• A major exhibition celebrating fantasy writers and the world’s they’ve created opens at the British Library tomorrow. Fantasy: Realms of Imagination, which is being run in partnership with Wayland Games, will take visitors on a journey to worlds ranging from Middle-earth to Pan’s Labyrinth and those created by Studio Ghibli. The exhibition is accompanied by a range of events including Neil Gaiman and Rob Wilkins discussing the impact of Terry Pratchett’s first Discworld novel The Colour of Magic 40 years after it first hit shelves, Susan Cooper speaking with Natalie Haynes on the 50th anniversary of her best-selling novel The Dark is Rising; and Brian and Wendy Froud exploring how they developed the design concept for 1980’s cult classic The Dark Crystal. There will also be talks from the likes of bestselling fantasy writers RF Kuang, Adrian Tchaikovsky, and Philip Pullman, and a special late opening featuring musical performances and art inspired by the electronic music duo Drexciya and an event featuring Arthur C Clarke award-winning author Tade Thompson. Runs until 25th February. Admission charge applies. For more, see www.bl.uk/events/fantasy.

• Diwali in the Square will take place in Trafalgar Square this Sunday. The capital’s celebration of the Festival of Lights, which opens with 200 colourfully dressed dancers, features performances from artists drawn from London’s Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities, a range of family-friendly activities including dance workshops, yoga and meditation, Ramayana Puppet shows, Soho Theatre comedy, and a ‘Glimpse of Goddesses’ stall, and food from 1pm to 7pm. The event is free to attend. For more, see www.london.gov.uk/events/diwali-square-2023.

• The first major UK exhibition to map the design evolution of the skateboard has opened at The Design Museum. Skateboard chronicles the history of skateboard design from the 1950s to the present day, from humble, homemade, beginnings to technologically advanced models used by today’s professionals. It features around 90 skateboards – including Laura Thornhill’s Logan Earth Ski 1970s pro model, Tony Hawk’s first ever professional model skateboard, Sky Brown’s first pro model and the Sky Brown x Skateistan Almost deck – alongside 100 other objects hardware such as wheels and tucks, safety equipment, VHS tapes, DVDs, magazines and ephemera. The exhibition also features a skate ramp, offering skaters the incredibly rare opportunity to skate inside a major museum. Admission charge applies. Runs until 2nd June. For more, see https://designmuseum.org/exhibitions/skateboard.

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