More poetry - and more ...

Last weekend I visited “Les Buttes aux Cailles” for a poetry weekend (see preceding post). This weekend I attended another event, again linked to poetry, literature, theatre… - this time in my own neighbourhood, “Les Batignolles”.

This is actually a yearly event and one particular day it allows people to sell their books… and of course to buy other ones. It’s part of a lot of other activities which are proposed by a local association, “Du Rififi aux Batignolles”, during September.

Bad luck, this year it rained a lot Saturday.

I listened to some – really nice – poetry by a young lady. The event was actually this year linked to Victor Hugo and she had brought along some kids who read some of his poems.

Due to the wet weather, what should have taken place in open space was finally transferred to one of the local cafés, generously opened. We could enjoy a nice mixture of Victor Hugo texts, with interludes by a talented young cello player.

Starting under umbrellas we then made a Victor Hugo tour, listening to Lucien Maillard, a journalist and writer, who regularly offers very interesting and extremely well documented information, this time accompanied by some wonderfully performed music. (Finally, we were spontaneously invited by one of the followers to finish the performance in her nearby flat.)  

That was Saturday. Sunday, still a bit of rain, but less. I watched a number of amateur theatre plays (excerpts). There had been a pre-selection. A number of theatre groups performed, in my mind quite professionally. There were other events proposed by Rififi, but you can't be everywhere.

One reason was that I wanted to be there when a new Montmartre project was presented.

I already posted about “The Cité des Arts” at Montmartre, see here. The idea is now to obtain an investment from the City of Paris, owners of the premises, in order to create something which is referred to as the “Villa Medicis” in Paris. This green haven - where many later world famous artists have lived and worked, where the famous first cancan dancer, “La Goulu” lived and where some 40 artist studios are “hidden” - needs to be renovated, buildings as well as the green space. The idea is also to make it more open to public, to create a place for expositions…  This is now on the list of City projects for the coming years, but it’s not the only one. There is a possibility to vote here.