National Library of Scotland events are free and take place in our George IV Bridge Building, unless we state otherwise.
April events | May events | June events
List updated: 10 April.
April events
See also:
Workshops and tours
Kelvin Hall events
The 1820s
A defining decade in British history and literature
Late Georgian Britain is the setting for this event, organised with the Royal Society of Edinburgh-funded research network The 1820s: Innovation and Diffusion. Using items from the Library's rare books and archives and and manuscript collections, four speakers discuss the culture and society of this often-forgotten decade. Original books and manuscripts on display complement the speakers, and demonstrate what people were reading, writing and talking about in this period of British history.
Wednesday 10 April
17.30
Free. This event is now fully booked.
Edinburgh Spy Week 2019
The hidden literary world of Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park, famed for its role in wartime intelligence as headquarters of the Government Code and Cypher School, was home to a little-known yet flourishing literary world. As part of Edinburgh Spy Week 2019, Dr Natalie Ferris explores how Bletchley Park inspired the creative lives of those who worked there, and influenced post-war British culture. Natalie is a Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellow in the School of Literature, Languages and Cultures at the University of Edinburgh.
Thursday 11 April
14.00
Free. This event is now fully booked.
Jane Haining — A life of love and courage
by Mary Miller
One of Scotland's heroines, Jane Haining protected the Jewish girls in her care from the Nazis at the Jewish Mission School in Budapest. An elusive farmer's daughter from Galloway in south-west Scotland, Jane's bravery and persistence led to her arrest in 1944 and subsequent death at the Auschwitz concentration camp. In this talk, author Mary Miller presents Jane's remarkable life story, describing her virtues, flaws, delights and disappointments, and reclaiming her from the shadows of history.
Tuesday 16 April
14.00
Free. This event is now fully booked.
Eric Drummond and his Legacies
Eric Drummond (1876-1951) became Secretary-General of the League of Nations in April 1919, and the aspiration to make a new world after the war fell to him. Based on the book 'Eric Drummond and his Legacies', this talk explores the role Drummond played in conceiving and shaping an impartial international civil service. Reflecting on his achievements, the talk celebrates how he made history ahead of successive Secretary-Generals of the League, or its successor, the United Nations.
Thursday 25 April
14.00
Free. Book 'Eric Drummond and his Legacies' on Eventbrite or phone 0131 623 3734.
May events
See also:
Workshops and tours
Kelvin Hall events
Testimonies of Transition
by Marjory Harper
Millions of Scots emigrated from Scotland and implanted aspects of their Scottish identity in the lands where they settled or sojourned. Drawing on oral testimonies from worldwide Scots emigrants, author Marjory Harper explores experiences of some of the men, women and children who left Scotland in the 20th century. Uniting past events with modern scenarios, she examines migrants' choices to leave, their arrival in a new land and for some, the transition of returning home.
Tuesday 7 May
14.00
Free. Book 'Testimonies of Transition by Marjory Harper' on Eventbrite or phone 0131 623 3734.
Lord Byron's 'Don Juan'
'Don Juan' by Lord Byron is considered the greatest long poem to be published in English between Milton's 'Paradise Lost' and Tennyson's 'In Memoriam'. Rewriting the story of the famous seducer Don Juan, the poem successfully traded on Byron's own scandalous reputation. It remains a virtuoso display of his art, switching between being farcical, satirical, thoughtful and moral. In this lecture, Professor Tom Mole examines the Library's Byron manuscripts to uncover the origins of the poem's tremendous comic composure.
Tuesday 14 May
14.00
Free. Book 'Lord Byron's Don Juan' on Eventbrite or phone 0131 623 3734.
The King in the North
The history of the Northern Picts is brought to life in a new book: 'The King in the North: The Pictish Realms of Fortriu and Ce'. Authors Dr Gordon Noble and Dr Nicholas Evans from Aberdeen University's Archaeology Department discuss their book, drawing on current research in archaeology, sculpture and history. They highlight exciting recent discoveries transforming our understanding of this important region of early medieval Scotland and the formative role it played in history.
Thursday 23 May
17.30
Free. This event is now fully booked.
How Scotland Works
by Andrew Conway
Politicians and pundits often juggle facts and figures about Scotland, or use selective information, resulting in bafflement in a mess of complexity and opinion. Andrew Conway offers the perfect antidote to this confusion with his book 'How Scotland Works: A Guide for Citizens'. In this talk, he aims to arm the layman with the knowledge to cut through the jargon and achieve a clear understanding of Scotland's political landscape.
Tuesday 28 May
17.30
Free. Book 'How Scotland works: Andrew Conway' on Eventbrite or phone 0131 623 3734.
June events
See also:
Workshops and tours
Kelvin Hall events
Edinburgh — The two cities
Experiences of Edinburgh and Leith through different literature are shared by two authors in this talk, offering a new appreciation of the city. Jenni Calder, author of 'Essence of Edinburgh', explores writings about the city across the old and new towns and beyond. Tim Bell, author of 'Choose Life Choose Leith' revisits the origins of Irvine Welsh's 'Trainspotting' — Leith in the 1980s, encompassing Thatcherism, social inequality and the HIV pandemic.
Tuesday 4 June
17.30
Free. This event is now fully booked.
Walking Scotland's lost railways
Scotland's former railway lines, closed due to political decisions, have found new life as varied and enjoyable walking paths. Based on their book, 'Walking Scotland's Lost Railways, Track Beds Rediscovered', Robin Howie, former hillwalking columnist in 'The Scotsman', and John McGregor, railway historian, give an illustrated talk. Sharing their experiences of walking over 375 miles on track beds, they reveal the stories of these former railway lines, giving fascinating insights into local social history.
Tuesday 18 June
14.00
Free. This event is now fully booked.
Monarch of the Green
Young Tom Morris, pioneer of modern golf
Golf's first celebrity superstar was young Tom Morris, son of the legendary golf pioneer, Tom Morris. Born when golf was becoming more affordable and popular, 'Tommy' and his vibrant persona set golf on a path to becoming the worldwide spectator sport we know today. In this talk, Florida-based journalist and avid golfer Stephen Proctor presents a stirring and evocative history of Tommy's life. He shows how this young superstar dominated the sport like few others have ever done.
Tuesday 25 June
17.30
Free. Book 'Monarch of the Green: Young Tom Morris, pioneer of modern golf on Eventbrite or phone 0131 623 3734.
Enlightenment Edinburgh
A guide by Sheila Szatkowski
Edinburgh was the intellectual hub of the Western world in the 18th century. Adam Smith, David Hume and others wrote about philosophy and political economy, while pioneers like James Hutton and Joseph Black were innovating in science, medicine, law and architecture. Great civic improvements, made in the New Town, breathed new life into the old medieval city. In this talk, writer and historian Sheila Szatkowski illuminates the Scottish Enlightenment through noteworthy buildings and people of 18th and early 19th-century Edinburgh.
Thursday 27 June
17.30
Free. This event is now fully booked.
