World Book Day Plans

World Book Day falls on April 23, and universities, publishers and reading apps are using this year’s date to stage public reading events from Malaysia to South Korea. (unesco.org, bookstoreadonline.com) At Sunway University in Selangor, the School of Education said on April 22 that it had partnered with BookXcess for a World Book Day outreach visit to Pusat Penjagaan Kanak-Kanak Cacat Taman Megah. The university said the effort included a donation of 120 books. (sunwayuniversity.edu.my) Sunway tied the event to its “Campus with a Conscience” program, which the university says began in 2021 and frames campus activities around sustainable development and community action. The school said the BookXcess collaboration was meant to push reading beyond campus and into local social-service work. (sunwayuniversity.edu.my, sunwayuniversity.edu.my) In South Korea, the reading platform Wela said it is marking World Book Day with the Writers Association of Korea through a two-week special reading event running from April 20 to May 3. The promotion features excerpts from works by nine writers and enters users who finish at least one featured title into a prize draw for “blind books.” (bookstoreadonline.com) The writers named for the Wela program include Cho Jungrae, Kwon Yeo-sun, Choi Jinyoung, Park Sangyoung, Choi Eunyoung, Jin Eunyoung, Kim Sunwoo, Bae Jiyoung and Park Yeonjun. Wela’s parent company, Influential, said the titles are available on the platform in e-book and audiobook formats. (bookstoreadonline.com, welaaa.com) The date itself comes from UNESCO’s World Book and Copyright Day, which the agency lists every year on April 23. UNESCO has also designated Rabat, Morocco, as the 2026 World Book Capital, with that year-long program set to begin on April 23. (unesco.org, unesco.org) UNESCO said Rabat was chosen in part for its 54 publishing houses, a major African book fair and plans to expand access to books while fighting illiteracy. The agency said the World Book Capital title has been awarded annually since 2001. (unesco.org) This year’s events show how the April 23 observance now functions as both a cultural holiday and an organizing date for literacy campaigns, campus outreach and digital reading promotions. By Thursday, the day will be marked not just by book sales and author excerpts, but by book donations, app-based reading challenges and city-level programs tied to access. (sunwayuniversity.edu.my, bookstoreadonline.com, unesco.org)