Gaby Wagner has caught Venice in complete stillness!

parisdiaBooks, Photography1 Comment

Photographer Gaby Wagner has lived in Venice for twenty three years and when lockdown started last March 8, she decided to catch the opportunity to photograph this usually overcrowded city. She always carried a chemist bag with her because the police was stopping unusual movements on the street and buying medicine was her excuse to go out one hour a … Read More

Last minute presents

parisdiaBooks, Fashion, Photography2 Comments

Going shopping for Christmas can be fun and I loved my little time spent at Marie Hélène de Taillac‘s shop on rue de Tournon. It is all blue and red and her sister Gabrielle, who beautifully edited the book on her jewelry, could not have been more patient and charming as is Philippe, the director of sales. Sealed drawers magically … Read More

To do and not to do

parisdiaArt, Auction, Books1 Comment

Two extraordinary auction sales are coming up: one features Charles Aznavour‘s decorated Steinway piano among many pieces of furniture that the singer held in his house outside Paris, the other is the collection of painter Balthus‘ young lover Frédérique Tison, who lived in the painter’s château de Chassy in the Morvan and was given drawings all her life in order … Read More

Writers love to eat and here are their recipes

parisdiaBooks, RecipesLeave a Comment

Since you are not sending me your recipes I have to rely on Sylvain di Fiore and Angela Assouline-Yagdaroff‘s new book dedicated to famous people’s idea of good food and they are mostly easy and cheap to make so here are some pictures to wet your appetite. Of course the minimal aspect of most dishes is due to chef Benjamin Brial, … Read More

Patrick Marnham uncovers WW2 secrets in “War in the shadows”

parisdiaBooks1 Comment

Patrick Marnham used to be the correspondent of the Independent in Paris in the 1980’s and he has since published many beautifully crafted biographies. Diego Rivera, Georges Simenon, Jean Moulin, Mary Wesley, each one is more clever and inspired than the other. His new book, which was just nominated as Book of the Year by the TLS, is “War in … Read More

A rare Proust manuscript needs you to enter the BnF

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Bibliothèque Nationale de France is in the process of acquiring a first edition of “Du côté de chez Swann” dedicated to his close friend Marie Scheikévitch. It needs  250 000 € which the annual gala was going to finance. Since it is cancelled, the National Library is appealing to the public. What makes this edition so special, besides the fact … Read More

Belgian gardens are celebrated by photographer César Garçon

parisdiaBooks, Flowers and gardens2 Comments

Christmas time is coming up and with its usual beautiful picture books. This one “La Belgique des Jardins“, is the fruit of a collaboration between Donatienne de Séjournet, one of the best expert in gardens in Belgium and César Garçon who proved with his “Italian gardens” book (2015), that he knows garden architecture well.  Some are the classical ornaments of … Read More