The future visions of books is the theme for this year’s National Book and Copyright Day, on 23 April, part of a series of events dedicated over the course of the week beginning on that day all dedicated to a discovery, or rediscovery, of the pleasures of reading.
A worldwide event aimed at emphasising the importance of books as the oldest means of communication and their essential role in the era of electronic media, the idea behind the celebration dates back to a regional tradition in Catalonia, where the Rose and Book Festival has been celebrated for more than 70 years. There, on the anniversary of the deaths of William Shakespear and Miguel de Cervantes each year, a rose is offered for the purchase of 'a book.
In 2007, the Luxembourg Federation of Booksellers, the Ministry of National Education, the Ministry of Culture, the National Library of Luxembourg, the National Archives of Luxembourg and the National Center for Literature united for the first time to coordinate events around World Book Day.
Details and updates of the programme of more than 50 events, including creative writing workshops, book presentations, play reading, children’s games, Kamishibai theatre for kids, guided tours and pedagogical workshops, and other events as well as the names of the organisers can be found on the website: www.liesen.lu
This year’s theme looks at questions around books and the future: how do we perceive the future? How is treated in writing? Will it be the political utopia envisaged by Thomas More or the threatening dystopia described by George Orwell. The future and innovation have always been topics of reflection in literary creation as well as in the arts and sciences. The theme of copyright, inherent in any process of creation and dissemination, will, as every year, be highlighted.
