Ary Reis opens “Amigos dos Livros” cultural space to democratize access to books
Ary Reis, who is responsible for the initiative, says the idea is the fruit of a long-held dream “to have a library, a bookshop and a publishing house”. According to him, the space “Centro Cultural Amigos dos Livros”, now inaugurated, has among its main objectives to encourage reading and creative writing and to democratize access to books.
Since the beginning of the project, Reis guarantees that around 10,000 books have been given to institutions such as Espaço Aberto Safende, Acarinhar, Associação Leitura e Cultura, Cadeia Central, Centro Granja de São Filipe, Associação Abraço Alto da Glória and others. Of all the institutions included, some already have community libraries underway thanks to the donations made.
According to Reis, the cultural and multipurpose space is completely open to the public, and is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, and from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. every Friday, offering around 300 works by various authors for reading, consultation, study and even minor research.
The space is also open to diverse activities such as creative reading workshops and a children’s corner, especially during the vacation season, and to new influences, including educational activities.
From now on, it is hoped that the Platô’s newest cultural and literary space will grow and become a place of positive influence and great impact on a socio-cultural and educational level for everyone, especially young people.
Ary Reis is a social activist, poet, editor/co-editor of private books, photographer and creator of the “Friends of Books” project.
