1. Ample notice, I hope, for you to make your choice from the wide range of TeachingEnglish events on 5th October in celebration of World Teachers’ Day 2021; more information and registration here https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/world-teachers-day-2021

2. Free for only one more week, pretty much the whole of this year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/events?event_date=on-demand

I’ve got my eye on Ian Rankin’s account of his completion of the novel William McIlvanney left unfinished when he died https://www.edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/whats-on/ian-rankin-william-mcilvanney-the-last-word

3. William Dalrymple is always good value. At 14:00 UK time next Thursday, 30^th September he’ll be in conversation with Roddy Gow of the Asia Scotland Institute on Afghanistan – Doomed to repeat the mistakes of past wars Note, please, the absence of a question mark in that title. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/afghanistan-doomed-to-repeat-the-mistakes-of-past-wars-tickets-177104774147?aff=odeimcmailchimp&mc_cid=4ee11458e4&mc_eid=f8a3764e5b

4. UK National Poetry Day is only two weeks away now. Here’s a selection of ‘permissions-cleared’ poems for use in the classroom (or on the bus home) https://nationalpoetryday.co.uk/poems/

Try The Lady’s Yes by Elizabeth Barrett Browning? https://nationalpoetryday.co.uk/poem/the-ladys-yes/

5. And, finally, with the warning that these are not meaningful questions: Who speaks English best in Latin America? Who speaks English best in Africa? Who speaks English best in Asia? Who speaks English best in Europe? Sweden, apparently! https://www.elgazette.com/who-speaks-english-best/

Here’s the original piece from the Bulgarian news service Novinite that caught the EL Gazette eye, which contains a number of interesting hyperlinks (Do we still say hyperlinks or am I showing my age again?) https://www.novinite.com/articles/211006/7+Best+English+Speaking+Countries+in+Europe