Home
British Library Logo

A New Divan: A Centenary Celebration of the Poetry of Edwin Morgan

Watch again now.

A celebration of one of the most important British poets of the last fifty years, by contemporary poets and artists.

Simon Barraclough, Dzifa Benson, Nancy Campbell, João Concha, Kirsten Irving, Ricardo Marques, Peter McCarey and Richard Price read Morgan's poems and each responds with a work of their own.

Taking its name from one of his collections, this evening is a 'divan' in the Persian sense of a gathering of people sitting on a virtual sofa sharing their poems and news, not unlike the concept of the 'ceilidh' in Scotland, where Morgan grew up and lived.

Join us on the poetry couch for an unrivalled insight into this remarkable poet and a glimpse of the wealth of contemporary poetry which has grown up in a creative landscape partly created by him.

With thanks to:

The Edwin Morgan Trust

The Poetry Archive

Carcanet Press

Click here to read the poem’s featured in this event.

Speakers

Richard Price

Poet, Head of Contemporary British Collections

Simon Barraclough

Poet

Dzifa Benson

Artist

Nancy Campbell

Poet

João Concha

Artist and Publisher

Kirsten Irving

Poet

Ricardo Marques

Poet and Translator

Peter McCarey

Poet and Translator

Jacqueline Wilson: Rebel Girls

Much-loved author Jacqueline Wilson talks about writing rebel girls who stand up for friendship, justice, and what they believe in. This event coincided with the British Library's Marvellous and Mischievous exhibition and celebrated the release of the Tracy Beaker book We Are The Beaker Girls. This event was livestreamed from the British Library on 11 November 2019 to public libraries across the UK. This event is recommended for ages 8+.

Chris Riddell's Alice in Wonderland

Watch again now.
This event took place on: 10 October 2020.

'What is the use of a book,' thought Alice, 'without pictures or conversations?'
This event has both: live illustration from the multi-award winning writer and illustrator Chris Riddell, conversation and performances of iconic scenes from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, like the tea party, by an amazing selection of actors.

Passionate Wonderland fan Chris Riddell launches this new edition, a richly illustrated reimagining of the classic children’s story. Watch Chris illustrate characters live and hear him talk about why this book still captivates him today. This event will be filmed on location in the British Library, which holds the original manuscript of Lewis Carroll’s world famous story.

Macmillan Children’s Books is presenting this brand new edition in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Sir John Tenniel, the original illustrator of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

This event is available to the audiences and users of public libraries through the Living Knowledge Network.

Storytalks: Stage, Screen & Page

Two leading performance writers talk through the process of writing for stage, screen or page. Inua Ellams, a UK-based poet, playwright and performer, and Kieran Hurley, a writer, performer and theatre maker, are both leaders in their field and share their insights in telling stories across all forms. This event is part of Storytalks, a series of talks from the UK’s storytelling experts programmed as part of Evolve, an imaginative programme of events and artworks within Devon’s Libraries. This event was livestreamed from Exeter Library on 7 November 2019.

PEN Pinter Prize: Linton Kwesi Johnson

Watch again now.
This event took place on: 12 October 2020.

Linton Kwesi Johnson is presented with the 2020 PEN Pinter Prize.

The PEN Pinter Prize was established in 2009 by the charity English PEN, which defends freedom of expression and celebrates literature. In memory of Nobel-Laureate playwright Harold Pinter, the prize is awarded annually to a writer of outstanding literary merit resident in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland or the Commonwealth who, in the words of Harold Pinter’s Nobel Prize in Literature speech, casts an ‘unflinching, unswerving’ gaze upon the world and shows a ‘fierce intellectual determination... to define the real truth of our lives and our societies’.

Linton Kwesi Johnson was chosen by this year’s judges; The Guardian’s Associate Editor for Culture Claire Armitstead; Dialogue Books Publisher Sharmaine Lovegrove, and author Max Porter. The judges said of Johnson: ‘Linton Kwesi Johnson is a poet, reggae icon, academic and campaigner, whose impact on the cultural landscape over the last half century has been colossal and multi-generational. His political ferocity and his tireless scrutiny of history are truly Pinteresque, as is the humour with which he pursues them.’

The prize will be shared with an International Writer of Courage: a writer who is active in defence of freedom of expression, often at great risk to their own safety and liberty, selected by Linton Kwesi Johnson from a shortlist of international cases supported by English PEN. The co-winner will be announced at the event, where they will accept their prize alongside Linton Kwesi Johnson.

This event is available to the audiences and users of public libraries through the Living Knowledge Network.

Michael Cashman in Conversation, presented by Ian McKellen

Michael Cashman has lived many lives, all of them remarkable: as an actor; as a campaigner for gay rights; as an MEP; and as a life peer. To mark the publication of his biography, One of Them, he joined Ian McKellen in conversation about his extraordinary life. Ian McKellen is an actor and activist, who says his proudest achievement is to have been, with Michael Cashman, a founding member of Stonewall.

This event took place on 28 February 2020 in partnership with Gay's the Word. The event was livestreamed from the British Library to public libraries across the UK. Due to the nature of the conversation this event is recommended for adult viewing only.

Michael Cashman

Speaker Position

Feedback

From your library to your home

We bring world-class speakers, emerging voices and inspirational debate to public libraries and the people who use them. We livestream compelling cultural events with libraries across the UK, so you can get a front-row seat for free no matter where you live.


As libraries have had to pause public events for now we’ve launched this website to keep bringing you captivating live events for free and showcase the highlights from our events archive. Here we can keep sharing knowledge and encouraging creativity, until we can get together again in person.


More information about the Living Knowledge Network and the British Library can be found here