LITERARY CENTER IN RHODES, GREECE

"Το μόνο παγκόσμιο αγαθό δεν είναι ούτε το νερό ούτε ο αεράς, τίποτα. Είναι η μοιρασιά του Πολιτισμού" "The only truly common good of the world is neither water nor air, but the culture."

The International Writers 'and Translators' Centre of Rhodes (IWTCR) was founded in 1996 to offer writers in the "triangle" of the countries of the Baltic, Black and Aegean Sea, a quiet working environment, without excluding people from other parts of the world. Since 2008, the IWTCR other artistic areas with one. The center is writers, translators, travelers research, scientists from the humanities and social-scientific direction, visual artists and composers from around the world open. It offers a quiet, casual work environment that enables a productive and pleasant stay. Through his residency program, the center will be a place of reflection, research, writing, the fruitful exchange of ideas, but above all a place where ideas through dialogue, through cooperation, but also by the different background score can germinate. The center also offers a communal lounge for people who work on the same research or work project.There are five committees that have been created to support the planning center: a) the International Kulturkomittee, b) the Literaturkomittee, c), the Art Committee, d), the Science Committee, and e) the Committee on Sustainable Development and Management.

In the context of literature organized by theInternational Writers 'and Translators' Centre of Rhodes (IWTCR) book presentations, awards to writers, training, translation and creative writing workshops, seminars and conferences, often in collaboration with national and international organizations. For IWTCR belong accommodate two buildings on the northwest side of St. Stephen's Hill, overlooking the Aegean Sea, which administrative offices, accommodation and other facilities. In the center of the city of Rhodes is the third building, which serves to promote the literary education of youth.From the age of five years, children can participate in the education programs. Painting and sculpture classes, Museumskits with educational materials, traveling exhibits on important writers and poets Furthermore, the IWTCR active as a publisher: as published, it bilingual collections of poetry, history, meeting notes, and, in one-year interval, the literary magazine "Helios" (the sun). To this day the IWTCR a year-round meeting place for hundreds of writers and translators from both countries in the triangle of the Baltic, Aegean and Black Seas as well as from more distant areas.Literature and literary translation, in not only knowledge of the world, but also help to make known by the birth of a new literary overall impression of other cultures. This is what the literature center professionals are available and also offers an ongoing workshop for contemporary literature.Participants in the Writers-in-Residence program are often involved in the activities of the center. Writer and translator thus visit schools, read excerpts from their literary works and discuss with the students. As representatives of the world literature they fall so the intercultural dialogue and promote cultural understanding among young people.The idea to establish the center was born in 1994 on a trip in the Black and Aegean Sea, in which more than 400 writers and translators from 30 countries. TheInternational Writers 'and Translators' Centre was then possible by the generous city of Rhodes, opened in 1996 and is now under the auspices of UNESCO. The island of Rhodes is the capital of the Dodecanese prefecture and is located in the southeast of Greece. According to legend the god Helios was awarded the island of Rhodes from the other gods, as the country emerged from the midst of the sea. Helios plunged the island full of joy in his eternal light. Since ancient times, Rhodes, thanks to its geographical location is an important trading hub not only for goods but also for cultural products. Connecting the east and the west, the island is for ages welcome visitors from around the world, multicultural lives and acts for the benefit of all. The IWTCRcontinues this historical and cultural tradition. The cross-cultural processes that take place in the center transform themselves - whether intended or not - in times of recurring crises and social impasses in public dialogues. This enabled the symposium "The need for dialogue between cultures", in July 2006 as part of the tenth anniversary of the IWTCR took place, Palestinians, Israelis, Iranians, Syrians, Turks, Greeks, Bulgarians, German, Russians, Swedes, Finns, together Lithuanians and others, while the Lebanon conflict was raging between Hamas and Israel. The model IWTCR reveals the benefits of sharing culture with each other.Those that the IWTCR visit or stay there for a while will know that they belong to an intellectual community, the basis of the communicative exchange and the creation of literature. Now the HALMA houses the jump (from the Greek "Halma") and joined forces dared to tread in such a dialogue, together broader literary paths. Chatzimarkou Matina, Eleftheria Binikou The HALMA scholarship Mingels Annette has over their stay in the International Writers 'and Translators' Centre written. You can find her essay in the European Library of Halma network.