Stories For Lovers Panel Discussion
Part of What's Love Got To Do With It? An afternoon of talks, readings and workshops on romance in the library.
Explore the enduring power of love stories across the ages in this engaging discussion that traces romantic fiction from its historical roots to contemporary bestsellers. Join authors Grace Flahive, Ella Risbridger and Lisa Smith, along with Senate House librarian Lucy Evans, for an illuminating conversation about the genre that continues to captivate readers worldwide.
Discover what has remained constant in our desire for romantic narratives and what has transformed to reflect changing social values, relationships, and ideas about love itself. We'll discuss the craft of writing romance across different eras, examine why certain tropes endure while others fade, and celebrate the genre's remarkable ability to adapt while maintaining its essential appeal.
Whether you're a devoted romance reader, an aspiring writer, or simply curious about one of the most popular and enduring literary genres, this discussion will offer fresh insights into the stories that capture our hearts.
Lucy Evans was the Curator of eighteenth and nineteenth century printed books at the British Library until 2023 when she moved to Senate House Library. Lucy is now Head of Collections where she has responsibility for both modern and special collections, including the Troup Horne Collection of Short Stories. Lucy has been involved with the British Library Women Writers series since it launched in 2020 and is delighted to have provided the introduction for Stories for Lovers.
Grace Flahive was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. She studied English Literature at McGill University in Montreal before moving to London in 2014, where she’s lived ever since. Palm Meridian is her debut novel.
Ella Risbridger is an acclaimed author, journalist and editor, known for titles such as Midnight Chicken, which was a Sunday Times Book of the Year. She appears regularly on Radio 4 and on Caroline O'Donoghue's award-winning podcast Sentimental Garbage. She has written for the Observer, the Guardian, Grazia, Stylist, Financial Times, and has previously been a columnist for the i. In writing In Love With Love, Ella has turned her focus to her truest passion: love stories. She likes poems, cats and gardens.
Lisa Smith is a British Jamaican author and documentary filmmaker from South London. She has an MA in creative and life writing from Goldsmiths, University of London where she won the Pat Kavanagh Prize in 2019. Her short story Auld Lang Syne won the Guardian 4th Estate 4thWrite Prize in 2017 and in 2020 she was selected to join the London Library Emerging Writers Programme. Jamaica Road was published in June 2025 and is her first novel.
Part of What's Love Got To Do With It? An afternoon of talks, readings and workshops on romance in the library.
Explore the enduring power of love stories across the ages in this engaging discussion that traces romantic fiction from its historical roots to contemporary bestsellers. Join authors Grace Flahive, Ella Risbridger and Lisa Smith, along with Senate House librarian Lucy Evans, for an illuminating conversation about the genre that continues to captivate readers worldwide.
Discover what has remained constant in our desire for romantic narratives and what has transformed to reflect changing social values, relationships, and ideas about love itself. We'll discuss the craft of writing romance across different eras, examine why certain tropes endure while others fade, and celebrate the genre's remarkable ability to adapt while maintaining its essential appeal.
Whether you're a devoted romance reader, an aspiring writer, or simply curious about one of the most popular and enduring literary genres, this discussion will offer fresh insights into the stories that capture our hearts.
Lucy Evans was the Curator of eighteenth and nineteenth century printed books at the British Library until 2023 when she moved to Senate House Library. Lucy is now Head of Collections where she has responsibility for both modern and special collections, including the Troup Horne Collection of Short Stories. Lucy has been involved with the British Library Women Writers series since it launched in 2020 and is delighted to have provided the introduction for Stories for Lovers.
Grace Flahive was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. She studied English Literature at McGill University in Montreal before moving to London in 2014, where she’s lived ever since. Palm Meridian is her debut novel.
Ella Risbridger is an acclaimed author, journalist and editor, known for titles such as Midnight Chicken, which was a Sunday Times Book of the Year. She appears regularly on Radio 4 and on Caroline O'Donoghue's award-winning podcast Sentimental Garbage. She has written for the Observer, the Guardian, Grazia, Stylist, Financial Times, and has previously been a columnist for the i. In writing In Love With Love, Ella has turned her focus to her truest passion: love stories. She likes poems, cats and gardens.
Lisa Smith is a British Jamaican author and documentary filmmaker from South London. She has an MA in creative and life writing from Goldsmiths, University of London where she won the Pat Kavanagh Prize in 2019. Her short story Auld Lang Syne won the Guardian 4th Estate 4thWrite Prize in 2017 and in 2020 she was selected to join the London Library Emerging Writers Programme. Jamaica Road was published in June 2025 and is her first novel.
Good to know
Highlights
- 1 hour
- In person
Location
The Library at Deptford Lounge
9 Giffin Street
London SE8 4RH
How do you want to get there?
