Less than 60 years ago, interracial marriage was more than frowned upon by some; it was illegal in parts of the U.S. In 1958, Mildred and Richard Loving, an interracial couple living in Virginia, were arrested for being married. The Lovings won their landmark case, _**Loving v. Virginia**_, on June 12, 1967, abolishing all state laws against interracial marriage in the U.S. Now, every year on that date, the historic case is honored through **_Loving Day_**.

One’s a documentary and the other is a movie but the subject remains the same. Harvey Milk was a visionary civil and human rights leader. Harvey Milk became the first openly gay elected official in the USA, when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977.

Unpaid carers are now providing more hours of care than ever - looking after a family member, friend and neighbours living with challenges related to older age, long-term illness, or disability - according to a new interactive digital dashboard, launched by the Centre for Care at the University of Sheffield. Created in partnership with charity Carers UK, the University of Birmingham, South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board and people with lived experience of care - the _**Unpaid Care Dashboard**_ visualises ONS Census data on unpaid carers from 2011 to 2021 in England and Wales for the first time. Unpaid carers provide the majority of care needed by a family member, friend or neighbour. Yet many unpaid carers receive limited, or no financial assistance. The dashboard shows that the number of hours of care they provide increases, so does the number of unpaid carers who report poorer health and being unable to sustain being in paid employment. It shows that since 2011, those now providing over 50 hours of care in a week has increased from 24 to 30 per cent of all unpaid carers. In England and Wales, five million people report to provide unpaid care, now valued at £162 billion a year, an increase of over 29 per cent since 2011.

** **Stonewall Uprising: The Year That Changed America (PBS)  ** ** When police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in the Greenwich Village section of New York City on June 28, 1969, the street erupted into violent protests that lasted for the next six days. The Stonewall riots, as they came to be known, marked a major turning point in the modern gay civil rights movement in the United States and around the world. This documentary draws upon eyewitness accounts and rare archival material to bring this pivotal event to life. Based on the book by _**David Carter**_, Stonewall Uprising is produced by Kate Davis and Davie Heilbroner. **Paris Is Burning  ** This documentary focuses on drag queens living in New York City and their "house" culture, which provides a sense of community and support for the flamboyant and often socially shunned performers. Groups from each house compete in elaborate balls that take cues from the world of fashion. Also touching on issues of racism and poverty, the film features interviews with a number of renowned drag queens, including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija and Dorian Corey. **The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson  ** Who killed Marsha P. Johnson? In July 1992, Johnson’s body was found floating in the Hudson River near New York City’s Christopher Street Piers. The police deemed her death a suicide, but for those who knew her, this theory has never made sense. Victoria Cruz investigates the mysterious 1992 death of black gay rights activist and Stonewall veteran, Marsha P. Johnson. Using archival interviews with Johnson, and interviews with Johnson's family, friends and fellow activists, this documentary provides an intimate portrait of Marsha's life.

Arab Detroit is constantly in flux. In the last 10 years, new communities of refugees from Syria, Iraq and Yemen have settled in Detroit. And each new community brings with them different perspectives of what it means to make it in America — to be American. As Robyn Vincent explains for The Metro, the backdrop is that many have fled political crises that the U.S. has initiated or intensified. But when they arrive in the U.S., some Arabs in metro Detroit learn that speaking up about these conflicts can be a thorny matter. Still, the last 10 years have ushered in a new wave of political representation and engagement led by Arab lawmakers and residents. The new book, “** _Beyond Refuge in Arab Detroit_**,“ explores how life is changing for Arab Americans in Detroit and what it means to thrive here during a time of intense political turmoil — both here in the U.S. and also in many of the countries Arabs have fled. It weaves together writings from multiple contributors who delve into politics, environmental justice and sexual stigma and violence — all through the lens of Arabs in metro Detroit.

Britain’s army of unpaid support has been excluded from the political conversation. Family care was part of the pre-political lives of Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner; it was also there in David Cameron’s story. But what it demands of policymakers still seems awkward. In Britain, there are 7 million unpaid carers and the UK has no system of paid leave for family carers. So, _**why are 7 million British people being excluded?**_ Care is the thread that runs through Ed Davey’s life. Aged only four, Ed lost his father. When his mother also became ill with cancer, Ed and his brothers nursed her at home until she died when Ed was just 15. That formative experience was one of the main inspirations in seeking election, and with it the opportunity to take action. Now, he and his wife care for their son John, who has severe physical and learning disabilities, as well as raising their younger daughter. _Why I Care_ is both a deeply personal story, drawing on Ed Davey’s own experiences, and a book that reflects the stories of people everywhere to offer a vision of change. Shedding light on the often-invisible world of carers, he calls for society, our government and our institutions to recognise, support, and lift up the silent carers who form the backbone of our communities.

BookTrust and the Waterstones Children’s Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce have launched _**Reading Rights: Books Build a Brighter Future**_. The report calls for national provision so that every child has access to books and reading from their earliest years. It calls on national and local leaders in early years, health, education and culture to come together to make reading a part of daily life for every child in the first seven years of life.

With such brilliant sunshine, do you have a secret garden where you can escape to with a good book? Summer warmth always brings to mind, classic stories like _The Shell Seekers_ and _Coming Home_ by Rosamunde Pilcher. Rosamunde Pilcher had a distinguished career as a novelist but it was her phenomenally successful novel _The Shell Seekers_ , that captured the hearts of all who read it, and won her international recognition as one of the best-loved story-tellers of our time. Her bestselling novels, _September, Coming Home_ and _Winter Solstice_ were all made into television films. Rosamunde Pilcher was awarded an O.B.E. for services to literature in 2002.

On Sunday 18th May, it was a delight to join _**UNITY Arts**_ in Manchester's Chorlton Park, where as part of the _**Chorlton Arts Festival**_ this wonderful sculpture was on public display. With fantastic weather, the local community were treated to a variety of craft making projects, live music and delicious Tibetan food.

On Sunday 11th May, it was wonderful to visit the Imperial War Museum North, where award winning young adult author _**Tom Palmer**_, was meeting fans of all ages! It was great to speak with Tom about the subjects raised in his books, in light of Victory in Europe Day events, which have been taking place around the world. We are taking a look at two of Tom Palmer's books along with the theme's raised in his stories. In _**Arctic Star**_, it's Winter 1943 where Frank, Joseph and Stephen are Royal Navy recruits on their first mission at sea during the Second World War. The three friends are aboard HMS Belfast and are part of an Arctic convoy sailing to Russia to deliver supplies to the Soviet Union. The convoys have to navigate treacherous waters, sailing through a narrow channel between the Arctic ice pack and German bases on the Norwegian coast. Faced with terrifying enemy attacks from both air and sea, as well as life-threatening cold, gales and pack ice, will all three boys make it home again? Arctic Convoy sailor Rolfe Monteith says, _Arctic Star_ captures the "essence of the Arctic Convoy, and is to be commended for exposing it to the younger generation." In **_After The War_**, it's the Summer of 1945 and the Second World War is finally over. Yossi, Leo and Mordecai are among three hundred children who arrive in the UK's Lake District. Having survived the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps, they’ve finally reached a place of safety and peace, where they can hopefully begin to recover, both physically and mentally. Will life by the beautiful Lake Windermere be enough to bring hope back into their lives? _After the War_ is the book "every teacher of the Holocaust needs", said Kate Heap. _After The War_ also comes highly recommended by the Anne Frank Trust UK.

Written by the University of Auckland's Professor Deidre Brown (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu) and Associate Professor Ngarino Ellis (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou), _**Toi Te Mana: An Indigenous History of Māori Art**_ (Auckland University Press, 2024) dives deep into the history and contemporary forms of Māori art. The comprehensive book, over 12 years in the making, spans 600 pages and includes more than 500 images. It is a visual and written account of Māori art from the time of our tūpuna (ancestors) to the present day. An early contributor to the book was co-author Jonathan Mane-Wheoki (Ngāpuhi), the former Head of Elam School of Fine Arts, who, before his passing in 2014, lent his expertise and passion to the project. “We all had a very ambitious vision for the book. Jonathan had very strong feelings about situating Māori art within the great art traditions of the world, and Māori art history within the great art histories of the world. We all agreed and felt that a project like this would be a good contribution to achieving that,” says Brown, who is an art historian and architectural academic in the Faculty of Creative Arts and Industries. She describes Toi Te Mana as a significant chance to share three lifetimes of Māori art research, curation, and teaching with Aotearoa and the world. “It’s the largest book AUP has published, and together, we’ve created a comprehensive work that celebrates both famous and lesser-known Māori artists, as well as significant works across all visual art forms, from the arrival of Polynesians to today.” The book is an immersive voyage that invites readers to metaphorically board a waka and journey through the multifaceted expressions of Māori art. It showcases an extensive range of artistic practices: raranga (plaiting), whatu (weaving), moko (tattooing), whakairo (carving), rākai (jewellery), kākahu (clothing, textiles), whare (architecture), toi whenua (rock art), and media such as painting, photography, sculpture, ceramics and digital art. “We're all trained as art historians, and art history is more than writing a history of art. It is specific types of methodologies that we wanted to foreground, but within a framework of Te Ao Māori,” says Ellis, an art historian who specialises in Māori art within the Faculty of Arts. This breadth of coverage reveals the innovation and adaptability of Māori art across time and space, from Pacific voyagers’ arrival 800 years ago to the global platforms of today, such as the Venice Biennale. The book’s chapters offer wide-ranging insights into the evolution of Māori art, supplemented with breakout sections that highlight individual artists. Through these narratives, Toi Te Mana becomes a waka eke noa – a vessel for all to connect audiences with te ao Māori and its artistic heritage. “Toi Te Mana gives a visible manifestation of those dreams and aspirations for our tamariki and our mokopuna,” says Ellis.

_Tomorrow is a Stranger_ by Geoffrey Trease is set in the wartime Channel Islands, the only British territory ever occupied by Nazi troops. The central characters are school children who were not evacuated to mainland Britain and the events described in this book are based on actual happenings. **Geoffrey Trease** was one of the most prolific authors of his time with no fewer than 113 books and several plays to his name. His work has been translated into twenty languages. Summer 1945 and the Second World War is finally over. Yossi, Leo and Mordecai are among three hundred children who arrive in the Lake District. Having survived the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps, they’ve finally reached a place of safety and peace, where they can hopefully begin to recover. Will life by the beautiful Lake Windermere be enough to bring hope back into their lives? _After the War_ by **Tom Palmer** will appeal to all ages. One of **M. E. Kerr’s** very best novels, _Gentlehands_ tells a spellbinding story of love, loyalty, and the family you thought you knew. Buddy Boyle lives with his parents and younger brother in a small house in Seaville, New York. Skye Pennington spends her summers on the opposite end of town. None of that stops Buddy and Skye from falling in love and to impress her, Buddy takes Skye to visit Frank Trenker, his estranged grandfather in Montauk. But Nicholas De Luca has been searching for a notorious Nazi war criminal and when De Lucca uncovers a connection to Buddy’s grandfather, Buddy refuses to believe the accusations.

The Tudors were a **royal family who ruled Wales and England** between 1485 and 1603. The family included some of the most famous monarchs in the history of England and Wales, including Elizabeth 1. During the 118 years in which they ruled, huge political, religious, economic and social changes were implemented in Wales and England. These changes are also explored in the **Tudors Dynasty podcast**. But who was **Elizabeth (1558-1603)**? A woman in a man’s world, Queen Elizabeth I was to become England’s most successful ruler. Elizabeth’s reign was characterised by a self-assurance unusual for the time. David Starkey’s portrait of the first female ruler of England is an enlightening account. The Sunday Times describes Starkey’s book as “Fresh and lively… Vividly told… He sets before us not only the woman behind the throne but the girl behind the woman.” The first episode of _Elizabeth R_ was shown on 17 February 1971. _Elizabeth R_ starred Glenda Jackson as the Tudor queen. Elizabeth R was seen around the world, and won several awards, including an Emmy for Glenda Jackson’s performance. _Elizabeth: The Golden Age_ is a 2007 biographical historical drama, with Cate Blanchett in the title role. In this film, a mature Queen Elizabeth endures multiple crises late in her reign, court intrigues, an assassination plot and the Spanish Armada. Let Francine Segan introduce you to **Elizabethan cooks, their recipes, and the foods and dining customs** of 16th and 17th Century Europe, as we take a journey back to **William Shakespeare’s (1564-1616)** England. Meet people like Sir Hugh Platt who was knighted by King James I for his innovations in agriculture, along with Ms. Sarah Longe who also shares recipes enjoyed by Queen Elizabeth 1 (1558-1603) and **King James 1 (1566-1625)**.

It’s incredible to think, that 2025 marks 106 years since **Combat Stress, the UK’s leading charity for veterans’ mental health** was founded, back on the 12th May, 1919. Their original name was the Ex-Servicemen’s Welfare Society and they opened their first “recuperative home” in 1920 on Putney Hill in South West London, for soldiers suffering Shell-Shock from WW1. For over a century, **Combat Stress have helped former servicemen and women** overcome mental health conditions like post-traumatic stress, anxiety and depression. Before organizations like the NHS were established after World War Two, back in 1919, the pioneering founders of **Combat Stress revolutionized Britain’s approach to mental health care and changed public attitudes along the way**. The approach of those who started Combat Stress, laid solid foundations for the organization to provide treatment to veterans’ across the UK. Their aim today, is to help veterans challenge the past and face a much brighter future.

_Regeneration_ is the first novel in Pat Barker's Booker Prize-winning _Regeneration trilogy_ - a powerfully moving portrait of the deep legacy of human trauma in the First World War. Craiglockhart War Hospital, Scotland, 1917, and army psychiatrist William Rivers is treating shell-shocked soldiers. Under his care are the poets Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen, as well as mute Billy Prior, who is only able to communicate by means of pencil and paper. Rivers's job is to make the men in his charge healthy enough to fight. Yet the closer he gets to mending his patients' minds the harder becomes every decision to send them back to the horrors of the front. Pat Barker's _Regeneration_ is the classic exploration of how the traumas of war brutalised a generation of young men. The masterful second novel in Pat Barker's classic _'Regeneration' trilogy_ - from the Booker Prize-winning and Women's Prize-shortlisted author of _The Silence of the Girls London_. It's 1918. Billy Prior is working for Intelligence in the Ministry of Munitions. But his private encounters with women and men - pacifists, objectors, homosexuals - conflict with his duties as a soldier, and it is not long before his sense of himself fragments and breaks down. Forced to consult the man who helped him before - army psychiatrist William Rivers - Prior must confront his inability to be the dutiful soldier his superiors wish him to be. _The Eye in the Door_ is a heart-rending study of the contradictions of war and of those forced to live through it. _The Ghost Road_ is the final instalment in Pat Barker's _Regeneration trilogy_. 1918, the closing months of the war. Army psychiatrist William Rivers is increasingly concerned for the men who have been in his care - particularly Billy Prior, who is about to return to combat in France with young poet Wilfred Owen. As Rivers tries to make sense of what, if anything, he has done to help these injured men, Prior and Owen await the final battles in a war that has decimated a generation. _The Ghost Road_ is the Booker Prize-winning account of the devastating final months of the First World War.

On the night of the 28/29th March, Hussein Al-alak spent the night exploring the supernatural at the **Didsbury Parsonage in Manchester**. The building is said to be haunted by a number of spirits and as a listed building, the first record of the house is from 1646. Just imagine how many people have passed through the Didsbury Parsonage between then and now? Pictured is a guided ‘tipping table’ experiment, which was popular back in Victorian England. The 'tipping table’ is a type of séance in which participants sit around a table, place their hands on it, and wait for rotations by the supernatural. In 1832, Sam Newell let the house to Rev W J Kidd. Mr Kidd stayed there for ten years but left because the servants said the house was haunted by the ghost of Mrs Newell, and would not stay. The Moss Family moved into the house in 1864. At this point the name changed to the Old Parsonage. After his mother’s death, Fletcher Moss lived there alone until his own death in 1919.

Travel journalist Andrew Eames was in the ancient Syrian city of Aleppo when he met an elderly lady who had known Agatha Christie. Fascinated by the exotic history of this quintessentially English crime writer, **he decided to retrace the trip from London to Baghdad which she made in 1928**. It was a journey which was to change Agatha Christie completely and led to her other life as the wife of an archaeologist in the deserts of Syria and Iraq. HarperCollins Publishers · Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie, Read by Anna Massey Amy Leatheran had never felt the lure of the mysterious East, but when she travels to an ancient site deep in the Iraqi desert to nurse the wife of a celebrated archaeologist, events prove stranger than she could ever have imagined. Her patient’s bizarre visions and nervous terror seem unfounded, but as the oppressive tension in the air thickens, events come to a terrible climax – in murder. HarperCollins Publishers · They Came to Baghdad by Agatha Christie, read by Emilia Fox Baghdad is the chosen location for a secret summit of superpowers, concerned but not convinced, about the development of an, as yet, unidentified and undescribed secret weapon. As secrets that have been buried in the sands of time finally resurface, can the world-famous detective, Hercule Poirot, untangle the web of lies and solve another crime? Following the sell-out tours of And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express, **Death on the Nile** reunites celebrated director Lucy Bailey, writer Ken Ludwig and Fiery Angel for the premiere of a brand-new adaptation of the globally celebrated Agatha Christie story.

The Iraqi Cookbook is the first of its kind to be published in Europe. It is a treasury of authentic recipes that have been handed down through the generations, developed and refined over time, and infused with successive Mesopotamian cultures. This is a kitchen-based cookbook, but one which fuses history, anecdote and the love of healthy eating. The easy-to-follow recipes are adorned with commissioned photography through-out, making The Iraqi Cookbook a feast for the eye. A bustling, vibrant tour of flavour-packed Syrian dishes. 90 sensational recipes celebrating the flavours of Syria, that can easily be made in the comfort of your own home. Imad will introduce you to the delicious flavours and techniques of the Syrian kitchen – showing you just how easy this wonderful cuisine can be. Yasmin Khan, shares recipes and stories from her travels through Palestine including harvesting olives from the groves of Burquin and learning to hand-roll maftoul in home kitchens in Jenin. With recipes for herb-filled salads, quick pickles, fragrant soups, tender roasted meats and rich desserts, it also has a special focus on vegetarian versions of Palestinian classics. Istanbul-born chef Somer Sivrioglu and food scholar David Dale reveal the fascinating tales, tricks and rituals that enliven the Turkish table. Here they profile the superstars of modern Turkish hospitality and reimagine recipes ranging from the grand banquets of the Ottoman empire to the spicy snacks of Istanbul’s street stalls, from epic breakfasts on the eastern border to seafood mezes on the Aegean coastline. With more than 100 stories and recipes, including many suitable for vegetarians or vegans, this is the what, the where, the how and the why of eating the Turkish way. In Bethlehem, Fadi Kattan unveils the hidden gems of this historic city that he calls home, immersing readers in the vibrant colors, enticing aromas, and bustling markets and spice shops that define Bethlehem’s culinary landscape.

America’s shrine to the sport of wrestling, the **National Wrestling Hall of Fame** opened in 1976 with a mission to ‘Preserve History, Recognize Excellence and Inspire Future Generations’. The museum honors the greatest names in wrestling and displays memorabilia, including Olympic gold medals. It also features interactive exhibits as well as the opportunity to watch NCAA Championship matches from the 1930s to present day. **Jesse Ventura Shocks the World** explores the people, values, and experiences that shaped him, 25 years after the former pro wrestler surprisingly became governor of Minnesota. Follow his implausible career path, wild term in office, early support of the women’s liberation movement, his love of democracy and gay rights, in a documentary about a larger-than-life personality. Loosely translated, Tatanka means “buffalo,” so it’s no surprise that this proud **Native American superstar** was a powerful force in the ring. A native of North Carolina's Lumbee Tribe, Tatanka was an outstanding athlete during his high school years in Virginia. After training at Larry Sharpe’s famous Monster Factory in New Jersey, the commanding Native American won his first professional match in January 1990.

In March, Hussein Al-alak was delighted to visit Manchester's Wood Street Mission, with a special World Book Day contribution for their **‘Books Forever’ appeal**. It’s incredible that here in England and according to the **National Literacy Trust**: “18% of adults aged 16 to 65 (that’s 6.6 million people) can be described as having very poor literacy skills.” Across the pond in the US and according to the **National Literacy Institute**: “54% of adults have a literacy below 6th grade level”, “44% of American adults do not read a book in a year” and “20% of Americans read below the level needed to earn a living wage.” This is further reflected in the fact that “3 out of 4 people on welfare can’t read”. Just imagine how different our world could be, if we only started with the basics. As Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis once stated: “There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all.”

In an academy-par learning environment & facility, **Strive** provide exemplary academic and guidance resources to children, youth and their families in the Watts community of Los Angeles. Strive is a safe haven for kids from the thorny issues and extra challenges they face on these streets, in their schools, and too frequently in their homes every day.

Maya Angelou was an American memoirist, poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years. Maya Angelou was raised in Stamps, Arkansas. In addition to her bestselling autobiographies, including **I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings** and **The Heart of a Woman**, she wrote numerous volumes of poetry, among them Phenomenal Woman, And Still I Rise, On the Pulse of Morning, and Mother. **This unprecedented film celebrates Dr. Maya Angelou** by weaving her words with rare and intimate archival photographs and videos. From her upbringing in the Depression-era South to her work with Malcolm X in Ghana, the film takes us on an incredible journey through the life of a true American icon. Step into a library where Dr. Maya Angelou’s words come to life. Dr. Maya Angelou’s legacy is built on storytelling, her poetry, memoirs, and speeches have shaped generations. Now, **you can explore her words in a mesmerizing AR digital library** designed to bring her wisdom to life in an immersive way.

**The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum** is America’s premier institution of Western history, art and culture. Founded in 1955, the Museum, located in Oklahoma City, collects, preserves and exhibits an internationally renowned collection of Western art and artifacts. **Todd Klassy** makes agriculture, rural lifestyle, and travel photographs. Most of his photos are from Montana, but he travels a lot to photograph the rural corners of the American West and Midwest. Todd’s pictures are stunning and tell incredible stories! From bestselling author of _The Shipping News_ and _Accordion Crimes_ comes one of the most celebrated short story collections of our time. Annie Proulx’s masterful language and fierce love of Wyoming are evident in _Close Range_ , a powerful collection of stories which includes _Brokeback Mountain_.

More than 100 years before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world and set off a wave of fear and anti-Asian sentiment, an outbreak of bubonic plague in **San Francisco’s Chinatown in 1900** unleashed a similar furor. It was the first time in history that civilization’s most feared disease — the infamous Black Death — made it to North America.

The **Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration** is a living monument to the story of the American people. Housed inside the restored Main Building of the former immigration complex, the Museum documents the rich story of American immigration through a carefully curated collection of photographs, heirlooms, and searchable historic records.