New Delhi: The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has marked 23 April as World Book and Copyright Day , also known as World Book Day.
The day is celebrated in over a hundred countries around the world. 23 April is also the day legendary writers- Inca Garcilaso de la Vega and William Shakespeare died. The UN agency’s decision also aims to honour these authors.
23 April or World Book Day aims to promote reading, writing novels and stories, translating , publishing and copyright.
The World Book Day was first observed by UNESCO on 23 April, 1995, as a worldwide celebration of books and reading and to encourage young people to discover the pleasure of reading.
The date holds a special significance as it marks the death anniversaries of two of the world’s greatest writers – William Shakespeare and prominent Spanish chronicler Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote the founding novel of Western Literature also died on 22 April.
Besides, it also celebrates the birth of authors like Maurice Druon, Halldor K. Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov and Manuel Mejía Vallejo and the death of Josep Pla.
