Top 10 library events this January

Find out about the exciting events happening at libraries near you

Author Events

Saturday 10 January, from 4pm to 5pm

Join local award-winning author Jody Cooksley, who will share her insights into the enduring appeal of Gothic fiction. Jody Cooksley is the author of three acclaimed novels, including The Small Museum, which won the Caledonia Novel Award in 2023. At Cranleigh Library, Tickets £2.

Wednesday 21 January, 2pm start

Join us as we celebrate Warm Welcome Week in Surrey in the company of one of our most celebrated and exciting crime fiction novelists, Linda Regan. Linda is an actress and author, and her latest crime novels include ‘The Terror Within’ and ‘The Burning Question’. Linda will talk about her career as a crime fiction writer and will be reading some of her own short stories. At Esher Library, Tickets £2.

Please book your tickets via Surrey Libraries’ Events to secure your place.

Talk: Codename Lise: The Story of Odette Sansom at Esher Library

Monday 26 January, from 2pm to 3pm.

As part of Surrey Libraries’ celebrations for National Storytelling Week 2026, we are delighted to present ‘Codename Lise: The Story of Odette Sansom’.

Odette Sansom was among the first women agents sent into occupied France by the Special Operations Executive (SOE) in 1942 and worked as a courier alongside the organiser of the circuit, Peter Churchill. Sophie Parker, Odette's granddaughter, talks about her grandmother's wartime experiences. With readings by local actress Emily Frain from the book, 'Code Name: Lise ' by Larry Loftis.

At Esher Library, tickets £6.50 via Surrey Libraries' Events.

New Year, New Opportunities – Events and Activities Volunteers needed

Our 42 Surrey County Council libraries host thousands and thousands of events every year. We cannot do this without support from our amazing volunteers.

Become an Events and Activities Volunteer in a library near you. Support or lead activities such as reading groups, craft clubs, conversing in other languages, creative writing sessions, children's Storytimes and coding clubs and author events.

We also have other volunteering opportunities, including Digital Support, Customer Service and Library Direct Home Service volunteering.

To find out more please visit our Volunteering website or watch the video below as one of our volunteers talks about her role.

Heads and Tails Storytelling Spectacle events for families

To celebrate National Storytelling Week, Surrey Libraries proudly welcomes back professional storytellers Andy Copps and John Kirk. They will bring African animal tales to life with high-energy performances, audience interaction, and plenty of surprises along the way.

Horley Library, Saturday 31 January, from 10am to 10.45am and 11.30am to 12.15pm.
Leatherhead Library, Saturday 31 January, from 2pm to 2:45pm
Walton Library, Saturday 7 February, from 10am to 10:45am and 11.30am to 12.15pm
Addlestone Library, Saturday 7 February, from 2pm to 2:45pm

Events suitable for children aged 5+ and their grown-ups. Booking is essential. Tickets are available with a recommended donation of £2 per person attending.

Please book your tickets via Surrey Libraries’ Events to secure your place.

Health Information Week: Borrow a Blood Pressure Monitor

During Health Information Week from 19 to 25 January 2026 you can borrow one of our free blood pressure monitors. Checking your blood pressure is quick, easy and could save your life. The monitors have been provided by NHS Frimley, and are available to borrow from the following libraries:

Ash Library
Camberley Library
Farnham Library
Frimley Green Library
Lightwater Library

You need to be a library member to borrow a monitor. A monitor needs to be collected in person in one of the above libraries and returned to the same library you borrow it from. If you want to find out more, please speak to a member of staff in one of the above libraries. Alternatively, you can read further information on our Blood Pressure Monitors' webpage or you can send an email to:

camberley.library@surreycc.gov.uk for Camberley, Frimley Green and Lightwater libraries enquires
farnham.library@surreycc.gov.uk for Ash and Farnham libraries enquiries

Free Explore Learning workshops for homeschooled children at Merstham Library

Explore Learning, a maths and English tuition provider, is hosting two fun, free, 1-hour workshops for children in the homeschool community.

Thursday 8 January

11am: A Knight’s Journey to the King’s Throne. Suitable for 7 to 9 year olds. Free event, but you must book your place.
12 noon: Analysing Poetry. Suitable for 11 to 14 year olds. Free event, but you must book your place.

Both events are free but you must book your place using the links above. If you are unable to book via Eventbrite, you can book your place by calling Explore Learning on 01737 232002.

Surrey History Centre’s Lewis Carroll display touring Surrey Libraries

Surrey History Centre’s Lewis Carroll collection has been growing for over 75 years. In 2025, marking 160 years since the first publication of ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’, the Centre celebrated the archives of Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson (1832 to 1898), better known by his enchanting pen name, Lewis Carroll, with a free foyer display and a cabinet exhibition in their search room.

Now, 160 years after the first publication of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, this display will be touring in Surrey Libraries, starting at Woking Library in January 2026.

National Year of Reading 2026

The National Year of Reading is a national campaign initiated by the Department of Education. Library services across the country are joining forces with partners to get everyone into reading in 2026. We know that reading supports success in school, work, and in life. It boosts wellbeing, brings people together, and increases empathy.

Surrey Libraries will also Go All In (the campaign’s slogan) in 2026 and will offer a wide range of events and activities in our libraries to celebrate the National Year of Reading. Please keep an eye out for what is happening in your local library by visiting their event’s webpage.

Mindfulness Club: Affirmations Pebbles at Addlestone Library

Come and join Addlestone’s monthly Mindfulness Club. For a week each month, drop in anytime during usual opening hours to relax, de-stress and find your inner calm. Slow down and enjoy the process of creating mindfulness crafts, colouring and other activities. All these activities are suitable for children and adults. Come with your children or join a friend and chill out.

Saturday 3 to Friday 9 January

Make positive affirmations pebbles, decorate smooth pebbles and boost your confidence with a beautiful affirmation. Activity costs 50p per person, to be paid in the library.

For more information, please visit the Addlestone Library’s event’s webpage.

Stoneleigh Community Library: Winner Community Libraries Network Award

Friends of Stoneleigh Library (FSL) is a registered charity that has been running Stoneleigh Community Library since 2013 in partnership with Surrey County Council. They have just won a Community Library Network Award in the Community Hub category. Congratulations!

At the heart of their local community, they run many regular and special events every week, including:

Rhymetimes and Storytimes on Mondays
Lodestone – Monthly Mediation and Reflection Group on first Monday of the month
U3A Epsom and Ewell Flower Arranging on Tuesdays and Fridays
Family LEGO Club on Saturdays
Beyond the Book Group (reading group for Young Readers in years 3 to 6, every 4 to 6 weeks on a Saturday afternoon)

To find out more, please visit Stoneleigh Community Library’s website.