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Day: 6 January 2020

Princess Grace Library to host Booker Prize author

by: Stephanie Horsman
06/01/2020

Irish novelist, short story writer and screenwriter John Banville is presenting a “talk by and conversation with the author” at the Princess Grace Irish Library on Saturday.

The 20-minute talk, entitled Fiction and the Dream, will offer insights into the author’s life as a writer, to be followed by an open forum where he will encourage the audience to engage in a free-flowing conversation with him whether it be questions, criticisms, opinions or just a chat about his influences and thoughts.

Banville, a Wexford native, has been described as Proust’s heir, by way of Nabokov, though the author himself maintains his real influences are poet William Butler Yeats and novelist Henry James.

His latest published work, entitled Mrs Osmond, seems to verify this claim. The protagonist of the story is Isabel Archer, the heroine from James’s much-loved work The Portrait of a Lady and is the ongoing tale of her life, taking it up from where James left off.  

He is the recipient of the prestigious Man Booker Prize, the Austrian State Prize for Literature, the Kafka Prize and the Prince of Asturias Award and has written a series of crime novels under his pen-name, Benjamin Black.  

Copies of Mrs Osmond will be on sale after the talk and the author has offered to sign them for all who are interested. Entry is €10. To reserve a seat, email info@pgil.mc

 
 

Roca Team chalks up first Jeep Elite win of the year

by: Stephanie Horsman
06/01/2020

AS Monaco Basketball, benefitting from their home court advantage, has chalked up their first Jeep Elite win of 2020 and their 9th in a row with a 79-59 win over former top-ranked ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne on Sunday night.
The Roca Boys played to a packed house of fans at Gaston-Medecin, including HSH Prince Albert II and Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc, cheering them on from the stands. The win sees them overtake ASVEL for the number one spot in the French league, though both teams currently have 15-2 records for the season so far.
Norris Cole brought home the bacon for the Principality with his stellar 17-point performance, whilst Theo Maledon was on form for ASVEL scoring 11 points on the night.

Prince Albert attending the the AS Monaco Basket game.

The game was a battle from the start with both teams playing aggressive defence, though the Red and Whites dominated in the first 15 minutes, and after two back-to-back slam dunks by Eric Buckner, the acting coach for ASVEL, TJ Parker, called a timeout to try to break the spell.
No such luck for ASVEL, as the offense continued to outpace them. Dee Bost and Norris Cole both had 10 points each under their belts by halftime and the score was 41-26.
After the break, ASVEL came out punching and by the 27th minute, Monaco’s lead had dropped to only nine points.
Fortunately, a fantastic dunk by Will Yeguete jump started the team leading to a seven point sprint by JJ O’Brien and a 60-48 lead by the end of the third quarter.
The final quarter saw Eric Buckner land a solid shot followed by a last minute three-pointer and that, as they say, was that.
Coach Sasa Obradovic, tempered as ever, was still guardedly happy to see his team play so well against a formidable rival, saying after the game: “It is important to have an advantage at home. In the second half we didn’t move the ball as I would have liked but to gain 20 points against ASVEL, we can be satisfied… We played well today but that can change very quickly. We have to be focused on the next game. This victory will not be useful if we do not continue. It is important now to start the EuroCup Top 16 well. We have a very tough schedule in January, and we will need everyone.”
 
Photos: AS Monaco Basket Facebook page
 
 

Give your Christmas tree a second life

by: Cassandra Tanti
06/01/2020

Like every year, the Monaco City Council is making it easy for residents to dispose of their Christmas trees with dedicated drop-off points dotted throughout the Principality.
The Monaco City Council is partnering with the Société Monégasque d’Assainissement (SMA), offering 11 Christmas tree disposal points spread across the Principality. The aim is to avoid having old trees littering the streets or cluttering garbage bins, while giving the SMA an opportunity to recycle the trees and shred them for chippings, etc.
People have until 31st January to dispose of their real trees and they are reminded to remove all tinsel and decorations and any pots or stands.
Drop off points:

  • Place Saint-Nicolas
  • Place Sainte-Dévote
  • Promenade Honoré II (entry Jardins d’Apolline and l’Hélios)
  • Allée Saint Jean-Paul II
  • Esplanade Albert 1er (next to the Casino supermarket)
  • Bd Princesse Grace (at the Grimaldi Forum)
  • Bd du Larvotto (before the junction of rue du Portier)
  • Vallon La Rousse (kindergarten)
  • Place des Moulins
  • Pont Sainte-Dévote (SNCF entrance)
  • Place Saint-Charles
  • Bd de Belgique (next to the Bosio bus stop)

 
Photo: Mairie de Monaco
 
 

Dance competition returns to Principality

by: Stephanie Horsman
06/01/2020

Now in its 5th year, the Trophée du Rocher dance competition returns to the Espace Léo Ferré with a programme packed full of amazing displays of dance.
Organised by Monaco Dance Sportive and Monaco Rock & Dance, this annual dance contest returns to Monaco on Saturday 11th January with an exciting roster that includes dancers performing traditional favourites such as the waltz and the foxtrot, as well as sensual Latin displays including salsa, cha-cha-cha, rumba, paso doble and tango.
The competition starts at 12:30pm and goes on through to the afternoon, followed by a night of dancing from 8pm.
Last year saw 170 couples from France, Italy and the Principality on the specially-installed dance floor showing off their finest moves.
Doors of the Espace Léo Ferré open at 11:30am and tickets start at €15. For more information go online at https://www.facebook.com/MonacoRocketDanses/ or call +33 6 12 21 23 84
 
 

ASM send Onyekuru to Galatasaray

by: Staff Writer
06/01/2020

It has been announced that Monaco’s exciting young Nigerian striker Henry Onyekuru is to spend the rest of the season on loan at Galatasaray.
It will be the 22-year-old’s second loan spell in Turkey as he shone for Galatasaray last season when he was still at English club Everton.
He scored 14 goals in 35 appearances for Galatasaray who went on to win the Turkish championship.
Monaco, who signed the Nigerian for €17 million during the summer, have not included an ‘option to buy’ clause in the loan, suggesting that Onyekuru remains a part of their long-term strategy.
Since his arrival in the Principality, Onyekuru, who joined Monaco on a five-year deal, figured in just four matches under Leonardo Jardim who was sacked just after Christmas and replaced by ex-Spain boss Roberto Moreno.
He hasn’t played in Ligue 1 since 29th September.
Source: AFP
Photo: AS Monaco Official
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