Culture
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Word champion
Talk-show host Bernard Pivot made serious literature popular in France. When he liked a book, the nation bought it. A uniquely French hero, he even made a televised spelling test into appointment viewing.
Ready for kick-off
As coaches plot World Cup tactics, so do journalists. Monocle visits Durban and Johannesburg to see how 18,000-plus writers, pundits and photographers will be accommodated in South Africa.
Americas
We run the rule over Brazilian president Lula's wardrobe, and the US 10-year census gets a marketing makeover - and the ad industry gets all excited.
Observation
Monocle has been constantly remixing itself, much of it prompted by public demand. Our adventures behind the mic are now coming to fruition with an ambitious global audio project, writes Tyler Brûlé.
Museum pieces
Museum culture has altered radically in recent years. Here we spotlight the most exciting venues and ask what makes an ideal 21st-century museum.
Art market
Bonhams, one of the world’s oldest art auction houses, has opened its doors in Japan with the launch of a new Tokyo office. Colin Sheaf, chairman of Bonhams Asia, explains why.
Culture
Roman Polanski's new drama The Ghost, music picks from gospel to "geyser-pop", the new books we've been reading.
Wicked way
From accountant to adult film scriptwriter, Joy King tells Monocle about her love for conjuring up steamy scenes and her efforts to boost the image of her business, Wicked Pictures.
Mixed signals
New technology and tighter budgets mean TV news is downsizing from expensive satellite broadcasts to low-quality broadband clips. Is this about immediacy, or just an excuse to cut costs?
