Charleroi is an intriguing city whose industrial past is clearly still omnipresent, both in its street scenes as well as in the stories of its inhabitants. Although the city is struggling with the consequences of the loss of Walloon industry and mine closures, it is hard at work on a new elan. In that respect, Charleroi resembles another citybooks city, Sheffield.
News on the residences and activities of the writers in Charleroi appear regularly on facebook and twitter.
The writers that were in residence between July and December 2011 in Charleroi include the French-speaking Belgian authors Caroline Lamarche and Thomas Gunzig and Dutch poet Erik Lindner. The Italian author Davide Longo, who previously participated in citybooks Utrecht, wrote his second citybook in Charleroi. By coming to this Belgian city, he followed in the footsteps of many thousands of his fellow countrymen who in the first half of the twentieth century came to Charleroi to work in the mines.The young photographer Sander Buyck has portrayed Charleroi with a series of 24 photographs.
Ambitions for the future without ignoring the past. That is also what the Musée de la Photographie is striving to do together with another citybooks Charleroi partner, the city council. The museum combines exhibitions of international photographers with those of local talent, whereby the city, its residents and its history often have their role to play.
In 2013 the Musée de la Photographie will be organizing a major overview exhibition of photographic work from the whole series of citybooks where all the participating cities will be represented.
