On 23 April, World Book Day is celebrated all over the world. In Spain this is a day to encourage reading and the enjoyment of literature in a different way. It is also a day on which the great universal writer Miguel de Cervantes is particularly remembered with the presentation of the prize which bears his name, the most important distinction in Spanish letters.
For writers, publishers and the reading public,23 April is a red-letter day on the calendar. The celebration of World Book Day is the perfect opportunity to meet your favourite author, give the gift of literature or buy that novel that you've always wanted at an attractive discount. What's more, librarians, museums, and other cultural institutions usually organise special activities to mark the occasion (round tables, book signings, lectures, guided visits, children's workshops, storytellers, concerts, public readings, etc…). An invitation to experience the world of letters in a different way.
The festivity of Sant Jordi
In Catalonia the day coincides with the popular festivity of Sant Jordi. According to tradition, on this day it is customary to give the gift of a book to men and a rose to women. Thus cities like Barcelona become transformed into an enormous open-air bookshop-florist's, full of stalls with authors signing copies of their work.
Cervantes and 'Don Quixote'
On 23 April, the birthplace of the writer Miguel de Cervantes, Alcalá de Henares, puts on all its finery: in the auditorium of the University, the King and Queen of Spain present the Cervantes Prize, the most important literary distinction which is awarded in the world of the Spanish language.
Cervantes' masterpiece, 'Don Quixote of La Mancha', is also a protagonist of World Book Day. Every year, in the Column Room at the Círculo de Bellas Artes academy in Madrid, there is a non-stop reading of the novel: this involves 48 hours of uninterrupted reading by figures from the world of culture and politics, as well as an anonymous citizens. The tale of Don Quixote is also read in numerous centres of the Cervantes Institute located abroad, in order to mark this date.
Book Night
Book Night is held in Madrid. Over 100 bookshops stay open until midnight with a special cultural programme which includes everything from live music and encounters with writers through to activities for the children. What's more, anyone who buys a book on that day will be given a 10% discount off the price.
Book Day is a fantastic way for book lovers to whet their appetite for the numerous book fairs which take place all over Spain a little later in the year.
Unfortunately, this year everything is different. But we can always celebrate it at home.
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