In memory of the writer, reader, journalist, actress, volunteer and professor Manca Košir and her rich legacy, we marked 5 March, her birthday, as a day of reading, love and inspiration for the first time this year.
The initiative to commemorate this day, dedicated above all to reading and socialising around books, first came from the lawyer, professor and writer Dr Marko Pavliha. It was his idea to celebrate 5 March, Manca Košir’s birthday, as Manca’s Day of Love and Literature. The second proposal came from Žiga Valetič, the custodian of Manca’s legacy, who wanted those who had known and worked with her to honour her birthday. The third initiative originated at the SIAE. Last year’s theme for the National Month of Reading Together was Reading in Public Spaces. We were looking for a suitable date for local communities to gather around books and reading. We aimed to involve everyone – from the youngest to the oldest, including representatives from bookshops, libraries, publishers, reading groups and others passionate about reading. Moreover, Manca Košir was the main organiser and promoter of reading study circles that operated under her name within the SIAE.
These three initiatives led to a call for cultural institutions, organisations and communities across Slovenia to organise literary events in their local areas, following the model of the Reading with Manca Košir study circles. Many libraries, bookshops, publishers, hospices and other organisations responded by spreading the so-called reading virus in their communities. The initiators listed at least 20 Reading with Manca events, and many more took place within private, friendly groups of literary enthusiasts. In her memory, we also held a reading session in the SIAE’s reading club.
We hope that 5 March will become a National Reading Day in the future
The initiators of Manca’s Day presented the activities related to the transfer of her personal and literary legacy to national institutions at a press conference held at the Slovenian Writers’ Association. These institutions will ensure the preservation of her extensive records and writings, which she safeguarded throughout her life. This summer, Goga Publishing will release her autobiography, titled Manj je mene, bolj sem jaz (The Less of Me, the More I Am), comprising over 550 excerpts from her texts and spanning approximately 600 pages. In addition, next year will see the publication of a selection of her essays, a book of wise quotes and excerpts, and a volume featuring popular texts, selected columns and book reviews edited by Žiga Valetič, the custodian of her literary estate.
Alenka Štrukelj (alenka.strukelj@acs.si), SIAE