Alice Austen has so many accomplishments, in law, in state building, in playwriting and now with her first novel takes us by the hand and leads us straight into Brugmann Place in Ixelles, increasingly under Nazi German occupation beginning in 1939. The lives of each of the tenants at number 33 Brugmann share their fears and tense surroundings as world war two increasingly becomes reality and its impact is inescapable. I interviewed Alice for this podcast and also for an interview in The Brussels Times which was printed earlier in 2025. Please enjoy the article and also the conversation Alice Austen was just such a delight to talk to, I could have spent hours doing so. Her book is highly recommended by the writers festival, and we do hope that one day we’ll have her join is in Brussels, or elsewhere in Belgium seeing as the stage for the story is Ixelles. Enjoy discovering the Brussels of the past. Alia Papageorgiou This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit eurocentrique.substack.com

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