Bolesławiec booksellers did not forget about the book holiday. At the “Papirus” bookshop, customers were offered sweets, while at the “Agora” bookshop, as has been the case for many years, buyers received roses. Neither bookshop was busier than usual today. The booksellers at “Papirus” told us that those who come are “the ones who have to,” and that making the Book Day a day off work could be a good way to promote it. The Agora employees, on the other hand, said that these are not the best times for the book market and that fewer and fewer people are coming to bookshops. They had indeed considered organizing an event, but unfortunately, the renovation of the market square thwarted those plans.
The book holiday was initiated in 1926 by the Spanish publisher Vincente Clavel Andrés. Initially, the Spanish celebrated it on October 7, the birthday of one of the country’s most outstanding writers, Miguel de Cervantes. Since many literary scholars considered this date uncertain, Book Day began to be observed on April 23 instead. April 23, 1616, is the date of death of two outstanding literary figures, William Shakespeare and Cervantes, as well as the Peruvian historian Garcilaso de la Vega. Since 1930, this day has been an official holiday in Spain, and since 1964 it has been observed in all Spanish-speaking countries. In 1995, UNESCO proclaimed this day the International Day of the Book and Copyright.
(GA report, photographs by KG)