National day of the book! Success?

Last week on Friday was the National Day of the book. We had decided to organise an event in the school, to use this day to read, study and talk about books, writing, reading and literature in general. So we invited a professor from the university (UFRJ), who's also a writer of books for children and adolescents, to come and talk to the kids. And we organised workshops of storytelling, poetry, illustration... and told everyone in the school that Friday afternoon was to be left free for the day of the book.

Come Friday afternoon: we were exhausted, because organising an event like this around here is not easy, and the kids were in hysterics. The first part of the afternoon was for them to present the work they had been working on for the past two weeks. One of my groups refused at the last minute to present the mini play they'd been working on... the others presented their poster, book and cartoon story. After that it was time for them to choose the workshops they wanted to do. And by then it was total chaos!

But I think overall the event was a success. Many of the kids attended the workshops. The younger ones, who had studied Georgina's books, were really impressed by her presence there. They could barely believe that it was her, a writer!, flesh and bone, there talking to them. They hugged her, touched her, mesmerised. A real writer! This was very touching.

So I think they got something out of the event and out of the work we had done beforehand. These kids don't read, not because they don't want to, but because it's not part of their parents sculture. There are no books at home. No magazines and no films either. They live in a world that's devoid of such cultural manifestations, of such intellectual stimulation. When I think about it, the difference between me and them scares me: I was born, and have always lived in a world that's absolutely full of that stuff. I cannot think of myself without this in my life. It's such a big part of me. What I know, what I've read, seen, heard is what defines me!