ALLi News Editor, Dan Holloway
As you will know, it was World Book Day on Thursday. All sorts of cool events happen around this event every year, spreading over the days and weeks either side.
I wanted to share the most exciting story I have come across in many years around the event. Also, it’s a story that is very much still “live” as we go to press, so please do consider taking action!!
There are few things better than a library. But one of those is a secret library. And even better than a secret library is a secret library in the heart of one of the most famous historical buildings in the world. And best of all is an all night lock-in at a secret library in one of the most famous historical buildings in the world.
Coincidentally…
One such secret library is in St Paul’s Cathedral in London. It has recently been refurbished. And St Paul’s is offering two people the chance to stay there overnight on March 15th as part of the World Book Day celebrations. With dinner and breakfast there will be a cost of just £7. Entries for this extraordinary opportunity open on March 12th via Airbnb. The one thing I will confess to finding strange about the way the story is being reported is that staff who have meticulously refurbished the 22,000 book secret library are talking about the nice sleeping facilities. A night locked in a magical secret library with 22,000 books ancient and modern and the ghosts of centuries to keep you company: who on earth is going to sleep? I’d rather you talked about the caffeine stores.
Oh, and did I mention that it’s London Book Fair next week? That you should come and say hello to everyone at ALLi? And that if you’re at the writers’ day on Monday you should come and say hi to me and Sacha who are talking at 3?
