British Library

We’ve just added a remarkable group of rare medieval manuscripts to our collection – shedding new light on life in Britain and Ireland during the Middle Ages.

From Jewish-Christian relations and theological debates to 15th-century town life and devotional art, these fascinating works include:

📜 A Trilingual Dictionary, Psalter and Hebrew Grammar, created by monks and Jewish scholars

📜 The Red Book of Bath, revealing daily life in 15th-century Bath

📜 Richard Rolle’s The Form of Living, written in rare Hiberno-English

📜 Unique Middle English sermons debating Church ideas

📜 A beautifully illustrated Arma Christi devotional manuscript

What’s more, they’ve all been digitised and are now available online – explore them in detail: https://bit.ly/BLBlogLongleat

With the long bank holiday weekend approaching, it's the perfect time to get your hands dirty in the soil 👨‍🌾

Whether you're planting seeds or simply admiring the view, we want to know, what do you love most about gardening?

Was this Anne Boleyn’s girdle book?

This exquisite miniature prayer book, bound in gold and small enough to hang from a belt, has long been linked to Anne Boleyn. The story goes that Anne handed it to a lady-in-waiting just before her ex*****on in 1536 – a final, poignant gesture.

It’s easy to see why people believed it. The gilded covers feel fit for royalty, and inside is a portrait of a smiling Henry VIII – softer, more affectionate than we’re used to seeing. The book also contains Psalms in English verse, aligning with Anne’s known support for vernacular scripture.

But the truth is actually a case of mistaken identity. The Anne Boleyn connection came from a 19th-century bookseller who confused this book with another, now-lost girdle book actually documented in the 1700s. And the portrait of Henry? Likely added later to make the story more convincing.

So, who did it really belong to? We’ll probably never know for sure who originally owned it, but clues point to John Croke, a clerk under Henry VIII. His translations of these Psalms appear in one other surviving manuscript, with a dedication to his wife, Prudence.

It may never have passed through Anne Boleyn’s hands, but this little book carries the remarkable story of a quiet gift between husband and wife.

📜 Stowe 956

As we commemorate the 80th anniversary of , explore the programmes for the legendary National Gallery Concerts, which provided musical uplift to audiences in central London every weekday between October 1939 and April 1946.

The concerts were run by the pianist Dame Myra Hess, who later bequeathed a complete series of annotated programmes together with carefully compiled accounts and indexes of performers and music played.

The images here show handsomely-bound volumes holding the complete programmes, the index of performers, and three annotated programmes dating from late April and early May 1945.

This week also marks the 120th anniversary of the birth of the composer Mátyás Seiber, who featured on the 7 May 1945 programme giving a lecture about Bartók, and for whom the Library holds important manuscript and sound collections.

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We’ll be observing the national two-minute silence at 12.00 today, Thursday 8 May, as part of this week’s commemorations for the 80th anniversary of VE Day.

celebrations: all cheers and confetti? Not quite... 📰

We have all seen images of joyful street parties and triumphant newspaper headlines that greeted the end of the war in Europe on 8 May 1945, but how was VE Day covered by the press through the decades?

From the quiet reflection of a nation recovering from loss, to calls for unity and lasting peace, to the nostalgic celebrations of the 50th anniversary in 1995, the media has told the story of VE Day in many different tones.

What do these changing headlines say about how we remember history, and how we shape it?

VE Day in the news We have all seen images of the joyful street parties and triumphant newspaper headlines that greeted the end of war in Europe on 8th May 1945. As the UK prepares to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day in 2025, we explore the British Library's newspaper collections to see how...

As we approach the 80th anniversary of , there’s a unique opportunity to reflect not only on history, but on how it’s seen through the eyes of children.

One remarkable item in our collection is Children in War-time: Stories and Drawings Printed by Boys and Girls (1941), a beautifully crafted collection of vignettes and illustrations that offer a window into the wartime lives of schoolchildren at Hay Currie Emergency School in Poplar – London’s East End.

From the writing and illustration to the printing and bookbinding, every part was created by the children themselves – the result is a deeply moving and beautifully handmade record of wartime, filled with creativity, emotion, and resilience.

A long time ago in a manuscript far, far away....

Happy – May the Fourth be with you, always.

Unearthed: The Power of Gardening is now open! 🌻

Step into the wonderful world of gardening: discover botanical treasures, medieval manuscripts, contemporary art and powerful stories from people and communities across the UK who are transforming the world around us.

Open until 10 August. Book now: https://bit.ly/BLUnearthed

Traditionally marked on 23 April, did you know this year, St George’s Day falls on 28 April?

This image shows one of many historic portrayals of the legendary tale of St George and the Dragon, a story that has captivated Europe for centuries. From medieval manuscripts to Renaissance paintings, George’s heroic struggle has come to symbolise courage, faith, and the triumph of good over evil.

What does this version of the story say to you? 🛡️🐉

Our Doctoral Open Days are the perfect starting point for PhD students, or anyone considering a postgraduate degree, who wants to find out more about working with our collection during their studies.

Join our May session as we showcase our digital collections. Find out more about digital research, our newspaper archive, digital mapping, the Endangered Archives Programme and Europeana, before the day concludes with a panel of researchers to discuss the use of collections data in academic research.

Book your place:

Not Just Books: Digital Collections and Resources | British Library Our Doctoral Open Days are for any PhD students interested in working with our collection during their studies. Each Open Day showcases a different area of

Enjoy creative, family-led fun at the Library when you drop in to our Family Station 🧩

Pick up a trail to discover the building, take part in sensory play and enjoy a pop-up reading area. Open every day, Friday 4 – Thursday 10 April, 11.00–15.00.

Discover more: https://bit.ly/BL-FamilyStation

Celebrate a loved one this Mother’s Day by adopting their favourite book 📚

Show your appreciation by choosing from our selection of beloved classics – with options for romantics, adventure lovers and mystery solvers.

Give the gift of stories today: https://bit.ly/BLAdoptABookMothersDay

Happy St. Patrick's Day! ☘️

Today, we celebrate the life of St. Patrick. Born in Roman Britain, he was kidnapped at a young age and spent years enslaved as a shepherd in Ireland. After escaping back to Britain, he returned to Ireland as a missionary, bringing Christianity to the land that once held him captive.

His journey is beautifully captured in his "Confessio," an autobiography that shares his faith, struggles, and spiritual growth. While it doesn’t mention shamrocks or the famous snake banishment, it does reflect on the transformative power of faith and perseverance. St. Patrick’s words remind us of the strength to be found in believing, even in the toughest of times.

Toasting good health and good company – Sláinte!