kind of precious – shared stories that remind us of our collective, human experience. Our Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms exhibition has both. Exquisite golden treasures tell a surprisingly personal tale of art, word and war. Our new online resource Windrush Stories also has the personal at its heart, and invites us to reflect on the long, complicated and ongoing relationship between Britain and the Caribbean. |
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Always believe in your soul
As well as being rich with pertinent history, Anglo-Saxon Kingdoms is dripping in gold. Manuscripts written entirely in gold, pieces from the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found, golden jewellery, golden coins issued by Kings Offa and Coenwulf of Mercia, books bound in gold, gold used in illustrations…lots and lots and lots of gold. |
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Why should the internet have all the cats?
Mog. Winnie the Witch. T S Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. Literary felines are crime solving, magical, funny and have even more lives than a lolcat. Our free exhibition is full of manuscripts and artwork featuring these marvellous cats, as well as a reading corner, family trail and sound recordings. Cats! |
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| Why send painters into war? |
| Why were British and Belgian artists sent into the face of conflict with brushes rather than cameras? |
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| ‘Routinely laborious…creatively glorious.’ |
| Before the mid-15th century introduction of printing to Western Europe, all books were written by hand, a process that was slow and demanding, sometimes routinely laborious, yet often creatively glorious. The Library’s collection is one of the finest in the world. |
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| Digging into digitised manuscripts and sound recordings from our collection, we offer you historical context, creative secrets and expert insights into key works and classical composers of the early 20th century. |
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| A royal Bible arrives in New York |
| A spectacular Bible moralisée from our collection is on show in New York, as part of The Met’s Armenia!exhibition. Produced in Paris for 13th-century French royalty, Bibles moralisées are sublime artistic creations. |
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70 years after Windrush…
Black British literature, stories of activism, reflections on the Windrush scandal: our new Windrush Stories resource reflects on the complex and enduring relationship between Britain and the Caribbean which began long before the Empire Windrush arrived at Tilbury Docks. |
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A lunchtime of Ethiopian magic
Ethiopian sorcery, divination and magical recipe books are a striking and very distinctive form of Ethiopian Christian culture. Come to this spellbinding lunchtime talk to explore our manuscripts, be wowed by illustrations of demons, and discover arcane motifs also found in early Babylonian, Hebrew and Greek images. |
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Inspiring Entrepreneurs: Work Like a Woman with Mary Portas
On 15 November, the Queen of Shops discusses her new manifesto which aims to create an unstoppable feminine force for change in the business world, and you can watch live for free on our webcast. Sharing stories about her career, Mary invites you to join her in making your own rules in the business game. |
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