GREEK SECTION OF IBBY

Biennial Report Reporting Period: June 2006--Sept.2008

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1 G R E E C E

1.2 Circle of the Greek Children's Book Bouboulinas 28, GR-10682 Athens. Tel/Fax: (int+) 30 210 82 22 296 E-mail: [email protected] website: www.greekibby.gr

1.3 Representatives

1.3.1 President: Mr. Vangelis Iliopoulos, writer-teacher. Vasilissis Friderikis 25A, GR-119002, Peania, Athens. Tel.: (int+) 30 210 66 40 151. Fax: (int+) 30 210 6669002, e-mail: [email protected]

1.3.2 Vice-president: Mrs. Vassiliki Nika, teacher-translator. Kanari 108, GR-18345, Moschato, Athens. Tel.: (int+) 30 210 94 10 640, e-mail: [email protected]

1.3.3 IBBY Main Liaison Officer: Eva Kaliskami, translator-teacher. Galaxidiou 31A΄, GR-183 45, Moschato-Athens Tel.: (int+) 30 211 11 99 110, e-mail: [email protected]

1.4 Organization Structure 1.4.1. Our NS is a nonprofit association. Its structure consists of a 7-member Administrative Board (President, Vice-President, Secretary General, Curator, Treasurer, two Advisors) elected every two years by the NS General Assembly. Their duties are determined by the NS Constitution. The Board has the right to form working groups to assist in the NS activities, and to nominate juries for the evaluation of books, reading programs, etc. submitted for the NS annual awards. 1.4.2. Our NS is not affiliated to or a branch of any other organization. 1.4.3. Our NS has an office run by the Administrative Board and other NS volunteers. There is no paid staff. 1 1.4.4. The Board meets once a month. A general assembly open to all members is hold annually.

Membership 1.4.5. There are no member-organizations in our Section.

1 1.4.6 Our NS has 360 individual members (300 active, 15 honorary and 45 deputy members).

They all receive an annual bulletin with the NS activities and information about IBBY. Active members and deputy members pay annual dues. Active members participate in NS general assemblies and are eligible to be nominated for the Administrative Board. All members can participate in exhibitions, meet-the-author events and seminars and they can be nominees for the NS awards and prizes. They may serve on committees and working groups.

1.4.7 The majority of our members are writers, illustrators and teachers, but there are also translators, critics, researchers, publishers, librarians, philologists, psychologists, storytellers and folklorists. 1.4.8 There are three categories of membership: Active members, deputy members and honorary members.

1.4.9 Our members receive regularly information circulars. They also receive the NS annual bulletin and can visit the office for advice during its working hours (twice a week: Tuesday 11.00-13.00 and 17.30-19.30, Thursday 11.00-13.00).

2. FUNDING 2.1. Annual Budget Our average annual budget is approx. US$ 17.000. Recently it has been decreased. 2.2. Sources of income

2.2.1 All members, except the honorary ones, pay annually Euro 20. - This accounts approximately for the 30% of our budget. 2.2.2 Publishers and individual sponsors cover the prizes given by our NS, but their offer does not consist part of budget, as the relevant sums are given directly to the winners. Prizes to books are Euro 1.000 each. Prizes to teachers, libraries and reading programs are books offered by the sponsor-publishers. 2.2.3 Our NS usually receives a grant of Euro 10.000. - from the Ministry of Culture. This accounts for approximately 60% of our Budget, but it is not regular. This amount of money, although approved for the last year of the reported period, it was not received by the Greek Section of IBBY. Thus, our section deals with great financial problems. 2.2.4 No grants are received from other organizations. 2.2.5 No other NS have contributed to support our NS financially. 2.2.6 Our NS receives a small amount (approximately Euro 1.000 per year) as royalties from publications, which amounts to appox. 10% of our budget. 2.2.7 Our NS has no other sources of income. 2.2.8 Sources of income in point 2.2.1 are regular. 2.2.9 The sum mentioned in point 2.2.3, received irregularly, includes a sum specifically for our

2 IBBY dues. 2.2.10 Up to now, our NS does not consider successful any fundraising strategy it has developed

3. THE NATIONAL SECTION’S ACTIVITIES 3.1 Main activities

3.1.1. During the reporting period, our NS organized the following national meetings: (a) The 5th and the 6th Penelope Maximou lecture, established in memory of the late famous Greek writer Penelope Maximou, who passed away in 2001.These lectures are given every February. Lecturers: Professor Hercules Kallergis and Professor Anda Katsiki-Givalou.

3.1.2 Every time our NS is invited to participate in national meetings or conferences, its representatives mention that our Association represents IBBY in Greece and refer to IBBY activities and projects. 3.1.3. Every two years our NS organizes a seminar at a local level. Its 11th seminar took place in Thessaloniki in cooperation with the Central Municipal Library and the magazine Diadromes sto Horo tis Logotechnias gia Paidia ke Neous (Routes in the Fields of Children and Young People’s Literature). The seminar took place in May 2007 and lasted for two days. Theme: Unlocking the Modern Society’s Secrets – Contemporary Social Issues in Greek Children and Young People’s Literature. These seminars aim at students, librarians, researchers and teachers, as well as creators of children’s books. More that 220 people participated in the seminar. 3.1.4. An exhibition of IBBY ICBD posters was organized in Vytina, near Tripoli / Peloponnisos, in cooperation with the Municipality and a local association (August 2007). 3.1.5. Our NS administers annual awards to children’s books, illustrations, children’s literature personalities, teachers, children’s libraries and reading programs. 3.1.6. Our NS runs a lending library, open during office hours (see 1.4.9), which serves the NS members, students and researchers.

3.1.7. Other activities during the reporting period: (a) Illustrators-members of our NS participated in BIB-2007. The Greek Section of IBBY was represented by the Greek illustrator Vassilis Papatsarouchas.

(b) A Greek illustrator (Photini Stephanidi) and a Greek author of children’s books (Galatia Grigoriadou-Soureli) were nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, 2007 and 2008.

(c) The Greek teacher-author Zaharoula Karava and the Greek illustrator Vasso Psaraki represented the Greek Section of IBBY in the Annual International Exhibition NAMBOOK (2007 and 2008 respectively) organized by the Korean Section of IBBY. A total number of 28 Greek children and young people’s literature books were sent to Nami Island by the Greek Section of IBBY.

3 (d) Our frm Vice President Vangelis Iliopoulos, frm Advisor Vassiliki Nika represented the Greek Section of IBBY in the 1st International Southeastern Europe Festival of Literature in Sofia, Bulgaria. We submitted three candidacies: children’s literature writing, translation and illustration. The children’s book illustration prize was awarded to our member who also attended the festival, Leda Varvarousi.

(e) The Greek author Eleni Dikeou, member of the Greek section of IBBY, participated in the Festival Bibliobraz 2007 in Moscow, Russia. More than 100 copies of Greek children and young people’s books were sent and presented in the exhibition venue.

(f) Copies of the books submitted to the juries for our NS annual awards were afterwards donated to remote libraries, schools and communities in non-privileged areas, hospitals, local libraries that suffered from last year fires etc. From the same source, more than 100 Greek children’s books were donated to the International Youth Library, as it happens every year.

(g) The members of our NS had two gatherings (Jan. 2007, 2008) to celebrate the New Year.

(h) Our NS organized commemoration gatherings for NS members having passed away. The first one was in November 2007 for our beloved NS member Maro Loizou and the second one in March 2008 for our as well beloved NS member Kira Sinou.

(i) Participation of our NS fmr Vice President in an one-day seminar in N. Makri organized by the Cultural Center of N. Makri. Topic: Problem Management in Kindergarten for Children’s Smooth Transition to Elementary School.

(j) Especially successful are always the activities to mark the ICBD (meet-the-author events, the official celebration, and cooperation with national media).

3.2. Communication 3.2.1 Our NS maintains a website. The URL is: www.greekibby.gr 3.2.2. A bulletin, published annually, is distributed to all members of our NS, Ministries, publishing houses, various associations interested in children’s literature, visitors of our office and any other interested person or organization. Our Bulletin is not available online. 3.2.3. No lists of book selections are developed. In our NS website, visitors can find every title of children’s books given awards since the early 1990s. 3.2.4 As mentioned in 3.1.3, every two years our NS organizes a seminar at a local level. The papers presented during these seminars are regularly published in separate volumes, to enrich Greek bibliography on children’s literature. The papers presented in our two-day seminar in Thessaloniki will be published in a volume edited by the Speech and Culture Laboratory by the University of Thessalia. In the same way, the second volume from the lectures delivered during our two-day seminar in 1999 has been also published during the reported period. Theme: Children’s Literature in Education. This volume is also edited by the Speech and Culture Laboratory by the University of Thessalia.

4 An article written by the Assistant Professor of the University of Thessalia, Tasoula Tsilimeni, who is a member of the Greek section of IBBY has been published in the Aeolus magazine of the newly established Centre of Children’s Literature in South Eastern Europe in Sofia, Bulgaria. Two more articles have been also sent.

An article written by our frm President Loty Petrovits-Androutsopoulou about our section’s activities and its new objectives was published in the magazine Synchrono Dimotiko. 3.2.5 Our NS makes every effort to approach national media to promote its activities and the work of IBBY. These efforts are usually fruitful on or around the celebration of ICBD. IBBY flyer into Greek is largely distributed.

3.3 Cooperation at a national level 3.3.1 Our NS receives and answers queries from individuals and organizations throughout the country. It disseminates information on children’s literature, international book events, competitions, and exhibitions to interested groups. It cooperates and exchanges information with libraries, institutions or children’s literature experts in Greece and abroad. In this context, it largely distributes a leaflet addressed to parents, titled How to choose a children’s book.

3.3.2. In our country there are three institutions for which the development of children’s reading and publishing culture is an objective: (a) Center of children and adolescent books, (b) Women’s Literary Society, (c) the Artistic Association of Children and Young Readers’ Book Illustration “Aesopos”. Our NS is regularly informed about their projects and needs.

3.3.1. Our NS collaborates with the above institutions.

4. COOPERATION WITH IBBY

4.1 International activities in cooperation with IBBY Congress and General Assemblies 4.1.1 Two of our members attended the 30th IBBY Congress in Macau, China. 4.1.2 A representative of our Section participated in one meeting of European IBBY members held in Bologna in 2007. None of our members participated in the meeting of European IBBY members in Bologna in 2008 because of financial problems.

International Children’s Book Day (ICBD) 4.1.3 Each year, on April 2, our NS organizes an official celebration of ICBD, during which the NS annual prizes are awarded (see 3.1.5). It also organizes meet-the-author events and cooperates in relevant activities with schools, publishers’ associations and other institutions interested in children and their books. The publication of ICBD material, translated into Greek by our NS, is sponsored by a Greek publisher and is largely distributed all over the country, to schools, children’s libraries and bookstores, by the National Book Center of Greece.

5 4.1.4 Our NS uses the message and poster of the sponsoring NS. 4.1.5 ICBD is publicized with a press release announcing the official celebration. It is also publicized through the distribution of ICBD material (see 4.1.3). On our NS request, the Ministry of Education sends a circular to all Greek schools recommending the celebration of ICBD with activities such as book-fairs, meet-the-author events, animations etc. Inquiries from schools and libraries are answered with information about what type of activities can be organized for this event. Furthermore, through its members, our NS participates in lectures to parents and students, as well as radio/TV programs.

IBBY Awards and projects 4.1.6 Our NS presents regularly nominations for the H.C. Andersen Awards. Our nominees for 2008 were: Voula Mastori (for writing) and Vassilis Papatsarouchas (for illustration). 4.1.7 Our NS presents regularly nominations for the IBBY Honor List. Our nominees for 2008 were: For Writing: Eleni Dikaiou E Koilada me tis Petaloudes (The Butterfly Valley / Patakis), For Illustration: Vasso Psaraki To Sofo Vivlio tis Soumoutou (Soumoutou’s Wise Book / Patakis), For Translation: Maria Angelidou Oi Skantalies tou Franz (Franz’s Mischief / Psichogios) Original German: Neue Schulgeschichten Vom Franz by Kristine Nöstlinger.

4.1.1 Our NS did not nominate a project for the IBBY–Asahi Reading Promotion Award. 4.1.2 Greek titles of children’s books have been sent to the Center the Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities selection.

4.1.3 Greek publishers usually donate copies of titles to the IBBY Documentation Center. 4.1.4 Our NS did not host any IBBY traveling exhibition during the reporting period (Books for Disabled exhibition were twice hosted in the past).

Bookbird and other projects 4.1.1 Less than 15 members of our NS have individual subscriptions to Bookbird. 4.1.2 Ms. Vassiliki Nika, advisor of our NS, was Bookbird associate editor for the reporting period. Several articles and other material were sent for publication. 4.1.3 There was no participation in any other IBBY international activities not listed above.

4.2 Cooperation with other National Sections

4.2.1 During the reported period a joint project took place between the Greek section of IBBY and the Turkish Section of IBBY. The aim of the project was children of the two countries to get in touch with each other through the translation of children’s books by authors of the two countries. The project has been given the name A Book for my Neighbour and the person responsible for the project on behalf of Greece, Leia Hantzopoulou-Karavia, has been appointed by the Greek section of IBBY. The project will be soon presented during the IBBY Congress in Copenhagen, September 2008.

6 4.2.2 (a) Our NS cooperates closely with the Cypriot IBBY Section in exchanging information, participating in seminars and other meetings or festivities. (b) The Greek section of IBBY cooperated with the Indian section of IBBY for the delivery of Greek children’s books for the purposes of an exhibition organized there.

(c) The Greek section of IBBY cooperated with the Italian, Pakistan and Chinese sections of IBBY for the delivery of information about the way the ICBD is celebrated in Greece.

(d) The Greek section of IBBY cooperated with the French section of IBBY for the delivery of 4 Greek illustrated children’s books for the purposes of the exhibition of 27 European illustrated books from the 11th October 2007 to 4 January 2009 named All around Europe with 27 children’s books. The Greek book selected to be exhibited is Something Strange is Happening Tonight illustrated by Photini Stephanidi / Livanis.

4.2.3 Our NS exchanges information and printed material upon request.

4.2.4 Our NS feels that the major obstacles to greater cooperation are: the lack of financing for exchange of visits or common organization of book events, meetings and conferences, language differences, as well as the limited time volunteers have to give.

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