The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore

We proudly present this year's winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film, a moving story of books with a mind of their own. If it reminds you of  The Wizard of  Oz and Buster Keaton, it is no coincidence. Simply marvellous.



You can watch the whole thing in YouTube. More information here.

The Simpsons 500th

The Simpsons aired its 500th episode yesterday 19 February, with the guest voice of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. That's roughly 200 hours of show. Currently in its 23rd season, it is the longest running prime-time scripted programme on TV. Previous guest voices include former Prime Minister Tony Blair, graffiti artist Banski and novelist Thomas Pynchon.

To celebrate the occasion, the Fox network sponsored a fan marathon of all 500 episodes of the series, in order, all at once on Feb. 8. Two lucky fans set a new Guinness World Record for the longest continuous television viewing by watching 86 hours and 37 minutes of the show, and won $10,500 each in the process.

Watch this preview of the episode, in which the Simpsons are evicted from Springfield and join an alternative community outside the town.

To learn more, read an interview with creator Matt Groening.

If you're a fan, you can find the complete 1st season in our library. Tell us, who's your favourite character?

Historias de amor recomendadas

Por San Valentín os pedimos comentarios sobre alguna historia de amor (libro o película) que os haya gustado (o no). Eso sí, escribid en vuestra lengua extranjera e incluid  vuestro nombre y curso.

A poem for Saint Valentine's Day

Sonnets from the Portuguese 43: How do I love thee? Let me count the ways 

By Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height

My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight

For the ends of being and ideal grace.

I love thee to the level of every day’s

Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.

I love thee freely, as men strive for right;

I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.

I love thee with the passion put to use

In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose

With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,

Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,

I shall but love thee better after death.

SonnetsfromthePortuguese43 from poetryfoundation.org

Learn about the author's truly romantic story
Read it in Spanish

Ein Gedicht zum Valentinstag

Die Liebe

Manchmal ist die Liebe groß, manchmal klein.
Oft lässt sie Menschen allein.
Liebe ist manchmal dick und auch dünn,
manchmal finde ich die Liebe wirklich schlimm.
Mal ist die Liebe hier, mal da,
mal zickig und mal wunderbar.
Mal ist sie dunkel, dann wieder hell,
manchmal vergeht sie auch ganz schnell.
Heut ist die Liebe in unserem Nest,
kommt - halt sie mit mir zusammen fest.

Un poème pour la Saint Valentin

Elle a 700 ans, revient chaque année à la même date, et comme elle célèbre l’un des sentiments les plus universels qui soient, l’amour, elle est toujours aussi jeune ! C’est la Saint-Valentin dont il s’agit.

Le Jardin  (Jacques Prévert)  

Des milliers et des milliers d’années

Ne sauraient suffire

Pour dire

La petite seconde d’éternité

Où tu m’as embrassé

Où je t’ai embrassée

Un matin dans la lumière

de l’hiver

Au parc Montsouris à Paris

À Paris

Sur la terre

La terre qui est un astre

una poesia per la festa di san Valentino

arcobaleno di sogni

Ho scritto il tuo nome sull’acqua

con dita di vento…

Ho liberato il mio amore

pazzo aquilone

sopra un prato di nuvole.

Ho lasciato scorrere parole

preziose

come perle di pioggia

lungo fili di seta…

Ho costruito un ponte iridescente

che mi porti a te:

arcobaleno di sogni,

sfida di sole

nell’oscura tempesta.

Luciana Favretto (Umago d'Istria 1940 - Messina 2001)