World Book and Copyright Day 2017 observed

23 April: World Book and Copyright Day

The World Book and Copyright Day was celebrated on 23 April 2017 across the globe. To mark the occasion, special events were organised to promote reading, publishing and copyright across the world including India.

The World Book and Copyright Day is an opportunity to highlight the power of books to promote UNESCO’s vision of knowledge societies that are inclusive, pluralistic, equitable, open and participatory for all citizens.

To mark the World Book and Copyright Day 2017, the UNESCO released three books – Reshaping Cultural Policies, Rethinking Education in a Changing World and Reading in a Mobile Era.

Background

•    23 April is considered as a symbolic date for world literature.

•    In 1616, on this date, Cervantes, William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega died.

•    It is also the date of birth or death of other prominent authors such as Maurice Druon, Haldor K Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov and Manuel Mejia Vallejo.

•    Against this backdrop, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Ogranisation (UNESCO) created the day in 1995 at its Geneal Conferece, which was attended by India.

•    The World Book and Copyright Day pays tribute to books and authors by encouraging everyone to discover the pleasure of reading.