This is
how the World Book Night official website describes this magical evening of
sharing the love for all things written:
World Book Night is a
celebration of reading and books which sees tens of thousands of passionate
volunteers gift books in their communities to share their love of reading.
In 2012 World Book Night will be
celebrated in the UK, Ireland, Germany and USA on April 23.
In the UK, 20,000 passionate readers
will gift 24 copies of one of their favourite books to encourage those who
don't regularly read to fall in love with reading. In addition World Book Night
will be giving a further 620,000 books over the course of the year directly to
the hardest to reach readers through prisons, care homes, hospitals, sheltered
housing, homeless shelters, libraries and through other partner charities.
However, having grown up being told that “you don’t get anything for
nothing”, I confess that when I heard about this last year I was unpleasantly
confused and a little bit scared… did this mean altruistic aliens had landed,
hadn’t made the headlines and everyone but me had lost their brains and bodies
to little green men without my knowledge? (My answer to anything worrying -
never the butler, always the alien.)
And although I understood it a little bit more after last year’s event, it wasn’t until this morning that I fully
appreciated what a truly tremendous exercise this giving and passing around of
words actually IS.
One of the teachers at work had subscribed to this year’s venture and
the expression of bewilderment and joy on my colleague’s face when she was
handed Meg Rosoff’s ‘How I Live Now’ will remain with me for a while. It just
goes to show how much we doubt anything handed to us in gift. She held it, turned it over, queried the
giver and almost handed it back until I confirmed that yes, this is what
happens on World Book Night.
This is
how it works:
25 titles are specially chosen and printed
in World Book Night editions. Givers apply for a particular book (they get a
first, second and third choice) which they must commit to gift to those who
don't regularly read, to share and spread their love of reading. Givers collect
their books from their local bookshops and libraries, putting the very heart of
our reading communities at the very heart of World Book Night.
It is difficult to quantify the value
of reading on people’s lives, especially given the shocking statistics in the
UK that outlines that one person in six struggles to read and write. Poor
skills compromise health and well-being, confidence and employability. World
Book Night’s charitable mission is to advance the education of the public by
assisting in the promotion of literacy and the celebration of books and reading
by creating unique moments which focus attention on adult literacy. By focusing
on the enjoyment and engagement of reading we aim to reach and inspire those
who have never discovered the value or pleasure of reading.
Thanks to my colleague telling me she’d applied to take part, I knew that my
daughter had read this particular Meg Rosoff book and so unearthed it and spent
a lovely few nights curled up with it like a new best friend. It was an utter joy and a book I could
re-read over and over. I couldn’t recommend it highly enough.
These are the books on the 2012 list:
Pride
and Prejudice by
Jane Austen
The
Player of Games
by Iain M Banks
Sleepyhead
by
Mark Billingham
Notes
from a Small Island by Bill Bryson
The
Alchemist
by Paulo Coelho
The
Take
by Martina Cole
Harlequin
by
Bernard Cornwell
Someone
Like You
by Roald Dahl
A
Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Room by Emma Donoghue
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
The
Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
Misery by Stephen King
The
Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
Small
Island
by Andrea Levy
Let
the Right One In
by John Ajvide Lindqvist
The
Road
by Cormac McCarthy
The
Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The
Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O’Farrell
The
Damned Utd
by David Peace
Good
Omens
by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman
How
I Live Now
by Meg Rosoff
Touching
the Void
by Joe Simpson
I
Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
The
Book Thief
by Markus Zusak
And I LOVE the reason that World Book Day happens on 23rd April:
April 23 is a symbolic date for world
literature. It is both the birth and death day of Shakespeare, as well as the
death day of Cervantes, the great Spanish novelist. It is in their honour that
UNESCO appointed it the international day of the book and that we choose it to
celebrate World Book Night. April 23rd also marks the city of Barcelona's
celebration of St George's Day. St George is the patron saint of Catalonia as
well as England and traditionally, to celebrate this day, Spanish gentlemen
gave their ladies roses and the ladies returned the favour with a book.
Considering the rich literary history of this day, it seemed more than fitting
that April 23rd should be chosen as the day of celebrating reading and the
giving of books!
Did YOU get involved this year? Which book did you give away, or which
book WILL YOU be giving away next year?
Ahhh…. books (you wouldn’t get this with those Kindle thingies).
6 comments:
I've only just come back from afar, so knew I couldn't get organised to join in this year. But have cheered on all those who did - it's a wonderful idea, and hope I'll be around for the fun next year.
I wasn't involved, but I applaud some of the book choices on the list - a good mix of the stalwart and the contemporary!
I didn't do it this year but will next year and the book? Definitely The Book Thief, one of my favourite reads ever.
I was lucky enough to be a giver last year and again this year, and to be able to go to the main events in London. Last year in Trafalagr Square the buzz from the thousands of givers and the authors and actors reading, was amazing. This year's event was a little more sedate (and warmer)but the message about spreading reading to those who don't read was well conveyed. I'm giving The Book Thief this year. Last year it was A Fine Balance. I really hope this event gets books to places where books are in short supply.
Hear hear Lindsay, I think this is SUCH an amazing thing to have happen once a year and I can't wait to get involved next year. The Book Thief, THAT's the one I keep trying to remember everyone saying they've read and loved... *scoots over to Amazon*
Debs, thanks so much for this - to my shame, I didn't know that this is what happens on WBN! What a fabulous idea, and I love the list of books - something for every taste. I would choose Paulo Coehlo's The Alchemist.
Susiex
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