Books are a uniquely portable magic
Books are our best friends who supports us in any situation. They are as a lighthouse which lightens our steps. Especially, for teenager who is choosing his future profession. So it is essential to pay tribute for reading, especially when the social media plays a great role in our life. Also most of us leaning to read e-books than printed one.
And when we are acutely aware of such problems it is vitally important having a special day on world calendar. April 23 was proclaimed World Book and Copyright Day at the 28th session of UNESCO on November 15, 1995. This date wasn’t chosen casually. This is symbolic date for all world literature. The date is the anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes, Joseph Pla, Pamela Lyndon Travers, Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, as well as the birth of several other prominent authors as Manuel Vallejo, Vladimir Nabokov, Maurice Druon, Halldor Laxness.
UNESCO's designation of April 23 as World Book and Copyright Day aims to draw attention to reading, publishing and the protection of intellectual property under copyright to pay tribute to books and their authors and to explain to everyone, the role of reading and the need to respect the invaluable contribution of writers to social and cultural progress.
After that day World Book Day became an annual event organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The first World Book Day was celebrated on 23 April in 1995, and continues to be recognized on that day. On the occasion of World Book and Copyright Day, UNESCO along with the advisory committee from the major sectors of the book industry, select the World Book Capital for one year. Each designated World Book Capital City carries out a program of activities to celebrate and promote books and reading.
The root of celebrating goes back when it was conceived in 1922 by Vicente Clavel, director of Cervantes publishing house in Barcelona, as a way to honour the author Miguel de Cervantes. It was first celebrated on 7 October 1926, Cervantes' birthday, before being moved to his death date, 23 April, in 1930. The celebration continues with great popularity in Catalonia, where it is referred to as Sant Jordi's Day or The Day of Books and Roses because it became a tradition to give a rose for the purchase of a book.
In our country, it became a tradition to organize continually dates with experienced and young authors who shares their lifelong practice, also with the family members of ones who passed away, to tell interesting facts about them.
Ajayip NOBATOVA,
2nd year student of the faculty of International Journalism
of the institute of International Relations
of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan.