// Today we celebrate World Book and Copyright day //
"A room without books is like a body without a soul.” Marcus Tullius Cicero. Today is World Book and Copyright day. It was not so long ago that I found myself watching Fahrenheit 451 again, because it's one of the very movies that I was really captivated by. The 2018 movie features the popular Michael B. Jordan , and is definite must watch because the concept is really dope. The movie is actually based on the book that has the same title which was written by Ray Bradbury, and what's interesting is how the role of firemen is changed, from being responsible for putting out fires, to them starting fires in effort to burn all the books that exist. What's more interesting is how books are still valued and treasured in spite of the consequences that one would have to face if they were found in possession of them. You can watch the trailer below (If you ever get time to watch the movie, which you should, please do let me know what you think of it. If you've already watched it, still free to share your feedback):
Alright, let's get back to why and how the 23rd of April became World book and Copyright day. It's not a long story, however it's always great to just know how some of these things came to be and the objectives behind them. One of the Radioactive Blog's main objectives is to promote a culture of reading in different communities, so this is why it's imperative that we don't just jump on the bandwagon, but try to share the benefits and opportunities that come with reading and having a strong or vibrant reading culture in our communities (and households). Below is an extract from the UNESCO website that explains in detail how why we celebrate books today (and also why we should only do so on days like this, but as frequently as possible):
"World Book and Copyright Day is a celebration to promote the enjoyment of books and reading. Each year, on 23 April, celebrations take place all over the world to recognize the scope of books - a link between the past and the future, a bridge between generations and across cultures. On this occasion, UNESCO and the international organizations representing the three major sectors of the book industry - publishers, booksellers and libraries, select the World Book Capital for a year to maintain, through its own initiatives, the impetus of the Day’s celebrations.
23 April is a symbolic date for world literature. It is on this date in 1616 that Cervantes, Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died. It is also the date of birth or death of other prominent authors, such as Maurice Druon, Haldor K.Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and Manuel Mejía Vallejo. It was a natural choice for UNESCO's General Conference, held in Paris in 1995, to pay a world-wide tribute to books and authors on this date, encouraging everyone, and in particular young people, to discover the pleasure of reading and gain a renewed respect for the irreplaceable contributions of those, who have furthered the social and cultural progress of humanity. With this in mind, UNESCO created the World Book and Copyright Day. The 24th edition of World Book and Copyright Day will celebrate literature and reading while focusing particularly on the importance of enhancing and protecting Indigenous languages. As a vector of knowledge, books bring people together around a story and a common heritage while revealing their specificities through different cultures, identities and languages. The focus on this topic is fully in line with the celebration of the International Year of the Indigenous Languages. Each year, UNESCO and the international organizations representing the three major sectors of the book industry - publishers, booksellers and libraries, select the World Book Capital for a one-year period, effective 23 April each year"
(Read more here: https://www.un.org/en/events/bookday/ and https://en.unesco.org/commemorations/worldbookday )
With all this being said, it's no coincidence that we will be hosting our first #PoetryReading event in Bloemfontein this coming Monday evening at our usual spot, 59 Plenty in Bloemfontein as part of the Radioactive Poetry Cafe monthly series. You can check out our Facebook event page for more information about the event and how you can get yourself tickets. To conclude this article, we would like you to share with us which books you are currently reading at the moment, so feel free to comment with the title of the book and the author. Peace out fam. @2tukani
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