GladLib goes on tour to the Hawarden Estate festival.

Come and enjoy our cultural programme...

The Good(Book)Life:

Books, tea and biscuits with Gladstone’s Library

William Gladstone was many things, but most of all he was a reader. His daily diary entries are brief, but he always made sure to note down the book he finished that day. Gladstone knew the power of a good book, and the happiness that comes from a willingness to learn with an open mind. We’re bringing our pop-up Library and debate space to the Good Life, complete with a range of aromatic teas and the famous Gladstone’s biscuit.

Speaker’s corner:

What books make your life good? Take the stand at our speaker’s corner and tell our tea-drinking crowd about what makes your favourite book so special.  The audience will vote and we’ll be keeping a league table of the day’s suggestions. You can sign-up to speak at our tent, and who knows what special literary guests will take the stage alongside you? Come and check out our blackboard for the lineup.

At 12pm, 2pm, and 4pm Peter Francis (Warden of Gladstone’s Library and fount of Gladstonian knowledge) will take over Speaker’s Corner to deliver a series of talks on the Library's founder, William Ewart Gladstone.

Bibliotherapy:

A library is a ‘House of Healing for the Soul’ (according to an inscription above the entrance to the royal library of Rameses II, at least). Let the Gladstone’s Library team heal your soul with our unique brand of bibliotherapy.

Simply write your problem (‘no time to read’, perhaps, or ‘stressful life’, or ‘insomnia’) on the cards and pop them into our handy Cure-All Box. The Gladstone’s Library team will cast their expert eye over your diagnosis and prescribe your literary cure. Cures can be collected from the Dispensary.

Specially-curated ‘Good Life’ bookshop and pop-up library:

Reading is restorative, a simple pleasure that can be enjoyed any time, any place, anywhere. Settle down in our pop-up library with a cup of tea, browse a selection of our favourite books, buy some to take away with you in a Gladstone bag… 

Find out more about the Good Life Experience here. You can also listen to Peter Francis' talk from last year's The Good Life Experience on our Sound Cloud page.