The Book Club in Paris
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| Thanks to Rachel_H @ Flickr creative commons |
Like the idea of sitting over a cup of tea calmly discussing the latest chic-lit must-read with a group of close friends?
Well, this might not be the book club for you.
How about an expensive gin martini in a bar just off the red-light district in Paris, crowded with strangers who want to see what's in your handbag?
Interested? Thought so.
With the entry fee giving "bring a book" as obligatory, the Book Club (that I also wrote about here) is a monthly event held at the swanky and oh-so-beautiful bar Le Carmen in the 9th arrondissement. Book geeks, plus quite a few trendies (let's be honest), unite to share books and chat literature. Any book*. It makes that conversation-opener so much easier when all you have to say is "So what's in your bag tonight then?" or something along those lines, depending on who you're talking to.
I'm looking forward to this Wednesday (22 Feb), where the Book Club shall be celebrating the first birthday of A Tale of Three Cities, a literary journal created with the intention of unearthing and uniting the talent of London, Paris and Berlin.
Co-founder of both the Book Club and Three Cities, Rosa Rankin-Gee is talented and driven to a point that it hurts a bit (hardly surprising as she's a literary thoroughbred). Even worse, on speaking to her, she's nice. Winner of Shakespeare and Co.'s 2011 Paris Literary Prize, she started the Book Club with friend Jethro Turner, and it was an instant success.
Paris, a hotbed of young and inspired internationals, is an ideal place to stir up such a cultural curry. Muchos kudos.
So come, share, drink (moderately) and chat to some interesting people. Let's celebrate what is a recent hatching of an international awakening in Paris. You might be foreign. The locals might hate you for it. But let's show them we can contribute to Paris' cultural history. Just in a different tongue.
The Book Club
Every last Wednesday of the month
Le Carmen
34 Rue Duperré
Paris 75009
Follow Rosa and Jethro on Twitter @jethroturner and @rosarankingee
(You can also follow me @emilyruckkeene if you like.)
Go forth and read!
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| My growing bookshelf. Contributions welcome. |
Mustard
*a friend of mine even turned up with a copy of the Economist for lack of time/inspiration.
I don't think she had a huge amount of takers.
Labels: 75009, A Tale of Three Cities, anglophone, books, Culture, Drinks, expat, France, literary scene in Paris, Literature, Paris, Paris talent, Poésie, Poetry, Random, things to do in Paris
