"ALL the activities that we are developing are nothing more than the answer to the huge and tremendous affection and interest shown by Bulgarians towards Spanish culture and language," said Spanish ambassador Jose Angel Lopez Jorrin when the Spanish Day of the Book was commemorated on April 23 at Cervantes Hall.
"King Juan Carlos I said that these kinds of links contribute to creating friendship and understanding. They are a tool for tolerance and they are the river for the creation and friendship among people and cultures," Jorrin said.
"I have always believed that education and culture are the two main pillars of every society," said Alfredo Martinez, Charge d'Affaires of the Spanish Embassy, adding that with a certain level of culture and education among the public, the cohesion of the country, stability, economic growth and development will be achieved.
"Apart from the historical dimension of the event there is something more important," Martinez said, explaining that Spanish people use this date not only to promote Spanish language and literature, but also to publicise the fact that sometimes we neglect the habit of reading. "Reading is extremely important to develop not only knowledge, but also personal satisfaction of people in general and we can find a wonderful place of refuge in reading and also for own satisfaction," he said.
April 23 has a long history and the deaths of both Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes are commemorated not only in the Spanish-speaking world but also in the rest of the world. Jose Ignacio Callen, head of the Cervantes Hall in Sofia, said that since 1985 this day has been the day of the book and of Spanish literature.
There are many traditions to mark April 23. One of these is to invite all the ambassadors from Spanish speaking countries to read passages of their choice. In Madrid there was a 48-hour reading, which started with the winner of the Cervantes prize who began with Don Quixote and the rest continued reading from the book. Sofia gathered the Spanish speaking diplomatic corps, MPs, students and lecturers of Spanish for a four-hour reading of all kinds of books.
"This day is deeply rooted in our conscience because Cervantes represents Spanish literature in general," Martinez said. He explained that an event such as the reading of Spanish literature in Cervantes Hall has been informally organised for four years but now they have decided to step forward and institutionalise the event.
April 23 is closely linked to an international celebration organised by UNESCO to commemorate the day of Shakespeare's death. "We are very much aware of the importance of the date," Martinez said.
In Catalonia people in the past used to give a flower, usually a rose, to women and a book to men on April 23. "This was a little bit sexist," Callen said. "Now the tradition has changed and the book and the flower are given to both men and women."
Martinez said that the flower symbolises many things such as sensitivity, and pointed out that women also enjoyed reading in the past. "We need to put the things within the framework of a certain culture," Martinez said. "Flowers and books are both wonderful objects. We are like Bulgarians and love giving flowers. In Spain now we have more women readers than men."
The celebration of the day of the book at Cervantes Hall is part of an ambitious cultural programme prepared by the Spanish Embassy. "Bulgarians are taking advantage of it," Martinez said. "The strength of our culture, which should not be associated only with Spain, but also with Latin American countries, is growing fast in Bulgaria."
Spanish artist Manuel Salinas' exhibition and another exhibition of sculpture will be inaugurated during King Juan Carlos' visit; there will be a focus on Spanish literature at the end of June, and a Spanish film festival will soon take place. Spanish and Latin American films will be shown from May 10 to May 16. "This is a wonderful opportunity to approach the Bulgarian public as far as the level of creativity that takes place in Spain," Martinez said. There will also be Spanish theatre performances in the near future.
Cervantes Halls exist in Vietnam, Prague, Budapest, Belgrade, Zagreb and Bulgaria. Sofia's Cervantes Hall will play a big part in the cultural programme as it is a very big institution like the British Council, Callen said. "Now Bulgaria has one of the few multi media centres around the world where Spanish language, culture and literature is available." Cervantes Hall offers Spanish language via progressive technologies, books, magazines and the screening of films for all those interested in Spanish language and culture. "Our first aim is to give all the help we can to Sofia University and the staff working with Spanish language. There is a tremendous interest in Spanish, which is fats becoming the second language after English in the world and in Bulgaria," he said.
"King Juan Carlos I said that these kinds of links contribute to creating friendship and understanding. They are a tool for tolerance and they are the river for the creation and friendship among people and cultures," Jorrin said.
"I have always believed that education and culture are the two main pillars of every society," said Alfredo Martinez, Charge d'Affaires of the Spanish Embassy, adding that with a certain level of culture and education among the public, the cohesion of the country, stability, economic growth and development will be achieved.
"Apart from the historical dimension of the event there is something more important," Martinez said, explaining that Spanish people use this date not only to promote Spanish language and literature, but also to publicise the fact that sometimes we neglect the habit of reading. "Reading is extremely important to develop not only knowledge, but also personal satisfaction of people in general and we can find a wonderful place of refuge in reading and also for own satisfaction," he said.
April 23 has a long history and the deaths of both Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes are commemorated not only in the Spanish-speaking world but also in the rest of the world. Jose Ignacio Callen, head of the Cervantes Hall in Sofia, said that since 1985 this day has been the day of the book and of Spanish literature.
There are many traditions to mark April 23. One of these is to invite all the ambassadors from Spanish speaking countries to read passages of their choice. In Madrid there was a 48-hour reading, which started with the winner of the Cervantes prize who began with Don Quixote and the rest continued reading from the book. Sofia gathered the Spanish speaking diplomatic corps, MPs, students and lecturers of Spanish for a four-hour reading of all kinds of books.
"This day is deeply rooted in our conscience because Cervantes represents Spanish literature in general," Martinez said. He explained that an event such as the reading of Spanish literature in Cervantes Hall has been informally organised for four years but now they have decided to step forward and institutionalise the event.
April 23 is closely linked to an international celebration organised by UNESCO to commemorate the day of Shakespeare's death. "We are very much aware of the importance of the date," Martinez said.
In Catalonia people in the past used to give a flower, usually a rose, to women and a book to men on April 23. "This was a little bit sexist," Callen said. "Now the tradition has changed and the book and the flower are given to both men and women."
Martinez said that the flower symbolises many things such as sensitivity, and pointed out that women also enjoyed reading in the past. "We need to put the things within the framework of a certain culture," Martinez said. "Flowers and books are both wonderful objects. We are like Bulgarians and love giving flowers. In Spain now we have more women readers than men."
The celebration of the day of the book at Cervantes Hall is part of an ambitious cultural programme prepared by the Spanish Embassy. "Bulgarians are taking advantage of it," Martinez said. "The strength of our culture, which should not be associated only with Spain, but also with Latin American countries, is growing fast in Bulgaria."
Spanish artist Manuel Salinas' exhibition and another exhibition of sculpture will be inaugurated during King Juan Carlos' visit; there will be a focus on Spanish literature at the end of June, and a Spanish film festival will soon take place. Spanish and Latin American films will be shown from May 10 to May 16. "This is a wonderful opportunity to approach the Bulgarian public as far as the level of creativity that takes place in Spain," Martinez said. There will also be Spanish theatre performances in the near future.
Cervantes Halls exist in Vietnam, Prague, Budapest, Belgrade, Zagreb and Bulgaria. Sofia's Cervantes Hall will play a big part in the cultural programme as it is a very big institution like the British Council, Callen said. "Now Bulgaria has one of the few multi media centres around the world where Spanish language, culture and literature is available." Cervantes Hall offers Spanish language via progressive technologies, books, magazines and the screening of films for all those interested in Spanish language and culture. "Our first aim is to give all the help we can to Sofia University and the staff working with Spanish language. There is a tremendous interest in Spanish, which is fats becoming the second language after English in the world and in Bulgaria," he said.
