PARIS: “Harry Potter” star Emma Watson spent Thursday hiding copies of Margaret Atwood’s classic novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” across Paris to promote feminism.
“I’m hiding copies all over Paris!” the actor best known for playing Hermione Granger said on Twitter.
Atwood’s 1985 novel — which has now been turned into a hit television series starring Elisabeth Moss of “Mad Men” fame — is about a dystopian world where women are reduced to being the child-bearing slaves of male masters.
The British actress — a goodwill ambassador for the UN on women’s rights — left about 100 copies of the book in various spots across the French capital, according to the website of the Livres Hebdo magazine.
Watson, 27, set up the feminist reading group “Our Shared Shelf” last year which has now nearly 200,000 members.
She carried out a similar exercise across the Channel in November, leaving copies of Maya Angelou’s memoir “Mom & Me & Mom” on the London Underground, and in New York in March.
The idea is that readers might chance upon the books and be inspired by them.
To make sure all the books are found, the Twitter account “The Book Fairies” has been leaving clues as to where the copies were left.
Actress Emma Watson takes feminist book happening to Paris
Actress Emma Watson takes feminist book happening to Paris
Elysee Palace silver steward arrested for stealing thousands of euros’ worth of silverware
- The Sevres Manufactory — which supplied most of the furnishings — identified several of the missing items on online auction websites
- Investigators later found around 100 objects in the silver steward’s personal locker, his vehicle and their home
PARIS: Three men will stand trial next year after a silver steward employed at the official residence of the French president was arrested this week for the theft of items of silverware and table service worth thousands of euros, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.
The Elysee Palace’s head steward reported the disappearance, with the estimated loss ranging between 15,000 and 40,000 euros (($17,500-$47,000).
The Sevres Manufactory — which supplied most of the furnishings — identified several of the missing items on online auction websites. Questioning of Elysee staff led investigators to suspect one of the silver stewards, whose inventory records gave the impression he was planning future thefts.
Investigators established that the man was in a relationship with the manager of a company specializing in the online sale of objects, notably tableware. Investigators discovered on his Vinted account a plate stamped “French Air Force” and “Sevres Manufactory” ashtrays that are not available to the general public.
Around 100 objects were found in the silver steward’s personal locker, his vehicle and their home. Among the items recovered were copper saucepans, Sevres porcelain, a René Lalique statuette and Baccarat champagne coupes.
The two were arrested Tuesday. Investigators also identified a single receiver of the stolen goods. The recovered items were returned to the Elysee Palace.
The three suspects appeared in court Thursday on charges of jointly stealing movable property listed as part of the national heritage — an offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a 150,000-euro fine, as well as aggravated handling of stolen goods.
The trial was postponed to Feb. 26. The defendants were placed under judicial supervision, banned from contacting one another, prohibited from appearing at auction venues and barred from their professional activities.
