Being Well — Books for Stress Awareness Month
April is Stress Awareness Month, so we thought we would put together a little self-care toolkit to feed and nurture our capacity for wellbeing. From fiction to science and self-help, here's a selection of books tackling the all-too common issues of stress and burnout.
Eid Mubarak!: 7 Books Celebrating Muslim Women
This year for Eid al-Fitr, we're highlighting seven wonderful books which celebrate the lives and works of Muslim women.
We have books about the lives of Muslim women in contemporary Britain and around the world, books about Islam by Muslim women, and books about the histories of Muslim women and their lives and achievements.
Women’s History Month 2025: Great Women of London
March is celebrated every year as Women’s History Month. It’s a month for honouring women from throughout history, and for writing women back into the centre of the stories we tell about the past.
LGBT+ History Month 2025: Activism and Social Change
This year marks 20 years of UK LGBT+ History Month! This year’s theme is Activism and Social Change. Throughout history, LGBT+ people have been activists and helped shape and create social change, advancing society for everyone. We have created a list of books about LGBT+ activists, both historical and present, real and fictional – as a way of celebrating the long history of ordinary LGBT+ people changing the world and their communities.
New Year, Old Hackney
Our reading list this January has been curated by Hackney Libraries in collaboration with Hackney Museum.
December 2024 Reading List - A Warm Welcome
A reading list curated by Hackney Libraries. Our reading list this December focuses on books about different experiences of migration and immigrant and refugee life.
Islamophobia Awareness Month 2024: Seeds of Change
A reading list curated by Hackney Libraries for Islamophobia Awareness Month 2024: Seeds of Change.
Reclaiming Narratives
A reading list curated by Hackney Libraries @hackneylibraries for Black History Season in collaboration with staff across Hackney Council
London Verse
This September, Hackney Libraries are celebrating residents of Hackney and London through the ages, with a spotlight on some of our favourite poetry and plays.
The Great Hackney Libraries Quest 2024: Carnival!
We are proud to present the very first Great Hackney Libraries Quest! Here are some of our favourite carnival-themed books to inspire reading for all ages...
South Asian Heritage Month: Free to Be Me
From 18 July to 18 August, Hackney Libraries are celebrating South Asian Heritage Month. This year’s theme, ‘Free to Be Me’, encourages us to share similarities and honour our differences, and highlights diverse voices while acknowledging that not everyone feels free to be themselves.
Pride of Hackney
A reading list curated by Hackney Libraries
@hackneylibraries in collaboration with Project Indigo and the Proud Hackney network.
We Have Always Been Here
To honour the first Trans+ History week in 2024, Hackney Libraries are celebrating trans+ authors across the borough and beyond.
We are celebrating Trans+ histories both real and fictional, figures who made it and those who are making it right now!
The Writes of Spring: A folk-inspired reading list for April 2024
To celebrate Spring 2024, we have put together some of our favourite contemporary folk tales – from modern retellings of classics, to recent flights of magical realist fantasy!
Jewish Book Week 2024
London’s longest-running literary festival features Jewish themes and writers and is open to everyone. Here is our list inspired by the festival’s writers and heritage!
The Future Is Female: Women in Sci-Fi
March is women’s history month, but here at Hackney Libraries we are thinking about visions of the future dreamt up by women over the years.
Every Love Story Matters
This February, we are celebrating love in all its forms!
Foregrounding familial love, queer love, platonic love and more, our choices span graphic novels, poetry collections, memoir, essays and – of course – the classic romcom!
Holocaust Memorial Day
Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) takes place every year on 27 January. It is a day for everyone to remember the millions of people murdered in the Holocaust under Nazi Persecution. Hackney Libraries have put together this list to honour those who lost their lives and to tell the stories of those who survived.
Compassion
This December, Hackney Libraries are focusing on the power of kindness and compassion across every aspect of our service.
Islamophobia Awareness Month 2023
Islamophobia Awareness Month aims to showcase the positive contributions of Muslims as well as raise awareness of Islamophobia in society. Here is a selection designed to educate and inspire.