World Book Night is held in many places around the globe every year. It is observed on April 23 in the United States, the U.K., and Ireland. World Book Night is a day to celebrate books and encourage the habit of reading them. This day is run by The Reading Agency, which is a national charity formed to inspire people to become confident and enthusiastic readers. This day also motivates the non-reader to start reading. Nowadays many people have already lost the habit of reading for pleasure, so this event may help the book lovers to share their joy of reading with others. It is a day to celebrate the pure joy of reading.
“Let us read and let us dance-two amusements that will never do any harm to the world.” – Voltaire
History of World Book Night
Jamie Byng, MD of Canongate founded World Book Night. The idea was brought up during a discussion in a roundtable at the Book Industry Conference in May 2010. It was started with the intention to encourage more adults in society to read. World Book Night is believed to be inspired by World Book Day which helps children to learn, so world book night aims to promote reading in adults. The night was chosen because the night is considered to be the celebration time for adults. World Book Night was initially celebrated on March 5, 2011, in the UK and Ireland. In 2012, this day was dedicated on April 23 maybe because of the UNESCO International Day of the Book and for the birth and death date of William Shakespeare. In 2012 and 2013, this day was celebrated in the USA, UK, and Ireland by giving away millions of books. The giveaways usually take place in public places in the country.
Other Celebrations on April 23
April 23 is also celebrated as
- National Talk Like Shakespeare Day
- German Beer Day
- English Language Day
- National Lost Dog Awareness Day
How to celebrate the day
The day is celebrated with the promotion of reading and literacy by giving away books. You can spend some time reading to people or organizations and donating books to libraries and charities. Take some time to give away books apt for adults and young adults. You can also gift a book to a friend, family member, loved one, or a colleague who doesn’t have the habit of reading. Various organizations gift books to people who can’t have easy access to them. One can also offer their books to their public community. This day also organizes programs to encourage people to share their reading and the differences the reading had made in their life. Share your thoughts on social media about it by using the hashtag #WorldBookNight.
Thank you for reading the post. You can celebrate every day with Happydays365.org and Happy World Book Night 2022.