Instituto Cervantes marks World Book Day 2023

THE INTRAMUROS Branch of Instituto Cervantes de Manila will be hosting a celebration of World Book Day, or Día del Libro, on Saturday April 22, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

From fiction to non-fiction, poetry to prose, thousands of books will be gathered around Instituto Cervantes’ premises in Intramuros. Día del Libro will feature Manila top bookstores and publishing houses that will be selling a wide array of books at a 20% discount. Following the tradition in Spain, every book purchase would entitle one to a free rose.

And for this year’s celebration, Instituto Cervantes will be giving out hundreds of books for free.

Apart from the book market, visitors to Día del Libro will be treated to poetry recitals, free Spanish classes, book presentations, street art, games, exhibits, storytelling sessions, Spanish food, as well as fun activities for the children.

First introduced in Manila by Instituto Cervantes in 2006, the tradition of Día del Libro began in Barcelona, Spain. The tradition is commemorated on St. George’s Day (April 23), during which Spanish people exchange roses and books. This date also honors two of history’s greatest writers — Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare — who coincidentally died on the very same day, April 23, 1616. These significant incidents prompted the UNESCO to declare April 23 as World Book and Copyright Day.

April is also the birth month of the classic Filipino poet Francisco Balagtas, and to honor him the National Commission for Culture and the Arts declared April as National Literature Month.

To commemorate the Day of Miguel de Cervantes, in this edition the Instituto Cervantes is challenging visitors to join a Quixotic attempt: to handwrite Don Quixote de La Mancha. The final hand-written book will be deposited in the Library of Instituto Cervantes. People interested in taking part in the writing of Don Quijote can join on the same day with no prior registration. Participants in the handwriting chain will receive a rose.

Through the 2nd Recital of Filhispanic Poetry, Instituto Cervantes is inviting poetry lovers to recite verses written in Spanish by Filipino poets. All the recorded recitations will be compiled in a video that will be posted on the Instituto Cervantes Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@InstitutoCervantesManila at the end of April. Interested poetry aficionados can register at https://forms.office.com/e/EZwcmKDsTN

Thanks to the collaboration of publishing houses, visitors will have the opportunity to meet authors who will be signing their works. Among the writers who will be signing copies are Jessica Zafra, Charlson Ong, Wilfredo Liangco, Katrina Martin, Kannika Claudine D. Peña, and Vince Groyon. Book lovers will also have the chance to attend book presentations organized by some publishers. The program schedule can be found athttps://www.facebook.com/events/1224034514883637

As one of the perks of Día del Libro, Instituto Cervantes will offer a 10% discount and special gifts for those enrolling for Spanish classes on April 22.

And to cap it off, Instituto Cervantes will close Día del Libro 2023 with a live concert featuring Filipino rock band Talahib People’s Music at 5:30 p.m.

Día del Libro is organized by Instituto Cervantes de Manila, in collaboration with the Embassy of Spain in the Philippines and Intramuros Administration, and with the support of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, Consejería de Educación of Spain, and the embassies of Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Panama and Venezuela. Participating bookstores and publishing houses include: Ateneo University Press, Milflores Publishing, National Historical Commission of the Philippines, Vibal Publishing, Far Eastern University Publications, La Solidaridad Bookstore, Kahel Press, and Artbooks.ph.

Admission to all Día del Libro activities is free on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information about World Book Day 2023 and events at the Intramuros Branch of Instituto Cervantes de Manila, visit the websitewww.facebook.com/InstitutoCervantesManila.