Book presentation 'The story of Brabant'

Bart Nevens, deputy for the province of Flemish Brabant, author Luc Pauwels, and Ertsberg publishing house cordially invite you to the book presentation of The Story of Brabant , a 'shamefully under-exposed piece' of Flemish historiography. Luc Pauwels, Rik Van Cauwelaert, Janick Appelmans, and Bram De Ridder will engage in conversation. Moderated by historian and former diplomat Axel Buyse. Tickets cost 7.5 euros, booking in advance is necessary: https://ertsberg.be/events/boekvoorstelling-het-verhaal-van-brabant-leuven/   Program Expect an evening with an intriguing panel discussion, surprising answers about the history of Brabant, and a festive toast to the new book. 7:30 PM – doors open 8:00 PM – start of book presentation: Luc Pauwels in conversation with Rik Van Cauwelaert, Janick Appelmans, and Bram De Ridder, moderated by Axel Buyse. 9:00 PM – time for a drink and the opportunity to purchase the book and get it signed About the book VRT journalist Luc Pauwels brings a piece of Flemish historiography that he describes as 'shamefully under-exposed' back to life. Pauwels describes how one illustrious Brabantine dynasty forged a medieval state from the fragments of the disintegrated Carolingian Empire that covered more than half of present-day Flanders and the south of the Netherlands: the ancient Duchy of Brabant. That duchy was a formidable competitor to the County of Flanders and, at its peak, at least as powerful as its Vlaamse of Hollandse neighbors. In The Story of Brabant , Pauwels resolutely throws all conventions of traditional, scientific historiography overboard. This story is full of fabrications, fake news, tales, and other fantasies... which often turn out to be true anyway. Pauwels makes use of reliable and unreliable sources alike, whenever it suits him. This also includes the most modern variant: artificial intelligence (AI) with its large language models. Pauwels manipulates them openly, without many scruples, and thereby shows that he can bend the facts to his will. And so, The Story of Brabant proves to be just as strong, original, hallucinatory, and important as that of Vlaanderen of Nederland. Si non è vero, è ben trovato… About the author Luc Pauwels (1966) is a VRT investigative journalist specializing in energy, environment, and climate. He previously published De Keizer van Oostende and Journalism in Times of Fake News .