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Nearly 30 Basque clubs will participate this Friday in the Klasikoen Irakurraldia 2015 (Classics Reading 2015), via videos that will be shown on stage at the Arriaga Theater in Bilbao.  This year, the chosen work is Narrazio Guztiak by Joseba Sarrionandia, who will be in charge of beginning the reading, also on video.  The event will run from 8am to 8pm. 

Bilbao, Bizkaia.   Narrazio Guztiak, by Joseba Sarrionandia will be the subject of the 8^th Classics Reading, organized by the Bilbo Zaharra Euskaltegi with sponsorship from the Department of Euskera at the Bilbao Town Hall and the Laboral Kutxa Bank.  The author himself will also be present via video and will be in charge of starting the reading. 

This event is organized as part of the Euskara Ikasleen Jaia (Basque Students’ Celebration) in hopes of claiming the value of reading the classics and as a tribute to the work done by students in Euskaltegis in the Basque Country and the Diaspora.

As in prior editions, Basque students from clubs all over the world will be represented at the event, thanks to the participation of 28 Basque clubs, via videos recorded beforehand, with the support of the HABE’s Euskara Munduan program.

400 people

After Joseba Sarrionandia, nearly 400 people from the Basque culture and from diverse social, economic and political areas will participate in the public reading of the classic Narrazio Guztiak for 12 hours straight.  

Ibon Areso, Mayor of Bilbao will participate along with other Town Hall representatives, representatives from the Provincial Government of Bizkaia and the Basque Government, the Director General of Laboral Kutxa; and the presidents of the University of the Basque Country, University of Deusto, and Andres Urrutia, President of Euskatzaindia will also participate among others.

Members of the City Council of Bilbao; Academics from Euskaltzaindia; representatives from the media; union members; students and professors from the Bilbo Zaharra Euskaltegia and other schools in Bilbao; hoteliers; members of the Bishopric;  professional engineers, economists, lawyers etc. will also participate.

25th Anniversary of the Work

Narrazio Guztiak will celebrate its 25 anniversary since the writer ended narrative career.  It is a work that brought modernity to the narrative style of Basque literature.  The author also published three collections of stories: Narrazioak, Atabala eta euria (1985), and Ipar aldeko orduak (1990).  To these are added three unedited stories written prior.  The writer has also rewritten all of his works changing the style but staying faithful to the spirit of the content.  The result is classic and current at the same time, capable of surprising readers as well as the most veteran novelists.  

In prior years, Gero  by Axular, Peru Abarca by Mogel,  Haur Besoetakoa by Jon Mirande, Hamaika pauso  by Saizarbitoria, Zergatik Panpox by Urretabizkaia,  Obabakoak by Bernardo Atxaga and Harri eta Herri by Gabriel Aresti were the focus of the day.

For the third year in a row, the reading will be shown live on screens in the atrium of the Alhondiga in Bilbao.  It will also be streamed on Eitb’s website.

Participating Basque clubs: