Archives : Évènements

This halloween workshop for young adults at the “collège” level (between the ages of 11-14) takes place in the library and runs over three consecutive afternoons of three hours each. This is a wonderful way for kids to have fun learning English through games, songs and lots of speaking and moving around. Cost is 75 euros (includes snack, materials and library membership). Please contact the front desk to sign up. Limited to 15.

For music lovers who are not necessarily musicians, the library presents a series of sessions aiming at illustrating  the heritage of English Classical Music in its most specific and beautiful forms, mainly vocal music. Each session will focus on a composer, with a short presentation of the work and the composer, followed by the listening of selected pieces through  selected  videos, often with different interpretations. The point is to share comments and criticism with the group members.

This session will focus on Handel’s opera “Alcina”.

These sessions are free and open to the public. Please let Michel Cartillier know if you will be present by sending an email to this address.

Time to get outside! Get on those hiking boots and take some time to revel in the great outdoors! The idea is to organise an easy walk once a month – approximately 10 km, 2 to 3 hours, in the afternoon – in order to discover or re-discover the beautiful hiking paths of the Maine-et-Loire. Come along with good walking shoes, protection against rain, cold or heat according to the season…. a bottle of water and a little “en-cas” to keep you going ! Maximum group is 20 so make sure to sign up!

Sign up by sending your name, email address and phone numbers (preferably cell phone) to this email address. You will be sent full details of the walk in due time.

The Saturday Reading Group is for anyone who loves to read, socialize in English, and meet new people.

The October read for the group is “And Then There Were None” by Agatha Christie. “Ten . . .”Ten strangers are lured to an isolated island mansion off the Devon coast by a mysterious “U. N. Owen.” “Nine . . .” At dinner a recorded message accuses each of them in turn of having a guilty secret, and by the end of the night one of the guests is dead. “Eight . . .” Stranded by a violent storm, and haunted by a nursery rhyme counting down one by one . . . as one by one . . . they begin to die. “Seven . . .” Which among them is the killer and will any survive?

The group will also be discussing the 1945 film starring Barry Fitzgerald, Walter Huston, Louis Hayward, and June Duprez.

When and where: Meetings will be held in the library once a month on Saturday afternoons starting at 3:00. Cost: FREE to all members of the library. To join: Please contact Anne Kaar at bookgroup@ellia.org

Once a month on a Friday evening the library will offer a theme-based “Afterwork”. This is an activity for professionals, students at the university level and anyone who would like to network in English. This evening will have a 1980s blind test game so brush up on your Top Twenty songs of the roaring 80s! No reservations needed! 5 euros per person at the door to cover the cost of drinks and nibbles.

The October read for the bookclub is “A Handful of Dust” by Evelyn Waugh.

After seven years of marriage, the beautiful Lady Brenda Last is bored with life at Hetton Abbey, the Gothic mansion that is the pride and joy of her husband, Tony. She drifts into an affair with the shallow socialite John Beaver and forsakes Tony for the Belgravia set. Brilliantly combining tragedy, comedy and savage irony, A Handful of Dust captures the irresponsible mood of the ‘crazy and sterile generation’ between the wars. This breakdown of the Last marriage is a painful, comic re-working of Waugh’s own divorce, and a symbol of the disintegration of society.

For any inquiries about joining the book club please send an email by clicking here.

This is a special moment when the community gathers together to talk about everything and anything (…in English of course!) and sips coffee and tea. Coffee House is free and open to all library members. Just drop in, no need to reserve!

“Books and Tea” is a monthly meeting for bookworms and tea drinkers. Bring a book you’ve really enjoyed, talk about it and pass it on! The group meets from 2 to 3:30 at the tea shop in town called “Les Casse-Croûte de Suzy”. No need to sign up, just come and enjoy!

Come join the Drama Club, a new activity at the library starting this September! Open to adults and university students, with or without acting experience. It will consist of miming, improvising, and acting out published works of theater, such as sketches and plays.

Meetings will take place at the library twice a month (except during school holidays) on Wednesday evenings from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Please attend regularly on the following dates: October 17th, November 7th, November 21st, December 5th, December 19th, January 9th, January 23rd, February 6th, February 27th, March 13th, March 27th, April 3rd, April 24th, May 15th, May 22nd, June 5th and June 12th.

This activity is open to library members, the cost is 90€ for the 2018-2019 school year. Sign up at the front desk. Take the stage and break a leg! 

The pizza and board games evening is scheduled one Tuesday a month from 6-8 pm. Cost is 7 euros (covers pizza and non-alcoholic drinks, 5 euros for children 12 and under and native English speakers). No reservations necessary, just come and enjoy! Upcoming dates are Nov. 20th, Dec. 18th, Jan. 22nd, Feb. 26th, March 19th, April 23rd, May 21st and June 18th.