The Natural History Museum collection includes some of the teeth that Gideon and Mary Ann Mantell found that led Gideon to name the dinosaur Iguanodon in his paper presented at the Royal Society in 1825.

We’re delighted that NHM Principal Researcher, Prof. Susannah Maidment, is confirmed as a festival partner for 2025. Prof. Maidment will write the foreword in the festival book explaining the importance of Iguanodon, the second dinosaur ever to be named, and encourage the next generation of palaeontologists.

The festival connection with Natural History Museum is an exciting opportunity to inspire ‘explore more’ visits, beyond the A Town Explores A Book festival, to the extensive collection with information on the Mantells and the Iguanodon species. The ‘explore more’ festival map will link to the huge diversity of Iguanodon related heritage and join up #Iguanodon200 events around the country.