CULTURE

EKEBI sets out strategy

Promoting reading, boosting book professionals and encouraging creativity are the three main aims of the National Book Center of Greece (EKEBI) for 2006. EKEBI President Dimitris Nollas welcomed the press to a New Year lunch on Tuesday, and EKEBI Director Catherine Velissaris outlined strategy and activities. The reading campaign is tailor-made to get readers young. School visits by writers have proved so popular that more than 220 have already been scheduled for this year. And children from 60 primary schools will attend the Bookgames workshops run jointly with publishers. Television spots, reading groups and mobile exhibitions at school libraries are all part of the campaign to boost reading, along with special promotions linked to book, film and wine festivals. Preparations for the Thessaloniki Book Fair, to be held May 25-28, are going full steam ahead; enrollment for Greek publishers starts January 16. Orhan Pamuk and Julian Barnes are among the literary stars who will attend the fair, the theme of which is «Wine and Other Delights.» Efforts to promote Greek books and writers outside Greece include Ithaca Online, sent monthly to 600 foreign publishers and agents, as well as collaboration with the Culture Ministry and Greek publishers to represent Greece effectively at book fairs abroad, including the Beijing fair in September. Scholarships for young writers to stay at the House of Literature of Paros, prizes for screenplays based on books and a reader’s prize are part of EKEBI’s strategic plan for boosting creativity. Other projects include promoting school libraries and seeking permanent funding. EKEBI is legally entitled to, but has never received, 20 percent of the proceeds from photocopies, Velissaris noted.

Subscribe to our Newsletters

Enter your information below to receive our weekly newsletters with the latest insights, opinion pieces and current events straight to your inbox.

By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.