Jules Verne: The 'Extraordinary Voyages' of a visionary French writer
France
12:14
Issued on:
From the show
This week we delve into the life of Jules Verne, one of the world's most widely translated writers. The French author's "Extraordinary Voyages" include "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea", "Around the World in Eighty Days" and "Journey to the Center of the Earth". They continue to inspire fans of adventure stories, 120 years after his death in 1905.
Many consider Verne to be one of the founding fathers of science fiction, while others see him as a visionary. Those familiar with the man himself speak of a tireless worker, with an unparalleled gift for making his ideas accessible to all and, with the help of his publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel, a creator of imaginary worlds that are still part of the cultural landscape today.
We discuss Verne's life and legacy with Jean Verne, his great-grandson; Céline Giton, author of "Jules Verne: an Extraordinary Animal Anthology"; Agnès Marcetteau-Paul, author of "The very curious Jules Verne"; and Pierre Stépanoff, director of the Maison Jules Verne in Amiens.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
16 hours ago
- France 24
Gaming fans bring electric energy to Rotterdam as TwitchCon arrives
The Dutch city is hosting TwitchCon this weekend -- the annual event run by United States streaming giant Twitch -- where fans can meet their favourite creators and join the celebrations. "I started during the lockdown and I just really like to put on the live stream while I'm working on cosplays or other things," said Larissa, a 24-year-old Dutch woman, who came to meet the creator of the fantasy characters that inspire her. This is Larissa's second TwitchCon, and for the occasion, she is dressed as a half-cyborg, half-minotaur creature with green skin and bright red eyes. "I've been meeting a lot of cool people here, especially when you're in cosplay. People recognize the cosplay and are like, oh, that's the same series I really like. So then you have also something to talk about already." Electric energy Like Larissa, thousands of fans from across Europe turned out to meet their favourite creators and watch live e-sports events including Fortnite and Elden Ring, staged by Twitch celebrities. "Most of the work that happens on Twitch is online, it's digital," said Mary Kish, a marketing director at Twitch. "You're streaming with other people, you're hanging out with your community for many hours a week. "What happens at TwitchCon is the culmination of all of that goodwill and all of that joy in person at a con, and the energy is electric," said the 39-year-old, who is from the United States. French streamers JL Tomy and Etoiles -- who have 1.3 million and 1.2 million followers -- were also among those in attendance. "It's fun because there are lots of other partner streamers who are like me," said JL Tomy, 28, whose real name is Toma Abdellaoui. "I'm very much a homebody," said the streamer, whose content focuses on GTA, Valorant, League of Legends and e-sports competitions. Acquired by Amazon in 2014 for roughly $842 million, Twitch is the world's leading streaming platform for gaming, with more than 2.5 million hourly viewers on average. While gaming remains core to Twitch since its 2011 debut, the platform has broadened its reach, drawing in entertainment, sports and political figures, as well as livestreaming other major events. Kish said that Twitch's "Just Chatting" category is now its largest non-gaming segment. "There is a massive variety of other people doing other things. Like food and drink, where people are cooking... people who are showing their aquariums in their houses," Kish said. Reflecting that diversity, visitors attended theatre workshops, built Lego models, or watched the annual Drag Queen show, a TwitchCon staple. TwitchCon's next North American edition is scheduled for October 17–19, 2025, in San Diego.
Local France
a day ago
- Local France
June in France, apéro tips and the smoking ban: 6 essential articles for life in France
It's June! Or, more accurately, as we're in France, juin . Here's what's in the diary this month – from Pride, to the impressive collection of French summer festivals via rail strikes, the summer sales, final tax deadlines, new mobile phone rules, pretty major TV channel changes … and an ambiguous public holiday. Everything that changes in France in June 2025 Speaking of that ambiguous public holiday, it's one of several French public days off that are linked to Catholicism. So, in case you idly wondered, we've dug back into our archives for this explanation of why famously, determinedly, secular France has so many religious public holidays. Reader question: Why does secular France have so many Catholic holidays? June also means it's the official start of summer, according to the weather forecasters' calendar. And summer in France means many things – trips to the beach, empty cities, works on the Paris Metro – but it also ushers in rosé and spritz season. Here are some of the best options to drink in France this summer. Rosé, spritz and pressé: 5 things to drink in France this summer The downside of all that outdoor living is that you could find yourself more often in the proximity of smokers. France might have an international reputation as the 'chimney of Europe' but it has in fact had a ban on smoking in indoor public spaces since 2007. The French government recently announced an extension of those rules – here's what they have to say about smoking and vaping in public places in France. Explained: France's new smoking ban rules Advertisement No screeching segue, this time, just a straight change in direction… Having a second home in France is a dream for many foreigners, whether it's a place in a beautiful, peaceful French village, or an apartment in an elegant and cultured city (there are, apparently, a few of those in France). But the property-buying process is not always easy, so ideally you only want to do it once. As part of our series on buying a second home in France, here are some questions we suggest you ask yourself before signing on the dotted line. 5 questions to ask before buying a French second home Yeah, we know. French grammar is hard. It takes up a notable part of the section on The Local website that tries to demystify the French language in general . The editor recently took a pop at Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau after he suggested any learner struggling to get to grips with French wasn't really trying . So, here's an article explaining the crucial difference between 'bon' and 'bien', which both mean good in slightly but crucially different ways. French grammar tips: When to say 'bon' and when to use 'bien'
LeMonde
2 days ago
- LeMonde
From Parc des Princes to Roland-Garros, this Paris neighborhood is an international sports hub
Almost every day, tourists visiting the French capital make the trek to the far west of Paris to snap a photo in front of Parc des Princes. Encased in its concrete claws reaching skyward, the stadium where Paris Saint-Germain plays would become even more of a draw if the Parisian football club wins the Champions League final against Inter Milan on Saturday, May 31. In the longer term, visitors might cross the adjacent Rue Claude-Farrère to capture the Stade Jean-Bouin, wrapped in its lattice of fiber-reinforced concrete. When the football season resumes in August, Parc des Princes's "little brother" will also host a Ligue 1 club. Even before its promotion to the top division on May 2, Paris FC had already reached an agreement with the Stade Français rugby team to share the Stade Jean-Bouin at least until 2029. This is a unique case in France, Europe and likely the world: the stadiums of two major clubs from the same city are found almost side by side, separated by only 190 meters between their center circles. Less than 500 meters away lies another major international sports venue, currently hosting the Roland-Garros tennis tournament.
