TURNING POINTS IN FRANCE
INTERVIEWS
The time you realise Paris has become ‘home’! A 25-minute interview series hosted by various World Radio Paris hosts, including Patricia Killeen.
Created by World Radio Paris and recorded by Patricia Killeen in Paris.
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
Musée Rodin : https://www.musee-rodin.fr/en
Musée Camille Claudel : https://www.museecamilleclaudel.fr/
Created by World Radio Paris and recorded by Patricia Killeen in Paris.
Groove Xanadu released their eponymous debut album, showcasing the
group’s signature sound live on Turning Points.
In this episode of Turning Points, Patricia Killeen welcomed singer-songwriter
Michael D. Amitin and vocalist Cerenia Capouix to the studio. In the winter of
2023–2024, Michael, an American expat in Paris, began exploring new musical ideas with fresh collaborators. Serendipity played its part, bringing together a talented lineup: keyboardist Paul Sany, guitarist Guillaume Perrin, bassist Emmanuel Sunnee, and drummer Baptist Castets. Their country-blues foundation soon evolved into a rich, multicultural blend of jazz, funk, and soul. A magical, distinctive vocal harmony melded between Michael and Cerenia, and Cerenia’s shining, ‘angel like’; vocals soon took the lead on several tracks. With good vibes and creative chemistry, Groove Xanadu recorded their debut at QDS Studio with engineer Michael Buyens, and then overdubs ensued at Submarine Studios with Isaackito. The result: Groove Xanadu, the eponymous first album by the newly formed group. The album premiered on Turning Points, with Michael and Cerenia performing two tracks live ‘Her Mother Drank Black Coffee’, and ‘Food for the Angels’ to the pure delight of Patricia and Aliosha in the studio. The group is now gearing up for the album release party at the Sunset Club on September 30 with more events on the horizon.
You can find Groove Xanadu on:
Facebook
Instagram
Bandcamp
Created by World Radio Paris and recorded by Patricia Killeen in Paris.
In this episode of Turning Points, Patricia Killeen speaks with husband-and-wife team Jonathan Ruppin and Emma Claire Sweeney, who run the Ruppin Agency Writers’ Studio. Their retreats in Paris (https://www.ruppinagency.com/paris/) and North Wales, along with their mentoring programmes, have become sought-after
experiences for writers. Their upcoming Paris retreat (18–23 May), hosted by the Véranda Association Culturelle, will take place in a stunning house in the 15th
arrondissement, often featured in architectural publications. Emma Claire Sweeney is an award-winning author and senior lecturer at the Open University. Her novel Owl Song at Dawn was named Nudge Book of the Year (literary category), and her co-authored biography A Secret Sisterhood received praise from Margaret Atwood for its contributions to literary history. Emma’s work has appeared in The Paris Review, TIME, and The Washington Post, and she has won the Society of Authors, Arts Council England, and the Royal Literary Fund awards. Jonathan Ruppin is an editor and former literary agent with over 30 years of industry experience. He led the Ruppin Agency from 2016 to 2024, where every novel sold was award-nominated, with wins including the Portico Prize and the Somerset Maugham Award. He has collaborated with English PEN, the Booker Prize Foundation, and New Books in German, and served as a judge for the Costa Novel Award, Guardian First Book Award, and the RNA Awards. Check out Emma and Jonathan’s site: ruppinagency.com or contact Emma and Jonathan by email at studio@ruppinagency.com to book a retreat or for literary
mentoring.
Created by World Radio Paris and recorded by Patricia Killeen in Paris.
Ceangal – unique well-being experiences in the Cognac region On this episode of Turning Points, Patricia Killeen chatted with Olive Towey and Charlie Ganly. Olive and Charlie have created Ceangal, a concept that offers unique retreats in beautiful settings across the Cognac region of France. Ceangal is an Irish word meaning ‘connect’.
This is Olive and Charlie’s second time at Turning Points because we believe what they offer is the ‘real deal’. Their mindfulness, yoga, art, cookery and food and wine getaways are unforgettable experiences, each imbued with the Ceangal ethos of “making space for meaningful connection”..
Olive and Charlie filled Patricia in, on what they’ve been up to over the past year, and they also spoke about their upcoming events, including their French Food and Wine Tasting Experience at the end of November.
Upcoming Ceangal experiences:
Food and Wine Tasting Experience – 20-24 NOVEMBER
Spring Revival weekend 15 – 18 May 2025
Lots more on www.ceangal.eu
Created by World Radio Paris and recorded by Patricia Killeen in Paris.
In this episode of Turning Points, Patricia Killeen welcomed South African born Celebrity Photographer, Denzil Jacobs. For the past 15 years he has work with and photographed some of the most popular television, fashion and sports personalities in South Africa.
His photographs have also graced the covers and pages of international magazines, billboards, and online media, and he has worked with some of the best-known companies in the world. As a media personality and influencer, he has been invited as a VIP guest to prestigious, lavish annual events, including the Veuve Cliquot Polo Classic, the annual L’Ormarin’s Kings Plate horse racing festival, and the Pink Polo event.
Denzil has embarked on a new chapter, living and working in the City of Light. He continues his work as a photographer, capturing the essence of Paris as a backdrop for his portraits. In addition to portraits of individuals, couples, and families, he crafts marketing and advertising portfolios for individuals and companies and is preparing his art photography to be showcased in a Parisian exhibition in 2025.
To contact Denzil or make a booking click on: www.denziljacobs.fr
Created by World Radio Paris and recorded by Patricia Killeen in Paris.
In this episode of Turning Points, Patricia Killeen welcomed Yseult Williams. Yseult’s father, Patrick, was English, and her mother, Darina, is Irish. She studied at the Sorbonne and Lille University and had an Erasmus year in Italy. At the end of her studies, she picked up her bags and headed for the City of Light.
Being trilingual (English-French-Italian), she initially worked as a translator briefly. She subsequently approached magazines with ideas for articles and freelanced in the competitive arena of French feminine and news magazines, including Elle and VSD. In 2002, she was made deputy editor-in-chief at Femme Actual and was subsequently recruited by Tina Kieffer as editor-in-chief of Marie Claire. In 2005, the Marie Claire group entrusted her with managing Marie France, a responsibility she held until 2008, when she was recruited by Mondadori, the Italian publishing house, to launch the French version of the weekly magazine Grazia.
In 2013, she relaunched the mythical Lui magazine as chief editor with Frédéric Beigbeder.
During her career, she has also worked for the BBC and various French TV channels. In 2015, she was appointed chief editor of Le Grand Journal, the former renowned daily show on Canal+ TV.
After years at the helm of the French press and TV, Yseult decided to use her pen to write books. She has published three books in French; in Impératrices de la mode (Empresses of Fashion) La Martinière, 2015, she painted the portrait of six great historical editors of women’s magazines, women who had much in common with herself and were often faced with similar choices.
Her second book, La Splendeur des Brunhoff (The Splendor of the Brunhoffs), Fayard 2018, won the Readers’ Prize for Pocket Book in 2020. It is dedicated to the Brunhoff family, which launched Vogue France and Vu magazines. Jean de Brunhoff also created the character Babar. With her third book, On l’appelle Maïco (She was called Maïco), Grasset 2021, dedicated to Marie-Claude Vaillant-Couturier, she won the prestigious Simone-Veil 2022 literary prize. She is now writing a book devoted to Hélène Lazareff, who founded Elle magazine in 1945, which Grasset will publish.
In 2021, she joined Alma Studio (founded by Martin Solveig) as Editorial Director, where she is currently working. Alma Studio produces original stories and music written and composed for audio for children aged 3 to 10. Yseult’s English podcast for Alma Studio will be launched next year.
Looking forward to Yseult’s books being published in English and to seeing her fascinating characters on the big screen.
Created by World Radio Paris and recorded by Patricia Killeen in Paris.
At Blue Sparks, Antonia provides A-Z solutions to expats looking to completely revamp their new Parisian pied a terres, including renovation works, furnishing and decoration. Over the years in Paris Antonia has developed a network of trusted contractors and suppliers, as well as bilingual professionals who can help find, buy and look after property in Paris. If she can’t solve a problem herself, she knows who to call to find the best solution!
Antonia would be delighted to chat and help with any questions, so do get in touch with her via email.
Created by World Radio Paris and recorded at O’Sullivant’s pub at Franklin D. Roosevelt, Paris.
In this episode of Turning Points, Patricia Killeen was at O’Sullivan’s Franklin D. Roosevelt pub to meet the Cercle Littéraire Irlandais (CLI) association, who gathered to render homage to Shane MacGowan (1957-2023) former frontman of the ‘Pogues’. Shane is considered by many to be one of the greatest lyricists of our times.
After his passing, Robert Quinn of World Radio Paris dedicated an episode of ‘Left of the Dial’ to Shane. The show drew Marcolino da Costa’s attention, a ‘Turning Point’ which led to this homage.
In 2008, Marcolino da Costa created an FB page entitled ‘Shane MacGowan is a Fantastic Poet’. The page quickly became a reference for Shane’s fans and today boasts 10,000 followers.
Marcolino was invited to be key speaker and vocalist at the CLI homage. He penned a presentation on Shane with a peculiar angle that not many commentators on his work have done. Shane’s lyrics and poems, which are classic material nowadays in folk circles, were analysed, and readings and songs were intertwined to illustrate the central theme, ‘Looking for Shane’.
Niall Regan, one of the event’s lead musicians, is a Paris-based singer who has sung at festivals worldwide and with the ‘Four and Nines’ group from Mayo. Shane influenced Niall’s own lyric writing, and as you will hear, Niall’s voice certainly honours Shane’s songs…
Susan McCarthy, who studied the flute at the Royal Academy of Music in London and was the principal flute player of the Athens Chamber Orchestra before moving to Paris, partnered with Niall. Like Shane, a first-generation Irish person in London, she also played London’s pubs and clubs circuit.
Niall and Susan opened the show with a heartrending rendition of ‘Fairytale of New York’, followed by Stéphanie Nic Cárthaigh[i] singing ‘Kitty’, reminiscing on the Irish ballads Shane heard from his mother, Therese, and his musical times in Tipperary. Stéphanie. was followed by Marcolino da Costa’s presentation, punctuated with songs and readings. This presentation cleverly highlights Shane’s dual identity as a source of inspiration; he built a new place in the folk temple, both traditional and rowdy, fundamentally ignoring geographical borders. His music is the voice of the experience of emigrants, his major inspiration. Dr Virgine Roche-Tiengo read the lyrics of Shane’s song ‘London You’re a Lady’, and artist Alma Fakhr read lines from the 400-year-old song ‘The Parting Glass’ to bid Shane farewell. Alma shared how Shane’s anarchic rebel character and childlike innocence had touched her when she met him.
Novelist Maria D’Arcy recited the epitaph she composed entitled ‘Shane McGowan Sails on to Heaven’s Shore,’ – a perfect grand finale.
This recording contains excerpts from the final rehearsal before O’Sullivan’s sunny patio door was flung open to let the waiting audience in. O’Sullivan’s pub was the perfect choice of venue; Shane drank, worked, performed and even lived in a couple of Irish pubs in London.
Thanks to all who made this possible: Marcolino da Costa and performers, the Cercle Littéraire Irlandais, Thomas Saint-John & the O’Sullivans FDR team incl. Raphaël Pusiol (mixtable), World Radio Paris, the phenomenal audience, and eternal respect to Shane MacGowan (RIP)…
[i] Stéphanie played the Shruti box (a north Indian instrument that produces an unusual drone chord) when singing ‘Kitty’
Photo credit: Seamas McSwiney
Created by World Radio Paris and recorded in our studios in Paris.
In this episode of Turning Points, Patricia Killeen welcomed Jeff Rian, writer, musician, and associate editor of Purple fashion magazine – to play a few new songs from his most recent albums ‘Sketches’ and ‘Such is Life’– Jeff has lived in Paris for almost three decades; he talks about how his music, art and writing all found harmony in the City of Light.
Jeff has written numerous essays and exhibition catalogues on art and was a long-time contributor to Art in America, Flash Art, Frieze, and Artforum magazines. He is the author of Buckshot Lexicon, Purple Years, and monographs on contemporary artists (among them, Vito Acconci, Robert Smithson, Robert Rauschenberg, Bruce Nauman, Lewis Baltz, Richard Prince, Philip Lorca di Corcia, to name a few).
As a guitarist/composer, his albums include Everglade, with Jean-Jacques Palix; Battle Songs and Méteo, with Bob Coke; four albums on major labels with French singer Alexandra Roos; and, in 2024, Such Is Life, a selection of songs, released by Coriolis Sounds, and Sketches, a selection of guitar tracks with one song, curated by photographer Giasco Bertoli for his magazine Roses Tatouées.
Songs played in episode:
- Oh God – Such is Life(2024)
- These Are the Times – Such is Life(2024)
- Sleep – Sketches (2024)
Created by World Radio Paris and recorded in our studios in Paris.
Patricia Killeen is joined by Fr. Jim Doyle, the Irish Chaplain to Paris. After graduating from civil engineering in Galway, Ireland, Jim worked as a site engineer with SISK in Limerick before joining the NGO CONCERN. Between 1996 and 1999, he volunteered with CONCERN on schools, roads, and water projects in Cambodia and Burundi. In Burundi, a life changing event occurred when he felt the calling to be a priest.
Created by World Radio Paris and recorded in our studios in Paris.
Patricia Killeen welcomed Robert Quinn to the show. Robert has been living in Paris for the past year and has accomplished so much in his action-packed time in the City of Light and experienced incredible ‘Turning Points’ in his time here.
Created by World Radio Paris and recorded in our studios in Paris.
In this episode, Patricia Killeen met Maria Doyle at the Irish embassy. Maria is an Irish singer, writer, inspirational speaker, and mould breaker! Living in France for over 30 years, her life has been a series of spectacular ‘Turning Points’ starting with her birth in a Magdalene laundry.
Created by World Radio Paris and recorded in our studios in Paris.
Patricia chats with Paddy Sherlock, an Irish musician and prolific songwriter described as a dynamic frontman, actor, singer, songwriter and trombone hero. A tireless performer, always juggling several exciting projects, he has also been a songwriting and performing member of the famous French Band FFF for more than 25 years.