Member Groups at The London Library
Member groups are a great way to meet other like-minded members, collaborate, share interests or reading recommendations. Browse the list below to find your community. Or, contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to find out how to start your own.
Art Discussion Group
Is a painting ever worth $450.3 million? Did the dawn of AI Art mark the death of the Art World? Should dance pieces be classified as artworks? Any thoughts? Come along and join the conversation.
The London Library Art Discussion Group welcomes all those interested in any aspect of the Arts: be it particular art movements, the art market, and those who simply enjoy visiting the latest shows in town. We’ll meet regularly to discuss vignettes or short articles (sent out in advance) and may occasionally supplement our meetings with art lates, gallery visits and talks from figures in the art world.
Our aim is to bring seasoned art connoisseurs and those with kindling art interest together for lively discussions and jolly discourse. Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to join the mailing list. All are welcome.
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German Language Book Club
The German Language Book Club is a group for German-speaking London Library members who want simultaneously to practise the language and widen their German reading. The group will aim to meet at regular intervals and to draw on the Library’s extensive German collection for titles to read and discuss. Meetings will be held in German. Please get in touch for more information and to register interest (auf Deutsch, wenn’s geht).
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Italian Reading Group
The Italian Reading Group is a book club for London Library members who want to read in Italian. The group will meet quarterly. The intention is to hold live meetings at the Library with the possibility of taking part online if you are unable to attend in person. We will follow the model of a typical book club. The four novels for the year will be chosen by the group from a selection of titles from the Library’s extensive and fascinating Italian collection. The emphasis will be on having relaxed and friendly discussions in Italian and/or English as necessary. Get in touch for more information and to register interest.
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The Philosophy Group
The Philosophy Group had its first meeting in April 2017 and continues to meet on every second Tuesday of the month at 6pm. Meetings usually last for about an hour and a half.
The Group reads articles from the eLibrary accessed through the Library's website, mostly pieces from JSTOR. Membership is open to all members of the Library. No previous knowledge of philosophy is required. The conversation assumes that those attending have read the paper on which the evening’s discussion is based. If you would like further information about the Group, please email John Robinson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. who will be happy to answer your questions and give you details of the forthcoming meeting.
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The PhD Group
The PhD Group exists to encourage and support London Library members who are undertaking research degrees, or working on books and articles. They meet periodically to share the fruits of their work and to explore the joys and frustrations of researching, writing, presenting conference papers, and preparing findings for publication.
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Non-Fiction Writers Group
The group meets twice a month on the first and third Tuesday of the month between 6-7pm.
First Tuesday meetings (6-7 pm, in person and online (availability permitting)
At every meeting, a different member of the group chooses a short passage (500-1,000 words) from a non-fiction text. The passage is circulated to the rest of the group a week in advance. At the meeting, the member will lead the discussion of the passage, focusing particularly on what we as writers can learn from the author's approach and techniques. There is no obligation to attend every month; simply come when you can.
Third Tuesday meetings (6-7.30pm, online only)
These meetings are to provide a space for writing, and an opportunity to discuss work in progress. We spend the first hour writing intensively, then half an hour sharing and discussing what we have written.
Database
We run a voluntary database for group members to reach out to each other for support and collaboration with writing issues.
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History Reading Group
This group meets on the third Wednesday of the month and each meeting the group hears 2-3 book recommendations with a short presentation on each book followed by Q&A and discussion. For more information and to join the group please get in touch.
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History Research Group
The group is for members who use the Library's rich collections for historical reading, research and writing. They hope especially to offer support to historians whose plans are being frustrated by the current closure of archives, for example by pooling information on digital sources. For further information please get in touch.
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Please note that all London Library member groups are run on a voluntary basis by members.
