euskalkultura.eus

Sara, Lapurdi.  Last Monday, Easter Monday and a holiday in all of the Basque Country, is also the annual date for Sarako Idazleen Bitzarra (Sara’s Writers Meeting).  This book fair reflects the literary and publishing activity, particularly in the three Basque Provinces in Iparralde, and this year celebrated its twenty-eighth gathering.  In most cases, the authors themselves man the stands and take care of the readers directly, answering questions and conversing with them.  This direct contact creates a unique relationship between the writers and readers.

Among other new releases this year, 282 according to the program, are the translation into Zuberoan Basque of Robert Laxalt’s Sweet Promised Land (Aita artzain zen); a Zuberoan Basque grammar for those interested in learning that dialect, by Jüje Etchebarne; an unusual book about witches that includes vast material gathered in Africa by Xipri Arbelbide entitled Sorginak. Lehen eta orain. Afrikan eta hemen (Witches: then and now. In Africa and here); the translation into Basque and French of José Miguel Barandiaran’s work Bosquejo etnográfico de Sara (The Ethnographic Sketch of Sara); Franck Dolosor’s work on Matxin Irabola, bertsolari from Senpe; a work by Agustín Errotabehere on the Zuberoan syndicalist Jean Pitrau; and, published by Pamiela, Joseba Sarrionandia’s book Moroak gara behelaino artean? (We are Moors in the Low-lying Fog).

Meanwhile, Euskalkultura.com also participated with its own stand which many visited who were either interested in the Diaspora or who had family in places like Argentina, Uruguay, Chile and Venezuela, in South America, or in North America, in California, Nevada, Idaho, Virginia, New York or Quebec, or Mexico.  Actually there is probably not a family in Iparralde who doesn’t have, or hasn’t had, family in the Diaspora.  The stand offered calendars and a small song book of songs from the Diaspora, as well as various books published by Joseba Etxarri on the same subject.  “Once again, it was very interesting to talk to those who came by the stand about the Diaspora and their families there,” said Etxarri.