Why everyday should be World Book Day
Photo: Penny Wincer. Check out Penny’s Not Too Busy To Write podcast HERE
I confess, I’m a hopeless bibliophile. From precious childhood books including my well-worn Roald Dahls, to an extensive collection of kitchen based cookery books, referred to on a daily basis, and the ‘library of the macabre’ as the other half calls my crime archive, I reckon it must be about 500. And that’s not even counting his equally vast collection of science, pedagogy, music and fiction. Cicero’s words, ‘a house without books is like a body without a soul’ are jubilantly echoed by Dr Seuss who tells us to ‘Fill your house with books, In all the crannies and all the nooks’. But what would Marie Kondo say to that?
World Book Day was set up in 1995 by UNESCO to celebrate books, authors and encourage young people to discover the pleasures of reading. But it might be argued this has been a World Book Year as lockdown saw more people than ever turn to the escapism and the pleasures of reading. Books have offered a welcome retreat from a strange, often frightening world and it’s telling that book sale trends have lent towards fantasy and escapism and away from the Dystopian.
In this era of Zoom and online technology, we’ve never had to spend so much time staring at other people’s bookshelves. The most popular backdrop for anyone wishing to lend gravitas to their persona and words, it’s been claimed ‘bookshelves are the new black’ and that everyone wants Quarantine’s hottest accessory, a ‘credibility bookshelf.’ You can even find information on how to curate the perfect book backdrop for Zoom Meetings. It’s a Yes to Classics and ‘appropriate’ autobiographies, a no to Sex Manuals or Dummies Guides.
Those who genuinely love books see this relegation from beloved object to status wallpaper as depressing but it’s a growing market. Bristol-based Bookbarn International supply books for TV and film sets. They’ve seen a rise in homeworkers ordering their own book backdrops. Country House Library UK and Booksbymetre.com also sell books for their aesthetic and visual properties, rather than for reading. It makes us think about what books are and where their value lies. Are they about presenting an outward display of intellect and culture? Or is it about how they affect us inside?
It was Mark Zuckerberg, the godfather of social media who famously discovered books for himself. The Facebook founder who’s indirectly done much to reduce reading attention spans, made this momentous discovery in 2015 claiming, ‘Books allow you to fully immerse yourself in a topic in a deeper way than most media today.’ I couldn’t agree more. Books are the original pre-digital portal that can take you on a journey of discovery. They allow readers to grow, learn, expand, transform, become. You are never alone with a book and the capacity to enrich and enlighten us are immeasurable. And, that’s why everyday should be World Book Day.
Nilgin Yusuf is a freelance writer. You can find her on Twitter @Nilgin and Instagram @nilgin_yusuf
We’ve created a That’s Not My Age book store on Bookshop, which includes everything from comforting lockdown reads to recommendations by our brilliant podcast guests and books which will unleash your inner activist. There’s tonnes on there to inspire you, and every sale will help financially support local, independent bookshops.
Discussion (21 Comments)
Claire B says:
On Chapel Sands by Laura Cummings is a wonderful book. I hadn’t previously read anything by her but now want to read her other books. I keep any novels/autobiographies etc which I’ve really enjoyed and have meant something, even books I read as a child, but pass on the not so great ones to charity, friends etc. Most art /culture books I keep, but unfortunately lack of space means there comes a point when you do have to have a cull!
Thanks Mrs Tonia for this. I also think it’s a really good idea to pass books on. I recently donated six boxes of books to a women’s prison where they will be re loved and enjoyed anew.. it’s good to share the love!
Bev says:
Book Backdrop Sydrome is the very worst of this self-obsessed, Love Island mentality of moronic and it makes me so incredibly sad that (some) people are so vacuous. I have two huge bookshelves of books collected and read over 50 odd years and I love them all. I have ‘curated’ (I hate that description, too) by subject matter purely for my benefit – even this is more by accident than design. I also have a selection of childhood favourites that, although of no particular pleasure to my grandchildren, do give me happiness. Even my own daughter phoned to ask me if I had “two plain beigey-grey” cookery books to put a bloody plant on in her new kitchen – she is definitely not a chip of the old block and although I agreed I was silently sobbing!
I feel your pain Bev! Mine are also ordered for ease of reference too – not the tone of the book spine. I think book collections can be a wonderful record of our development as humans, reflecting our changing interests and tastes. And whenever you go back to an old, loved book, you’ll discover different things depending on how you’ve changed or developed.
Lyn in Yorkshire says:
Oh Bev, this has made my morning! I particularly like the way you even swear to emphasise your annoyance. It takes a lot at the moment to make me chuckle. Thank you ….
Sara says:
A woman after my own heart! More power to your elbow, Bev. What a sad comment that books are to “impress” other vacuous minds. I am still a danger to myself in a bookshop, even though I really try now to do a one in, one out system. It only partially works…… Kindle for everyday light reads that won’t be kept, proper books for anything that might be a treasure. Charity for anything that is going out. I have only once put a book in a dustbin, as it represented what I thought of it, but I’d better not mention the author.
……also highly recommend Elif Shafak novels. Thought provoking, intelligent and beautifully written. I am gleefully working my way through all of her books.
I went to see Elif Shafak in conversation and she was magnificent. Definitely need to read more of her books…
Anna K. says:
I’m a fanatical bibliophile – I have more than 4000 on shelves all over the house. I have three grandchildren, two girls who are also avid readers and a grandson who was diagnosed as severely dyslexic, and at 11 years old, barely able to read ‘dog’ or ‘cat’. He is otherwise highly intelligent, excellent at maths and a keen chess player.
His difficulty with reading was a huge grief and concern to me, so during lockdown, I decided to try and do something about it. I found an online course for dyslexic children which has proved miraculous. It costs £150 a month and is worth every penny. We spend 15 minutes a day on the daily exercises and he has now progressed from on-screen reading to his first reading book, which we are reading together, an exciting yarn about pirates, hidden treasure and a hero ship’s cat, which he absolutely loves. It is such a relief and joy to see him engage with books, gaining in confidence and discovering that reading is a pleasure and delight rather than a source of drudgery and frustration.
We are lucky enough to be able to meet the costs; it distresses me to think that poorer children are denied this gateway to literacy.
A gateway to literacy is a gateway to the world and a gateway to the self – and the imagination. What a fantastic thing to have done for your grandson..
I enjoyed your article and it struck a chord with me. I have always had books within arms length. The sight of book shelves continues to draw me. I don’t read as often as I should as I have always found it difficult to sit still for lengthy periods of time. You can imagine my school report ‘easily distracted’. Yep, sure was. But when I do engage with a good book there is nothing on earth like the feeling of becoming lost in the depths of a fine tale. I take recommendations too. Many years ago, a friend gave me a small paper back of Emile Zola’s ‘Therese Raquin’ which led to other novels by this author.
I admit to a weakness for cookery books. I have a habit of slipping post cards (!) and birthday cards within book covers. So the other day, as I reached for Keith Floyd (found loitering on an Oxfam shelf), a post card from 1994 fell out. It was from my late parents on a brief stop-over in Singapore, on the way to Australia. A lovely moment to pause and think of them. Anyway, I am now taking note of books mentioned in this thread. Thank youJan says:
Oh Lyn, I do that too. All my favourite recipes have post cards and birthday cards to mark the pages. It’s an extra element in the joy of cooking beloved favourite meals.
A meeting of minds eh Jan? Can you share your favourite all time cookery book?
Mrs Tonia says:
Hello Lyn.
Among my favourites are my collection of paperbacks by Elizabeth David. I taught myself to cook on summer holidays from these classics.
French Country cooking. Mediterranean Cooking. The early first Ottolenghi cookbooks. Plenty is the titleThanks Mrs Tonia.
I also have the odd ED book, and like you, spend time in our local Oxfam book shop supporting the cause. There was one embarrassing moment of stupidity when I realised (after the event) that I’d bought back a book that I’d actually donated. I’ve made a note of your suggested reading in literature and food. I really do need to add Ottolenghi to my shelves
Ali Morris says:
It’s been really frustrating not being able to go to our local library which has been closed since last March. I swap books within my local community gardening group; very informal; we post photos on ‘What’s App’ of books we are giving away and then deliver or collect them from each others doorstep. It’s a chance to have a chat with shielding members, discover new authors and has been a welcome distraction this lockdown!
Yvonne says:
Wonderful post! Nothing beats a good cup of tea and a nice book to read. Books have saved my life. They are angels in disguise. Thanks to all the beautiful writers who continue to enrich my life. I am reading Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad. and The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd. I finished To Love and Let Go by Rachel Brathen … a bit heavy and sad but I learned a lot from that book. Bravo for books and for those who love them!!!
I enjoyed the post by Anna K about her dyslexic grandson. Such a wonderful story!!Wouldn’t it be lovely to be asked around to people’s homes to look at their book collections. Now that would be my idea of an afternoon out! Can’t be doing with the ‘come and see my new sofa’ brigade but to pore over other peoples choice of books would be so enlightening and fun.
Janet says:
As someone who worked in libraries for nigh on 40 years, books are vital to me. We have books in almost every room in the house, except the bathroom, (high humidity is not good for books). When travelling, I take both Kindle and a book, as the idea of battery failure fills me with dread/panic. My local library has run a click and collect service for most of the pandemic, when it was unable to open to let patrons in to browse. Click and collect is not ideal for people who don’t know what to read next, but excellent for those of us who are happy to have a list of to-be-read to get through.
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Nilgin thanks for this thoughtful post about the pleasure of owning books. I’ve many including lots of art and design books and catalogues. They deliberately don’t find their way into my Zoom backgrounds. Nor are my bookshelves arranged by colour or size. I organise them by subject matter so I can find them with relative ease when I want to read a particular topic. Smaller paperbacks and novels are grouped together. I both buy and donate books on a regular basis to my local Oxfam bookshop. Now closed yet again in this third lockdown. I’ve also donated large quantities of Art books to the local secondary school for students of GCSE and A-Level art before moving house a few years ago. There’s a continual flow of second hand books in and books out. Finished a novel I enjoyed then I pass to a friend. Last buys from Oxfam before it closed : a knitting manual though I have several on my shelf and another textile book.
The idea for a TNMA collaboration with Bookshop sounds a really good one.
Can I recommend The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett and On Chapel Sands by Laura Cummings. Both purchased late last year on a browse in Waterstones. For pulp fiction I enjoyed Mum and Dad by Joanne Trollope and am reading Grown Ups by Marian Keyes right now.