National Library of Scotland events are free and take place in our George IV Bridge Building, unless we state otherwise.
List updated: 19 March.
March events
See also:
Workshops and tours
Kelvin Hall events
Scotland: Her Story
Scotland's history has been told many times, but never exclusively by its women. From the saintly but severe medieval Queen Margaret to today's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, 'Scotland: Her Story' encompasses women from all stations of class and fame and notoriety. The book offers a tantalising view of what happened to these women and how they felt. In her illuminating talk, acclaimed novelist and journalist Rosemary Goring shines a light on the women who have made Scotland's history rich, robust and endlessly fascinating.
Tuesday 19 March
17.30
Free. This event is now fully booked.
The care and conservation of shared Georgian gardens
In this illustrated talk, architect and landscaper John Byrom talks about the shared gardens of Edinburgh's New Town. He also explains their relationship to the planning, wellbeing and future of a greater and greener Edinburgh.
Wednesday 20 March
17.30
Free. This event is now fully booked.
Rare Books Week event
Whistle-stop tour of the Library's printed special collections
As part of Rare Books Edinburgh Week, Graham Hogg — one of our Rare Books Curators — gives an insight into the National Library's history of acquiring printed collections. With illustrations, Graham describes 300 years of collecting history, from the Advocates Library in the 1680s to the National Library of Scotland in the 21st century.
Friday 22 March
14.00
Free. Book 'Rare Books Week event' on Eventbrite or phone 0131 623 3734.
Mother: A Human Love Story
Matt Hopwood is a storyteller who admits to having struggled to feel or express any emotions at all until he reached his 30s. He has since made it his life's mission to build, grow and enhance connections between people through their simple and vulnerable stories of love. In this talk, Matt presents a selection of deep, powerful stories of and by mothers which were told openly and bravely to him on his travels across the world. The perfect event to attend in the run-up to Mother's Day.
Tuesday 26 March
17.30
Free. Book 'Mother: A Human Love Story' on Eventbrite or phone 0131 623 3734.
Rather more than thirty-nine steps
Reflections on John Buchan, the Scottish polymath
Author John Buchan is mostly remembered today for 'The Thirty Nine Steps', a thriller that he wrote for his own amusement in six weeks while ill in bed. In this illustrated talk, his granddaughter Ursula Buchan shares more about his life, revealing him to be a remarkable man who amazed his contemporaries with his versatility and range. Her biography of her grandfather, 'Beyond the Thirty-Nine Steps: A Life of John Buchan', will be published by Bloomsbury in April 2019.
Thursday 28 March
14.00
Free. This event is now fully booked.
April events
See also:
Workshops and tours
Kelvin Hall events
Scotland's homes fit for heroes
After the First World War, Scotland's housing and townscapes were transformed. Cottage-style homes built in garden suburbs on the edges of towns and cities, created popular living environments. Cliff Hague and Lou Rosenberg discuss the key players in this process. Cliff Hague is Chair of the Cockburn Association and Emeritus Professor of Planning at Heriot-Watt University. Lou Rosenburg, co-author of 'Renewing Old Edinburgh: The Enduring Legacy of Patrick Geddes', is an honorary fellow at the Scottish Centre for Conservation Studies.
Tuesday 9 April
14.00
Free. This event is now fully booked.
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. Book 'The 1820s: a defining decade in British history and literature' on Eventbrite or phone 0131 623 3734.
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.
Tuesday 11 April
14.00
Free. Book 'Edinburgh Spy week 2019: The hidden literary world of Bletchley Park' on Eventbrite or phone 0131 623 3734.
