World Book and Copyright Day is celebrated worldwide on April the 23rd, and Granada does not miss the opportunity to dress up in culture once again, by proposing a program that revolves around the means of communication par excellence.
How was Book and Copyright Day born?
The origins of the World Book Day date back to February the 6th, 1926, when King Alfonso XIII of Spain signed the Royal Decree of the Day of the Book, written in Catalonia by the Valencian writer Vicente Clavel Andrés.
Although that year, and the following ones, this cultural event was celebrated on October the 7th, from 1930 the date of April the 23rd was definitively chosen as the Day of the Book, due to the fact that it is Sant Jordi’s Day (patron of Catalonia and many others countries, such as England and Portugal), and the day in which, in 1616, the writers Miguel de Cervantes, William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega died.
For this reason, in 1995, under the proposal presented by the UTE and the Spanish government, UNESCO established this symbolic date for literature as an official date to celebrate the World Book and Copyright Day, in order to render a tribute to books and their authors worldwide, in addition to highlighting the importance of reading, especially for young people.
According to tradition, especially in the Catalan cities, such as Barcelona, on this special day lovers and loved ones exchange books and red roses. This is the reason why this day is also known as the Day of the Book and the Rose.
The 37th Granada Book Fair
Starting on April the 20th, the 37th Granada Book Fair will take place until the day 29th, with exhibitions, activities and more than 250 acts on the theme “fictional characters”, the protagonists of this year’s edition, which features about 150 authors involved in presentations, talks and public readings.
Walking down the Carrera de la Virgen, from the Fuente de las Batallas to the Fuente de las Granadas, you can find exhibitors that will remain open from Monday to Thursday, from 11am to 2:30pm and from 5:30pm to 9:30pm; on Fridays, from 11am to 2:30pm and from 5:30pm to 10pm; and on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 3pm and from 5:30pm to 10pm.
On the other hand, by consulting the official website of the Fair, you can learn all the useful information about the specific programming of the organized cycles, such as Lorca, Death of a Poet, Granada Inspira, the exhibition Asterix & Obelix, Literary Walks, and a children’s program.
In addition, as for the Culture for Books cycle, for the purchase of a book (worth more than € 12) at any stand of the # FLG2018, the buyer can get tickets for shows and tourist places. To learn more about this cycle, click here.
Last but not least, participate in the fiction selfie contest to win a batch of books!
If you are studying in Granada these days, or if you are a lover of books and literature, do not miss this event and enjoy one of the most important Granada’s cultural weeks of the year!
