Basque branch of Spanish IBBY

Galtzagorri elkartea (Association for Children's and Young People's Literature in Basque) is a non-profit association, member of the Spanish Organisation for Children's and Young People's Books (OEPLI) and, through it, of IBBY.

Galtzagorri Elkartea was created in 1990. The Association is open to anyone involved in children's and young people's literature in the Basque language: writers and illustrators, storytellers, teachers, librarians, translators, publishers, booksellers... In total, it has around 300 members, who come from all the Basque-speaking territories, including the Southern Basque Country (comprising the territories of Araba, Gipuzkoa and Bizkaia - Basque Autonomous Community), Navarre (Foral Community of Navarre) and the Northern Basque Country (three communities of France Lapurdi, Behe Nafarroa and Zuberoa).

Galtzagorri's mission is characterised by the following:

• It is an association that organises and systematises activities aimed at encouraging children and young people's love of reading.
• It promotes and disseminates Basque literature for children and young people in the Basque Country, in Spain and internationally.
• It strives to defend the interests of the professional associations surrounding the book.
• It offers training to professionals who work in one way or another in children's and young people's literature....

For children between 6 and 11:

• The Treasury of Books: Since 2000, 10 mobile libraries, each with more than 140 titles, have been travelling around 42 small rural schools with the help of an animator.
• Literary games: literary games made up of different artistic disciplines: literature, music, audiovisuals, illustration, etc. ...... They are set up in the libraries and children come in groups to participate in a mediation activity.

For young people between 12 and 18:

• The Liburu Gaztea Booktrailer Competition, in which 50 high schools and more than 4,000 young people take part
• Booktuberboom competition, which aims to create a community of booktubers, booktokers and bookstagrammers among Basque young people aged 14 to 18.
• Training for professionals and authors:
• Reading seminar: 20 members of Galtzagorri meet once a month to read and select novelties in Basque children's literature.

Training for adults:

• Workshops for teachers: Practical workshops in more than 70 schools.
• Biko-Teka (in pairs) and MarraziOak: The first is an intensive workshop in which writers and illustrators work in pairs for a week. In the second, 10 illustrators are trained for a week.
• Course on children's and young people's literature at school. It is given at the University of the Basque Country, with the aim of improving the place of literary reading in schools.

Publications:

• Behinola: published twice a year, it is the only magazine on children's and young people's literature written in Basque.
• Gonagorri: Galtzagorri produces 8 new episodes of the Gonagorri podcast every year.

Book Fairs:

• KUSI MIKUSI:It is the only fair dedicated exclusively to children’s and young people’s literature in Basque language.