What are you doing on World Book Day?

What Halloween is to goblins, Valentines Day is to romantics and Christmas is to… er… Father Christmas and shop-owners, World Book Day is to writers. But how do writers celebrate World Book Day? Well, speaking personally, we don’t go round in fancy dress, and we don’t come bearing gifts.

It’s an odd thing, World Book Day, because for that brief moment in March, nothing changes. People still go to work, and people still read when they can. They might be tempted to buy a book when they wouldn’t have otherwise, but don’t count on enormous queues at the local Waterstone’s. The biggest change, if any, is that some schools might heavily promote World Book Day (you get free books if you’re a child, apparently), but then kids should always be encouraged to read – does it really need a specially designated day to do that?
And in the evening… Well, the UEFA cup is on, with several British sides playing so I guess some of us will be in the pub cheering on Everton or Spurs. Those who aren’t might be watching some rubbish on telly. Will any of us be reading? Hopefully, those children who got their free book, or adults who gave into a spontaneous purchase at WHSmiths or Blackwells, will sit down for a few minutes or longer to rediscover why reading is more entertaining than watching Hollyoaks or EastEnders or Crufts 2008.

So what will writers do on World Book Day? Will the world change for them? I think in most cases, no, it won’t. Nor will it provide much recognition for writers, barring a fleeting moment of belonging to a brief celebration of writing. But it’s not about celebrating writing, is it? It’s about keeping books in the conscious mind of people, and especially children, due to the decline of reading over the last twenty years.
Which is why I don’t find World Book Day anything to cheer about. The moment we have a World Playstation Day is the moment when reading has returned back to the top of pile and has no need for publicity, which is the sad part. Why should we need a designated day to publicise reading and books? (The answer is obvious, and sadly so).

But that’s the downside. There is an upside too though… I promise. For example, part of the Macmillan New Writers community, Eliza Graham, was nominated for a World Book Day award – “The Book to Talk About” – for her book, Playing with the Moon. Already Eliza's seen sales grow on the back of this - the publicity has been pretty good. So some published writers will benefit greatly from World Book Day.
Even though it’s artificially induced, World Book Day does stir debate on favourite authors, on new writing, and publishing as a whole, and you’ll probably never see a greater concentration of author events on any single day than World Book Day. And it’s not just constrained to today. World Book Day is something that sprawls over several days in some cases, (to be honest, they should designate it World Book Week). Don’t get me wrong, as a celebration of books and reading, this one is not shoddy.

So what will I be doing on World Book Day? Well, I’ll be at work. I might be reading, but it will be memos and letters thrown back and forth from senior management. I might get a chance to read on the bus to and from work, and probably a little in the evenings. I might even do a little bit of writing if time allows. World Book Day won’t change my world, personally, but if it reminds people about the magic of books, even just a handful of people, then it’s something pretty positive - despite being a day about the decline rather than the rise of reading.

Like I said, it’s an odd thing, World Book Day.