Regional airports are key for the economic recovery and territorial cohesion in the EU
Regional airports are key for the economic recovery and territorial cohesion in the EU


In this interview, Władysław Ortyl (PL/ECR), President of the Podkarpackie Region, answers six questions about his opinion on the Future of Regional Airports , which was adopted at the Committee of the Regions’ plenary session on 1 July. The CoR opinion highlights the importance of regional airports for the territorial cohesion of the EU and the socio-economic development of regions and stresses the need to continue working to reduce greenhouse emissions (GHG) from air transport and to align the aviation sector with the objectives of the European Green Deal, the EU’s growth strategy to reach climate-neutrality by 2050.

Why did the European Committee of the Regions decide to draft an opinion on the situation of regional airports?

The aviation sector has been one of the worst affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the situation facing regional airports is particularly worrying. More than 6 000 routes which were served from Europe’s airports in 2019 were still not restored nine months into the COVID 19 crisis. Smaller regional airports have recorded the greatest decline in direct flight connections, particularly in passenger flights. The sharp drop in revenues has put some airports in such a difficult position that they risk insolvency without external support. Their bankruptcy would have a dramatic impact on employment and the economies of the regions where they are located.

Why is it necessary to support regional airports? Didn’t the aviation sector already receive enough attention during the COVID crisis?

In 2018, aviation in Europe accounted for 26% of global passenger traffic. This directly and indirectly provided over 13.5 million jobs. It is estimated that some 1.7 million people are directly employed by airport operators, institutions and companies that work with airports. Regional airports are key to ensuring the accessibility of transport in peripheral, island and outermost regions and therefore make an important contribution to the economic development and job market in these regions. Let’s not forget that they also play a crucial role for air ambulance services, for fire monitoring and firefighting flights, and help to ensure the smooth functioning of rescue services, public administration, institutions and businesses. It is important to recognise that the rate at which regions develop depends to a large extent on the quality of their connectivity, and that regional airports play a prominent role in EU territorial cohesion.

The European Green Deal sets out ambitious targets, in particular a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to transport by 2050. How can support to airports be conciliated with those objectives?

The European Commission has set out its vision for the decarbonisation of aviation in its Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy , the result of which should be a 90% reduction in GHG emissions coming from transport by 2050. The Green Deal emphasises that air quality should be improved near airports by tackling the emissions of pollutants by aeroplanes and airport operations, including by gradually increasing the share of alternative fuels. Here I would really like to highlight the necessity to provide EU funds, in the context of cohesion policy for 2021-27, to co-finance investments in regional airports that directly support decarbonisation. It is also crucial to allocate adequate European funds to the development of safety and security infrastructure, and to make use of innovative technologies and digitalisation.

What are your recommendations to airports in order to mitigate their CO2 emissions and their environmental impact? What role should local and regional authorities have in this regard?

A significant number of local and regional authorities own or operate regional airports, provide the necessary infrastructure and other services relevant for their functioning, and sometimes contribute to their financing considerably. Regional airports could be ideal pioneers of green innovation, as their inherent characteristics include being smaller, more flexible, and more adaptable to newer, greener types of aircraft. In order to mitigate their emissions, airports can establish the charges paid by airlines based on environmental criteria, for example, by reducing charges for aircraft producing less noise and emitting fewer air pollutants. Moreover, airports can use incentives to support new fuel use or noise reduction.

Are you expecting the European Commission to take any measures, particularly regarding state aid rules and EU funding?

In my opinion, I include a call on the European Commission to develop, as part of the legislative process, even more flexible and more effective public aid rules that enable Member States to provide regional airports with the financial assistance in line with the relevant ERDF and RRF provisions for investment in regional airports located in peripheral, island or outermost regions where a more efficient and sustainable alternative (for instance rail) does not exist.

How do you see the future of regional airports in the EU?

I firmly believe that now is the moment to assess the relevance of regional airports in Europe. The assessment needs to consider their role in relation to their connectivity for their citizens, the regional economic development, including tourism, take into account the experience and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and their contribution to the EU’s ambitious climate policy. I hope and expect to see coordinated action by the European Commission, the Member States, regions, the research community and businesses with a view to propose a new comprehensive transport system in Europe, maintaining the aviation mode of transport when it is necessary and where a more efficient and sustainable alternative (for instance rail) does not exist or does not make sense economically.

Background

The draft opinion on the Future of Regional Airports was adopted by the COTER commission of the European Committee of the Regions on the 23 April 2021 and is scheduled for adoption at the Committee of the Regions’ plenary session on 1 July.

Contact: presscdr@cor.europa.eu

Your Kids Aren’t Too Old for Picture Books, and Neither Are You
Your Kids Aren’t Too Old for Picture Books, and Neither Are You

All this sounds like a lot of work and homework, so let’s be clear: Picture books are also one of the literary world’s great pleasures.

When I say kids shouldn’t outgrow picture books, I mean ever. According to a 2019 Scholastic survey, whereas 55 percent of kids ages 6 to 8 are frequent readers, only 11 percent remain so by the time they’re between 15 and 17. At a time when we lament the state of children’s literacy, particularly reading for pleasure, surely we shouldn’t tell kids to move on from books they enjoy.

Publishers realize this. Aware of the tough competition for attention from video games and the internet, publishing companies have pushed picture books in new directions. Biographies for children, once a staid genre, are now packed with photos and illustrations. Visual encyclopedias, fact books, massive books about space are as stimulating as any app. These are picture books, too, but often explicitly for children ages 6 to 12.

Think about the explosive popularity of graphic novels — books like “Guts” and series like “Dog Man” and the “March” trilogy — and how they’ve transformed children who didn’t read at all into ones who do, and those readers into voracious readers. What are children telling us but that they want to keep looking at pictures? That they are visual readers as much as they are readers of text? And that perhaps we shouldn’t be so quick to steer them away from books that respect children’s interests and the way their minds work. These, too, are “real” books.

I still read picture books, and if you’re honest with yourself, in all likelihood, so do you. What are all those manga and graphic novels and pricey coffee-table books and online comics we’re all staring at — not to mention Instagram stories and TikTok videos — if not, in essence, picture books for grown-ups? Stories with pictures.

Recently, I bought myself a copy of “Marshmallow,” a 1942 picture book about a rabbit that intrudes upon the privileged place of the family cat. The text, which included several poems, holds up; the illustrations capture the peevishness of the cat and the placid Baby Yoda-like cuteness of the interloping bunny. Like any timeless story, it gets at an essential emotional truth — in this case, “we all need our place” — and like any timeless picture book, that story is told through a potent combination of words and artwork anyone can understand.

I insisted on reading it to my 11-year-old, otherwise busy with the latest installment of the “Keeper of the Lost Cities.” My 14-year-old, who enjoys drawing as much as he likes reading the short fiction of Etgar Keret, overheard us when he walked by. “Put that in my room when you’re done?” he said.

My kids were still willing to read my picture books. I felt relieved, and yes, a little proud.

Pamela Paul (@PamelaPaulNYT) is the editor of the Book Review.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips. And here’s our email: letters@nytimes.com.

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram.

Netflix is making a Redwall movie, and The Verge staff is very excited
Netflix is making a Redwall movie, and The Verge staff is very excited

Earlier this week, Netflix dropped a surprise announcement that it’s adapting author Brian Jacques’ iconic Redwall books into a new animated movie and TV franchise. Based on the 22-book children’s series that was published from 1986 through 2011, the books span generations of sword-fighting anthropomorphic mice, rabbits, badgers, and other woodland creatures living at the titular Redwall Abbey.

While the show was previously made into a TV series back in the late ‘90s, it’s never been adapted with the scale (or presumably, the budget) of a Netflix feature film. Many of us here at The Verge are longtime fans of the series. Here’s how we’re taking the news.

What were your initial thoughts on a Redwall adaptation?

Chaim Gartenberg: I think my initial reaction was “OMG” followed by a lot of screaming from my internal seven-year-old. I grew up reading the Redwall books. I remember the original being one of the first “real” books I ever read. And the entire series just has this shining, golden spot in my memory. They’re wholesome, lovely books full of daring adventures, clever puzzles, and where good always triumphs over evil. What’s not to like?

Jay Peters: I was elated when I first saw the news of the Redwall remaster. I was a devoted fan of the books for years as a kid, devouring each new entry in the series as soon as I could. But if I’m being honest, I couldn’t tell you a single plot point from any of the books right now. Hopefully, that doesn’t matter for the new series; as long as it features adorable forest creatures in epic battles and enjoying decadent feasts, I’ll be happy.

Adi Robertson: I’m partly in the same boat: I read the books religiously, but I remember very little about their actual plots. They really hit the part of my brain that loved dollhouses and other miniature things. Unlike Jay and Chaim, though, I remember enjoying that they could be kind of bloody and creepy — we’re not talking Watership Down or anything, but I remember a lot of eerie fortresses and mad kings.

Mitchell Clark: Yeah, I have to agree. While I remember books like Triss being light-hearted adventures, I know there were some pretty dark ones like Marlfox and parts of Salamandastron — assassins, bloodlust, the whole nine yards. As an adult, and given Netflix’s reputation, I’ve wondered if they’ll get into the darker parts, but I’m honestly kind of hoping they keep it aimed more at kids, and that it’ll inspire some of those kids to pick up the book series.

What makes Redwall a good choice for a TV show?

Jay: There’s lots of swashbuckling action and heroic tales, which consistently makes for pretty good TV. I’m sure many of the characters will be fuzzy and adorable, making the show even more watchable. And Netflix has a lot of source material to pull from, given there are approximately 1,000 books in the series.

Chaim: So many books. But part of the brilliance is that they’re all (for the most part) fairly standalone, so adapting each one could be its own project.

Mitchell: Fantasy has been very in lately, but it’s usually not aimed at kids. It’s a good series that has a lot of elements that really let your imagination run wild, and I think that’ll be very fun. It could also lend itself to a really neat art style. There’s always a lot of talk of tapestries and paintings in the books.

What parts or books in the series are you most looking forward to seeing?

Russell Brandom: It’s been a good 20 years since I read these books, but two scenes stand out. First, the outright terror of Matthias standing off against Asmodeus in the first Redwall hooked me like nothing else. The snake hypnotism is a great use of the central animal-fantasy conceit, and the fact that Asmodeus isn’t the primary villain makes the encounter that much more unsettling. The second — spoilers for Mossflower, I guess? — is Tsarmina in the sinking castle at the end of the second book, a legitimately haunting image if you have any fear of drowning, which I definitely did at the time. (Cats hate water! So true.) I’ll have to wait for the Martin the Warrior prequel series to see that one on-screen, though.

Chaim: I’m kind of hoping for some good, fuzzy, Lord of the Rings-style battles. Show us some Badger Lords, please.

Any concerns about making a Redwall show?

Mitchell: There’s just so much lore, backstory, and regular stories told over the series that I hope Netflix and the show’s creators have come up with a specific story they want to tell within the universe. I’m not sure I want to see them try to tackle the whole thing. I’d rather be left wanting more than overstuffed.

Chaim: It’s a good point, but it seems like they’re starting (relatively) small: a movie based on the first book, and a TV series focused on Martin the Warrior, which makes sense to me. Martin’s story is a broader one, spread across a number of books, while the first book is relatively self-contained.

Adi: I remember the books relying a lot on Tolkien-style species-based morality, and that’s objectively weird, and I’m not sure how the show will deal with it! I was going to soften this by saying that I remember some good foxes or something, but the Redwall Wiki informs me that foxes are “without exception villainous vermin,” so I guess that settles that.

Russell: I’m going to throw in a practical concern here. Part of the fun of the books is imagining this wide range of animals interacting both as friends and enemies, with rabbits, badgers, mice, crows, and various obscure mustelids interacting more or less as equals. But if you have to draw canonical versions of these characters, the size differential becomes a problem. Mice are just much, much smaller than crows, cats, weasels, rats, and most of the other common Redwall antagonists.

Sword or no, even the bravest mouse cannot realistically take down an animal more than 10 times its size, so choreographing the fight scenes is going to be a serious problem if we stay even slightly close to natural proportions. But at the same time, an undeniable draw of the series is picturing mice holding swords in their little mouse hands, which becomes less fun if you stray too far from the sort-of photorealistic animals depicted on the classic book covers. It’s a real bind!

CGI? Hand-drawn animation? Lion King-esque faux live action? How would you want to see a Redwall show realized?

Mitchell: I hate to be boring, but it’s gotta be hand-drawn. I think that’ll work best for the fantasy setting, and while I don’t need it to have the same art style as Over The Garden Wall, I’d like the vibe to be similar, if that makes sense.

Chaim: Anything but “realistic” CGI, please. These books are… pretty violent, which I’m worried would translate really badly to a realistic style. No one needs to see a mouse murder a bunch of rats with a sword in faux-live-action, especially not the family-friendly target audience.

Jay: I want hand-drawn, but I expect CGI. Netflix, if it’s not too late: please, make the show hand-drawn.

Russell: Given the surreal nature of the setup, I think they could also get away with computer-assisted 2D animation, along the lines of what Cartoon Saloon does. But definitely not 3D and definitely not photo-realistic. Nobody wants to see another Lion King.

Some Deeper’n’Ever Turnip’n’Tater’n’Beetroot Pie or some strawberry cordial?

Mitchell: While I don’t love beetroots, strawberries are extremely out of season right now, so rustle up what roots you can from the cellar, aye chap?

Adi: Anything except clotted cream, because A) the large amount of dairy-based food in Redwall has always raised questions to me about where exactly the milk is coming from in a series about humanoid animals (I vaguely remember “aphid milk” being an answer at one point?), and B) I still don’t really know what it is.

Jay: Honestly, I’d try any of it. If the show is successful, maybe Netflix can make a Redwall-themed cooking show spinoff.

Adi: Either way, Redwall Feast TikTok is gonna be great.

The Very First Cover of the Book Review
The Very First Cover of the Book Review

This year, the Book Review turns 125.

It’s an institution that was born under the watchful eye of Adolph S. Ochs, who established the standalone supplement shortly after he became publisher of the paper in 1896. It has been known variously as “the Saturday Review of Books and Art,” “the Sunday Book Review,” “the NYTBR” or, mostly internally, simply “TBR” (not to be confused with “to be read,” though you can understand the confusion).

Over this anniversary year, we will bring you pieces from our archives to enjoy again or, more often than not, for the first time. The ethos of our pages has remained the same. We couldn’t put it better than the Book Review’s editors in 1913 who extolled “an open forum for the discussion of books from all sane and honest points of view.”

We begin here at the beginning with the inaugural eight-page issue that appeared on Oct. 10, 1896, including cover stories on Oscar Wilde’s suffering in jail and a (strangely familiar) report on how department stores were threatening independent bookstores. Among the 10 book reviews on the inside was a critique of Robert Barr’s newest one: “Mr. Robert Barr is a reasonably ingenious, versatile, fairly well informed writer, and to a sensitive person frequently an irritating one.” Sane and honest indeed.

Tina Jordan is the deputy editor of the Book Review and author of a book celebrating its 125th anniversary, to be published next fall.

Follow New York Times Books on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, sign up for our newsletter or our literary calendar. And listen to us on the Book Review podcast.

Message from EMCDDA Director, Alexis Goosdeel
Message from EMCDDA Director, Alexis Goosdeel

In this first week of the new year, I would like to thank you for your continued support and wish you a very happy 2021. Ringing in the new year may have felt a little different this time as we reflected on the trials of the past 12 months.

Yet in many ways, we have emerged strengthened and enriched and can look ahead with optimism. The past year saw astounding triumphs of human and scientific achievement, with vaccines rolled out with record speed, our preparedness for future crises strengthened and our ability to adapt to digital working and learning tested and confirmed. Of course, 2021 will not be without its challenges. We are all still learning from this pandemic, which continues to evolve.

But we embark on the year with more wisdom, fresh hope and a new openness to innovate and evolve. On behalf of the EMCDDA, I would like to wish you health and happiness and a fruitful and positive year ahead.

Alexis Goosdeel

Bestselling author Kelly Oliver talks new book, and future plans 
Bestselling author Kelly Oliver talks new book, and future plans 

This book is the second in the Fiona Figg mysteries series.

Oliver is an award-winning, bestselling author of three mystery series: The Jessica James Mysteries, the middle grade Kassy O’Roarke, Pet Detective Mysteries, and historical cozies The Fiona Fig Mysteries. She garnered her Bachelor’s degree from Gonzaga University in Washington and her Ph.D. from Northwestern University.

When she is not writing mysteries, she is a distinguished professor of philosophy at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. Her book, High Treason at the Grand Hotel: A Fiona Figg Mystery, is a perfect mix of romance, intrigue, suspense, and humor.

Oliver is the author of 13 scholarly books, 10 anthologies, and over 100 articles, which include work on campus rape, reproductive technologies, women and the media, film noir, and Alfred Hitchcock.

Particularly impressive about her work is that it has been translated into seven languages, and she has published an op-ed on loving our pets in The New York Times. She has been spotlighted in ABC television news, the Canadian Broadcasting Network, and various radio programs.

She resides in Nashville with her husband, Benigno Trigo, and her furry family, Mischief and Mayhem.

‘High Treason at the Grand Hotel: A Fiona Figg Mystery’ is book two in the Fiona Figg series. The first book ‘Betrayal at Ravenswick: A Fiona Figg Mystery’ was a huge success, what was it like for you to release the new book?

It’s so exciting. I can’t wait to see what readers think of Fiona’s latest adventures in Paris. I write three different mystery series, but I have to admit, Fiona Figg is the most fun to write. I love doing historical research. I learn a lot of interesting tidbits and sprinkle them throughout the novels. And, Fiona is one of my favorite characters to write. I also like the continuing characters. And the series gives me the opportunity to develop those characters, along with Fiona, and their relationships.

How has Fiona Figg, the protagonist in this series, grown in the second book?

Fiona has gone from being a file clerk in the War Office to becoming a professional spy. In High Treason, she’s still learning and gaining confidence. But she’s come a long way from Betrayal at Ravenswick, where her husband had just left her for another woman, and she didn’t know how she would survive without him. In the first book, she takes on the mission to forget about Andrew, her philandering husband.

In the second book, she jumps into the mission out of a sense of adventure and to prove herself. She’s very conscious of the restrictions on women’s movements and women’s roles in the early Twentieth Century. That’s why—against the orders of her boss—she resorts to male disguises. Even while she’s traveling through spaces off-limits to women, she is constantly trying to prove that a woman can do the job as good as a man.

Fiona’s proto-feminism motivates her sometimes reckless behavior, but it also gives rise to a lot of the humor in the novels. Fiona is a very funny character, whether she means to be or not.

While writing ‘High Treason at the Grand Hotel: A Fiona Figg Mystery’ what was the biggest challenge, and the biggest success?

The biggest challenge was also the biggest success—at least I hope so. Namely, developing Fiona as a character in relation to the two other major recurring characters, Clifford Douglas and Fredrick Fredricks. I had to show how the characters change and grow in relation to each other without changing them, or their relationships, so much that they’re no longer believable.

Also, getting the historical details right is always a challenge. Given that High Treason is based on real historical characters, it was even more challenging. I wanted to imagine the inner lives of these real-life characters while also writing a rip-roaring good adventure. So balancing truth and fiction—and using fiction to get at the truth—was sometimes tricky.

Did you write this book while the pandemic was going on? What was that like for you?

Yes. I started the book about the same time the pandemic hit early last spring in New York, where I have a lot of friends. Before coming to Nashville to take a job at Vanderbilt University, I lived and worked on Long Island.

Like a lot of you, I lived in a constant state of high anxiety and fear, which has abated somewhat but hasn’t gone away. I agonized for my friends in New York. And then the pandemic spread across the country. To say it was distracting is an understatement.

You’d think since I was working from home in my day job as a philosophy professor, I could get a lot of writing done. But the opposite was the case. Like so many others, I spent way too much time “doom-surfing.”

On the other hand, the pandemic inspired me to connect with old friends, some of whom I hadn’t talked to in months or years. The fear of death will do that.

Fiona will be heading into 1918—the year of the Spanish Flu pandemic—very soon. And the experience of the pandemic has given me a lot of feelings and thoughts about illness and death to draw on when Fiona faces the plague of her day.

I know you just released this book, but I still have to ask – what’s next for you?

Thanks for asking. I also just released the third book in my kids’ mystery series, The Pet Detective Mysteries. So that’s fun. And, right now, I’m finishing the very first rough draft of the sixth in my contemporary suspense series, The Jessica James Mysteries. It’s called Cottonmouth and it takes Jessica back West, this time to Wyoming. I’m having a lot of fun with a new character, a federal marshal named Lexington Colt, who is part Rylan Givens and part V. I Warshawski.

To learn more about Kelly Oliver and her book High Treason at the Grand Hotel: A Fiona Figg Mystery, check out her official website, as well as her Facebook page, and follow her on Twitter.

Bestselling author Kelly Oliver

Kelly Oliver

From Farm to Fork: moving towards a sustainable and resilient food system in the EU
From Farm to Fork: moving towards a sustainable and resilient food system in the EU

In this interview, Guido Milana (IT/PES) answers five questions on Farm to Fork , the new strategy for a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system in the EU. The municipal councillor from Olevano Romano and former Member of the European Parliament calls for a radical change in food production and consumption, starting with a shift to greener production systems that respect biodiversity and ecology principles. The rapporteur of the opinion ‘From Farm to Fork: the local and regional dimension ‘ stresses that COVID-19 makes it even more urgent to move towards a more sustainable and resilient food system. The opinion is to be adopted during the December 2020 plenary session of the European Committee of the Regions.

Library creates themed ‘Book Bundles’
Library creates themed ‘Book Bundles’

LAURINBURG — This holiday season the Scotland County Memorial Library is working to make checking out books a bit easier for parents.

The library has begun to do “Book Bundles,” which include several books that fall under one theme for a quick and easy checkout process.

“Winter is our main theme right now,” said Youth Services Librarian Jenna Knight. “It’s a great thing for parents who are wanting to get some books for their children and create some new holiday traditions.”

Knight added you must have a library card to check out the bundles, but if you don’t have one staff would be happy to help set you up with one so you can check a bundle out.

“We started this one Dec. 2 and parents and guardians have already been coming in and checking the bundles out,” Knight said. “And if you want a specific theme that we might not have out we’re offering custom bundles as well. All you need to do is call or email and we’d be happy to get your bundle set up for you.”

The custom bundles can also be used to create bundles for older children, who might want to be reading on their own.

“The bundles are all picture books so they’re meant to be read together,” Knight said. “But if you want some easy reader books, we can do so by making a custom bundle.”

The library’s hours are Monday to Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For information contact Youth Services Librarian Jenna Knight at 910-276-0563, Ext. 5, or email her at [email protected]

Reach Katelin Gandee at [email protected] To support The Laurinburg Exchange, subscribe here: https://www.laurinburgexchange.com/subscribe.

Public Consultation on fees for data reporting service providers (DRSP)
Public Consultation on fees for data reporting service providers (DRSP)

This consultation paper is published to seek stakeholders’ input on ESMA’s proposals relating to fees for data reporting service provides (DRSPs) in relation to the new competences granted to ESMA under Regulation (EU) 600/2014 (MiFIR) as amended by Regulation 2019/2175 (ESA Review).

Responding to this paper

ESMA invites comments on all matters in this paper and in particular on the specific questions summarised in Annex 1. Comments are most helpful if they:

  1. respond to the question stated;
  2. indicate the specific question to which the comment relates;
  3. contain a clear rationale; and
  4. describe any alternatives ESMA should consider.

ESMA will consider all comments received by 4 January 2021

All contributions should be submitted online at www.esma.europa.eu under the heading ‘Your input – Consultations’.

Publication of responses

All contributions received will be published following the close of the consultation, unless you request otherwise.  Please clearly and prominently indicate in your submission any part you do not wish to be publicly disclosed. A standard confidentiality statement in an email message will not be treated as a request for non-disclosure. A confidential response may be requested from us in accordance with ESMA’s rules on access to documents. We may consult you if we receive such a request. Any decision we make not to disclose the response is reviewable by ESMA’s Board of Appeal and the European Ombudsman.

Opinion—Books you should read this spooky season
Opinion—Books you should read this spooky season

Spooky season is upon us and this year the scariest entity is not a ghost in the basement, but a virus preventing further in-person scares. While those Halloween party invites are flooding your DMs, it may be worth considering sitting out this season and staying inside with a scary book or two.

For all those trick-or-treat and fight or flight triggers you want in one package, the nostalgic series “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” by Alvin Schwartz is exactly what students need to relive their childhoods. These books always found their way into grade school scholastic book fairs and libraries, and into the hands of children likely far too young to read them. 

For more existential scares H.P. Lovecraft’s work may be more well suited. Those who enjoy anthologies, consider picking up “The Thing on the Doorstep” by Lovecraft. If the pages gilded in black are not enough, the short stories inside offer psychological, paranormal and existential terrors grand enough to darken anyone’s night. Lovecraft’s writing offers a glimpse into older horror story structures and origins of many classic horror tropes with hideous monsters and eldritch abominations. His work often dwells in the fantastical, unlike the writings of arguably the most prominent horror and thriller writer of present, Stephen King.

King has a plethora of horror stories to read and digest, but for halloween night, “The Shining” is an excellent choice. It brings readers through the horrors of reality by use of its depictions of addiction and abuse. The later parts of the novel leaks into the paranormal as the many deaths within the hotel where the story is set become uncovered by the central character, Jack Torrance, who descends into his own madness. The movie has an altered depiction of the story, so there are still many surprise spooks to be had while reading, even if you’ve already seen the film adaptation. 

I have a massive soft spot for fantasy and sci-fi writing, having read through the collection “A Song of Ice and Fire” twice. I cannot recommend more strongly the short novel by George R.R. Martin, “Nightflyers. The story follows a ship ostensibly with no captain that picks up several travelers and sets off into space. The occupants soon realize there is something haunting the ship and they must survive the evil entity. The illustrated edition is less than 200 pages and could be finished in a single sitting, perfect for a quiet night in. 

Many have heard of “Fahrenheit 451,” but the author Ray Bradbury wrote several darker tales that differ largely from his famous dystopian novel. “Something Wicked This Way Comes” and “The October Country” offer a look into older settings of horror. “The Illustrated Man” is another collection of short stories that are not so horror based, but leave readers with a frightening dystopian feeling of what the world is becoming. The collection was published in 1951, yet it is able to convey concerns over technology becoming increasingly relevant to modern day life, with its portrayals of things like entire walls able to project images and scenes, or autonomic homes.

The temptation to escape the confines of an apartment or dorm room and not miss the scariest holiday of the year is high, but we must consider the health and safety of others as well as ourselves. Staying indoors and reading is not the most exciting option to many people, but it is a safe alternative that can also feel rewarding. There is a unique experience waiting in the pages of all of the aforementioned books, and each one which will leave readers questioning those inconspicuous sounds in the middle of the night.

Editor’s Note: The North Wind is committed to offering a free and open public forum of ideas, publishing a wide range of viewpoints to accurately represent the NMU student body. This is a staff column, written by an employee of the North Wind. As such, it expresses the personal opinions of the individual writer, and does not necessarily reflect the position of the North Wind Editorial Board.

Roundup: First Harry Potter book published in Slovakia 20 years ago
Roundup: First Harry Potter book published in Slovakia 20 years ago

SPECTACULAR SLOVAKIA WEEKLY

On this occasion, Slovak designer Adrián Macho came up with new illustrations of the Harry Potter book covers.

Before you scroll down to see the new Harry Potter book covers, have a listen to this year’s winner of the Košický zlatý poklad.

Košický zlatý poklad took place in 1980 for the first time. So far, 397 original Slovak songs have been played at the competition.

Andrea Loužecká under the stage name Andy Lou became the winner of the 36th annual Košický zlatý poklad song competition with her Vesmír [The Universe] song.

Earlier this year, Loužecká had also taken part in Česko Slovenská Superstar, a show similar to American Idol, in which she made it into the top 48.

Travel

Dutch embassy to make Bratislava greener

The embassy will participate in the city’s initiative of planting 10,000 trees by donating 2,000 trees. Moreover, 10,000 bulbs of special tulips have been planted at Bratislava’s Freedom Square.

Resorts in Jasná and the High Tatras have been closed

Company Tatry Mountain Resort has closed its hotels, restaurants, cable cars and shops for two weeks because of COVID-19. Hotels could reopen on November 8, and cable cars two days earlier.

Banská Štiavnica in 936 words

One week spent in Banská Štiavnica would probably not be enough for you to get to know the place given its location and rich history. You may even struggle to write a short article about this mining town.

Castle siblings that protect the Váh

Starhrad, also known as Varín Castle, are ruins on the right bank of the Váh, near the city of Žilina. Across the river is the more popular castle ruins: Strečno. The Dragonheart film was shot here in the nineties.

Pribylina museum will open a special path

The Museum of Liptov Village in Pribylina is to open a new path that will offer people with impaired vision and hearing the opportunity to get to know Tatra nature.

One world. Many options.

The 21st edition of the One World 2020 International Documentary Film Festival will take place from November 5 to 11 online.

It will be possible to watch all 50 films on the dafilm.sk website and discussions on the One World social networks, or via the bodka.tv internet television. The easiest way, however, is to visit the website www.jedensvet.sk.

The Slovak Spectator will bring you more information on the festival at the start of next week.

Weekend reads

The secret of Mayan mural with pierced penises unravelled

Experts from Slovakia have unravelled the secret of a near forgotten Mayan painting, which was destroyed by the forces of nature shortly after its discovery in the 1930s in the city of Uaxactun in present-day Guatemala.

An unusual winter is coming. What are ski resorts doing to prepare? Read more 

A park turned into a car park to become a park again

Until the seventies, a small park on Komenský’s Square used to spread behind the Slovak National Theatre. But after the theatre was extended, the park was paved over and turned into a car park. Last year, Bratislava decided to turn the car park back into a park.

Culture in short [events included]

ART: Natália Šimonová, who uses rust when painting, was named the winner of the Maľba 2020 painting contest, organised by the Nadácia VÚB foundation. Her winning work of art is exhibited in Bratislava’s Nedbalka Gallery.

CHILDREN: Print out some of the Huncút worksheets for your kids and colour traditional musical instruments or create your own bookmark.

ART: Slovak illustrator and designer Adrián Macho created original illustrations for a new Harry Potter books edition, which will be published by the Ikar publishing house. The first Harry Potter book was published in Slovakia 20 years ago, on October 30.

CONCERT: The Bratislava-based theatre, Nová scéna, will live stream the first of a series of concerts entitled The Little Night Music No.1 on the evening of October 31. You can watch it here.

WORKSHOP: If you have plenty of time on your hands and you are patient enough, how about trying some of these short online workshops?

MUSIC: Singer Barbora Piešová has released a second single titled Vesmír (The Universe). A video, below, shows beautiful spots around Slovakia. Her debut album, Som flegmatik, ale optimista (I Am Phlegmatic but Optimistic), drops today, October 30.

That is all for this week. Have a great,spooky weekend!

The next Spectacular Slovakia Weekly: November 6.

Read last week’s roundup.