April 10, 1826. Clouds hide the Moon’s aurora. Soldiers and civilians glide silently out of besieged Messolonghi. In one hand the yatagani, in the other the child. The sick and the lame are left behind, and led to the powder magazine; Kapsalis knows what he will do. A society as a whole has decided on the Exodus to freedom. It became a decision of sacrifice. It was sung by Solomos, commemorated by Casomoulis, praised by Hugo, painted by Delacroix.

On 10 April 2026, 200 years will pass from the Exodus of Mesolongi. The Historical and Ethnological Society of Greece, always present at major national events, decided to include in the anniversary programme of the National Historical Museum (NHM) the innovative proposal of the Mesolongi book critic Lambrini Kuzelis to create a collection of audio books entitled: “200 books for 200 years. “200 books for 200 years”. NHM will support the implementation of the proposal and upon its completion will host the collection of audiobooks on its website, offering, from April 2026, the 200 audiobooks and podcasts about Mesolongi in free access to the Greek and international audience.

With the voices of volunteer narrators from New York to London, Paris, Berlin and Athens, and from Corfu to Cyprus, we stride across the threshold of the printing house of the “Greek Chronicles” of Mayer and Mestheneas, listen to Spyridon Trikoupis delivering Byron’s eulogy and are overwhelmed by the heartbreaking appeals of the Chief of the Guard for help.

The stories of the past meet those of the present in audiobooks and podcasts that outline the profile of the city over the last 200 years, the magic of the lagoon, the Dionysian festivals, its characteristic atmosphere. We will listen to authentic sources, memoirs of fighters and historical narratives, travelogues and biographies, poems and novels, plays and fairy tales. Podcasts will unfold narratives about the town’s sports teams, about everyday life in the salt pans and meadows, about recipes with roe and sea bass, about the literature of local writers. Folklore texts and contemporary life, the language and music of the place, the charming wetland and the customs of the people come to life through stories for adults and children, in Greek and other languages.

Familiar and recognizable voices, voices that are a historical document, voices with the freshness and hope of youth, will join us from the website https://audio200mesolongi.gr with extracts from the recordings as they take place.

If you want to join the company of the storytellers or if you want to “adopt a book” by covering the cost of its production, visit the project’s website above and register by 30 June 2025.

The wave of narratives from all over the world will arrive in April 2026 in Mesolongi, a celebration together and a counter-sacrifice.