Black History Month events

If you are hosting a Black History Month event, please email its details to fenna.maynard@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk so that we can include it in our schedule.

View what’s happening in our borough this Black History Month.

Orleans House Gallery

Visit the Orleans House Gallery website to see which Black artists feature in Orleans House Gallery throughout October.

Monday 25 October

St Mary's students will take over Orleans House Gallery’s social media with a series of questions and provocations about their work. Follow @Orleanshg on Twitter to get involved.

Richmond libraries

Make sure you are following Richmond Libraries on Twitter @RichmondLibs as it will be sharing #blackstoriesmatter throughout October, recommending reads for all ages and highlighting diverse publishers.

This Lovely City: with author Louise Hare

Date: Thursday 28 October

Join us for this online event with Louise Hare – author of This Lovely City, a BBC ‘Between the Covers’ book club pick. Longlisted for the HWA Debut Crown Award, this book is a clever murder mystery as well as a vibrant exploration of Windrush London, jazz and love.

The event will take place on Zoom and starts at 8pm. Tickets are £3 and you can book online.

Social book club

#RichmondReads book for Black History Month is Matt Ruff's Lovecraft Country and you are invited to read the book and share your thoughts with @RichmondLibs on Twitter using the hashtag #RichmondReads.

You don’t need to purchase a book or visit your library to pick up the book, you can now use Borrowbox, a new eAudio platform which allows hundreds of people to read them at the same time.

Page Turner sessions

Page Turners shared reading sessions will feature literature from the world’s best Black writers and poets. No need to book or read anything in advance, just join the session via Zoom.

Sessions will be held in October on:

• Tuesdays - from 10.30 to 11.30am
• Wednesdays - from 2 to 3pm
• Thursdays - from  2 to 3pm

The Library Blog

The Richmond Libraries blog will feature short read-along by Black authors, providing an accessible way to engage with Black history and literature.

'Our Stories' poetry night

Friday 15 October

Calling all budding poets: Attend an interactive poetry workshop at The Exchange, 75 London Road, Twickenham TW1 1BE. The event is being led by students at St Mary's University. Register your place.

Riverside Gallery

Monday 18 October

Attend a silent auction hosted by St Mary's Students to open their art exhibition residency at the Riverside Gallery in the Old Town Hall (Richmond, TW9 1TP) until 30 October. The public will have the chance to view artwork by St Mary's students and students in local schools that celebrates Black history and culture.

Achieving for Children

Project X - Achieving for Children’s youth service that aims to reduce serious youth violence and knife crime in Richmond upon Thames and Kingston through structured positive activities – will be releasing a nine-minute song that pays reference to George Floyd and in which young people from all backgrounds talk about situations in life where they felt they couldn’t breathe or felt suffocated or trapped.

Healthwatch Richmond

Tuesday 26 October

Celebrate Black History Month at York House from 6pm. This event will be a celebration of black contributions to the borough, which will include free flowing food and drink, appreciation of black history and black literature, and speeches from community leaders. There will also be some of information stalls hosted by the NHS, Healthwatch Richmond and more. Register your place.