Books, free events

Meet the author of Who Needs the Cuts? Myths Of The Economic Crisis, which looks at the current austerity measures.

Come along to our makeshift, pop-up basketball court! Watch London teams, experts, enthusiasts, beginners and poets battle it out on the court. 3rd and 4th August 12 pm

Stories and songs performed in a traditional bardic style.

A short insight into a painting by Batoni.

Meet the museum scientists and learn how the insect, plant, mollusk, vertebrate and marine life specimens are documented and conserved.

Go behind the scenes of the geology department and find about current research projects as well as learning how the team keeps track of the thousands of specimens the venue houses.

Learn about the work and creative processes of Keiko Masumoto.

Education Manager Katharine Hoare talks about objects from the country's history.

A museum palaeontologist discusses British dinosaurs and explains that by examining the remains of the long-dead species, scientists are able to accurately reconstruct what they looked like and interpret how they lived.

The author of The New Black and Mourning, Melancholia and Depression, and psychoanalyst, talks on death, mourning and our responses to loss.

An illustrated talk about birds in the Yorkshire Dales National Park by the Species Officer.

Share the reading experience with a group of fellow booklovers, with an evening of friendly discussion.

Regular book group for teens, with separate sessions for ages 12–14 and those over 14 years old. The group reads everything from classics to contemporary and dystopian to historical, taking suggestions from members. Email schools.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk to sign up.

The author signs copies of Love, Revenge and Buttered Scones.

Looking for something to do at lunchtime? Southbank Centre, Coin Street and The Reader Organisation invite you to come along and take part in a regular reading group on Thursdays in the Saison Poetry Library. It's a place to relax, a chance to make new friends and a fresh way to share reading. No preparation needed…

Come along to this friendly and informal group to chat about books, magazines articles or anything else you enjoy reading.

The group discuss the selected books for the month.

An informal reading group.

An informal talk about the selected book of the month.

An informal monthly reading group for book lovers, who enjoy chewing the fat. May's text is The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson, while in June, members will discuss The Plot Against America by Philip Roth.

New members welcome.

Listen to short readings of work by authors.