10 April 2026 (past event)
- 18:30 to 22:00
Late
Love Letters: it's a match!
A late-night celebration of love and literary longing, in partnership with England’s first romance only bookshop, Saucy Books.
- Date
- 10 April 2026
- Location
- The National Archives, Kew
A late-night celebration of love and literary longing, in partnership with England’s first romance only bookshop, Saucy Books.
Our Love Letters exhibition opens after hours for a night dedicated to the tropes, tensions and timeless thrills of romance.
Discover real historical love letters packed with heart breaking confessions, swoonworthy declarations, and yearning of the highest degree, before meeting contemporary romance authors keeping the flame alive today.
This special one-off event is bought to you in partnership with England’s first romance only bookshop, Saucy Books.
Event highlights
- Meet contemporary romance authors KJ Charles and Lucy Vine as they share the sparks behind their latest novels, and discuss the letters in the exhibition that stole their breath, broke their heart, and might go on to inspire their next great romance.
- Let the historical letter that speaks to your soul guide you to your next read at Saucy’s pop up shop or have a blind date with a book.
- Discover more about the iconic literary figures featured in the Love Letters exhibition, including Jane Austen and Oscar Wilde.
- Delve deeper into the Love Letters exhibition with curator Victoria Iglikowski-Broad.
- Get a bespoke poem crafted in minutes by our speed poet in residence, perfect to give to that special someone.
- Create a heartfelt design with illustrator Sharon King-Chai.
- Enjoy a soundtrack of soulful, romantic beats with our live DJs The Monkey Stomp Blues.
- Get a literary or romance-inspired temporary tattoo.
- A pop-up prosecco bar and other tasty beverages and treats from Maids of Honour.
- Indulge in a bit of red-hot retail therapy at our shop.
Line up subject to change.
Author biographies
KJ Charles:
KJ Charles is a British author of historical and fantasy romance. She has authored over 30 novels, mostly M/M romances set in 19th and early 20th-century England, beginning with The Magpie Lord. Her work has received a number of accolades, including nominations for a RITA Award and a Lambda Literary Award.
Her most recent book, How To Fake it in Society, will be published on 30 April, but will be exclusively available to purchase in advance of its release at this event.
Lucy Vine:
Lucy Vine is the bestselling author of novels Hot Mess, What Fresh Hell, Are We Nearly There Yet?, Bad Choices, Seven Exes, Date with Destiny and Book Boyfriend. Her novels have been published in seventeen territories, with Hot Mess optioned for a TV series in America. In a previous life, Lucy was a journalist, writing for publications including Grazia, Stylist, Heat, Fabulous, Marie Claire, Sugar and Cosmopolitan. You can find her on Instagram @lucyvineauthor and TikTok @lucyvineauthor.
Lucy’s next book, Good For You, will be published on 4 June.
In partnership with
-
Saucy Books London
Please note: this event is strictly 18+ and you may be asked for proof of age on entry. All bars will be card payments only.
There will be photography taking place during this event. The photographs will be for future promotional use by The National Archives. If you do not wish to have your photo taken, please speak to a member of staff at the event about opting out. We will provide stickers for those who choose not to opt in for photography.
Event details
- Date
- 10 April 2026, 18:30 to 22:00
- Price
-
£15
- Age
- 18 and over
- Location
- Across our building
-
The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, TW9 4DU
This event has sold out.
Dates for this event
Plan your visit
What is The National Archives?
The National Archives is the official archive of the UK government, and England and Wales. We are the guardians of over 1,000 years of iconic national documents.
Everyone is welcome to visit our headquarters in Kew. We put on exhibitions, events and displays and offer reading rooms giving access to our collections there.
Getting here
The National Archives is located by the River Thames in Kew, 30 minutes from Central London. We offer advice on travelling to us by car, bike, train or bus.
Children and families
We provide a warm welcome to visitors of all ages, including children and family groups.
- Free activity sheets (for ages 1+) are available from the Time Travel Club trolley in our entrance hall
- Our café is child-friendly and there are picnic benches outside
- Prams and buggies are welcome, and we have a buggy park
- Baby changing facilities are located by our entrance hall, at the top of the main stairs, and in the library
- Emergency supplies of nappies and wipes are available
Eat and drink
We have a café and coffee bar provided by Maids of Honour, a historic local tea room and bakery. It has spacious indoor and outside seating and a soft play area.
On the menu is a variety of high-quality lunchtime meals, sandwiches, snacks, soft drinks, tea and coffee. Vegetarians, vegans and other dietary requirements are all catered to.
Event highlights
Love Letters: it's a match!
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Read correspondence that spans over 500 years of devotion, longing, sacrifice, heartache, and passion.
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Discover more about the iconic literary figures featured in the Love Letters exhibition with our collection experts.
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Explore our Love Letters exhibition after hours.
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Get a literary or romance-inspired temporary tattoo.
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Enjoy tasty beverages and treats from Maids of Honour while learning more about our collection.
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Get a bespoke poem crafted in minutes by our speed poet in residence, perfect to give to that special someone.
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Book Boyfriend by Lucy Vine.
Jemma has lived a thousand lives through books. The only life she isn’t living is her own.
That is, until the day she finds a note from a stranger in her favourite library book. When she replies, the pair begin a longhand conversation about their love of novels that sees Jemma finally coming out of her shell. Is she ready to fall in love for the first time – with someone she’s never met?
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How to Fake It In Society by KJ Charles.
Nicolas-Marc, Comte de Valois de La Motte, is making a splash in Society. The son of a French noblewoman wrongly convicted for a notorious crime, he hopes to restore his mother’s reputation, if only he can raise the funds. Or, at least, that’s his story.
Titus Pilcrow, an unassuming shopkeeper, accidentally married an immensely wealthy woman on her deathbed. Now possessed of a fortune, he’s the target of every conman and beggar in London. Including Nico.
Broke and desperate, Nico latches on to Titus. It’s his big chance to get rich – until he falls in love with the man he needs to cheat. Still, Nico is sure they can have a happy ending together. If he can just find a way out of his own web of lies...