Assistant Cultural Affairs Officer Elizabeth Blumenthal spoke at the opening of the Embassy-supported literary festival, which gathers authors from the region to present their work and discuss important issues in literature. Jointly organized by the Kosaca Cultural Center, United World College and the Pavarotti Center, the festival paid tribute to American novelist Harper Lee with a panel entitled “Harper Lee: Addressing and Overcoming Racial Inequality through Literature in America”. The audience participated in a lively discussion based on presentations by Fulbright alumna, Professor Selma Raljevic, and English Language Fellow, David Forinash. The opening of the festival featured readings by six authors representing BiH, Serbia and Croatia. In her remarks, ACAO Blumenthal thanked the organizers for honoring Harper Lee, adding that “reading To Kill A Mockingbird shows students how literature can be a place where we come together, examine social issues and move toward a better understanding of each other.”
