Idea for August 2023: la rentrée

My idea of the month is la rentrée

As August topples into September, my idea of the month is a thing in French, which really should also be a thing in English: the moment of re-entry, when we return from holidays feeling reconstructed, when schools, businesses, politics all kick off again, when new stock comes into the shops, when important new books are published, and new television shows launched. It’s a kind of second January - but with more freshness and anticipation. Maybe it’s all a bit less dramatic in today’s always-on culture - but it’s still a moment I enjoy. (My image isn’t about re-entry but reconstruction - I love the way this old sign at Binham Priory is now also part of the heritage of the place.)