Local services
To create tradition, for the first time this year, the Friends of the Book network is organising Friends of Book Day on the 7th of September to mark World Reading Day. The free event will feature a full day of colourful activities for book, literature and reading lovers in the Memorial Garden.
“The Friends of the Book Network was created two years ago, in spring, 2022. The aim of the organisation, created on the initiative of the local government, is to bring together local stakeholders who, in addition to their everyday activities, in any way live and support the culture of books and literature and who also care that the joy of reading is a common experience for as many Debrecen citizens as possible, “ Deputy Mayor of Debrecen István Puskás emphasised at the press conference held on the 30th of August, 2024.
“The network, which started with six members and now has more than 60, includes city institutions and non-governmental organisations, schools and bookshops, restaurants and arts associations, as well as partners from Oradea, who have created several joint projects to promote reading and literature over the past two years,“ The Deputy Mayor pointed out.
In 2023, 13 mini-projects were created in the framework of the 2.5 million HUF support project “The Way of the Book” of the Municipality, in cooperation with the members of the network, in connection with the annual literary commemorative years (Petőfi, Kölcsey, Csokonai and Borbély). In 2024, the local government announced a new tender in the amount of HUF 2 million for the Friends of the Book network, the use of which the members could decide for themselves. This year, the network will use the grant to organise the first Friends of the Book Day on Saturday the 7th of September 2024, to establish a tradition. In addition to the all-day book picnic, members will be running other book mini-projects for the rest of the year.
“The Friends of the Book Day, which is free of charge and open to all, seeks to introduce the network members to the public, show what book and literary activities they have in store for visitors throughout the year, and also organise exciting activities in the Memorial Garden. Visitors to the event will also be able to enjoy guided walks, street theatre performances, panel discussions, a concert, a slam poetry evening and craft activities,” guide and member of the Friends of the Book Network Nóra Erdei said.
Speaking about the programmes, she mentioned that a special literary and local history experience would be offered by Cívisporta Association preseting present the Architectural Design Library/Archive, considered as an Outstanding Debrecen Value. In addition a guided tour would be held by a staff member of the Méliusz Juhász Péter Library in the glass pyramid next to the Reformed Church, where visitors could learn about the history of conflagration in Debrecen. She added that the Explore Debrecen and the Természettár (Amateur Nature Enthusiast Group) would also organise a walk through the city centre, where participants could learn a lot about the relationship between literature and botany.
One of the most exciting programmes will be a panel discussion in the middle of the day, where librarians, Hungarian teachers, literary critics and young reading lovers will share their thoughts on the future of books and reading. Another discussion will be of great interest on summer reading experiences. Invited guests – presenter Ági Szabados, owner of Libertine Bookshop and Publishing House, Jászai Mari Prize-winning actor Klári Varga and writer Csilla Papp, will discuss this topic at Karakter 1517 Bookshop.
General cultural expert and member of the Friends of Books Network, Judit Új said that the programme would include several street theatre and fairy tale performances with families and children in mind.
The drama group of the Ibolya Street Primary School will perform Ervin Lázár’s tale of The Flower of “Vacskamati”, “Csicsogó” production will present The Little Mouse’s Boots (A kisegér csizmája), the popular Kuckó Art Theatre (Kuckó Művésztanya) will play their performance called “Szamárságok”, and the artist of the Vojtina Puppet Theatre, György Reschofsky will give an interactive musical show.
During the day, both youngsters and elders will be welcomed by the Friends of the Book, who will be present at the event. At the stands of DEMKI, the “Store of Nature” (Természettár) and Debreceni Pagony there will be story reading and book craft activities, at the stand of Libertine Bookstore and Book Publisher visitors will have the opportunity of book purchasing, at the stand of Csokonai National Theatre Debrecen there will be costume and prop trying-on, and at the stand of local history researcher, Máté Horog local history books, handmade unique pictures, postcards and fridge magnets, meanwhile at the table of Master-Lab Comics special comics will await visitors.
The day will start with the performance of the Keleti Brass Band, and from 6.00 p.m. the day will close with a slam poetry evening on the roof terrace of Kölcsey Centre by two members of the Debrecen University Theatre, Tibor Somogyi and Zalán Bakota.
The detailed programme of the free event is available on the Friends of the Book Day Facebook event.
The Friends of the Book Day programme – 7th of September, 2024 (Saturday)
10:00 a.m. – 7.30 p.m.
Location: Memorial Garden, Karakter 1517 Bookstore and Café, Kölcsey Centre
Programme:
10:00 a.m. Opening concert with the Keleti Brass Band
10:40 a.m. Welcome speech by Dr. István Puskás, Deputy Mayor
Presentation of Ibolya Utca Primary School:
– Announcement of the results and opening of the exhibition of the poetry and picture poem literary/art competition about Debrecen and school life
– Ervin Lázár: Flower of Vacskamati, a fairy tale performance by the school’s drama group (Director: Mária Sebestyén)
11:00 a.m. Presentation of the Architectural Design Library/Archive registered as Outstanding Debrecen Value in the Old Town Hall building
The programme will be led by local history researchers László Balogh and Dr. Péter Horváth. The programme will start from the Memorial Garden.
11:30 a.m. The Little Mouse’s Boots ( A kisegér csizmája) – interactive fairy tale performed by “Csicsogó” Production with live folk music
11:30 a.m. Presentation of the glass pyramid by the staff of the Méliusz Juhász Péter Library
12:00 p.m. Generations of reading – panel discussion on the role of the library and the future of reading
Participants: librarian Gabriella Zsupos (Dózsa György Primary School), teacher Mária Tóth (Dózsa György Primary School), adjunct professor (Hungarian Institute of Literature and Cultural Studies, DE BTK) Norbert Baranyai, member of the jury of Merítés Prize for Children’s Literature and Merítés Prize for Youth Literature Krisztina Szabó, teacher of Hungarian and librarian (Ady Endre Secondary School, Debrecen) Zsuzsa Peternainé Juhász, moderator Nóra Erdei.
Midday siesta and book picnic
2:00 p.m. Interactive musical performance by György Reschofsky, artist of the Vojtina Puppet Theatre
2:30 p.m. Theatrical performance by a drama group of children applying for the contest for the Great Forest, organised by the Debrecen Great Forest Conservation and Cultural Association
3:00 p.m. Where does literature come from? – Guided walk through the city centre in the spirit of literature and botany with Nóra Erdei (Explore Debrecen) and Zoltán Váradi, head of the Természettár (Amateur Nature Enthusiast Group)
3:00 p.m. The history of Hungarian musical comics – lecture by Attila “Labi” Tóth-Laboncz
3:30 p.m. “Stupidities” (Szamárságok) – performance by Kuckó Artist’s Studio (Kuckó Művésztanya)
4:30 p.m. Filling the joint bookcase with books collected during the day in Ady Park
4:45 p.m. Summer reading experiences – panel discussion
Participants: presenter, the owner of the Libertine Bookshop and th Book Publishers’ Association, Ági Szabdos, Jászai Mari Prize-winning actor Klári Varga and writer Csilla Papp
Moderator: Nóra Erdei
5:30 p.m. During the day, the poems brought by the guests and the Friends of the Book will be displayed in the Poetry Garden
6:00 p.m. Slam poetry evening by Tibor Somogyi and Zalán Bakota on the roof terrace of the Kölcsey Centre
7:30 p.m. Closing of the programme on the roof terrace of the Kölcsey Centre
During the day there will be continuous programmes in the Memorial Garden:
10:00 a.m. – 13:00 p.m. Handicraft activities with DEMKI
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Book collection for the BookSziget
10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Introduction of the Libertine Bookshop and Book Publishing House
10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Games and crafts with the Natural History Museum
10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Fairy tale reading, discussion and craft activities related to the fairy tale with the Debrecen Pagony
10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Costume and prop fitting with the Csokonai National Theatre Debrecen
10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. City-Legends.Com – local history books, handmade pictures, postcards, fridge magnets
2:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Master-Lab Comics – comic book sale
Source:debrecen.hu
