Jerwood Library

Call for papers for "Hall Histories: a Trinity Hall journal". Picture of Loggan plan of Trinity Hall Cambridge from 1690.

Call for Papers — "Hall Histories: A Trinity Hall Journal" is accepting submissions for our new scholarly journal!

We're looking for original work that explores Trinity Hall’s history and material culture.

📩 Send your proposals or questions to: hallhistories@trinhall.cam.ac.uk

Congratulations to all our graduands! It was lovely to welcome over 200 visitors to the Old Library on their graduation day.

Poisoned Kings and Crook Backs: A Look Inside Trinity Hall’s 16th-Century Armorial Manuscript Richard III by an unknown artist; oil on panel, late 16th century. NPG148 © National Portrait Gallery, London, together with his coat of arms Trinity Hall’s Old Library contains an armorial manuscr…

👑🦴 Poisoned Kings & Crook Backs? Dive into the world of 16th-century scandal, rumour, and royal reputation with our latest blog post! 📜✨

We’re taking a closer look Trinity Hall’s fascinating armorial manuscript: oldlibrarytrinityhall.wordpress.com/2025/06/20/p...

A ginger and white cat relaxes in the garden

Relaxing after your exams? Don't be Silly and forget to return all your library books!

🎓 Graduands!
A quick reminder to return all library books by Tuesday 17th June.

Avoid any last-minute stress before graduation—check your shelves and return your books on time! 📚✨

Title page of the Life of pope sixtus the fifth (1754)

Engraved drawing of pope Sixtus the Fifth. He is seated, wearing a cassock and hat. He has a beard

While we wait for the white smoke that signals the election of the new pope, why not read our latest blog post?
It looks at a fascinating 18th century book in our collection: "The Life of Pope Sixtus the Fifth" by Gregorio Leti which describes the drama of the conclave!

Behind the Smoke: A Glimpse into a Papal Election from the Past

As I write, the world awaits the moment when white smoke rises from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel—a centuries-old signal that a new pope has been elected. The papal conclave remains one of the most secretive and ritualised…

A smiling young woman sits on a riverside wall holding a selection of Korean books

A smiling young woman stand beside a book display containing a selection of Korean novels and language guides

Our final student curator is Saffron Willett (MPhil Korean Studies). Her project "Korea in Print" highlights Korea’s cultural rise, inspired by Han Kang’s Nobel win.
Check out the book display and books in the library or online libguides.cam.ac.uk/trinityhall/... #StudentCurator #KoreanLiterature

A young woman with dark hair is smiling while holding a book entitled "Naked pen". She is in a garden with a tall tree in the background

Congratulations to Trinity Hall Architecture student Sam Elbahja on the publication of her first book of poetry, "Naked Pen" (New Generation Publishing, 2025).

It will soon be available to borrow from the Jerwood 🎉

Christ rides a donkey through a crowd. A man spreads a cloak on the ground before the donkey, while others cut palm branches.

This image from an early 15th-century manuscript (Trinity Hall, MS12) depicts Christ’s entry into Jerusalem, a scene from the Christian tradition often celebrated on Palm Sunday (the Sunday before Easter).

A young woman with glasses and dark hair tied back stands outdoors in sunlight, smiling gently. She is wearing a light gray sweatshirt and blue jeans, holding a colorful book titled The Healing Arts: The Arts Project at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

Book display with paper flowers

Yaning Wu (a PhD student in public health and primary care) is our next student curator! Texts in her book display “Arts in health” may be of special interest to students of health and healthcare & anyone who is curious about improving their wellbeing using tools outside of traditional medical.

Bridgtower's story was beautifully brought to life by Professor Victoria Avery (Lead Curator of the Rise Up exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum) and Professor Nicole Cherry (Assistant Professor of Violin at the University of Texas). Nicole was accompanied on piano by Dr Wayne Weaver.

Charles Hague (1769–1821) was a violinist, composer, and Professor of Music at the University of Cambridge. His book was acquired in 2019.

Hague and his musical family were close friends of George Bridgtower.

Three people stand around an old manuscript in a historic library setting with wooden bookshelves filled with leather-bound books in the background. The person on the left, wearing a black and white plaid shawl, leans in to examine the book. The person in the center, wearing glasses and a black outfit, gestures animatedly while speaking. The person on the right, wearing a navy blazer and floral blouse, listens intently with her hand resting on the table. The book is placed on a white cushion, suggesting careful handling of the historical document.

Three people stand together in a warmly lit historic room. The man on the left, wearing a dark suit and black turtleneck, stands with a relaxed posture. The person in the middle, wearing a plaid shawl and a beige outfit, has a bright smile. The person on the right, dressed in a navy blazer over a floral blouse, also smiles warmly. The background features wooden reading stalls with carved finials

Ahead of last night’s incredible talk on the music virtuoso George Bridgtower (1778-1860) and his Cambridge connections, we welcomed the co-presenters and performers to the Old Library for a special visit! They explored our book of music sonatas once owned by Charles Hague (1769–1821)

Man in grey hoodie stands next to a book display called the Blue continent

The first Trinity Hall student curation project is now live in the Jerwood! We were lucky to have final-year Politics and Anthropology student, Jack (seen here with his display) 'The Blue Continent'.
An accompanying webpage links to all the curated resources: libguides.cam.ac.uk/trinityhall/...

Flights by Olga Tokarczuk. Comment "As well as being the perfect travel book. Flights draws on a broad range of sources for inspiration, frequently referencing philosophical texts and ideas and presenting them in formats more relevant to today's society"

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. Comment: "Powerful and moving, interesting perspective on grief and healing, and it explores how far someone can go for someone else"

Maurice by E.M. Forster. Comment: "A queer staple with a much needed happy ending, and is ahead of its time. The book and how it was published is an advocate for equal rights in itself."

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller. Comment: "It brings a fresh but totally authentic take on Ancient Greece."

Happy World Book Day! Why not read some of the great books nominated by the Trinity Hall community?

A man stands next to a wooden lectern on which he looks at an open book on the sloping top shelf. More books are on the shelves below.

The Old Library at Trinity Hall contains some of the oldest library furniture in Cambridge, dating to the 1580s.

Each bookcase has a pair of lecterns, with a sloping shelf on which to read the book.

Law Professor Campbell McLachlan is shown trying out one of the lecterns on his visit today.

Poster reads: Feedback. Tell us what you think about the Jerwood Library!. Survey closes Sunday 9th March

We want to hear from you! Do you have a few minutes to complete our questionnaire about the Jerwood Library?

You’ll also be in with a chance to win a £30 Amazon voucher! Check your email for the survey link, or scan the QR code on one of our posters.

The closing date is Sunday 9th March

Pile of 3 books of the favourite books on a wall next to the river. The Trinity Hall logo is visible in the background

The votes are in and Trinity Hall's favourite book is Jane Austen's romantic classic 'Pride and Prejudice'.
The runner-up is Emily Bronte's 'Wuthering Heights'.
Two modern contenders tied for third place: Ishiguro's 'Klara and the Sun' and Sally Rooney's 'Normal People'. #favouritebooks

What have these books all got in common? They were all nominated by members of Trinity Hall as a book they love. Voting has begun for the overall favourite, and the winning book will be announced on Friday!

Page from almanac records: “Married at St Martin’s Ironmonger Lane between 8 and 9 o’clock in the Morning – and set out from thence to Dover and Paris with my dear Husband and honored Uncle & Parent Mr Alderman Boydell.”

Love is in the air in our copy of "Rider’s British Merlin for the year of our Lord God 1787". This entry tells of a marriage between Mary Boydell (1747-1820), a renowned beauty, and George Nichol. You can read more about it on our blog: oldlibrarytrinityhall.wordpress.com/2013/02/11/t...

Red background with paper hearts containing details of books

Happy Valentine's/Library Lover's Day!
Take a heart and write down one book that you love. ❤️
We'll be buying selected titles for the library, and you can vote next week to decide on Trinity Hall's favourite book.
#libraryloversday #valentinesday

Open book of Sappho's poetry by Johann Christian Wolf published in 1733 showing the frontispiece.

Sappho (c. 600 BCE), famed as the "Tenth Muse," wrote lyrical poetry on love, often for women. The word 'lesbian' comes from the name of her home, the island of Lesbos

Here is the frontispiece of our 1733 edition of Sappho's poetry by Johann Christian Wolf #LGBTHistoryMonth

Display of books on LGBT+ topics with very bright covers, in front of striped multicoloured fabric

You can't miss our new display for LGBT+ History Month! #lgbthistorymonth

Page from Owen's Natural History of Serpents (1742) showing 4 snakes including a basilisk

Happy Chinese New Year! It's the Year of the Snake 🐍 so we decided to share a page from Charles Owen's "An Essay towards a Natural History of Serpents" (1742).
It includes mythical creatures such as dragons and basilisks as well as more mundane reptiles! #chinesenewyear2025🐍

This is an amazing resource to learn more about the holocaust #holocaustmemorialday

Shelf of books in Trinity Hall's Old Library. The books are in brown leather bindings beneath a shelf containing one chained book

Happy #libraryshelfieday! These shelves are in Trinity Hall's Old Library which was constructed in the 1580s. The furniture is contemporaneous with the library and is some of the oldest in Cambridge

Display of books shortlisted for the TS Elliot poetry prize 2024 on a blue cloth with green leaves

Trinity Hall alumna Katrina Porteous was shortlisted for the 2024 TS Elliot Prize for poetry for her collection "Rhizodont" (Bloodaxe Books, 2024).

You can see all the shortlisted entries, as well as the winning collection "Fierce Elegy" by Peter Gizzi, in our entrance hall display now.

The College's crest was based on Bateman's crest but was never an exact copy. The grant of arms specifies that Trinity Hall’s arms are to consist of a black shield, decorated with an ermine crescent and carrying an ermine border

Medieval bishop, William Bateman is seated in a chair. He wears a mitre and holds a crozier. This crest with a white crescent on a black background is shown in the bottom right

William Bateman, Bishop of Norwich died on this day in 1355. He founded Trinity Hall in 1350, and gave the College its first books, some 106 titles of civil and cannon law, and theology. Of these only two books, marked with his crest can be identified.