World Book Day or World Book and Copyright Day is celebrated on the 23rd of April each year. This event was organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), to promote reading, publishing and copyright. The World Book Day was celebrated for the first time on April 23, 1995.
In 1995, UNESCO decided that the World Book and Copyright Day would be celebrated on 23 April, as the date is also the anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, as well as the birth or death of several other prominent authors. It is also the date of birth or death of other prominent authors, such as Maurice Druon, Haldor K.Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and Manuel Mejía Vallejo. Hence, the date has been decided by the UNESCO to pull worldwide attention to pay tribute to the books and their authors. It encourages people specially youngsters to read books, discover real pleasure and knowledge among books as well as creating new ideas for their extraordinary contributions towards the social and cultural development of the country or people.
This worldwide celebration of World Books and Copyrights Day represents a valuable opportunity to promote together books, literacy programmes and cultural events as essential drivers for a better future. On this date, UNESCO wants to pay a tribute to publishers and authors encouraging all individuals, in particular young people, to read and write, develop self-esteem, critical and creative thinking, embracing the intercultural dialogue and spreading knowledge around the world.
Each year, UNESCO and other international organizations, select the World Book Capital for a one-year period, effective April 23 each year. The city of Wroclaw was chosen in the year 2016 for its commitment to spreading the message of the power of books to nurture creativity and advance dialogue between women and men of all cultures.