Local Festival Lights Up Bloomsbury

Laura Reynolds
By Laura Reynolds Last edited 101 months ago
Local Festival Lights Up Bloomsbury
Visit the Charles Dickens Museum by candlelight

Literal and metaphorical light comes to Bloomsbury next week, in the form of Bloomsbury Festival.

The annual cultural event has taken on a theme of Light this year, to mark the International Year of Light. It begins with Store Street being illuminated with fire, light and pyrotechnics, fountains of water and fire, and a fire-lit bandstand.

Throughout the festival, a 'Lightcrumbs' trail will guide visitors from Holborn station to the British Museum, telling stories about the history of Bloomsbury along the way.

Other festival highlights include a chance to tour the Charles Dickens Museum by candlelight and see the desk where the author often wrote at night. The Foundling Museum is open for torchlit tours, with 26 writers each writing about an object in the museum in exactly 62 words. If you're into science, head to Senate House where you can meet Twinkle, a UCL satellite planned to be launched in the next four years.

For families, the Grant Museum of Zoology hosts an evening of light-hearted animal poems with writer and comedian John Hegley. Continuing the animal theme, keepers from London Zoo pair up with author Judith Kerr for a family fun day at the British Library.

Bloomsbury Festival takes place 22-25 October. Event prices vary — see individual events for price and booking information.

Last Updated 15 October 2015