St. George's Day: The knight who slayed the dragon
Little known fact to us Britons: St. George's Day is celebrated in Catalonia under the guise of Diada de Sant Jordi. Every year, the streets of many Catalan-speaking cities burst with roses and books, and now this magic is coming to Camden Market!
Inspired by the legend of a rose that grew from the blood of a dragon defeated by a sainted knight to save a princess, the tradition dates back to the 15th Century, when men would give a rose to their loved ones on the day. The books are a more recent addition, an initiative introduced by the Valencian writer and editor Vicente Clavel in the 20th Century, who organised a book fair on the day, commemorating the death anniversaries of legendary writers William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes. Since then, it became customary for people to exchange books and roses as a token of appreciation.
Expect plenty of books (brought to you by Primrose Hill Books), roses, a choir performance, a storytelling session, a show of castellers (traditional human towers) and more!
PROGRAMME:
11:00am | Stalls open
12:15pm | Storytelling: The legend of St. George
12:45pm | Welcome speech by the Delegation of the Government of Catalonia to the United Kingdom and Ireland
1pm | Live musical performance by the London Catalan Choir
1:45pm | Storytelling: The legend of St. George
2:30pm | Castellers performance
4pm | Stalls close