Black History Month

Throughout October we are joining in the celebrations of the incredible work that black authors have contributed to our literary landscape for Black History Month. From big displays to book recommendations online, if you'd like to discover your new favourite author or learn more about black history in the UK and worldwide, we're here to help!

Libraries Week

National Poetry Day

Thursday 5th October sees National Poetry Day celebrated across the UK with the theme this year of 'Refuge'. We have a great collection of poetry books in our libraries which you can find on our shelves or by searching online. Why not share you favourite online with #NationalPoetryDay?

Here's 'The Grass House' by Shirley Hughes:

The grass house
Is my private place.
Nobody can see me
In the grass house.
Feathery plumes
Meet over my head.
Down here,
In the green, there are:
Seeds
Weeds
Stalks
Pods
And tiny little flowers.

Only the cat,
And some busy, hurrying ants
Know where my grass house is.

Halloween & Half-Term activities

It's not long until the spoooooookiest day of the year! Halloween falls during half-term week for most schools, so keep an eye out at your local library and our social media pages for news of Halloween events taking place near you.

If you're after something less spooky, author Charlotte J. Marsh will be hosting readalongs of her book 'Susie Sloth and her Secret Superpower' featuring some pilates fun for younger children. Take part at Wirksworth Library on Tuesday 31st October 2.30-3.15pm (01629 533730) or Ashbourne Library on Thursday 2nd November 10.15-11am (01629 533950). Please contact the above libraries for more info.

Banned Books Week

October 1st - 7th marks Banned Books Week, which is always a great opportunity to find some great books that caused controversies in one form or another! From 'This Book is Gay' by Juno Dawson, to 'The Perks of Being a Wallflower' by Stephen Chbosky, and even 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone', there's some great reads to be found which can then be ordered on our catlaogue.

Book Prizes

It’s that time of year again! The Booker Prize 2023 shortlist is here. It features six books by authors never previously shortlisted, including two debuts. You can find out more about all of the books here. Which book will you be reading first?

The six books shortlisted for the Wolfson History Prize, the UK's most prestigious history writing prize, have been announced, celebrating the best historical non-fiction books from the past year. Bringing new stories from history to light, and challenging readers to rethink accepted historical narratives, the topical Wolfson History Prize shortlist explores themes that are pertinent to current world events.

The winners of the James Cropper Wainwright Prizes have been unveiled. The prize is named for the famed nature writer and fell aficionado Alfred Wainwright, with the hope that it will encourage readers to explore nature and the great outdoors. Celebrating its 10^th anniversary, the prize now has three categories:

• Nature Writing - ‘The Flow’ by Amy-Jane Beer
• Conservation - ‘The Lost Rainforest Of Britain’ by Guy Shrubsole
• Children’s - 'Leila And The Blue Fox’ by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Derbyshire Record Office

Celebrating Derbyshire Day!

Did you know that every 22nd September is ‘Derbyshire Day’?  This year at the Record Office we celebrated our county’s special day by launching 13, yes 13!, new online exhibitions featuring material from our collections. These exhibitions are our take on what makes Derbyshire such a great place to live, work and visit, all with a historical twist of course!

The county’s industries of textile manufacturing, coalmining and pottery are featured, as are Derbyshire’s literary connections and country houses. We explore what makes Derbyshire unique – from its landscape to its culinary specialities. We also show how our conservation staff look after our wonderful collections. You can see all these exhibitions, and more, on our Google Arts & Culture page. Take a tour through Derbyshire’s fascinating history, it’s just a click away!

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Images:

• Sheep shearing from our ‘Discover Derbyshire’ exhibition
• Chatsworth from our ‘Country Houses’ exhibition

Climate Change Books

If you're interested in reading up on what can be done to try and halt climate change, we have loads of titles on our catalogue for you to borrow! From 'Things You Can Do: How to Fight Climate Change and Reduce Waste' by Eduardo Garcia and 'Climate Change and the Road to Net-Zero' by Mathew Hampshire-Waugh, to 'The Story of Climate Change: A First Book About How We Can Help Save Our Planet' for children by Catherine Barr, your local library service is a great resource for finding out about what is happening to our planet and how we can all try and help. 

We also have a great selection of eAudiobooks for Libraries Weeks on Climate Change available from BorrowBox. Perfect to listen to when you're on the move!

Work Continues at Buxton Museum and Art Gallery During Temporary Closure

Peak Buildings, which house Buxton Museum and Art gallery, has been temporarily closed for building structure investigations by Derbyshire County Council’s Property Services. Museum staff are currently removing 1,500 artefacts from display so the investigations can continue. Many of these items have been in Derbyshire for hundreds or thousands or even millions of years so every care is being taken to ensure they get packed and moved safely.

At the moment, it is difficult to estimate how long the building will need to be closed for, but regretfully investigations and remedial work are likely to take some time to complete.

In the meantime, BMAG continues to run events elsewhere in Buxton. As part of this year’s Buxton Festival Fringe, three Meet the Expert lunchtime talks found an alternative venue at Buxton Methodist Church, with subjects as diverse as Derbyshire treasure hoards, new research on finds from local caves and restoring the chapel window at Haddon Hall. The museum staff were thrilled to receive an award nomination for the best Spoken Word event from the Fringe.

Further information can be found here, or follow the blog, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Discover DACES: Your Path to Counselling Excellence!

Join the level 2 Counselling Skills Certificate with Derbyshire Adult Community Education Service (DACES).

Step into counselling with our comprehensive level 2 Certificate. Gain skills to assist voluntarily or professionally.

Enhance your job prospects: Ideal for childcare, support, community, and learning roles.

Empower and enhance wellbeing: Equip yourself to uplift others and make a positive impact.

Flexible Learning: Year-round courses at county venues and online.

Prerequisite: Level 2 English qualification required.

Email dacesemployability@derbyshire.gov.uk for costs and dates.

Elevate lives with DACES - Enrol Today!

Book your course here.  

Derby Book Festival Autumn Edition

Tickets for on sale (from 2 October) for 12 events at Derby Book Festival’s Autumn Edition, from 17 – 19 November. All events will be held in QUAD, Derby. You can buy tickets online and from QUAD. There will also be a Festival Book Fair at the Museum of Making from 10.30am – 4pm on Saturday 18 November – FREE entry.

You can buy tickets individually or a Festival Pass for £60 to attend all 12 events. There is also a Digital Pass for £20 so you can watch recordings of all 12 events at home.

Highlights of this year’s Festival include Irish authors John Boyne and Anne Griffin, politician Wes Streeting, broadcaster and writer Stuart Maconie, political commentator Steve Richards and novelist Nina Stibbe.

Full details and booking links are available here.

Multi Use titles 

Every month we get a new selection of titles on our BorrowBox app of both eBooks and eAudiobooks that can be taken out by multiple users at one time. These stay multi-use for 60 days, so if you have a book club and you're looking for your next title then one of these could be your next choice! 

You can find these titles on the main BorrowBox page, identified as a collection with 'No Waiting!' or 'Available Now!'

Titles available from October are:

In eBook & eAudiobook:

• Maps of our Spectacular Bodies - Maddie Mortimer 
• The First Woman - Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi 
• House of Ashes - Stuart Neville 

In eBook only:

• The Golden Mole - Katherine Rendell 
• Poetry Unbound - Padraig O Tuama 

in eAudiobook only: 

• Nine Lives - Peter Swanson 
• The Strays of Paris - Jane Smiley

New Adult Books Coming in September

We’ve chosen to highlight three books published in September for you to enjoy. You can reserve them via our online catalogue.

Big Beacon by Alan Partridge

In 'Big Beacon', Norwich's favourite son and best broadcaster, Alan Partridge, triumphs against the odds. TWICE. Using an innovative 'dual narrative' structure you sometimes see in films, 'Big Beacon' tells the story of how Partridge heroically rebuilt his TV career, rising like a phoenix from the desolate wasteland of local radio to climb to the summit of Mount Primetime and regain the nationwide prominence his talent merits. But then something quite unexpected and moving, because 'Big Beacon' also tells the story of a selfless man, driven to restore an old lighthouse to its former glory, motivated by nothing more than respect for a quietly heroic old building that many take for granted, which some people think is a metaphor for Alan himself even though it's not really for them to say.

The Figurine by Victoria Hislop

Of all the ancient art that captures the imagination, none is more appealing than the Cycladic figurine. An air of mystery swirls around these statuettes from the Bronze Age and they are highly sought after by collectors - and looters - alike. When Helena inherits her grandparents' apartment in Athens, she is overwhelmed with memories of the summers she spent there as a child, when Greece was under a brutal military dictatorship. Her remote, cruel grandfather was one of the regime's generals and as she sifts through the dusty rooms, Helena discovers an array of valuable objects and antiquities. How did her grandfather amass such a trove? What human price was paid for them? Her desire to find answers about her heritage dovetails with a growing curiosity for archaeology, ignited by a summer spent with volunteers on a dig on an Aegean island.

The Island by Catherine Cooper

When a select group of influencers and journalists receive an exclusive invitation to a luxury resort in the Maldives, it seems like the ultimate press trip. But when the island is cut off during a storm and people start dying, it looks like someone has murder in mind. Are the guests really who they seem to be, or does each one of them have a secret to hide? Something they would kill for?

This Month We Recommend You Read...

One of our favourite things to do is recommend amazing children's books to you! This month we recommend you check out these titles:

The Pandas Who Promised - Rachel Bright (Author) & Jim Field (Illustrator)

High on a misty mountainside, red panda cubs Popo and Ketu live happily with their mama. As the sisters grow, they promise Mama that they will always stay close to home. But while cautious Popo is content to spend her days in the family's cosy treetop nest, bold Ketu dreams of excitement and exploration. So when Ketu creeps off down the mountain in search of adventure, Popo must make a choice - will she keep her promise to Mama, or look after her sister?

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: No Brainer - Jeff Kinney

Up until now, middle school hasn't exactly been a joyride for Greg Heffley. So when the town threatens to close the crumbling building, he's not too broken up about it. But when Greg realises this means he's going to be sent to a different school than his best friend, Rowley Jefferson, he changes his tune. Can Greg and his classmates save their school before it's shuttered for good? Or is this the start of a whole new chapter for Greg?

Usborne Geography for Beginners - Sarah Hull, Minna Lacey & Lara Bryan (Authors) & Wesley Robins (Illustrator)

The world we live in is complex and constantly changing. It's battered by weather, shaken by earthquakes, and mined, farmed and polluted by humans. This book helps readers understand these processes, make sense of our relationship with the planet, and find ways to change it for the better. Geography is a HUGE subject area that deals with so much more than map-making, rocks, and town planning. This book unpicks how an awareness of geography helps people think about how important the world around us is, from the landscape we live on to the relationships between entire countries.

Order your copies of these fantastic books on our online catalogue.

Keep in touch with Derbyshire Libraries via social media

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