A literary journey through the world's beliefs

The series “A world of beliefs: learning about religious traditions through stories” is organised by the OAR in collaboration with Barcelona Libraries. It aims to familiarise children with religious plurality and invites them to reflect on the many different forms of spirituality and cultures that coexist in the city. It consists of four storytelling sessions, featuring the authors of the books “Abenyonhu”, “El libro de Gundicha y la cocina del bhakti” and “Històries de Nasrudín”, on four different days: 12 June, and 3, 4 and 11 July. THE ACTIVITIES ARE AIMED AT FAMILY AUDIENCES, AND FOR CHILDREN OF VARIOUS AGES.

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04/06/2024 - 16:37 h

Literature and the tradition of storytelling is one of the best ways of getting to know a culture. Legends and tales, transmitted orally or written down, bear witness to the current reality and history of a community, especially in regard to its religion and spirituality. For this reason, the Office for Religious Affairs (OAR), in collaboration with Barcelona Libraries, has prepared a series of storytelling events, in order to familiarise the children and families of Barcelona with some of the religious and spiritual traditions that coexist in the city.

The series is entitled “A world of beliefs: learning about religious traditions through stories”, and in June and July, it will be helping to raise awareness about the values and narratives of various religious traditions, with three stories being read aloud by the people who have written them. All the sessions are aimed at family audiences and will take place on different days in public libraries, which are listed below.

And as sharing a meal is the best way to get to know each other and build friendships, the storytelling series starts with a journey through the flavours of Hinduism. In the first session, Gundicha Das will be telling us about the story of Krishna and the teachings of the Bhagavad Gita, the most essential text in Hindu philosophy, by reading out various recipes from his book “El libro de Gundicha y la cocina del bhakti” [The Book of Gundicha and Bhakti Cuisine] (2019).

Then, continuing our journey through religious customs, Agnès Agboton, will be taking us to Central Africa, with her story “Abenyonhú” (2004), where she will be sharing some of the elements of African spirituality, while inviting us to think about its importance for the everyday lives of the many communities that practice it, whether they be in Africa or their countries of origin.

And finally it is the turn of Islam, with a visit to the stories of Nasrudín, a legendary idiot savant in Islamic folklore, who is the protagonist of numerous stories full of humour and teachings. Young and old can explore the diversity of Islam, and more specifically, the Sufi storytelling tradition, with Halil Bárcena, who will be reading his “Històries de Nasrudín” (2015).

This series is the result of the long-standing collaboration between the OAR and Barcelona Libraries, which began in 2006 with the series “7 Religions, 7 World Perspectives”, which aims to organise various activities that raise awareness about the religious plurality which characterises the City of Barcelona.

A WORLD OF BELIEFS. LEARNING ABOUT RELIGIOUS TRADITIONS THROUGH STORIES

Session 1: Hinduism through food. “El libro de Gundicha y la cocina del bhakti”, Gundicha Das. Recommended age: 6-8 years old

  • DAY: Wednesday, 12 June
  • PLACE: Gòtic-Andreu Nin Library (La Rambla, 30-32)
  • Time: 5:30 pm

Session 2: Traditional African religions and stories. “Abenyonhú”, Agnès Agboton (1). Recommended age: 9-11 years old.

  • DAY: Wednesday 3 July
  • PLACE: Gòtic-Andreu Nin Library (La Rambla, 30-32)
  • Time: 11 am

Session 3: Popular Sufi folklore. “Històries de Nasrudín”, Halil Bárcena. Recommended age: 3-5 years old.

Session 4: Traditional African religions and stories. “Abenyonhú”, Agnès Agboton (2). Recommended age: 9-11 years old.

REGISTRATION: The activities are free of charge but capacity is limited. Admission is free until the venue reaches its capacity for each session.