World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day or International Day of the Book, is an annual event that is organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) on April 23. The day promotes reading, publishing, and copyright. The first World Book Day was celebrated on April 23 in 1995 and continues to be recognized on that day. On World Book and Copyright Day, UNESCO and several advisory committees from the major sectors of the book industry, select the World Book Capital for a year. Each designated World Book Capital City carries out a program of activities to celebrate and promote books and reading.

World Book Day 2023 Date

World Book Day 2023 will be celebrated on Sunday, April 23.

World Book Day 2023 Theme

UNESCO’s theme for World Book Day 2023 is ‘Indigenous Languages!’ World Book Day 2022: Books Readers Exchange Quotes, Greetings, Messages And HD Images Of Their Greatest Pleasure To Spread The Joy Of Reading and Learning!.

World Book Day History

As per historical records, the original idea of commemorating World Book Day was conceived in 1922 by Vicente Clavel, director of the Cervantes publishing house in Barcelona. Clavel thought this would be an ideal way to honour the author Miguel de Cervantes and boost the sales of books. The day was first celebrated on October 7, 1926, on Cervantes' birthday. Later, the date was shifted to his death date, April 23, in 1930. The celebration continues with great popularity in Catalonia, where it is referred to as Sant Jordi's Day or The Day of Books and Roses.

It was in 1995 that UNESCO decided that World Book and Copyright Day would be celebrated on April 23. This date is also the anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, as well as that of the birth or death of several other prominent authors. Why is World Book Day 2023 trending?

World Book Day Significance

World Book Day holds great importance as this day provides an excellent opportunity for publishers, booksellers, and libraries to come together and recognize the scope of books and reading. The day is a worldwide celebration to promote the enjoyment of and reading and the benefits it provides us. Each year, on 23 April, celebrations take place all over the world to understand the value of books and the importance of reading them. On this occasion, UNESCO and the international organizations come together and work collectively to promote literacy and stand up for creativity, diversity and equal access to knowledge.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 23, 2023 02:48 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).