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April 14, 2020 at 2:19 pm
World Book and Copyright Day, Celebrate on April 23rd
World Book and Copyright Day
World Book and Copyright Day is a celebration to promote the enjoyment of books and reading. Each year, on 23 April, celebrations take place all over the world to recognize the scope of books. Books are a link between the past and the future, a bridge between generations and across cultures. UNESCO and the international organizations representing the three major sectors of the book industry – publishers, booksellers and libraries, select the World Book Capital for a year to maintain, through its own initiatives, the impetus of the Day’s celebrations.
Championing books and copyright, UNESCO stands up for creativity, diversity and equal access to knowledge. From the Creative Cities of Literature network to promoting literacy and mobile learning and advancing Open Access to scientific knowledge and educational resources. With the active involvement of all stakeholders: authors, publishers, teachers, librarians, public and private institutions, humanitarian NGOs and the mass media, this day has become a platform to rally together millions of people all around the world.
About World Book Day
23 April is a symbolic date for world literature. . It is the date on which several prominent authors, William Shakespeare, Miguel Cervantes and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died. This is also the date of birth or death of other prominent authors, such as Maurice Druon, Haldor K.Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and Manuel Mejía Vallejo.
It was a natural choice for UNESCO’s General Conference, held in Paris in 1995, to pay a world-wide tribute to books and authors on this date. Encouraging everyone, in particular young people, to discover the pleasure of reading and gain a renewed respect for the irreplaceable contributions of those, who have furthered progress of humanity. The Day has shown itself to be a great opportunity for reflection and information on a significant theme.
Where is World Book and Copyright Day Recognized
It is observed by millions of people in over 100 countries, in hundreds of voluntary organizations, schools, public bodies, professional groups and private businesses. World Book and Copyright Day has won over a considerable number of people from every continent and all cultural backgrounds to the cause of books and copyright. It has enabled them to discover, make the most of and explore in greater depth a multitude of aspects of the publishing world. Many aspects have been the subject of numerous awareness-raising and promotional initiatives that have had a genuine impact.
World Book Capital City
World Book and Copyright Day has inspired another initiative of professional organizations which receives the assistance of UNESCO and backing from States: World Book Capital City. Each year a city is chosen which undertakes to maintain, through its own initiatives, the impetus of the Day’s celebrations. Almost all the regions of the world, have already been involved in this process. Thus transforms the celebration into a recurrent activity, extending the geographical and cultural influence of books. Over recent years, the World Day has shown that it can be a potent symbol for the launch of major support operations, in particular in Latin America and Africa.
Additional Resources
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Kuala Lumpur, 2020 World Book Capital City
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