World Radio Paris

WRP Presents - Taking Care of Your Mental Health with S.O.S. Help

No matter where you are in the world and what language you speak, your mental health matters more than anything and should never be neglected.
In this episode of World Radio Paris Presents, host ARBL Murray sits down with David and Patsy, two active listeners for S.O.S. Help, an English-speaking suicide hotline in France.
David and Patsy tell us about their listening experiences, the situations they face on a daily basis and the history of the organization, which has been serving the anglophone community in France for 51 years.

Cups and Dishes: Radiodays’ Halva Latte, Your New Coffee Obsession

Step inside Radiodays, a cozy café in the 10th arrondissement where coffee, music, and culture come together 🎶☕
In this episode, Wafa chats with Ibrahim Basbous, the café’s cofounder, about their newest drink : the halva latte! A warm, nutty, and slightly sweet coffee inspired by the classic Middle Eastern sesame dessert.
They talk about how traditional Middle Eastern ingredients like za’atar, tahini, and rose water are quietly finding their way onto Paris café menus.
If you’re curious about Middle Eastern flavors and specialty coffee in Paris, this episode is for you!

Turning Points - Dr John McLachlan

On this episode of Turning Points, Patricia Killeen spoke with John McLachlan, an Irish composer. John was born in Dublin and is currently residing in Donegal.  He studied music at the Royal Irish Academy of Music and Trinity College Dublin, where he earned a PhD in musicology, focusing on the compositional techniques of Boulez, Xenakis, Lutoslawski, and Carter. His composition teachers include William York, Robert Hanson, and Kevin Volans.
John’s works have been performed internationally across Europe, Asia, the Americas, and Africa, and by many prominent ensembles and soloists. He has received commissions from major organizations including RTÉ NSO, New Music Dublin, Music Network, and the National Concert Hall.
His music is featured on several recordings and anthologies, and his pedagogical piano works have been published in the Royal Irish Academy of Music syllabus. Notable releases include First and Drinking the Stars, both on Farpoint Recordings.
In 2022, he edited and published two books by his mother, writer Leland Bardwell, and organized a literary festival in her honor. He also created a Leland Bardwell website.
He is an active writer and broadcaster on contemporary music, and has contributed to the promotion of Irish music through his roles in the Association of Irish Composers and the Irish Composition Summer School. His music is available through the Contemporary Music Centre.
Paris has played a significant role in John’s work. During a month spent in the CCI (Centre Culturel Irlandais) in 2023, he created a piece called: Le Dernier Bourgeon de L'avenir. Patricia met up with him the day before he returned to Ireland after spending another month in the CCI.

WRP Presents - The Best Summer Reads to Brush Up on Your French Culture

What better time than summer to dive into a great book?
In this special episode of World Radio Paris Presents, host Héloïse sits down with producer ARBL Murray to share a curated list of French books — from literary giants like Dumas and Camus to contemporary voices like Leïla Slimani and Gaël Faye.
These are the books we’re reading this summer, all available in English. Whether you're stretched out on the beach, killing time in a café, or just curious about French culture, this episode is packed with titles that will help you see France in a whole new light!

Lost in Frenchlation: Jane Austen Wrecked My Life

In this Episode of Lost in Frenchlation we talk to Laura Piani, the writer and director of 'Jane Austen Wrecked My Life,' a new romantic comedy about a woman who lives between the pages and struggles to finish her own story. Laura shares with us why she decided to direct, what inspired this story, and how she chose to show the work of Jane Austen in a new light.
 
We delve into some of the autobiographical elements of the film: The main character works at the famed Shakespeare and Co. as did Laura herself-- and discuss the male archetypes in the films wonderfully funny love triangle, and the best book Laura ever read. 
 
For more information on Lost in Frenchlation, the cinema club click here:
https://lostinfrenchlation.com/
 
The hosts for this episode are Manon Kerjean and ARBL Murray. This episode was recorded and produced by World Radio Paris. 

Parentalité: Penelope Fletcher's Wonderful, Magical, Bookshop in Paris for Children!

On this Episode of Parentalité, Joelle Benoliel visits the wonderful, magical, anglophone bookshop for kids and talks with the owner and founder, Penelope Fletcher. Just adjacent to Jardin du Luxembourg, The Red Balloon is the kid focused section of The Red Wheelbarrow and is a haven for little readers and their parents to come, learn, pick out books, and build community. 
Penelope raised her children in Paris while opening and maintaining the Red Wheelbarrow. She shares her beautiful story of love, difficulty, children, and books in the city of Paris. She also gives her 3 current favorites for young readers. 
 
For more information on The Redwheelbarrow and The Red Balloon please visit their website: https://theredwheelbarrowbookstore.com/
 
If you like the work we do at World Radio Paris please consider donating:
https://worldradioparis.org/donate/
 
PARENTALITÉ is a produced in collaboration with Message Paris, an association of anglophone caretakers and parents in the Paris Region. 
This episode of Parentalité was Produced by ARBL Murray for World Radio Paris and Message Paris with Host Joelle Benoliel on Location, in Paris, at The Red Balloon Bookstore. 
 
 
 

WRP Presents - Paris Food Culture Beyond the Clichés with Chris Newens

Think Paris is all croissants and coq au vin? Think again.
In this episode of World Radio Paris Presents, host Heloise Daniel talks with award-winning British food writer Chris Newens about his new book, Moveable Feasts: Paris in Twenty Meals. Chris takes us on a delicious journey through every arrondissement of Paris, uncovering the multicultural dishes and personal food stories that define modern Parisian cuisine.
🎧 Listen now to discover:
The diverse and surprising Paris food scene
How food and migration shape French identity
Travel and food tips for exploring Paris off the beaten path
📘 Pre-order the book: Moveable Feasts: Paris in Twenty Meals 🌍 Learn more about Chris: chrisnewens.com

WRP Presents - De-ci de-là, Agnès Varda’s Paris

What does the world look like through Agnès Varda’s eyes? In this episode, host Héloïse Daniel speaks with Anne de Mondenard, curator of the exhibition Le Paris d’Agnès Varda, de-ci, de-là, currently on view at the Musée Carnavalet. The show celebrates the life and work of one of France’s most original and beloved filmmakers.
Anne explains how the exhibition came together and what it reveals about Varda’s universe—from her focus on women and working-class lives to iconic films like Cléo from 5 to 7 and Vagabond.
With film clips, photographs, and playful installations, the exhibition traces Varda’s artistic journey and her deep connection to Paris.

Turning Points - Úna Ní Cheallaigh

On this episode of Turning Points, Patricia Killeen welcomed Úna Ní Cheallaigh, an award-winning poet. Úna hails from Dublin, Ireland. Educated at St Patrick's College (DCU), University College and Trinity College Dublin, she had a varied career in teaching, including Special Education, Home School Community Liaison and Drama in Education.
Úna also holds an M.Phil in Theatre Studies from the University of Glasgow and a Master's in Creative Writing from University College Cork. 
She has been involved in drama and writers' groups and is currently a member of Poetry Circle at the Irish Writers Centre. She has enjoyed many opportunities to travel, and time to write in Ferrazze, Italy, was organised by the Irish Writers Centre.
Úna describes her writing journey and presents her collection of poetry entitled ‘The Colour of Time’, described by poet James Harpur as an ‘elegy touched with beauty’. 
She spent a month at the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris in 2018, and revisiting the Camille Claudel salon in the Rodin Museum would lead her to pen a sequence at the very heart of ‘The Colour of Time’, giving voice to the sculptor, Camille Claudel. Many of us know that Claudel was committed to an asylum (in 1913) after destroying some of her artworks. Claudel died in 1943, after spending 30 years in the Montedevergues insane asylum and the 'Mémoire de Montedevergues' sequence in ‘The Colour of Time’ gives the incarcerated Camille Claudel a soul-touching, poetic, and finally, unforgettable voice.
‘The Colour of Time’, by Úna Ní Cheallaigh, published by Arlen House https://thesalmonbookshop.com/products/the-colour-of-time-poems-by-una-ni-cheallaigh
Musée Rodin: https://www.musee-rodin.fr/en
Musée Camille Claudel : https://www.museecamilleclaudel.fr/ 

Selection of WRP local tips and short features

This mix by Samad, Heloise and Astrid, some of our team members, is a selection of a variety of short features and tips that we bring you each day on WRP.