World Book Day, known officially as World Book and Copyright Day, is celebrated by UNESCO every April 23. The next one is on Friday, April 23, 2027. It promotes reading, publishing and the protection of authors’ rights, and it is marked in libraries, schools and bookstores across dozens of countries.
Which World Book Day are you looking for?
There are two well-known dates, and it is easy to mix them up:
- April 23: the global UNESCO day, tracked by this countdown.
- The first Thursday in March: World Book Day in the UK and Ireland, a separate charity-run event for children that began in 1998. Organizers chose March to avoid the Easter school holidays and St George’s Day, which also falls on April 23 in England.
In the UK and Ireland, children typically receive a book token and many schools hold costume days where students dress up as favorite characters. If you are in the US or most other countries, April 23 is the date to watch.
Why April 23?
UNESCO’s General Conference, meeting in Paris in 1995, chose April 23 because it is linked to the deaths in 1616 of three major writers: Miguel de Cervantes, William Shakespeare and the Peruvian chronicler Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. (Strictly speaking the dates do not line up perfectly, since Spain and England used different calendars at the time, but the symbolism stuck.) April 23 is also the birth or death date of several other authors.
The idea also draws on a Catalan tradition. On Sant Jordi (St George’s Day) in Barcelona and across Catalonia, people exchange roses and books, and streets fill with book stalls. It remains one of the most charming ways the day is celebrated anywhere.
World Book Capital
Each year UNESCO names a World Book Capital, a city that runs a year-long program of reading events starting on April 23. The title rotates between cities on different continents.
Ideas for readers of all ages
For individuals
- Give someone a book with a handwritten note about why you chose it, in the spirit of Sant Jordi.
- Visit an independent bookstore or sign up for a library card.
- Pick a classic you have always meant to read, or a book translated from another language.
For schools and libraries
- Run a book swap where every student brings one book and leaves with another.
- Hold a reading marathon with short slots for students, teachers and parents.
- Teach a short lesson on copyright: who owns a story, and why authors get paid.
For workplaces
Start a lunchtime book club, set up a shelf where colleagues can lend and borrow, or ask team members to recommend one book that shaped their career.
Counting down
There are 177 days to go. Share this countdown with your book club or class, or add April 23 to your calendar so you have time to choose the perfect book to give.