Each autumn, Britain’s Collins Dictionary announces a Word of the Year, a word or expression that has been omnipresent. For 2017, the WOTY is “fake news”, a term often associated with President Trump. The expression was used a lot during the election campaign. Since his inauguration in January, President Trump has brandished it regularly, on … Continue reading “Word of the Year: Fake News”
The 1992 JFK Records Act gave the U.S. government 25 years to make public all files related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy on 22 November 1963. The time was up on October 26, 2017… but not all the files were released. There have been public doubts about the official account of the … Continue reading “The Truth About the Kennedy Assassination?”
The British Library is marking the 20th anniversary of the publication of the first Harry Potter book with an exhibition of the real-life historical artefacts about magical beliefs that inspired JK Rowling, and never-before-revealed notes, plans and manuscripts from the author herself. Rowling included many references to real magical beliefs and historical characters like Nicolas … Continue reading “Harry Potter: A History of Magic”
Detroit tells the true story of an incident during the “race riots” which swept U.S. cities in the summer of 1967. The film, directed by Kathryn Bigelow, has won praise for its portrayal of police corruption and racial tensions during that long hot summer. 1967 is remembered for the hippie Summer of Love, but July … Continue reading “Detroit: Modern History on Film”
The British capital gets into the Halloween spirit with a vengeance. It must be said that London has almost 2,000 years of often bloody and gruesome history that lends itself well to tales of ghosts and the unquiet dead. The various Royal Palaces have a wealth of gory history to delve into. At Hampton Court … Continue reading “Scare Yourself Silly: Halloween in London”
If you missed the shows choreographed by Akram Khan that toured France last year, there is another chance to catch Chotto Desh between now and December, in Paris, Enghein, Dijon, Lyons and Grenoble. Khan is a British-born Bangladeshi dancer and choreographer, whose work fuses classical Indian dance and stories with contemporary dance. His shows Until … Continue reading “Bangladeshi Dance Touring France”
The sixth edition of the This is England Festival will take place from 13-18 November. If you are in the Rouen area, sign your classes up now for screenings, and download the teaching packs for collège and lycée. Short films are a brilliant way to introduce British culture to language learners, as is an exhibition … Continue reading “This Is England Short Films Festival in Rouen”
The 2017 Man Booker Prize, the UK’s most prestigious literary award, has been awarded to a first novel by American short-story writer George Saunders for Lincoln in the Bardo. Saunders is a veteran author but up till now he has specialised in short stories – Time magazine declared him the best short-story writer alive today. … Continue reading “Experimental Novel about Abraham Lincoln Wins 2017 Booker Prize”
Worldwide, we send 6 billion emojis a day to accompany or replace text in messages. So it was only a matter of time till someone made a film in which emojis come to life. The Emoji Movie is based on the idea that each emoji can only have one facial expression and one tone. Smiler’s … Continue reading “Emoji Speak”
Many in the U.S. consider Thanksgiving the most American of holidays. The feast appeals to every religious and ethnic group, honours a turning point in American history, and encourages a spirit of good will. Plus, Thanksgiving offers one of the best meals of the year! In 1620, a group of 102 British people men, women … Continue reading “Thanksgiving”