The flag “Welcome to the Basque Republic” had to overlook the III. Access to the Basque Book and Disco Fair. Because in the objectives of the Baltsan and ARGIA association, organizers of it, that also exists: that, even if for a day a year, they have the opportunity to live only in Euskera. The Northern Basque Country is well aware of the place of our language without official status in the plaza and what a violent diglosia has to be suffered by those who want to live in Euskera in their daily lives, especially on this coast of Lapurdi. Therefore, almost all attendees thank, when talking about the fair, what should be natural and not highlighted in the Basque people: how rich and beautiful the Plaza de Ziburu is only in Basque.

Tools to make a day in Basque easier... and the following: books and records in Basque. The number of publishers and record companies that attend is growing year by year: In 2020, they started with 16 publishers, and this year it was 33. The music has also been very represented in this third edition – Saroia Records, Alkimia, Bagabiga, Bidehuts, Kalapita,… – and has been accompanied by many artists. "The environment that has been created here is very much in line with our way of understanding music and culture," said Eli Beraza, of the collective musician Balioak.

The fair has had a thousand visitors and the organization has shown its satisfaction: “People have come closer, even from nearby and more distant villages. A very big smile has appeared on people’s faces,” concluded the day with Maddi Zubeldia, a member of Baltsan. Also Bego Zuza from ARGIA valued the fair “very well”: “It is a respiratory area, we are becoming a reference meeting point in the Northern Basque Country year after year.”

“Diversity” is evident

Ziburu’s quote is the showcase of the “diversity” of Basque creation, according to Lucien Etxezaharreta, writer of the editorial Mayo: “By prioritizing Euskera, we make our weakness a fortress. We have a broad library, and that won't take it away." It is the editorial of the Northern Basque Country, founded in the 1980s. May and without workers, has been the result of the involvement of its members: “We sell the gift of paying debts, we don’t have workers, that saves us. The authors are our strength, the enthusiasm of the authors makes the dissemination and interest of the book. The author is our only weapon.” In this sense, the Ziburu Fair has many writers who recommend, present and sell books at the back of the May table. Edurne Durandegi, of the editorial Erein, has also been at ease, highlighting the importance and necessity of being in Iparralde. He says it is “a good meeting point”, which offers them the possibility to talk to other publishers. Throughout the day there have been many children who have directly approached and practiced reading and reading books, with the recklessness still unknown by adults: “It’s very nice to see how they surround themselves, come close by colors or drawings and open books.”

Maddi Zubeldia and Bernadette Lur offered this morning an Amalurra that needs a pause in the creation of songs, puppets and stories. Like every year, they had an appointment at the old fountain located a few meters from the square (if a child reads the report, who knows that next year will have an old fountain to make friends of his age). It is not possible to say what and how, but yes, there they will have a meeting point: Because the children’s audience is the one who likes Zubeldia, and because it considers it essential to offer minors a time when the Basque, the pleasure and the imagination come together.

Estimated meeting space

If we allocate the space to Basque production in its entirety, we have the harvest and the wealth we have. “To give visibility to our world,” has thanked the publisher Hartu Lopez Arana Gatuzain. In the background, that's why Maryse was approaching from Urruña. He is responsible for the media library of Ziburu and made the tour in time, discovering more closely the latest news and taking notes, with the intention of enriching the shelves to the media the next day. Like Nora, a worker of the Biarritz mediateque.

The Ziburu trade show is becoming an annual event for some. There were multiple, well past the previous editions, again approximate. Bertsos, theatre, concerts, children's shows and book presentations, because there is a great cultural offer around the fair, which is the essence of the day.

Others had their first time. Among them is Amaia de Baigorri: “Thank you because in the Northern Basque Country we do not have many such places. Every quotation in favour of Basque culture is welcome.” Appreciated the size: It says that “Durango is a mini-mini”, which offers you the possibility to make two languages with people. That's right, and the present or the long-term ones, the fair is a place to motivate friends. For his part, the writer Jokin Urain has found “old knowledge” and has had a day “to meet the friends of this Basque world”. Txomin, go ahead volie! has been presenting the book and has thanked the public for approaching the presentation: “It’s been a good welcome, ours was the last presentation and still there was a group of people. It is a great credit to people, not to the author.” He knows the Plaza de Ziburu a long time ago, precisely because he was a refugee in San Juan de Luz from 1983 to 1986: “The Plaza de Ziburu was a meeting point, but at the time you couldn’t imagine the current.” Return home with a “very good” impression.

As Uraine, Asel Luzarraga, Lizar Begoña, Idoia Santamaria, Koldo Izagirre, Garluk and trio Dani Fano, as well as Garbiñe Larrea were presenting their latest works.

The honoured Dirassar remember “l´anti-basque”

For the journalistic work in Basque and for the four books in the literature (Hegiko Borda (1995), Bihotzeko mina (1997), Bele xuriak (2013), Herria irakurtuz, 100 testimonies (2018) were honored by the organizers, Jamattitt Dirassar, a Hazpada in Ziburu. At the time of receiving the prize, he refused to take the floor, claiming the intention to leave room for the young generation, the young writer Amaiur Epher, who accompanied him. But, however, she could not remain silent, she could not preserve the pain of the past: “I have two plain words, and I’ll put them in French, because I didn’t know how to translate... And I don't want to come back, because it's an ugly word! This word is Anti. Anti-Basque. Anti-Basque is what we suffered in school when we were children. We were forbidden to put a word on the table in Basque. We have to remember where we are going, where they have gone. Because Euskera was violently forbidden in school; if we spoke of a single word in Euskera, we were punished. Excuse me for speaking two words in French, but I did not want to translate them into Basque.”

The memories of this cruelty suffered by the Basques joined the intrigue, pride and strength that prevailed at the time and thanked with applause the friends, family, cultural lovers and cilans present in the public. The Bertsolaris Igor Elortza and Miren Artetxe, as well as the cartoonists Axpi and Unai Gaztelumendi, very well praised Ziburu’s feat in the mixture of verses and drawings that followed.

Desire to be in the plaza

The Plaza de Ziburu has a soul and there is no doubt that it gives a plus to the fair. The organizers want to be present, although the buildings surrounding the plaza limit their expansion. Therefore, Ziburu’s will continue to be “Durango mini-mini”. Above all, because the Basque country has to be in the square, in the heart of the people. “Thanks to all of you, our fair is taking root year after year in Ziburu as a tree. Its trunk is becoming a solid base. The branches are multiplied and expanded, offering a richer and more juicy programming,” said Maialen Tapia at the opening ceremony. Let the tree continue to grow, from being a tree that keeps the forest to becoming a jungle.

Once the fair was finished, he took the square the hail, directing those present to the bars of the area, and taking the last denominated drink, offering a perfect stalk to prolong the day. The folk group Ni Banna settled in the lovely Bittor bar, in the corner of accommodation, and several writers, readers, organizers and members of publishers who did not want to marry stayed among the melodies of Irish music. At ease, celebrating the Basque Republic.