The Silk Road stands as one of history's most important and lasting trade routes, linking the East and West for over a thousand years. In this Curator Talk at Bell House, you'll have the chance to delve into the rich and captivating history of this ancient network of trade paths.

While the name 'Silk Road' often evokes romantic images - camel caravans crossing vast desert dunes, merchants exchanging silk and spices, and distant trade between the 'East' and the 'West' - the true story is much more complex and fascinating.

Rather than a single trade route from East to West, the Silk Roads were made up of overlapping networks linking communities across Asia, Africa and Europe, from East Asia to Britain, and from Scandinavia to Madagascar. This talk, based on the major British Museum exhibition and accompanying book Silk Roads, unravels how the journeys of people, objects and ideas that formed the Silk Roads shaped cultures and histories. 

You'll meet figures whose stories are entwined with the Silk Roads, including Willibald, an ingenious balsam smuggler from England, and a legendary Chinese princess who shared the secrets of silk farming with her new kingdom. Crossing deserts, mountains, rivers and seas, the Silk Roads tell a story of connection between cultures and continents, centuries before the formation of the globalised world we know today. 

Books will be available to purchase at the event, and there will be opportunity to have your copy signed by the author.

When: Monday 27 January 2025, 7pm - 8.30pm
Where: Bell House, Dulwich, 27 College Road, SE21 7BG
More info: Tickets cost £5 and concessions are available. Book your place here.