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What’s on

The Queens Elizabeth and Mary featured side by side

Elizabeth and Mary: Royal Cousins, Rival Queens

Fri 8 Oct 2021 - Sun 20 Feb 2022

Treasures of the British Library. Discover stories that shape the world.

Treasures of the British Library

Free

Andrew Salkey, monochrome

Keep On Keeping On: Celebrating Andrew Salkey

Wed 8 Dec 2021

HistFest TudorFest

TudorFest

A medieval manuscript depicting a beast at the foot of a woman's bed

Myths, Magic and Manuscripts

Wed 8 Dec 2021

Images of Irenosen Okojie, Joyce Carol Oates, Patrice Lawrence and Chris Riddell

What's so great about Lewis Carroll?

Thu 9 Dec 2021

Manuscript title page of Beethoven's Eroica

Beethoven's Eroica Symphony

Thu 9 Dec 2021

Award-winning broadcasters and radio legends Fi Glover and Jane Garvey alongside an image of their book titled Did I Say That Out Loud?

Did I Say That Out Loud? Fi Glover and Jane Garvey

Tue 14 Dec 2021

Speakers for the Songs of Freedom event

Songs Of Freedom: Celebrating Fifty Years of Bangladesh

Thu 16 Dec 2021

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News

A person in a gallery looking at a manuscript

Keeping everyone safe

In line with the latest guidance you must now wear a face covering in our shops, and continue to wear one when you’re using…

Gift for all promotional banner showing exhibition tickets and books

A Christmas gift for all

Every gift purchased from the British Library this Christmas helps open up a world of ideas and inspiration for everyone,…

A view of the inside of the British Library at St Pancras

Call for academic partners - AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships

Call for UK academic partners to collaborate on AHRC funded doctoral research

Blogs

English and Drama blog from the British Library

Book Now For Online Event 'Keep On Keeping On: Celebrating Andrew Salkey'

Medieval manuscripts blog from the British Library

Proclaiming Mary’s Conviction in London

European blog from the British Library

From Dositej Obradović with thanks: a donation of the first Serbian books

Learn

Preview of the Black literature timeline poster, showing text entries by date, portraits and a tablet featuring images of book covers and handwritten manuscripts

Collage of photograph of Andrea Levy's parents and one of her manuscripts

‘How come England did not know me?’: Recording Andrea Levy for Authors’ Lives

More Learning resources

Discover

A Description of Three Hundred Animals [page: frontispiece and title page]

The Devonshire Manuscript

Explore this hand-written volume, known as the Devonshire Manuscript

Explore our Highlights

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Get started at the British Library, photo of a Reading Room

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Students working in the Library

Current vacancies and other opportunities – and how to apply