Closing a great weekend with Travela through Time with Sir Michael Palin chaired by #histfest director @rebeccarideal.bsky.social #histfest2026 #history #travel

Talk 3 day 2 The Bronte Sisters: Livea & Legacies with Dr Tara Puri, @essiefox.bsky.social & @gregjenner.bsky.social #histfest2026 #histfest #history #brontes #literature

Session 2 The Log Books: Queer Britain & the Helpline that Listened with @tashwalker.bsky.social @adamzmith.bsky.social & Dan Vo #histfest2026 #histfest #history #queerhistory #lgbtqia

Day 2 session 1 @histfest.bsky.social Birth, Motherhood & Custody: An Untold History with Prof Lara Feigel, @lucyinglis.bsky.social & @drpragyaagarwal.bsky.social #histfest2026 #histfest #history #motherhood #childbirth

Photo of Ruth Goodman and Wanda Wyporska

Photo of Raksha Dave and Jess Venner

Photo of Michael Scott

Photo of Saara El-Arifi and Sofia Robleda signing books

Brilliant first day at #HistFest2026. A huge thank you to all our amazing speakers!

If you’d like to join us tomorrow, there are a few tickets to Sunday’s festivities with Sir Michael Palin and many more. events.bl.uk/events/histf...

Final event of day 1 @histfest.bsky.social Living History with Ruth Goodman chaired by Dr Wanda Wyporska! #histfest2026 #histfest #history #historyfestival

Speak to the Earl of Manchester's Foote in the lobby to sign up for reenactment shenanigans! #histfest2026 #histfest #history #civilwar #englishcivilwar

Final talk in the 'ancient history trilogy' The Lost Voices of Pompeii with @rakshadigs.bsky.social & Dr Jess Venner. #histfest2026 #histfest #history #classics #historyfestival

Grab speakers books between talka from the @waterstones.bsky.social stall @histfest.bsky.social #histfest2026 #histfest #history #historyfestival

Talk 2 of the weekend Themistocles:The Rise and Fall of Athens's Naval Mastermind with Prof. Michael Scott #histfest2026 #histfest #history #historyfestival #classics

Check out the @histassoc.bsky.social stall at @histfest.bsky.social Join up for talks, courses, podcasts, events and a great historical community!
#histfest2026 #histfest #history #historicalassociation

Starting strong with a fascinating session on #historicalfiction chaured by @rebeccarideal.bsky.social in diacussion with authors Sofia Robleda & Saara El-Arifi #histfest2026 #histfest #history #cleopatra #pharaohs #empresses

Day 1 of another awesome @histfest.bsky.social with an amazing looking programme S/o to @rebeccarideal.bsky.social & her awesome team! @britishlibrary.bsky.social #histfest2026 #histfest #history #historyfestival

THEMISTOCLES – THE RISE AND FALL OF ATHENS’S NAVAL MASTERMIND

1PM, SAT 18 APRIL | BRITISH LIBRARY

Join Prof. Michael Scott for a special lecture exploring the real life and later legend of Themistocles - one of ancient Greece’s greatest heroes.

Part of #HistFest2026. histfest.org/histfest-2026/

Text: LIVING HISTORY WITH RUTH GOODMAN. 5PM, SAT 18 APRIL | BRITISH LIBRARY. Chaired by Dr Wanda Wyporska. HistFest 2026.

📣 LIVING HISTORY WITH RUTH GOODMAN

5PM, SAT 18 APRIL | BRITISH LIBRARY

Join Ruth Goodman for a riveting journey into the history of the domestic sphere - From Tudor times to the Victorian period. In conversation with Dr Wanda Wyporska.

Part of #HistFest2026 histfest.org/histfest-2026/

Event image Text: THE LOG BOOKS: Voices of Queer Britain and the Helpline that Listened. 1PM, SUN 19 APRIL | BRITISH LIBRARY. DAN VO IN CONVERSATION WITH TASH WALKER AND ADAM ZMITH. HISTFEST 2026.

📣 THE LOGBOOKS - VOICES OF QUEER BRITAIN & THE HELPLINE THAT LISTENED

1PM, SUN 19 APRIL | BRITISH LIBRARY

Join The Log Books authors Tash Walker and Adam Zmith to explore a unique archive of queer lives. Chaired by historian Dan Vo.

Part of #HistFest2026 Book now histfest.org/histfest-2026/

📣 FOUR WEEKS TODAY!!

Don’t forget to get your tickets to #HistFest2026 at the @britishlibrary.bsky.social

Book now histfest.org/histfest-2026/

Event image Text: BIRTH, MOTHERHOOD AND CUSTODY: AN UNTOLD HISTORY. 11AM, SUN 19 APRIL | BRITISH LIBRARY. PROF. PRAGYA AGARWAL IN CONVERSATION WITH LUCY INGLIS AND PROF. LARA FEIGEL. HISTFEST 2026.

📣 BIRTH, MOTHERHOOD & CUSTODY – AN UNTOLD HISTORY

11AM, SUN 19 APRIL | BRITISH LIBRARY

Join Prof. Lara Feigel and Lucy Inglis to explore how the overlooked histories of motherhood and custody. Chaired by Prof. Pragya Agarwal.

Part of #HistFest2026 histfest.org/histfest-2026/

Event image Text: Sir Michael Palin: Travels Through Time. 5PM, SUN 19 APRIL | BRITISH LIBRARY. In conversation with Rebecca Rideal. HistFest 2026.

📣 SIR MICHAEL PALIN: TRAVELS THROUGH TIME

5PM, SUN 19 APRIL | BRITISH LIBRARY

Join Sir Michael Palin for a special evening exploring his extraordinary career on screen and on the page through the lens of history.

Part of #HistFest2026 histfest.org/histfest-2026/

Event image Text: BIRTH, MOTHERHOOD AND CUSTODY: AN UNTOLD HISTORY. 11AM, SUN 19 APRIL | BRITISH LIBRARY. PROF. PRAGYA AGARWAL IN CONVERSATION WITH LUCY INGLIS AND PROF. LARA FEIGEL. HISTFEST 2026. Image: Headshots of Lucy Inglis, Pragya Agarwal and Lara Feigel against a purple, yellow and pink background.

Event image Text: THE LOG BOOKS: Voices of Queer Britain and the Helpline that Listened. 1PM, SUN 19 APRIL | BRITISH LIBRARY. DAN VO IN CONVERSATION WITH TASH WALKER AND ADAM ZMITH. HISTFEST 2026. Image: Headshots of Tash Walker, Adam Zmith and Dan Vo against an orange background.

Event image Text: THE BRONTE SISTERS. 3PM, SUN 19 APRIL | BRITISH LIBRARY. GREG JENNER IN CONVERSATION WITH DR TARA PURI AND ESSIE FOX. HISTFEST 2026. Image: Headshots of Greg Jenner, Tara Puri and Essie Fox against a background of heather.

Event image Text: Sir Michael Palin: Travels Through Time. 5PM, SUN 19 APRIL | BRITISH LIBRARY. In conversation with Rebecca Rideal. HistFest 2026. Image: An image of Michael Palin against a blue background.

BOOK NOW histfest.org/histfest-2026/ #HistFest2026 2/2

Event image Text: Pharaohs and Empresses. 11AM, SAT 18 APRIL | BRITISH LIBRARY. Sofia Robleda and Saara El-Arifi. HistFest 2026. Image: Headshots of Sofia Robleda and Saara El-Arifi against a green and gold background.

Event image Text: Themistocles: The Rise and Fall of Athens’s Naval Mastermind. 1PM, SAT 18 APRIL | BRITISH LIBRARY. A Special Lecture with Prof. Michael Scott. HistFest 2026. Image: Headshot of Michael Scott, next to a photo of a bust of Themistocles. Against a blue, wave-like background.

Event image Text: THE LOST VOICES OF POMPEII. 3PM, SAT 18 APRIL | BRITISH LIBRARY. Dr Jess Venner and Raksha Dave. HistFest 2026. Image: Headshots of Dr Jess Venner and Raksha Dave with original artwork for Pompeii in the background.

Event image Text: LIVING HISTORY WITH RUTH GOODMAN. 5PM, SAT 18 APRIL | BRITISH LIBRARY. Chaired by Dr Wanda Wyporska. HistFest 2026. Image: Headshots of Ruth Goodman and Dr Wanda Wyporska against a brown and yellow background.

📣 HISTFEST 2026 | BRITISH LIBRARY | 18-19 APRIL

We’re thrilled to share full details of HistFest 2026 at the British Library.

BOOK NOW histfest.org/histfest-2026/ #HistFest2026 1/2

Scholar, seductress, alchemist: who was the real Cleopatra? The Egyptian queen has fascinated me from childhood, but following the archives led only to ancient gossip and Roman propaganda. Fiction was the way to liberate her from misogynist myth

Scholar, seductress, alchemist: who was the real Cleopatra? Excellent piece from Saara El-Arifi, who’ll be speaking at #HistFest2026 on 18 April. www.theguardian.com/books/2026/f...

Themistocles: The Rise and Fall of Athens’s Naval Mastermind
1PM, SAT 18 APRIL | BRITISH LIBRARY

Join Prof. Michael Scott for a special lecture exploring the life & legend of Themistocles - one of ancient Greece's greatest heroes.

Part of #HistFest2026. Book now events.bl.uk/events/histf...

The Brontë Sisters: Lives & Legacies
3PM, SUN 19 APRIL | BRITISH LIBRARY

Join public historian Greg Jenner in conversation with literary scholar Dr Tara Puri & historical novelist Essie Fox to explore literature's most famous siblings.

Part of #HistFest2026. Book now events.bl.uk/events/histf...

Small Prophets review – Mackenzie Crook’s magical new comedy is pure, pure pleasure Wonder lies below the surface of this truly fantastic sitcom from the creator of Detectorists. It’s an impossible marvel of TV making

Detectorists fans, rejoice! Five stars for Mackenzie Crook’s new series.

Really excited to host one of its stars - SIR MICHAEL PALIN - at #HistFest2026 in April. @histfest.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...