World Book Day is observed on 23 April. The day is celebrated by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and other related organizations. The global celebration of books and reading material is observed in more than 100 countries. This day is also known as World Copyright day.
Aim:
The World Book is celebrated to recognize the scope of books as a link between the past and the future. UNESCO and organizations representing publishers, booksellers, and libraries select the World Book Capital for a year to maintain the celebrations of books and reading.
Events:
♦ On this day many authors, publishers, teachers, librarians, public and private institutions, humanitarian NGOs, and the mass media gather to promote literacy and help everyone get access to educational resources as the books are the cultural and generational bridge.
♦ Kuala Lumpur was officially recognized as the 2020 UNESCO’s World Book Capital (KLWBC 2020). In 2019, Sharjah, UAE was declared as the World Book Capital.
♦ Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the day is celebrated online.
In India:
♦ In India, publishing houses including HarperCollins India, Penguin Random House, Hachette India, and Roli Books, launched online interactive sessions with authors. They launched it in digital and audio formats, and bookish games to cover unveiling, publishers.
♦ The online event will have sessions where the authors talk on different relatable themes, drawn from their areas of expertise. The audiences can post questions and interact further with their favourite authors
♦ Authors including Sanjay Dixit, Gautam Chintamani, Ziya Us Salam, Vijay, and Akshay Lokapally and Rituparna Chatterjee will participate in the event.
History:
The observation of the World Book Day was first initiated by Valencian writer Vicente Clavel Andres. The aim was to honour the renowned author, Miguel de Cervantes. The day was first celebrated on 7 October, Miguel de Cervantes’ birth anniversary. The observation of the day was finalized to be observed on April 23, his death anniversary.
The day was first designated by UNESCO in 1995 at UNESCO’s General Conference held in Paris, France. The day honours the world-famous author William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes, and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega and all the authors.
