Happy World Book Day – 2015!
Happy World Book Day! Now in its 18th year, World Book Day aims to encourage children to explore the pleasures of books and reading. We hope you’re all celebrating by dressing up as your favourite book character and, most importantly, sitting down with a good book (print OR digital). Here at Reading, we’ve been spending […]
Art and nature: Allen Seaby lecture and exhibition
In our last post we mentioned that we’re celebrating the centenary of Ladybird books, and we noted our BBC Breakfast appearance and upcoming lecture with Lawrence Zeegan. Our Ladybird material will also make appearances at a number of exhibitions around the country – starting right here in Reading at Reading Museum’s current exhibition: Allen Seaby: […]
12 Days of Christmas roundup
It’s almost Christmas! That means good cheer, Christmas spirit and….a fight to the death competition?! Although technically the 12 days of Christmas begin with 25 December, we won’t be around over the break – so we had a 12 Days of Christmas #12off competition with the Museum of English Rural Life and the Ure Museum in […]
A strange sad week in the Beckett archive
It has been a very sad week for all of us involved with the Beckett Collection, as it marked the passing of two people associated with him, as well as the 25th anniversary of his death. Billie Whitelaw is widely recognised as having been Beckett’s favourite actress and the foremost interpreter of his work. Our […]
Happy #MusHalloween!
Samuel Beckett Week at the University of Reading
We will be holding an exhibition and series of public events to celebrate the University’s internationally renowned collection of manuscripts from the Nobel Prize-winning writer Samuel Beckett (1906-1989). Wednesday 1 – Saturday 4 October Public Exhibition: Samuel Beckett in London – the Murphy Notebooks Museum of English Rural Life FREE At this exhibition, which will focus on Beckett’s time in […]
A place for everything… and everything (hopefully!) in its place: the wonderful role of UMASCS Graduate Trainee Library Assistant
As we look to recruit a new Graduate Trainee Library Assistant (closing date 25/08/2014) here is a quick introduction to the role and overview of my day to day activities… Written by Claire Wooldridge, UMASCS Graduate Trainee Library Assistant The role of GT here at UMASCS has been exciting and varied, packed with interesting projects […]
The Arts of Peace : Two Rivers Press poetry readings at MERL
MERL and local publisher Two Rivers Press brought together twenty-one local poets (collectively known as a ‘rhyme of poets’ perhaps?!) on the evening of Monday 28 July to launch the publication of the new Two Rivers Press book, The Arts of Peace: An Anthology of Poems, edited by Adrian Blamires and Peter Robinson. Many thanks to Two […]
The A-list archive: filming the Mills & Boon collection for the BBC’s Celebrity Antiques Road Trip
Today’s guest post from Judith Watts explores our Mills & Boon Collection. Judith is studying for her PhD as part of a unique collections-based research project at the University of Reading. The working title of her thesis, which explores the nexus between publisher, author and reader, is The Limits of Desire: the Mills & Boon Romance Market, 1946-1973. […]
Museum Studies and Costumed Interpretation Summer Schools
Exciting news! We’ll be running two summer schools here in the museum this year. The University of Reading has a whole suite of International Summer Schools designed to give people a taster of academic life and we’re looking forward to welcoming some new students over the summer months. Introduction to Museum Studies is aimed at students who want […]