News

Queer Georgians: A hidden history of lovers, lawbreakers and homemakers

Wednesday 25 February, 6:30 - 8pm. £27.50. Hear the hidden histories of the real people that inspired Gentleman Jack and the gay romances in Bridgerton.

Johnson (1709–1784), Doing Penance in the Market Place of Uttoxeter, Staffordshire

Johnson, Crime and Punishment, in Four Cases

Thursday 26 March, 6:30 - 8pm. £20 / 2 for £36. Crime was rife in Georgian London, but so too was punishment. Hear how Samuel Johnson balanced compassion with Justice.

Fleet Street Quarter Festival of Words St Paul's

Fleet Street Quarter Festival of Words 2026

Tuesday 12 - Saturday 16 May. We are very pleased to be taking part in this year's Fleet Street Quarter Festival of Words.

Death Rituals & Grief: In Conversation with Sofka Zinovieff & Julia Samuel

Wednesday 10 June, 6.30 - 8pm. £27.50. We’re hosting a special event on death rituals with acclaimed author Sofka Zinovieff and psychotherapist Julia Samuel.

Amorous or Loving?: The Highly Peculiar Tale of English and the English

Wednesday 15 October, 6 - 8pm. £22.50. Hear Sir Rupert Gavin chart English’s extraordinary path to becoming the most global language today spoken by 1.6 billion all over the world.

Close-up photograph of the spines of antique leather-bound books, prominently featuring two volumes of Johnson’s Dictionary with ornate gold tooling and black title labels. The aged leather shows wear and texture, evoking a sense of historical richness and scholarly tradition.

Johnson as a Lexicographer: Getting His Just Deserts—Bryan A. Garner

Monday 15 September, 6 - 8pm. £25. Was Johnson truly the father of the English dictionary? Bryan A. Garner explores the evidence in this thought-provoking talk.