The Latest Breaking News from British Library

For a proper celebration of the American Revolution, head to the British Library

Brief letters: Independence anniversary | Vertical drinking | Thomas Paine’s Thetford roots | Andy Burnham and Larry the cat | Larkin about

The Guardian - UK · Aug 11

What a list of Black Death survivors reveals about the way people recovered from plague

In our research in the British Library’s medieval collections, we have identified a previously unnoticed document that provides fresh insights into the survivors of the outbreak of plague known as the Black Death (1346–53).

The Conversation · May 13

Who were the ‘peasants’ of the 1381 Peasants’ Revolt? New database has answers

The Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 was one of the largest and most dramatic popular uprisings in medieval Europe. But what do we really know about this celebrated event in English history?

The Conversation · Mar 18

From the Miller’s Tale to King Lear’s roaring sea, a history of flooding in literature

Geoffrey Chaucer’s Miller’s Tale is renowned for its salacious storyline of sexual misadventure. Set in 14th-century Oxford, it tells the tale of John the Carpenter, a husband so terrified that another “Noah’s flood” is coming to drown the world that he sleeps in a basket in the attic – freeing…

The Conversation · Dec 4, 2025

Bird sex fascinated medieval thinkers as much as people today

Earlier this year, a group of researchers published a paper on the remarkable phenomenon of sex reversal in several Australian birds, including wild magpies and kookaburras.

The Conversation · Nov 25, 2025

Medieval peasants enjoyed a surprising range of sick, annual and bereavement leave benefits

In medieval England, peasants on some estates were entitled to a range of sick, annual and bereavement leave that could rival those of many workers in the UK today.

The Conversation · Nov 20, 2025

Secret Maps at the British Library reconsiders the lines that shape our world

Maps do more than show us where we are or help us find where we need to go. They are powerful cultural documents, reflecting – and often shaping – the values, priorities and secrets of the societies that create them.

The Conversation · Nov 3, 2025

‘People have had to move house’: Inside the British Library, two years on from devastating cyber attack

Staff tell Athena Stavrou they’ve faced abuse because of ongoing issues at the library, where dozens of services remain unavailable

The Independent UK · Nov 1, 2025

Stephen King’s son among writers boycotting British Library event in solidarity with striking workers

King’s son, Joe Hill, joins V Castro and Keith Rosson in withdrawing from the Tales of the Weird festival this weekend in support of industrial action

The Guardian - UK · Oct 31, 2025

Was Oscar Wilde Gay? Questions Resurface After His Library Card Is Reissued 130 Years After Being Revoked Over Suspicions of Homosexuality

Oscar Wilde's reading pass for the British Library was reissued after its revocation 130 years ago.

International Business Times UK · Oct 17, 2025