World Book Day 23rd April 2012?

**Eric** · 23-Apr-2012, 07:06

I'm not absolutely sure what it signifies, or how widely it is celebrated, but according to UNESCO at least it is World Book Day today, 23rd April 2012. Evidently, the focus this year is translation. Confusingly, the UK and Ireland have already celebrated World Book Day on 1st March. So how many worlds are there?

**pesahson** · 23-Apr-2012, 07:58

I only look forward to it because it means discounts at bookstores. One chain of bookstores in PL offered the third book for free, which was a great deal. Unfortunately, they're not doing it this year.

**Eric** · 23-Apr-2012, 13:15

So what is this day really for? Is it the feelgood factor, with some bureaucrat at UNESCO inventing a worthy day that no one celebrates? I wonder whether most readers and people interested in books worldwide even know about this day.

**pesahson** · 23-Apr-2012, 14:00

What do you mean by celebrating? From what I noticed in Kraków, bookstores and libraries organised some events (like sales or collecting books for schools and such). What else would you expect?

**Stewart** · 23-Apr-2012, 15:40

To give it it's full title, World Book and Copyright Day it "seeks to promote reading, publishing and the protection of intellectual property through copyright." The cynical may wonder why have a day for it; why not every day? But, it's in its infancy and for some things to take hold they need time and sometimes lots of it. Maybe in a hundred years it will have matured and be something more worthwhile. There was once a time where half the world wasn't convinced, one day a year, they were Irish. Nor did anyone Talk Like A Pirate until recent years.

**Eric** · 24-Apr-2012, 11:52

Don't worry, Stewart, you are quite at liberty to count me as one of the cynical. The Brits and Irish have a World Book Day on 1st of March, the rest do it on 23rd April, and throw in copyright for good measure. But has either event made its mark upon the consciousness of the world at large? Or is this just another excuse for words of sycophantic mutual praise in smallish circles, and a jolly good piss-up for those invited to the handful of UNESCO parties?