Every year, millions of people across the globe unite to celebrate World Book Day, a vibrant tribute to the power of stories, the joy of reading, and the importance of access to literature. This international event, marked by book fairs, author readings, and children donning costumes of their favorite literary characters, has become a cherished tradition. But the origins of World Book Day are as rich and layered as the books it celebrates, rooted in a blend of cultural heritage, literary reverence, and a vision for global literacy. The story begins in the cobblestone streets of Catalonia, Spain, and stretches to the halls of UNESCO, where a dream of fostering a love for books took flight.
The seed for World Book Day was planted in Catalonia, where April 23 has long been a day of cultural significance. Known as La Diada de Sant Jordi (St. George’s Day), this festive occasion blends romance, chivalry, and literature in a uniquely Catalan way. According to tradition, men gift women a rose, and women reciprocate with a book, symbolizing love and knowledge. The streets of Barcelona burst into a kaleidoscope of color, with bookstalls and flower stands lining the Ramblas, and the air filled with the scent of roses and freshly printed pages. This custom, which gained momentum in the 1920s, was partly inspired by the region’s literary heritage and a desire to honor books as treasures of human thought.
The choice of April 23 for this celebration was no coincidence. The date holds profound literary significance, marking the deaths of three titans of world literature in 1616: William Shakespeare, the English bard whose plays and sonnets reshaped storytelling; Miguel de Cervantes, the Spanish author of Don Quixote, often hailed as the first modern novel; and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, a Peruvian chronicler whose works bridged European and Indigenous cultures. Though the exact alignment of their deaths on this date involves some historical nuance (due to differences between the Julian and Gregorian calendars), the symbolic weight of April 23 as a day of literary reverence was undeniable. Catalonia’s book-giving tradition, tied to this date, became the spark for a broader vision.
In 1995, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) transformed this regional custom into a global celebration. At its General Conference in Paris, UNESCO proposed April 23 as World Book and Copyright Day, aiming to promote reading, publishing, and the protection of intellectual property through copyright. The initiative was inspired by a proposal from the Valencian writer Vicente Clavel Andrés, who had advocated for a day to honor books decades earlier. UNESCO’s vision was ambitious: to foster literacy, celebrate cultural diversity, and ensure that books remained accessible to all, regardless of borders or socioeconomic barriers. The first official World Book Day was celebrated on April 23, 1995, marking the beginning of a worldwide movement.
The choice of April 23 resonated deeply, not only for its literary associations but also for its universal appeal. UNESCO saw the date as a way to connect cultures through the shared language of storytelling. Beyond Shakespeare, Cervantes, and Garcilaso de la Vega, the day also coincides with the birth or death of other literary giants, such as the Russian poet Vladimir Nabokov and the French writer Maurice Druon, adding to its global significance. By anchoring World Book Day to this date, UNESCO created a platform to celebrate the diversity of human expression while encouraging nations to invest in education and literacy.
As World Book Day spread, it adapted to local contexts, reflecting the unique literary traditions of participating countries. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, for instance, the event is often observed on the first Thursday in March to avoid clashing with school holidays and the St. George’s Day festivities in England. This adaptation, launched in 1997, has become a cornerstone of the UK’s literary calendar, with schools distributing book tokens, children dressing as characters from beloved stories, and bookstores hosting events to ignite young imaginations. The UK’s focus on children reflects a broader goal of World Book Day: to instill a lifelong love of reading in the next generation.
Over the decades, World Book Day has grown into a global phenomenon, celebrated in over 100 countries with events ranging from library workshops in rural communities to massive book festivals in urban centers. UNESCO designates a World Book Capital each year, spotlighting cities like Madrid (2001), New Delhi (2003), and Tbilisi (2021) for their commitment to promoting literature. The day also emphasizes the importance of copyright, ensuring that authors and publishers are fairly compensated for their work, which sustains the ecosystem of storytelling.
The history of World Book Day is a testament to the enduring power of books to unite people across time and space. From a Catalan tradition of roses and books to a worldwide celebration of literacy, the journey of this day reflects humanity’s deep-seated belief in the transformative potential of literature. As we turn the pages of this ongoing story, World Book Day continues to inspire readers, writers, and dreamers, reminding us that within every book lies a world waiting to be explored.
