Exhibition

Gifts and Books

Bodleian Library, Oxford
16 June - 29 October 2023
Free to all

A chance to discover why people have gifted books over time, and what it reveals about our relationships and beliefs.

Items spanning ancient myth to contemporary fiction from the Bodleian’s rich collections go on display to explore the importance of books being exchanged as gifts of love, friendship or for religious, political and cultural purposes. These include a translation of The Mirror or Glass of the Sinful Soul by Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth I) given to Queen Katherine Parr, a Qur’an manuscript that later belonged to an Indian ruler and the newest item, a specially created pop-up book by Paul Johnson.

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How to get there

Bodleian Library

Broad Street, Oxford, Oxfordshire, OX1 3BG
01865 277627

Free to all

Opening times

Mon – Sat, 9am – 5pm Sun, 11am - 5pm

How to get there

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