In Autumn 2027 the British Library will present Conquest: The Making of Norman England (1 October 2027 to 27 February 2028), the first national exhibition to explore the history and impact of Norman rule in England. Marking a millennium since the birth of William the Conqueror, Conquest will explore the rich history of Norman England to show the political and cultural transformations instigated by William and his successors. The Library’s major exhibition about beloved crime writer Agatha Christie, will continue until June 2027, celebrating her life and legacy through never-before-seen items, interactive displays and interviews.
Drawing on research into the collections of the British Library and Leeds Museum and Galleries, artist Yuen Fong Ling will present new artworks at Leeds Art Gallery alongside artists’ books, sculptural forms and social history artefacts as part of the latest Collections in Dialogue (20 May to October 2027).
Finally, from January until December 2027, the Library will present a series of free temporary thematic displays in selected cases in the Treasures Gallery on topics ranging from early English kings to iconic science fiction comics.
Cultural programme
Forthcoming exhibitions
Conquest: The Making of Norman England
1 October 2027 – 27 February 2028
British Library, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB
Marking a millennium since William the Conqueror's birth, Conquest: The Making of Norman England will explore the history and impact of the Norman Conquest and delve into the culture and politics of this pivotal period. Through nearly 200 unique objects from the British Library's rich collection and a large number of loans from across the UK, France and beyond, Conquest will tell the story of dynastic conflicts, and the profound political, artistic and linguistic changes that ensued in Norman England.
Drawing on a broad range of perspectives and accounts, the exhibition will examine the Norman Conquest as a long process rather than a single event. Spanning two generations before and two after the reign of William the Conqueror, from the early 11th to the mid-12th century, Conquest will explore how William imposed his rule on England. Visitors will encounter powerful members of his family who shaped the future of England, such as Emma of Normandy – Queen of England, great-aunt to William the Conqueror and mother of Edward the Confessor – whose political career spanned half a century in pre-Conquest England. The exhibition will also explore the deep rivalries between William’s three sons, William Rufus, Henry I and Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy, as well as the prolonged conflict between William’s grandchildren: Empress Matilda, daughter of Henry I and heiress to the combined wealth of England and Normandy, who fought her cousin, King Stephen, for control of England, and Henry of Blois, the enormously wealthy bishop of Winchester and major patron of the arts.
The exhibition will bring together unique original documents and chronicles, as well as many of the most spectacular works of art from the Norman period including illuminated manuscripts, metalwork, ivory and sculpture. Conquest will shed light on major shifts in England's politics, religious life and culture, to consider how Norman rule changed England and how some of those changes, to the skyline and the English language, persist to this day. It will also reflect on aspects of pre-Conquest England that William embraced during his rule, including the design of the English coinage and the organisation of England into administrative counties which endured until the 1970s.
Conquest will position England in its broader European context, examining how the Norman Conquest shifted England’s focus from the Anglo-Danish North Sea world towards France, creating a complex relationship that shaped England for rest of the Middle Ages and beyond.
Supported by PACCAR, and Cockayne Grants for the Arts. With thanks to Luke and Emily Chappell, Steven Larcombe and Sonya Leydecker, Kathryn Uhde, and The University of East Anglia.
This exhibition is part of Millenium: 2027, European Year of the Normans.
Collections in Dialogue: The Fold by Yuen Fong Ling
20 May 2027 – October 2027
Leeds Art Gallery, The Headrow, Leeds, LS1 3AA
The Fold is the culmination of the third ‘Collections in Dialogue’ co-commission between the British Library and Leeds Art Gallery, awarded to artist Yuen Fong Ling, who will create new artworks inspired by the collections at both institutions.
For the exhibition, Ling will explore the artists’ books and Chinese collections at the British Library alongside sculptural works from the collections of Leeds Museums and Galleries and the Henry Moore Institute. Rooted in his own family history of migration to the UK from Hong Kong, Ling’s commission will delve into his own past, while reflecting on the myths, stereotypes and social expectations about migrants. Driven by his research and inspired by the creative possibilities of the archives, Ling will explore how these narratives and stories continue to be revealed and concealed, and the forms they take, with a particular focus on the shared community of ‘the fold’.
The Fold has been made possible with funding from Jerwood Art Fund Commissions, a partnership between Art Fund and Jerwood Foundation.
Collections in Dialogue is part of the British Library’s Public Engagement programme in West Yorkshire, where the Library’s Boston Spa campus is home to over three-quarters of the collection.
Treasures Gallery displays
Æthelstan, First King of England
27 January - May 2027
British Library, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB
Æthelstan is recognised as the first king to rule the whole of England. He reigned over Wessex and Mercia, before adding Northumbria to his kingdom in 927, in the same year receiving the submission of the leaders of the Scots and Welsh. To mark the 1100th anniversary of the unification of England, this display will showcase some original manuscripts that were once owned by Æthelstan.
2000 AD: The Galaxy’s Greatest Comic turns 50
21 January - June 2027
British Library, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB
2000 AD is the UK’s longest running science fiction comic anthology. Fifty years of satire, violence, and politics have influenced comic storytelling worldwide, and this free display will explore the many worlds and stories that have defined 2000 AD. It will trace the comic's journey from its creation in the 1970s to the present day, showing how the comic responded to the themes and events of each era.
Yuen Fong Ling Collections in Dialogue display
5 May - August 2027
British Library, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB
This special case accompanies Yuen Fong Ling's exhibition, The Fold, at Leeds Art Gallery and provides further context into the Collections in Dialogue collaboration.
Opening soon in 2026
Agatha Christie: A World of Mystery
30 October 2026 – 20 June 2027
British Library, 96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB
‘Agatha Christie: A World of Mystery’, a major exhibition exploring the life and work of the bestselling novelist of all time, Agatha Christie, will continue at the British Library until June 2027. Marking 50 years since her death, the exhibition examines not only the origins of iconic fictional creations like Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple but also goes behind the stories to explore Christie's life and legacy, including how her travels and wide-ranging interests such as archaeology and pharmacology informed her work.
The exhibition takes visitors on a journey through Christie’s upbringing, her interests and travels through five immersive settings – the country house, the dispensary, the train, the dig and the theatre – filled with items from her personal life. Highlights include Christie’s typewriter, professional and personal correspondence with other writers and family members, family photographs and notebooks and typescripts for her novels. There are also clues and ‘Easter eggs’ dotted throughout the exhibition for Christie fans to sleuth out. Christie’s impact on the wider crime fiction genre is explored through interviews within the exhibition with leading writers, broadcasters and notable fans.
This exhibition has been made possible with support from Great Western Railway, and with thanks to Newby Teas. The Learning Programme accompanying the exhibition has been made possible by a grant from the Colwinston Charitable Trust 30th Anniversary Fund.
Developed with support from Agatha Christie Limited and the Christie Archive Trust.
Accompanying the exhibition will be Living Knowledge Network displays and crime fiction events at public libraries around the UK.
ENDS
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