Reading culture and world book day April 23

(Baonghean.vn) - April 23 is considered the symbolic day of world literature. Appreciating the importance of reading culture, the United Nations has chosen April 23 to celebrate World Book and Copyright Day to honor the values ​​of books and the contributions of authors in creating many valuable works.

In the spiritual life of each of us, books play a very important role: they are the universal key to open the castle of wisdom and the human soul; they are the transcendent teacher who lights up within us the boundless source of knowledge, teaches us how to live and how to sacrifice. It can be said that books are the soul mate who shares all the joys and sorrows of each person, and reading has long become a necessary need of human society in the world.

April 23 every year is considered the symbolic day of world literature.

Appreciating the importance of reading culture, during the 28th session of the United Nations General Assembly in Paris (October 25 - November 16, 1995), UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) decided to choose April 23 every year as "World Book and Copyright Day", which clearly stated the goals and participants of the day to honor the values ​​of books and the contributions of authors to the creation of immortal works.

This day is celebrated annually in each country to ensure that people discover and satisfy their reading interests, and is an occasion to honor authors who have contributed to the cultural and social progress of humanity. This is also an occasion to demonstrate cooperation and synergy between authors, publishers, schools, libraries, state agencies, private companies, non-governmental organizations and mass media agencies in organizing celebrations of books and authors.

Books allow readers to become whoever they want to be as we can know the innermost thoughts of the characters. From there, readers also have a better understanding of human psychology.

The idea of ​​World Book and Copyright Day originated from a beautiful tradition in Catalonia (Spain): Every year on April 23 (the feast day of Saint George), many book fairs and street festivals are held, and each customer will be given a rose when buying a book that day.

April 23 is also the day that the three great writers of the world Cervantes, Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all passed away after leaving behind masterpieces of all time. This day is also the birth or death anniversary of other famous authors Maurice Druon, K. Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and Manuel Mejía Vallejo.

Therefore, UNESCO hopes that World Book and Copyright Day will be an occasion for the whole world to honor books and their creators - those who have made irreplaceable contributions to the development of human culture; an occasion to encourage everyone, especially young people, to discover the love of reading, and to honor reading culture.

"5-minute reading" campaign (actually, the 5-minute reading content only fits on one sheet of paper) in Łódź, Poland in 2013

Responding to UNESCO's policy, and at the same time to affirm the great values ​​of books and newspapers, over the past 10 years, over 150 countries in the world have organized the celebration of "World Book and Copyright Day" with many practical activities in many different forms and themes, attracting many participants, especially building close relationships between libraries - publishers - distribution agencies - and readers.

Organized by publishers and libraries, the “Street Books” celebration offers book enthusiasts the opportunity to buy books at low prices with the author’s signature; is an opportunity to distribute products promoting World Book Day designed by UNESCO (posters, flags, markers, T-shirts, postcards, etc.), or to donate books in stock to poor residential areas, financially constrained libraries: hospitals, prisons, refugee camps, social houses, etc.

Tunisian students perform street reading on World Book Day 2012

In Africa, many young people participate in volunteer book festivals to bring books to sick people, the elderly, the blind and even illiterate people, reading aloud to them.

For over 10 years, the above mentioned beneficial activities have been held regularly in European, North American and African countries. In China, a program to promote reading culture has been decided, in which the typical activity is “Reading with Children Day” for parents across the country on April 23 every year.

In Vietnam, recognizing the importance of reading culture, on February 24, 2014, the Prime Minister signed Decision No. 284/QD-TTg to designate April 21 every year as Vietnam Book Day to encourage and develop the reading movement in the community, raise people's awareness of the great significance and importance of reading for the development of knowledge, skills and thinking, education and training of human personality. This is truly a great joy for book lovers.

Readers choose books at Vietnam Book Day.

With the spirit of promoting the importance of books and knowledge in life, the World Book Day event in Vietnam is becoming a cultural and civilized activity of book lovers that needs to be maintained and promoted more widely in society and needs more support and attention from authorities so that reading culture is always an indispensable need of civilized citizens in today's era./.

Kim Ngoc

(Synthetic)