Biography Central

For this episode, we were delighted to welcome Iraklis Kolokotronis, Head of Early Years and Children's Services for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Listen in as Iraklis talks to Claudia about Not My Father's Son by actor and activist Alan Cumming. Iraklis discusses why he chose this memoir of a traumatic childhood and its aftermath, and what it meant for him. He also tells us about Cumming's importance to the LGBTQIA+ community, and gives us an insight into the thriving Proud Network. Please be aware that this episode contains references to child abuse.

Naomi Kelly from Victoria Library is our guest for this episode. Join her and Claudia as we discuss The Five by Hallie Rubenhold, which uncovers the lives of the five women killed by the unidentified murderer known as "Jack the Ripper". What does this book have to teach us about the lives of women in Victorian London, and how has it made us question the ways in which these terrible crimes and their victims have been viewed over the decades?

For Pride month, discover the story of John Menlove Edwards, a man of extraordinary physical and moral courage.

Join Claudia and Jackie as they share their fascination with the extraordinary Amy Ashwood Garvey. What did her biography by Tony Martin reveal about her life, her relationship with Marcus Garvey, and her connection to our borough, and how did learning about her lead us to revisit one of the most painful moments of our local history?

Join Claudia and guest Tim Reid of Westminster Archives for a discussion of J. R. R. Tolkien. Tim talks about the impact of encountering Tolkein's work at a young age, and how it led him to his first experience of reading serious biography.

Join Jackie and Claudia as they mark Women's History Month by discussing the biographies of two fascinating women who have inspired them personally. What does it mean to be inspired by someone's story?

Join Claudia and Jackie as they commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of the great French writer Colette by discussing her radiant memoir My Mother's House.

In the Special Collection of Biographies at Kensington Central Library, we are commemorating the centenary of the death of Marcel Proust on November 18th. In this episode, Claudia looks at a fascinating figure who frequented the glamorous world of La Belle Epoque which Proust described in his novels.  Discover the bizarre life of Therese Humbert, through a dip into Hilary Spurling's biography La Grande Therese.  Swindler and conwoman extraordinaire, Therese built a sparkling world and drew many of the great and good into it - when it was discovered that it was built on an intricate web of lies, her downfall was catastrophic.  You can see our display on Proust and his world in Kensington Central Library, and follow our blog at https://rbkclibraries.wordpress.com/2022/11/13/biographies-from-the-basement-marcel-proust/

Join Claudia Jessop and Jackie Hastick as they discuss another fascinating biography from the Special Collection of Biographies at Kensington Central Library in London.  For Black History Month, discover the remarkable poet, playwright, broadcaster and activist Una Marson as described by Delia Jarrett-Macauley in Una Marson 1905-65, Manchester University Press, 1998 and 2010.

In this episode, Claudia Jessop and Jackie Hastick discover the amazing life and important legacy of painter Beauford Delaney.

To mark Black History Month 2021, Jackie Hastick and Isis discuss the fascinating life of Mary Seacole.

In a special episode, we delve into the Biographies collection to explore 5 ordinary and yet extraordinary lives. We hope you like it!

In this episode we explore the life and legacy of the great Kenneth Williams, completely original genius of British comedy, in the company of Adam Endacott, author of The Kenneth Williams Companion.

Hello! In Episode 2 we move on to the controversial figure that was Aleister Crowley. We explore our Biography Store collection to uncover our books about him as well as discussing his celebration of the occult, his poetry and Crowley's lasting legacy on our world.

Welcome to BioEpic, our podcast from RBKC Libraries. In our very first episode and to mark Black History Month in October 2020, we explore the life of Claudia Jones, a trailblazer in her community and pioneer of the Notting Hill Carnival. We hope you enjoy it

Once again, we delve into our Biography Store Collection to explore the life of Lady Charlotte Guest, who translated the earliest works of Welsh prose, the Mabinogion, and which had a remarkable cultural impact on 19th century society. Joining us is Dr Mary-Ann Constantine from the University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies. We chat about Charlotte's influences, her work and life and her legacy on our world. We hope you enjoy it!

This month we delve once more into our Biography Store Collection to explore the life of American writer and activist James Baldwin. Joining us is the musician and poet Napoleon Dozier who with my colleague Jackie, waxed lyrical about the great man.

Merry Christmas! Tis the season and we could not let it go by without discussing the great Charles Dickens and to ponder his life, Christmas traditions, the publishing industry and the legacy of this literary phenomenon. Claudia and Katie are joined by Joe Gardner of the Museum of London and formerly of the Charles Dickens Museum.

In this episode we look at the amazingly varied life of Fanny Cradock, TV chef extraordinaire, amongst many other things.  We are joined by Kevin Geddes, author of the biography Keep Calm and Fanny On: The Many Careers of Fanny Cradock.

Happy New Year! In this episode we look at a remarkable woman, Kay Summersby and her biography, 'Eisenhower was my boss'  which was first published in 1948.  We speak to the actress Laura Rogers who played the role of Kay Summersby in the West end play 'Pressure'.