The Bibliotheca Alexandria hosted a recent two-day seminar titled “The Cavafia 2017: The 14th International Literary Symposium” under the auspices of the Greek Embassy in Cairo and organised by the Hellenic Foundation for Culture, in cooperation with Bibliotheca Alexandria. It was organized by the ministries of culture of Greece and Egypt, the Cairo Opera House, and the Greek Cultural Centre in Cairo.
Distinguished speakers from universities in Egypt, Germany, Greece, the US and England, as well as eminent writers, participated in the first day of the symposium which centred on the Alexandrian poet Constantine Cavafis’s poetry and personality, highlighting new aspects of his work.
Terens-Nikolaos, deputy foreign minister of Greece, said he was happy to attend this seminar, as it represented a bridge between the two countries, indicating that relations between Egypt and Greece are currently at their best.
Muhammad Sultan, governor of Alexandria, also expressed his happiness that the city was hosting such an event, stressing the deep joint history between Egypt and Greece.
A presentation of the book The Poetry of C.P. Cavafy which was translated into ten languages, was presented by the Greek Chamber “Friends of Bibliotheca Alexandria”.
The event closed with a concert by Stefanos Korkolis, one of the most popular Greek composers, who presented a repertoire dedicated to Cavafis and designed specifically for the symposium.
Watani International
22 October 2017