Cultural London with The Bookman

In addition to attending the sparkling Man Booker Prize Gala Dinner, won by Eleanor Catton for The Luminaries, I have also been visiting bookshops, galleries, libraries and museums.

Here are some of the places visited and exhibitions seen.

Picture This at The British Library.

The magnificent "new" British Library opened on the St.Pancras site in 1998. It is a research library rather then a lending library of course and is worth a visit just to marvel at the building itself, the splendid piazza in front of the building, the bookshop, the King's Library and much more.
But I was here to see Picture This an exhibition featuring the artwork from various editions of 10 famous, much-loved children's books. The aim is to discover how illustrators over the years have interpreted – and reinterpreted – our favourite tales in beautiful and imaginative ways. Through original artwork, rare editions and personal correspondence, along with video recordings with some of the artists, be reunited with much-loved characters including Paddington Bear, Peter Pan and Willy Wonka and classic works such as Just So Stories, The Wind in the Willows and The Hobbit.
Other titles included The Iron Man, The Borrowers, The Secret Garden and The Railway Children.
I was enchanted.
This is a free exhibition and it runs until 24 January, 2014. Don't miss it if you are in the neighbourhood.

Two exhibitions at The V&A:

TOMORROW : Elmgreen & Dragseet

This noted Sandinavian duo have converted five rooms from the former Textile Galleries into a posh home and then filled it with both items from the V&A collection and sourced items from markets. It is the home of a fictional elderly architect who had s not been successful in his practice and so the house and its contents are being sold off.
Fascinating, most unusual. Open until 2 January 2014.
And an unusual feature was that you were given a small paperback book entitled  which comprises "scenes from an unrealised film by Elmgreen & Dragset.

MEMORY PALACE

This brought together a new work of fiction by the author Hari Kunzru with 20 specially commissioned illustrations by graphic designers, illustrators and typographers to create a walk-in book.
The story is set in future London hundreds of years after the world's information infrastructure was wiped out by an immense magnetic storm. 
Provocative, somewhat sobering. Something of a modern future take on 1984? Finished 20 October.
I bought the book of the same name, a small hardback published by the V&A, 10 pounds.

Then across to the Tate Britain to see:

ART UNDER ATTACK - Histories of British Iconoclasm 
Quoting from the mini catalogue that one was given:
This is the first exhibition to explore the history of image-breaking in Britain over 500 years. "Iconoclasm" is now often seen as a positive term applied to innovation, but its origins lie in its entry into the English language in the 16th century, derived from the Greek eikon or image, and klastes or breaker. Here iconoclasm means image breaking.
Starting with Henry V!!!'s break with the Roman Catholic Church and coming right through to attacks on art in the 20th century the exhibition is divided into three sections - Religion, Politics and Aesthetics.
Another provocative sometimes disturbing exhibition.  Until 5 January, 2014.

More to come.