Secret Mapping
Mapping Secrecy, at the British Library
Secret Mapping: Mapping Secrecy
To coincide with the British Library’s new exhibition Secret Maps, our brilliant podcast host Professor Jerry Brotton will host two very special live episodes for our award winning podcast, WHAT’S YOUR MAP?. These podcast recordings will take place after Jerry's afternoon talk and will be followed by an audience Q&A.
Saturday 25 October 2025 from 2pm - 4:30pm at the British Library in London, and streamed live online!
Tickets to the live event are priced at £15 (in person) and from £5 (online). Concessions are available. Find out more and book your tickets to Secret Mapping: Mapping Secrecy by visiting the British Library website here.
©British Library - Secret Maps Exhibition Banner
The Sunderland Collection are truly honoured to have been invited by the British Library to collaborate on this exciting live event as part of the programming to accompany their new exhibition, Secret Maps.
Their landmark Secret Maps exhibition will run at the British Library from 24 October 2025 - 18 January 2026.
Let's meet the special guests on the podcast with Jerry...
Nicholas Crane
©Felicity Bryan Associates
Nicholas Crane is a geographer, author and cartographic expert.
He is the recipient of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society’s 'Mungo Park Medal' in recognition of outstanding contributions to geographical knowledge, and of the Royal Geographical Society’s Ness Award for popularising geography and the understanding of Britain.
Nicholas has been the lead presenter on more than 80 BBC films, including the acclaimed Map Man, Great British Journeys, Town, Britannia and Coast. Between 2015 and 2018, Nicholas was the elected President of the Royal Geographical Society. You can find out more about Nicholas here.
James Wyld's 1872 map of Salisbury Plain ©From the British Library collection. Maps 5710.(1.)
Nicholas Crane will be in conversation with Jerry about James Wyld's 1872 map of Salisbury Plain, which connects Nicholas' own epic walking journey across the UK with the discreet British War Department takeover of a Wiltshire parish.
Dwayne Fields
©Michael Wharley
Dwayne Fields is an explorer, broadcaster, and the UK's Chief Scout. He is an advocate for inspiring people to get outdoors and explore the world around them – with a particular focus on encouraging young people growing up in inner cities to get out and experience nature and a life with which they have not previously been engaged.
In 2010, Dwayne became the first black Briton to walk over 400 miles to the Magnetic North Pole. In 2018 was presented with the Royal Geographical Society's ‘Geographical Award’ for empowering young people to explore. You can find out more about Dwayne here.
©Caroline Pantling (EFHT)
Dwayne will be joined by Caroline Pantling the Head of Heritage Services for the Scouts Association UK, who will be shining a light on Scout history.
Caroline leads a team who look after the collection which tells the story of the foundation and development of the Scout Movement. You can find out more about the Scout Heritage Collection here.
Jerry will be speak to explorer Dwayne and Caroline about the hand-drawn maps by Scout movement founder Lieutenant-General Robert Baden-Powell - espionage through natural history sketches - and on the importance of imagination and adventure!
These illustrations come from Baden-Powell's book "My Adventures as a Spy" (1915). Public domain, via Project Gutenberg.
These two live podcasts with Nicholas Crane and Dwayne Fields will be released on Oculi Mundi following the British Library event, and will be made available on our YouTube page. Subscribe to WHAT'S YOUR MAP? - available on all major platforms!
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