The Morrab Library

Library Closed for Mazey Day
2026-06-27
The library will be closed today for Mazey Day, we will be open again on Tuesday 30th June.

Relaxed Book Group at The Morrab Library
2026-06-30 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-07-28 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-08-25 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-09-29 14:00 - 15:00 (Europe/London)
About the group:
A friendly group for anyone who loves books but doesn’t want the pressure of a traditional book club.
Rather than reading a specific book, we share what’s on our bookshelf or simply come for tea, biscuits and company in the beautiful book-filled atmosphere of The Morrab library.
No library membership is required and there’s no compulsory reading list.
Audiobook listeners are just as welcome as traditional readers.
We explore all types of books, swap books and share recommendations. Our discussions focus on what we’re looking for in a book and whether and when, we’ve found it.
When: The last Tuesday of the month, from 2pm-3pm. The first session will take place on Tuesday 25th March
Where: The Morrab Library, Morrab Gardens, Penzance, TR18 4DA
How to book: To join the group contact Jo Buckingham by email jo.buckingham.palace@gmail.com
Suggested donation £3.
About the group leader:
Joanna Buckingham started her first relaxed book group with friends in 2019 and got the idea of starting one at Morrab Library when working as a social prescriber as a way of creating supportive communities.
She loves the camaraderie and support of doing things in groups and the immersive experience of reading. She loves reading widely across many genres.
She’s organised group events and experiences in such diverse locations as tall ships and tin mines.
Joanna has set up and supported numerous groups whilst working in the museum and adventurous activity industry and as a social prescriber.
She is a level 3 trained counsellor and knows the importance of both being a good listener and having a good book to fall back on in times of need (Cold Comfort farm by Stella Gibbons always works for her)

Free tour of The Morrab Library
2026-07-03 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-07-17 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-07-24 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-07-31 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-08-07 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-08-14 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-08-21 14:00 - 15:00, 2026-08-28 14:00 - 15:00 and 5 more dates
All are welcome to join a free guided tour of The Morrab Library every Friday at 2pm. This is an opportunity to learn more about our beautiful independent Library and the collections within.
The tour begins at 2pm, it is drop-in and there is no need to book. If you plan to bring a large group (6+ people) please email enquiries@morrablibrary.org.uk and we will do our best to accommodate you.
For accessibility information, please click here.
We also welcome visitors to the Library at any time during our opening hours (10am – 4pm, Tuesday to Saturday) when you are welcome to pick up a map of the Library at the front desk and explore the library.

No tour of The Morrab Library
2026-07-10 14:00 - 15:00

Library Talk: The Poetry of Daphne du Maurier with Dr. Serena Trowbridge.
2026-07-15 14:00 - 15:00 | Morrab Library
A hundred years ago this year, the young Daphne du Maurier set out in verse what she anticipated to be the life of a writer – a life she was about to embark on herself, at the age of 19. This poem was called ‘The Writer’, and throughout her life she continued to write poems, many remaining unpublished. Working with published, unpublished and fragmentary poems, this lecture explores the significance of her poetry and looks at themes shared with her fiction.
Dr Serena Trowbridge is Reader in Victorian Literature at Birmingham City University. She specialises in Pre-Raphaelite women; her last book was My Ladys Soul: The Poetry of Elizabeth Siddall, and she is currently working on an anthology of writing by Pre-Raphaelite women. She is Chair of the Pre-Raphaelite Society and Senior Vice-President of the Birmingham & Midland Institute.
Tickets are allocated by a ballot system. Please email enquiries@morrablibrary.org.uk or call 01736 364474 to be entered into the ballot for a ticket. The ballot closes on Monday 6th July.
Entry to this event is free but donations are welcomed to help support The Morrab Library (suggested £5). Refreshments will be provided after the talk.

Creative Journaling with Emma Farley
2026-07-17 13:30 - 15:30 | Morrab Library
Join Emma from 1.00pm – 4.00pm for her Creative Journaling workshop. These sessions are open to absolute beginners and longtime journalers alike. No artistic skill needed — just curiosity.
There are no rules, no pressure, and no “right way” to work. You’ll have gentle prompts, templates, and plenty of materials if you feel stuck, all within a warm, welcoming, and supportive space.
£12 per session
Bring your own notebook — everything else is provided
Booking essential: email e.farley27@gmail.com

Workshop l Forgotten Women, Sacred Landscapes: The Female Saints of Cornwall with Evie Bond
2026-07-18 10:00 - 12:00
The landscape of Cornwall is filled with the traces of its saints. Their names linger in villages, churches, holy wells, and ancient stories. Yet many of Cornwall’s female saints, once honoured and celebrated, have largely faded from view.
Join historian and medievalist Evie Bond as she uncovers the lives, legends, and folklore of Cornwall’s female saints. From miraculous journeys and sacred springs to enduring local traditions, discover how these women helped shape the landscapes and communities of Cornwall, and why their stories still matter today.
The talk will last approximately 50 minutes and will be followed by a Q&A session.
No prior knowledge is required. Whether you are interested in Cornish history, folklore, storytelling, or the hidden histories of women, all are welcome.
Tickets cost £15, and places are limited. Book directly with Evie via email at : cornwallhist@outlook.com

A Celebration of Melissa’s legacy in the Elizabeth Treffry Collection at The Morrab Library
2026-07-24 11:30 - 13:30, 2026-07-25 11:00 - 17:00
On Friday 24th (11.30am -1.30pm ) and Saturday 25th July (11am -5pm), Phil Budden and Maggi Livingstone from The Hypatia Trust will offer free, drop-in tours of the Elizabeth Treffry Collection at The Morrab Library.
Find out more about the Elizabeth Treffry Collection: https://morrablibrary.org.uk/elizabeth-treffry-collection/

Library Talks l King Arthur’s folklore in Kernow with James Calderbank
2026-07-29 14:00 - 15:00
Our next Library talk will be with James Calderbank entitled “King Arthur’s folklore in Kernow”. This will take place in the Reading Room from 2pm to 3pm on Wednesday 29th July.

Arthur, whether he existed or not, has long entertained us in fiction and mythology. Within folklore however, he is a different beast altogether.
This ‘hero of the westcountry’ is fascinating, seemingly deeply rooted in the landscape itself. In this talk James aims to take you on a journey through Cornwall and the landscape that inspires legends.
James is an artist and writer who lives in Falmouth, Cornwall. He has a first-class Master’s degree in Authorial Illustration and is a member of the British branch for the international Arthurian Society. Creator of Excalibur magazine, and Arthur’s Kernow: The folkloric Gazetteer, James’s work specialises in the folklore of King Arthur and the relationship that folk stories have in relation to place.
We will allocate tickets by a ballot system. Please register your interest in attending by Monday 20th July and tell us how many tickets you would like. We will then draw out names and let you know if you have been successful. Please email enquiries@morrablibrary.org.uk or call 01736 364474 to be entered into the ballot.
Entry to this event is free but donations are welcomed to help support The Morrab Library (suggested £5).

Library Talks | A Glimpse of Serena Wadham
2026-08-08 11:00 - 12:00 | Morrab Library
We have another fantastic talk to add to our events calendar this August. On Saturday 8th August (11am-12pm), Lesley Billingham, Josie Goddard and Barbara Santi will be giving a talk about Serena Wadham’s photographs and their exciting new project.
Serena Wadham’s work was donated to The Morrab Library after her death in 2006. Photographer and volunteer Lesley Billingham began exploring the archive around ten years ago, giving talks at The Morrab Library, Nancledra women’s group and The Exchange Gallery. When filmmaker Barbara Santi of awen productions CIC discovered the archive at one of Lesley’s talks, she was keen to make a film.
Together with Serena’s great-niece Josie Goddard, Lesley and Barbara have now secured £90,000 from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and The Myner Trust for a three-year heritage project including exhibitions in Cornwall and London (Tremenheere, Exchange Gallery, Toner Gallery Pz and Islington Museum, London), workshops, talks, a book and a film.
All three are dedicated to giving Serena’s work the audience it deserves.To find out more, join them for a talk about the project. For more information visit www.awen.org.uk
Tickets are allocated by a ballot system. Please email enquiries@morrablibrary.org.uk or call 01736 364474 to be entered into the ballot for a ticket. The ballot closes on Thursday 30th July.
Entry to this event is free but donations are welcomed to help support The Morrab Library (suggested £5). Refreshments will be provided after the talk.

Library Talks | Curiosities of The Morrab Library Photo Archive with Samuel Hill
2026-08-12 14:00 - 15:00 | Morrab Library
The next in our series of talks will explore some of the curious, fascinating, and peculiar imagery held within The Morrab Library’s Photographic Archive, through the lens of maritime history. This talk will take place in the Reading Room on Wednesday 12th August from 2pm-3pm.
Photo Archive Intern Samuel Hill‘s talk will address a broad range of photographs from the collection, focusing on images of shipwrecks, fishwives and the maritime communities of Cornwall, as well as shining a light upon some unique finds. The talk will be an enjoyable exploration of the early years of photography and its depiction of local history between 1865 and 1935.
Samuel Hill is a History PhD student at the University of Exeter. His thesis explores the experiences of resistance and ‘reactive agency’ within the maritime communities of Devon, Cornwall, and Isles of Scilly between 1750 and 1899.
Tickets are allocated by a ballot system. Please email enquiries@morrablibrary.org.uk or call 01736 364474 to be entered into the ballot for a ticket. The ballot closes on Monday 3rd August.
Entry to this event is free but donations are welcomed to help support The Morrab Library (suggested £5). Refreshments will be provided after the talk.

An exploration of Christopher Marlowe’s Dr Faustus with Mary Cahill MA
2026-08-19 10:00 - 15:30 | Morrab Library
‘The stars move still, time runs, the clock will strike,
The devil will come, and Faustus must be damned.’
The day will include: an introduction to Marlowe’s tragically short life, the literary and social-political context of the play, its sources, and just why it is considered so influential. We will read and discuss key passages that illustrate some of the play’s main features and themes.
Fee: £40 for the day (+ refreshments). You will need to bring a copy of the play with you. We will be working primarily from the A Text, and I suggest you obtain a copy of the New Mermaids version, edited by Roma Gill.
Booking essential.
Contact: Mary Cahill at cahillm037@gmail.com

Ways Into Writing: a workshop with Annamaria Murphy
2026-08-22 10:30 - 14:30 | Morrab Library
Renowned writer and library member Annamaria Murphy is hosting a writing workshop, and all proceeds will be donated to the Morrab Library.
Annamaria will explore ways into writing with imagination fire starters, using the library and surrounds for inspiration.
Annamaria is a teacher and writer, and amongst others writes with Kneehigh Theatre and BBC Radio 4. She is also artistic director of the Writers Block, and collaborates with musicians Bagas Degol.
Booking

Places are very limited so booking is essential.
Contact library staff to reserve a place: enquiries@morrablibrary.org.uk or call us on: 01736 364474
The cost for the workshop is £20 – payable in advance to the Morrab Library. Payment can be made in person at the library, or over the telephone by card by calling 01736 364474.

Carolyn Savidge - A Biscuit Tin of Memories workshop
2026-08-26 10:00 - 12:00 | Morrab Library
Join artist Carolyn Savidge as we delve into her Biscuit Tin of Memories, using objects to evoke emotions and senses from memories. This workshop is about expressing in words the things that are left unsaid, and using these collective fragments of text to create a paper quilt, which will be displayed in the library.
Our memories make us who we are. Often, little is required to summon them, a familiar sound, a smell. And sometimes we seek to keep them safer, setting aside mementos, fragments, tokens of our passage. The clues to what defines us are placed gently, perhaps, inside an old biscuit tin.
Carolyn investigates the connection between our memories and who we are now. What fragments of the past do we preserve? The hope, though this workshop, is that you will delve into your own Biscuit Tin of Memories and to consider how the past has shaped your own narrative.
Your words will be shared in a work where Carolyn will create a paper quilt, stitching together these fragments to form a collective tapestry of ideas and emotions.
Based in Newlyn, Carolyn is an artist, filmmaker, choreographer, writer, performer, and former lecturer and teacher, and has recently become a member of the Newlyn Society of Artists. Find out more about Carolyn through her website: www.Carolynsavidgeartist.co.uk or you can follow her on Instagram: @carolynsavidge.
Donations to the library are welcome on the day.
BOOKING: Please contact Carolyn directly at: carolynsavidge@aol.com or telephone 07980 540973 to reserve a space.
Here’s some feedback from Carolyn’s earlier workshops held on 27 th May 2026:
“Carolyn held space so beautifully for us to reflect on the wonderful range of prompts – visual, olfactory, audio, 3D and filmic – and for us to explore our own memories. A wonderful open welcoming and generous session.” Kate.
“We weren’t sure what to expect but I enjoyed the gentle atmosphere and all the books, buttons smelliness’s the films and beautiful flowers and grasses. Thank you for curating all the objects and sounds, so many memories, the biscuits were a bonus.” Elaine.
“So much texture a sensory delight. Happiness in the detail.” Janet
“What a wonderful workshop. Up lifting and unlocking so many emotions and memories. A gift I will treasure.” Jayney.
“Something unexpected – a great outlet for memories – bringing sad and happy times.” Elaine and Louise.
“What a wonderful workshop. I am going away with so many ideas for future work. I feel I need another life to be able to say everything in my heart! Thank you. Just thank you. Such generosity of spirit. Go to the next workshop and meet Carolyn if you can.” Abi
“It has been a pleasure to be among friends and share the solidity of memory.” Mary.
“Beautiful experience, thank you, it was amazing and emotional and heartfelt, thanks to all the lovely creative people I met this afternoon.” Sally
