The London Library @Jewish Book Week (In person at King's Place)
The London Library is delighted to be partnering with the Jewish Literary Foundation on three very special events, all taking place on Sunday 9 March at Book Week 25, held at King's Place.
3.30pm | The Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz | Anne Sebba & Ariana Neumann | £5-16
What role could music possibly play in a death camp? In 1943, 50 female inmates were conscripted into an orchestra at Auschwitz-Birkenau. Amid unimaginable brutality, they performed for both exhausted forced labourers and their Nazi captors—a harrowing existence that, nonetheless, saved nearly all their lives. Award-winning historian and London Library member Anne Sebba brings this extraordinary story to light, drawing on meticulous research and exclusive first-hand accounts. From conductor Alma Rosé, niece of Gustav Mahler, to the orchestra’s last surviving member, Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, Sebba unravels the astonishing tale of the musicians, their resilience, and the complex responses of fellow prisoners. In conversation with Ariana Neumann.
5pm | Elena: A Hand Made Life | Miriam Gold & Claire Berliner | Free
A refugee twice before the age of 17, Elena Zadik defied expectations to become a doctor during the World War II. After losing her parents at Auschwitz, she rebuilt her life with perseverance, relying on a stethoscope, a jar of herring, and a hearing aid that was often left off. Longlisted for the Wingate Prize, artist and London Library Emerging Writer Miriam Gold tells the story of her resourceful, often difficult, grandmother and their unconventional bond, weaving together words, illustration, and collage to capture a remarkable life shaped by survival and self-reliance. In conversation with London Library Head of Programmes, Claire Berliner.
6.30pm | Giant: Nicholas Hytner & Mark Rosenblatt | £5-22
Having been previewed exclusively at Jewish Book Week 2024 by director Sir Nicholas Hytner, Mark Rosenblatt’s play Giant became London’s theatrical sensation of the year. Based on true events and starring John Lithgow as Roald Dahl, Giant sold out its entire Royal Court run before its first preview, received five-star reviews from critics at The Times and the Evening Standard and is now transferring to London's West End. Tony and Olivier winner, Hytner, and debut playwright, Rosenblatt, worked closely together from the play’s inception. In this unique conversation, they discuss Giant and its nuanced exploration of antisemitism and artistic freedom.
7 March, 11am | Discover The London Library | £12
On Friday 7 March, you can also join a special Jewish Book Week public tour of The London Library.
Book Week is the Jewish Literary Foundation's annual celebration of ideas and the power of the written word. London’s longest-running literary festival, it is open to everyone and offers conversations, performances and talks with thinkers from around the world, including actors, artists, authors, broadcasters, comedians, historians, musicians, philosophers, poets, politicians, singers, scientists and so much more. Book Week 25 returns in-person at Kings Place, London and online from 1-9 March 2025.
