Author and philosopher Anne Dufourmantelle drowned at Pampelonne beach near St Tropez on July 21st after attempting to assist two children who had difficulty in the water. Dufourmantelle was swept away by a strong current soon after entering the water, and was recovered unresponsive a short time later. The children after whom she had gone were rescued, and are unharmed. Dufourmantelle penned a number of essays on the importance of risk-taking, as well as a book in 2011, ‘Praise of Risk.’ Image Courtesy of France Inter In an interview in French publication Liberation, Dufourmantelle is quoted as saying: It is …
Finland has topped a recent study into the amount of books read per country. Norway followed Finland in second place, with Iceland, Denmark and Sweden coming next. Switzerland was sixth and the USA in seventh, Canada in 11th, France in 12th and the UK in 17th place. Conducted by John Miller, president of Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, the research examined literacy achievement tests and also ‘literate behavior characteristics’–everything from instances of libraries and numbers of newspapers to years of formal education and computer availability in countries worldwide. If nations are ranked only on their reading assessment results, …
Calling all Caulfield fans! A film about the life of ‘The Catcher in the Rye’ author J.D Salinger is in the works and will hit screens September 15th. via YouTube With ‘Skins’ star Nicholas Hoult in the lead role, the film will follow Salinger from his student days in New York City to his time serving in World War II, to the writing and publication of his most famous work, the beloved ‘Catcher in the Rye.’ From the producers of ‘The Silver Linings Playbook,’ ‘American Beauty’ and ‘Milk,’ the film will feature an glittering cast of phonies including Kevin …
There are lots of places from the ‘Harry Potter’ series we’ve dreamed about seeing in real life, but it looks like paying a visit to The Leaky Cauldron may soon become a reality! Image Courtesy of Wizarding World Park New Jersey native and Harry Potter fan Matthew Cortland has teamed up with NASA engineer Travis Davis to create a version of the famous Harry Potter pub in London! According to The Huffington Post, the inn will be ‘dotted with floating candles,’ have ‘pint glasses that fill mysteriously from the bottom,’ and lights and taps that go ‘on and off with a flick of …
Elisabeth Moss, star of the Hulu adaptation of Margaret Atwood’s ‘The Handmaid’s Tale,’ told The Hollywood Reporter that, from re-reading Atwood’s novel, “what I’ve learned is, now is not really a time to stand in the middle. You’ve got to pick a side.” Image Courtesy of The Wrap Moss said that appearing in the show, which depicts a dystopian world in which women are used for breeding and have no autonomy, made her realize how urgent the issue of women’s rights is. If you’re spending a year on something and you’re thinking about it, you’re reading a book …
