Celebrate Black History Month this October with Greenwich Libraries
Greenwich Libraries have curated a fantastic set of events across all our libraries to celebrate Black History Month this October. Below are a selection of events but there is even more happening across the borough. Check the website for each library or contact them directly to find out what else is happening this October to celebrate Black History Month.
2nd October 4.30pm - 6.30pm, Woolwich Library
Live Steel Pan Drums. Enjoy some live music, from local steel pan performer. Playing pop classics in a new way.
2nd October, 10am, Thamesmere Library
Author event with Ranti Akintobi.
3rd October, 10.30am – 11am, Plumstead Library
Reggae Rhyme time Come along for one of our fantastic musical sessions and sing along to Reggae Rhymes or Steel Drum calypso, dance to Caribbean.
5th October, 5.30pm - 6pm, Plumstead Library
BHM Read and Relax reading group at which will be exploring poetry and lyrics with a special focus on Black authors this month.
9th October, 7.30pm, West Greenwich Library
Exiled Writers Ink presents: On the Frontline: Beyond the Stereotypes. Come along for an exciting evening of Poetry and Discussion with Poets: Omer Aksoy, Dzifa Benson and Barbara Saunders.
9th October, 5.30pm, Woolwich Library
Author Event with Louise Hare. Louise Hare She has found inspiration in the capital for most of her work. Her debut novel ‘This Lovely City’, which was published in 2020 has been described as a Windrush novel, which offers a vivid portrait of the Immigrant experience in Post-war London. The book which is set in Brixton in the 1950’s, began life after a trip into the deep level shelter below Clapham Common, is a murder mystery, with a strong focus on the community. Her latest novel ‘Harlem After Midnight’ was released this year.
11th October, 11am -11.30am, Blackheath Library
Author Event with AM Coleman.
11th October 7pm, Woolwich Centre Library
Black Ballet, join us for a short, moving ballet that tells the story of a young soldier in WW2 and follows him and his family through their life in the UK.
14th October, Thamesmere Library, 11am-12pm
African Folktales.
16th October, Thamesmere Library, 4.30pm – 5.30pm
African Drum Workshop.
16th October, Plumstead Library 3.30pm – 4.30pm
Adinkra Art showcase.
17th October, 11am-1pm, Woolwich Centre Library
Black Business Talk Black Business Talk - Paul Miller. Start Up Greenwich will host an intimate panel discussion with local black businesses and a representative from an organisation which in supports businesses in London, to discuss their experiences as entrepreneurs, including challenges, successes, highlights, growing their business, attracting customers, and advice for other business owners etc.
18th October, 1.30pm, Eltham Library
Janelle McCurdy Author talk. Janelle McCurdy is an author and fully-fledged gamer. Having started writing and querying at only sixteen years old, she joined Jo Unwin Literary Agency (JULA) in her early twenties. After graduating from Royal Holloway University with a criminology and sociology degree, Janelle moved back home to London and began writing middle grade fantasy. In her free time, you can find her holed up in her room, gaming and watching anime (some of her favourites being Inuyasha, Dragon Ball Z, and Death Note), or attending numerous comic cons and gaming events.
21st October, 2pm – 4pm, Abbey Wood Library
Author event with Anyanwu.
21st October 2pm, West Greenwich Library
Author event with AM Coleman.
23rd October, 4.30pm – 6.30pm, Woolwich Library
Young People’s Panel Discussion w/Cllr Ann-Marie Cousins.
24th October, 10.30am, Woolwich Library
Author Event: Efua Mills-Robertson.
24th October, 2pm – 3pm, Blackheath Library
Children’s Story Time and Craft with Effua Mills- Robinson.
25th October, 2pm-4pm, Woolwich Library
Fan the Glory with Tori Fan making workshop experience you will enjoy! Come along and make a folding hand-fan with Victoria. This is a drop-in family fun-day event on a first come first serve basis.
25th October, 2pm-3pm, Plumstead Library
African Dancehall - dance to Caribbean rhythms with Rochelle in our Family Dancehall.
26th October, 10am, Woolwich Library
Market day celebrating small businesses organized by the Black Female Entrepreneurs Greenwich. The market will be open to members of the public and it is an all-day event.
27th October, 10.30am, Woolwich Library
Family Session: Mr Culture Music & Dance Celebration.
27th October, 3.30pm – 4.30pm, Plumstead Library
Author event with O Anyanwu, Olusola Sophia Anyanwu is British Nigerian. She started her early and middle education at Ibadan and completed her higher education at University of Ife,[ now Obafemi Awolowo Universiry] where she studied Education in English. She served her National Youth Service at Markurdi in Benue State. She taught English and Literature for 20 years in a federal grammar school for girls in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. She relocated to the UK in 2003 and continued as an Educationist in primary and secondary schools. She has been blessed with a great and wonderful family and lives in South East London.
28th October, Eltham Library, 11am and New Eltham Library, 1.30pm
Stepz Afrobeat Dance
30th October, 5.30pm, Woolwich Centre Library
BHM Writing Workshop with Shani Akilah Shani Akilah is a Black-British writer from South London of Caribbean heritage (Guyana, Barbados and Jamaica). She is an avid reader and book blogger and was spotlighted as a ‘Key Black Influencer’ by DoubleDay Books. Shani is passionate about community and bringing people together and is the co-founder of Nyah Network, a book club for black women and is also the founder of contributor based platform, Bankra, that explored the navigated identities of black millennials. Shani loves travelling, and has spent significant time in Ghana as part of her studies. Shani has a Masters degree in African Studies from Oxford University with research exploring counter-diasporic return and issues of home and belonging amongst second-generation British-Ghanaians. Oneworld will publish Shani’s debut short story collection, FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS, in June 2024.