The Great Gatsby Turns 100

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 11 April 2025 > Celebrate

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is considered the quintessential depiction of the Roaring Twenties and a definite contender for the title of great American novel. On the 100th anniversary of its publication, readers return to the classic, and writers imagine new stories for its characters. Published on 10 April 1925, it was Fitzgerald’s third … Continue reading “The Great Gatsby Turns 100”

Keep Calm and Carry On!

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 08 April 2025 > Celebrate

This slogan from 1939 symbolises British identity in 2025 . You can find it on T-shirts, mugs, postcards and posters. The simple white words appeared on a red poster prepared for World War Two. But the poster wasn’t distributed. In 1939, the British government was prepared for a major war, and possibly an invasion. It … Continue reading “Keep Calm and Carry On!”

Quais du Polar Lyon 2025

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 01 April 2025 > What's On

Lyon’s Quais du Polar festival is celebrating its 21st edition from 4 to 6 April. This year the festival will welcome 160 authors from 17 countries, including several English-speaking ones. Two bestselling American authors will be “in conversation” on the stage of the Chapelle de la Trinité. Forty years after the publication of the Lloyd … Continue reading “Quais du Polar Lyon 2025”

Australian Election Called

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 31 March 2025 > In the News Shine Bright Lycée

Australia’s Prime Minister, Labor’s Anthony Albanese, has called a federal election for 5 May. Labor currently has a slim majority in parliament. Opinion polls put Labor neck and neck with the Liberal-National coalition led by Peter Dutton. Federal elections have to be held every three years, and the latest possible date for this election was … Continue reading “Australian Election Called”

Threats to the U.S. Department of Education

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 26 March 2025 > In the News

On March 20, headlines around the world announced that President Donald Trump had dismantled the U.S. Department of Education. What does the Department of Education do, and has it really been closed? The U.S. Department of Education is not the equivalent of the education ministries in many other countries, which usually set curricula and exams, … Continue reading “Threats to the U.S. Department of Education”

Down the Mississippi

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 26 March 2025 > What's On

The Mississippi is in the spotlight in April at the Institut Franco-Américain in Rennes. A talk and a documentary film explore the river. On 1 April, Hervé Nicolas, recently retired researcher from  l’Institut Agro Rennes-Angers, will give a talk about the effects of climate change on the fourth longest river in the world. On 3 … Continue reading “Down the Mississippi”

Kids Take Over Parliament

Posted by Speakeasy News > Friday 21 March 2025 > In the News

On 28 February, the average age in the House of Commons debating chamber was a lot younger than normal. Instead of the usual MPs, the chamber hosted the annual sitting of the UK Youth Parliament: more than 300 11-18-year-olds elected by their peers.  The debaters are MYPs: Members of the U.K. Youth Parliament. Any 11-18-year-old … Continue reading “Kids Take Over Parliament”

Red Nose Day is Celebrating a Big Birthday

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 19 March 2025 > Celebrate

Red Nose Day is back on Friday 21 March in the UK.  And this is incredibly the charity Comic Relief’s 40th birthday. They’ve been encouraging people to don a clown’s red nose and “do something funny for money” since 1985.  The charity was founded by comedian Lenny Henry and romcom scriptwriter and director Richard Curtis … Continue reading “Red Nose Day is Celebrating a Big Birthday”