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Conference "Ventspils parallel VIII. The Book - a Testimony of Era and Culture"

October 14, 2024

On 23 and 24 October, Ventspils University of Applied Sciences (VUAS) will host a two-day conference "Ventspils Parallel VIII. The Book - a Testimony of Era and Culture." It will be dedicated to the 500th anniversary of Latvian book publishing.


 On the first day of the conference, the 23rd of October, experts, researchers and academics will speak on various topics related to books, writing and translation. Among them will be Viesturs Zanders, senior researcher of the National Library of Latvia, professor of the University of Latvia; Laima Slava, art historian and publisher; Raimonds Ķirķis, the chief editor of "Neputns" publishing house; Laimonis Osis, bibliofil and book collector; Dr.philol. Astra Skrābane, leading researcher of VUAS, literary scholar Andra Konste and the Dean of the Faculty of Translation Studies of VUAS, Assoc. prof. Dr.philol., editor of the literature department of the journal "Domuzīme" Jānis Veckrācis.


On the 24th of October, the conference will continue as a literary workshop at VUAS. Lecturers and students of the Faculty of Translation Studies of VUAS will create a virtual book "Ventspils Parallel V-VIII", which will bring together papers and videos from previous conferences. The literary workshop will be led by Astra Skrābane, Jānis Veckrācis, VUAS lecturer, Mgr. translat., PhD student Aiga Bādere and VUAS guest lecturer, MBA, PhD student Aiga Veckalne.


"Ventspils Parallel” started in 2006, when the Ventspils Library, VUAS and the International House of Writers and Translators organised an international conference "Ventspils Parallel. Heritage and the present". It was dedicated to the work of poets Fricis Dziesma (Forstmanis) and Juris Kronbergs.


The conference "Ventspils Parallel" provides a unique opportunity for everyone to hear excellent presentations, see and evaluate the evolution of important political, economic, historical and cultural-historical processes, their role and impact in the development of the city, the region and the country, as well as strengthens the self-confidence of Ventspils residents.

 

Financial support for the conference has been received from the National Library of Latvia, the Kurzeme Planning Region within the framework of the "Kurzeme Culture Programme 2024" implemented by the State Culture Capital Foundation within the target programme "Development Programme of Historical Latvian Lands" and others.

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