This is the 19th year of the Vilnius in Gdansk Festival, an event which is designed to bring the citizens of the two cities closer together. The reason for this seemingly random matching of towns is that many of today’s citizens of Gdansk, including city mayor Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, can trace their heritage back to what is now the Lithuanian capital. Known in Polish as Wilno, many ethnic Poles moved out of the city post World War II and joined the millions of people who moved westward in the mass migration that took place with the redrawing of central Europe’s borders. The two cities have worked hard in recent years to exchange ideas and to become closer and for the past seven years a reciprocal event (Gdansk in Vilnius) has taken place in Lithuania.

The aim of the event is to help the people of Gdansk learn more about the culture of modern-day Vilnius and this year the four-day event will feature two art exhibitions, 17 concerts, a fair offering stalls selling traditional regional delicacies and a meeting with one of Lithuania’s best-known writers, Alvydas Slepikas.

You’ll be able to meet the author of the highly regarded book ‘My name is Mary’ which tells the story of the ‘Wolf Children’, German orphans who crossed into Lithuania from East Prussia (today’s Kaliningrad) living rough and scavenging for food in the aftermath of Germany’s collapse in 1945.

You can meet him in the City Library at ul. Mariacka 42 on Thursday 7th from 5.30pm until 7.30pm. Check their website for more info on the schedule. Admission to all events is free.