Events online

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Events online

World Book Day: Hits & Misses

23 April is World Book Day, an international celebration to promote all things bookish. It marks the anniversary of the deaths of literary geniuses William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes, and it is also the date of Shakespeare’s birth! 

Join us for an impassioned exploration of the books that get our hearts pumping and our blood boiling, and tell us if you agree with our panel’s verdicts.

    World Book Day: Hits & Misses

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    For this year’s occasion, the State Library has asked five passionate readers and writers to share their favourite and least favourite reads.

    Hosted by Cassie McCullagh (co-host of Radio National’s The Bookshelf & ABC Radio Sydney presenter), and featuring (in order of appearance):

    • Sunil Badami: writer, academic and recovering reviewer
    • Caroline Baum: author and podcaster
    • Neha Kale: writer and editor
    • John Vallance: State Librarian
    • Gayle Kennedy: member of the Ngiyampaa Nation of S/W NSW, writer, speaker, disability advocate

      Event series

      Author Talks

      The Library’s author talks are enlightening, funny, sad, controversial, joyous, heartwarming and are always entertaining.

      Open books photo

      The B List bookclub

      Each month, Bri is in conversation with a contemporary author followed by a Q&A session. View all past recordings of the B List here.

      Curator's Choice

      Our Curators discuss the Library’s amazing collections and share their favourite stories.

      [Book of hours, 15th cent.] [manuscript] Catholic Church. : 1450-1499?

      Scholar Talks

      Scholar Talks showcase the work of the Library's Fellows and other researchers. Each presentation is an opportunity for researchers to share their research experiences and exchange ideas.

      Talking Deadly with Travis De Vries

      Each fortnight, Travis De Vries hosts a special Talking Deadly series with artists whose work responds to the 250th anniversary of Cook’s arrival in Kamay (Botany Bay) and to Cook’s legacy from a First Nations perspective.

      Featured past events

      A Body in Your Library

      14 May 2020

      Crime stories (crime fiction and true crime) often tell tales of great trauma, but the usually clear resolutions to even the most dreadful crimes give us a sense of hope.

      World Press Photo with Ella Archibald-Binge & Rhett Wyman

      From the rainforests of Cape York to the dusty plains of western NSW, Rhett and Ella have been travelling the country to capture fresh perspectives on the summer bushfires, the Black Lives Matter movement and the Closing the Gap strategy.

      DX Lab Fellowship #3: Mauricio Giraldo presents on the making of Aereo

      Watch DX Lab Fellow, Mauricio Giraldo, present on the making of Aereo.

      Aereo

      Captain’s log: The logbooks of HMB Endeavour, 1768–71

      This presentation by Louise Anemaat, considers the context of the Endeavour voyage, the daily logbook written in Cook’s hand, and the three official copies, including one held by the Library.

      Podcasts

      The Gatherings Order

      Rake through our archives with historians, public health experts and scientists to trace the path of the 1918-19 influenza pandemic. 

      The Burial Files

      Stream (or binge!) all nine episodes of The Burial Files now for a journey back to 19th century Sydney, and rediscover a place you thought you knew.

      Photograph of cemetery overlaid with text Burial files

      The Bridge: the Arch that Cut the Sky

      A fascinating five-part series retracing the tumultuous history of the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge.

      The Bridge: The Arch That Cut the Sky. A five-part series starring Australia's favourite icon, the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

      What's ON > 

      All the latest exhibitions and events.