Archives: Events

Take a talented trio: Jacques Josse (a French poet, writer and publisher from Rennes and previously the Director of the Maision de la Poésie de Rennes), a musician and a painter, put them in the same room in front of an audience and see what happens! That’s the idea behind a happening, put the raw ingredients together and let inspiration strike, creating a unique, one-time-only performance that is not to be missed!

This event is part of the Printemps des Poètes (the French national celebration of poetry) which has been organized with the collaboration of the MIEL (Maison internationale des écritures et des littératures) and the support of the Ville d’Angers. There will also be poetry recitals by MIEL members.

This event will be in French and English, it is free and open to the public, no reservations necessary but seating is limited.

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

The March read for the group is Black Klansman: Race, Hate, and the Undercover Investigation of a Lifetime by Ron Stallworth. In 1978 the community of Colorado Springs, Colorado experienced a growth of Ku Klux Klan (KKK) membership. One man dared to challenge their effort and thwart attempts to take over the city, Police Detective Ron Stallworth. He launched an undercover investigation into the Klan, gained membership into the organization, briefly served as Duke’s bodyguard, and was eventually asked to be the leader of the Colorado Springs chapter. The irony of this investigation was that Stallworth is… A Black man. In the process he battled internal departmental politics to successfully pull off this “sting.” Black Klansman explains how he overcame these obstacles and accomplished this almost unbelievable unique achievement.

Meetings are once a month on Saturday afternoons starting at 3 pm. Open to all library members. To sign up please contact the group coordinator at bookgroup@ellia.org.

Treat yourself to an afternoon of a collective reading of one of Shakespeare’s plays. This activity consists of watching a BBC production on DVD and then reading relative scenes. This is a great activity for lovers of language and fans of the great wit. Free and open to all library members, for more information or to sign-up please contact the group coordinator here.

Come and let your creative juices flow with this writing workshop. The workshop will focus on working with spontaneity in poetry and improvisation inspired by the Black Arts Movement in the 1960s and its connection to the influence of hip hop on poetry today.

Mike Ladd began his career as a spoken word poet after graduating from Hampshire College, USA with a degree in English literature. He later found success as a rapper and hip-hop producer, releasing five solo albums, in addition to being the brain behind the fictitious music collectives Majesticons and Infesticons. He has performed at venues throughout the world including, The Apollo, The Metropolitan Museum, Erving Plaza, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Shepherd’s Bush Empire, Le Théâtre de Châtelet and L’Olympia in Paris…and now to the English-language Library in Angers! Mike Ladd can be heard frequently on French radio stations with numerous projects spanning everything from Jazz to Hip Hop, Afrobeat to Punk to Pop. Since teaching at Sciences Po. in Paris, Michael currently lives in Paris with his wife and two children.

This workshop is free and open to the public and has been made possible with support from the Bibliopôle and the Conseil Départemental de Maine-et-Loire.

Sign-ups required for writing workshop, send email here.

Come along and bring your knitting,

Have a natter while you’re sitting,

Or learn to knit with wool provided,

Needles loaned and stitches guided.

Knitted garments are très chic,

So be in vogue and start this week.

Knit and Natter is a free activity, open to all library members. No need to reserve, just come and enjoy! If anyone has some extra yarn please bring it in.

Come to this spoken word and music special event. Mike Ladd began his career as a spoken word poet after graduating from Hampshire College, USA with a degree in English literature. He later found success as a rapper and hip-hop producer, releasing five solo albums, in addition to being the brain behind the fictitious music collectives Majesticons and Infesticons. He has performed at venues throughout the world including, The Apollo, The Metropolitan Museum, Erving Plaza, Queen Elizabeth Hall, Shepherd’s Bush Empire, Le Théâtre de Châtelet and L’Olympia in Paris…and now to the English-language Library in Angers! Mike Ladd can be heard frequently on French radio stations with numerous projects spanning everything from Jazz to Hip Hop, Afrobeat to Punk to Pop. Since teaching at Sciences Po. in Paris, Michael currently lives in Paris with his wife and two children.

Sébastien Boisseau is a French double bass player, founder of Yolk records and instigator for the project « 1 salon 2 musiciens ».

After the performance in the morning, Mike Ladd will give a writing workshop in English in the afternoon from 2-4. Sign-ups required for writing workshop, send email here.

This program has been made possible with support from the Bibliopôle and the Conseil Départemental de Maine-et-Loire.

Join the library community for a special moment to talk about anything and everything (in English of course!) over a cup of coffee or tea. Coffee House is free and open to all library members. Just drop by, no need to reserve!

Join us for our ever-popular game night and pizza party! Cost is 7 euros (covers pizza and non-alcoholic drinks, 5 euros for native English speakers and children under 13). Event starts at 6 pm sharp. Last entry at 6:15 pm. First come, first serve with 40 participants max. Children under 13 need to be accompanied by an adult.

For music lovers who are not necessarily musicians, the library presents a series of sessions aimed at illustrating English Classical Music in its most beautiful forms. Each session will focus on a composer, with a short presentation of their work as well as listening to select pieces and videos. The point is to share comments and criticism as a group.

Free and open to all library members, for more information or to sign up please contact the group coordinator here.

The Internet is wonderful and can answer all your questions. For most of us, it is the main source for news. Indeed, we have immediate access to plenty of media from different parts of the world. But can they all be trusted? Using different sources and media, the press review helps you to find your way through the news and be well-informed. This is an informal sharing and discussion of the news in English. Please feel free to bring in an article that you would like to share with the other members of the group.

Meetings are held on Saturdays from 2-3pm.

This activity, free for library members, is organized by freelance journalist and library volunteer: Isma Hassaine-Poirier.