Ladan Niayesh and her book The Knight's Legacy of the Manchester Medieval Literature and Culture series celebrated at the bookshop on January 6th!

January 6th, 2011 -here are a few photos from the launch - more can be seen on the events blog! Manchester Medieval Literature and Culture -

A Knight’s Legacy

Mandeville and Mandevillian Lore in early modern England
Edited by Ladan Niayesh

The so-called Travels of Sir John Mandeville (c. 1356) was one of the most popular books of the late Middle-Ages. Translated into many European languages and widely circulating in both manuscript and printed forms, the pseudo English knight’s account had a lasting influence on the voyages of discovery and durably affected Europe’s perception of exotic lands and peoples.

The early modern period witnessed the slow erosion of Mandeville’s prestige as an authority and the gradual development of new responses to his book. Some still supported the account’s general claim to authenticity while questioning details here and there, and some openly denounced it as a hoax. Others looked at it as a reservoir for romance material, a fit object for parody, or a stepping-stone towards a new epistemology of travel and discovery.

Placing themselves at the permeable border between medieval and early modern studies, the essays collected in this volume explore the variety and evolutions of readings and reconstructions of Mandeville and Mandevillian lore in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century England. After considering the general issues of edition and reception of Mandeville in an opening section, the volume moves on to explore theological and epistemological concerns in a second section, before tackling literary and dramatic reworkings in a final section.

Examining in detail a diverse range of texts and issues, these essays ultimately bear witness to the complexity of early modern engagements with a late medieval legacy which Mandeville emblematises.

Acknowledgements
Contributors
Abbreviations
Foreword
Mary Baine Campbell
Part I: Editions and Receptions
1. Mandeville in England: the early years Michael S. Seymour
2. ‘Whet-stone leasings of old Maundevile’: reading the Travels in early modern England Charles W. R. D. Moseley
3. Mandeville reviviscent: early modern travel tales Kenneth Parker
Part II: Mandevillian Ideologies
4. The four rivers of paradise: Mandeville and the Book of Genesis Leo Carruthers
5. Mandeville On Muhammad: texts, contexts and influence Matthew Dimmock
6. A ‘science of dreams’: ‘the fantastic ethnography’ of Sir Walter Ralegh and Baconian experimentalism Line Cottegnies
Part III: Mandevillian Stages
7. Marlowe’s Tamburlaine: the well-travelled tyrant and some of his unchecked baggage Richard Hillman
8. Prester John writes back: the legend and its early modern reworkings Ladan Niayesh
9. Stage-Mandevilles: the far east and the limits of representation in the theatre, 1621/2002 Gordon Mcmullan
10. The politics of Mandevillian monsters in Richard Brome’s The Antipodes Claire Jowitt
Index

Ladan Niayesh is a Maître de Conférences (Senior Lecturer) in English Literature at the University of Paris VII, France

Manchester Medieval Literature and Culture

216x138mm 224pp
hb 9780719081750 28 February 2011 £55.00
4 b&w illustrations

The Red Wheelbarrow Bookstore will be closed December 24th until the 31st - open again on the 1st in the afternoon !

Photos from John Lichfield: Our Man in Paris at the RWB!

Photos from Thursday evening...

Since 1997 John Lichfield, The Independent’s correspondent in France, has been sending dispatches back to the newspaper in London. More than transient news stories, the popular ‘Our Man in Paris’ series consists of essays on all things French. Sometimes serious, at other times light-hearted, they offer varied vignettes of life in the hexagone and trace the author’s evolving relationship with his adopted country.

Many of Lichfield’s themes concern the mysteries of Paris and its people. Who is responsible for the city’s extraordinary plumbing? How can you drive around the Arc de Triomphe and survive? He also ponders the phenomena that intrigue many foreigners, such as the eloquence of the capital’s beggars and the identity of the intimidating but fast disappearing concierge. Visiting places as different as the Musée d’Orsay and Disneyland, he explores culture high and low as well as the everyday pleasures and problems of living in Paris.

Leaving the capital, the dispatches also cover provincial France, especially a part of rural Normandy where the author has a house. Here he writes of a dysfunctional farmer neighbour, the difficulties of tending an ‘English’ lawn and the threat of a new high-speed road development to his tiny commune.

Nor are more general aspects of French society ignored. A section deals with politics, examining the Sarkozy phenomenon as well as anti-French sentiment in the United States, while another follows the author’s children through the bureaucratic French education system. Predictably, there are pieces on French food and restaurants, while Lichfield also guides the reader through the linguistic minefield of tu and vous as well as exposing the continuing spectre of the German Occupation and collaboration.

Our Man in Paris is a highly readable account of our nearest neighbours and their idiosyncracies. Perceptive and affectionate, it provides a wealth of insights into France and the French.

John Lichfield has been with The Independent since its launch in 1986. He was previously US correspondent and Foreign Editor. In 1999 he was named Foreign Reporter of the year in the UK Press Awards for his dispatches from France. He was born in Stoke on Trent in 1949 and educated in Macclesfield and Cambridge. He is married with three children.

All the copies of 'Our Man in Paris' published by Signal Books (who were present at the launching )sold out - more copies available soon.

John Lichfield, Our Man in Paris book launch December 9th, 2010

OUR MAN IN PARIS A FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT, FRANCE AND THE FRENCH John Lichfield

Since 1997 John Lichfield, The Independent’s correspondent in France, has been sending dispatches back to the newspaper in London. More than transient news stories, the popular ‘Our Man in Paris’ series consists of essays on all things French. Sometimes serious, at other times light-hearted, they offer varied vignettes of life in the hexagone and trace the author’s evolving relationship with his adopted country. Many of Lichfield’s themes concern the mysteries of Paris and its people. Who is responsible for the city’s extraordinary plumbing? How can you drive around the Arc de Triomphe and survive? He also ponders the phenomena that intrigue many foreigners, such as the eloquence of the capital’s beggars and the identity of the intimidating but fast disappearing concierge. Visiting places as different as the Musée d’Orsay and Disneyland, he explores culture high and low as well as the everyday pleasures and problems of living in Paris. Leaving the capital, the dispatches also cover provincial France, especially a part of rural Normandy where the author has a house. Here he writes of a dysfunctional farmer neighbour, the difficulties of tending an ‘English’ lawn and the threat of a new high-speed road development to his tiny commune. Nor are more general aspects of French society ignored. A section deals with politics, examining the Sarkozy phenomenon as well as anti-French sentiment in the United States, while another follows the author’s children through the bureaucratic French education system. Predictably, there are pieces on French food and restaurants, while Lichfield also guides the reader through the linguistic minefield of tu and vous as well as exposing the continuing spectre of the German Occupation and collaboration. Our Man in Paris is a highly readable account of our nearest neighbours and their idiosyncracies. Perceptive and affectionate, it provides a wealth of insights into France and the French.

Reminder of the Paris Short Story Contest - deadline end November!

Creative Writing Contest for Best Short Stories About Paris, Call for Submissions
Paris Writers News' short story contest about Paris is open to writers worldwide.

The story can come from anywhere--Hong Kong, Mumbai, New Orleans, Karachi, Aukland, Beijing, Cairo, Mexico City, even Paris!--but it must be in English and it must have some link to France.

If you've written a fine short story about Paris, please apply!

PARIS SHORT STORY CONTEST

Deadline: November 30.

Prize: 200 euros plus publication of top 12 stories in a book called "The Best and Most Delightful Stories About Paris"
Entry fee: 10 euros (paypal)
Finalist judges : Nicola Keegan, Janet Skeslien Charles, Elizabeth Bard, Charles Trueheart, Brian Spence, Charles and Clydette De Groot, Cara Black, Anne Korkeakivi, Heather Stimmler Hall, Penelope Fletcher, Robert Stewart, and Diane Johnson.
Open to writers worldwide.

Restrictions: Maximum 5,000 words. Submission in the body of the email (no attachments, please)

For info and submissions: http://parisstoriescontest.blogspot.com/

The Paris Short Story Contest now has a new flyer that can be printed out and posted at local bookshops, universities, cafes -- any place writers gather! http://laurelzuckerman.typepad.fr/files/paris-short-story-contest.pdf

The Paris Short Story Contest is organized by Paris Writers News. For more information, please contact Editor Laurel Zuckerman at pariswritersnews aaattttt gmail.com . International and expat writers as well as students and faculty at MFA programs are encouraged to participate.

Kazim Ali reads at the RWB

Reminder: Kazim Ali reads from Bright Felon at the Red Wheelbarrow Bookshop this Monday, October 25th, 2010

Wesleyan University Press and The Red Wheelbarrow Bookshop are pleased to announce Kazim Ali will be reading from Bright Felon, other works by Kazim Ali will be available as well. This Monday evening at the bookshop, all are welcome! See our events blog page for more information.

Booker Prize Winner announced!

ManBookerPrize Man Booker Prize
And Andrew Motion has just announced that the winner is ... HOWARD JACOBSON - congratulations!!

Leigh Hobbs and bookseller

Reminder ! Leigh Hobbs at the RWB this Saturday!

October 2nd, 2010 meet Leigh Hobbs! Not to miss !

Saturday afternoon October 2nd at 2pm- do not miss meeting Leigh Hobbs author illustrator from Australia, signing his latest book, closest to our hearts so far, Mr Chicken Goes to Paris -
For more information click on this wonderful website : www.leighhobbs.com.au

Cecily is back to the Land of Oz

Hordes of customers and friends of the RWB are disappointed that Cecily Niumeitolu's year working at the bookshop is up. Cecily is irreplaceable.

Paul Schmidtberger, author snapped outside the RWB

Eye Prefer Paris, Parisian of the Month: Penelope Fletcher

Penelope is featured on Eye Prefer Paris as Parisian of the Month. Click here to read it!

Booker Longlist on Holiday

Keep an eye on the Review Blog for reviews by Penelope and Renée.

Summer Days at the RWB

Happy winner of the Stein + Beck Festival Award at the RWB!

Joanne Mitchell of Canada, won the stein -beck (beer) award at the shop today ! This was in conjunction with the festival "Journeys, Steinbeck Around the World " August 5-8, 2010 organized by the National Steinbeck Center - see www.steinbeck.org for more news!

Save the date! October the 2nd for author/illustrator Leigh Hobbs

and Mr Chicken goes to Paris booksigning ! Come and get your copy signed !

Steinbeck festival / Travels with Charley

RWB is participating in the Steinbeck Festival, this year! Steinbeck events have been planned all over the world: We rec'd news from Jane Fitzgibbon, who lives here, who is redoing the travels of Charley with her own standard poodle, fifty years after, in connection with this year's festival theme: Journeys, Steinbeck around the World. Here is the link to the two websites: www.gogentlymrbentley.com and www.steinbeck.org/Festival.html .

Meg, Daniella and Cecily at the RWB in the sunshine

RWB Summer 2010

We are open all summer! Often we close for lunch - but otherwise our hours remain the same. Between August 13th and August 27th the hours will be reduced- but please check on the website for changes- or telephone 01 48 04 75 08.

Cara Black's Reading

Cara Black reads and discusses MURDER IN THE PALAIS ROYAL

The 10th Aimée Leduc Investigation in Paris

Tuesday May 11th @7pm
The Red Wheelbarrow
22 Rue Saint-Paul
75004 Paris, France
01 48 04 75 08

Metro - Saint Paul

"Charming....Aimée Leduc is one of those blithe spirits who can walk you through the city's historical streets and byways with their eyes closed." The New York Times Book Review

My Father's Paradise by Ariel Sabar (Review by Renee Levine)

It has been a while since I sent a piece in to the RWB website, but then, we have left Paris and I haven't done much reading while the move took us to North Carolina and a new life. The book I am telling you about allowed me to think about things other than the most dreary daily mess. It is a beautiful book about language and history, My Father's Paradise, by Ariel Sabar about just that: finding meaning in the past, in this case the extraordinary survival of the aramaic language in a jewish village in Kurdistan. The story of a refugee who becomes a professor of linguistics in order to hold on to this pre-christian survival of a three thousand year old tongue. Not written now but only spoken and that only by a handful of scattered refugees in this century. A beautiful tale of a people living harmoniously together and yet separate, in the same town, getting on for practical purposes they are together , separate for family and religious ties. A journalist son who is embarrassed by his foreign, old-fashioned and weird father while growing up in modern american Los Angeles and only very slowly immerses himself in the history of his family and of their country.
I am standing here in the "laundry room" over my computer, waiting for the people to come and fetch the rented bed, etc. and find myself caught up in this book I have only just finished. The one I began last night is about Armenians and Turkey, also by a young, in this case, british journalist, who becomes immersed in finding out more of the history of what, accidentally, is happening in the next door spot to the Kurdistan of the other book, the kurdish north in Turkey, the former was the kurdish bit of Iraq. Rebel Land, by Christopher de Bellaigue tells the story of modern Turkey and its past in that small corner of Turkey which touches the Kurdistan of Sabar's tale. I heartily recommend them both to fans of history, to people who would like to understand a little more of what is now going on in Iraq and its surrounding lands.

Renee Levine

Upcoming Poetry Reading

15 April at 7pm : THE RED WHEELBARROW BOOKSTORE invites you to a reading by poets ELLEN HINSEY, DENIS HIRSON, & SUE CHENETTE. ELLEN HINSEY will read from her new collection, Update on the Descent (Bloodaxe Books, 2009), a powerful meditation on violence, war, and human division, which was a 2007 National Poetry Series finalist. She is also the author of The White Fire of Time (2003) and Cities of Memory (1996), winner of the Yale Younger Poets Award. She edited and co-translated Tomas Venclova’s The Junction: Selected Poems (2008). Her poems, essays and translations have appeared widely in publications such as The New York Times, The New Yorker, Poetry Review, Poetry, and The Irish Times. Her translations of contemporary French fiction and memoir are published with Riverhead/Penguin Books. Her other awards include a Berlin Prize Fellowship, a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writer’s Award and a Lannan Foundation Award. She has lived in Paris since 1987, and teaches writing and literature at Skidmore College’s program and the French graduate school, the École Polytechnique. DENIS HIRSON’s new book, Gardening in the Dark (Jacana Media, 2007), begins by evoking a childhood in South Africa under apartheid, and ends with the author as a father evoking his own children and life in France. Hirson is the author of four other critically-acclaimed books: The House Next Door to Africa (1986); I Remember King Kong (The Boxer) (2005); We Walk Straight So You Better Get Out the Way (2007), and White Scars (2006), which was shortlisted for the 2007 Sunday Times Alan Paton Award. He is also the editor with Martin Trump of The Heinemann Book of South African Short Stories (1994); and the editor of The Lava of this Land, South African Poetry 1960-1996 (1997). His poetry, stories and essays have appeared in Harper's Magazine, The Boston Review, City Lights and New Directions. Hirson lived in South Africa until the age of 22. He is a graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand, where he studied Social Anthropolgy. Since 1975 he has lived in France, where he works as a teacher and writer. The poems in SUE CHENETTE’s new book Slender Human Weight (Guernica Editions: 2009) explore a world both familiar and mysterious. In a notebook found in a Paris flea market, or a dragon hacked out of a fallen tree along a Toronto river bank, she finds the richness of physical objects as they embody what is felt, dreamed of, longed for, and remembered. Sue Chenette is the author of three chapbooks: Solitude in Cloud and Sun (2007); A Transport of Grief (2007), and The Time Between Us ( 2001), which won the Canadian Poetry Association’s Shaunt Basmajian Award. She is also a co-author of the renga Weathering (2008). Her poems appear in Canadian journals such as The New Quarterly, Descant, The Fiddlehead, and CV 2 as well as in reviews in the US, England, and France; they have been anthologized in A Time of Trial and In Fine Form: The Canadian Book of Form Poetry. Sue Chenette is a poet and pianist who grew up in northern Wisconsin, has lived in Toronto since 1972, and spends part of every year in Paris. At: The Red Wheelbarrow, 22 rue St Paul, 75004 Paris M° St Paul/ Sully-Morland.

(Via Paris Readings and Events)

February 2010, Mr Chicken goes to Paris

Jean-Luc Morel of Bloomsbury with Leigh Hobbs' latest book due at the RWB in March.

February 2010, Joshua Clover

Cecily (with two of his books), Joshua Clover, Penelope.