Creative Writing Workshop by the American Corner of the Public Central Library of Veria

The American Corner in Veria in cooperation with the Department of American Literature and Culture, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki is offering a  creative writing workshop by  Steven Tagle, a Fulbright graduate student on Resurrecting Gods and Monsters: An Introduction to Modern Myth Making. The workshop will take place at the Central Public Library Veria, on Saturday, April 1st, 2017, from 10 :00 – 12:00.

Steven G. Tagle
University of Massachusetts Amherst
MFA, Creative Writing: Fiction
Stanford University
BA, English (Creative Writing) and Psychology

A 2016 Asian American Writers’ Workshop Margins Fellow and a 2013 Soros Fellow, Steven has been published in the Los Angeles Review of Books, New Delta Review, Spork, and The Rumpus.  In this workshop, Steve and the participants will experiment with a variety of strategies for re-imagining Greek myths in order to re-envision our position in the modern world. How might Apollo, Athena, Medusa, Icarus, and Odysseus appear today? How can the characters, situations, landscapes, and themes of mythology be remixed and reinterpreted to address contemporary questions and struggles? Through creative writing exercises adapted from American literary texts, students will explore ways of approaching and refreshing classical myths while simultaneously learning craft tools to improve their faculty with English as a foreign language. Students will perform close readings of English texts and develop their English storytelling skills by writing and sharing their work.

DEBT OF GRATITUDE ON DONATION

The Public Central Library of  Veria warmly thanks the family of  Mrs. Vasiliki Loukakos for the donation of 500€ in loving memory of her late husband Athanasios Loukakos. In addition, the Loukakos family has donated the Library 748 titles of new books from their private collection.

From the Public Central Library of Veria, https://www.libver.gr

BOOK DONATION OF JAPANESE LITERATURE TO THE PUBLIC LIBRARY OF VERIA

The Japanese civilization is unique in every aspect. From the Japanese traditional Kabuki theatre, to the tea ritual, the origami art of paper folding, up to the modern culture with the video games and anime.

It is thus, with particular interest and joy that our Library received a wonderful collection of Japanese Literature books and of other publications on Japanese culture. We greatly thank the Japanese Embassy in Greece for its kind offer.

WITH THE CHEF ALEXANDROS PAPANDREOU THE OPENING OF THE COOKING SEMINARS SPACE IN THE CENTRAL PUBLIC LIBRARY OF VERIA

A fully equipped cooking and pastry workshop has been created on the renovated 2^nd floor of the Central Public Library of  Veria.

A space aspiring to host cooking and pastry seminars, to combine cooking with art, philosophy and other sciences, to help us familiarize with local recipes, to experiment, to create.

The new space is addressed to both children and adults, to beginners and professionals alike.

On Friday 8^th of July, the well-known chef Alexandros Papandreou is opening the new space, presenting two seminars for children of ages 8-11.

The seminar comprises 2 parts:

1. We talk about what we eat, what we like to eat, what’s good for us, how do we make our dish so as to be balanced? – We talk about the basic food groups and play the game ‘My dish’. The children will have the chance, one by one, to prepare their balanced dish by selecting cards from all the food groups.
2. We cook 2 simple recipes, with seasonal and local products.

Time of the seminars: 5.00-6.30 και 7.00-8.30 p. m

The number of places for the seminars is limited. Please make your registration on time in the Public Central Library of  Veria, Ellis 8 or on the phone 2331024494.Registrations start  on Friday 1^st of July.

On the same day at 1pm a press conference and a presentation of the new space will take place in the presence of Mr. Alexandros Papandreou. .

The event is held with the support of  the  NATIONAL BANK OF GREECE.

VERIA CENTRAL PUBLIC LIBRARY | COMPLETION OF RENOVATION OF THE 2ND FLOOR AND THE LOFT, ABOVE THE 2ND FLOOR

With the opening of the 2nd floor on the 21^st of May of 2016 the Public Central Library of Veria completed the utilization of 1.000.000$ which received with the award “Access to Learning’’ in August 2010 in Gothenburg, in the International Librarian Conference. Last step to the five year-span schedule of the money utilization was the renovation of the 2nd floor. The design and the study of the renovation work were made by the architecture office Sparch SAKELLARIDOU / PAPANIKOLAOU ARCHITECTS (www.sparch.gr). The architecture work of the office has received international recognition with significant architecture awards, multiple participations in international exhibitions, has been extensively published and presented in lectures. In this study the office cooperated with:

1. Nikolaidis, I.Lavasas Engineers, Samaras and Partners Consultant Engineers, Th. Timagenis, Acoustical Engineering Consultant, E. Deko Theatrical Lighting Consultant, Bon Studio-Th. Svoronos, Image and Sound Consultant, Beetroot Design Group, Graphic Arts Consultants

Construction: Core Construction

Technical Consultant of VCPL: Tasos Papadopoulos

The proposal of the architectural intervention was the reformation-renovation of the three space and function units, i.e, the Foyer, the Multiple Function Space and the Office Spaces, as well as the rest subordinate spaces of the individual units of the second floor of the Central Public Library of Veria.

The architectural intervention aimed at creating a new space with ambience, where the multiplicity of the usage it will host, will converse harmonically with the aesthetics of simplicity and versatility.

As a consequence, the choice of the architectural elements together with the particular stable and mobile equipment targeted at featuring the space as a center of interaction, as a work space and active center of learning and creativity.

In the central reception space, the Foyer, a living room space was designed for the hosting of meetings, presentations, seminars or even special events in combination with the ones the Multiple Function Space is hosting. Indicatively, the possibility of hosting a small musical group, the conduct of cooking seminars, or the support for hosting receptions is noted.

The state-of-the-art multiple function space, with a capacity of 80 seats, comprises the basic space of multiple events. The space was upgraded both aesthetically and acoustically, while at the same time was equipped with contemporary installations of special lightning, sound and image, so as to meet with flexibility and high standards the requirements of alternative actions concerning motion, image and speech.

Simultaneously, the possibility of unification of the Multiple Function Space with the Foyer was provided, to enhance the possibility of multiple interactive programs.

Each new structure and choice of materials, was studied to create the appropriate acoustic environment, so that the users can communicate with each other or work without disturbing or being disturbed by others. The special lightning, the general theatrical and the dynamical lightning was studied in order meet the needs of events of performing arts, like small concerts or music groups, small theatrical and dance performances.

Finally, the space was updated and equipped with a stable projector screen. The renovation of the 2^nd floor started in September 2015 and was completed in September 2016 with the purchase of the equipment that was obtained with the sponsors’ contribution through the campaign ‘Together we turn on the lights’.

“NOTHING IS GIVEN AWAY” the new book by Mrs. Maro Douka

Recently released, by Patakis editions, the new book of the acclaimed Greek novelist Mrs. Maro Douka is titled “Nothing is given away”.  Through its beautiful and powerful prose and the exceptional descriptions of the writer, a reference to her visit to the Public Library of Veria in 2000 is also made. We read the excerpt with sentiments of love and nostalgia and we highly recommend it to you. Read the excerpt here (Greek).