Writer, broadcaster and poker ace Victoria Coren Mitchell was in witty and engaging conversation with FoWHL's Patron, Jim Carter.

Tom Whipple of The Times – author of 'X and Y, the Rules of Attraction and Why Gender Matters' – kept us enrapt with tales of gay penguins in a Berlin Zoo and sex parties in the suburbs, all part of his search for the truth about the current state of sexuality (photo by Janet Nabney)

Author Caitlin Davies brought us tales of the 'Bad Girls' of Holloway Prison, most of whom it turns out were not bad at all... (photo by Janet Nabney)

Journalist John Lloyd spoke up for his profession and insisted that there is nothing new about fake news (photo by Janet Nabney)

Derek Jacobi made his acting debut at Leytonstone Library as a seven year old

Graham Gouldman – 50 years in the music business and still writing and performing with real heart and soul

Novelist Linda Grant took us to post war London, Liverpool, America and Crouch End... small wonder we were entranced! (photo by Janet Nabney)

Dick Weindling regales us with tales of the Kaiser's spies in NW6

Jim Carter tells a full house about life as a below stairs actor at Downton Abbey (photo by Eugene Regis)

Season's Readings were brought to the library in December 2016 by the FoWHL Players: (l to r) Phyllida Hancock, Sophie Thompson, Michael Simkins, Marie Louise Clark, Julia Deakin and Andrew Frank.

Writer in Residence Ted Booth reads from the work of Hampstead Poets (photo by Eugene Regis)

Kate Summerscale gave an enthralled audience an insight into the world of Victorian detectives

Iain Sinclair signs a copy of London Overground

Simon Garfield told the story of A Notable Woman, diarist Jean Lucey Pratt (photo by Dahlia Dajani)

In March 2016 David Aaronovitch spoke about his frank memoir Party Animals, a tale of his upbringing in a strict Communist household in north London (photo courtesty of Nigel Sutton, Ham & High)

Actor Rebecca Front (centre), a stalwart defender of libraries in Barnet, delighted FoWHL members in December 2015 with stories from her book Curious. Helping on the night were Heidi Blackaby (left) and Danny van Emden (right) from West End Lane Books, who have been a constant source of support over the years.

The FoWHL Players were back in July 2004 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the library's opening with a series of readings entitled 'Borrowings'. Seen here are Michael Jenn (left), Emily Richard (centre) and Edward Petherbridge (right). Paul Brightwell and Nicky Kimber also performed.

In May 2003 the American textile designer and artist Kaffe Fassett (seated centre) – resident in the area since the 1960s – brought a real dash of colour to the library, along with an audience kltted out in their most flamboyant knitwear! He urged them all, 'Anything worth doing is worth overdoing. Always go to extremes!'

To celebrate Valentines Day in February 2004 the FoWHL Players performed a series of readings and songs on the subject of love and romance. They were Emily Richard (front left), Marie Angel (front right), David Petherbridge (back left), Tracey Ann Oberman (centre) and Michael Simkins (right). In March 2004 Michael Simkins also put on a splendid evening based on his hilarious book What's My Motivation?

Willesden-born author and former Hampstead School pupil Zadie Smith came to the library in October 2002 to talk about her novels White Teeth and The Autograph Man.

Imelda Staunton – one of a number of local actors and performers who have supported FoWHL events – reads from the children's classic, The Selfish Giant, in February 2001.

Stephen Fry packed them in when he came to speak at the libary in October 2001. At the time Stephen was living in West Hampstead and so we were delighted when he agreed to be a patron of FoWHL.

The late great novelist Doris Lessing – a local resident and patron of FoWHL – reads to a captivated audience of over 100 at the library in July 2000. (Photo by Jill Furmanovsky)