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An important day for world literature, April 23 is observed every year as World Book Day. The significance of the day also lies in its association with some such stalwarts of world literature as Miguel de Cervantes, William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vegam — this day is their death anniversary, too.
On this date in 1995, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) had during its Paris General Conference decided to pay a worldwide tribute to books and authors, by encouraging everyone, young people in particular, to discover the pleasure of reading and gain a renewed respect for the irreplaceable contributions of those who furthered the social and cultural progress.
Unesco promotes this event for encouraging reading and writing. For this, various events are held across the globe. Focus is also on discussing various issues pertaining to the world of authors, publishers and distributors and promoting their works and causes.
The world over, the annual World Book Day event is celebrated in different ways. However, the annual event is sometimes advanced or postponed to accommodate certain factors. In 2000 and 2011, for instance, World Book Day was advanced by 10 days to April 13, so that it did not clash with Easter. Also, in the UK, World Book Day is observed on the first Thursday of March, because April 23 happens to clash with both Easter school holidays and England’s National Saint’s Day.
Here's how the world is celebrating Book Day:
SPAIN
Here's how the world is celebrating Book Day:
SPAIN
Cervantes’ Don Quixote is read over a two-day ‘readathon’ and the Miguel de Cervantes Prize is presented by the Spanish king in Alcalá de Henares. In parts of the US, a street festival is organised on the Sunday immediately after April 23.
CHINA
In China, as April 23 approaches, various reading events are organised by government agencies, libraries and bookstores throughout the capital city of Beijing.
MEXICO
Mexicans are this year celebrating World Book Day with a public reading of British author Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice in Wonderland’, in Guadalajara and 100 other sites in the western state of Jalisco. ‘Alice in Wonderland’ received 41,740 votes in a poll done on April 16, edging out works by Mexican writer Edmundo Valades and Franz Kafka.
SOUTH KOREA
The Korean government has this year joined forces with associations of publishers, bookstores and libraries to hold a large-scale book festival along the Cheonggye Stream in Jung District, central Seoul. The day is also called ‘Chaekdeurim Day’ or book-giving day in Korea.
SOUTH AFRICA
The celebrations in South Africa will be a two-fold door-to-door reading campaign. The Formal celebrations will take place in Boksburg Civic Centre, Ekurhuleni.
BAHRAIN
The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Isa Cultural Centre, the National Library will host the International Book Day. The first Bahraini author, Amal Ibrahim Al Zayani, will be honoured for her leading role in local literary production.
#WorldBookDay
"One of the sad realities today is that very few people, especially young people, read books" #WorldBookDay #Madiba pic.twitter.com/o9oKlARr0R
— NelsonMandela (@NelsonMandela) April 23, 2015
Increase in electronic gadgets are depriving us from reading books, which still remain our best friend. #WorldBookDay pic.twitter.com/j5hwXdisVD
— Dr Raman Singh (@drramansingh) April 23, 2015
Great #books inspire great #authors. Now those books will enlighten someone else's life. Stay tuned! #WorldBookDay pic.twitter.com/cU09lyUqoV
— Penguin Books India (@PenguinIndia) April 22, 2015
It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves --William Shakespeare #WorldBookDay
— Naveen Jindal (@MPNaveenJindal) April 23, 2015
