Celebrating 25 years of World Book Day
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Celebrating 25 years of World Book Day
This year’s packed programme will help more children than ever to discover a love for reading.
The charity World Book Day turns 25 on Thursday 3rd March 2022 and is inviting everyone to its party celebrating the past, present and future of children’s reading.
Reading for pleasure is the biggest indicator of a child’s future success – more than their family circumstances, their parents’ educational background or their income[1] – however, it is in decline and at its lowest level since 2005.
This year, World Book Day is inspiring children and families to think of themselves as readers and to read together more regularly.
Highlights of the World Book Day campaign in Wales include:
- New Welsh-language £1 book by renowned Welsh author, poet and children’s TV star Anni Llŷn – Lledrith yn y Llyfrgell (Y Lolfa)
- Fun and colourful resources filled with ideas of how to celebrate with a reading-inspired party to mark the 25th birthday celebrations
- Competition on Books Council of Wales social media channels to win a stack of 25 books
- Sponsored competition on Awr Fawr Cyw (S4C) where children and schools are encouraged to send photos of their World Book Day celebrations and costumes
Helgard Krause, CEO of Books Council of Wales, said: “I am delighted that the Books Council is able to support the delivery of World Book Day in Wales, and to celebrate this special anniversary. We know that developing a habit of reading for pleasure at a young age has lifelong benefits, and we firmly believe that everyone can be a reader. That’s why we’re so pleased to be able to make another £1 book available in Welsh this year and to work with our friends at World Book Day to encourage everyone to find the right book for them, wherever they are on their reading journey.”
To make it easy for everyone to take part in World Book Day 2022 and to encourage a celebration of reading, there will also be a suite of online resources available on the World Book Day website, including activity sheets and discussion guides for teachers, parents and carers.
Alongside this, the Books Council is encouraging people to go along to their local bookshop or library to discover which books capture their imagination. There will also be a range of activities in the lead-up to and on the day itself, including a widespread You Are A Reader social media campaign, where World Book Day legacy authors, influencers and talent from TV, film, music and literature will share their favourite stories and encourage children and their families to find themselves in books and enjoy reading together regularly.
Getting involved
Thanks to National Book Tokens working alongside publishers and booksellers, World Book Day distributes over 15 million £1/€1.50 book tokens across the UK and Ireland every year through schools, nurseries, libraries, prisons and other charities. The single-use digital token can also be downloaded from the World Book Day website.
Tokens can be redeemed for any £1 book from Thursday 17 February – Sunday 27 March 2022 in bookshops, bookshop chains and supermarkets. Alternatively, they can also be used as a £1/€1.50 contribution to any other book.
[1] OECD amongst other evidence – https://www.worldbookday.com/about-us/the-evidence/
