World Book Day activity
- Hanoi is running Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day from April 21–27 with author exchanges and launches. (en.vietnamplus.vn) - The UK highlighted Rachel Hore for World Book Night, including free-to-stream audiobooks and a shared reading hour. (ipswichstar.co.uk) - Events range from local street festivals to debates about AI and writing, showing global celebration and discussion. ( )
Book festivals, free audiobooks and debates about artificial intelligence are marking World Book Day week from Hanoi to Britain to Chile. (unesco.org) In Hanoi, Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day is running from April 21 to April 27 on Book Street, with 14 publishers and distributors across 15 booths, author exchanges, book launches and discount programs for readers. (en.vietnamplus.vn) Vietnam’s 2026 national program carries the theme “Knowledge Flow - From Book Pages to Digital Spaces,” and the National Library of Vietnam says events are being organized with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. (nlv.gov.vn) In Britain, World Book Night falls on Thursday, April 23, and the campaign is built around a shared Reading Hour from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., free-to-stream audiobooks and the Quick Reads series for adults and young people. (worldbooknight.org) The Ipswich Star highlighted novelist Rachel Hore’s Quick Read, “The Girl in the Picture,” as part of the 2026 push, while The Reading Agency said this year’s Quick Reads list has six titles and marks the program’s 20th year. (ipswichstar.co.uk, (readingagency.org.uk) The calendar is global because UNESCO set April 23 as World Book and Copyright Day in 1995, tying the date to an annual campaign for books, reading and copyright. (unesco.org) This year’s events are also carrying the argument about how books are made and discussed. In Chile, Ediciones UTEM used World Book Day programming to stage a debate on artificial intelligence and writing alongside its publishing activities. (elciudadano.com) Vietnam’s version has been expanding too: state media says April 21 has been observed as Vietnam Book and Reading Culture Day since 2014, and the country broadened the campaign after a 2021 government decision renamed the event from Vietnamese Book Day. (vietnam.vnanet.vn, (gtrip.vn) The result is a week where the same holiday can look different in each place: a street fair in Hanoi, a national reading hour in the United Kingdom, and a university debate in Santiago. (en.vietnamplus.vn, (worldbookday.com, (elciudadano.com)
