To mark the opening of its exhibition, Beautiful Minds: Capture the Spirit of Nobel Achievement, from December 7 to March 15, the British Library is hosting a soiree to enable single people with beautiful minds to mingle between 6.30pm and 9pm. The evening will include speed-dating and a private view of the exhibition. Free, but booking essential. The exhibition looks at the history of the Nobel Prize, focusing on 30 winners from the past 100 years over the whole range of prizes. Related talks include Tony Benn on “The creative statesman”, December 5; Dr Jim Bennett, keeper of the history of science museum, Oxford University, on “Einstein as a celebrity”, December 7; and Richard Dawkins on “The strangeness of science”, February 1.

Tel: 020 7412 7222

Email: boxoffice@bl.uk

Access and integration. December 13

Access and Integration in Schools is the title of a conference organised by Ergonomics4Schools at the Design Institute, Coventry University. Topics will include musculoskeletal injuries suffered by teachers; the effects on pupils of poor visual environments; involving students in design and planning; the use of space in schools and childhood identity. Fee: pound;11.75.

Tel: 01509 234904 www.ergonomics.org.uk

Composition prize. Closes January 31

The National Youth Choir of Great Britain invites student composers aged 16-24 on January 1 to submit previously unperformed works for SATB chorus (a cappella, up to eight parts divisi) setting a secular text in the public domain. Selected candidates will be judged during workshops with the choir’s musical director, Mike Brewer, and composer Richard Allain. Pieces will be developed further before final submission. The winning work will be premiered by the NYC in Manchester in April and published by Novello.

Contact Alison Giles, Tel: 01242 820132

Email: alison@agiles.org.uk

Poetry prize. Closes March 3

Students aged 16-18 are being invited by Christ Church, Oxford University, to submit poems on the theme of “A Building” for the Christopher Tower poetry competition. Prizes of pound;3,000, pound;1,000 and pound;750 will go to the first three prize-winners, with significant prizes going to their schools.

Entries will be judged by poets Carol Rumens, Mark Ford and Peter McDonald.

Tel: 01865 286591 www.towerpoetry.org.uk