Amid the boredom and squalor of Greece’s refugee camps, the Echo library van’s books provide comfort and escape ‘The Anne Frank came back to us recently from a man living in a tent in Malakasa,” Keira Dignan says. We’re on board the Echo mobile library, a donated minivan lined with DIY bookshelves, as it motors between refugee camps in Greece. The 24-year-old librarian is telling me about the most popular books held on its wooden shelves. “He said that reading about her situation had given him strength in his own.” Greece is estimated to host 90,000 refugees and migrants, and is struggling to cope. The Turkish government’s recent decision to open the border is likely to lead to another surge of displaced people. The Echo library was founded in 2016, at the height of the refugee crisis, and relies on a 15-strong volunteer team alongside donations to stock its shelves and pay for the van’s fuel – costs that come to roughly £13,000 a year. Dignan came to volunteer after finishing university in 2018 and never left. Continue reading...
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