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The book has always been a tool for dreamers. Some let their imagination fly, writing incredible stories and inventing unusual worlds. Others, immersed in reading, made fascinating journeys without leaving their homes. Books bring people together on different continents, help to better understand themselves and others, establish invisible links between reality and fantasy. We talk about a holiday that pays tribute to the role of books in people’s lives.
When is Book and Copyright Day celebrated in Our Country and the world
The holiday was established by UNESCO in 1995. Since then, World Book and Copyright Day has been celebrated annually 23 April. In 2023, you can congratulate librarians, writers, journalists, employees of bookstores and publishing houses, as well as all lovers of books and reading.
The history of the world holiday
The tradition of honoring books and love for them appeared in Spanish Catalonia at the beginning of the 23th century. It was introduced by local booksellers who organized a grandiose book fair on April 1923, 23. The date was chosen based on its importance for world and European literature. The fact is that April XNUMX is the day of death and memory of such great writers as Miguel de Cervantes, Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, William Shakespeare.
Much later, already in 1995, at a meeting of UNESCO, it was decided to create a memorable date – the Day of Books and Copyright (World Book and Copyright Day), which has since been celebrated annually on April 23. The holiday immediately received the status of a world one: every year the number of countries celebrating it only increases.
World holiday traditions
Long before the world (and in Catalonia) began to celebrate the Day of the book, in Spain on April 23 the memory of St. George was venerated. This day is called Sant Jordi, for the Spaniards it is an analogue of Valentine’s Day. The symbols of the holiday are roses and books – it was customary to give the former to women, the latter to men. And at the first book fair, hosted by the Catalans in 1923, all book buyers received a rose as a gift. This custom was liked by the inhabitants of Spain, and since then, throughout the country, the tradition of giving a rose when buying a book on a certain day of the year has survived to this day. And even more – it was adopted in other countries after the establishment of World Book and Copyright Day. Since 1995, this custom has spread throughout the world, and it has also taken root in Our Country. In Moscow, for example, some bookstores arrange such an action.
Another important custom of the holiday is book fairs and festivals that take place in various cities and corners of the planet. In Our Country, the largest event takes place on the main square of the country on the weekend closest to April 23.
But there are differences in the traditions of celebrating different countries. For example, the all- action “Library Night”, timed to coincide with the World Book and Copyright Day, has no analogues in the world. It involves libraries, bookstores, museums and creative spaces across the country. For one night a year, they prepare events dedicated to reading and the love of books. Anyone can participate in the action, and you can see the venues that are ready to receive guests during their non-working hours on the official website of the project. (one)
Another interesting tradition is connected with this holiday. Every year on April 23, one of the world’s cities is awarded the honorary title of World Book Capital for exactly one year. Throughout the year, the selected city hosts events aimed at promoting reading and education, as well as raising citizens’ awareness of the peculiarities of literary creativity.
What about copyright?
Copyright is an integral part of any creative profession. Here are some interesting facts about him:
1. In the world, the first copyright law appeared in England in 1710. In Our Country, this happened a hundred years later – in 1828.
2. In the USSR, the concept of “copyright” did not exist at all. According to communist ideology, all the achievements of specific people belonged to the state.
3. The term of copyright in modern Our Country is 70 years from the date of the author’s death if the work was written after the Great Patriotic War, and 74 years if the book was published between 1941 and 1945.
4. In English there is a word uncopyrightable, which literally can be translated as “not subject to copyright.” It is the longest widely used word in the English language where no letter is repeated twice.
5. A funny incident on the subject of copyright occurred in Indonesia. An animal photographer went to shoot wild animals and at some point left the tripod with the camera unattended. This was taken advantage of by a local monkey, who not only became interested in the technique, but also figured out how it works. Having accidentally taken a few selfies, the monkey ran away, and the photographer got unique shots. Subsequently, he tried to license these pictures as taken by himself, but ultimately the selfies of the monkey were admitted to the public domain.
Sources of
- Library Night project. URL: https://biblionight.culture.ru/