Book Day: When and why is the 23rd of April celebrated?

The month of April brings with it various events, including special days that are cause for celebration, such as Earth Day and Book Day. For those who love literature, it is a special day whose origin has a mystery that goes hand in hand with coincidence.

WORLD BOOK DAY

This day was created under the following purposes given by UNESCO and are to promote reading, the publishing industry and the protection of intellectual property. To be clearer, part of this day not only seeks to encourage reading, but also seeks to promote and learn about intellectual property rights for the author of his own literary work.

Although International Book Day is celebrated on April 23, it is necessary to know what its origins are.

ORÍGENES

On the UNESCO website we can see that the first movements for world literature were in 1988, where the institution gave a celebration concerning reading and books.

From the following year, the recognition of this day was given on June 15 and was replicated and adopted by several countries. By 2010, approximately one hundred nations commemorated this day. It must be made clear that the date had some changes, due to the events that arose over the years.

On November 15, 1995, a tribute was paid to renowned writers, who have marked a milestone in literary history, this event took place in Paris, France. These were: Garcilaso de la Vega, Williams Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes, Vlamidir Nabkov, Manuel Mejías Vallejo, Josep Pla, among others. On that same date, the official day of the book was officially proclaimed by the General Conference of UNESCO and thanks to the support of the International Union of Publishers.

WHY WAS APRIL 23 CHOSEN?

April 23 is a symbolic date of universal literature, as it coincides with the disappearance of three great writers, William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. The latter is of Peruvian origin.

It should be made clear that Inca Garcilaso de la Vega died on April 23, as did Shakespeare (under the Julian calendar); however, Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra died on the 22nd of the same month, but his burial took place the next day, that is, on the 23rd.

WORLD BOOK CAPITALS

UNESCO created a tradition that occurs every year and that is to declare a city as the World Book Capital. This measure is taken in order to deepen reading throughout the population and making books accessible to all people residing in the city (and country) chosen.

The first World Book Capital was Madrid, located in Spain, and this occurred in 2001. Then, in 2002, it was Alexandria, located in Egypt. Among the South American countries that have already been selected, we have the following: Bogotá, Colombia in 2007 and Buenos Aires, Argentina in 2011. This 2022, Guadalajara, Mexico is the current World Book Capital.

CELEBRATION IN PERU

Each country has its own way of celebrating this day. Some organize festivals, concerts, talks and more.

In Peru, the celebration takes place for 15 days in more than 10 regions of the country. In the case of Lima, capital of the country, discussions, meetings, theater performances are held, among other activities within the National Library, the House of Literature, and other spaces.

The same thing is repeated in some Peruvian regions.

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