International Book Day

Today, as you all know, we celebrate The International Book Day, The same day Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare died, according to tradition. But 2009 has not been a very good year for publishers, who are undergoing a great crisis due to a growing competitive digital industry. Small bookshops are suffering most from this situation. But in our Information Society traditional literacy is becoming something of the past. Digital literacy is what is at stake now because we are running the risk of leaving a great part of our population behind if we do not do something to fill the digital gap. See Europe's Information Society
to read how ICTs affect our lives every day.


Going back to books and reading, the situation is not as alarming as some think because reading is still one of the cheapest ways of spending free time and it is still one of the less expensive presents we can give our friends and relatives. Reading habits are still on the rise, which is amazing, even though the Valencian Community occupies one of the lowest positions in the ranking.

Something interesting is that in Valencia, Catalonia and Mallorca lovers exchange a book and a rose on April 23rd. This last present comes from an old tradition that goes back to the Middle Ages. Apparently the knight Saint Jordi saves a princess from the mouth of a dragon. The story says that from the dragon's bood grew a beautiful rosebush.

You might be able to get a free book from Metrovalencia today. The company is celebrating The International Bookk Day giving free copies of "Els amors de Tirant i Carmessina" and "Leyendas románticas" at Colon, Angel Guimerá and Benimaclet stations. The idea is part of a campaign to promote reading habits among commuters.

This year we also celebrate the 400th anniversary of the expulsion of the Moors in 1609. The event was a decisive demographic and economic factor which greatly affected the Valencian Society of the time.

Something sad is that state schools are very angry with our political representatives. The platform are giving 13 yellow roses to the MP Font de Mora in protest for the lack of sensibility towards their claims. Each of the roses is a symbol of one of the claims stated in the Manifest in favour of state schools.

If you are interested in what is going on in the publishing world, you should go to The Valencian Book Fair which opened yesterday in Viveros Gardesns. The Fair, which will be open until May 3rd (11 to 14 and 17 to 21 ), is an opportunity to meet your favourite authors (José Luis Sampedro, Luis Eduardo Aute, Carmen Amoraga, Benjamín Prado, Vicente Verdú o Carmen Botello), have fun with your kids (there will be reading aloud activities for them) or attend one of the several lectures that will take place in the following days.

See programme of activities and exhibitions (El Flaco photographer, book designers, etc.).