History of World Book and Copyright Day
- World Book and Copyright Day was officially observed in 1955.
- However, the roots of this day were laid back in 1922 by Vicente Clavel Andres to honour a profound Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes.
- UNESCO chose April 23 to pay tribute to the authors worldwide and encourage everyone to access books.
- It is believed that the day serves as a link between the past and the future bridging the connection between generations and cultures.
- UNESCO along with many international organizations come together to represent three major sectors of the book industry including Publishers, Booksellers, and Libraries to select the World Book Capital for the coming years to maintain the initiative and the impetus of the celebration.
History of Books
Books did not always have glossy covers and smooth pages like they do today. Clay tablets were used when writing systems were developed in prehistoric civilizations thousands of years ago. Papyrus was later used by humanity. The first people to create something that resembled modern books in that it was made of numerous thick, bamboo pages stitched together were the Chinese in the third century.
Then, in the middle of the 15th century, Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, ushering in an era when books were easily accessible to anyone who wanted to read them. We are all able to enjoy Shakespeare, Tolstoy, and many other authors’ works in the comfort of our own homes today because of that brilliant invention. However, the association between that day and books was first made in Spain in 1923 because it marks the passing of both William Shakespeare and renowned Spanish chronicler Inca Garcilaso de la Vega.
Why do we Celebrate World Book and Copyright Day on April 23?
Did you know that April 23 was specifically chosen to hold the celebrations of the World Book and Copyright Day? This is because it is the date on which numerous prominent authors of literature, such as William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes passed away.
Additionally, UNESCO also decided on April 23 due to its General Conference held in Paris in 1995. It paid tribute to and commemorated authors and their exemplary books.
Benefits of Reading Books
The following are the benefits of reading books:
- It improves your linguistic skills including, grammar, sentence structure, usage of words and vocabulary
- Some studies have shown that reading books can make you feel empathetic as we tend to develop a connection with a character
- Another great benefit of reading is it reduces your stress and anxiety levels and helps you get distracted from worries to focus more on the words written in it
- In this fast-paced world, everyone has compromised on their sleep schedule, reading a book at night before going to bed can inflict a positive effect on your mind as well as help you sleep faster
Ways to Support World Book Day
Here are a few ways to support this day:
- Shop at independent bookstores around the world. Some of our favourites in the United States are Blue Bicycle Books in Charleston, Birchbark Books & Native Arts in Minneapolis, and Little City Books in Hoboken, all of which pay special attention to children’s books.
- Donate used books to the public library in your area.
- Give to book charities like Books for Africa, Libraries Without Borders, and Book Aid International, which all provide books to the underprivileged and libraries in refugee camps, hospitals, and schools. For U.S. K–5th-grade students and their classrooms, a different nonprofit organisation called Our Kids Read donates books with inspiring characters from various cultures, including Native American, Black, Hispanic, and Southeast Asian.
- Invite your friends for a reading challenge, and contest with your friends as to who can read more books in a fixed duration of time. You can have book relay with yourself as well by picking up a book of a new genre every time.
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