The London Library is pleased to announce a new one-year partnership with English PEN to support their work with writers at risk and in exile. Starting immediately, The London Library will offer five complimentary Library memberships, providing the writers with full access to the Library’s collection of over a million books and to its extensive online resources.

The first writer to be welcomed into London Library membership under this scheme is Awet Fissehaye, a poet, writer, and lyricist originally from Eritrea the first recipient of the National Poetry Prize for Students in 2000. Fissehaye is an Honorary Member of English PEN and a member of their sister centre, PEN Eritrea in Exile. He has lived in exile in the United Kingdom since 2016.

Awet Fissehaye commented: “After my first unforgettable visit to The London Library, I started to have a feeling that I am frequenting a temple where ideas from books are worshipped. I am a firm believer in books. For me, being offered this London Library membership in partnership with English PEN means that I will be able to access thousands of books of my interest, stretched across generations and cultures. In the past, the lack of space to write and create was the biggest challenge for me. Now, the quiet, well-equipped and well-lit reading and study rooms will offer me the convenience to focus, ruminate, research, and write.”

Philip Marshall, Director of The London Library, commented: “So many writers across the world face ongoing threats to their lives and livelihoods. Through this partnership with English PEN, The London Library is proud to be welcoming writers at risk into our unique community of writers and give them access to our unique resources to support their writing and research.”

Daniel Gorman, Director of English PEN, commented: “With this partnership, we’re proud to extend our support for writers at risk and in exile who will join The London Library’s prestigious list of members and have access to one of the greatest collections. We’re delighted to consolidate our long-standing collaboration in our 100th year, and the London Library’s 180th.”

Alongside providing membership, The London Library and English PEN are also collaborating on events, more details of which will be announced soon. The events build on those held earlier this year - featuring Salman Rushdie and a celebration of writer Rebecca West - that formed part of the Library’s 180th anniversary LitFest in May and English PEN’s year-long centenary programme, Common Currency. A further extension of the partnership involves English PEN becoming an institutional member of The London Library, and The London Library a Silver PEN partner. 

This will be the first time the two organisations have made a formal partnership, despite close connections over the years. Past English PEN Presidents John Galsworthy, EM Forster and HG Wells were London Library life members and Library Vice-President Rebecca West and member Harold Pinter played prominent roles in the development of English PEN.

Building work to refurbish Red Stairs toilets to begin Monday 18 October

The success of the 2019/20 Library Fund appeal has enabled the much-needed refurbishment of the mens’ and ladies’ toilets on the Red Stairs to become reality and we are pleased to announce that work is about to start on this important project. Once complete it will significantly improve the facilities for members.

Work is scheduled to start on 18 October and there will be periods when the works will cause significant disruption around the Red Stairs and higher noise levels will be unavoidable, especially during the first weeks of the project.

The Red Stairs toilets will be out of use from Monday 18 October and will remain closed for approximately two months until the refurbishment is complete. Alternative toilets in TS Eliot House and in the basement adjacent to the Lightwell will remain open throughout and will be clearly signposted.

On Tuesday 19 an area of the Lightwell roof will be opened up and the Lightwell Reading Room will be closed for Members from then until Saturday 23. If scaffolding is required then the Lightwell may need to be closed to Members for the whole week. We will let Members know as soon as possible if this will be the case. 

Inevitably, some of the refurbishment will be noisy - especially during the week commencing 25 October where drilling and stripping out of worn out fittings is required. To mitigate this we will be looking to carry out as much of the most disruptive work before 10am where we can, but around the Red Stairs there may be periods of higher levels of daytime noise than usual. We have agreed an initial quiet window from 12pm to 2pm for the duration of the project. During the works, protective coverings will be in place in parts of the Red Stairs and at times it may be necessary to restrict access to the Reading Room to the entrance next to the Writers Room.

Although disrupted supply chains may affect delivery schedules we expect refurbishment and decoration to be completed by Christmas and we will be updating members over coming weeks on the project’s progress and the stages of work involved.

In the meantime we’d like to thank our members for their generosity in supporting the Appeal that has enabled this project to take place and that will transform an important part of the building. The work will involve short term disruption over the next couple of months but we are confident that the end result will be well worth it! This year’s appeal, to transform the lighting in the bookstacks, is now underway – find out more and donate at londonlibrary.co.uk/library-fund.

Library Fund LED

Launched last week, the 2021/22 Library Fund appeal is raising funds to replace lighting in the Library’s bookstacks. A new system, based on LED fittings and passive infrared sensors, will cut the Library’s total electricity use by 20% – a big step towards a financially and environmentally sustainable future – while making the stacks more welcoming and usable and protecting the book collection from environmental damage.

Find out more and donate at londonlibrary.co.uk/library-fund.

Updated On-site Arrangements

Thank you to everyone who responded to the recent survey about our Covid measures. We received nearly 800 responses, and gained a very helpful insight into members’ preferences regarding their experience in the Library. It was particularly striking that 81% of you have felt safe in studying here during the pandemic. Overall, amongst the membership there is a 60:40 split respectively between those who prefer to work without a mask, and those with. As we look to increasing capacity to accommodate the usual rise in occupancy during the Autumn, the survey feedback told us clearly that those who prefer to study in areas where masks are optional are also generally comfortable to see capacity in these areas increased.

Therefore, and also through consultation with staff, from Monday 4th October we will restore the Reading Room, the Sackler Study and the 6th Floor Members’ area to normal, pre-pandemic seating levels, including the return of all of the armchairs to the Reading Room – something much requested in the survey feedback. These steps will increase capacity in the Library by over 37 seats. The Reading Room will remain as an area for laptop use while we continue to operate with lower capacity. We understand that a silent, laptop-free space is important to members and hope to restore it as soon as capacity allows.

Please continue to wear a mask on arrival at the Library and when moving around the building and in the stack areas, for the comfort and safety of other members and staff. Thank you for working with us on these matters, and for engaging so helpfully with us through the survey.
 
 

  1. Autumn Events at the London Library
  2. The London Library welcomes latest participants onto its Emerging Writers Programme
  3. New Faces on the Red Stairs
  4. Charles Darwin’s reading list revealed at The London Library
  5. 3D Tour of The London Library

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