As part of the celebration of the Hans Christian Andersen bicentenary, Thorvaldsen's Museum in association with the Hans Christian Andersen 2005 Foundation, UNESCO, and the Danish Ministry of Education are presenting an exhibition focusing on a selection of Hans Christian Andersen's diaries and almanacs. At the Library of Alexandria, HRH Prince Joachim of Denmark opened the exhibition To Write is an Act of Love: Copenhagen, Paris, Alexandria . The exhibition highlights selected works and provides new perspectives on Andersen and on how he learnt to master the art of writing. The exhibition also marks the establishment of the HCA-ABC Foundation, which in Andersen’s name is aimed at combating illiteracy worldwide. Ismail Serageldin, ambassador for the campaign for Andersen’s bicentennial, delivered the opening address at the inauguration of the exhibition. The title of the exhibition is a quotation from the author Paul Auster, who says “I have always felt that everything I have written is directed at someone. It is part of a dialogue. It is not written in a vacuum. It is something that is written for others. A book does not exist if it is not read. It is always a relationship. Writing is an act of love”. A celebration of the Hans Christian Andersen bicentenary took place at the BA in early 2005.