BantUGent members Heidi Goes and Lorenzo Maselli participated as ‘witnesses’ or experts in a successful world record attempt in Schaarbeek on Sunday 26th of February 2023 for several African languages, together with UGent alumna Jocelyn Mulanga Kabeya. The Guinness World Record attempt for Reading aloud in multiple languages was an initiative of the local library and schools, as well as the Foyer charity that works with newcomers. Every sentence of the book by Leo Timmers’ ‘Magical Life of Mr Renny’ (Mijnheer René) was read aloud in another language. Most of the second reading of the book was done in Dutch by the author himself. Experts were present for 65 of the 74 languages used during the attempt, to verify that the correct language was used, so the Record was set at 65 languages, ten more than the previous record by the Museum of Islamic Culture in Qatar.
English: https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/en/2023/02/27/record-_reading-aloud-in-multiple-languages-set-in-schaarbeek/
French: https://www.lesoir.be/497543/article/2023-02-26/un-record-mondial-ete-battu-dans-une-bibliotheque-de-schaerbeek
Dutch: https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2023/02/26/wereldrecord-meertalig-voorlezen-gebroken-in-schaarbeekse-biblio/
Dutch with video: https://www.bruzz.be/samenleving/wereldrecord-meertalig-voorlezen-gebroken-schaarbeekse-bibliotheek-2023-02-26
