In the film ‘Shadowlands’, an aged C. S. Lewis, a fiction and non-fiction writer, uttered the words: ‘We read to know we are not alone’. It is a truth in more than one way. On the one hand, people draw comfort from the thought there are like-minded individuals who act and feel the same, in places that are reassuringly familiar. On the other hand, books reveal a world with other-minded people, with places beyond one’s wildest imagination. After all, a book is a concept of contrasts. It can unite and divide, excite and calm down, agitate and pacify, horrify and soothe, instruct and misinform. Books entertain and train the brain. That is the idea behind ‘World Book and Copyright Day’. UNESCO – founder of this event – phrases it as follows:
- 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 World Book and Copyright Day in recognition of the power of books as a bridge between generations and across cultures.
Civil society mirrors every aspect of a book: from conception over production to access points and ultimately its readers. Every book starts as the figment of somebody’s imagination. Whether it is the author himself or any individual encouraging one or several people to write down an idea, philosophy or train of thought, at some point, the first word is written down or typed onto a screen, and – not always a given – ultimately the final punctuation mark closes a laborious work of months, years and occasionally decades. Authors – both fiction and non-fiction – often join societies, some of which are truly international in scope. These organizations can be worldwide, continental or regional, but very often they are focussed on one theme. This can be very specific. Crime, children’s book and travel writers all have their own associations, but so do authors writing about wine. Authors and/or researchers can also meet at international conferences organized by societies. Not only are the proceedings of these meetings often published, but new ideas can emerge, resulting in collaborations and exciting new material eventually ending up in book form.
Civil society naturally contains networks of publishers of all manner, but so do the places where books can be found. Firstly, there is the place where readers can physically buy books. Many a book lover will fondly explore a newly printed novel or scientific paper- or hardback, or enjoy the hunt for a treasure buried on a (dusty) shelf in a second-hand bookstore. Antiquarians are in a league of their own. Secondly, and a vital part of the joy of reading worldwide, are libraries. For many children, but also adults, public libraries are a fountain of knowledge, the place where they can discover a world beyond the borders of the place they call home. Despite the internet breaking down barriers in many ways, a book shows the world in a different manner. A book can cast a spell on its readers, ignite a lifelong fascination and instil a profound respect for the unknown. Public libraries give an individual the opportunity to travel the world from the safety of one’s armchair.
Not all librarians work in a public library though. The database of the Yearbook of International Organizations testifies to that. Not only are librarians grouped along regional and continental lines, but every possible field of interest has its own library association: academic; agricultural; botanical and horticultural; catholic; environment; Jewish; law; medical; music; parliamentary; peace; school; theological; etc. Books are everywhere. Some museums not only have a themed book shop, but also house a small library where researchers or any interested individual can study the museum’s main focus.
Lastly, a book is nothing without a reader. Every author wants their work to be read from cover to cover, and their reader to hopefully take something from it. For fiction authors, that is mostly the thrill of the imagination, a spell away from reality. Non-fiction writers aspire to pass on something bigger than themselves. That can be the delight of a new recipe in a cookery book which its reader successfully mastered, or the exciting journey of a ‘boring’ history book, a title any decent historian will wear like a badge of honour. Readers can also gather in a like-minded collection. Jane Austen and Charles Dickens both have their international fan club. Shakespeare outtrumps them all with several societies linked to his bardic name. But sometimes book lovers find innovative ways to reach out. Little free libraries and book boxes are community bookshelves where people drop off their own books and take another book out. They are everywhere, from train stations to public parks. Then there is the Silent Book Club, a community with chapters worldwide. The idea is both simple and ingenious. Everyone brings a book of their own choice and the group does an hour of silent reading together. A collective moment of inspiration and creativity. This is exactly what World Book and Copyright Day is all about.
In March 2026, close to 30,000 books returned to Ypres’ Cloth Hall, after the building had gone through an extensive restoration. Part of the In Flanders Fields Museum – a museum dealing with the atrocities of World War I and war in general – the library obviously contains books about war and peace. But it is a wonderful thought that books can go home. They can travel, taking the minds of their readers with them. But books can also bring their readers home. Whether that is in a library, a silent book club or the comfort of one’s own chair, that is what books are meant to do: enrich, challenge, provoke and plant a seed ready to grow.
Issue #23 – April 2026