World Book Night

World Book Night is coming up soon, on the 23rd April, and there are many ways you can get involved. Places all over the  UK are holding events to celebrate reading and books.

World Book Night celebrates reading and books, and sees tens of thousands of passionate volunteers gift specially chosen and printed WBN books in their communities to share their love of reading.

Each year, 20,000 volunteers are recruited to hand out 20 copies of their favourite book from the World Book Night list to members of their community who don’t regularly read. World Book Night aims to reach the millions of people in the UK who have not yet discovered the joys of reading, in the hope that they will fall in love with a book, and begin to embark on their reading journey.

In addition, World Book Night distributes half a million books directly to the hardest to reach potential readers in prisons, care homes, hospitals, sheltered, supported and social housing, the homeless and through partner charities working throughout the UK. It is about giving books and encouraging reading in those who don’t regularly do so.

Why April 23?: It is a symbolic date for the world of literature. It is both the birth and death day of Shakespeare, as well as the death day of Cervantes, the great Spanish novelist. It also marks the city of Barcelona’s celebration of St George’s Day. St George is the patron saint of Catalonia as well as England and traditionally, to celebrate this day, Spanish gentlemen gave their ladies roses and the ladies returned the favour with a book. Considering the literary history of this day, it seems fitting that April 23rd should be chosen as the day of celebrating the reading and giving of books!