World Book Day 2020: Indulge in some reading at the comfort of home amid coronavirus lockdown

Bengaluru: World Book Day, celebrated by UNESCO and other related organisations, is the global celebration of books and reading material observed in more than 100 countries. Also known as World Book and Copyright Day, it is an occasion to promote the joy of books and the art of reading.

In 1995, UNESCO decided that World Book and Copyright Day would be celebrated on April 23 to celebrate prominent literary figures like William Shakespeare's whose birth and death anniversary fall on this day, along with Miguel de Cervantes and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega's death anniversary.

World Book and Copyright Day is celebrated worldwide to recognise the scope of books as a link between the past and the future, along with being a cultural and generational bridge. UNESCO and organisations representing publishers, booksellers and libraries select the World Book Capital for a year to maintain the celebration of books and reading. 

Kuala Lumpur has been officially recognised as this year’s UNESCO’s World Book Capital (KLWBC 2020), with an online launch celebration on April 23. The slogan for world book and copyright day 2020 is "KL Baca – "Caring Through Reading".

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In the year 2019, Sharjah, UAE had been declared as the World Book Capital. 

Since the entire globe is going through a state of a pandemic due to the widespread COVID-19 virus, most educational institutions have gone into a shutdown mode for the safety and security of their students, teachers, and staff. Yet through the power of e-books, digitalisation, reading positive things, and gaining knowledge is the need of the hour.

Amid the coronavirus lockdown, Infosys Foundation chairman Sudha Murthy's book will be out in an audio format for the first time with the popular storyteller hoping that her latest offering for children will help them "use this time to do something new or even learn something".

So it is best to enjoy the world book and copyright day 2020 at the comfort of home by indulging into some necessary reading. 

• Infosys Foundation chairman Sudha Murthy
• World Book Day 2020
• audio format
• books
• coronavirus lockdown
• reading