The Bernardo Atxaga Chair at CUNY

Today, September 9th, sees the first of a series of events celebrating the new Chair at City University of New York (CUNY). The aim of the Bernardo Atxaga Chair, established by the Etxepare Institute, is to promote the study of Basque literature.

The official inauguration of the Chair will be held on September 16th, but during the week prior to the main event, a number of other events related to writer Bernardo Atxaga and his work will be held (see full program here).

The first event will be held today at 6:00 p.m. (local time): a lecture given in Spanish by Mari Jose Olaziregi titled "Utopía y transgresión en el universo literario de Bernardo Atxaga".

From September 12th-16th, Atxaga will lead the mini-seminar "Cultura y cambio político en Euskadi" ("Culture and Political Change in the Basque Country"). On the 13th there will be a poetry reading with musical accompaniment, titled "Katuak eta paradisua" ("Cats and Paradise"), with Bernardo Atxaga, Jabier Muguruza and Amaia Gabantxo. The event will be in Basque, Spanish and English.

To end the week of events, on September 16th the official inauguration of the Chair will take place. Blanca Urgell (the Basque Government's Minister of Culture) and Louise Lennihan (representing CUNY), as well as Bernardo Atxaga himself, will be in attendance.