“I will listen to your story…”: Croatian Book Month 2024
The Croatian Book Month 2024, this year’s edition of Croatia’s annual national programme successfully promoting books and reading for almost thirty years, opened on 15 October at the new building of the Rijeka City Library.
Traditionally organised by the Zagreb City Libraries public library network under the auspices of the Croatian Ministry of Culture and Media, the Month is themed I will listen to your story…, spotlighting the value of telling stories and focusing on literary forms making the basis of oral literature, such as fairy tales and legends, which are constantly transforming while travelling through time under various influences.
“The father of Croatian literature” – and the mother of Croatian fairy tales
Marking the 500th anniversary of the death of Marko Marulić (1450-1524), often referred to as “the father of Croatian literature” and “the Croatian Dante”, and the 150th anniversary of the birth of Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić (1874-1938), the author of the iconic works of Croatian children’s literature and a six-time nominee for the Nobel Prize for Literature, the 2024 Croatian Book Month will be taking place by 15 November 2024 in libraries, schools, and various institutions and organisations all across Croatia.
NSK joins Croatian Book Month 2024
The National and University Library in Zagreb (NSK) is traditionally among the Month’s many participants, which have organised over 2,000 programmes, and apart from traditionally hosting the awards ceremony of the Month’s national online quiz aimed at the promotion of reading (Big Small Stories, 15 November 2024, 12.00) it is this year joining this national celebration with the following activities:
15 October – 15 November
Books, a perfect gift
Book donation programme
5 – 22 November
NSK exhibition marking 70 years of Modra lasta, Croatia’s most popular teenage magazine
11 – 13 November
Just return that overdue book and you will completely be let off the hook!
Waving late return charges initiative
The Croatian Book Month, whose programme includes the annual celebration on 11 November of the Croatian Library Day, has been organised by the Zagreb City Libraries since 1995 to spotlight the social importance of books and reading and the significance in this context of libraries, as indispensable places in providing as wide as possible an access to books and in the promotion of reading, literacy and related benefits, both for the entire society and the individual.
Photos by: Tanja Kanazir.