Through a student competition, the local Faculty of Architecture will select the best project idea for a wooden reading pavilion in its courtyard, which will serve as an open-air library and a space to relax for local citizens. A series of events – from poetry readings to small exhibitions – will enrich this newly created public space.
The Europe Readr musical and literary evening in Skopje
On 4 October 2021, a Europe Readr opening event took place at the outdoor terrace of the Komedija theatre, providing information to visitors on the free Europe Readr digital library and a selection of books. The event was organised in cooperation with the theatre and the Blaze Koneski Faculty of Philology at the Ss. Cyril and Methodius University in Skopje.
Darko Jan Spasov, translator from the Slovenian language and dramaturge, and Milan Predan, Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to the Republic of North Macedonia, opened the event by addressing the assembled audience. Ambassador Predan presented the concept, objectives and mission of Europe Reader as a European project aimed at promoting reading and fostering dialogue on issues relevant for our future.
The event was moderated by author, editor and translator Biljana Crvenkovska, who introduced the Europe Readr platform and the possibilities it offers. Four authors featured on Europe Readr were presented along with their books that are available free of charge on the platform by the end of this year: Italian author Tiziano Fratus, Czech poet and novelist Marek Šindelka, Polish poet Julia Fiedorczuk, and Slovenian author Drago Jančar.
Renowned Macedonian actors Blagoj Veselinov and Edmond Sotir concluded the event by reading excerpts in Macedonian from a book by Blaže Koneski, an important Macedonian literary and linguistic author and contributor to standardization of Macedonian.
As soon as you open Alexander Shpatov’s short story collection and read the first story “Experience Sofia”, you know that this author loves his city. He loves it so much that he wants the reader to love it too and – even better – to see it with the eyes of someone who has lived there all of his life. Reading these stories is an initiation. If you’ve never been to Sofia, it’s likely you’re so intrigued, you’ll feel like visiting as soon as possible. If you’ve been there before, it’s possible, you’ll discover entirely new sides to a lively city that is rich in history.