Publishing & Media
Find books, newspapers, TV shows and films that have captured London, or were made here, with our related objects, stories and blogs.
Blogs-And-Stories
Librarian’s pick: Queer history books to read
Four books on LGBTQ+ history from the museum’s library that you should read, if you haven’t already
Who was Charles Dickens?
19th-century London’s most celebrated writer gave us Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol
The London life of William Shakespeare
The work of this celebrated English playwright has strong roots in the capital
Henry Grant photographed London from every angle
Countless London stories in black and white
Through the lens of Charlie Phillips
One of the most talented, but long overlooked, photographers of 20th-century Britain
How to ‘judge’ a book owner by their bookplate
We don’t really judge, but we can definitely get to know a lot about a book’s owner by their customised bookplate
Mary Seacole: Doctress of the Crimean War
The determined businesswoman and caregiver who looked after troops at war
Poetry, plagiarism & treason: Early years of The Gentleman’s Magazine
Find out more about the home of England’s first ‘magazine’
The history of the BBC
The world-famous BBC made its first radio broadcast from London over 100 years ago
Olaudah Equiano: Writer & abolitionist
A freed enslaved man whose life story drove the abolition of the British trade in enslaved Africans
The life story of Mary Prince
A vital narrative of enslavement that boosted the abolitionist movement
Royal reads: Books owned by British monarchs
A royal reading list truly fit for queens and kings
Charles Dickens’ ‘Memoirs of Joseph Grimaldi’
The Victorian author charts the turbulent life of a beloved London clown
A caricaturist takes on the Great Exhibition, 1851
George Cruikshank’s satirical sketches shine a light on the craze caused by this London event
Zadie Smith: Writing north-west London
The author of White Teeth and The Fraud uses Brent as her canvas
Malorie Blackman’s books shaped Britain’s youth
The south-east Londoner writes diverse fictional worlds for young people of all ages
Ottobah Cugoano: A powerful critic of slavery
Cugoano shared his own experience of enslavement to try and end it for good
Michaela Coel: A vital modern storyteller
The superstar behind Chewing Gum and I May Destroy You has spun unique tales from London life
