Libraries events archive 2008

An Icon Reassessed

Westminster Reference Library - Tuesday 2 December 2008 6pm to 8pm

An illustrated talk by Sandra Shevey who will also sign copies of the latest edition of her groundbreaking biography The Marilyn Scandal, the book which her friends asked me to write.

Previous talks have included the films of Alfred Hitchcock and The Magnificent Seven, a series of interviews with Alfred Hitchcock, Liza Minnelli, Rock Hudson, Shirley Maclaine and many others.

Sandra Shevey also leads film location walks, for more information on these, see her website. For further information, email Sandra at sandra_shevey@yahoo.com.

Pimlico People

- A suite of 30 black and white photographic portraits

24 to 29 November

These fascinating portraits are of people who eat communally at the Open Door Meal at St James the Less Church in Pimlico. Shooting in black and white in the marvellous interior of a Gothic Revival Church, Sarah Ainslie has captured the people and friendships that have come together via the church for the fortnightly meal. Widely ranging in age, nationality and background, many participants were shy to begin with but with each fortnight they started to respond and took pride in their portraits. The results are great images of character and dignity.

Website Optimisation - Gain top website visibility and exposure for your business!

Westminster Reference Library - Thursday 20 November 2008 6.30pm

Are you an established business wanting to learn how to

• Retain control of your website?
• Maximise the business benefits from your website?
• Ensure it is designed to feature highly on Google searches?

Then come to a talk and presentation by

Tony Cattermole, business adviser

at Business Link in London.

Journey with Colour - An Exhibition by Masako Iwamoto

3 to 22 November

Masako Iwamoto graduated from City & Guilds of London Art School nine years ago.

Through her painting she seeks to express her feelings and thoughts through colour using a variety of forms and shapes. Her journey started from depicting nature and everyday objects with a gradual exploration of more abstract shapes. It remains Masako's purpose to pursue what colour can do in painting.

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Barbara Ewing

November and December 2008

During November and December 2008, as Author of the One Book for Westminster The Mesmerist, writer and actress Barbara Ewing visited several Westminster libraries to talk about this book...

About Barbara Ewing

After coming to the UK from New Zealand and winning the gold medal at RADA, Barbara was inundated with offers, and worked with Paul Scofield, Glenda Jackson and Judi Dench in the theatre besides appearing on television in Brass with Timothy West, The Bill and Casualty. Her film career included working with Christopher Lee. Needing a 'second career', she began writing about middle-aged actresses, something she felt she knew about! Barbara's books are well researched and packed with themes and issues, she is an entertaining speaker. The Mesmerist was chosen as One book for Westminster, but she also wrote:

Strangers

The Actresses

A Dangerous Vine

The Trespass

Rosetta

She will also soon release her new book The Fraud. All these talks are free but booking may be required so please do contact the library concerned. A list of the dates and venues for the upcoming talks is available below...

Barbara Ewing spoke at...

Monday 24 November - Pimlico Library

Tuesday 25 November - St John's Wood Library and Church Street Library

Thursday 27 November - St John's Wood Library

Monday 1 December - Maida Vale Library

Tuesday 2 December - Charing Cross Library and Mayfair Library

Wednesday 3 December - Marylebone Library

Friday 5 December - Paddington Library

Dorothea Smartt and Jacob Ross

November 2008

Victoria Library played host to a joint reading event staring Dorothea Smartt (reading from her latest poetry collection Ship Shape) and Jacob Ross (reading from his latest book Pynter Bender).

Further details on the authors...

Dorothea Smartt, born and raised in London, is of Barbadian heritage. Described as 'accessible and dynamic', her poetry appears in several journals and ground-breaking anthologies, including IC3: The Penguin Book of New Black Writing in Britain (2000), and A Storm Between Fingers (Flipped Eye, 2007). She has exhibited at London's Museum in Docklands, as part of the residency/exhibition project 'TradeWinds-LandFall' between London and Houston, Texas. Jacob Ross was born in Grenada, and has lived in Britain since 1984. He is a poet, playwright, journalist, novelist and a tutor of Narrative Craft. He is the author of acclaimed short story collections, Song for Simone (1986) and A Way to Catch the Dust (1999); co-editor with Joan Anim-Addo of Voice, Memory, Ashes (1998); co-author with Kwesi Owusu of Behind the Masquerade: The Story of Notting Hill Carnival (1986); Ridin' n Risin and Turf - Anthologies of Short Stories with Andrea Enisuoh.

Week of Words in Westminster

Get Reading with Westminster - celebrate words and books, from graffiti to eBooks, with schools and libraries.

For a whole week in November 2008 children, families, libraries and teachers in Westminster had a reading fest brought to them by the Westminster Schools Effectiveness Group and Westminster Libraries, working together on the Week of Words in Westminster as part of the National Year of Reading.

Six children's writers and poets visited libraries, hosting no less than 30 class visits from local primary schools from Monday 10 November 2008 and teachers met experts on improving literacy and reading standards, then Friday 14 November became 'share a book' day.

Family Reading Fair

Finally the week ended with the Family Reading Fair. A celebration of The National Year of Reading it included authors, workshops, storytelling, Westminster Adult Education Service family learning sessions, and special visitors like the Cartoon Museum, as well as graffiti artists, Manga writers, Shakespearian actors, the British Library, Westminster Archives, and lots more. There were also stalls on children's books, talking books, eBooks, Manga books, etc.

Black History Month 2008

V I P (Vocally Intimate Projections)

An evening of poetry and dance by

David J Pugilist and Dance Physics

Thursday 30 October 2008

Come and listen to David J the Pugilist, guaranteed to educate and entertain with his creative and articulate spoken word and hip hop tunes.

And a performance by Dance Physics, a group whose policy is to promote participation in dance and other forms of physical activity as a stimulating and creative pursuit within schools and community settings.

The Forgotten Gaiety Musicals - Our Miss Gibbs

Tuesday 21 October 2008 5.30pm

Come along and participate in the reading of the show's dialogue and in a sing-along of the show's songs!

Hosted by Ken Reeves, author of Gertie Millar and the Edwardian Legacy

This is first in a projected series of early Gaiety musicals presented for audience participation.

Manga & Anime Art Exhibition

Meet the Artists!

Friday 17 October 2008 at 6pm

Come along and enjoy an opportunity to meet manga and anime artists

Phil English, Sonia Leong, Declan Talbert, Jodie Azhar, Ian Rudd, Juan-Carlos Cambon, Celine Choo and Mark Gardner.

Book Launch and Networking Event

My Business is My Business

Wednesday 15 October 2008 6.30pm

Hoping to become your own boss?

• Start & run your own business?
• Achieve financial independence?

Then come to a talk and presentation by Business Management Consultant, Trainer & Author Sheila Elliott

who launches her book

My Business is My Business

followed by refreshments and networking opportunity.

Reading London Conference 2008

Saturday 11 October 2008

The conference was an afternoon aimed mainly at readers' groups, taking 19th century London as a theme, with fiction and non-fiction authors discussing their different approaches in researching and writing about it. On the panel were be Lynda Nead, Sarah Wise, Lee Jackson and Barbara Ewing. It was preceded by tours of the Westminster City Archives where the conference was held. Read on for information about the various authors involved in this event. The organisers would like to give a big thank you to the authors and to everyone who came making this conference such a great success.

About the talks and authors

London in the 19th century was a city of startling contrasts. New buildings and affluent development went hand in hand with horribly overcrowded slums where people lived in the worst conditions imaginable. Population's growth far exceeded London's ability to look after the basic needs of its citizens. The air was heavy and foul-smelling. The city's busy nightlife resonated loudly with the shenanigans of celebrities, criminals, heroes and royals . Plus ca change....

Read on with a list of key books about or set in 19th Century London, compiled by library staff: Reading London in fact - Reading London in fiction.

The panel:

Lynda Nead is Pevsner Professor of History of Art at Birkbeck, University of London. Her books include 'Victorian Babylon: People, Streets and Images in Nineteenth-Century London' (2000) and 'The Haunted Gallery: Painting, Photography, Film c.1900' (2007). She is currently working on a book called 'The Art of Boxing: A Book in Twelve Rounds'.

Sarah Wise is author of 'The Blackest Streets: The Life and Death of a Victorian Slum', and 'The Italian Boy: Murder and Grave-Robbery in 1830s London', which was shortlisted for the 2005 Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction and won the Crime Writers' Association 2005 Gold Dagger for Non-Fiction. She lives in central London and reviews for the Daily Telegraph and The Literary Review.

Lee Jackson is an author of six historical novels, including 'A Metropolitan Murder' and 'A Most Dangerous Woman', all of which explore different aspects of London's social history. He is fascinated by the secret life of the Victorian metropolis and is also the creator of www.victorianlondon.org, a compendious online encyclopaedia of the 19th century city. He lives in Stoke Newington.

Barbara Ewing was born and brought up in New Zealand. She has spent most of her life living and working as an actor in the UK. She has written several historical novels most of them set in 19th century London. She is author of Rosetta (2005), The Trespass (2002), The Actresses (1997) and The Mesmerist (2007) amongst others.

Readings were followed by panel discussion and audience Q&A .

Family learning event : The Shoebox Story

Thursday 9 and 16 October

This family workshop looked at a painting from the Wallace Collection and created a story of 'What happened before...' and 'What happened afterwards...'. People were given a chance to talk about the painting, make up their own story and then create scenes from the story in shoeboxes. These will then be displayed in the library.

This was a collaboration between The Wallace Collection and Mayfair Library.

Japanese Cultural Evening

Wednesday 1 October 6pm - 8pm

Join us for a talk, dancing and cultural demonstrations, admire costumes, and enjoy anime and Manga drawing.

• Akiko Motomura dances Kurodabushi
• Hiroko Tanaka dances Sakura Sakura
• Akemi Solloway will give a talk and cultural demonstration with assistance from artist Emily Bastian and her cosplay costumes
• Presentation of live Manga drawing by Ian Rudd, Sonia Leong and other participants
• Akemi Solloway will provide commentary and lead audience participation sessions during which members of the public will be drawn in Manga and Anime styles
• There will then be a question and answer session

Manga and Anime Art

1 October to 2 November

For those unfamiliar with the terms, Manga and anime are comic and animation styles originating from Japan.

This exhibition is an official project organised by Japan-UK 150, celebrating one hundred and fifty years of friendship between Japan and the UK.

For more information on the project, please contact

Akemi Solloway or visit www.solloway.org.

National Book Start Day

National Bookstart Day was celebrated across Westminster on several days! We held pirate parties for under fives and their grown ups in Westminster Libraries in October. Children read and wrote pirate rhymes, sang pirate songs and told pirate stories, and dressed up as a pirates! Stickers and goodies were given out and it was all completely free!

Dates & Venues:

Monday 6 October

Pimlico Library

Tuesday 7 October

Marylebone Library

Wednesday 8 October

Charing Cross Library

Mayfair Library

Paddington Children's Library

Victoria Library

Thursday 9 October

Church Street Library

St Johns Wood Library

Friday 10 October

St James' Library

Maida Vale Library

Queen's Park Library

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Jonathan Trigell - Re-joining society

October 2008

Jonathan Trigell discussed his book Boy A. This book is an award winning novel centered around the release of a child criminal as an adult. It was also made into a BAFTA winning film (also entitled Boy A) starring Andrew Garfield.

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Reading Aloud to Young Children

October 2008

Parents and carers were given advice on 'How to enjoy reading aloud to young children' with actor and author Edmund Pegge at Marylebone Library.

Citizenship and the role of the UK Parliament: Any Questions?

Westminster Reference Library - Thursday 18 September 2008 6.30pm

Anyone interested in the subject of the UK Parliament and Citizenship, Citizenship Agendas, or the Life in the UK test would have enjoyed this talk and presentation by Clare Cowan, Parliamentary Outreach on the detailed role Parliament plays.

Of much interest too was how we as members of the public can have our voices heard and so influence the parlimentary process and decision-making.

The talk was free and open to all and was followed by a lively question and answer session.

If you would like to be added to our mailing list for future events, please email referencelibrarywc2@westminster.gov.uk or tel: 020 7641 5250

How to Market your Business

Westminster Reference Library - Wednesday 17 September 2008 6.30pm

Business Consultant and Marketing Strategist Stephen Campbell gave a very interesting talk and presentation on how to develop a successful marketing strategy for your business.

This event was was free and well attended by an audience who also enjoyed refreshments and a networking opportunity after the talk.

If you would like to be added to our mailing list for future business events please email bip@westminster.gov.uk or tel: 020 7641 5250

Open Theatre Project

Westminster Reference Library - September 2008

RADA's Theatre Design Exhibition by Katie Lias came to the library and was admired by all. Some describing it as "the best exhibition the library has had". It consisted of several mini theatre sets with tiny stages actors and props. It also provided the backdrop to talks by Katie Lias about the designs, designer Michael Vale and a multi-media performance from Drew Davies on September the 27th.

Exhibition: Tom Hughes Recent Paintings

19 July to 9 August 2008

Tom Hughes exhibited at Westminster Reference Library, where many visitors enjoyed his work.

Murder, mystery and steam: an evening with Andrew Martin

2008

Marylebone Library gave readers the opportunity to meet the creator of Jim Stringer, Steam detective, hero of a series of novels set on the railways of Edwardian England.

Death on a branch line, the latest in the series, was published on the 5 June.

Andrew visited various other libraries throughout Westminster to talk about his book.

Laurie King and Andrew Martin Talk in Paddington Library

In June 2008

Laurie King talked about her novels and Andrew Martin again gave an informal talk about his, and also answered questions about his fiction writing.

H.R.F. Keating

Wednesday 28 May

Prize winning author H.R.F. Keating gave a talk about the Inspector Ghote series at Paddington library.

Antony Clayton: The Folklore of London

Westminster reference library - Thursday 15 May 2008

Acclaimed author of books including Subterranean City and Decadent London, Antony Clayton gave a fascinating talk at Marylebone Library on the subject of his forthcoming book, The Folklore of London. A lively discussion followed, mostly on the grisly subject of plague pits! He went on to do the same talk at Westminster Reference Library in June.

This is not the only talk Antony has given; he has frequently given talks both at Westminster reference Library and elsewhere on the subjects of all his books. Indeed, the likelihood is that if you keep visiting the news and events page you will spot another of his talks some times soon...

Oliver Messel 'Making and Doing'

28 April to 7 June 2008

This interactive stage design exhibition from the V&A Theatre Collection draws on the Oliver Messel Archives. It is suitable for school groups, families and adults alike. Please see below and Adult Learners' Week for dates and times of two related talks by professional stage set and costume designers from English National Opera and the Royal Opera House.

Gritty Crime

Thursday 24 April 2008

Queen's Park library hosted a talk by John Harvey who discussed crime in fiction and crime in real life with Police Superintendent Jonathan Morgan.

John Harvey has been described as "one of the masters of British crime fiction" by the Sunday Telegraph, and "one of the leading writers of crime fiction alive today" by Le Monde. He was born in 1938 in north London, where, after several lengthy sojourns in Nottingham, he continues to live.

Like many successful writers, he learned his trade writing pulp fiction - including many westerns. He has close to one hundred published titles to his credit.

Drew Caiden's Showcase

Westminster Reference Library - April 3rd 2008

Study Room Our quiet study room on the 2nd floor became the set for STRAWBERRY DAIQUIRI, a stimulating and thought provoking new play written and performed by one of Britain's most exciting young talents Drew Caiden and directed by Peter Bull.

Strawberry Daiquiri explores the realms of relationships and ambiguity as seen through the eyes of a man who has come to re-enter the life of the "woman" he once loved. A kaleidoscope journey through gender identity, confusion and manipulation, Strawberry Daiquiri is a mystery waiting to unfold.

Astral Bodies

Thursday 6 March 2008

Jay Merill visited Charing Cross Library to help celebrate World Book Day and the National Year of Reading. She read from her collection of short stories: Astral Bodies.

Tim Winton - Read from 'Breath'

Wednesday 30 January 2008

Tim Winton offered a sneak preview of his new novel 'Breath'; the story of a young man who spurns the rules to live an exhilarating life by the sea in Westminster Reference Library. Attendees were also given the opportunity to ask questions. Previous books by Tim Winton include:

• Cloudstreet
• Dirt Music
• The Turning

They can be found in Westminster libraries.

Young Poppies

Young Poppies was a Westminster Libraries and Archives literacy project that took place in October 2008, and was delivered to four Year 7 groups at Westminster, Queens Park, St John's Wood, and Maida Vale libraries.

The aim of the project was to use the inspiring life of Walter Tull to invite young people to think about Identity, Diversity, Ambition, and Bravery. The four groups of young people came from Westminster Academy, St Augustine's Secondary School, Quentin Kynaston School, and Paddington Academy.

As lead facilitator, I worked with the schools and libraries to devise sessions that encouraged the young people to think about the First World War and Remembrance Day; as well as to see Walter Tull as an inspiring role model for all times.

The young people were very moved by the life story and the animation Crossing the White Lines, and produced a great deal of written work (a selection of which appears on a separate page).

I was really struck that diverse groups of both boys and girls were able to use Walter Tull's life story to think about their ambitions and to take real steps to understand the emotional intelligence they would need in order to succeed at school and beyond. We hope that you enjoy and are inspired by the work.

Jenny Mitchell, Inner Vision

Chirag Mulia's Rangoli

2008

Rangoli is one of the most popular art forms in India. It is a form of decoration that uses finely ground white powder and colours, and is used on Diwali ( the festival of lights) in India to welcome the goddess Laxmi (the goddess of wealth). The materials I use for Rangoli take on either a flat appearance, when a uniform monolayer of powders are sprinkled or a 3-D effect when different sized grains like cereals, pulses etc are used either in their natural colouring or tinted with natural dyes are used. I mostly use coarse colored powder, confetti, flowers and tea lights to enhance the designs' bright appearance. I have mainly concentrated on 3D effects, modern art and traditional Indian designs.

For further information email: chiragmulia@hotmail.co.uk