Georgians Revealed, classic children’s books and historic celebrations from Boccaccio to the Football Association.
September to December 2013
EXHIBITION: Georgians Revealed: Life, Style and the Making of Modern Britain
Paccar Gallery, 8 November 2013 - 11 March 2014
Discover the reality of life in Georgian Britain. From beautifully furnished homes to raucous gambling dens, from celebrity obsessions to gin addictions, this dazzling exhibition will bring to life the trials and triumphs of the ordinary people who made modern Britain.
Prices: Gift Aid £10, Standard Adult £9, Over 60s £7, Other concessions £5, Under 18s Free, Friends of the British Library Free
www.bl.uk/georgians-revealed
LAST CHANCE TO SEE... Propaganda: Power and Persuasion
Until 17 September 2013
Speakers' Corner at the British Library
Monday 2 - Thursday 5 September, 13.00 - 13.45, Free, Piazza
Speakers' Corner is coming to the British Library, with a week of mini public debates outside in the Poets' Circle. In these 45 minute-sessions you're invited to join specially selected organisations and groups to discuss some of the themes raised in the exhibition.
See www.bl.uk/propaganda for more events and information.
Sir John Ritblat Treasures Gallery displays
Japan 400: Hirado and the British in Japan
1 August - 25 September 2013
A small display to celebrate 400 years of Japan-British relations 1613-2013. Featuring documents and drawings from the Library's collections, the story begins with the establishment of the English East India Company trading post at Hirado in 1613 and ends with the opening of Japan to the west in the 19th century.
Football Rules
21 August - 18 December 2013
On 26 October 1863, at the Freemasons' Tavern in London, a group of men came together to form The Football Association, with the objective of establishing a unified code of rules to regulate the sport.
At the centre of this display is the FA Minute Book, compiled and handwritten by Ebenezer Cobb Morley, which documents the origins of association football. From the first six meetings it took to agree the original 13 laws of football 150 years ago, to the inception of The FA Cup and the first international match, it is the most important book in the history of the world's favourite sport. Come and see the book that founded the beautiful game.
In partnership with The Football Association
You are the Ref: Live
Monday 23 September, 18.30 - 20.00, £7.50 / £5 concessions
As the original rules of Association Football go on display (see page 9), join this lively celebration of the quirks and complexities of the game with legendary sports artist Paul Trevillion - creator of the long running You Are The Ref strips - and former head of Premier League referees, Keith Hackett with special guests.
Boccaccio and Company
27 September - 1 December 2013
Giovanni Boccaccio's Decameron, one of the most famous works of Western literature, is a collection of 100 tales told over ten days by a group of ten friends who have fled to the countryside to escape the ravages of the Black Death in Florence in 1348. This small display marking the 700th anniversary of Boccaccio's birth, will examine this multifaceted and highly entertaining book - as well as Boccaccio's continuing influence on art and literature.
For more information see the British Library website.