World Book and Copyright Day 2018: What is it, Why is it Celebrated & This Year's Theme
The day is celebrated by a growing number of partners and since its launch has shown itself to be a great opportunity for reflection and information on a significant theme.
World Book and Copyright Day is an annual event organised by the United Nations to foster a global appreciation for reading and to promote writing, publishing and familiarity with copyright laws around the world. The event is held on April 23 every year. The event was first held in 1995 at the behest of the UN’s UNESCO General Conference held that year in Paris. The day is celebrated by a growing number of partners and since its launch has shown itself to be a great opportunity for reflection and information on a significant theme. The theme of 2018 is ‘Reading, it’s my right!’ Here are top 10 must-visit libraries to visit in India to celebrate the World Book and Copyright Day.
The day also commemorates the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Why is it held on April 23?
April 23 is a symbolic date for world literature. It is on this date in 1616 that Cervantes, Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died. In addition, it is also the birth or death day of other notable authors including Manuel Mejia Vallejo, Josep Pla, Vladamir Nabokov, Maurice Druon and Haldor k. Laxness. It was a natural choice for UNESCO’s General Conference to pay world-wide tribute to books and authors on this date, encouraging everyone, and in particular, young people, to discover the pleasure of reading and gain a renewed respect for the irreplaceable contributions of those who have furthered the social and cultural progress of humanity.
What is the World Book Capital for 2018?
Each year, UNESCO and the international organisations representing the three major sections of the book industry – publishers, booksellers and libraries – select the World Book Capital for a one-year period, effective 23 April each year. The chosen city undertakes to maintain, through its own initiatives, the impetus of the day’s celebrations until April 23 of the following year. This year, it is the city of Athens, Greece. The city was chosen for the quality if its activities, supported by the entire book industry. The aim is to make books accessible to the city’s entire population, including migrants and refugees.
World Book and Copyright Day has won over a considerate number of people from every continent and all cultural backgrounds to the cause of books and copyright. Almost all the regions of the world, in turn, have already been involved in this process, which thus transforms the celebration of books and copyright into a recurrent activity, extending still further the geographical and cultural influence of books. Today is also the English Language Day.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 22, 2018 05:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).