Eighty-odd years ago in the early summer of 1940, thousands of people shared a time that has become legendary.
Over nine extraordinary days, The Dunkirk Project tells their stories.
This was Dunkirk – what was it really like, how does it look from here, and some parallels with our own times.
Follow true stories and unforgettable characters throughout the nine days on the River of Stories
Read the daily news from Dunkirk each day from 26th May 1940 to 4th June 1940 in a River of Stories that collects and presents true stories from people who were there – and welcomes contributions.
Follow Thames to Dunkirk page-by-page, the largest book in the British Library.
The Dunkirk Project – what’s it all about? Touch screen or click here to find out more.
And new in 2020 for the 80th anniversary edition of The Dunkirk Project:
Thames to Dunkirk on film – a new artist’s film takes a walk around the big book, in company with BG Bonallack and Virginia Woolf; and there’s a new article on the British Library’s blog.
Creating Dunkirk – artists’ views and visions – a new series of articles looking at artworks inspired by Dunkirk begins with a feature on John Craske’s astonishing embroidery The Evacuation of Dunkirk.
Stranger than Fiction – highlighting extraordinary true stories from Dunkirk, including some surprising elements: twelve pairs of silk socks, a jam sandwich and a tattered postcard, and a treasured newspaper clipping showing one of the last soldiers to be evacuated from Dunkirk.
Heroic ships: 1 HMM Medway Queen – a new series focusing on individual ships begins with a feature on the gallant paddle-steamer Medway Queen.
And coming soon:
Creating Dunkirk 2 – Art and War: Richard Eurich and the War Artists look at Dunkirk
More Heroic ships – features on the Royal Daffodil, Gracie Fields and the London fireboat Massey Shaw
The Dunkirk Project 