Author Talk: Yara El-Ghadban
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Join us for this special Author Talk in English by Yara El-Ghadban on her novel “I am Ariel Sharon” as a part of her residence with Lettres sur la Loire et d’Ailleurs. The talk will take place from 10-11 followed by a book signing.
Born in 1976, YARA EL-GHADBAN is a Palestinian-Canadian novelist and anthropologist. Her books explore the lives of men, women and children who dream of a future despite history, colonial violence and exile. She is the author of four novels published by Mémoire d’encrier. Her most recent, La danse des flamants roses (2024), winner of the Mare Nostrum Prize for best Mediterranean novel, is shortlisted for the Frontières Prize and Prix des lycéens de la region des Pays de la Loire in France. Yara El-Ghadban wrote her first novel L’ombre de l’olivier in 2011. She published Le parfum de Nour in 2015 and Je suis Ariel Sharon in 2018. The latter won the Blue Metropolis Diversity Prize in 2019. Je suis Ariel Sharon has been translated into English, Arabic and German. In 2021, she co-authored with Rodney Saint-Éloi the essay Les racistes n’ont jamais vu la mer, a finalist for the 2022 Prix des libraires in Québec. Yara El-Ghadban was awarded the 2017 Victor-Martyn-Lynch-Staunton Prize by the Canada Council for the Arts for her contribution to Canadian literature. She lives and writes in Montreal.
Free and open to the public. No reservations necessary.
This event is in partnership with Mobilis, Médiathèques de la Ville d’Angers, Région Pays de la Loire, Residence Lettres sur la Loire et d’Ailleurs, and Le Mot de la Faim.
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Printemps des Poètes: Poetry Readings
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Poetry readings for the “Printemps des Poètes” festival with authors in residence, Ariane Dreyfus and Falmarès, on Wednesday, March 12th from 6:30 to 8 pm, at the library. Ariane and Falmarès will be discussing the national theme “Volcanic poetry” as well as their journey as poets. This event will be in French and is a part of a week-long celebration of poetry from March 8th to the 14th. This program falls within the context of the Printemps des Poètes 2025 (the French national celebration of poetry) and has been organised with the collaboration of the MIEL (Maison internationale des écritures et des littératures) with the support of the Ville d’Angers. Free and open to the public. No need to reserve, just come and enjoy! |
Anglofams x Cherche and Create | “Art Play” Pop-Up!
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Anglofams is an international community designed to connect English-speaking families with kids of all ages in the area. On March 9th we will be enjoying an Art Play pop-up for kids of all ages in collaboration with Cherche and Create, a local art studio located in Angers’ Saint Serge neighborhood offering immersive English-language art workshops for all ages. Founded in 2021 by a Canadian arts educator from Toronto, the studio specializes in ‘Process Art’—a North American pedagogical approach emphasizing the joy of creative exploration.
This Art Play pop-up event will feature a range of creative activities celebrating diversity and the richness of our different cultures.
We will be offering light refreshments and you can make a suggested donation of €5 if you’d like to help cover the cost of supplies.
As a reminder, Anglofams meetups are open to members with an active family membership at the English-language Library in Angers. We kindly ask you ensure your membership is up to date before the event. If you’d like to join us, please RSVP by Monday March 3 with the following details:
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Printemps des Poètes: The “Happening”
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Take two published poets, Ariane Dreyfus and Falmarès and put them in the same room with jazz musician Nathanaël De Vries and see what happens! That is the whole idea behind a happening…a unique performance not to be missed! Poetry readings will be in both French and English. Translations will be read by Mishell Magnus Ducloux, ambassador from Angers’ sister city, Austin, Texas. This program falls within the context of the Printemps des Poètes 2025 (the French national celebration of poetry) and has been organised with the collaboration of the MIEL (Maison internationale des écritures et des littératures) with the support of the Ville d’Angers. Free and open to the public. No need to reserve, just come and enjoy! |
Reading Shakespeare
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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. The number of participants is limited. |
Take your TOEIC test
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The library is an authorised test center for the TOEIC Listening and Reading Test (the Test of English for International Communication). For more information please visit our TOEIC page or to sign up go to the official ETS website. |
Saturday Reading Group
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The Saturday Reading Group is for anyone who loves to read, socialize in English, and meet new people. For this meeting, the group will read “The Midnight Library” by Matt Haig. 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.
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Book Club reads “My Dear I Wanted to Tell You”
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The February read for the book club is “My Dear I Wanted to Tell You” by Louisa Young. The Book Club is full for the 2024-2025 year. If you would like to join the waiting list, please send an e-mail to reception. We also invite you to consider joining Books and Tea or Saturday Reading Group! |
Reading Shakespeare
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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. The number of participants is limited. |
Walk and Talk
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Get on those hiking boots and take some time to revel in the great outdoors! The group “Walk and Talk” organises 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 your stamina up ! Maximum group is 20 so make sure to sign up! Want to sign up? Easy as pie!Sign up by sending your name, email address and phone numbers (perferably cell phone) to this email address. You will be sent full details of the walk in due time. |