Horrible Histories celebrates 30th anniversary at BBC Proms

Terry Deary and illustrator Martin Brown’s Horrible Histories series celebrated its 30th anniversary year at the BBC Proms and with a new family exhibition, Horrible Histories: Up in the Air, in partnership with the RAF Museum. 

"What started as a great new way to get kids into history 30 years ago has inspired a generation of history lovers," commented Elizabeth Scoggins, publisher. "The brand has maintained such impressive momentum over the years, and I’m so proud to see our partners coming together collaboratively across so many categories to such success. What an incredible year with much more to come in the future."

The Horrible Histories’ ’Orrible Opera was held at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday 22nd July and broadcast live on BBC Radio 3. It is now available on BBC Sounds and will be shown on CBBC on Friday 8th September. The two exhibitions at the RAF Museum in Cosford and London, which focus on the history of flight, join a string of current partnerships with other establishments including the Horrible Histories Maze at Warwick Castle and the touring exhibition Horrible Histories Pirates: The Exhibition currently showcasing at the National Museum of the Royal Navy in Hartlepool. Another "major" partnership will be announced in autumn 2023 and series 10 and 11 of the "Horrible Histories" television series is currently in development.

The anniversary celebrations began in April 2023 with Deary’s new book Horrible Histories: The Worst in the World (Scholastic), with illustrator Brown, followed with Horrible Histories: Terrible Thames (Scholastic), revealing "foul facts round every terrible twist of the world-famous river".

Deary commented: "Thirty years since the first book published, I am still surprised by the new opportunities that we find for Horrible Histories. It seems that the appetite for all things horrible is as strong as ever. It’s great to see new readers discover Horrible Histories through my books, stage, screen, attractions and even a boat cruise on the Thames – and for the original fans to keep enjoying it too."

Brown added: "We sat in the audience for the Horrible Histories BBC Proms enjoying every moment. All around us were thousands of happy people – many families – laughing, singing and clapping. It is an amazing feeling to be one of the people who, totally unknowingly, set all this wonderful madness in motion all those years ago. Being grateful and feeling lucky doesn’t even come close. Thank you to everyone, old and young, whose frankly disturbing love of all things grim and icky has made Horrible Histories what it is today."