Celje, Slovenia – March 25, 2025
The Women Writers Route association celebrated a milestone with its 6th General Assembly, held in person for the first time on March 25, 2025, in Celje, Slovenia. Members from across Europe gathered to reflect on the past year’s achievements, welcome new collaborators, and chart an ambitious course for the future.
Dr. Andreja Rihter, President of the WWR Association, opened the assembly by extending a special welcome to new members, including ICCI HUB from Turin, Italy, who attended the meeting in person.
The assembly reviewed the association’s activities in 2024. Highlights included the launch of Ljubka’s Trail, a walking route in Gorizia and Nova Gorica dedicated to poet Ljubka Šorli and other regional women writers, like Alma Karlin. International Women’s Day saw events like a guided walk tracing the footsteps of poet Lili Novy in Ljubljana, while European Heritage Days featured tours in Celje and Nova Gorica honouring Alma Karlin and Ljubka Šorli.
A symposium on poet Ada Škerl in Ljubljana and the 2nd Interdisciplinary Summer School in Humanities further enriched the year. The association also celebrated the 150th birthday of Croatian writer Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić with storytelling events and workshops. Jelena’s Dimitrijević book of letters and poems was published by the University of Niš and Women Writers Route. Recognition came in the form of the Best Practice Award from the Council of Europe for the guided tour “Bold and Borderless” held in the Goriška region in 2023.
The Scientific Council announced the admission of five new writers to the route: Alma Karlin, from Slovenia, Natalia Ginzburg, from Italy, Marcelle Tinayre, from France and Adèle Weman and Minna Canth from Finland.
The assembly outlined potential plans for the upcoming year. Members emphasized the importance of marking International Women’s Day with diverse events, from children’s workshops to academic seminars. Collaborative efforts will focus on creating digital and printed maps for writers like Zofka Kveder in Loški Potok and Isidora Sekulić across Serbia.
Further attention was given to the potential tourist outcomes of the route in the framework of hiking trails. In particular, Federica Matteoli, from ICCI HUB Turin, highlighted the possibility of the creation of an Alpine trail connected to a woman writer.
The association also aims to strengthen partnerships with tourism offices and improve visibility through media and social networks.
As the meeting concluded, the assembly reaffirmed its commitment to celebrating women’s literary contributions through innovative projects and cross-border collaboration. With new writers, trails, and partnerships on the horizon, the Women Writers Route continues to weave a rich tapestry of cultural heritage across Europe.
For more information about upcoming events and initiatives, visit the WWR website or follow the association on social media.
