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April 23 -World Book and Copyright Day
April 23 is a very eventful day in the history of world literature which is also a reason for celebrating this day as World Book and Copyright Day. World renowned writers and author including Vladimir Nabokov, William Shakespeare, Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra, Josep Pla, Manuel Mejja Vallejo, Maurice Druon. Haldor Kiljan Laxness and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega etc were either born or died on April 23. And this is precisely the reason, why UNESCO's General Conference finalized this date to pay tribute to books and their respective authors. The day is also marked as Copyright Day. The day aims to increase the habit of reading among the world population. The aim of World Book Day is to promote reading, publishing and the protection of intellectual property by the means of copyright.
The World Book Day is held annually since 1995. 23 April is also the Saint George’s Day in Catalonia region of Spain. Actually, the year 1995 was named the United Nations Year for Tolerance and the delegates decided to establish an annual occasion to carry the message of tolerance into the future, in the form of a day to celebrate books, authors and the laws that protect them. The chosen date coincided with the anniversary of the birth or death of a range of internationally renowned writers and also the Saint George’s day. Since then, world has always celebrated World Book and Copyright Day on 23rd April.
World Book Day persuades people to find out the enjoyment of reading. The day also aims to encourage people to respect copyright rules to defend intellectual copyright. Several events and social functions are organized on this day. Attended by renowned authors, publishers, teachers, librarians, public and private institutions, humanitarian NGOs and the mass media, the day mark the celebration of book reading. Numerous book reading sessions are conducted all over the globe. Literary contests are held in many parts of the world.
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