Martin Westlake has followed parallel careers as a civil servant and as an academic and has lived, studied, and worked in the UK, Italy, France, and Belgium. Since taking early retirement as a civil servant, he has been pursuing a new parallel career as an author of creative fiction. Westlake, who has British and Belgian nationality, is much interested in local history. He is currently seeking an agent for his first full-length creative history novel, Where Lies the Land, which starts in the Belgian Ardennes in August 1914 and ends in the Alberta Plains (Canada) in November 1918.
The rolling land around Leuven is peppered with Second World War bunkers. Unlike the monsters of the Atlantic Wall, designed to deter as well as to […]
The traditional Portuguese cobblestone pavement was nominated to become part of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage on Friday, March 19th, in Lisbon by António Prôa, general […]
On the 8th of March every year, Women’s Day is celebrated around the world. On this day, women’s achievements are recognised and celebrated and women around […]
It occurs every 14 February, and whether you love it or hate it, it is impossible to avoid: Valentine’s Day. Shop displays fill with heart decorations, chocolates, […]
During the Second World War, the governments of Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, in exile in London, took the initiative and the very first steps towards […]
Louisville Tourism in the United States has announced the city’s new programming; a Black Heritage tour collection which will celebrate the important African American contribution to […]
Braga is one of the oldest Portuguese cities, located in the northwestern part of the country. Still today, it is considered the religious center of Portugal […]
Did you know that about 6,000 British servicemen wed Belgian women and settled here after WW2? Or that Princess Margaret’s divorcee lover Peter Townsend was unceremoniously […]
It may seem like a totally different era, yet there certainly was a time during which we carelessly and enthusiastically travelled the world. A time during […]
Today, on Monday 11th January, millions of young Japanese people are celebrating turning 20 years old by dressing up and attending traditional ceremonies to honour Japan’s […]
From 16 October 2019 to 15 May 2020, the City of Brussels celebrated the 400th anniversary of Manneken-Pis. Already in the 15th century, Manneken-Pis played an […]
In the past four decades, numerous surveys proved that the vast majority of British people felt less European than anywhere else in the European Union. Nevertheless, […]
For many, Christmas begins with the ritualistic decorating of the house, and even the garden, with Christmas ornaments and decorations of all types. Ranging from religious […]
Although nowadays Christmas is celebrated by people all around the world, it is traditionally a Christian holiday which celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, who Christians […]