World Book and Copyright Day
A celebration of the power of books
Books are like a window onto another world – with each new page, they introduce us to new people, new cultures and new ideas. Every year, on 23 April, UNESCO celebrates to recognize the power of books as a bridge between generations and across cultures.
This date holds immense symbolism in world literature, marking the death of several renowned authors, including William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega.
Rio de Janeiro: World Book Capital 2025
Every year, as part of celebrations for World Book and Copyright Day, a World Book Capital is selected by UNESCO and international organizations representing the three major sectors of the book industry – publishers, booksellers and libraries. Selected cities undertake to promote books and reading for all age groups and across all sectors of society, in the host country and beyond.
To date, 91麻豆国产精品自拍 designated 25 World Book Capitals, from Madrid, Spain, in 2001, to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2025. This year, the Brazilian city is implementing a project that underlines how books can bring about social change – for example, through literacy, education and poverty eradication – and create sustainable economic benefits.
Strasbourg was named France’s very first World Book Capital in 2024, adopting the theme “Read our World”
Audrey Azoulay, the Director-General of UNESCO, visits Strasbourg, World Book Capital in 2024.
Books, in all their forms, allow us to learn and to keep ourselves informed. They also entertain us and help us to understand the world. For books to be able to unleash their full potential, it is essential that they reflect the linguistic diversity of our world. However, this is far from being the case today; the majority of works are published in just a handful of languages.
UNESCO’s publications and co-editions
Translated into over 70 languages, UNESCO’s publications and co-editions advance and share knowledge worldwide.
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Discover more international days
World Day for African and Afrodescendant Culture - African World Heritage Day - International day against violence and bullying at school including cyberbullying - World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development - International Day of Education - International Day of the Girl - International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust - Human Rights Day - International Day of Light - International Literacy Day - International Mother Language Day - Nelson Mandela International Day - World Oceans Day - World Philosophy Day - World Poetry Day - World Press Freedom Day - International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition - World Teachers' Day - International Day for Tolerance - International Women's Day - International Day of Women and Girls in Science - World Art Day - World Radio Day - World Water Day