World Book Day 2022: History, Significance and all you need to know

World Book Day is an annual event organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. It is also known as World Book and Copyright Day or International Day of the Book. The event is observed in order to promote reading, publishing and copyright.

Every year, on April 23, celebrations take place all over the world to recognize the scope of books and their role as a bridge between generations and across cultures. UNESCO and the international organizations representing the three major sectors of 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 celebration.

April 23 is considered a symbolic date in world literature as it marks the death anniversary of prominent authors like William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. Thus, the UNESCO, at its 1995 General Conference hosted in Paris, chose to observe World Book and Copyright Day on this date, to pay a world-wide homage to books and authors.

On the occasion of World Book and Copyright Day 2022, Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO gave away a message which said, “Indeed, books are vital vehicles to access, transmit and promote education, science, culture and information worldwide.”