Sant Jordi Day 2013

Sant Jordi Day is one of the most highly-anticipated celebrations for book-lovers. School children across the island enjoy any number of activities brought to life on the special day. Such events are organised by the Island Council's Office of Culture and Patrimony and collaboration by the different libraries of the island. They also receive the participation of Formentera public schools, the nursery school (L'Escoleta) and the Friends of the International Library association, Obra Cultural Balear (Balearics Cultural Works) and Espai Frumentària.

Activities are concentrated in the second half of April, and this year, on the occasion of the centenary celebration of poet Marià Villangómez, a great number of these activities are based on the Pitiüsa literary figure. The activities programme kicks off with an event held by the book club for adults, in which participants will reflect on the John Williams book, Stoner. This will take place 16 April in the Sant Ferran library.

The activities continue Wednesday 17 April with a workshop whose goal will be the creation of a giant illustrated book for children 5 and up, led by Paz Aguado. The programme will continue 19 April with the presentation by Isidor Marí of a new edition of the complete works of Marià Villangómez, whose publication included the collaboration by the Formentera Island Council as a member of the Year of Villangómez Commission.

The same day, of special significance will be a conference by writer and columnist Espido Freire, winner of the Premi Planeta for the work “Melocotones helados” (“Frozen peaches”). This renowned author will host a conference on the Bronte sisters (authors of the novel Wuthering Heights) in which participants will enter the world of the two English sisters.

In addition, on 20 April the II Ruta Frumentària will visit the Formentera landscapes that appear throughout Villangómez's works, in an event sponsored by Obra Cultural Balear of Formentera and Espai Frumentària. The same day at dusk will host a repeat edition of one of last year's most successful activities: a marriage of literature, local wines and cello melodies. Once again, the poems read at the event will be extracts from the book El cop a la terra (The blow to the Earth), one of the Pitiüsa poet's most successful works.

Young children will finally be treated to some storytelling on 22 April, in an activity organised by Libraries of Formentera under the title “The imagined world”. Performed by Espai Frumentaria, the event is intended for boys and girls of all ages.

For the actual Day of Sant Jordi, 23 April, the student body of the Verge Miraculosa School will lead the drawing in coloured chalk of different images from the popular legend of Sant Jordi. This activity will take place in the morning at the Plaça de la Constitució, and also at the plaza will be give-away spots for books supplied by Formentera libraries and other cultural associations on the island.

At 6:00 pm prizes will be handed out in the Antoni Tur Gabrielet artisanal centre for the XIV Annual Antoni Tur “Gabrielet” Children's Bookmark Contest and the Robert Lewis Baldon Children's Literature Contest. Organisers of the contests wish to render homage to these two individuals so important to the worlds of art and literature and help keep their memory alive. And, like all of the other Sant Jordi events, they attempt to promote reading and to stimulate literary and artistic creation among the island's youngest minds.

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