April 23rd was World Book Night, an initiative designed to encourage us all to share books, more specifically to give books to strangers and to get more people reading.
With this initiative, 20 books are chosen by an independent committee, the authors agree to waive royalties and special ‘World Book Night’ editions are produced by the publishers. Then 20,000 volunteers around the UK and Ireland each hand out 20 copies of their favourite of these books to members of their community who don’t regularly read.
The aim of WBN is to raise the profile of reading and to inspire those who don’t frequently read to do so. This is achieved with peer-to-peer encouragement, emphasis on enjoyment (not just education) and the use of top quality books across a multitude of genres.
It is well established that reading improves employability and social interaction and can have a positive effect on mental health and happiness.
On the 23rd, a vast range of events were happening around the country as part of World Book Night. Writing.ie’s own crime novelist Louise Phillips told an audience in Tallaght about her journey of writing the hit psychological thriller ‘Red Ribbons’, and read from this award nominated novel, as well as giving a workshop on The Essential Elements of Crime Writing. About the initiative, Louise commented: “World Book Night is all about encouraging reading, but it encompasses a lot more than that. It is also about community and reaching out through the sharing of stories, which is why I’m particularly delighted to be facilitating a reading and workshop in Tallaght library this evening as part of this fantastic night.”
Writing.ie’s Hazel Gaynor was another World Book Night giver – she chose Philippa Gregory’s ‘The White Queen’, the first book in The Cousin’s War’ series about the Wars of the Roses. She explained, “I gave the books to neighbours, some of whom I had never met or spoken to before, so it was lovely to say hello and give the gift of a book. World Book Night is such a fantastic initiative, which seems to be growing in momentum in Ireland, and it really is lovely to see people’s reactions when you give them a free book.”
This year’s World Book Night titles included a huge variety of books: The Secret Scripture by Irish author Sebastian Barry as well as Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman, Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier, The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde, Casino Royale by Ian Fleming, The White Queen by Philippa Gregory, A Little History of the World by E.H Gombrich, Little Face by Sophie Hannah, Damage by Josephine Hart, The Island by Victoria Hislop, Red Dust Road by Jackie Kay, Last Night Another Soldier… by Andy McNab, Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness, The Reader by Bernard Schlink, No 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith, Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, The Road Home by Rose Tremain, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette Winterson and Judge Dredd: The Dark Judges by John Wagner
For more information on World Book Night, have a look at the official WBN website http://www.worldbooknight.org/.
