1st Kalamata Children's Book Festival

The Municipality and K.E. FARIS are organising the 1st Children's Book Festival of Kalamata from Friday, September 13th, to Wednesday, September 18th, 2024, at the Kalamata Dance Megaron. It will be six days dedicated to children's books and full of books and actions in which children will have a leading role. There will be plays, book presentations, talks, visual workshops, dance theatre, book readings, and experiential workshops by teachers.

The 1st Kalamata Children's Book Festival is a book celebration aimed at Kindergarten and Primary school children as well as much younger children from 18-36 months. The aim is to promote a love of reading, encouraging young children to read books, thus shaping their thinking and personality and developing their imagination. During the Festival, books will be presented and read by their authors, and good practices from schools in our city regarding school libraries, workshops, and theatre performances will be given. At the same time, parallel actions have been planned, such as an exhibition of children's books from older editions, an exhibition of bookbinding tools, and an art installation, "River of Books", in the area. In addition, a particular area has been set up with books for reading, while young and old will be able to admire an exhibition of a theatrical doll from an adaptation of 3 fairy tales. Finally, everyone will have the opportunity to participate in an exchange book auction entitled "I bring a book, I take a book!". In the Megaro Dance area, there will be figures with fairy tale heroes for commemorative photos. At the same time, children will have the opportunity to design the cover of their favourite fairy tale, which will be posted at a predetermined point in the Megaro area.

Co-organisers are the Directorate of Primary Education of Messenia, the Municipal Library of Kalamata-Gallery of Contemporary Greek Art, and the Experimental Stage of Kalamata, and cooperating agencies are the Regional Directorate of Education, Filmhouse-New Kalamata Cinema Club, the Union of Messenian Writers, the Union of Parents' Associations and Guardians of the Municipality of Kalamata and the SOS Children's Villages of Greece. The city's bookstores could not be missing from the 1st Kalamata Children's Book Festival, while volunteers will offer valuable assistance during the Festival.

Sponsors: Messenia Chamber of Commerce, Messenia Restaurant Association (SEM)-MESSINIA FORUM, Kalamata Municipal Bus Service.