Friday 23 April 2010

WORLD BOOK DAY



Today, April 23rd, is WORLD BOOK DAY: a symbolic date for world literature. On this date and in the same year of 1616, Cervantes, Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died. It is also the date of birth or death of other prominent authors such as Maurice Druon, K.Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and Manuel Mejía Vallejo. So the UNESCO wanted to pay a tribute to books and authors on this date, encouraging everyone, and in particular young people, to discover the pleasure of reading.
The idea for this celebration originated in Catalonia where on 23 April, Saint George's Day, a rose is traditionally given as a gift for each book sold. St. George is the patron saint of England. There is also a very beautiful legend about this character. Do you know it? Look and listen...