World Book Day 2022: Respecting the impact of Literature

“IT WAS books that made me feel that perhaps I was not completely alone.” – “Clockwork Prince” by Cassandra ClareYou probably remember the first book that you read, but do you remember the first book that you actually read? Funny enough, there is a difference.At school, it’s impossible to avoid all book reports assigned to you. Try as you might, there’s always that one book that you read from start to finish; the one where you’re so fully engrossed in the story, that you’re sad when it ends.It doesn’t matter what age this sort of book reached you and whether you ever felt that joy again. Because what matters is you read a book, and you loved it.According to SA News, World Book Day is “an annual event organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) to promote reading, publishing, and copyright.” There are hundreds of studies that preach the benefits of establishing a healthy reading habit at an early age, and World Book Day—celebrated every April 23—is the one special day where all book lovers get to share the books that have helped shape their lives.The world has gone through so much change over the past few years, but the one constant in our lives has always been the written word. A writer’s words live on long after they’ve passed and the world has changed anew because once a thought is written, it grows in the hearts and minds of everyone who has ever read it.In the age of technology and digitization, we can’t take Literature for granted. Creative minds are some of the most resilient out there and they have the power to put the thoughts of many into words. Books can ignite a rebellion and change the world. Despite the rise of e-readers and audiobooks, bookworms can all agree on one thing: Nothing beats the weighty feeling of a book in your hands; the smell of the pages as you flick through them; and the satisfaction of seeing your collection on your bookshelf.World Book Day shouldn’t just be a day for promotions; it should also be a day of remembering all the great books that have helped bookworms feel as if they’re not alone; a day where everyone gets to hold the title of ‘bookworm’ and share their favorite book.After all, anyone can be a bookworm; it just takes the right book to draw you in. So, think of the first book you read, and ask yourself: How has this book changed you? And what are you going to do about it?