British Library Learning
@BL_Learning
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The British Library Learning Team shares news on our collections, events & online resources for teachers, students, adult learners & families
Joined February 2013
Discovering Literature's best-loved articles are available again. From Othello to Orwell, Agard to Angela Carter, we've recovered a selection of 100 articles, films and classroom resources, perfect for English teachers of Years 10-13.
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Primary schools! Have you booked your free place yet?. This January, join @MichaelRosenYes, @vivschwarz.@marastoryteller & friends for live events & activities to inspire your children to write their own fairy tales. Discover more & reserve your place:
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'A thing of beauty is a joy forever'. 200 years ago today, John Keats died in Rome, aged only 25. Browse the beautiful manuscripts of 'To Autumn' & 'Ode to a Nightingale' and delve into pieces exploring his poems, his life and world: #Keats200 #JohnKeats
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In Macbeth, Shakespeare coins an extraordinary number of words including 'assassination', 'unsex' & 'stealthy'. In this piece, David Crystal shows how these linguistic innovations are central to the atmosphere of the play.
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Calling all children! The @britishlibrary. needs your help to create a zoo of talking animals. Write & illustrate your creature with tips from Axel Scheffler & let your imagination soar & flutter. We'll repost your creations #DiscoveringChildrensBooks
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Primary teachers & parents! Help yourselves to our free resources, inspired by the wonderful world of children's books: Create a comic or cookbook, dream up an imaginary school, write an animal tale, a limerick or a giant book. #DiscoveringChildrensBooks
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Teaching A Christmas Carol next term? . Delve into Charles Dickens' world with articles on child labour, ghosts and Victorian Christmas. Or find original sources on the treadmill and ragged schools.
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British Library asks nation's children to write miniature books in lockdown
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English teachers! Browse 100 of our best loved Discovering Literature articles, including expert insights on Macbeth. Explore themes from manhood and 'the milk of human kindness' to the witches and Lady Macbeth.
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'So they went out in the dark, and all the street lamps were lit . and they walked down the road to a café.'. See Judith Kerr's vibrant artworks for The Tiger Who Came to Tea on our #DiscoveringChildrensBooks website: . © Kerr-Kneale Productions Ltd 1968
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Just look at the space-themed wallpaper, the rocket toy, the patchwork quilt, and the monster's mug of tea! ‘Not now, Bernard’ is pure delight, and we're heartbroken to hear that the wondeful #DavidMcKee has passed away.
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‘I am Sir an Affrican – with two ffs – if you please'. Written in April 1779, this is one of the only surviving manuscript letters of Ignatius Sancho, the most famous Anglo-African in 18th-century Britain - a writer, shopkeeper & anti-slavery campaigner:
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Teaching children to plan & edit? We have fabulous drafts & notebooks to show the creative processes of . Roald Dahl: SF Said: David Almond: Zanib Mian: & many more. © David Almond
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I am 'not in good health of body nor of heart, nor shall I be till I hear from you'. Happy Valentine’s day! This is probably the oldest surviving Valentine’s Day letter in English, from Margery Brews to her fiancé John Paston in February 1477.
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'Look like th’ innocent flower, But be the serpent under’ t'. This silver medal was made to remember the discovery of the Gunpowder plot in 1605. The snake among lilies & roses was used to symbolise Jesuit deception. © Trustees of the British Museum
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Thrilled to announce our latest free CPD for English teachers!. Join us on 28 Nov for a rich discussion of Frankenstein & Gothic lit in context, with Professor @mary_fairclough, teacher @GCSE_Macbeth, & teacher & member of @NATE_diversitea, Aaishah Rauf.
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You may be stuck indoors, but you can still go on an adventure! Make your own winged superhero and fly it through an imaginary world. What superpowers will your hero have? We will retweet your creations #DiscoveringChildrensBooks
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@AlwaysLearnWeb @Team_English1 @TeamEnglishNC19 @EnglishWales @PearsonTeachEng We've put together collections of 19th-century non-fiction texts, arranged in themes, from crime and punishment to education. Hope they're useful!. @AlwaysLearnWeb
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English teachers! Are you joining us online at 4pm this Thursday? .We're thrilled to be running free CPD on Romeo and Juliet in context, with the brilliant Professor Emma Smith, teacher Patrick Cragg, and Interim Artistic Director of the RSC Erica Whyman.
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Huge congratulations to our very own @sandrastorytime, who has just been awarded the Benson Medal for services to literature & made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Our hearts are bursting! To hear one of her captivating stories see:
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Teaching the poetry of conflict? Check out all our free resources, from poets' early manuscript drafts to close readings & contextual sources. William Blake's 'London': Ozymandias: The Prelude:
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'Look like th’ innocent flower, But be the serpent under’t.’ . The snake among lilies and roses symbolised Jesuit intrigue. This silver medal was made to commemorate the discovery of the Gunpowder plot in 1605.
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This exquisite notebook was inherited by William Blake, when his brother died in 1787. William probably started using it in February that year & kept it with him all his life. Browse Blake's beautiful sketches and poetic drafts of 'London' & 'The Tyger':
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Here's a whole hub of completely free, reliable online resources exploring Macbeth in context. Read Carol Atherton's brilliant article on the witches in the play. @Team_English1 @DoWise @SPryke2 @AlwaysLearnWeb.@Xris32
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Alfred Tennyson changed 'The Charge of the Light Brigade' up to 20 times before it was published in the Examiner #OTD in 1854. Check out this early proof version, where he moves the famous refrain up to the start of the poem: © Tennyson Research Centre
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Looking for fresh ideas on teaching Macbeth in context? Help yourself to our free resources on ghosts & witches, manhood & kingship, Lady Macbeth & much more. Or explore early witchcraft pamphlets, Holinshed's Chronicles & James VI and I's Demonology.
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Looking for fresh ideas to help you teach Macbeth in context? . Download two free resource packs, created with @BL_Learning by the brilliant @EngMediaCentre:.and @GCSE_Macbeth:.
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#Didyouknow the British Library holds the earliest known image of Stonehenge? The manuscript describes how & why King Aurelius & the wizard, Merlin, decide to create a stone circle. #FolkloreThursday #DiscoveringLiterature.
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Don't forget we have fabulous free online resources, perfect for English students at home or at school:. An Inspector Calls: Jekyll & Hyde: Shakespeare: Windrush Stories:
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Thrilled to have added Owen's draft of 'Exposure' to our website! Join us to discuss this & other poems of conflict at our free CPD on 30 March, with @DaljitNagra4, @GCSE_Macbeth & Dr Linda Freedman: ©Wilfred Owen Literary Estate
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Don't forget - if you're planning work on 19th-century non-fiction - we have free packs of sources arranged by theme, from crime and punishment to gender and education. #DiscoveringLiterature.
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Teaching Frankenstein & other Gothic texts this coming autumn?. Dig into our free films, articles & sources to explore how Gothic fiction has intrigued & unsettled readers for more than two centuries
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From ‘dirty street’ to ‘charter’d street’ …. See the changes made by William Blake to his poem ‘London’ in this beautiful notebook on our #DiscoveringLiterature website:
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Time to get creative! Make your own talking animal, inspired by the tigers, cats and Gruffalos on #DiscoveringChildrensBooks. Post your work using these hashtags, and together we’ll build a magical zoo. #MakeaBook #letsgetdigital
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Teaching Jekyll and Hyde? . Join our FREE twilight CPD on 9 Feb - for a rich discussion of doubles, identity & disability representation in Gothic literature, with Prof Emma Major, author & disability advocate @jenvcampbell & teacher-author @GCSE_Macbeth.
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English teachers! We've created handy summaries of some of our best resources for KS4 teachers & students. Help yourselves!.Macbeth A Christmas Carol Jane Eyre An Inspector Calls
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Download our Black literature timeline and brand new teacher's resource pack. Chart the rich history of Black writing in Britain, and spark reading and writing for pleasure.
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Teaching Romeo and Juliet? We've got a whole hub of free resources to put the play in context. See the poem that inspired Shakespeare, or read illustrated articles on everything from marriage to Juliet's eloquence.
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We completely agree that reading is a superpower & school librarians are some of our greatest superheroes! Can we borrow that cape sometime? Fabulous stuff. #DiscoveringChildrensBooks . More of these please: @CILIPCKG @CILIPinfo @neilhimself @whatSFSaid.
Today's #DailyChallenge for #EdinburghSchoolLibrarians is brought to you by @BL_Learning! Reading is an important skill for superheroes! #UnitedByBooks
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J B Priestley volunteered for the army in September 1914, aged 19. Read how his experiences of two World Wars shaped his socialist beliefs in An Inspector Calls .© Estate of J B Priestley.© J B Priestley Archive, Special Collections, University of Bradford
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English teachers, have you signed up for our free CPD on Othello?.Join us on 23 October, for a rich discussion with Professor Emma Smith, teacher & author @MichaelDonkor, and teacher & founder of Shakespeare, Race & Pedagogy, Dr Wendy Lennon @writerlennon
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Which texts are you teaching next year? .Discovering Literature is a treasure trove for English teachers - with free resources on .Romeo & Juliet A Christmas Carol An Inspector Calls
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Have you seen our free Teacher's Toolkit on Macbeth written by @EngMediaCentre with @BL_Learning? . It's full of creative ideas for using #DiscoveringLiterature to explore the play, its context & critics. Illustrations © Hannah Buckman
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This spring, we're celebrating the magic of fairy tales & inviting children to cook up their very own. Join @MichaelRosenYes and @marastoryteller for tips for the perfect story recipe: Share children's work by March 31, tagging @BL_Learning . 1/2
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You write, I'll draw. Our new campaign celebrates author-illustrator partnerships & invites children to team up & create their own picture books. To find out more, watch magnificent @MichaelRosenYes with illustrations by @AFatimaharan .
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Join a host of wonderful authors, including Joseph Coelho @UKLaureate, to Step Inside Your Story!.We’re celebrating inclusivity in children's books, inviting young writers to make concertina books about themselves. Discover more & enter our prize draw at:
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‘And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the Daffodils’. Happy birthday William Wordsworth, born #OTD 1770! Delve into the manuscripts of ‘The Prelude’ & ‘I wandered lonely as a cloud’: © Dove Cottage, Wordsworth Trust #DiscoveringLiterature
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Lewis Carroll was born #otd in 1832. Discover how he created #AliceinWonderland – & see the original manuscript!
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On 1 Jan 1916, J B Priestley wrote this letter by candlelight in the trenches of France. He captures the horror of warfare & makes poignant requests for ‘sixpenny novels’ & ‘Mackintosh’s Chocolate Toffees’. © Estate of J B Priestley © J B Priestley Archive
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Master of the macabre, Edgar Allen Poe, was born #OTD in 1809. On his birthday, explore the Gothic, the doppelgänger & the uncanny on our #DiscoveringLiterature website:
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The first recorded performance of #Shakespeare's brilliant comedy, Twelfth Night, took place here & #otd in 1602
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Looking for fresh ideas on 19th-century novels in context? We have rich articles, videos, reviews & visual sources on. A Christmas Carol Jekyll & Hyde Frankenstein Pride & Prejudice
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It was a privilege to view #ShirleyHughes’ archive @7Stories in 2019. Her images are packed with detail, from the glow outside the bedroom to the children's art on the wall; from a homemade dolls' cradle to a pair of scarlet slippers. She was magnificent & will be missed terribly
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Thrilled to announce our latest free CPD for KS4-5 English teachers! Join us on 23 Oct to explore Othello in context with Prof Emma Smith, teacher & author @MichaelDonkor, and teacher & founder of Shakespeare, Race & Pedagogy, Dr Wendy Lennon @writerlennon
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English teachers! Join us at 4pm on 9 May for free CPD exploring An Inspector Calls in context, with fresh ideas & insights from author @RachelDEdwards, curator @PollyRussell1 & teacher-author @mrsbrewtandcake. Book your free place: © The Old Vic Theatre
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On this dark evening, delve into John Mullan's excellent article exploring how Shakespeare conjures the sense of growing darkness in Macbeth.
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English teachers! For autumn, here are some treats for you. First up, a hub of resources to bring A Christmas Carol to life. Explore expert articles, videos & primary sources on ghosts, Victorian Christmas, ragged schools & much more.
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Have you downloaded yours yet? Our free Teacher's Toolkit on Macbeth is written by @EngMediaCentre with @BL_Learning. It's brimming with ideas for using #DiscoveringLiterature to explore the play, its context & critics. Illustrations © Hannah Buckman
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In October 1774, the writer, composer, grocer and abolitionist Ignatius Sancho became the first person of African descent to vote in a British general election. Here's his remarkable voting record. © Bodleian Library, University of Oxford
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Teaching Chaucer, Beowulf or language change? Today we launch our new free Discovering Literature: Medieval site! #teamenglish
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This spooky season, pick up some treats for English teachers.👻. Professor John Mullan explores the role of ghosts in A Christmas Carol - from comical and grotesque to moral and allegorical.
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Our free website on Shakespeare is a treasure trove for English teachers. Click on Works to find your text, or browse Themes to explore plays in context. We've got articles on Shakespeare's life & world, power & politics, gender, madness & much more.
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Teaching dystopian fiction? . Our hub of resources explores how writers imagine the future and prepare for the unknown.
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Do your English A level students know about our free resources - perfect for revision and contextual research?. A whole host of texts including: .Othello: Hamlet: Frankenstein: Donne:
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English teachers! Booking is open for our next free CPD, exploring Romeo & Juliet on 13 July. Join Professor Emma Smith, Interim Artistic Director of the RSC @EricaWhyman, & teacher Patrick Cragg for a rich discussion of the play in context.
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Have you seen all our free resources on the poetry of conflict, from poets' manuscript drafts to close readings & contextual sources?. 'Checking Out Me History' & 'Half Caste': Blake's 'London': 'Ozymandias':
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Explore the drafts of 'London' and 'The Tyger' in William Blake's stunning notebook. Read how Blake's changes to 'London' reveal his shifting ideas on imagination and revolution.
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Looking for fresh ways of teaching A Christmas Carol? .Help yourself to our free resources: Imogen Lee looks at the vital impact of Ragged Schools: Simon Callow discusses Dickens & the Christmas feast:
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'First a warning, musical; then the hour, irrevocable.'. Virginia Woolf was born #OTD in 1882. On her birthday, explore her remarkable notebooks containing the draft of Mrs Dalloway - originally called 'The Hours': Image by Harriet Lee-Merrion
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#OnThisDay in 1864, Lewis Carroll presented Alice Liddell with this stunning manuscript as a very early Christmas gift: See the whole fabulous story of 'Alice's Adventures Under Ground' on our #DiscoveringChildrensBooks website.
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"Bah!" said Scrooge, "Humbug!" .Dickens's A Christmas Carol was first published #onthisday in 1843.
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English teachers, join us for free spring CPD events! . Explore Jekyll & Hyde with author & disability advocate .@jenvcampbell, Professor Emma Major & @GCSE_Macbeth. Discuss poetry of conflict with @DaljitNagra4 & Dr Linda Freedman.
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Bram Stoker was born #otd in 1847. Explore how Dracula reflects the fears that haunted late 19th-century society:
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Teaching John Agard's 'Checking Out Me History'? . Read Daljit Nagra's brilliant analysis of the poem and explore the context on our Windrush Stories website. Illustration © Hannah Buckman. @Team_English1
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J B Priestley died #OnThisDay 1984. 'An Inspector Calls', a morality play disguised as a detective thriller, is one of his most famous works. We asked @chris_power to tell us more about the play via our #DiscoveringLiterature website:.
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Teachers: We're sorry we haven't been in touch for a while. We're working hard to restore our services but disruption is expected to persist for several months. In the meantime, here are some resources that you can access to support your teaching of English Literature (1/3).
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This #RefugeeWeek2020, explore the sketches and original artworks for When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit – Judith Kerr’s extraordinary book, inspired by her escape from Nazi Germany in 1933. © Judith Kerr © Kerr-Kneale Productions Ltd 1971.
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Looking for fresh ideas on teaching Macbeth in context? Help yourself to our free resources on ghosts & witches, manhood & kingship, Lady Macbeth & much more. Or explore early witchcraft pamphlets, Holinshed's Chronicles & James VI and I's Demonology.
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@chezzalou_scott @Eng_teacher96 @FunkyPedagogy @Team_English1 @eduqas Here are all our free articles and contextual sources for An Inspector Calls: Really hope they're useful!.Photo © Philip Carter
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Just launched: our new RE resources for Key Stage 2 teachers!. Bring unique sacred texts into your classroom with our set of lessons - each packed full of images, film clips and activities for students: Created by Lisa Kassapian and Claire Clinton
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@Lit_liverbird @sabaaa_h @LitdriveUK @litfanatic @Team_English1 @EnglishWales @TeamEnglishNC @FunkyPedagogy @MrTs_NQTs Help yourselves to our free resources on A Christmas Carol and Macbeth. Hope they're useful!.
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English teachers! Join us on 24 June for free twilight CPD on Frankenstein & Gothic literature in context:.Book your place for this rich discussion with Professor @mary_fairclough, teacher @GCSE_Macbeth, & teacher & member of @NATE_diversitea Aaishah Rauf.
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Down behind the dustbin, @MichaelRosenYes met a dog called Jim. But he’s lost the end of his poem! Can you help?.Discover more films & tips to help you create your own books with @WhatSFSaid, @suehendra, @MaisieWrites, @OjiBrown73 & more!.© Michael Rosen
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Shakespeare set many of his plays in Italy, though he almost certainly never went there. John Mullan explores how the Bard was influenced by Italian geography, culture and politics.
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Have you booked your free place for our CPD on Romeo & Juliet at 4pm on 13 July, with Professor Emma Smith, Interim Artistic Director of the RSC Erica Whyman & teacher Patrick Cragg? . Reply below with questions to put to our fabulous speakers on the day.
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Check out our free range of short films on literature in context - perfect for online learning. From Gender in 19th-century Britain to Features of The Gothic, William Blake's radicalism, The Origins of A Christmas Carol. & much more. Just click here:
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Happy birthday William Morris, social reformer & designer, born #OTD in 1834. Here's the magnificent Kelmscott Chaucer, made by the company Morris set up to revive the skill & beauty of hand printing: Explore Chaucer in context:
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What’s the smallest book you can think of? Who would you read it with? What will you write or draw in it? . Learn how to make your own tiny book on #DiscoveringChildrensBooks for #WorldBookDay! . #kidslit #kidslitart #lifeinminiature
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Secondary schools! Don't miss our fabulous free livestreamed event with award-winning author @jeffreykboakye & curator @Aleemagray, exploring Black British history through music. Book your place: July 1. Perfect for Yrs 7-10 English, History & Music
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Teaching Gothic literature? Don't miss our free twilight CPD on 24 June, with Professor @mary_fairclough & teachers @GCSE_Macbeth & Aaishah Rauf. Book your place now:.If you booked in 2023, please re-register to get the new joining link!
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Make a miniature book with Axel Scheffler!. Join the Gruffalo illustrator at 11am on 19 January for a special live broadcast for schools, with the fabulous @7Stories. Recommended age: Y3-Y6. Registration is FREE and open to schools anywhere:
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On the anniversary of #OscarWilde’s death, we revisit his brilliant comedy, The Importance of Being Earnest: #otd
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Happy birthday J B Priestley, born #OTD 1894!. Delve into a hub of resources on his life & work – from a photo of Priestley as a lance corporal in 1915, to an early Russian poster for An Inspector Calls. © J B Priestley Archive © Estate of J B Priestley
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