Honouring Jane Austen

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 18 July 2017 > Celebrate

On 18 July, the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s death, the Bank of England revealed a new £10 bearing the image of one of Britain’s most enduring authors. Austen joins Winston Churchill, who has been honoured on the £5 note since September 2016, and the artist JMW Turner, whose portrait will adorn the £20 note … Continue reading “Honouring Jane Austen”

Remembering Jane Austen

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 18 July 2017 > Celebrate

Two hundred years after her death, Jane Austen remains one of Britain’s best-loved authors. Yet in her short lifetime, she was unknown. Austen was born in 1775 in Hampshire, the seventh of eight children of a vicar. She had a happy childhood and youth in a family that read books aloud to each other and … Continue reading “Remembering Jane Austen”

Jane Austen and Shakespeare Lectures in Paris

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 13 July 2017 > What's On

Go along to lectures on Jane Austen and Shakespeare in Paris, or catch up online. All for free! As part of the Sorbonne’s Summer University course don’t miss two lectures on English literature, in English: 18 July 6-7.30 p.m. “Jane Austen on the Tourist Trail” by English Literature professor Nicola Watson from the Open University. … Continue reading “Jane Austen and Shakespeare Lectures in Paris”

Partitioning India

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 04 July 2017 > What's On

Director Gurinder Chadha has given cinema audiences a glimpse of British Asian experience with films like Bend it Like Beckham or Bhaji on the Beach. Now a series of chance encounters has led her to examine a difficult period in her family history and that of the country of her ancestors: the Partition of India … Continue reading “Partitioning India”

The Miracle of Dunkirk

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 04 July 2017 > What's On

Dunkirk tells the story of one of the most extraordinary events of the Second World War: the evacuation of 338,000 men from the beaches of Dunkirk in northern France, against incredible odds. In May 1940, the Nazi Army was on the offensive. Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands and Belgium rapidly fell, then they set their sights … Continue reading “The Miracle of Dunkirk”

Around the World in 80 Days

Posted by Speakeasy News > Tuesday 04 July 2017 > In the News

As many British cyclists set off on the 2017 Tour de France, Mark Beaumont set off on a much longer cycling challenge. He is trying to cycle around the world in 80 days, in homage to Jules Verne’s classic adventure novel. To qualify for the Guinness World Record for cycling around the world, Beaumont needs … Continue reading “Around the World in 80 Days”

Exit and Entry

Posted by Speakeasy News > Monday 26 June 2017 > Pedagogy

Dans notre série de suggestions pour tirer un maximum de bénéfice des documents fournis aux élèves, voici une idée pratique et simple d’activité qui favorise l’implication de tous et donne un feedback essentiel aux professeurs : l’utilisation de ce que l’on appelle exit cards dans les pays anglophones. Chaque élève se voit remettre une petite carte … Continue reading “Exit and Entry”

Emma Watson Hides “The Handmaid’s Tale” in Paris

Posted by Speakeasy News > Thursday 22 June 2017 > In the News

Emma Watson has already hidden feminist books for people to find in New York and London. On June 21 and 22, she distributed 100 copies of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale in Paris. Atwood’s dystopian novel is a feminist classic, and has recently been adapted for a very popular streaming TV series in the U.S. … Continue reading “Emma Watson Hides “The Handmaid’s Tale” in Paris”

What is the Queen’s Speech?

Posted by Speakeasy News > Wednesday 21 June 2017 > In the News

The Queen’s Speech is shorthand for the UK’s State Opening of Parliament, which takes place annually at the beginning of each parliamentary session. The monarch reads out a speech to the assembled Houses of Lords and Commons detailing the government’s programme of legislation for the upcoming year. The State Opening is one of those occasions … Continue reading “What is the Queen’s Speech?”