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Within the scope of this year’s edition of the Narodowe Czytanie [National Reading] project, works by Aleksander Fredro will be read out loud in public places of almost 250 cities and towns all over Poland, including Krakow. The key element of the Krakow programme will be public reading of Zemsta [Vengeance] that will take place at Market Square (by the Town Hall) on the 7th of September (Saturday) at 11.00 a.m. The participants will include famous actors and actresses, among others: Dorota Segda, Anna Dymna and Urszula Grabowska, as well as a councillor, Jerzy Fedorowicz.
Narodowe Czytanie, a national campaign which consists in public reading of the greatest works of Polish literature, dates back to 2012 and was originated by the President Bronisław Komorowski. Its main aim is to promote readership, draw attention to the necessity to care for Polish language and strengthen the nation’s identity.
Last year, Adam Mickiewicz’s Pan Tadeusz [Pan Tadeusz or The Last Foray in Lithuania] was read, while this year’s edition will be devoted to Aleksander Fredro, a great writer of the Enlightenment whose works have become a part of the canon of Polish literature and constantly run in many theatres. His works will be read in public places in almost 250 cities and towns all over Poland, including Krakow.
Especially for this occasion, a commemorative seal was designed to stamp copies of books with Aleksander Fredro’s works brought by participants of Narodowe Czytanie. The campaign will start on the 7th of September (Saturday).
The key element of the Krakow programme, a field reading of Zemsta, organized by Groteska Theatre, will take place at the Market Square by the Town Hall (September 7th, Saturday, at 11.00 a.m.) with participation of famous actors and actresses: Anna Dymna, Urszula Grabowska, Dorota Segda, Tadeusz Malak, Krzysztof Orzechowski and Jacek Romanowski, as well as the president of Culture and Conservation of Monuments Comission at Krakow City Council, Jerzy Fedorowicz. On the same day, another of Fredro’s plays Mąż i żona [Husband and Wife] will be read at Bagatela Theatre (Duża Scena, ul. Karmelicka 6, at 7.15 p.m., ENTRANCE IS FREE OF CHARGE).
Also, The Nowa Huta Public Library would like to invite you to public reading of Fredro’s works with participation of journalists of Głos. Tygodnik Nowohucki, Agnieszka Łoś and Sławomir Pietrzyk and the President of District XVIII Council, Stanisław Moryc, which will take place at 11.00 a.m. at the library’s division – Filia nr 4 Oddział dla Dzieci i Młodzieży, os. Zgody 7. A special programme for the youngest participant will be available at Krowodrza Public Library and Historical Museum of the City of Krakow – The Hipolit House. The library would like to invite children and their parents to read Aleksander Fredro’s children’s stories together and listen to one of his comedies, Zemsta – an audio book recorded by M. Regent, A. Gruza, and T. Czarnecki will be played (ul. Krolewska 59, at 9.00 a.m.).
At the Hipolit House, children’s stories and poems by Fredro will be read in interiors which date back to the 18th and 19th century – that is the time when Fredro lived and worked (pl. Mariacki 3, at 11:00 a.m.). Then, children will be able to participate in art workshops on the subject of works to which they will have listened, see the interiors of the House, which are similar to the place where Aleksander Fredro lived and worked; and to learn about every day-use objects from that period of time. The programme prepared by the museum is addressed at children aged 6-10. The number of participants of the workshops is limited. You need to book in advance at the Visitor Centre by phone (12 460 50 60) or e-mail (info@mhk.pl).
Also, the Cyprian Kamil Norwid Centre of Culture proposes an unusual form of involvement into Narodowe Czytanie by organising a literary happening entitled Zemsta na Centralnym [Vengeance at the Central Square] (Plac Centralny − by “Skarbnica” bookstore, at 2:00 p.m.). Passers-by will receive fragments of the comedy and will be able to take a photo with a stand-by with the writer’s image. A reportage on this event will be posted on the Stylowa Nowa Huta blog (www.stylowanowahuta.blogspot.com).
PROGRAMME:
National reading of Aleksander Fredro’s works in Krakowie, the 7th of September 2013
Market Square
11.00 a.m. – field reading of Fredro’s comedy Zemsta
Bagatela Theatre (Duża Scena), ul. Karmelicka 6
7.15 p.m. – reading of Fredro’s play Mąż i żona
Nowa Huta Public Library (Filia nr 4), os. Zgody 7
11.00 a.m. − reading of Fredro’s selected works
Krowodrza Public Library, ul. Królewska 59
9.00 a.m. – reading of Fredro’s children’s stories by children and their parents and listening to his comedy Zemsta (audio book)
Historical Museum of the City of Krakow (the Hipolit House) pl. Mariacki 3
Reading Fredro’s children’s stories and poems
11.00 a.m. – Opowieść o gęsim piórze i atramencie [On Goose’s Feather and Ink]
11.30 a.m. – Aleksander Fredro’s children’ stories
12.00 p.m. – Art workshops in book design
Cyprian Kamil Norwid Centre of Culture, Plac Centralny
2.00 p.m. – a literary happening Zemsta na Centralnym