World Book and Copyright Day (23/04)





On this day in 1616, M. passed away. Cervantes, W. Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. It is also the birthday or death of famous authors such as Maurice Druon, Haldour Laxness, J. Pla and Manuel Mejia Vallejo.

It is only natural that the UNESCO General Conference, held in Paris in 1995, decided to pay tribute to books and authors on this day, calling on everyone, and especially young people, to find pleasure in reading and respect the irreplaceable contributions of those who contributed to the social and cultural progress of humanity. Then World Book and Copyright Day and the UNESCO Prize for Promoting the Ideals of Tolerance in Children's and Youth Literature were established.

The decision was made for the purpose of education, developing awareness of cultural traditions, and also taking into account the fact that books are the greatest means of disseminating knowledge, the most reliable way to preserve it.

Thanks to the book, we gain access not only to knowledge, but also to ideas, spiritual and moral values, to understanding beauty and creative achievements of a person. A bearer of information, the basis of education and creativity, the book gives every culture the opportunity to tell about itself, introduces the customs and traditions of different peoples.

Book — is a window into the world of cultural diversity, it is a bridge connecting different civilizations in time and space.

Currently, Book Day is celebrated in more than a hundred countries by millions of people, united in hundreds of different associations, and is celebrated in schools, government agencies, professional organizations and private enterprises. Over this long period of time, World Book and Copyright Day has made the book's friends a large number of people from different cultures on all continents; it also contributed to strengthening copyright protection.

Book — is a window into the world of cultural diversity, it is a bridge connecting different civilizations in time and space (Photo: Glenkar, licensed from Shutterstock.com)

As we celebrate World Book and Copyright Day, we must all pay special attention to the important role of books in preserving and enhancing the culture of each state. After all, book — is the best assistant in our common efforts to protect and enrich the cultural heritage of humanity.

Therefore, every year the number of various initiatives and events dedicated to this Day is growing, and their geography is expanding. Among the most popular in many countries of the world traditionally — are book fairs and exhibitions, public readings of works of world classics of literature and various cultural and entertainment events.

There is another tradition of today's holiday — every year, starting in 2001, on this day the city is named, which was awarded the title of World Capital of Books (awarded for 1 year). The selection committee includes representatives of UNESCO and three international professional book publishing organizations — of the International Union of Publishers (UIA), the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and the International Federation of Booksellers (IFC).

The award of this title is evidence of the desire of cities to promote the development of book publishing and reading, as well as cooperation between the main partners in book publishing. The world capitals of the book were very different cities: Madrid (Spain), Alexandria (Egypt), New Delhi (India), Montreal (Canada), Bogota (Colombia), Beirut (Lebanon), Ljubljana (Slovenia), Buenos Aires (Argentina), Yerevan (Armenia), Bangkok (Thailand), Port Harcourt (Nigeria), Wroclaw (Poland), Athens (Greece), Sharjah (UAE), Tbilisi (Georgia) and others.



• Infographics – poster «April 23 — World Book and Copyright Day» • Story «At the dacha»

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