The second edition of “Alphabet” Children’s Literature and Development Festival, brought to you by the letter “B” for Brzechwa, took place between June 1st and 4th in the green heart of Lublin, the Saxon Garde. For a few days, the Saski Garden became a fairy-tale space where the youngest residents surrounded and played with literature.
The festival began with a colourful parade that passed through the centre of Lublin, inviting children and adults to journey together into the world of children’s literature and adventure. The parade included characters known from Brzechwa’s works – Mr. Kleks, characters from Bajdocja, and the inhabitants of Bergamuty.
The program included many activities related to the author’s work and biography. Brzechwa’s poems, mainly about animals, prose (represented primarily by the character of Mr. Kleks) served as the main inspiration. The second theme was rebellion: books dealing with this subject, and its importance in our lives. The attractions included concerts, literary installations, and an open-air reading room. The festival presented an opportunity to meet authors of children’s books, including Małgorzata Strzałkowska, Elżbieta Wasiuczyńska, Agnieszka Frączek, Marianna Sztyma, Sylwia Chutnik, Krzysztof Łapiński, and Marcin Szczygielski.
– The festival is a celebration for all children. Letters of the alphabet create the programme, which helps to promote reading. The idea is to read the works of specific authors and work on emotions and the attitudes that result from those emotions. The event promotes reading holistically and intimately through meetings, workshops, installations, theatre, movement, music, film, and creative islands, and connects specialists in various fields – says Alina Januszczyk, author and coordinator of the “Alfabet” Festival.
The organizer of the Festival is the “Grodzka Gate – NN Theater” Centre (House of Words) in partnership with the Beetle Audiovisual Culture Foundation and with the support of the City of Lublin. The event is part of the programme bid for the European Capital of Culture 2029.
