Thursday 2 March 2017

World Book Day 2017 (Ireland and UK)

World Book Day 2017 logo
Today is World Book Day, or at least it is in some parts of the world – the Irish and UK parts of it to be precise! This year marks its 20th anniversary as an annual celebration.

Although UNESCO has designated 23 April as World Book and Copyright Day since 1995, Ireland and Great Britain celebrates it on a different day (2nd March), apparently. According to the organisers:
This date came about after serious thought and lengthy discussion to ensure that we were making the best decision for all participants and our supporters. We take into consideration religious holidays, school terms and potential conflict with other charitable activities.World Book Day official website
In any case, who needs an excuse for an celebration, especially when it is a celebration of something that excites the passions?
"The main aim of World Book Day in the UK and Ireland is to encourage children to explore the pleasures of books and reading by providing them with the opportunity to have a book of their own."
And if that were not enough, the event organisers tell us that
Thanks to the generosity of National Book Tokens Ltd, publishers and booksellers, we can send millions of book vouchers to children and young people (some 15 million, in fact: that’s one for nearly every child aged under eighteen in the country).
Of course, they don't specify which country but it sounds like a good initiative, in any case. In that spirit, we say, Happy World Book Day to book lovers and literary aficionados in Great Britain and Ireland - the rest of you will just have to wait until April!

For more information about activities and events planned around World Book Day, see the official website.

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