Every year on April 23, celebrations take place in countries around the world to recognise the scope of books and respect their role as a bridge between generations and across cultures. Although the day passes quietly without much pomp and fanfare, the World Book Day is observed in order to promote reading, publishing and copyright.
April 23 was a natural choice for Unesco's General Conference held in Paris in 1995 to pay a worldwide tribute to books and authors on this date, encouraging everyone to access books.
A symbol in world literature, the day holds a special significance as it marks the death anniversaries of two of the world's greatest and prominent writers – William Shakespeare and Spanish chronicler Inca Garcilaso de la Vega.
Shakespeare created a new epoch in world literature. Known for his beautiful language, he had a great influence on English literature. A great writer, his language was understood even by the common people of those times. Shakespeare’s plays do not grow old with time. His plays are regularly performed in the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.
Inca Garcilaso de la Vega and his iconic works stand out for being the “first biological and spiritual mestizo in America”. His stories have left their mark, and perhaps the best known is the so-called 'Real Commentaries of the Incas', a literary historical book that had its first publication in 1609, in Lisbon, Portugal.
The World Book Day is also a platform for developing a life-long habit of reading for pleasure, benefiting from the improved life chances the event brings them. The day is celebrated as an occasion for more children, from all backgrounds, developing a life-long habit of reading for pleasure, benefiting from the improved life chances the event brings them.
Unfortunately, children today read less frequently than any previous generation and enjoy reading less than young people did in the past.
Use of too much technology is making the human mind lazier each day. Electronic gadgets are considered a way of life! Buying and storing books is looked upon as a waste of precious space at home and it may even be considered as old fashioned!
There is no denying the continued growth of the digital media, but at the same time there is no reason why the good old habit of reading books should disappear. Research has proved that reading helps improve inter-personal communication skills, development of vocabulary and self-confidence.
Reading has the ability to transport us to incredible places, unearth and explore new cultures, languages and experiences that can shape the way we look at the world.
From my own experience as a father, I have noticed that the more my children could read, the better they were able to write, the better their diction and understanding. However, in today’s tech-driven world, it is more important than ever to inculcate in children the value of reading books.
As Unesco’s message on the occasion said, "Books have long embodied the human capacity to conjure up worlds, both real and imagined, giving voice to the diversity of human experience. They help us share ideas, obtain information and inspire admiration for different cultures, enabling far-reaching forms of dialogue between people across space and time."
Whether virtual or physical, reading helps them a lot in their path to become change-makers and trendsetters. As American writer Mason Cooley who is known for his witty aphorisms, said, “Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are”!
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