World Book and Copyright Day is celebrated worldwide on April 23 every year since 1995. It is a symbolic date for world literature as it marks the anniversary of the birth or death of a range of well-known writers like Cervantes, Shakespeare, Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Maurice Druon, Haldor K. Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and Manuel Mejía Vallejo. UNESCO’s General Conference in 1995 chose this date to pay tribute to books, authors, promote reading, publishing and protect intellectual property through copyright.
National Book Trust, India being the nodal agency of the Government of India is celebrating this occasion by organizing a wide range of activities like book festivals, seminars and other literary programmes across the country to promote books and habit of reading especially among the youth and children.
The programmes are being organized by NBT in Delhi, Gurgaon, Jahanabad (Bihar), Kapurthala (Punjab), Kolkata (West Bengal), Almora (Uttarakhand), Navsari (Gujarat), Mumbai and Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala).
The series of events that are being organized include:
• A Book Fair and National Seminar on Children’s Literature in collaboration with Lekhika Sangh at National Bal Bhawan, New Delhi from 20-23 April 2012
• A Book Exhibition and a 2-day Seminar on Augmenting Learning in the Learning Disabilities in collaboration with Consortium Octet, British Council and Delhi State Booksellers’ & Publishers’ Association at St. Xavier’s School, Raj Niwas Marg, New Delhi from 20-21 April 2012
• Gurgaon Book Festival in collaboration with Fortis Healthcare, Gurgaon at Fortis Healthcare Compound, Sector 44, Gurgaon from 20-23 April 2012
• Jahanabad Book Exhibition at Purana Indoor Stadium, Gandhi Maidan, Jahanabad from 23-25 April 2012
• A Literary Programme in collaboration with Srijana Kendra, Adabi Sham, and Literary Forum in Kapurthala on 23 April 2012
• Children’s Book Festival in collaboration with Kolkata Publishers’ & Booksellers’ Guild and The Future Foundation School in Kolkata from 23-28 April 2012
• A Book Release Function and Seminar on Varatman Sandharbh Mein Pustako Ki Prasangikta in collaboration with Kumaon University in Almora on 23 April 2012
• Book Release of Rabindranath Tagore: Philosophy of Education and Painting in collaboration with Sayaji Vaibhav Library in Navsari on 21 April 2012
• A Workshop on Copyright for Malayalam Publishers in collaboration with All Kerala Publishers’ & Booksellers’ Association in Thiruvananthapuram on 23 April 2012
• Book Discussion on What is Science and Exercising for Good Health in collaboration with Kitab Khana in Mumbai on 23 April 2012.
