The national campaign to promote reading returns to the "Ion Creangă" Library
The National Library for Children "Ion Creangă" has launched the 15th edition of its national campaign to promote reading, titled "Let's read together!" This year, the project features six books aimed at different age groups, authored by Claudia Partole, Ianoș Țurcanu, Radmila Popovici, Maria Ivanov, Paula Erizanu, and Val Butnaru.
The launch event featured a theatrical presentation inspired by the book "Grandma Liuba, the All-Knowing" by Radmila Popovici. The hall filled with uplifting sayings that echoed village wisdom, such as, "A woman must take care of herself and stay clean; when people look at her, she should smile," and "Don't let trouble, dear, enter your soul..."
For Radmila Popovici, her grandmother represented more than just a childhood figure; she was a source of invaluable life lessons. "To this day, I believe she has had the greatest impact on me. From her, I learned prayers, songs, incantations, and all the wisdom that a holy grandmother, like those still found in our villages, can impart," the author shared.
As part of the campaign, the authors will visit schools and libraries across the country to discuss the selected books with readers.
Maria Ivanov believes that such meetings are essential: "These trips are very useful and important because literature and culture are not only present in Chisinau; they encompass and represent the entire Republic of Moldova. The presence of writers in every school in the country is very important."
Her book, "Everything will be fine," is also part of the campaign.
Ianoș Țurcanu, the author of "The Code of Good Manners," speaks with emotion about his previous experience: "During the last edition of this campaign, I visited 72 villages and held 72 meetings, where I interacted with about 300 to 400 children."
Regarding his book, he shares, "I dreamed about it for a long time. I wrote it with so much love, and now I'm excited to see how many readers I can reach this year."
For Claudia Partole, participating in the campaign represents both a challenge and a creative impulse: "It is, in fact, a challenge to write other books. For me, it's an honor to be part of this campaign; it mobilizes you and motivates you to work!"
This year's selection also includes "Here is Heaven and Hell: Republic of Moldova—A Century of Lived History" by Paula Erizanu and "Passions After Job" by Val Butnaru, which offer insights into our turbulent history.
Val Butnaru states that his novel is perceived by critics as "a kind of saga of Bassarabia, a historical saga that also reflects family themes." He hopes that it can provoke reflections among readers and also for those who recently viewed a performance at the National Theater.
Eugenia Bejan, the director of the Children's Library "Ion Creangă," emphasizes that the focus is not just on reading but on understanding the content: "We emphasize reading specific books, moving towards the content, because it's important for children not only to read but also to comprehend what they have read. They should be able to present a summary of a book and express their own opinions."
The campaign is organized with the support of the Ministry of Culture and will run until December.
