News

A Matter of Life and Death at Wanstead Library

An evening of electrifying conversations about life, death, books and art with award winning writers and artists on Wednesday 30 March at 7pm.

Join Wanstead Library for a panel event featuring some of the UK's most exciting voices in the arts, literature and death industries talking about their work and the books and novels that have shaped them. This promises to be an illuminating and electrifying night!

For more information and to book your place visit our Eventbrite page.

Breaking Negative Cycles at Woolwich Centre Library

Author & Therapist Eunice Alloh speaks about Breaking Negative Cycles on Monday 28 March at 6pm.

Eunice discusses her book which, provides practical steps and techniques to enable you to identify personal triggers and develop new routines that support and promote healthy and balanced mental health and psychological well-being.

For more information and to book your place visit our Eventbrite page.

Meandering through Marylebone with Barbican Library

Explore the rich history of Marylebone in this illustrated talk and virtual walk on Tuesday 29 March at 12.30pm.

From Baker Street station to the green grass of Cavendish Square, this virtual walk takes in Sherlock Holmes, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Harley Street doctors and the ambitions of architect John Nash. 

This event will be held in the library and on Zoom at the same time.

Book your free ticket here.

Watercolour painting group for adults at West Barnes Library

Want to learn the art of self expression through watercolour painting?

Come along to West Barnes Library tomorrow or on Friday 1 April for a free watercolour workshop. The session is open to people with all levels of experience however, you will need to bring your own materials.

Book your place on our Eventbrite page.

LGBTQ+ Film Night at Redbridge Central Library

Join Positive East and Vision for a LGBT History Month spectacular of Technicolor as we watch 'Everybody's Talking About Jamie'.

You'll have a chance to meet other LGBTQ+ people and allies, and celebrate LGBTQ+ culture and our vibrant community.

'Inspired by true events, Everybody's Talking About Jamie follows Jamie New, a teenager from Sheffield, who dreams of life on stage. While his classmates plan their livelihoods after they leave school, Jamie contemplates revealing his secret career ambition to become a fierce and proud drag queen.

For more information and to book your place visit our Eventbrite page.

Our Collective Voice exhibition at Brixton Library

Our Collective Voice Photovoice exhibition specifically represents the Covid-19 lockdown experiences of Black, Asian and/or other minoritised LGBTQI+ communities through photographs.

The exhibition at the Brixton Tate Library is part of the wider research project LamQ+, funded by London Metropolitan University’s Transformation Fund, and developed in collaboration with Lambeth Council and an advisory group of local LGBTQI+ organisations.

Our Collective Voice is the original work of 11 Photovoice Co-Researchers from Lambeth and other boroughs, designed to develop new understandings of the experiences and needs of under-represented communities in previous studies, allowing complex, transformational counter stories to emerge, be honoured and to ensure greater diversity within the research project. The exhibition runs until 28 February.

I Named My Dog Pushkin with Barnet Libraries

Buy a pair of Levi's, lose the Russian accent, and turn yourself into an American. Really, how difficult could it be?

Barnet Libraries presents an online evening with author Margarita Gokun Silver in conversation with Alex Galbinski discussing her novel ‘I Named My Dog Pushkin’ on Tuesday 1 March at 7pm. There will be a 15mins Q&A session, with a prize for the best question.

Margarita is a freelance journalist, essayist, and novelist. I Named My Dog Pushkin is her first essay collection, but her articles and essays have been published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, BBC, NPR, and The Atlantic, among others.

For more information and to book your place visit our Eventbrite page.

Clothes swap and repair shop at Kensington Central Library

Kensington library has teamed up with LOANHOOD to create a ‘shop’ experience in Kensington Central Library lecture hall on Saturday 19 March, with swap-shop assistants to help you restyle and exchange items, extend the life of unworn garments and reduce the amount of clothes headed to landfill.

Plus, it is London Repair Week, championing Londoners practical skills and encouraging greater use of existing repair services.

We offer a token system for customers who bring no more than five items. Items will be categorised into relevant tiers (1, 2, 3) based on the type, brand and condition. This will dictate how many tokens the customer can then use to shop for new items. All items will be assessed using LOANHOOD ‘Swap-Shop Item Guide’.

For more information and to book your place visit our Eventbrite page.

London Libraries with Spread the Word announce London-wide creative reading and writing programme, City of Stories Home

• 33 London Library Services celebrate libraries as the place to make and share stories

• Londoners invited to get creative at 33 free online creative writing workshops and enter the City of Stories Home competition

London Libraries, in partnership with Spread the Word, is pleased to announce City of Stories Home, a free six month creative writing and reading programme taking place across every London Borough and the City of London between February to June 2022. City of Stories Home celebrates libraries as the place to make and share stories in our local communities.

City of Stories Home will launch with original commissioned short stories on the theme of home and top tips on writing short stories from Writers-in-Residence Natasha Brown, Amer Anwar, Jarred McGinnis and Caleb Azumah Nelson and short stories from emerging writers, Lizzie Damilola Blackburn, Ruth Goldsmith, Iqbal Hussain and S. Niroshini.

Londoners are being invited to get creative at their local library by taking part in 33 free online creative writing workshops during February 2022 led by writers, including Tice Cin, Maame Blue, Amita Murray, Arun Das, Charlotte Heather and Lorraine Brown amongst others. They will be able to enter the City of Stories Home competition, judged by the Writers-in-Residence. Winning writers will have the opportunity to have their story published in the City of Stories Home Anthology and take part in masterclasses from the Writers-in-Residence.

Natasha Brown, writer, says: “London's libraries are a fantastic resource. As a lifelong Londoner, I've enjoyed libraries both as gateways to new literature and serene places to work. I'm thrilled to join the City of Stories Home project, helping readers and writers to create and uncover new stories about the city we call home.”

Amer Anwar, writer, says: “Libraries were so important to me when I was young, allowing me access to books when I might otherwise not have had it. They are such a vital resource, in so many ways, and I am very pleased and proud to be involved in a project that celebrates them and also encourages people who have been inspired by their local libraries, just as I was, to try their hand at writing too.”

The City of Stories Home Anthology will be launched in June 2022 at celebration events in local libraries. The Anthology will be available for readers and reading groups in every London library service alongside an accessible collection of short story titles from London’s independent presses curated by librarians.

City of Stories Home’s partners include Libraries Connected and RNIB Library and is supported by Arts Council England and Cockayne Grants for the Arts.

Open mic night at Hillingdon Libraries

Thursday 16 December, 7pm-8.30pm

Uxbridge Library, UB8 1HD

FREE

Everyone is welcome to our open mic, now in-person, at Uxbridge library, performers and spectators.

Come along to our fun and friendly open mic night to showcase and share your talents. All artists and performances encouraged.

Previous open mics have included musicians, poets, comedic sketches, operatic arias, short skits and story readings. All slots are five minutes long. Please email libraryevents@hillingdon.gov.uk to book your place. If you'd prefer to enjoy the performances from the side-lines feel free to come down and support our acts as a member of the audience.

Borrow a ukulele with Lambeth Libraries

You can now borrow ukuleles for free at South Lambeth Library, thanks to a partnership with London Ukulele Project. Each kit contains a ukulele, the project booklet for you to keep, a tuner, a carrying case and an online resource package. The songs are easy to get you started and the guides will help you advance.

Ukuleles can be enjoyed by children and adults alike. Ukulele communities across London host lessons and meet-ups which include mass ukulele playalongs at Waterloo station (next one 11 December). London Ukulele Project design activities with the specific goal of reducing isolation and bringing people together.

Find out more at: https://libraries.lambeth.gov.uk/ukulele-loans

Getting back into work with Brent Libraries

Harlesden Library: 7 December at 11am-12pm

Wembley Library: 13 December at 11am-12pm

Join us for an information session to find out how we can help get you back into work.

Navigating your way back into work during these strange times can be tough, with so many people in the same situation as you, how do you get ahead of the game? The Shaw Trust’s employment support programme will help you do just that.

Join one of our information sessions in December and find out how we can help you join the 13,000 people we have supported back into work so far.

Free mindfulness sessions with Barbican Library

Barbican Library: Thursdays 1-1.30pm

Join us in the library every Thursday for our free, relaxing lunchtime mindfulness sessions.

Mindfulness and meditation practices helps us to focus on the present moment, this in turn helps us to better manage stress and anxiety, build concentration, gain self-confidence and more. The breathing exercises help us to strengthen our lungs and activate our immune system.

Juliana Lottmann, a certified mindfulness coach, will lead this group at every Thursday lunchtime. Open to beginners and experienced meditators of all ages.