Tag: books

Fun outreach work in interesting places

Published on by Seema Rampersad1 Comment

In recent weeks, I realised that I have been ask to work with partners at their locations for events or conferences.  I actually like working elsewhere on occasion as this adaptability must spring from my sense of adventure in going to new places and meeting new people.  This is probably a good thing as it helps me to think outwardly, as well as see what is on the horizon beyond my every day.

It was nice to be invited to the Camden Libraries staff conference at their Swiss Cottage Library again.  It was inspiring and motivating to hear the great work they are doing from the launch of their Reading Strategy (which I was able to take part in as part of their Reading Strategy board), work from parts of their libraries from new Health and Wellbeing Librarian or to the newly refitted Holborn Library, where we have also delivered two workshops.

There were great presentations from maker spaces to talks on how valuable libraries are for culture, creativity and for literacy. One of the presenters mentioned spending lots of time as a child in the summer holidays in the library whilst her parents were at work – the library was a safe space but also facilitated the development of her love of reading, learning and eventually working in libraries and the community too.  I was able to also present a workshop on customer service especially since we had recently hosted Camden Libraries along the theme of ‘The Reference Interview’, and it was a natural follow up for us to discuss how good customer service links with a good user experience and exemplary library services. I also attended a workshop on implementing the Camden Reading Strategy, and it was reassuring to hear from volunteers at their Highgate Library talk about ways that they encourage children to read and do interesting activities in the library, which also improve their literacy and use of space. There was also an explanation that their users are usually mixed demographics as there are areas of deprivation in Highgate despite the area being perceived as a wealthy neighbourhood in most parts.

In the lunch break, I was able to have a look around the library to see the children’s Library with the inviting seating areas, mini theatre and reading spaces.  I also like the physical items that you can see which demonstrates that this is a community library with the 60-year-old building still being useful and beautiful.  In the lunch break, there was an energising and great vibe for the Flamenco dancers and guitarist.  It was a great colourful and rhythmic session that got a few people off their feet for a lunch time dance.  I truly look forward to working with Camden Libraries again in the next few months and hopefully years to come.

I also had an invitation for our British Library team to present and help support businesses at the Festival of Upholstery in Sandhurst.  It was a little further than my normal route, so I was able to spend one night and two days at the festival with a hotel overnight stay.  Sandhurst is world famous as a military academy and grounds is great and wide – especially for those military parades that it is known for. The building inside is a training centre, so there were many rooms for this purpose.  Once inside, it was striking to see all the colonial links especially with India with many pictures and images of Indian soldiers.  I obviously thought of my Indian ancestors.  There were several Gurkhas on the premising and surrounding area too.

The Festival of Upholstery was held in a great hall with other exhibitors in the industry, businesses and interesting furniture, makers and materials.  I loved the prints on display, and there were some more important themes of creativity, restoration and reuse with new and old furniture and the items on display. 

It was great to see a thecutting-board by Erica Jane, that enable someone to do their designs on their dining table.  There was also some interesting materials used for filling the upholstery from horse hair to coconut husks called coya ( it reminded me of old-fashioned mattresses in the Caribbean).  However there was a great discussion on this in relation to sustainability and natural fibres or materials.  I was invited to be on a panel on the first day to discuss how we can support business but it was also great to hear the challenges and stories of upholsters on practical and inspirational advice they wanted to share with attendees – from renting spaces to studios, to switching careers, using social media to gain customers, pricing models, or to choosing materials that will not be wasted. The event had about 800 attendees over two days, and it was interesting speaking to several people on why they were there, how excited they were after doing courses on upholstery or that they just had an interest or business in upholstery.  One of the committee members and tutor mentioned that upholstery started 800 years ago, and it was fascinating to hear how it started with fabrics, cushions, stitching etc for chairs.

There was also a fabulous dinner in the evening with a delicious authentic curry.  It was nice to meet and chat to several of the dinner guests who all had great stories on why they were there.  There was definitely a tribe for those who had careers and family commitments, but now wanted to start something new that has always been a passion.  I also spent time chatting with an upholsterer Amanda from New Jersey, who is one of the few American upholsters, and I learnt a lot about some of the terminology on traditional or modern upholstery.  I also realised that it is a skilful trade that you also have to be physically adept.  I left the Festival of Upholstery feeling happy, welcomed and hoping that these lovely people will go on to make nice things and carry on the art, hobbies and businesses they have.  I hope my colleagues and I can continue to support them in future festivals or for visits to the Library.

Closer to home, I was invited to take part in a Fashion event at the new reopened and renovated Soho Theatre. I was free on that Saturday and was able to meet some local designers.  One of them, Naila, is actually showcased on the British Library’s business page, and I am able to have a good chat with her.  It was good to see a milliner, sustainable fashion designs, patterns and other great items on display.  I didn’t have time to ask my friends to come along but they would have liked it too.  I was able to quickly check out the new restored grand stage, and will certainly try to book a show there in the near future. 

Obviously, I still help run workshops in my local area and therefore meet businesses all the time. I must admit that I have been a bit quiet on the local activities in recent years and that is because my professional life has been a bit too busy, but I hope I can find a better balance so that I enjoy and support more local causes.  For me, being asked to take part in these events enables me to understand various sectors, people and communities better and give me an opportunity to meet people and have some fun too!

Sense of Spaces

Published on by Seema Rampersad2 Comments

It is good to go to old and new spaces in the city to see how they energise and inspire us with their physical layouts, meeting and social spaces.  I have been to only a couple of locations in the last few weeks and the sense of spaces with purpose and flexibility is what I can think the most of sharing with you.

One of the venues I visited this month is a Jeans factory during the day, but a restaurant called Slow Burn at night.  I had visited it for the local art trail, but this was the first time that I visited the venue as a restaurant.  The restaurant is the only ‘craft jeans factory’ in London known as the Blackhorse Lane Ateliers but known as SlowBurn in the evenings.  The venue did have a feeling of being in a warehouse or factory with all the machinery, worktop tables, fabrics and threads etc. And on this occasion on a Friday evening, there was someone still busy working in the space.  I couldn’t help noticing the large jeans dying or washing machine which was right next to the dining table.  It felt like we were right there in the creative centre of a fashion house.  Look at their website for their style and business showcased the more glamourous side of denim and pointed to their more front facing retail venue in Granary Square – which is only a short London underground journey on the Victoria line from Blackhorse Road to King’s cross. I must not forget that the food was actually delicious too! There was a focus on making vegetables the star of the show, but we did have some chicken, octopus and rabbit ravioli which was delicious.  I also love their motto on one of their pictures – Make Indigo, Not War.

I have worked in central London for over 30 years, and I will look at some of spectacular riverside venues I have worked at and some of the more city-based locations.  The city has changed in this time from more formal dressing with suits and smartly dressed people to a more relaxed and smart-casual informality with brings comfort and a new sense of identity.  This too has been reflected in the workplaces over the years.  I have been in more fluid and flexible office spaces since the mid-2000s (usually the physical library is the first space to cut back on).  However, this has worked for my benefit too in terms of giving me the opportunity to do more online and being more flexible with my work life balance. 

I have recently visited a co-working space in Camden at Impact Hub, and it boosted being a net-zero carbon venue.  It was very modern, and the layout demonstrated the flexible ways that people work and do business.  I have written a blog post about co-working space pre-pandemic which was a business model that was growing before the hybrid, and homeworking became more popular. However, I heard that some venues are actually closed as the demand was less.  However, the location of Impact Hub on the day of my visit showed an area that was used in multi-functional ways – from whole teams in a room to more fluid individual working, communal spaces for bigger events and a kitchen area for refreshments and breaks. As with changing times, our workplaces reflect this, but they are places for quiet working, contemplation and team working.   This venue is also a business – with the spaces being the main product and services available in the venue. That surely is a great example of space planning. 

Libraries are obviously my place of work, and I have always worked in ‘an office’ as well.  As a business librarian, I am more inclined to recommend and use co-working or flexible work venues.  I remember doing an enquiry in the 1990s on co-location and co-working. I understand too the pressures of small businesses who may not have the capital to have permanent venues as well as those who may license their products to manufacturers to make – so their focus may be on storage and retail outlets for their business. 

I have noticed though that libraries are becoming increasingly multifunctional. This is reflected in the services provided in council wide customer services call centres, spaces for activities for citizens such as dementia groups, GP-drop in, pocket gardens, film clubs and other areas that are interesting for various communities. I recently attended the London Libraries Conference 2025, and it was so interesting to see how public libraries are being used by various groups.  It was also inspiring to hear form Children’s Poet Laureate Joseph Coelho, on his use of the library from a child, during his school and formative years to adulthood. It reminded me that the library was also a part of my learning especially in my teenage years before the internet. I loved looking at magazines such as the National Geographic Magazine, Time and Newsweek. I also loved their series of other countries of the world which gave me a glimpse of places I still hope to travel to one day (this is like the equivalent to Instagram posts by a travel influencer that I see now).

However, back to the topic of discussion.  At the conference I also co-presented a workshop with SBREC which was once called the City Business Library.  I remember going there in the 1990s when the world was so very different to now.  There were physical shelves of business information, newspapers and other library resources.  But as with everything else, this library has fully switched to a business hub and no longer has a physical library. 

Girls just wanna have fun – recap of Women’s History Month

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Thinking about what to write is at the back of my mind as I have a few weeks to prepare for my next blog post. As we celebrated Women’s History Month in various serious initiatives, I made a note that I must mention some fun things I did too!

The pop song ‘Girls just wanna have fun’ was such a big hit in the 1983 but it has remained one of those anthems that we still hear in the media and I recently saw Cyndi Lauper on a talk show too and she was even more an idol for feminist for her current activism. She has been credited for empowering girls and women to not only have fun but the words have been changed to Girls just want to have ‘fundamental rights’ with a mission to support efforts that advance the fundamental rights and health of all women and girls. It is with this vibe I wanted to think pay tribute to a great song and artist that has help reflect on what I did this month.

At the beginning of the month I was busy with work related events that included a speed mentoring session with expert advisers who are able to women entrepreneurs with their business ideas. I met quite a few women who were creating businesses and networking to develop their business. There are a high number of women who do start their businesses across libraries in the UK and I have a lot of admiration for those who have created their own companies out of passion, expertise and creativity that they may hold. We also held an evening event for Women of Wealth and it was great to welcome many customers at the event and usually I would stay but it was a day when I had personal commitments and therefore, I didn’t hear the talk but it was great to see everyone at the beginning of the event. I have met with hundreds of entrepreneurial women over the years and they are inspirational as well as motivational. As we meet them at their start up stages – there are always an element of excitement and anticipation for them using their talents for creating their own businesses.

I was also able to meet a few young girls and other women at a speed mentoring session at La Swap Secondary School in Camden. I actually have visited the school in the past as one of the options for my son so I knew it was a good school. I was grateful that our Early Careers team at the British Library invited me to attend a career mentoring session for International Women’s Day at the school. It was impressive that the school organised this with their partners and there were about 75 women who turned up for two hours to speak to young girls on their career and give any advice or information that would be useful for them in their educational and career journeys. I was placed in a Publishing table with a Science Writer and Journalist and a Managing Director of a publisher. We say about 10 young girls in this time but it was a great experience and they in turn were still figuring out what they wanted to do but I tried to tell them that even if they were unsure, they should follow the things they loved and we can also change careers later on if it does not work out. Some wanted to be dancers, artist, models and forensics. Generally we encouraged them to think of research, writing, and working in scientific and creative industries. It was a great experience for helping me reflect on my own career journey and in a sense – how lucky I was to have a fulfilling role that includes creativity, culture and business etc.

Another aspect work I should mention, is that we held a Library and Information Students Career Day and it was great to meet people at the start of their careers.

So that was the more serious side of this month. Bit I did have some fun time with my friends as I was on annual leave for a couple of weeks. This included spending time with my friends in a local pub just chatting and catching up on what we have been doing. My friend has written her first book so it was great to discuss this with her over a few meetings. I was able to dedicate some time in my busy dairy for reading her book and it was great to read a novel written by a friend. It is based in Lincoln and I was able to recall how nice it was the one time visited there. It was good that on a couple of my meetings with my friends locally there were live music – from a big band in the pub… to jazz in two of the pubs. It is reassuring that we can have good catchup time and be serenaded with good music without having to go to a special venue far way!

I did plan a more fun evening with my friends who always invite me to their parties and it was nice to dress up, spend time together, have a nice meal and drink and a little boogie! I was so pleased to get a table in a restaurant a few miles away and for the warm hospitality of the restaurant. Once our meal was over… we were able to have a dance. Again, it was mainly women who were celebrating the night with their friends and family. I am likely to be visiting there with some other friends in Spring for another boogie!

I also spent time with another friend at a garden and a recycling centre. It was interesting to spend time chatting and seeing these two local shops. We had fun looking at old antique or items that were on sale for reuse. I saw some lovely chairs but I didn’t really need them but resisted buying them. I was happy to see that I also take clothes and shoes for recycling at the centre too. I usually take them to a charity shop but part of me was pleased to see that these are being used for a charity somewhere too.

And I am ending Women’s History Month at the OXO Tower Restaurant – one of the best-known restaurants in London. The building was the home of the OXO stock cube manufacturers. I have been before about 9 years ago but it was nice to go again. The view is amazing along the South Bank but it also have delicious cocktails and food. We went for lunch and there was nice background jazz music whilst we ate our gorgeous meal.

I have made a conscious effort to have some fun in the last few weeks and catch up with friends but I know that soon I will busy again with work and other commitments. For me it is great that I can balance my time with hard work but also some good old fashion fun!

Things that make me say… Wow!

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I made a conscious effort to do a few fun things but I still didn’t get around much. 

 So this time, I  going to keep my post here sweet and short!

This month I went out with some friends to see the Medieval Women Exhibition again and to have some lunch. The exhibition was amazing and informative as I mentioned before on here with many inspiring displays of women doing great things in Medieval times. 

Granary Square is busy in summer with lots of activities such as open-air cinema and children’s activities but certainly a bit quieter in colder months. It was good to have a lunch at Dishoom – who specialises in Indian Street Food with good decor. Although I am of Indo-Caribbean heritage, it is still fascinating to try their black dhal, paratha with cheese and fried ochres. I definitely want to try the fried and crunchy ochres at home! The chai was good too, especially on a cold day.

There are great reminders of good old fashion love this time of year.  There was more heart shaped decorations all over London – from St Pancras, flower shops, interior designs and restaurants.  I tried to resist buy something that I did not need but it was nice to see.  There was one shop board with ‘Love is in the Air’ but I didn’t take a photo.  The shops had several heart-shaped items and love mementos for Valentine’s Day! There were some interesting item in local shops and ideas for creativity and sharing with loved ones.  The most interesting is long matches which can be used for ambience with some nice candles. 

One of the most ethically conscious charity shop windows I saw was Crisis – which ran a campaign on waste of fabrics in the everyday shirts.  It was a good display to raise awareness of the issue.  One aspect that I like is that the shop is based in Walthamstow market and very frequently I see ‘out-of-line’ clothes from high street shops being sold in the market.  I do like that these items are given a chance to be used at normally lower costs rather than ending up in some landfill without even being used.

I have been out and about too for work from Bromley to Woolwich.  I’ve only been to Woolwich once about 20 years ago and even so, I drove there for a house party and therefore did not have a walk around the area.  It was good to firstly use the Elizabeth Line underground to that part of London and it was not a bad journey from where I live. As soon as you come out of the underground station, there is a last gate of Woolwich Arsenal which was the historic area for making ammunition in the British wars.  It was also the original home of the football club Arsenal with the cannons or gunners still visible on the gateway. 

It was also good to see some of the local shops and market traders with their chants to entice people to buy from their stalls.

Once inside the library, there was a section on local history and community-based displays and resources.  It Singer sewing machine and HMV music gramophone were both on display in the library. Bromley library also had a great display of historical items from the Romans, Anglo Saxons and local heritage throughout there history.  These displays are great to see, especially as I don’t live locally and I usually have to rush back home or to the office.  This reminds me that I have been too busy to visit my local library but I hope to do so when I have some time later this month.

 Although some of my walks were normal travelling from one place to another, it was good to see some everyday things that still surprises me.  Such as a bus which was repurpose as a Barber Shop! It looked quite cook and it must have been a lot of bureaucracy to get the bus to be permanently based on the local square but certainly a great idea!  Just after seeing the re-purposed bus, I saw a London Taxi car also re-purposed to a mobile café.  They were really interesting and extraordinary. 

My journeys on the underground is a time when I think, prepare mentally for the day ahead and to observe what is going on around me.  This itself is a time to experience the everyday and extraordinary but perhaps for another time to write about my travels on London Transport.  For now, I will continue to admire the places, people, scenes and things that make me think or say – Wow!

Public Libraries – the story continues

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I have not spent a lot of time doing social and fun things since my summer holidays and therefore I have a lot more to say on libraries and the work I have been doing lately.

This month though I have been energised and as enthusiastic as usual. I was invited to attend the Camden Libraries Staff Conference.  The conference had a programme of interesting and motivational work by teams and staff on the work that they do with their various branches across the borough.  The day started with an icebreaking team working game for us to build a structure our of paper cups that would be judged to be the highest. I haven’t been to large team building days recently but it certainly was good as an icebreaker to get to know people better.  We also had Head of Camden Libraries, Fiona Tarn, address staff and guest at the conference on her purpose for the work that she does.  This truly was inspirational to me as I have tried to use the same angle of the ‘why’ are you working in libraries. Sometime you have people who work in libraries because it is a job, for others it is a lifetime of work or purpose for their goals to help as much as we can in our roles in libraries …physical or virtual.  Therefore, I have since mentioned this a few times to my library world contacts and colleagues. 

Another beneficial aspect at this conference was to see all variety of library services and the community outreach that are provided by Camden Libraries.  We heard staff mentioned story times with children, children’s library, launch their reading strategy, start businesses, poetry bus for elderly adults, podcast and radio station, music service and not forgetting their physical spaces, collection and archives. I was again inspired by their story teller on the ‘Libraryverse’ especially from an enquires point of view on the typical questions and answers provided to customers by their staff. We were treated to live Asian music during the lunch break.

We were treated to a tour of their archives at the Swiss Cottage Library. There was also a piano in the main entrance as well as a beautifully built 1960s building in the shape of book ends! I prepared and ran a workshop on collaboration with their staff who were welcoming and great throughout the day.  The library was closed for the training but it was nice to see a lady bringing her young child after school to use the space – it was good to know that on a normal day – this would have been a part of their routine.

And as part of my normal work, I visit other libraries to deliver business and IP workshops with my colleagues.  I have been several times recently to Catford Library which is open planned in a shopping centre. There are always curated books on display and it does make you want to set aside time to read the books showcased. In my business workshop, the Catford Library staff mentioned that their library card gives you access to eBooks, magazines, newspapers, and other resource via their Libby App and Press Reader.  That very night I was excited to look at some of my favourite magazines and newspapers available to view on my own devices.  I haven’t borrowed any eBooks from my local library, who runs the same scheme, but once I get more time – I am looking forward to reading more with new found resources from local public libraries.

I sometime have to get up earlier than usual to visit libraries for work. Last week was my first trip to Putney Library for a business workshop.  It was good to see their layout and customers who were using the space for working too.  There was another Black History Month displace with a safari African theme which beautiful art objects displayed on the wall.  Nowadays, libraries are really multifunctional for meeting places, reading as well as keeping customers informed on important information on topics or community news.  Putney Library also had a café in the main reception area despite being close to other shops on the high street. 

I am likely to be inspired by more libraries in future but everyday there is something about the physical spaces that make me proud to be in this profession.  I recently heard and saw some amazing singing for the opening of the ‘Medieval Women in their own words’ exhibition but I am still to see it and I look forward to the guided tour with the curators.  I also get to go behind the scenes to basement areas to say hello and support staff on Saturdays and some evenings. It was nice to see the seasonal things that happens by our own staff members.  These include puzzle in the staff downtime areas, free library and decorations for day of the dead (it gets better for Christmas!).  We recently met informally to make time to meet each other for a chat and catch up.  I strongly believe in good team spirit and working having worked in good teams in the past.  Although I no longer work with a lot of people – I do appreciate they precious time we spent together as colleagues, and some are also now lifelong friends. 

I thank you for bearing with me whilst I write again about libraries and information professional, but hopefully I will find have some social activities and good old fashion fun to share with you soon.  Who knows, some of this fun may include time at a library or museum.  Public libraries are always at threat of cuts or are sometime misunderstood.  Hopefully you can also find the time to visit your local public library and would be surprise on how they have changed in recent times.  We also need all of you to continue to support libraries and make sure that are users and here to stay.

Fact to Fantasy – something for everyone in Libraries

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I have been mainly working and therefore my photos are my inspiration that keep me going and they also remind me of what I did. Having looked at them yesterday, I realised my photos were all about libraries.  Therefore I am going to give a brief over view of my activities.

Dipping and rising, moving and settling, the Commons remind one of a flock of birds settling on a stretch of ploughed land. They never alight for more than a few minutes; some are always flying off, others are always settling again. And from the flock rises the gabbling, the cawing, the croaking of a flock of birds, disputing merrily and with occasional vivacity over some seed, worm, or buried grain.

Virginia Woolf, The London Scene: Six Essays on London Life

 I have visited the House of Commons Library before in 2011, but it was great to visit it again for the multiple aspects of Library, Information and Research work they do.  A new member of their team is also my ex-volunteering colleague for SLA.  The day was well-planned with great presentations from the heads of services, and it was really interesting to hear their process for providing information that is very important for our lives and for the policy makers who are meant to have our best interest.  I do recall remembering some similarities for when I work at the Greater London Authority and you would see politicians on the screen and workplace all the time. Coincidently, I saw a politician that I had seen before on this trip.  One of the best aspects of the open day is impartiality as information and research professionals in providing information impartially to the Members of Parliament. Now I use my current employer’s ethos ‘for everyone’.  I also remembered that when I was a trustee in a local charity over 18 years ago, we were reviewing our mission and values – and it was the first time we used the word ‘everyone’ in terms of provision.  It is a great reminder on our role in society and as a democracy – it is for everyone. 

The tour of the physical spaces were great to see – from the modern Portcullis House to the Palace of Westminster with the world-famous Big Ben Tour.  The art work and modern features of Portcullis House is light and airy with atrium, art work of politicians on the wall and functional for events such as the Open Day. I saw a TV presenter sitting around but it is not the type of place where you take photos or go to say ‘hello’. The main Palace of Westminster in contrast is medieval in parts and older as it is was rebuilt due to a fire and it is now a World Heritage site. The hammerbeam roof of Westminster Hall was very impressive for the time it was built – considered the largest hall in England and in Europe at the time it was built. Most recently, Queen Elizabeth laid in Westminster Hall on her passing in 2022.  The hall has also been used for foreign dignitaries such as when Barack Obama in 2011, Pope Benedict XVI in 2010, President Nelson Mandela in 1996, President Charles de Gaulle in 1960 and President Albert Lebrun in 1939. 

The House of Common Debating Chamber, Library and lobbies have magnificent history and artwork but we were not allow to take photo to share on digital media, apart from the ones I gained permission to share on here. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable, funny and kept the tour very amusing – just as in my first visit.  The library staff and tour was great and I love the work that they do.  The library is quaint and old – there English heritage furniture from the 1950s and they look great – a bit of a time warp.  It does have great views of the river Thames from the windows.  As you may recall, I also visited the House of Lords for another event last summer but I haven’t visited the House of Lords library – perhaps one day. The debating chamber was in recess so it is different when it is empty and it looks much bigger than it actually is in real life.  It was good to see the microphones hanging from the ceilings, the benches also have speakers so that they can heard over the noise.  The items on the table are just as you see it on TV with a few bibles for swearing in.  Last but not least, there are several reasons why you try to visit one day for such a famous building and I understand you can book tours or speak to your local Member of Parliament.  We ended the day with more talks, tours and fun quiz. I am also pleased that I know some of the staff there too. If you need to do some research and/or find out some information – do check out the House of Commons library website and the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (POST) link too.

I have been going to outer London for the Kickstart your Business Project such as Catford Library and Orpington Library.  Although these libraries are in London – they are about two hours away.  It is interesting to see local libraries in these areas and to meet their communities who are attending the workshops.  They all see well used and the staff are doing great work in curating events to collections in their local libraries.  It does feel very reassuring to see that local libraries are places of study, learning, literacy, comfort, cultural, creative and business hubs. I am also seeing several news recently about public libraries being cut and it reminds me that there is still so much to advocate to keep libraries where they are still being used. Let’s hope we continue to appreciate them and the value they add to their communities. 

At the end of February, I attended a webinar on Business Archives.  It is interesting how materials from business is used to tell stories on artists of the day as they were the graphic designers at the time.  There were also interesting archives of stainless-steel manufacturers describing how important the invention was at the time due to its durability but also as it can be used for multiple products such as golf sticks.  This too has inspired me for how we can use the business trade literature collection for storytelling by innovations over time.  You never really get bored in archives or research work! 

Vast landscapes, intrepid heroes, mysterious portals, shadowy forces, enchanted woodlands… Fantasy encompass all of these and much more.  

From facts to fantasy… The British Library’s exhibition

‘Fantasy – Realms of Imagination’ also ran in the last few months.  I am so pleased that I was able to visit it despite having a very busy schedule at work.  I was supposed to visit it when I wrote my Anansi story last autumn but it was great to see the connection with storytelling in all cultures from ancient folk tales, fairy tales, supernatural and epic stories.  With the use of film, sounds, costumes, and of course… inspiration from books, some of our most famous stories were inspired from the humble book.  On display the Wizard of Oz, The Game of Thrones, Beowulf, Milton’s Paradise Lost and some news for me such as Giovanni Battista Piranesi on underground Rome.

Although fantasy can be regarded as simple stories for children where ‘everyone lived happily ever after’ – it was highlighted that fantasy are often dark, ambiguous and complex.  Perhaps just as in real life but the genre allows us to explore these in depth.  The creativity of this genre has fascinated us for years and gives us the ability to look beyond the normal world from different perspectives and conventions. I was happy to see the exhibition well attended as lots of fans for this genre and I too am a fan without realising if we reflect back on our childhood of storytelling in the Caribbean.  It really is amazing that the storytelling has the ability to take us to another dimension!