The European Book Day aims at promoting literacy in Europe and engage EU-citizens from all age groups with reading. The European Book Day is not one new single day in the annual calendar, but is connected to existing events in four European countries. The objective of the project is to attract new visitors – especially young adults from un-privileged social backgrounds – to those events and introduce European guest authors to the audience. In addition, a curriculum will be written by specialists from the partner countries to organize workshops for the target group.
Where does it take place?
The idea for the European Book Day originated in Austria, based on the success of the Reading Aloud Day Austria. The three other partner countries are Romania, Germany and Sweden. In each partner country a European Book Day will be added to (a project in) the annual calendar. Based on the European Book Day curriculum, culturally disadvantaged young people will be invited to the project, and EU citizens living abroad will get the opportunity to get in contact again with authors of their home country.
The European Book Day does not end when all four events have taken place, but invites organisations all over Europe to adopt the idea of the project and organise their own European Book Day in their country. For more information about (adopting) the project, please contact Betina Aumair via betina.aumair[at]vhs.at.
Activities
Romania
The first European Book Day was supposed to take place in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, in May 2020. Due to the Corona crisis, unfortunately the event has been postponed. Asociatia Versus will organise the European Book Day in the framework of its ongoing activities for reading promotion in Romania at a later date, probably April 2022.
Austria
On March 24th 2022 the European Book Day kicks off in Vienna, Austria. The Reading Aloud Vorlesetag will take place under the flag of European Book Day.
Romania
In April 2022 European Book Day will land in Cluj-Napoca, Romania – see above for more details.
Sweden
It will be Swedens turn in May 2022 to welcome European Book Day. It will do so in the city of Gävle.
Germany
Finally, the city of Bonn, Germany will host European Book Day during the Bundesweiter Vorlesetag, which has been a national event for 16 years. It will take place at November 18th, 2022.
Organisations involved
Echo Medienhaus and the Wiener Volkshochschulen, Austria
Media Partners SRL and Asociatia Versus, Romania
Stiftung Lesen and City of Bonn, Germany
ABF, Sweden
EURead, Belgium
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