euskalkultura.eus

Donostia-San Sebastian.  Basque was better represented at this year’s expolangues Fair that took place last week in Paris.  Those present included Aizpea Goenaga and Mari Jose Olaziregi (Etxepare Basque Institute), Josune Ariztondo, Miren Dobaran (Provincial Government of Bizkaia  and Azkue Foundation), Fernando Alana (Langune), Miren Azkarate and Pello Salaburu (University of the Basque Country's Euskara Institute), Joseba Ossa (Bakun), Itziar Nogueras (Elhuyar Foundation), and Elena Garcia (Eleka / Elhuyar Foundation).

All of them provided information regarding the Basque language as well as methods and programs to learn it from the stand established by the Etxepare Institute.  There were also other activities in addition including talks about Basque that transcended the confines of Expolangues.

On February 7, writer Mariasun Landa and txistulari Garikoitz Mendizabal performed a literary/musical show entitled, Bizitza zatiak: euskal literatura eta musika (Fragments of Life: Basque Literature and Music) at the The Sorbonne Nouvelle III, with the collaboration of Lecturer, Miren Ibarluzea.  The event was attended by a large number of University students.  Two days later, Landa and Mendizabal repeated the performance at the Expolangues Fair.

On February 8, Argitxu Camus (previous Basque language and culture lecturer at the Sorbonne III) gave a talk at the fair entitled, “Euskara: Europako hizkuntzarik zaharrena?”  (Basque the Oldest Language of Europe?).  Finally, that afternoon Mariasun Landa gave a talk “Festa aldameneko gelan. Euskal ikasle baten autobiografia Parisen, 1968-1969” (The Party in the Room Next Door. Autobiography of a Basque Student in Paris 1968-1969) at Paris’s Cervantes Institute.