Literature at the Library

A year-round series of events about Literature for book lovers, including popular and contemporary literature, fiction, non-fiction and poetry.

What's on

  1. A cheeky green dragon with yellow eyes drawn by illustrator Chris Riddell on a purple background. The dragon is surrounded by smoke and stars.

    Fairy Tales

    A family adventure through magical worlds and enchanted stories.

    More info
  2. A portrait of a man with a beard and moustache
    British Library, London
    Free

    The Power of the Printed Word: Tyndale’s New Testament 1526 – 2026

    This new display in our Treasures Gallery celebrates the 500th anniversary of the first complete printing of William Tyndale’s 1526 English translation of the New Testament.

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  3. Baldwin: A Love Story

    Nicholas Boggs and Bernardine Evaristo discuss how profoundly James Baldwin’s personal relationships shaped his life and work.

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  4. A group of theatre practitioners sit on a black stage in deep discussion.

    Stages Across the Atlantic: Theatrical Exchange, Past, Present & Future

    How have theatrical ideas and talent flowed across the Atlantic, shaping performance styles and cultural narratives in the UK and US?

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  5. Images of writers Susanna Clarke, Amal El-Mohtar, Gregory Maguire and Terri Windling.

    Fairy Tales for Grown-Ups

    An evening of dark and daring stories with Amal El-Mohtar, Susanna Clarke, Gregory Maguire and Terri Windling.

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  6. Photos of Ben Haggarty and Sarah Liisa Wilkinson against a dark Gothic background

    Strange Girls, Beautiful Monsters, the Grateful and the Dead

    The Crick Crack Club presents a dark night of fairy tales for grown-ups.

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  7. The Dylan Thomas Prize: A Shortlist Celebration

    The world’s largest literary award for young writers.

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  8. European Writer's Festival 3 logo

    European Writers’ Festival

    Featuring authors from across Europe, an unmissable weekend of debate and conversation with European literary voices that matter.

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  9. Image of comedian Richard Ayoade with a sideway glance and a blue background

    The Fairy Tale Fan Club, with Richard Ayoade and David Roberts

    What happens when curious kids send letters to their fairy-tale idols?!

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  10. Portrait of Milton Hatoum seated against a neutral background, looking slightly to the side

    Milton Hatoum, a lecture and conversation with Maya Jaggi

    A lecture and conversation.

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  11. The Queen of Crime: The Life and Legacy of Agatha Christie

    JLF London opens with a special panel featuring Lucy Foley, James Prichard and Lucy Rowland in conversation with Shrabani Basu.

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  12. JLF London – Jaipur Literature Festival

    Two days of inspiring conversations, ideas, books, music, food and more.

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  13. A row of poetry pamphlets on a shelf
    Free

    The Michael Marks Awards for Poetry Pamphlets

    Hear the most exciting new poetry published in the UK and see the winners revealed.

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  14. Three images from the British Library archive. The first is an illustration of two people walking in the snow, the second is the cover of a book till "The Railway Traveller's Walk Through Oxford and the third is of the person on a path gathering flowers.

    Paths Through Britain

    Nicholas Crane, Phoebe Smith and Chris Butterfield explore ancient routes, the enduring power of walking, and the landscapes that shape us.

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