Because the opportunities given to us for multicultural events are not always seasonal, I will report on two activities where educators dominate, or at least play a decisive role. The first activity concerns the adults’ reading club, or rather one of the reading clubs. The “reading club” was established as an institution in many cities in Greece and abroad.

Iraklion is a city that also offers this type of activity, and don’t let the word “club” fool you. It is not an elitist, closed-circuit place where cerebral fabricated arguments are born, but rather, it is an open front for fertile discussions and exchanges of opinions starting with a good book which never stopped having a reading public. 

It is certainly an effort to broaden the reading process which does not end with the last page of the book, but there follows also a phase of well meaning critique, reflections and conclusions that converge to an objective for communication resulting from high quality writing.

The reading club that I know personally, and happened to take part in their last two meetings, is comprised of a group of educators (by chance – not by professional restriction).

The group aspires to break down the insulation of self-complacent knowledge and endless esoteric discussions isolated from social environment. As a thinking individual, you can’t just pull down the blinders and assume you can just enjoy the intellectual fruits you have reaped, because education is a life long objective.  

The adults’ reading club is in its third year and is open to all, educators or not, with coordinator Mrs. Areti Papathoyianaki-Pavlakou, an educator, (Tel. 6972699261). The following books have been read and discussed: Alfred Renyi, “Dialogues on Mathematics;" Bruno Bettelheim, “The Uses of Enchantment," a psychoanalytical approach, and Rea Galanaki, “The Century of Labyrinths.”

The adult reading club meets once a month, on a Sunday afternoon and the next book on the list is “The Thanked One or My Ancestors” by Marina Karagatsi.

In December, I shall report the activities of the New Cinema Club of Iraklion.