All Seasons

Season 1

  • S01E01 Robert Winston

    • September 12, 2017
    • Sky Arts

    Professor Robert Winston picks items from the library's collection, selecting a colleague's pioneering lab notes and Beethoven's notebook.

  • S01E02 Meera Syal

    • September 19, 2017
    • Sky Arts

    On a special tour of the British Library, Meera Syal discovers everything from Jane Austen's personal letters to Sir John Gielgud's scrapbooks.

  • S01E03 Jamie Cullum

    • September 26, 2017
    • Sky Arts

    Musician Jamie Cullum explores the British Library and picks out six intriguing items that have special personal meaning to him.

  • S01E04 Julia Donaldson

    • October 3, 2017
    • Sky Arts

    Author and Gruffalo creator Julia Donaldson explores the archives of the British Library, selecting a host of profound books that have inspired her.

  • S01E05 Benjamin Zephaniah

    • October 10, 2017
    • Sky Arts

    Poet Benjamin Zephaniah explores the British Library, picking out a host of fascinating items, including one of the first bank notes ever printed.

  • S01E06 Alison Balsom

    • October 17, 2017
    • Sky Arts

    Musician Alison Balsom takes a personal tour of the British Library, unearthing charts made for Tudor royalty and the actual ink used by Leonardo da Vinci.

Season 2

  • S02E01 Fiona Bruce

    • September 11, 2018
    • Sky Arts

    At the British Library Fiona Bruce revisits girlhood favourite Jane Eyre, uncovers a 400-year-old recipe and charts the impact of the Great Fire of London.

  • S02E02 Hanif Kureishi

    • September 18, 2018
    • Sky Arts

    Playwright Hanif Kureishi heads to the British Library to look at the work of PG Wodehouse and ER Braithwaite, before exploring its vast music collection.

  • S02E03 Andrew Scott

    • September 25, 2018
    • Sky Arts

    Actor Andrew Scott heads to the British Library where he uncovers sketches by Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci and a letter written by Oscar Wilde.

  • S02E04 Nicola Benedetti

    • October 2, 2018
    • Sky Arts

    Violinist Nicola Benedetti uncovers works from Elgar and Beethoven as she picks six treasures from within the British Library that have special meaning to her.

  • S02E05 Jim Carter

    • October 9, 2018
    • Sky Arts

    Downton Abbey actor Jim Carter visits the British Library to pick out six meaningful items, leading him to reflect on his early days at circus school.