It’s that time of year again, when the Bloomsbury Festival lights up Bloomsbury, though with inevitable differences in this coronavirus pandemic.

For the full programme see bloomsburyfestival.org.uk/2020vision/ or listen on Bloomsbury Radio 87.9FM

The festival EYE:SPY project sets out to uncover some of Bloomsbury’s untold stories. While many of the area’s residents are famous (Charles Dickens; Virginia Woolf), countless others are obscure and largely forgotten, and we wanted to bring them to light. 

‘Spies’ from writers’ collective 26 were each allocated a part of Bloomsbury to explore (either in person or virtually). The subjects include gardens, trees, Princess Caraboo, a ‘fallen woman’ who fooled high society by passing herself off as exotic royalty; the Minerva Club, where suffragettes gathered in the vegetarian café to hatch their next rebellion; and the former Horse Hospital, haven for avant-garde artists.  ‘Wander’ at will, ‘listen’ to these voices, and discover a side of Bloomsbury you never knew existed.

And don’t forget the ‘In Conversation with Mr Nicholson’ event in St George’s Gardens on Saturday 17 October.

Tickets are on sale at  https://bloomsburyfestival.org.uk/event/in-conversation-with-mr-nicholson-fine-china-fine-print-electric-foresight-and-fuel-cells/. If you’re shielding or otherwise not able to attend the live event, there’s an online version on Tuesday October 20: https://bloomsburyfestival.org.uk/tues20oct/