A very active and positive seventy-something, Jacques Mercier never stops blossoming in new projects! As well as being a radio and TV personality, Jacques' favourite pastime is writing: https://jacquesmercier.be/oeuvre

A man of letters and of the French language, Jacques invites us to discover through "La France des Belges", his fiftieth book, just how proud we can be of our Belgian culture. His aim is to introduce us to Belgians who have made a career in France. From the most media-friendly to the lesser-known, from the world of artists to scientists, Jacques' aim is to shine a light on these 600 or so people who are sowing our roots elsewhere.

Continuing on from the first 'La France des Belges' in 2006, Jacques is constantly inspired by what he reads and hears on the web, to collect the new rising stars.

Even if we're not unaware of the Belgian origins of our artists in France, such as Philippe Geluck, Stromae, Virginie Hocq and many others, there are some surprises that we invite you to discover. Like a dictionary, for those who like speed, efficiency or sequencing of reading moments, this type of writing invites us to take a stroll through the names or interests and leaf through them to the rhythm of our desire to discover our Belgians.

Monsieur Mercier, quels sont les idées, le message, l’intention pour les Belges et les Français à travers votre livre ?

Jacques: "There are several ways of receiving the book. I'd obviously like to point out to the French the number of Belgians who excel in every field in France, both well-known and unknown. This way, the mockery that has been heaped on us can be toned down, or even disappear, because it's the unknown that scares people. This emphasis can engender respect and no doubt admiration.

For us Belgians, it's a source of pride to discover so many Belgians who are well known outside our borders, a way of combating the self-flagellation that Belgians, especially French-speaking Belgians, adopt towards ourselves (we succeed when we go through Paris! Not so sure at all!). In addition to the audio-visual, comic strip, film and song genres with which we are more familiar, the book introduces us to businesswomen, inventors, scientists, explorers and so on. 

So it's optimistic! It's not a revange on the French, but a clarification. You could say it's a 'chauvinist' book, of course.

Thank you Jacques!

To obtain this book, follow this link, and take advantage of the 5% discount with this code.

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The gift of this magnificent collection of haiku, wonderfully illustrated by her second daughter, Claire, is a "J'aime beaucoup".

A must-have!
 

 

And that's not all!

Do you remember your favourite TV laughs on RTBF? I do, and it was so infectious! My parents, my brothers and I watched every single programme for over 40 years!  We were loyal to his programmes, hanging on his every word, not just for his knowledge, but for the authenticity of his good humour and the way he shared it. Jacques Mercier will soon be back on RTBF channel 3 to entertain us on a festive evening.

On 25 December at 8.30pm, 3-RTBF will be offering a slightly different version of the programme 'C'est archivé près de chez vous', usually hosted by Jean-Luc Fonck.

It seems clear that, with the expertise of these game leaders, this Mercier-Fonck duo will be nothing but fun and lots of laughs.

"That evening's 'Le grand Quizz' was co-hosted by Jacques and Jean-Luc, with two teams competing against each other on questions based on RTBF archives: old programmes and reports. And the two teams have a great track record! Philippe Geluck, Adeline Dieudonné and Maureen Dor for one, and Jérôme de Warzée, Philippe Lambillon and Armelle for the other.

This programme, full of memories, will be sure to please our senior citizens and their children, who will be bathed in all those wonderful memories of family moments spent in front of the television.

Thank you to Mr Mercier, a senior full of pep, youth and knowledge!

Mr Mercier, what are the ideas, the message, the intention for Belgians and French people in your book?