WORLD BOOK AND COPYRIGHT DAY
April 23 every year is celebrated as World Book and Copyright Day. Sometimes, it’s called World Book Day, or International Day of the Book. The focus of the day is to promote reading, publishing and copyrighting.
World Book and Copyright Day celebrates all things book-related: writing, reading, translating, and publishing.
World Book and Copyright Day is observed by millions of people in more than 100 countries, in hundreds of voluntary organizations, schools, public bodies, professional groups, and private businesses. Over the years, the day has won over a considerable number of people from every continent and all cultural backgrounds to the cause of books and copyright. Books are seen as windows into the diversity of cultures and are used to initiate dialogue.
HOW TO OBSERVE
Design a bookmark.
Review a list of recommended books.
Share a list of your favorite books.
Follow on social media with #worldbookandcopyrightday, #worldbookday or #internationaldayofthebook
Celebrate by buying and reading exciting and funny books online or from popular book shops where favorite book characters or authors are available. The day helps kids create reading habits and increases their enthusiasm for authors and books and helps broaden their scope of interests.
Visit the World Book Day website.
HISTORY
World Book and Copyright Day is an annual event organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to promote reading, publishing, and copyright. World Book Day was first celebrated on April 23, 1995, and continues to be recognized on that day.
The original idea was a way to honor the author Miguel de Cervantes on 23 April, his death date. In 1995 UNESCO decided that the World Book and Copyright Day would be celebrated on 23 April, as the date is also the anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, as well as that of the birth or death of several other prominent authors.
Organizers of World Book and Copyright day say, “It is our duty, everywhere in the world, to protect these freedoms and to promote reading and writing in order to fight illiteracy and poverty and to strengthen the foundations of peace, as well as to protect the publishing-related professions and professionals.”
