Events in London

Events in London

Talks and discussions

* London Literature Festival. Programme includes 29 Oct, Jimi Famurewa: Picky. £15; Modern Poetry in Translation at 60, six decades of publishing work that deals truthfully with the contemporary world, with readings and poetry from Gaza, from £5; 30 Oct, Wasafiri: New Writing Prize 2025, including Dalia Al-Dujaili, Erica Hesketh, Monika Radojevic, Anita Barton-Williams, Sawad Hussain and Rahul Soni, £14; Iran: Poetry and Performance, £15; 31 Oct, Pankaj Mishra & Nesrine Malik: Equator, new magazine aiming to depict a new world that Western narratives have neglected, from £20; 1 Nov, On Palestine & Kashmir: Isabella Hammad & Mirza Waheed, discussion about Palestine and Kashmir, £14, 2 Nov, Zadie Smith: Dead and Alive, £20; Malala Yousafzai: Finding My Way,£29.50. Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road until 2 November. Info: Festival

Monday 27 October

* Plants, politics and print in South Africa: Botany and buried books – Smuts, Gandhi and Mandela, Isabel Hofmeyr gives the first of three lectures on ‘Books in their Elements: Print culture in the age of climate change’, 6.30pm, free, British Library, 96 Euston Road, NW1. Info: Library

* Liberation and Corruption - Why Freedom Movements Fail, Peter Hain on his new book, 7pm, SOAS, Thornhaugh Street WC1. Info: SOAS

* Plundering Security? The Evolution of Khaki Capitalism in Contemporary Thailand, Paul Chambers, 5.15pm, SOAS, Thornhaugh Street, WC1. Info: SOAS

* Missing From The Map: Gender, Race and Cartography, Bobby C. Martin,  Pragya Agarwal, 7.15pm, £12, British Library, 96 Euston Road, NW1 2DB. Info: Library

* Climate and Conflict,  Andrew Gilmour and Paddy O’Connell explore the intersection of climate, sustainability, peace and migration, 6.15pm, £16.80, The Conduit, 6 Langley Street WC2H 9JA. Info: The Conduit

* Global health & colonial history, Alex Mold, 5.30-6.30pm, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, WC1E 7HT. Info: LSHTM

* Green Libraries Week, British Library events include 30 Oct, Plastic Circular Economy Trends and Libraries and Positive Action: Inform to Transform. Info: Green Libraries

Tuesday 28 October

* Global Perspectives: The Challenge of the Anthropocene, Dipesh Chakrabarty, 6.30-7.45pm, British Academy, 10-11 Carlton House Terrace, SW1Y 5AH. Info: BA

Wednesday 29 October

* Renewable Energy Opportunities in DRC and Zimbabwe: Personal Account, 6 -7pm + networking drinks: 7-8pm, SOAS, £10, 10 Thornhaugh Street, WC1H 0XG

Thursday 30 October

* The rise of authoritarianism in Southeast Asia, Paul Chambers, Neil Loughlin, 7pm, from £5.94, Frontline Club, 13 Norfolk Place, W2 1QJ. Info: Frontline

* Insects, colonial archives and postcolonial book history, Isabel Hofmeyr gives the second of three lectures on ‘Books in their elements: Print culture in the age of climate change’, 6.30pm, free, British Library, 96 Euston Road, NW1 2DB. Info: Library

* Education and national identity: Evidence from the fundamental British values policy, Ozan Aksoy and Burak Sonmez, 12-1pm, Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way, WC1H 0NT. Info: IoE

* A Whole Heap of Mix Up - Stella Dadzie: book launch, an important  figure in the black women’s movement in Britain since the 1970s, 6pm, pay what you can, Royal Museums Greenwich, Park Row, SE10 9NF. Info: Launch

* Sovereign default, IMF stabilisation and trade: Lessons from Sri Lanka, Ganeshan Wignaraja, 1-2pm, online. Info: Institute of Development Studies

Friday 31 October

* Ecocide, Human Rights and Environmental Justice, conference, 9am-5pm, online and The Chancellor's Hall, Senate House, Malet Street,WC1E 7HU. Info: Institute of Commonwealth Studies + Evening event, Pacific Islands states representative, international climate justice activists, Macenje ‘Che Che’ Mazoka, Monica Lennon MSP, Jojo Mehta, environmental justice advocates from UK and New Zealand, 5-7.30pm. Info: Keynote and interventions

Saturday 1 November

* Drawing Us Together – Sudan's Youth, In Conversation + launch of 2nd edition of  The Children's Drawings, poetry and performance

4-9pm, King's College London, Strand, WC2R 2LS. Info: Tickets

* Voices of Palestine Festival: Celebrating Palestinian Culture & Heritage, includes a souk, textiles, artworks; Welcome to Gaza, play created from children’s stories of life under siege and occupation to UK stages + Q&A; discussion on Film and Resistance; King’s Place, 90 York Way N1  9AG. Info: King’s Place

* K-Book Festival: Cheon Seon-Ran in Conversation, on her novel, A Thousand Blues, 4 - 5.30pm, £10, Foyles, 107 Charing Cross Road. Info: Foyles

Monday 3 November

* China’s Economic Prospects on the Cusp, George Magnus, 6pm, Gresham College, Barnard’s Inn Hall, Holborn, EC1N 2HH

* NYRA: Pre-Launch, Amanda Lenhardt on her social venture designed to catalyse collective action between farmers in the Global South on the frontlines of climate change and people in the UK ready to take meaningful, evidence-based climate actions, 7 - 9pm, King’s College, 8th Floor Terrace Strand campus, 30 Aldwych, WC2B 4BG. Info: NYRA

* Syria after Assad: a reporter’s view on a nation in transition, Raya Jalabi, in person and online, 6.30 - 8pm, London School of Economics, Houghton Street, WC2A 2AE

Tuesday 4 November

* Artificial intelligence and planetary futures: agency, equity and co-operation in global AI governance, Divij Joshi, Pedro Conceição, Rose Mutiso, Alessandra Lustrati, 2.30-4pm, in person and online. Overseas Development Institute, 4 Millbank, SW1P 3JA. Info: ODI

Exhibitions

* Unsilenced: Sexual Violence in Conflict, exhibits include sexual slavery of ‘Comfort Women Corps’ in World War Two and of Yazidi women and girls by ISIS in 2014, Imperial War Museum, Lambeth Road SE1 6HZ until 2 November. Info: War Museum

+  Sexual violence in conflict: ‘The cheapest weapon known to man’

* Thirst: In Search of Freshwater, from ancient Mesopotamia and Victorian London to modern-day Nepal and Singapore, the exhibition combines art, science, history, technology and indigenous knowledge to deepen understanding of our relationships with freshwater, free, Wellcome Collection, 183 Euston Road, NW1 2BE until 1 February. Info: Wellcome

+ Thirst: an exhibition bridge over troubled water​

* Kerry James Marshall: The Histories, “the most important artist” in the US, who places the lives of Black Americans front and centre, £23.50-£25.50, Royal Academy, Piccadilly, until 18 January. Info: RA

+ ‘If you say Black, you should see Black’

+ ‘My paintings don’t fit the narrative’: Kerry James Marshall on why he’s depicting black enslavers

* Botanical Tales and Seeds of Empire & Flora Indica: Recovering the lost histories of Indian botanical art,  The Singh Twins examine the global mythologies of plants and the histories of Empire + Flora Indica – a world first display of work by historical Indian botanical artists, admission included in Kew entry fee, Shirley Sherwood Gallery of Botanical Art, Kew Gardens until 12 April

+ The Singh Twins spotlight Kew’s role in the business of Empire

*  Mumbai + London: new perspectives on the ancient world, small exhibit focussed on Greek god Dionysius and India’s Vishnu, British Museum, Great Russell Street, WC1B 3DG until 11 January 2026. Info: Exhibition

* Mil Veces un Instante (A Thousand Times In An Instant), Mexican artist Teresa Margolles’ cuboid on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square is a memorial to trans people worldwide

* Collecting and Empire, trail making connections between archaeology, anthropology and the British Empire, British Museum, Great Russell Street, WC1. Info: British Museum

* British Library, installation of 6,328 books marks the contributions of migrants to UK, Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1. Info: Installation/ 7887 8888

* Inspiration Africa: Stories Beyond the Artifacts, exploration of V&A galleries through the lens of African heritage, free, second Saturday of every month, V&A, Cromwell Road, SW7. Info: V&A

* African Deeds, showcases a collection that includes diaries, cassette interviews, videos, photos and documents of three generations of family history, inspired by grandfather Thomas’ land title deeds brought from West Africa in 1901, Black Cultural Archives, 1 Windrush Square, SW2 1EF. Info: BCA

* Target Queen, large-scale commission by British-Indian artist Bharti Kher, Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre

* Making Egypt, exploring ancient Egypt's creativity and how it continues to influence art, design and popular culture today, £10, Young V&A, Cambridge Heath Road, E2 9PA. Info: V&A

* Imaging Peace, outdoor exhibition featuring global community peace photography projects, part of ‘Lost & Found: Stories of sanctuary and belonging’, a free programme of arts and ideas at King’s College, Strand, WC2R 2LS. Info: Peace exhibition

*  The Presence of Solitude, through film, photography and costume,  Taiwanese artist Val Lee explores isolation, solitude and the resulting human connections, free, Hayward Gallery, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road until 11 January. Info: Hayward

* Nigerian Modernism,  Nigerian artists working before and after the decade of national independence from colonial rule in 1960, Tate Modern, Bankside SE1 9TG until 10 May. Info: Tate

* I Still Dream of Lost Vocabularies, examination of political dissent and erasure through the idea of collage, Sabrina Tirvengadum, Sunil Gupta, Qualeasha Wood, Jess Atieno, Sheida Soleimani, free, Autograph, Rivington Place, EC2A 3BA until 21 March. Info: Exhibition  

* Parliament of Ghosts, site specific work by Ghanaian artist Ibrahim Mahama that repurposes colonial-era furniture and jute sacks alongside newly crafted elements, inaugural show at Ibraaz, 14 Mortimer Street, W1W 7SS, a space dedicated to Global Majority culture, until 15 February. Info: Ibraaz

* Wildlife Photographer of the Year, from £15.50, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, DW7 5DB until 12 July. Info: Museum

* Jennie Baptiste: Rhythm & Roots, the Black British photographer offers a visual narrative of the dynamic movements which shaped and define British music, fashion, and youth culture, Somerset House, Strand, WC2R 1LA until 4 January. Info: Somerset House

* El Anatsui, new works in wood by the Ghanaian artist, October Gallery, 24 Old Gloucester Street, WC1N 3AL and Goodman Gallery, 26 Cork Street W1S 3ND until 29 November.

* Secret Maps, the stories hidden in some of history’s most mysterious maps, £20, British Library, 96 Euston Road NW1 2DB until 18 January. Info: Library

Film

* Cutting Through Rocks, as the first elected councilwoman of her Iranian village, Sara Shahverdi aims to break long-held patriarchal traditions, Curzon Bloomsbury until 29 October

+ Cutting through the patriarchy in an Iranian village

* Souleymane’s Story, drama about 48 desperate hours in the life of a Guinean fast food  courier in Paris, Garden cinema until 29 October; ICA until 30 Oct

+Souleymane pedals for his life on the streets of Paris

* Brides, two friends leave London for Istanbul on an adventure that ends with them becoming ISIS brides in Syria, Vues Islington, North Finchley, Westfield London, Westfield Stratford City

* Baahubali: The Epic, two-part 2015 Indian action epic recut into one film experience, 29-30 Oct, Cineworlds 02, Wandsworth; 29 Oct, National Film Theatre, Odeons Greenwich, Luxe Action, Wimbledon; 30 Oct, Cineworld Leicester Square

Monday 27 October

* How to Build a Library, two tenacious Kenyan women take on the task of renovating Nairobi's historic library - but can they make a relic of empire relevant and accessible to 21st Century Kenyans? + Q&A, 6.20pm, Curzon Bloomsbury

from Monday  27 October

* The Kitchen Brigade, French comedy about a disgruntled chef who sets up a cafeteria at a local migrant shelter, JW3, until 29 October

Tuesday 28 - Wednesday 29  October

* Khartoum, five Sudanese people have their stories unexpectedly woven together in this evocative mosaic, Curzon Bloomsbury

+ Sudan’s war re-enacted in exile

Thursday 30 October

* Black Girl (La Noire de …), Senegalese director Ousmane Sembene’s classic 1966 film about the hardships of a village girl chosen by a French woman to look after her children and family, 6.30pm, National Film Theatre

from Friday 31 October

* Palestine 36, as villages across Mandatory Palestine rise against British colonial rule, with rising numbers of Jewish immigrants escaping antisemitism in Europe, and the Palestinian population uniting in the largest and longest uprising against Britain’s 30-year dominion, all sides spiral towards inevitable collision in this drama set in a decisive moment for the British Empire and the future of the entire region, Curzon cinemas and others; ICA until 6 November; Cine Lumiere until 11 November

+ Palestine 1936: A story for today

* Atlantics (Atlantique), hauntingly portrayal of the consequences of the migrant crisis, told through the prism of a ghost story, 8.40pm, National Film Theatre

* Writing Hawa, the story of three generations of Hazara women from the same family in Afghanistan, and their aspirations to emancipate themselves from patriarchal traditions. But the Taliban’s return upturns the women’s lives, Curzon Bloomsbury until 6 November

* The Nightingale’s Prayer, 1959 Egyptian noir about a woman’s revenge for her sister’s death, 6pm, BFI Southbank

* Vaak Festival, celebration of contemporary Persian-speaking arts, amplifying hidden and independent voices from Iran, Afghanistan, and the diaspora. Programme includes  31 Oct, In The Land of Brothers, an extended Afghan refugee family begins new lives in Iran, unaware of the ultimate price expected of them as outliers in this (un)welcoming environment; 1 Nov, Woman and Child, a mother’s life unravels when tragedy strikes, forcing her to confront loss, responsibility, and the pursuit of justice; 2 Nov, Absence, mystical thriller; Rich Mix, 35-47 Bethnal Green Road E1 8LA until 2 November. Info: Vaak

Saturday 1 November

* Sudan, Remember Us, fragments of a revolution, a battle pitting the voices of youth against military might, 2.30pm, ICA

+ Remember the Sudanese protesters who thought their time had come

Sunday 2 November (to mark the anniversary of the Balfour Declaration, Film Lab Palestine has called on cinemas, festivals and organisers around the world to screen Palestinian films as a show of solidarity, to amplify censored Palestinian voices, and  contribute to shifting the distorted narrative)

* The Dupes, 1972 classic that follows three Palestinian refugees in 1958 desperate to escape the harsh conditions of refugee camps in Lebanon for a better life in Kuwait, 11.30am, free, Garden Cinema, 39-41 Parker Street, WC2B 5PQ

from Sunday 2 November

*  London Korean Film Festival (LKFF), the biggest yet, with films from Korea’s all-time box-office champion Roaring Currents to current releases in Korea: films for family audiences, thrillers, costume dramas, comedies, dramas, even a dark adult fantasy, until 14 November. Info: LKFF

Monday 3 November

* After Eight, documentary on the darker side of Britain’s post-pub curry culture, telling the story of Satpal Ram and a major miscarriage of justice + Q&A with director Mos Hannan and producer Usayd Younis, 6.45pm, £9, Rich Mix

Tuesday 4 November

* The Village Next to Paradise, a recently united family in small coastal Somali town must navigate personal aspirations and the threat of drone attacks, 6pm, £9, Rich Mix

+ Paradise village: a way to talk about Somalia

Performance

* The Harder They Come, based on a cult film that brought reggae to the world, it’s the story of an aspiring singer who tops the charts and the ’most wanted’ list, £16-£48.50, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Gerry Raffles Square E15 until 1 November. Info: Theatre Royal

Wednesday 29 - Thursday 30 October

* Dial 1 for UK, Mohit Mathur’s one-man play follows a New Delhi call centre worker who dreams of swapping panicked crypto helpline calls for affluence, fish and chips and tea with the royals in UK. He finally leaps, only to be humbled by the realities of the UK care sector, 7.30pm, £10 - £12, Riverside, 101 Queen Caroline Street W6 9BN Info: Riverside

* Side eYe Writers Group Showcase, 10 new pieces by members of the Muslim writers’ collective, £10 - £15, New Diorama Theatre, 15 - 16 Triton Street, Regent's Place, NW1 3BF. Info: Side eYe

from Thursday 30 October

* The Meat Kings! (Inc.) of Brooklyn Heights, the dark underbelly of America’s anti-immigration policies and the brutal sacrifices that drive the pursuit of prosperity, £15 - £49.50, Park Theatre, Clifton Terrace, N4 3JP, until 29 November. Info: Park

Tuesday 4 - Wednesday 5 November

* Bibi Rukiya’s Reckless Daughter, Kathak dance piece about a widow who confines her three daughters in response to societal pressure to protect her family’s reputation + Q&A chaired by artist/activist Shakila Taranum Maan, 7.30pm, The Place, 17 Dukes Road, WC1H  9PY. Info: The Place

TV and radio

Sunday 26 October

* State of War: Fighting the Narcos, Ecuador’s drug battles, 10.20pm, BBC1

Monday 27 October

* Global Eye, current affairs, 7pm, BBC2

* Panorama: The King of Jordan and the Children of Gaza, 8pm, BBC1

* Book of the Week: Every Last Fish, a journalist explores fish and fisheries, 11.45am, midnight30, Radio4

Tuesday 28 October

* Book of the Week: Every Last Fish, a journalist explores fish and fisheries, 11.45am, midnight30, Radio4

Wednesday 29 October

* Tropic of Cancer With Simon Reeve, India beyond the tourist map, 8pm, BBC2

* Book of the Week: Every Last Fish, a journalist explores fish and fisheries, 11.45am, midnight30, Radio4

* Back Home, a family raises difficult issues when a charity worker returns to Zambia after 20 years in UK in May Sumbwanyambe’s play, 2.15pm, Radio4

Thursday 29 October

* Book of the Week: Every Last Fish, a journalist explores fish and fisheries, 11.45am, midnight30, Radio4                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Friday 31 October

* Unreported World, narco violence in Colombia, 7.30pm, Channel4

* Book of the Week: Every Last Fish, a journalist explores fish and fisheries, 11.45am, midnight30, Radio4

Thanks to volunteer Daniel Nelson (editor of Eventslondon.org) for compiling this list.