Things To Do In London: Tuesday 30 September 2014

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Mark Wallinger, the artist behind Labyrinth on the tube, is at London Review Bookshop

Listings

BLOOD: Today’s opportunities to donate blood are at the Salvation Army HQ on Queen Victoria Street, The Hop Exchange on Southwark Street, Wandsworth Town Hall and the usual donor centres. See site for terms and conditions.

PARLIAMENT: Londonist readers get 20% off midweek guided or audio tours of the Houses of Parliament during party conference season. Book tickets online through Ticketmaster, in person at the box office or by phone on 0844 847 1672 and use promo code LMIDD20

BOOK SALE: The Courtauld Institute of Art is hosting its Annual Book Sale at Somerset House, an opportunity to buy both brand new and rare out-of-print editions of art, literature and culture books. Free, just turn up, until 7 October

ROYAL INSTITUTION: It's a double whammy at the Royal Institution today. First up, at 12pm, Frank James, Professor of the History of Science and Head of Collections at the Royal Institution, holds a lecture on the history of the Royal Institution (£12/£8/£6, prebook). Then at 2pm, a series of science talks takes place. Chemist Kathryn Harkup will look at poisons, Zoe Laughlin will investigate the world of materials and psychologist Essi Viding will delve into the mind of psychopaths (£20, prebook).

BRITISH LIBRARY: Join a panel discussion about the global demand for meat and its production methods, taking place at the British Library. The talk looks at the impact of meat production on the environment and possible solutions to its pollution problem. £5, prebook, 6pm

DAVID NICHOLLS: The author of One Day discusses his new novel, Us, at Freemasons' Hall. £40 (including a pre-copy and signed copy), prebook, 6pm

THEATRE PLATFORM: Remembering Joan Littlewood event takes place today at the National Theatre. To mark her centenary and a weekend of ‘Fun Palaces’, Stella Duffy, Murray Melvin and Peter Rankin celebrate the theatre maverick’s life and work. £4/£3, prebook, 6pm

TUBE LABYRINTH: Mark Wallinger, the artist behind the Tube labyrinths, is at London Review Bookshop to talk about the project with Will Self, and to sign copies of his book, Labyrinth: A Journey Through London’s Underground. £10, prebook, 7pm

POETRY PRIZE: The annual prize-giving ceremony for the Forward Prizes for Poetry takes place at Southbank Centre. The event is presented by Jeremy Paxman and there will be poetry readings alongside the awards. £12/£10, prebook, 7pm

SCIENCE IN A PUB: Join a scientific talk about Neuroenhancement and Public Health at the Cittie of York pub in Chancery Lane. Guest speaker is Dr. Alex McKeow. Free, just turn up, from 7pm

CRAFT NIGHT: Join The Make Escape at the Hackney Attic for a free-entry Indian Summer Craft Night. Try your hand at weaving, stitching and collaging and create a sparkling masterpiece with their stash of sequins, glitter yarns and shimmering scraps — all materials provided. Free, just turn up, from 7.30pm

PAINTING: Try your hand at painting at the Gipsy Hill Tavern. Pop Up Painting runs a session where you can paint your own version of Van Gogh's famous Starry Night. £25, prebook, 7.30pm-10pm

EAST BY SOUTHEAST: The Troubadour on Old Brompton Road hosts East By Southeast, an evening of indie folk, pop and rock music by local and international artists. Performers include Hong-Kong born singer-songwriter and actor Kristin Lao, Filipino pianist-singer-songwriter Kate Torralba and acoustic folk rock trio Wondermare. £7, prebook, 8pm

Find more London events in our Free & Cheap events listings. Want to see your event in these last-minute listings? Email us at [email protected] at least 48 hours before the event, and we will consider it for inclusion. Note: due to high volumes of email, we can’t always reply.

Have You Tried …

…Wingit? Now available on Android as well as iPhone, Wingit is a smart little app that solves the problem of “I want to do something now, but what is going on nearby?” Using your location, Wingit scans social media to find cool stuff near where you are and brings it straight to your phone. From performances to pop-ups, screenings to street art, download the free app today on the App Store or Google Play to see what’s going on just round the corner.

Londonist September