Storytime at Columbus Circle: Ege and Ávra By Evgenia Mantikas and Elifgül Büyükoral

Saturday Nov 07, 2026
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Powerhouse at Columbus Circle
10 Columbus Circle #304
New York, New York 10019

About the Book.

A tangled fishing line leads to unexpected friendship in this heartwarming tale of laughter, connection, and understanding across cultural divides.

A thought-provoking picture book celebrating cross-cultural relationships in a gentle, intergenerational story connecting Türkiye and Greece on the Aegean Sea.

While fishing in the Aegean Sea with her grandfather, Ege, a girl from Türkiye, crosses paths with Ávra, a girl from Greece, who’s also fishing with her grandfather. At first, the girls ignore each other, but when their fishing lines cross, they become angry, a little like how their countries have fought for centuries.

But soon an unlikely kinship sparks! Ege and Ávra share laughter, food, and prayer in this story about cultural connection.

For every reader who’s ever felt divided by differences—or discovered that understanding can turn strangers into friends.

About the Author.

A second generation Greek American, Evgenia Mantikas grew up immersed in her family’s culture. She visited Xios every summer, reading for hours on the beach. Evgenia’s love for stories grew as she studied creative writing and received her BA and MA in English literature. After teaching ELA for two years, Evgenia returned to school and earned her MFA from Simmons University and uses her voice to tell cultural stories about family. She loves writing, but she loves teaching too. She taught most recently in a middle school in Queens, New York. Ege and Ávra is her first book. Learn more at https://www.evgeniamantikas.com/.