Work Experience diary – Beth Morgan

8 June 2016

Work Experience diary – Beth Morgan

I am a year 10 student in St Richard Gwyn Catholic High School, studying English Literature, French, and Drama. Outside of school (and my time at Gladstone Library), I go to my local drama group. The reason I wanted to spend my Work Experience at Gladstone Library was because I was looking for a place that fitted in with my three GCSE options. After researching some different options.

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The Film & Theology DVD collection at Gladstone’s Library

3 June 2016

The Film & Theology DVD collection at Gladstone’s Library

Over the last week, the Film & Theology DVD collection at Gladstone’s Library has almost doubled in size. Why? Thanks to a substantial donation from Warden Peter Francis of over 160 new DVDs from his own personal collection. 

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Nature Notes from the Reading Rooms

27 May 2016

Nature Notes from the Reading Rooms

If you’ve used the Reading Rooms here at the Library in the last few weeks, you may have heard some peculiar noises. Library Assistant Gary Butler explains all…

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The Curious Case of the Changeling Chairs

13 May 2016

The Curious Case of the Changeling Chairs

Spring is a time of change and natural miracles. Just to walk around Hawarden is to be faced with ample evidence of this: the leaves are new-green, lambs hop in the fields, and country strolls frequently feature herds of cows who enjoy slobbering on my hands and terrorising my taurophobic co-worker.

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Gladstone's Library, commuting and Kung Fu

11 May 2016

Gladstone's Library, commuting and Kung Fu

I am asked frequently by visitors to Gladstone’s Library, and by my friends, what it is that I do during my time here. This blog will give a bit of insight into my routine as the only non-residential intern currently on the team at Gladstone’s Library.

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Snowdonia by Amy Liptrot

4 May 2016

Snowdonia by Amy Liptrot

This morning I put my swimsuit on under my clothes and drove from the Library to Snowdonia. On the way, I stopped at a Holy Well (‘The Welsh Lourdes’, 1 pound entry) where they displayed the crutches of pilgrims, no longer needed after taking the Holy Water.

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Exploring the sexual revolution with Timothy Sedgwick

21 April 2016

Exploring the sexual revolution with Timothy Sedgwick

In June we welcome Timothy Sedgwick of the Virginia Theological Seminary to deliver a course exploring just that. Considering a history of the transformation of desire, body and society, and the aftermath of the revolution, this course runs 13th – 14th June 2016 and will be an open forum for ideas and discussion.

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The Writing Process by Susan Barker

13 April 2016

The Writing Process by Susan Barker

A writer I like, Mohsin Hamed, wrote an essay for the New York Times a couple of years ago, in which he described the DNA of fiction as a double-helix: one strand comprised of what the writer knows, and the other strand comprised of what the writer wants to know.

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A day in the life of a Library Intern

1 April 2016

A day in the life of a Library Intern

Just what do our interns do all day? In her final blog, outgoing intern Kirsten-Rose Brooks bids farewell to the Library and provides an insight into life on the Library team.

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Guest blog: Writing Echo Hall at Gladstone's Library

21 March 2016

Guest blog: Writing Echo Hall at Gladstone's Library

I first heard about Gladstone’s Library in 2011 when I picked up a leaflet at the Hay Festival. I am a huge fan of William Gladstone, a Prime Minister who, for all his failings, really tried to improve the lot of ordinary people. So I was delighted to discover his library existed, and furthermore that it was possible to stay there. I was in the midst of writing my novel Echo Hall at the time and the idea of a writing retreat at Hawarden was very tempting. But, it’s a long way from Oxford and being a busy working parent it wasn’t until 2013 that I finally managed to make the trip.

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