Writers Tricks of the Trade ISSUE 1, VOLUME 9 | Page 28

they were readily available to anyone who wanted to read them. Thanks to his ingenious invention and the advances since then, we are able to enjoy the works of authors from Shakespeare and Tolstoy to modern indie authors who bring their works to us through the ease of self- publishing. On April 23rd, 1995, the anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, prominent Spanish Chronicler, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) created World Book Day. World Book Day is the world’s biggest campaign to provide every child and young person in the country with a book of their own. A registered charity, World Book Day is generously supported by sponsor Na- tional Book Tokens. It brings together the UK and Ireland’s bookselling and publish- ing industries in an extraordinary collabo- ration. World Book Day returned in 2019 after one of its biggest years to date with a range of new initiatives that will help to get even more books directly into the hands of children and young people, especially those who wouldn’t otherwise have access to them. Catering to all age groups, from tod- dler to teen, the list expanded with 13 new £1 titles created to appeal to the widest possible range of children and young peo- ple, tastes and abilities. Is your country or town encouraging reading and making books available to children via a World Book Day? If so, per- haps it is sponsored by your local libraries or national booksellers or publisher. Per- haps there is a committee that plans this once-a-year event. If not, check into it to S PRING 2019 becoming part of the worldwide effort to preserve our children’s imagination and encourage adults to keep reading. Video games, online social networks and so many other modern possibilities cut into the time or desire to read books, and books are the gateway to imagination and creativity. H OW TO C ELEBRATE W ORLD B OOK D AY Maybe you have a book you just can’t get around to finishing. Imagine celebrating this day by finding the time to do some reading. You could curl up on the couch or easy chair with a cup of coffee or tea and enjoy every last page. If you have children, this could be the perfect day to teach them about the joys of reading. We are so flooded with images and videos in today’s world that we run a very real risk of abandoning reading entirely– why bother, if we can just watch a movie or TV show? Imagination is a child’s best friend that follows them into adulthood, and we must contribute to keeping that lit- tle imagination as active as possible. Pick a topic your child is interested in. Spend part of this day exploring the magical world of literature together! Because April 23 is a weekday this year, if you have to be at work, just move it to the 20th or 21st. The thought is the same. Maybe you would enjoy getting together with some friends for the reading of a book you all love. Think about this. When you hear someone read sentences aloud that you have only murmured to yourself, it could cause you to see them in a whole new way as the reader adds feeling or emphasis of certain elements. Whichever way you choose to celebrate World Book Day, make sure it’s an enjoya- P AGE 23 W RITERS ’ T RICKS OF THE T RADE