UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international coope ...
which recognises cities for promoting books and fostering reading for a year starting on April 23rd,
World Book and Copyright Day
World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day or International Day of the Book, is an annual event organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to promote reading, publishing, and copyri ...
. Cities designated as UNESCO World Book Capital carry out activities with the aim of encouraging a culture of reading in all ages and sharing UNESCO’s values. The nomination does not provide a financial prize.
UNESCO adopted the 31c/Resolution 29, in 2001, establishing the World Book Capital programme and naming
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
as the first WBC city in 2001. The advisory committee is composed of UNESCO, the
International Publishers Association
The International Publishers Association (IPA) is an international publishing industry federation of national publisher associations representing book and journal publishing. It is a non-profit and non-governmental organization, founded in 1896 to ...
, the
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is the leading international body representing the interests of people who rely on libraries and information professionals. An independent, non-governmental, not-for-pro ...
, the International Authors Forum and the International Booksellers Federation.
History
Six years after the launching of the
World Book and Copyright Day
World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day or International Day of the Book, is an annual event organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to promote reading, publishing, and copyrig ...
(23 April), and following the initiative in
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
in 2001 to create year-round celebrations around the event, the World Book Capital programme was created. UNESCO invited the professional organisations of the book chain: the
International Publishers Association
The International Publishers Association (IPA) is an international publishing industry federation of national publisher associations representing book and journal publishing. It is a non-profit and non-governmental organization, founded in 1896 to ...
, the
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is the leading international body representing the interests of people who rely on libraries and information professionals. An independent, non-governmental, not-for-pro ...
and the International Booksellers Federation to create a programme aimed at promoting books during the period between World Book and Copyright Days.
Following a proposal of Spain, supported by many other countries, the UNESCO General Conference decided, on 2 November 2001, that the Organization would grant its moral and intellectual support to the conception and implementation of this initiative, by inviting the international professional organisations of the book chain to work together.
The first UNESCO World Book Capital designated prior to the adoption of 31 C/Resolution 29 was Madrid (Spain) in 2001. An agreement was concluded among the partners that, after Madrid, the subsequent capitals would be Alexandria in 2002 and New Delhi in 2003.
Activities
Cities designated as UNESCO World Book Capital carry out activities with the aim of encouraging a culture of reading and sharing UNESCO’s values in all ages and population groups. Through the World Book Capital programme, UNESCO acknowledges the cities commitment for promoting books and fostering reading during a 12 months period. The programme aims to raise awareness for literacy and reading issues, through its numerous activities. World Book Capital brings together the local and national book industries and creates various initiatives with organisations and other stakeholders. The title is also used to draw national and international attention to the literary heritage of a city and nation.
Nomination
The Nomination process
Every year, there is an Open Call for Applications published on the official website of UNESCO. The Open Call for Applications for 2024 was published in February 2022. The nomination does not include any financial prize; it acknowledges the best programmes dedicated to books and reading.
The Director-General of UNESCO is responsible for the designation of the cities following both internal and external consultations with the other members of the Advisory Committee.
The Advisory Committee is made up of one representative of the International Authors Forum (IAF), the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), the International Publishers Association (IPA) and one UNESCO representative. The committee meets once a year.
To ensure a balanced representation of all regions of the world, the Advisory Committee does not consider consecutive nominations of cities from the same region. Also, the Advisory Committee will only consider an application for a city in a country where another city has been a UNESCO World Book Capital if a period of 10 years or more has elapsed since the previous host city nomination.
Nomination criteria
The nominating committee accepts programmes presented by or endorsed by the mayor of the city making the application that promote and foster reading. The programmes run from one World Book and Copyright Day and the next. Applicants' programme proposals will be evaluated using six criteria:
# The submission of an activity programme specifically conceived for the World Book Capital and implemented during the city's term as Capital with long-term benefits for partners and society at large;
# A general outline of expenses foreseen and fund-raising strategies;
# The degree of municipal, regional, national and international involvement, including professional and non-governmental organizations, and the foreseeable impact of the programmes;
# The quantity and quality of one-time or ongoing activities organized by the applicant city in collaboration with national, regional and international professional organizations representing writers, publishers, booksellers and librarians respecting the various players in the book supply chain and in the scientific and literary community;
# The quantity and quality of any other noteworthy projects promoting and fostering books and reading;
# Conformity with the principles of freedom of expression, freedom to publish and to distribute information, as stated in the UNESCO Constitution as well as Articles 19 and 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and by the Agreement on the Importation of Educational, Scientific and Cultural Materials (Florence Agreement), as well as conformity with the UN Charter and relevant UN resolutions.
World Book Capital Cities Commitment
By presenting its application each candidate city commits to:
* Associate UNESCO and the professional organizations represented in the Advisory Committee, in its communication and information campaign by displaying their respective logos, on all publications and on the website dedicated to the UNESCO World Book Capital;
* Provide UNESCO, which will share it with all members of the Advisory Committee, with:
# An interim report on the activities implemented during the first part of nomination year (23 April – 23 October);
# A final report on the activities implemented during the entire nomination year (23 April- 22 April of the following year);
* Systematically invite UNESCO and the professional organizations represented in the Advisory Committee to all main events relating to the World Book Capital;
* Produce and circulate information and communication tools on the activity programme to the Advisory Committee members.
UNESCO and the Advisory Committee assist the chosen capital in the planning and implementation of its activity programme during the two years prior to its mandate as World Book Capital. The city is required to facilitate possible evaluation audits implemented on UNESCO’s request. If the work doesn’t meet the panel’s expectations, the Advisory Committee may withdraw the title from the city at any time during the monitoring phase, with one month’s notice.
The city authorities also agree to support the administrative work of the World Book Capital Secretariat by gathering financial contributions from potential donors or participating in the development of fundraising strategies.
World Book Capitals Cities
Nominated World Book Capitals
The following cities have been designated as World Book Capitals:
Madrid 2001
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
is the first city to be awarded the title of the “World Book Capital”. The Spanish capital took the initiative of creating this title and its first events. Numerous activities, around the theme of the popularisation of books and reading, were organised by different companies and organisations which collaborated to support the event. The existing Spanish Bookfair LIBER used Madrid’s World Book Capital status as its theme for the year. During the year, the mountain “La Puerta de Alcalà” was covered with books.
Alexandria 2002
The
Great Library of Alexandria
The Great Library of Alexandria in Alexandria, Egypt, was one of the largest and most significant libraries of the ancient world. The Library was part of a larger research institution called the Mouseion, which was dedicated to the Muses, th ...
in
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
,
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
, was one of the largest and most significant libraries of the ancient world. The library, first constructed in the 3rd Century BC, is the resource of knowledge and the first world centre of arts and sciences. It was the first library to invent a bibliographic system. Although it was destroyed several times, the government of Egypt built a new Alexandria Library.
In 2002, the Egyptian city reopened its library and presented the new library the
Bibliotheca Alexandrina
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Latin for "Library of Alexandria"; arz, مكتبة الإسكندرية ', ) is a major library and cultural center on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in Alexandria, Egypt. It is a commemoration of the Library ...
. This project was one of the main reasons Alexandria was selected as WBC, as it encouraged people to have an interest in reading.
New Delhi 2003
New Delhi
New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...
is home to the largest number of publishers in
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. It launched a programme to promote publishing linked to all professional associations and political and social actors concerned with books, including government services. Various activities were organised throughout the year, including establishments of book kiosks, libraries and a permanent book pavilion at Pragati Maidan. An emphasis was given to promoting literary habits among children. Other events were the Delhi Book Fair in August 2003, the two-day National Convention on “Making India a Book Reading Society” and the Children’s Book Exhibition at various prominent schools in New Delhi.
Antwerp 2004
''Theme: ABC 2004''
The city of
Antwerp
Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,
was selected as World Book Capital for 2004. The chosen theme ABC 2004, evolved to XYZ 2005 in the second part of its programme where four exhibitions were devoted to the written heritage of the city.
With a budget of 1.7 million euros, several literary projects took place throughout the year including word festivals, theatre street performances, public readings, celebrations of authors, letter-writing contests by
mobile phone
A mobile phone, cellular phone, cell phone, cellphone, handphone, hand phone or pocket phone, sometimes shortened to simply mobile, cell, or just phone, is a portable telephone that can make and receive calls over a radio frequency link whil ...
, publishing of books in collaboration with artists, exhibitions as well as free distribution of blank notebooks to encourage writing. Poems were printed on the wrappers of bread and were made available to the public. In the main hall of
DeSingel
deSingel is a Belgian arts center. It is located on the Desguinlei in Antwerp. Its various stages, concert halls and exhibition spaces offer a manifold program of music, dance, theater and architecture. It is also home to the Royal Conservatory ...
, Antwerp’s international art and cultural centre, a metal cube was installed which housed a library.
Montreal 2005
''Theme: The Gathering Power of Books''
Montreal World Book Capital 2005 (MWBC) goal was to “underline the gathering power of books”. The main objectives of MWBC 2005 were to increase reading habits especially among young people, encourage creative writing, stimulate the book industry and strengthen
Montreal
Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...
’s position as an international cultural city.
The activities were developed under the themes of books and reading, creativity, education and learning, remembrance and heritage, culture, celebration, and festivals. Authors including
Marie Laberge
Marie Laberge (born November 29, 1950) is a Quebec actress, educator and writer.
Biography
She was born in Quebec City and studied dance with Ludmilla Chiriaeff. Laberge began the study of journalism at Laval University but entered the Conserva ...
,
Réjean Ducharme
Réjean Ducharme (August 12, 1941 – August 21, 2017) was a Québécois novelist and playwright who resided in Montreal. He was known for his reclusive personality and did not appear at any public functions since his first successful book was p ...
,
Yann Martel
Yann Martel, (born 25 June 1963) is a Canadian author who wrote the Man Booker Prize–winning novel ''Life of Pi'', an international bestseller published in more than 50 territories. It has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide and spent ...
,
Mordecai Richler
Mordecai Richler (January 27, 1931 – July 3, 2001) was a Canadian writer. His best known works are ''The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (novel), The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz'' (1959) and ''Barney's Version (novel), Barney's Versi ...
,
Michel Tremblay
Michel Tremblay (born 25 June 1942) is a French-Canadian novelist and playwright.
Tremblay was born in Montreal, Quebec, where he grew up in the French-speaking neighbourhood of Plateau Mont-Royal; at the time of his birth, a neighbourhood wit ...
had their books highlighted during the year.
Turin 2006
''Theme: Il Linguaggio dei Segni''
Turin
Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...
was designated World Book Capital, in collaboration with
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
, from 22 April 2006 to 22 April 2007. The municipality of Rome contributed to the programme all year long. The additional WBC theme was: Turin, World Book Capital with Rome: cities to leaf through. The city focused its programme on the meaning of the different punctuation signs and was run by Fondazione per il libro, la musica e la cultura of Turin.
Activities began in April 2006 with a poetic, literary, and musical evening, the “Bookstock”. Throughout that day various personalities and artists including writers, poets, musicians, and people from the film industry performed in the city centre with approximately 4,000 spectators attending the event. Many events occurred during the year and the majority of them were under TWBC 2006’s theme, the language of signs, which include: “Il Punto Interrogativo” (The Question Mark), “La Virgola” (The Comma), “I Due Punti” (The Two Points), “Il Punto exclamativo” (The Exclamation Mark), “I Pontini de Sospensione” (The Suspension Points), “Il Parentesi” (The Brackets), “Il Punto” (The final Point), “Le Virgolette” (The Quotation Marks), “ll Punto e Virgola” (The semicolon), “Il @” (The @). The programme was made up of more than 800 network projects, organised not only in Turin but throughout the region of Piedmont as well. Among these events were book readings, literary festivals and awards, school writing sessions, theatres, opera, etc.
Rome implemented cultural exchanges in the libraries of Baghdad, Buenos Aires, Bogotá, Guatemala and Rwanda. The “Casa delle Letterature” (House of Literature), in collaboration with the Italian publisher “Gorée di Siena”, has promoted the translation of a book produced by the children of Koh Phi Phi in
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
, struck by a tsunami. This book was distributed throughout Italy for the reconstruction of the destroyed school.
Bogota 2007
''Theme: We’ll get Bogota Reading''
During the Bogota World Book Capital, the top priorities were the development of a culture of reading for social inclusion, the promoting reading among children, young people and adults of the city, especially among those who had limited access. The chosen slogan was: "We'll get Bogota reading."
The city of
Bogotá
Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city of Colombia, and one of the larges ...
hosts an International Book Fair, held in April every year since 1988. The fair is considered to be the largest in the reading culture and publishing industry in
Latin America
Latin America or
* french: Amérique Latine, link=no
* ht, Amerik Latin, link=no
* pt, América Latina, link=no, name=a, sometimes referred to as LatAm is a large cultural region in the Americas where Romance languages — languages derived f ...
. Various other initiatives were implemented on several fronts: the creation of the Consejo Distrital de Fomento de la Lectura (District Council for the Promotion of Reading), responsible for setting reading and writing policies in the city, the improvement of education with the development of a modem public library system, the cooperation with a variety of organisations in the public and private sectors, and the launching of programmes to popularise literature, such as Libro al Viento ("Book in thé Wind").
Amsterdam 2008
''Theme: Open Book, Open Mind''
The programme of
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
World Book Capital, named ‘Open Book, Open Mind’, was centred around these three people:
Spinoza
Baruch (de) Spinoza (born Bento de Espinosa; later as an author and a correspondent ''Benedictus de Spinoza'', anglicized to ''Benedict de Spinoza''; 24 November 1632 – 21 February 1677) was a Dutch philosopher of Portuguese-Jewish origin, b ...
,
Anne Frank
Annelies Marie "Anne" Frank (, ; 12 June 1929 – )Research by The Anne Frank House in 2015 revealed that Frank may have died in February 1945 rather than in March, as Dutch authorities had long assumed"New research sheds new light on Anne Fra ...
and Annie M.G. Schmidt. In addition to the central theme, the programme carried out events towards the Municipal Council’s three objectives:
# Children First
# We are all Amsterdam
# Top City
The first Amsterdam “Book of the Night” was created on March 20. Libraries, bookshops, the weekly book fair and hotel/catering venues around the Spui were filled with literary performances. Multiple authors and poets recited parts of their work for the people in the public square. Many events were targeted to the younger population and especially to children. From October 2008 to April 2009, citizens were encouraged to engage their children in the Children’s Book Capital programme.
Poetry
Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings i ...
also held a significant part in the programme. During the “Poetry in the Park” project, ten city districts hosted poetry activities open to all district residents. An interactive exposition of “poetry poles” was held in the Vondelpark. Also, the National Declamation Competition launched on National Poetry Day, the 29th of January, the final round of which was carried out as part of the AWBC closing week.
A total number of 298 activities were realised during this period with the aid of public networks and other institutions with 490,000 people taking part. The budget was estimated to reach above € 2.7 million with 60% from government organisations and 40% from funds, sponsors and admission revenues.
Beirut 2009
''Themes: “Books are our best friends. This year, Beirut is their capital.”, “Beirut reads. Beirut writes. Beirut publishes. The triple identity of Beirut.”''
The World Book Capital in 2009 was
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
, the capital of
Lebanon
Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, while Cyprus li ...
. A series of activities were planned, from literary cafés to specialised fairs, international symposiums and conferences, writing workshops to all kinds of forums with a focus on Lebanese writers. The activities revolved around four themes: "Books, vectors of culture", "Book trades", "Promotion of reading and writing", "Encourage youth to read”. Exhibitions honouring the great Lebanese and Arab writers also took place during this period. Other events included thematics such as Lebanon and the Alphabet, festivals of poetry, comics, storytelling, a professional book fair, conferences dealing with copyright, the future of books, translation, meetings with Mediterranean booksellers, competitions and prizes.
Ljubljana 2010
''Theme: “In The Realm of the Book”''
The programme incorporated objectives related to the promotion of reading books, the increase in the accessibility of books by all the population, the spread of the culture of reading and the introduction of different literary genres to the public.More than 300 activities were organised during the
Ljubljana
Ljubljana (also known by other historical names) is the capital and largest city of Slovenia. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center.
During antiquity, a Roman city called Emona stood in the ar ...
World Book Capital 2010 including:
* Ljubljana Reads: Growing up with Books was a project intended for three-year-olds, first-formers, and Slovenian secondary school students, who each received at the end a small gift in the form of a picture book or a Slovenian fiction book.
* Books and Creativity in Culture: events organised and held by museums, galleries, theatres, musicians, and other artists.
* Books and the City: literary events, traditionally held in
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
. Ljubljana installed new reading nooks in public spaces, intended for all the people of the city. A park maze was created where people got to read quietly, book reading was facilitated in hospitals, in old people's homes, and in asylum detention centres.
* World Book Summit 2011 – Books as Promoters of Human Development: From 31 March to 1 April 2010, Ljubljana hosted this international summit. The main issues discussed were the challenges of digitization for the publishing industry, the aspects of translation from the world's minor to major languages, and international bestsellers. During the World Book Summit, The Ljubljana Resolution on Books was adopted. The resolution outlined the directions in which public administration could move in order to improve its support of books and reading.
* Pogledi: The bi-weekly newspaper, launched by Ljubljana's newspaper and publishing house
Delo
''Delo'' (russian: Дело) is a business oriented online media in Ukraine, belonging to ekonomika+ media holding.
''Delo'' was the first daily in Ukraine, publishing its real print circulation (13.000 - 15.000) and trying to introduce Western e ...
. Pogledi incorporated content in areas of culture, media, and intellectual life. It also constituted a platform for critical reflection on culture and society.
* Books for Everyone project: approximately 8,000 copies of 21 books were printed and were available for purchase at the symbolic price of €3.00 per copy.
Buenos Aires 2011
The World Book Capital programme during the year 2011 was held in
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
in
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
. The project unit “Unidad de Proyectos Buenos Aires Capital Mundial de Libro” was created especially for the occasion and was ran by Luciana Blasco.
The three pillars of the Buenos Aires 2011 World book Capital were:
# The promotion of books
# The promotion of reading
# The promotion of literary heritage.
Traditional yearly events such as the Night of the Bookstores, International Poetry Festival and Night of the Museums were enhanced for the occasion of World Book Capital. During that period 85 events were organised, 80% of which were free of charge. In addition, the suburbs of Buenos Aires organised community libraries and book events for local people.
Historical authors, like
Borges
Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo (; ; 24 August 1899 – 14 June 1986) was an Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator, as well as a key figure in Spanish-language and international literature. His best-known bo ...
, Lorca, Sabato, were celebrated. New event entries were added to the International Bookfair and Filba, a Buenos Aires literature festival. Also, international books were showcased, with the main presence of French and Quebecois literature.
Unconventional spaces were utilised to attract new audiences. The Tower of Babel, designed by artist Marta Minujin, was a 25-metre tower made of 30,000 books in languages from all over the world. Approximately 115,000 books were distributed by buses as well as in subways, trams, and theatres. In addition, the tour of the city by bike included themes around poetry and reading Shakespeare. A website was also developed as a dissemination tool and served as a literary events diary for the year. The electronic newsletter managed to attract 20,000 subscribers.
The programme was funded by different streams: the Ministry of Culture, civil society or private organisations, as well as the Metropolitan Fund for the Arts and the Patronage system.
Yerevan 2012
''Theme: Eternity of the word''
The World Book Capital 2012 in
Yerevan
Yerevan ( , , hy, Երևան , sometimes spelled Erevan) is the capital and largest city of Armenia and one of the world's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously inhabited cities. Situated along the Hrazdan River, Y ...
,
Armenia
Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ''Ox ...
concurred with the country's 500th anniversary of “
Armenian printing
After the introduction of movable printing type to Europe by Johannes Gutenberg in Germany (circa 1439), Armenians from throughout the diaspora began to publish Armenian-language books. The first book which had Armenian letters was published in M ...
” as it was also celebrated in 2012.
The schedule of the Yerevan World Book Capital 2012 programme emphasised “the role of children and young adults in building knowledgeable societies”. Some of the events aimed at this objective were: “Give us Books, Wings to Fly”, “I Am Creating a Book”, “Returning Books Back to Children” and “Colorful Books”. Another priority of the Yerevan World book Capital was to explore new technologies, ideas and innovations.
Conferences, symposiums, and exhibitions were organised to discuss issues related to copyright, translation,
freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recogni ...
, humanitarian and societal issues,
genocide
Genocide is the intentional destruction of a people—usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group—in whole or in part. Raphael Lemkin coined the term in 1944, combining the Greek word (, "race, people") with the Latin ...
and internationally distinguished works of literature. Books about cinema, art, music and other art forms were also presented during exhibitions, seminars, and film premieres.
Bangkok 2013
''Theme: Read for Life''
The
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
World Book Capital in
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
2013, the “Read for Life” programme focused on nine objectives:
# Transform the old building of the Bangkok City Hall into a city library
# Establish a Thai Cartoon Museum to inspire people to think outside the box
# Cultivate a reading culture
# Promote reading among children and youth
# Encourage locals to research literature and broaden their minds
# Promote learning and the usage of scientific books to encourage scientific thinking
# Promote reading for instilling morality and good judgement, aiming towards a peaceful society
# Work with the Bangkok Reading Group to create campaigns
# The International Publishers Association (IPA) Congress, hosted by Bangkok in 2014 under the theme “Books Raise Morality, Enhance Creativity”.
Numerous activities were organised all year long to reach these objectives. Bangkok collaborated with numerous organisations from the public and private sectors. Activities were run with departments in Bangkok, including those of education, healthcare, environment, social development, traffic control and 50 others.
All sectors were also tied together under another theme, “Thinking, Doing, Learning, Fixing, and Taking Responsibility Together.” This stimulated mutual support and contribution from multiple stakeholders and associate networks like TK Park, The Publishers and Booksellers Association of Thailand, SCG, The Mirror Foundation, Chula Book Center, Thai Health Promotion Foundation, and more.
Port Harcourt 2014
''Theme: Books: Windows to Our World of Possibilities''
Port Harcourt is the first city in
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the List of sov ...
to win the title. The Rainbow Club organisation, a non-governmental organisation applied and won the bid on behalf of the Nigerian Government.
The theme of this year “Books: Windows to Our World of Possibilities”, communicates the concept that reading books provides knowledge and exposure to new mentalities and ideas, as well as that it transports the reader to new worlds. Educating and cultivating citizens aimed at empowering them to protect democracy, promote social justice, and contribute to the development of their communities.
Besides the main theme, other main objectives of the Port Harcourt World Book Capital 2014, were promoting
Nigerian
Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jour ...
and African literature, fostering a reading culture among children and youth, and improving literacy rates. Book fairs and reading events took place throughout the year.
The World Book Capital programme 2014 granted people access to more libraries and more literary activities in the city. The programme encouraged young people to use facts from their lives to tell their own stories, through the usage of technology and social media. This was achieved in several events: The Book Clubs, Reading Tree, Book-of-the-Month, exhibitions, amongst others. Other activities were: “Library Support Programme”, a voluntary training by other adults and donations to modern school libraries which were recently created, “Books on the Radio”, “Television Show: Game Show-” Know your World”, “ Monthly Drama performances”, “The walking Book”, “Ken Saro-Wiwa ‘Writer-Martyr Memorial Square’”, “Introduction of a writers’ residency program”, “Possibilities for Nigeria-Essay Contest as Nigeria turns 100”, “Integration into existing state events”, etc.
Incheon 2015
''Theme:“Books for all” “Read and Discover Yourself”''
During the designated year, the public and private sectors in
Incheon
Incheon (; ; or Inch'ŏn; literally "kind river"), formerly Jemulpo or Chemulp'o (제물포) until the period after 1910, officially the Incheon Metropolitan City (인천광역시, 仁川廣域市), is a city located in northwestern South Kore ...
,
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
, organised projects under the slogans “Books for All” and “Read and Discover Yourself”.
A total number of 45 projects were organised in 6 different domains:
1. Reading Culture in Daily Life
2. Invigorating the Publishing Industry
3. Renaissance of Humanities in Incheon
4. A City that Communicates Through Books
5. Commemorative Projects
6. Special Events
Large scale events, such as the Korea Reading Festival and the Korean Library Association’s General Conference, were organised and were met with extensive participation.
The Incheon EduContent Fair introduced a place where education met with digital technology. It constituted a platform for global information sharing on the latest trends in related industries. This fair also presented the future of education with state-of-the-art technologies such as Smart Class and Hologram Class. Local libraries provided reading resources for different social groups, age groups, the less privileged. Events were held aimed to reignite interest in the humanities. People and companies supported the local libraries through book donations and voluntary work.
According to the National Survey of Reading Habits, conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism the number of books read by Incheon citizens in 2015 increased by around 47%.
Wroclaw 2016
''Theme: Read to me Wroclaw''
The
Polish
Polish may refer to:
* Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe
* Polish language
* Poles
Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
city of Wroclaw is the first city to be awarded both the
World Book Capital
The World Book Capital (WBC) is an initiative of UNESCO which recognises cities for promoting books and fostering reading for a year starting on April 23rd, World Book and Copyright Day. Cities designated as UNESCO World Book Capital carry out act ...
and European Capital of Culture titles in the same year. With the slogan "Read to me Wrocław", Wroclaw planned various cultural activities for participants of all ages.
During the
World Book and Copyright Day
World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day or International Day of the Book, is an annual event organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to promote reading, publishing, and copyri ...
, on April 23, the event “European Literature Night” took place, which launched a special edition due to World Book Capital celebrations with a focus on
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
. Excerpts from his works were read and interpreted in places all around the city by renown Polish actors, like: Ewa Skibińska,
Magdalena Cielecka
Magdalena Cielecka (born 20 February 1972) is a Polish actress.
Life and career
Cielecka spent her childhood in the small town of Żarki-Letnisko. In 1995, she graduated from Państwowa Wyższa Szkoła Teatralna in Kraków. Soon after, she jo ...
,
Jan Nowicki
Jan Nowicki (5 November 1939 – 7 December 2022) was a Polish actor. Biography
He appeared in 90 films and television episodes since 1967.
Nowicki died on 7 December 2022, at the age of 83.Arkadiusz Jakubik
Arkadiusz Jakubik (; born 14 January 1969 in Strzelce Opolskie) is a Polish actor, scriptwriter, voice actor and musician. Known mainly for portrayal of a disabled cop Rysio in '' 13 posterunek'' sitcom and for wide collaboration with Wojciech Sm ...
and Bartosz Porczyk.
The Polish city of Wroclaw also launched a composition competition in order to create a "world book anthem". This book hymn featured the words from the work of
Tadeusz Rozewicz
''Tadeusz'' is a Polish first name, derived from Thaddaeus.
Tadeusz may refer to:
* Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski (1895–1966), Polish military leader
* Tadeusz Borowski (1922–1951), Polish writer and The Holocaust survivor
* Tadeusz Boy-Żeleńsk ...
, the "Petit cheveu du poète". Tadeusz Rozewicz, the polish poet and playwright, died in Wroclaw in 2014. His work was translated into hundreds of languages.
Conakry 2017
''Theme: Make Dreams Come True''
The capital of
Guinea
Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...
,
Conakry
Conakry (; ; sus, Kɔnakiri; N’ko: ߞߐߣߊߞߙߌ߫, Fula: ''Konaakiri'' 𞤑𞤮𞤲𞤢𞥄𞤳𞤭𞤪𞤭) is the capital and largest city of Guinea. A port city, it serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea. Its p ...
, is the first city in
francophone Africa
African French (french: français africain) is the generic name of the varieties of the French language spoken by an estimated 141 million people in Africa in 2018, spread across 34 countries and territories.29 full members of the Organisa ...
to be nominated with the World Book Capital title. Until 2017, only three
African
African or Africans may refer to:
* Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa:
** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa
*** Ethn ...
cities were appointed with the title:
Alexandria
Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...
Conakry
Conakry (; ; sus, Kɔnakiri; N’ko: ߞߐߣߊߞߙߌ߫, Fula: ''Konaakiri'' 𞤑𞤮𞤲𞤢𞥄𞤳𞤭𞤪𞤭) is the capital and largest city of Guinea. A port city, it serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea. Its p ...
in 2017.
At the time of Conakry’s nomination, 60% of the Guinean population could not read. The project intended to fight illiteracy in Guinea, by helping young people and people from the rural areas get access to books.
Higher literacy and stronger reading culture in schools, libraries, institutions and among the general public, were all primary priorities of the programme. Monthly cultural events focused on the country’s authors and culture. In addition, a media library was built in each commune of Conakry and reading areas were established in every neighbourhood. Guinea's book industry benefited from the improved infrastructure and access to books, thanks to the new constructions for the World Book Capital programme.
Athens 2018
''Theme: Books Everywhere''
The World Book Capital in 2018 was the capital of
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
,
Athens
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
. This year’s slogan was “Books Everywhere”.
The programme was based on 8 thematics:
# Celebrating Reading - Discovering Reading Treasures
# A World of Writers
# Greek Writers
# Athenian Book Itineraries
# Open Collections and Archives
# Educational Activities
# Book and the Arts
# Contemporary Narratives
Each of these eight objectives was aligned with the main goal of the project to make books and culture accessible to everyone, residents or visitors, across all neighbourhoods of Athens. A total of 615 events and activities were realised during the designated year under the themes of; Celebrating Reading (234 events), A world of writers (international writers) (41 events), Greek writers (19 events), Athenian Book Itineraries (48 events), Open Collections and archives (43 events), Educational Activities (81 events), The Book and the Arts (114 events), and Contemporary Narratives (35 events). The programme cooperated with 212 cultural institutions, such as museums, embassies, foreign institutes, international organisations and non-governmental organisations.
Inclusive and free of admission events were organised in public and private spaces across the seven municipal districts. Some of the programme initiatives were: moving and pop-up libraries, Bibliobuses- books on wheels, cultural performances and talks by esteemed authors from around the world, poetry readings, installations, festivals, exhibitions and many more. The programme reached about 450.000 residents and visitors of all backgrounds.
Sharjah 2019
''Theme: Open Books, Open Minds''
The World Book Capital programme in 2019 was held in
Sharjah
Sharjah (; ar, ٱلشَّارقَة ', Gulf Arabic: ''aš-Šārja'') is the third-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, after Dubai and Abu Dhabi, forming part of the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area.
Sharjah is the capital o ...
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...
.
The activities were developed under six pillars:
# Raise more awareness about books and reading
# Foster an environment of knowledge
# Unify communities
# Honouring heritage
# Empower children and youth
# Develop publishing industries
The government along with non-government entities formed multiple activities such as poetry readings, singing and storytelling events in industrial workers accommodations. More than fifty libraries with books in
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
and Tagalog were gifted to industrial workers.
Book Fairs and campaigns were also part of the programme. The yearly International Book Fair is an 11-day international book fair held annually in
Sharjah
Sharjah (; ar, ٱلشَّارقَة ', Gulf Arabic: ''aš-Šārja'') is the third-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, after Dubai and Abu Dhabi, forming part of the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area.
Sharjah is the capital o ...
. During the fair “Give Your Book a New Life”, more than ten thousand books were available at symbolic prices to make reading affordable to people from every socioeconomic background. Also, a Book Donation Campaign was carried out, the “Kan Ya Ma Kan”, which translates to Once Upon Time.
Another popular campaign that combined reading and outdoor activities, was the Sharjah Beach Library campaign. Beach libraries were installed in Sharjah, filled with books for all ages, in various languages.
During the year, many public offerings were commissioned, such as the House of Wisdom. This new library and cultural centre combined traditional and digital resources of knowledge, information, interactive learning and contemporary pedagogy. The House of Wisdom provides free and open access to people of all ages and nationalities. It extends over 12,000 square metres and includes two floors of libraries with more than 105,000 books, discussion halls, indoors and outdoors reading areas, as well as an education space designed for children.
The Sharjah World book Capital contributed with initiatives and conversations at international book fairs in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
,
Turin
Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...
, Moscow, as well as in the LIBER International Book Fair in Madrid 2019.
Kuala Lumpur 2020
''Theme: KL Baca: Caring through Reading''
The World Book Capital 2020 was held in
Kuala Lumpur
, anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera''
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, pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia
, pushpin_map_caption =
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, su ...
in
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
. Under the slogan KL BACA: Caring through Reading, the organising committee stated that “A city that reads is a city that cares.”.
The activities were organised around 5 streams:
# The multiplicity of Reading, Literature and Cultural Activities
# Development of Book Infrastructure and Supporting Activities
# Enhancement of Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair
# Empowerment of Children’s Reading Culture and Literature
# Accessibility of e-Books and Digital Reading
The overall themes of the initiatives of Kuala Lumpur World Book Capital 2020, besides Caring through reading, were focused on Diversity and Environmental Rejuvenation. These two pillars were considered necessary in building a strategy aimed at sustainability.
Tbilisi 2021
''Theme: Ok. So your next book is…?''
The World Book Capital programme in
Tbilisi
Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the Capital city, capital and the List of cities and towns in Georgia (country), largest city of Georgia (country), Georgia, lying on the ...
primarily focuses on new media and technologies as tools for the reading facilitation and book promotion targeted towards young people. Many events have been programmed for the year. Some of which include book festivals, digital and sustainable book related activities. The year's main goal is to make reading more popular and accessible throughout each neighbourhood and age group.