The Life of the Buddha © British Library

Exhibition

Buddhism

25 Oct 2019 - 23 Feb 2020

Discover the art, origins and its relevance today

Book now Members go free
A Child of Books
Exhibition FREE

A Child of Books

9 Aug 2019 - 27 Oct 2019

9 August – 27 October 2019

Coming soon
Illustration of Zog, Princess Pearl and Sir Gadabout © Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler, 2010
Exhibition FREE

Marvellous and Mischievous: Literature's Young Rebels

8 Nov 2019 - 1 Mar 2020

A free, family-friendly exhibition bringing together young rebels from children’s literature

Events at the Library

The artist Gillian Wearing stands holding a copy of Middlemarch by George Eliot
Film FREE

Film Screening: Everything is Connected – George Eliot's Life

A new Arena documentary by artist Gillian Wearing, followed by a Q+A

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Other events

Photo of Irina Bokova, Why Heritage Matters speaker. Image © UNESCO, Michel Ravassard
Talks and Discussions

Why Heritage Matters

The first woman to lead UNESCO discusses the importance of heritage in the modern world

This event has taken place
Discovering Buddhism: the Buddha bathes in the river at Kakuttha, lies down, and sends a message to Kunda in this scene created in Burma circa 1800 - 1820
Course

Discovering Buddhism

Explore the development of Buddhist teachings

Sold out
Photograph of a woman performing on stage
Special Event

One Track Minds

Everyone has a story about the song that changed their lives

Image from 19th-century Burmese paper folding book containing illustrations of 28 Enlightened Buddhas, with short captions
Talks and Discussions

The Buddha of History and The Buddha of Myth

The different faces of the Buddha in history, art and literature

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Tours of the Library

British Library group tour

Building tour

Discover more about our history, collections and architecture on this tour - includes the Viewing Gallery

Treasures Tours

Treasures tour

A one-hour journey through some of the Treasures of the British Library

Conservation Studios: Behind the Scenes Tours

Conservation studio tour

Take a behind-the-scenes tour and see our world-renowned conservators in action

Conservation Studios: Behind the Scenes Tours

Conservation studio tour with audio description

Take a behind-the-scenes tour and see our world-renowned conservators in action

Group visits to the British Library

Group visits to exhibitions

Book a group visit and you’ll receive a 10% discount on your ticket price