Now in its 13th year, Quais du Polar is the largest crime literature festival in France. It will take place from March 31 to April 2 2017 in Lyon. Founded in 2005, this festival invites many authors and filmmakers of the noir genre. As the years go by, the festival has grown in prominence to … Continue reading “Lyon, City of Crime … Fiction Literature”
It’s taken the best part of a year since the British electorate voted to leave the EU. On 29 March, Prime Minister Theresa May finally triggered Article 50 to officially start the leaving procedure. On 13 March, Parliament passed the EU Withdrawal Bill, which had been forced by a citizens’ challenge in the courts opposing … Continue reading “This Time Brexit Means Brexit”
Remember albums? Those CDs or even vinyl records from the days before music was delivered by phone or computer? Today, charts worldwide are dominated by music streamed from the likes of Spotify and Deezer and Ed Sheeran’s new album, Divide, has broken streaming records. Streaming music services have brought big changes to the music industry. … Continue reading “Ed Sheeran on Top of the World”
Quel professeur de langue ne s’est jamais trouvé entraîné, lors d’un repas de famille ou parmi des amis, dans une discussion sans fin sur l’apprentissage des langues ? En général, les protagonistes s’estiment tous experts en théories de l’apprentissage et les lieux communs volent bas : « Pour vraiment apprendre l’anglais, il faut aller dans le pays… » ; « Moi, … Continue reading “Mythes et réalités : L’apprentissage des Langues”
According to the theme song, it’s a “tale as old as time” – the classic fairytale “Beauty and the Beast” returns to cinema screens in a live-action remake of the 1991 Disney animation. Emma Watson stars as a Disney princess who doesn’t sit around waiting for anyone to save her. The Beauty and the Beast … Continue reading “Beauty and the Beast Again”
Some say he invented rock and roll. He was certainly one of the first to popularise it. Chuck Berry has died, practically guitar in hand, at the age of 90. His 1955 song “Maybellene” was a top five hit a year before Elvis Presley hit Number One with his first single, “Heartbreak Hotel”. It already … Continue reading “Chuck Berry, Rock and Roll Pioneer”
Chicago is the focus of the first ever American Week organised by the Institut franco-américain in Rennes, from 20 to 24 March. Chicago, the third-largest U.S. city has plenty to offer. The so-called Windy City, situated on Lake Michigan has a rich architectural and cultural heritage. The American Week will give you the opportunity to … Continue reading “American Week in Rennes”
Robots seem futuristic, in the realm of science-fiction. But a new exhibition at London’s Science Museum traces their history back 500 years. A hundred mechanical wonders have taken over the museum. The exhibition’s curator, Ben Russell, explains that it was when astrologers developed a view of the universe as functioning like a clockwork mechanism, they … Continue reading “Robots Invade London’s Science Museum”
Canada pioneered an experiment on a universal basic income for all citizens in the 1970s. Now, one province, Ontario, has promised another trial. And other countries or regions are also toying with a basic income for all. In 1974, when Pierre Trudeau was Prime Minister, the federal government and Manitoba Province launched a four-year minimum … Continue reading “Basic Income: An Idea Whose Time Has Come?”
On 15 March, millions of people in Britain will be “doing something funny for money”… and wearing some very strange red noses. Red Nose Day was started in 1988 by Comic Relief, a collective of comedians that had formed in 1985 to do benefit shows to fundraise for victims of famine in Ethiopia. It could … Continue reading “Red Nose Day: A Very British Tradition”