Bridging Generations: The First Human Library at Pascal Paoli Middle School
On March 19th, the Pascal Paoli Middle School in Île Rousse hosted its first-ever Human Library event as part of the European Human Library project. This unique initiative brought together Khava, Jean, and Santu, residents of Giunssani, who participated as "human books" for the 3rd professional class students.
The students were captivated by the life stories shared by these living books:
Jean Saladini from Olmi-Cappella narrated "The Odyssey of Goat Cheese & Bartering through Improvisation."
Khava from Olmi-Cappella recounted "The Transmission of Village Women's Wisdom to Young Khava."
Santu Massiani from Pioggiola enchanted the audience with "The Tale of the Fairy of Ondella."
The young listeners, filled with curiosity and interest, found meaningful connections between their own experiences and those of the human books. Their feedback highlighted the impact of this innovative form of storytelling: "This way of telling and exchanging changes everything," and "It's a much more lively experience for me than a simple book."
The simplicity of oral transmission allowed the students to glimpse an era that felt distant and sparked their curiosity about daily life activities such as weaving clothes, evening storytelling gatherings, goat cheese production, and regional bartering. One of the living books remarked, "The questions from young people are really relevant and sometimes very surprising! We need more time to answer all their questions!"
Each human book captivated its audience, providing a unique experience filled with laughter, enthusiasm, and a sense of novelty. This inaugural Human Library event was a resounding success, setting the stage for future sessions.
The books for this event were selected from ten audio interviews conducted by two young Corsicans, Rémy Desbrières and Agata Dominguez, during a stay in March. Two more stays are planned for May and July at ARIA to prepare for upcoming Human Libraries, promising even more engaging stories and meaningful exchanges.
Listen to the stories yourself on our dedicated Spotify podcast “Memoria per l'Avvene” : https://open.spotify.com/show/58erMG5lPo4vTeEmJ5s8S8
