An evening with Eithne Nightingale, Hackney author and film maker, celebrating her book Child Migrant Voices in Modern Britain: Oral Histories 1930s – Present Day.

The Clapton Commons Choir will perform a delightful free show, featuring festive songs, songs from around the world, and favourite sing-along carols!

Supportive, affirming, generative creative writing workshop for QTIBiPoC. Led by guest facilitator Dean Atta

Join us at Hackney Central Library on Thursday 28 November from 5:30 for a 6pm start for our first Hackney Libraries Writers Showcase! 

A workshop with Youjia Qian exploring the Chinese romance novels collected at Hackney Central Library to uncover the hidden diasporic experiences of Chinese-speaking women living in Hackney.

Booker Prize winner, art critic and poet John Berger was a Hackney resident and friend of CLR James, Dalston library’s namesake, and Ken Worpole and Farrukh Dhondy will join us for the evening to speak of their memories of their friendship. We will also be joined by Berger’s biographer, Tom Overton, who has edited several collections on Berger’s work.

Join us for a special night to honour the life and legacy of Gboyega Odubanjo. Includes readings from Kareem Parkins-Brown, Raymond Antrobus, Tice Cin and more.

Join Poet and Visual Artist Kareem Parkins-Brown, who will lead a generative poetry workshop using the work of Gboyega as inspiration. All abilities welcome, open to all.

Award-winning non-binary emergency medicine doctor and TV presenter Dr Ronx is BACK with an essential guide to handle any emergency situation!

Join us for an amazing interactive session, a special guest and even some freebies...

Great for kids of all ages!

This workshop, An Introduction to Black British Literature, is for anyone wanting to explore some important Black British writers, from ER Braithwaite, Buchi Emecheta, Andrea Levy, and Zadie Smith through to Alex Wheatle.

Sample the Black History Walks 6-week course on Baldwin showing why he chose to spend time in '85 ungentrified Hackney & the story of his Blue Plaque

Join Emily Jones in conversation with author Ruth Taylor

Join this Mandarin Chinese collection workshop at Hackney Central Library

Join Melanie Parkhill and the Shoreditch Library Reading Group in Conversation with Author Huw Jones

In this interactive essay presentation, Dr Michelle Yaa Asantewa explores the role of Baldwin as a ‘witness’, linked to Baba Esu.

Join the Young Lit Stars’ takeover of Hackney Central Library for the Children’s Black Book Fair!

Jacaranda Books and the Rio present a very special screening of the Barry Jenkins 2018 adaptation on Baldwin's 'If Beale Street Could Talk' plus a post film Q&A

Black History Walks discusses banned Black films screened by African Odysseys since 2007 with facts, statistics and reasons.

An illustrated talk by Black History Walks about the fight for racial equality in Hackney, with links to Notting Hill and James Baldwin

Join Hackney Libraries online in conversation with Vedashree Khambete-Sharma for South Asian Heritage Month

Join authors Sheela Banerjee and Lucy Fulford in conversation about their books What’s In A Name? and The Exiled.

Join this open conversation about change, and how it affects our lives. Hosted by Headway East London’s Women’s Group.

Come along to this amazing interactive session with the one and only Dr Ronx!

Come along to this open writing group where the challenge is to try to write a complete story using approximately one hundred words.

Join Sara Mesa and Katie Whittemore for a discussion of Un Amor at Hackney Central Library on Thursday 30 May.

Join a freestyle, spontaneous jam session in the style of Headway East London’s much-loved day centre music groups.

Join poet and librarian Charlotte Geater to discuss Roz Kaveney’s activism and her poetry at Hackney Central Library on Thursday 23 May.

Join Professor Cecil Gutzmore for a compelling lecture on author Jane Austen and the place of slavery in her novel Mansfield Park.