International Book and Copyright Day
April 23, 2012 – International Book and Copyright Day, which has been chosen to be April 23, is a date with symbolic meaning for world literature. This date of 1616 is associated with the death of two giants of world literature: Shakespeare in England and Miguel de Cervantes in Spain. The first is considered the greatest writer of all times and places, while the second is the author of the most translated work in the world. This date also connects other authors on the day of their birth or death: Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Maurice Druon, Halldór Kiljan Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and Manuel Mejia Vallejo.
This date has been celebrated worldwide since 2003, while it was chosen in 1995 by the UNESCO General Assembly in order to contribute worldwide to copyright by encouraging everyone, especially young people, to discover the joy of reading . This date is also a call to increase respect for the irreplaceable contributions of authors and books to the social and cultural progress of humanity.
The success of the book and the copyright depends mainly on the support that must be received from all the interested parties that include the book authors, publishers, teachers, librarians, public and private institutions, NGOs and the media, which are mobilized in every country. .
Being one of the oldest means of communication and distribution, not only does the book have a spiritual, educational and cultural impact, but it also includes the legal and economic aspects of the publishing trade.
World Book and Copyright Day this year is also celebrated in Kosovo in cooperation with civil society organizations that support culture. This day is an opportunity to launch a broad and sustainable campaign to raise awareness, aiming to support the action of local actors and institutions in favor of books and reading. It is based on a participatory approach and in partnership with professionals, political actors and beneficiaries that is implied at the national and regional level.
The non-governmental organization “Syri i Vizioni” has been part of promotional activities in cooperation with partner organizations within the “Culture for all” program, to mark in the media this important date for the book and copyright and to draw attention to the importance of this date.
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