Helen Hickey

(Published in The Malay Mail 30 October) When Patrick Modiano learned this month he had won the 2014 Nobel Prize in Literature he asked his editor why the Swedish Academy had selected him, saying he found their choice “strange”. I find his reaction “strange”. While the French writer, revered for his moody novels set in Paris during the Nazi occupation, is known for his modesty, questioning his worthiness is another thing altogether. Most writers would have shelved self-doubt

(Published in The Malay Mail 13 October) France could soon be facing its own homegrown Ebola cases as has happened in America and Spain, unless it is very lucky. Projections made by scientists at MobsLab in Boston predict a 25 to 75 percent chance of France suffering an “importation of Ebola Virus Disease cases” by the end of this month. This places France third in a list of 30 countries most at risk of having the virus imported onto their turf within this timescale —you’ll b

“Totalement Désarçonnés” — The best graffiti in town Posted on October 9, 2014 by pennedinparis I don’t know about you, but I’m feeling distinctly jaded by the news right now. The global ISIS crisis, a possible Ebola pandemic (it’s in America), democracy clampdown in Hong Kong (Tiananmen Square No. 2?), 31 climbers lost in Japan… I was listening to yet more depressing news on my car radio the other day, when something out-of-the-ordinary caught my eye. Chaconne the horse, a s