What's On in November 2025 at the National Library
This month’s program offers something for everyone, whether you’re a musical theatre fan, a classical music lover, a cycling enthusiast, a photographer or a history buff.
Film and theatre legend Jim Sharman – the renowned director of more than 70 productions including The Rocky Horror Picture Show – chats with National Film and Sound Archive curator Hannah De Feyter about his incredible career and collections held by the National Library.
In the first of a new event series examining the Library’s ‘living collections’ of works by prominent Australian artists, we host international composer Luke Styles in conversation with his musical collaborator Tobias Cole. This special evening will feature performances by guests from Canberra Symphony Orchestra, Canberra Children’s Choir and Vocal Fry (ANU Community Music Centre).
We also look at the Library’s extraordinary collection of cycling-related material with Tony Wheeler, founder of Lonely Planet, and historian Daniel Oakman. Join us for a discussion all about bikes and why we love them!
For history buffs and booklovers, Dr Elisa DeCourcy launches her book, Early Photography in Colonial Australia, and Mark McKenna presents his new Shortest History of Australia. Best-selling authors Alison Goodman and Sue Williams join Professor Kate Mitchell to discuss the craft of historical fiction writing.
Australian Cyclists riding through a village, the street lined by spectators, during the Tour de France bicycle race, 1928, nla.obj-150936915
Australian Cyclists riding through a village, the street lined by spectators, during the Tour de France bicycle race, 1928, nla.obj-150936915
Program
Book launch: The Shortest History of Australia
5 November | 6:00pm - 8:00pm | Free
Renowned historian Mark McKenna sits down with Frank Bongiorno to discuss his compelling new version of our national story.
Power and Vision: Australia and the South Pacific Commission
6 November | 12:30pm - 1:30pm | Free
2025 National Library of Australia Fellow, Dr Alexis Bergantz, presents his recent Fellowship research on the history of the South Pacific Commission.
Living Collection: The music of Luke Styles
12 November | 6:00pm - 8:00pm | Free
Luke Styles, one of Australia's leading and most widely performed international composers, joins us for an evening of music and conversation as we explore the collection of Luke's works held by the Library.
Two wheels to adventures: Bikes and why we love them
15 November | 10:00am - 11:00am | Free
From small commutes to epic journeys, home-made contraptions to technical wizardry, come and hear why cycling remains one of the world’s most popular and enjoyable methods of travel, and how it continues to evolve. Tony Wheeler and Daniel Oakman delve into the Library’s incredible collections.
Early Photography in Colonial Australia
20 November | 6:00pm - 7:30pm | Free
To celebrate her new book, Dr Elisa DeCourcy is joined by a panel of leading writers, curators and artists who work in the field of photography and at the interface of colonial and Indigenous knowledge.
Jim Sharman in conversation with Hannah de Feyter
21 November | 6:00pm - 9:00pm | Free
Excerpts from a remarkable collection of visual diaries created by the acclaimed director between 1960 and 2000 will be on display, invoking memories and inviting Jim’s thoughts on his legacy and the future of the arts. Following the conversation, there will be a screening of the documentary Strange Journey: The story of Rocky Horror.
The craft of historical fiction
27 November | 6:00pm - 7:00pm | $15-$30
The Friends of the National Library of Australia present two best-selling authors in conversation. Alison Goodman and Sue Williams untangle the role of research, character development, crafting fictitious worlds and the representation of historical figures.
Story Dogs on Sunday
30 November | 2:00pm - 3:00pm | Free
Drop-in storytime session on the last Sunday of every month with volunteers and their accredited dogs from the Story Dogs program.
1975: Living in the Seventies
Exhibition open daily | 9:00am | Free entry
1975 was a year of transition. Music, art, fashion, literature and film transformed the way we saw the world, while protest and political upheaval changed society. This exhibition delves into the Library’s collections to examine what it was really like to live in the seventies. The exhibition can now be toured online.
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Phone: 0401 226 697
Email: media@nla.gov.au
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