ISLAMABAD: ‘World Book and Copyright’ day will be virtually marked across the globe including Pakistan on Friday with special emphasis on significance of book reading especially during the COVID-19 health crisis requirement for staying home most of time.
The day is usually marked with a number of activities including book exhibitions, seminars, conferences, various books related competitions, launching of new books etc however for the second consecutive year, this day will be observed by arranging activities through digital means or platforms.
The prevailing crisis has limited social interaction and shifted the focus of the citizens towards book reading besides other activities like playing traditional games and doing physical exercise.
To mark the day, the world renowned digital market, Amazon is giving away 10 free Kindle ebooks from around the world that can be downloaded till April 24.
World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day, or International Day of the Book, is an annual event organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to promote reading, publishing, and copyright.
UNESCO decided to institute a day dedicated to reading and books in the 1995 General Conference held in Paris, ‘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.’
According to the UNESCO, during the last year when most countries have seen periods of confinement and people have had to limit their time spent outside, books have proved to be powerful tools to combat isolation, reinforce ties between people, expand our horizons, while stimulating our minds and creativity.In some countries, the number of books read has doubled.
During the month of April and all year round, it is critical to take the time to read on your own or with your children.
It is a time to celebrate the importance of reading, foster children’s growth as readers and promote a lifelong love of literature and integration into the world of work.
As a part of World Book Day 2021 celebrations, UNESCO has also created a bookface challenge, inviting the students, teachers, readers from around the world as well as the book industry and library services to testify and express their love for reading by participating to this challenge. World Book and Copyright Day is a celebration to promote the enjoyment of books and reading. Each year, on 23rd day of April, celebrations take place all over the world to recognize the scope of books – a link between the past and the future, a bridge between generations and across cultures. On this occasion, UNESCO and the international organizations representing the three major sectors of the book industry – publishers, booksellers and libraries, select the World Book Capital for a year to maintain, through its own initiatives, the impetus of the Day’s celebrations.
23rd April is a symbolic date in world literature. It is the date on which several prominent authors, William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died. This date was a natural choice for UNESCO’s General Conference, held in Paris in 1995, to pay a world-wide tribute to books and authors on this date, encouraging everyone to access books.
By championing books and copyright, UNESCO stands up for creativity, diversity and equal access to knowledge, with the work across the board – from the Creative Cities of Literature network to promoting literacy and mobile learning and advancing Open Access to scientific knowledge and educational resources. With the active involvement of all stakeholders: authors, publishers, teachers, librarians, public and private institutions, humanitarian NGOs and the mass media, and all those who feel motivated to work together in this world celebration of books and authors, World Book and Copyright Day has become a platform to rally together millions of people all around the world.
UNESCO maintains: More than ever, at a time where most of the schools around the world are closed and people are having to limit their time spent outside, the power of books should be leveraged to combat isolation, reinforce ties between people, expand our horizons, while stimulating our minds and creativity.
During the month of April and all year round, it is critical to take the time to read on your own or with your children. It is a time to celebrate the importance of reading, foster children’s growth as readers and promote a lifelong love of literature and integration into the world of work.
Through reading and the celebration of World Book and Copyright Day, 23 April, we can open ourselves to others despite distance, and we can travel thanks to imagination. From April 1st to 23rd, UNESCO will share quotes, poems and messages to symbolize the power of books and encourage reading as much as possible. By creating a sense of community through the shared readings and the shared knowledge, readers around the world can connect and mutually help curb loneliness.
In such circumstances, we invite students, teachers, readers from around the world as well as the book industry and library services to testify and express their love for reading. We encourage you to share this positive message with others through #StayAtHome(link is external) and #WorldBookDay(link is external).
There are also materials for you to use to help engage all communities of readers, individuals and institutions. Whether you want to print and stick them on walls, share them on social media or publish on your website, it helps a lot! Download our communication toolkit here(link is external). The more people we can reach, the more people may be helped.
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