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UNESCO World Book Day. April 23 2023.

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Terry Cullen

Jan 31, 2023

South Korea, United Kingdom, Spain, France, Ghana

Categories:

Books, Literacy, Reading, Children, Literature

World Book Day is April 23, 2023*. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization created the event to promote reading, publishing and copyright. World Book Day was founded in 1995 and has been observed every year since. Several famous authors were born or died on April 23, including William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes and Vladimir Nabokov. (*Some countries, such as the United Kingdom and Sweden observe World Book Day in March because it conflicts with already established holidays in April.)


Different countries around the world observe World Book Day with various activities. Seoul, South Korea marked the day last year with an open-air library. This year, the open-air library will be in five locations, three outdoor and two indoor (one inside a rail transit station and another inside a performing arts center). The open-air library will run from April 23 through November. In addition to finding comfortable places to read in the open air, people can attend yoga and stretching classes, poetry readings and hands-on activities for children.


Various events are scheduled in the United Kingdom to mark the day including lectures, and several sessions with different authors discussing some of their works.


World Book Day coincides with Diada de Sant Jordi (St. George’s Day), billed as Barcelona’s local version of St Valentine’s Day. It is a day for roses, romance and books. Tradition was that a man gave their sweetheart a red rose on this day. In recent years, a new tradition has been added; the woman gives the man a book. One superblock in Barcelona’s city center is planned exclusively for book loving pedestrians.


UNESCO will host workshops for young people at their headquarters in Paris, France. Booksellers, publishers and artists will hold workshops on a variety of topics.


UNESCO chooses a World Book Capital each year. This year, the World Book Capital is Accra, Ghana located in West Africa. A number of events and celebrations are planned to promote Ghanaian authors, literature and culture.


Back in 1820, only 12% of the world’s population could read or write. By 1960 that rose to 42% and then by 2015 it more than doubled to 85%. It is estimated that 14% of the world’s population today are illiterate, but there are many global disparities in literacy between countries. The world’s first novel is credited to an 11th-century Japanese woman who wrote “The Tale of Genji”, a 54-chapter of seduction.


Literacy is a key skill that strengthens complex networks in your brain. It increases brain connectivity, especially in the somatosensory cortex, the part of the brain associated with pain and movement. Researchers say that reading strengthens our empathy and other skills needed to build, navigate and maintain social relationships. Other benefits of reading include: it helps you to build your vocabulary; it may contribute to the prevention of age-related cognitive decline; it reduces stress; it may help you sleep better and alleviate depression symptoms.

You can help your community by recognizing World Book Day and hosting and participating in events to promote the benefits of all things about books. Here are some suggestions. Organize a group read-ins at your local library. Host a local author for coffee or tea and invite the community. Start a reading group with local immigrants. Dress your children in costumes of favorite characters from their books. Host a book drive to collect books. Start a little library (see https://www.littlefreelibrary.org for more information). Pick a book from your favorite genre and start reading. Enjoy reading a comic book for a change. Start a weekly family reading night. Have a book discussion over family dinner. Conduct a fundraiser for your local library. Honor your local librarians with a gift card. Start a book club with your friends.


We are bombarded everyday with so much stimuli from social media to the news that reading a book is a luxury. Reading can provide you a much welcome respite from the intensity of day-to-day living. Take your moment today, and have your escape.

Photo by Heber Galindo on Unsplash.

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Catalog #:

0123.100.06.013023

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