Caring for the Readership Quarry
- Those who approach literature in the first years of their lives have the opportunity to get stuck in the hobby. On the contrary, it seems that literature for the youngest is often placed in the second line. In this context, the association of children's and youth literature in Basque Country Galtzagorri has reached 25 years.
Galtzagorri is an association that aims to mention the literature of children and youths in Basque. Throughout its 25 years of experience, it has been the meeting point of creators from different areas, with the objectives set from the beginning: to make the literature of children and youths in Basque and to promote their fondness for reading.
According to the president of the association, Iñaki Markotegi, there is the broadest offer of all times, but there is much to do in knowledge and in the work of a bridge between creators and readers. “We must not forget that we are talking about the quarry of readers of children and young people, we must teach the way and motivate them,” he said.
A labour force
The association began by organizing literary rooms, reading workshops and animation courses at the reading stage. The latter have consolidated several projects that have become the focus of the activity since the year 2000, such as the Young Book – a literary competition for ESO students – the Book Treasure and Itinerant Books – a book loan service for Early Childhood and Primary Education – and Bulatik Mintzora – a project to encourage teachers to read children from 0 to 6 years of age; Approaching the new technologies, Maria Goikoa de Anjel Lertxundi batbirulau! Last year, the book app for the mobile phone was created.
In addition, Galtzagorri undertakes another task: he proposes Basque writers, illustrators and translators for foreign competitions. It guarantees Basque representation at the OEPLI of the Spanish State and designates candidates for the List of Honour and the Andersen Awards of the international organization IBBY. Specifically, at the proposal of Galtzagorri, the illustrator Elena Odriozola, who has been working on the association for years, has been the winner of the National Enlightenment Prize.
As if it were not enough, twice a year Galtzagorri publishes Behbatean, the only journal published in Basque on children's and youth literature.
The importance of mediators
The debate about the lack of such a high quality requirement for children's literature is known among the agents of the sector, due to the primacy of commercial criteria. On the contrary, Markotegi states that there are many quality books, that mediation work is needed to reach the readers. “Involvement of parents or teachers is necessary, as only children cannot know.”
On the other hand, the association detects the lack of young writers: “Lately we see the lack of generations of young writers who work in children’s and youth literature. But not in the illustrators.” Yolanda Arrieta has coincided with this, but has clarified that, despite being a very skilled author, very few illustrated albums created in it are published: “Books move within an ecosystem and that ecosystem is pathetic,” he said.
In general, Basque writers write books for young people between the ages of 6 and 12, while for those between the ages of 0 and 6 and for those over the age of 12, little. Asked about possible causes, Arrieta has responded that schools, which are the main clients of publishers, easily locate the books of this space. He says that for a writer to create literature for children from 0 to 6 years can be “a wonderful job,” but for younger children, in general, there is only translation. “High quality”, according to Markotegi.
“Poetry is not working for young children anywhere, neither in school, nor in the Schools of Magisterium,” says Etxebarri’s writer. Regarding the second deficiency, he added that in the youth literature from the age of 12, other external factors must be addressed, such as the habits of youth and the Basque country, the attractiveness of the products of other languages, the lack of brave intermediaries or the gap of literature in regulated education.
Losing readers in schools?
To foster love, literature has to relate to enjoyment, and that's what schools fail for Markotegi. In his words, “the enjoyment and recognition of emotions in early childhood education have more space, but as age advances, the reading related to pleasure is reduced and related to academic objectives.” Arrieta has pointed out that reading requires silence and reflection, but that it is not “the most fascinating characteristics”.
Both are of the opinion that this type of literature should also be further elaborated in teacher training. In this regard, Galtzagorri's lehendakari has pointed out that "it would be good" for public institutions to commit themselves to drawing up a reading plan.
Elkartea 1990eko urrian sortu zela-eta, hil berean kokatu dituzte urtemugaren ospakizunak: urriaren 17an, ipuin kontalarien maratoia egin zuten San Telmo Museoan, eta hilaren 25ean, goizean Metrokoadroka Sormen Laborategiak Ilustratzaileen enkante dramatizatua eta solidarioa aurkeztuko du Arteko galerian. Arratsaldean, festa ospakizuna izango da San Telmo museoan.
Aurrera begira, ekoizpena baino –Mariasun Landak Oreina bihurtu zen neska eta Bernardo Atxagak Xola eta lapurra liburuak iragarri berri dituzte esaterako–, ezagutza eta erabilpena indartu behar direla ikusten dute. Horretaz arduratzen da Galtzagorri, eta horregatik Arrietak dio “subentzioen morrontza-neskametza” baino, baliabide gehiago merezi dituela. “Borondate handiz, denbora jarraituan eta ekinari zor, ikusgarritasun handirik gabe” egiten diharduen lanagatik.
Saran egingo da urriaren 11 eta 12an, eta aurtengoa laugarren edizioa izango da.
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