The London Library appoints Bonham Carter as first female president

The London Library has appointed Helena Bonham Carter CBE as its first female president, “chosen for her creativity and connections with literature and stories, her high profile and potential to advocate among new audiences”. 

Her appointment was proposed by the library’s trustees, and formally confirmed by members at the annual general meeting yesterday (15th November). The meeting also marked the end of incumbent president Sir Tim Rice’s five-year term. 

Bonham Carter has been a library member since 1986. The London Library said: “She has a passion for books and deeply appreciates the importance of writers to the acting profession. Much of her own career links with London Library members who have drawn on the library’s rich cultural heritage, extensive resources and unparalleled atmosphere. She rose to prominence by playing Lucy Honeychurch in the film adaptation of the novel ‘A Room with a View’ (1985), written by former library vice-president E M Forster. She played Miss Havisham in ‘Great Expectations’ (2012) and, more recently, Eudoria Holmes in the Enola Holmes films based on characters created by library member Arthur Conan Doyle.” 

The library presidency is an honorary position with fundraising and advocacy at its core as the library is a charity that receives no regular public funding. Bonham Carter’s first major duty will be to host The Library’s Christmas Party but she is particularly interested in the library’s Emerging Writers Programme, its growing schools programme, and the library’s various types of supported membership for those unable to meet the full annual fee. 

Bonham Carter said: “I am delighted to become The London Library’s first female president and to champion an institution that is open to all. The library is truly a place like no other, inspiring and supporting writers for over 180 years, many of whom have in some way informed my own career and those of actors everywhere. The library’s unique resources, history and membership help to connect the literary greats of the past with those of the future, and I am proud to support this incredible and vital establishment.” 

Philip Marshall, director of The London Library, added: "We are all thrilled to welcome Helena Bonham Carter as our new president. With a passion for books and stories, and a long-standing love of the library, Helena is ideally placed to promote this tremendous resource for the creative and curious.”