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Find out moreBritish Library Publishing produces fascinating and beautiful books related to the Library's uniquely rich collections.
This seasonal compendium collects together poems, short stories, and prose extracts by some of the greatest poets and writers in the English language. Like Charles Dickens's ghosts of Christmas Past and Present, they are representative of times old and new--from John Donne's Elizabethan hymn over the baby Jesus to Benjamin Zephaniah's Talking Turkeys, from Thomas Tusser counting the cost of a Tudor feast to P. G. Wodehouse's wry story about Christmas on a diet. Enjoy a Christmas Day as described by Samuel Pepys, Anthony Trollope, George Eliot, or Nancy Mitford. Venture out into the snow in the company of Jane Austen, Henry James, and Dickens's Mr. Pickwick. Entertain the children with the seasonal tales of Dylan Thomas, Kenneth Grahame, and Oscar Wilde.
'And so the Shortest Day came and the year died And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world Came people singing, dancing, To drive the dark away.' Strange things happen on the dark wintry nights of December. Welcome to a new collection of terrifying Christmas tales, and prepare to plunge into the unforgiving snow outside. In this new anthology we go beyond the cosiness of the hearth and embark on journeys to the pine forests of Canada and the frozen peaks of the Alps and the Himalayas to experience a fresh selection of ghostly tales, perfect for the yuletide season. Delve within for a unique selection ranging from the macabre folklore of Christmas in Finland to tales of mountain-climbers beset by malignant forces and ice skaters skirting the line between the mortal and spiritual realms. Wrap up warm, and prepare for the longest nights of all.
Harry Potter: A History of Magic is the official book of the exhibition, a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration between Bloomsbury, J.K. Rowling and the brilliant curators of the British Library. It promises to take readers on a fascinating journey through the subjects studied at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry - from Alchemy and Potions classes through to Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures. Each chapter showcases a treasure trove of artefacts from the British Library and other collections around the world, beside exclusive manuscripts, sketches and illustrations from the Harry Potter archive. There's also a specially commissioned essay for each subject area by an expert, writer or cultural commentator, inspired by the contents of the exhibition - absorbing, insightful and unexpected contributions from Steve Backshall, the Reverend Richard Coles, Owen Davies, Julia Eccleshare, Roger Highfield, Steve Kloves, Lucy Mangan, Anna Pavord and Tim Peake, who offer a personal perspective on their magical theme. Readers will be able to pore over ancient spell books, amazing illuminated scrolls that reveal the secret of the Elixir of Life, vials of dragon's blood, mandrake roots, painted centaurs and a genuine witch's broomstick, in a book that shows J.K. Rowling's magical inventions alongside their cultural and historical forebears. This is the ultimate gift for Harry Potter fans, curious minds, big imaginations, bibliophiles and readers around the world who missed out on the chance to see the exhibition in person.
An irresistible romp through the history of magic, from alchemy to unicorns, ancient witchcraft to Harry's Hogwarts - packed with unseen sketches and manuscript pages from J.K. Rowling, magical illustrations from Jim Kay and weird, wonderful and inspiring artefacts that have been magically released from the archives at the British Library. This spellbinding book takes readers on a journey through the Hogwarts curriculum, including Herbology, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Astronomy, Divination and more. Discover the truth behind making the Philosopher's Stone, create your very own potion and uncover the secret of invisible ink. Learn all about the history of mandrake roots and dragons, discover what witches really used their brooms for, pore over incredible images of actual mermaids and read about real-life potions, astronomers and alchemists. The perfect gift for aspiring witches and wizards and any Harry Potter fan. Celebrating twenty years of Harry Potter magic, and produced in association with the British Library to support their major exhibition, Harry Potter: A History of Magic.
Exclusive illustrations to colour in carefully selected from the British Library's archive. Before the invention of the printing press, books were written out by hand, and were priceless objects. The most precious books were illuminated with pictures highlighted with gold or with bright colours. Real and imaginary animals populated the pages of medieval books, particularly encyclopedias. This new colouring book is packed with familiar and exotic creatures carefully selected from the extensive collection of the British Library. The animal illustrations have been sourced from a range of documents, including charters and seals and historical and literary manuscripts, from Homer to the Codex Sinaiticus, from Beowulf to Chaucer, and from Magna Carta to the papers of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. Each of the original drawings is reproduced in colour, so that you can decide whether you prefer to choose your own colours, or to use the colours that the artist intended. With key facts about each of the animals and their source, this is the perfect book for animal lovers, history buffs and colouring-in fanatics alike.
Explore the cartographic treasures of the British Library's extensive map archive, and add your own colour. Early maps are often much more highly decorated than our own, featuring fantastical drawings of real or imaginary people and animals that may or may not occupy unknown places. Medieval maps look very different to the maps of today. Significant places were given prominence and historical or religious events were frequently included. This new colouring book is packed with a series of fascinating hand drawn maps carefully selected from the extensive collection of the British Library, which includes charters and seals, medieval historical and iconic atlas' from Queen Mary I's personal collection and King George III's to detailed drawings from well-known artists such as Nicolas Sanson and William Hack. Each of the original maps is reproduced in colour, so that you can decide whether you prefer to choose your own colours, or to use the colours that the cartographer intended. With key facts about each of the maps, this is the perfect book for geography lovers, history buffs and colouring-in fanatics alike.
A medieval A to Z with letters from the collections of the British Library to colour in. Before the invention of the printing press, books were written out by hand, and were priceless objects. The most precious books were illuminated with gold or with bright colours. Initial letters were often highlighted either as decoration or to mark an important passage. This new colouring book is packed with a series of intricate letters carefully selected from the extensive collection of the British Library. The letters are sourced from medieval charters and seals, historical and literary manuscripts, from Virgil to Chaucer and Royal Statutes to the Book of Psalms. Each of the original letters is reproduced in colour, so that you can decide whether you prefer to choose your own colours, or to use the colours that the artist intended. With key facts about each of the letters and their source, this is the perfect book for history buffs and colouring-in fans alike.
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