#the british library

[nightvaleofficial]

We are excited to announce The British Library is featuring Welcome to Night Vale in their Fantasy Exhibition! The exhibit explores the evolution of fantasy and runs 10/27/23 - 2/25/24. Admission and more info: bl.uk/events/fantasy

[leoreadss]

London Memories - A three days story

As my moots and my friends know, I've been in a bad place lately, mentally and physically, and last Friday, I exploded.

Now, after many many hours of conversation and a therapy session, I have experienced what they call a 'depression meltdown'. I'm not going to share the details mostly because I did not recall living through the events of that Friday. Everything went black and when I woke up the next day I found out I had planned, I mean flights, hotel, bus transfer from and to the airport and a theatre ticket, to London.

As my friends know, London is my HEIMAT. I've been there three times this year and yet the last fourth one was not actually planned as I imagined. I have to say tho that I did a great job in organising the three days and the events and everything. Also, it was not the perfect time for a trip but the 'damage' was already done so I decided to, I'd like to say 'embrace the moment and be happy' but, I cried till the day of the departure and when landed in London something happened.

My brain went quiet. I was starting to feel present again, like in the moment. I even put some music on. I hadn't been able to listen to music for at least a week or two before the meltdown. Not even to cope with external sensory issues.

I started to feel like me again. I could finally see myself, in the mirror, with my own eyes, through my crowded thoughts.

I was able to write! I began a story that I'd to see as a picture book.

In the hotel room, I actually find my space, mental and physical, to be me. I was able to take care of some other aspects of my life that I'm finding quite challenging in this period of time.

I took so many walks. The cold air was refreshing and 'cooled' down my brain. I definitively function much better there, that's a fact.

vaya chapa jaja I don't know how to translate that lol

I'd like to share here some happy moments cause WTF I actually saw David Tennant!

First of all the weather! I love gloomy days but this, this was a surprise! A pleasant welcome

The walks. My feet still hurt but I'm so happy!

I don't know if you ever visited this street but knowing that was an inspiration to Wickber Street in the series I understand why the Aziraphale chose this location for its bookshop. It's crowded with all sorts of people from all over the world. You can, and that's what I like to do, sit in a coffee shop and just observe them. Observe life passing by.

This was in Tavistock Square, IYKYK. Here I had a strange encounter with a squirrel. I was taking this picture when turning around I saw a little creature in front of me. We looked into each other eyes and the (silent) conversation was something down the line:

Human (aka me): oh shit! Sorry. Hi little you.

Little creature (aka the squirrel): Uh they so me. Ehm. Act normal.

Human (aka me): *moving to the left*

Little creature (aka the squirrel): *does the same*

Human (aka me): Oh sorry. *is this the most English thing I've ever experienced* *moving to the right*

Little creature (aka the squirrel): Oh shit. Act normal. Maybe I should stop staring at them. *moving to the right*

Human (aka me): Please, after you. *stop moving and gesturing with the hand to let the creature pass by*

Little creature (aka the squirrel): *keeps staring staringly* Ok this was strange. Bye human. *runs*

Human (aka me): That was odd! *walks away but then turns around*

Little creature (aka the squirrel): *does the same*

FIN

and they live happily ever after, I guess lol

This is Hyde Park. Walk kicking the leaves was a child's dream! I felt like a 5 yo. I had a second encounter with a squirrel that thought I had food in my hand but I just wanted to say hi, so they sniffed it and hopped away with their fluffy tail.

I love buses! They're the perfect decompression place for me and an optimal observation deck from which to admire the city. I spot this one outside the Peacock Theatre. I don't know what was it for but the words 'To Our World' came to my mind immediately.

The British Library. This is the place where I can write. This is the place for my stories to come alive, for my pen to dance on the pace, for my thoughts to be free to walk before my eyes and tell me what they want to experience. This is the place in which my brain goes quiet. Entering this place it's like having a wee free man in my head that finally decides that it's time to tidy up the room, organize their books, iron their kilt, rearrange the furniture for better comfort, light the fireplace, make some hot tea, bake some lemon biscuits and singing out of tone Scottish songs. That's how my brain felt there.

If you are wondering, my wee free man's hair is red as hell and up in a messy bun.

THE NIGHT aka Macbeth!

I still can't believe I saw David Tennant!

The play was amazing, from the cast to the minimalist stage, the music, the light. Everything was perfect!

I had the chance to just ramble and say thanks for the autograph!

A little video of the moment he signed my copy and me being absolutely out of my body.

The Harold Pinter Theatre was a special place!

and that's the end. The last pic. A magical place in which, every time, I make a promise to myself, to be present, to hold on to that dream, to be strong and to forgive myself when I'm not, to keep writing, to keep seeking help, to rest when possible and to take good care of the body I'm in.

Till the next adventure!

Bonus content, I guess.

I took this photo and is it me or this hand is the Duke of hell's hand? Hands lovers do with it what you like.

[questwithambition]

The British Library - London, UK

[nofatclips]

Music for Imaginary Scenarios by Anders Brørby from the split album Heteroticisms Volume 3 (with Oomny Mozg)

[dosartistas]

(vía Mary Magdalene - Jungian Genealogy, by Iona Miller)

The Assumption of St Mary Magdalene. Sforza Hours, c.1490, Add. MS 34294, fol.211.v, The British Library. 

[aquitainequeen]

Archive Of Our Own is mentioned in the Fantasy: Realms of Imagination exhibition at the British Library!!!

[litapeanut]

I took a witch test yesterday and was tested positive.

Visit the Medieval Women exhibition (lasts until March 2025) at the British Library, and you too can find out whether you’re a witch or not🤣

This little interactive game really makes you consider how the tiny things we take for granted nowadays (including the 20 dongs in a box) were perceived negatively in Medieval times.

[butterflyhunt]

Celebrating Linda Berube's PhD Success in Digital Comics

From left to right: Dom Davies, Stephann Makri, Francesca Benatti, Linda Berube, and Ernesot Priego following Linda’s scucessful viva voce examination. City St George’s, University of London, 13 December 2024. Friday the 13th of December this year was a day of achievement and celebration. My PhD student Linda Berube had her viva voce examination and was awarded a PhD with minor corrections in…

[snkrfnd]

I’m losing my fucking mind there’s a whole god damn online database full of illustrations for illuminated manuscripts, you don’t need a subscription or anything. And it has a search function so you can enter key words for whatever you want to see. Right now I’m looking for fucked up illustrations of the apocalypse in Revelations, like so;

If you click the images on the website they come out super high def too. They also have a couple bestiaries, as well as some illustrations of the Divine Comedy. This is my new best friend I’m so fucking excited

[inspectorspacetimerevisited]

One would think that, if W.I.T. had an archive of alien artefacts and intelligence,

it would be housed beneath the British Library.

[parisoonic]

pals drinking together (hand practice that got out of control)

[periodinteriors]

Frederick Mackenzie, The Library of Stanmore Hall, the Seat of Robert Holland, Esq, watercolor.

[like-i-need-a-hole-in-my-head]

queck

[snailspng]

Creatures from the Luttrell Psalter (c. 1320-1340) PNGs, part 1.

(Source)

[arthistoryanimalia]

#Caturday 🐈‍⬛:

“A Black Cat Holiday”

From: The Black Cat Book. Rhymes by W. Copeland. Cats by Charles Robinson.

London : Blackie & Son, 1905.

British Library A80111-39

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

Neil Gaiman and Roz Kaveney at the British Library event Why We Need Fantasy 20.11.2023 :) ❤

Neil: I don't remember if it was you or John M. Ford, the late Mike Ford, who pointed out to me first that there is a thing that I do that I was not aware of doing. And it was.. and I remember this being pointed out to me at the time of the publication of American Gods. Or possibly even before it was published, when I sent it out a manuscript. Because it was pointed out to me that one way that you can tell that you're entering the third act of a Neil Gaiman story is there is always a kiss that sort of ends the second act. And it's never a sort of romantic kiss. It's always a kiss that is unexpected and a little bit wrong, but it symbolizes where we're going to go next.

Roz: Yeah, that was Mike, it's too smart for me.

Neil: That was Mike. And I remember arguing with him and then him pointing out that all the places I'd done it. And then I did it again in the Anansi Boys and didn't realize that I'd done it. And then I forget about this thing. And I saw somebody on Tumblr had found an interview with me from 2002 where I'm talking about this and the kiss, and they're like, 'Still doing it then'.

:)) Yep, Neil is still doing it :D <3 (this is the tumblr post)

You can watch the whole event here :).