February 9, the day of remembrance for our national poet Dionysios Solomos, is a landmark date for Hellenism. Its establishment as World Greek Language Day was the result of many years of effort by the Greek diaspora, spearheaded by Professor Yannis Korinthios, and was finally sealed with the relevant decision of the UNESCO Executive Board in November 2025. As part of this year’s celebration, the Book Publishers Association (Σ.ΕΚ.Β.) is launching a new educational initiative entitled “A Greek word I love.” This initiative, which will run throughout February 2026, is aimed at Greek community schools worldwide and has as its central goal the creation of a lively channel of communication between students abroad and contemporary Greek writers.

Through this activity, each class is invited to choose a Greek children’s book from a list of children’s and teenage books published by members of the Book Publishers Association (Σ.ΕΚ.Β.) and focus on a Greek word or phrase that arouses the children’s interest. The selected word will be approached creatively, giving students the opportunity to express themselves through painting, writing original texts, theatrical interpretation, or even composing a new story. At the same time, where possible, participation is enhanced by organizing online meetings with the authors and illustrators of the books, offering a unique experience of exchanging ideas for students abroad.

The Book Publishers Association, as the largest association in the sector in Greece, seeks through this initiative to highlight the timeless dynamism of the Greek language and to create a common digital space for Greek schools from every corner of the globe to meet and exchange cultural ideas. To this end, once the initiative has been completed, the original material produced by the students will be published, with the consent of their teachers, on the Association’s digital media.

More Information:

Book Publishers Association (Σ.ΕΚ.Β.)

210 3303942 – 210 3302523 // [email protected] // www.sekb.g