Mar 07, 2020
The Ottawa Public Library is pleased to offer a French group of the innovative program Aging By The Book, called "L'âge dans les mots", a six-week-long discussion group that uses French selections by various writers to spark conversations in French about aging. OPL is pleased to create a meaningful opportunity for older adults in the community to connect with each other in focused and facilitated sessions to share insights and explore issues that often arise in the later years of life.
Some aspects of aging are obvious but many are not. This program offers an open space for discussion and a chance to explore the different aspects of the older adult experience as portrayed in a wide range of written work.
How does it work?
L'âge dans les mots is halfway between a book club and a learning circle. Participants meet once a week for six weeks to discuss poems, short stories, essays and excerpts from novels and memoirs about aging. Participants will learn from each other and from the insights and experiences shared in discussions sparked by the selected readings. This is a collaborative learning experience and in no way a course. It is an opportunity for people to explore and learn from each other.
Upcoming session (in French)
Wednesday, April 1, 1:30 pm at the Cumberland Branch. Friday, September 14 at 10:30 a.m. The group will meet every Wednesday for six weeks. Register now!
Who participates; what do they talk about
Participants’ ages range from their early 50s to early 80s. They come to learn more about aging in general or about their aging selves and what to expect. Newly retired or about-to-retire participants often want to explore their transition to a new life stage. Other participants focus on changing relationships, whether with other, more senior adults in their lives (aging parents) and/or with adult children.
What do participants read about?
With compassion, eloquence, and humour, texts explore:
- the shift into new roles and new identities
- the impact of physical, cognitive, and emotional changes
- the way individuals cope with solitude, and loneliness
- the discoveries older adults make when seeking new ways to engage with life.
All readings will be provided by the program and include fiction, memoirs, poetry and non-fiction. Registration is limited to 10 participants; no new registrants after the second session.