• The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) celebrates World Book and Copyright Day to recognise the power of books as a bridge between generations and across cultures. 

• This date holds immense symbolism in world literature, marking the death of several renowned authors, including William Shakespeare, Miguel de Cervantes and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega.

• Books are like a window onto another world – with each new page, they introduce us to new people, new cultures and new ideas.

• Books, in all their forms, allow us to learn and to keep ourselves informed. They also entertain us and help us to understand the world. 

• For books to be able to unleash their full potential, it is essential that they reflect the linguistic diversity of our world. 

• However, this is far from being the case today. The majority of works are published in just a handful of languages.

Rio de Janeiro: World Book Capital 2025

• Every year, as part of celebrations for World Book and Copyright Day, a World Book Capital is selected by UNESCO and international organisations representing the three major sectors of the book industry – publishers, booksellers and libraries. 

• Selected cities undertake to promote books and reading for all age groups and across all sectors of society, in the host country and beyond. 

• Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) has been designated as World Book Capital for 2025.

• To date, UNESCO has designated 25 World Book Capitals, from Madrid in 2001, to Rio de Janeiro in 2025. 

• This is the first time that a Portuguese-speaking city has been designated World Book Capital.

• This year, the Brazilian city is implementing a project that underlines how books can bring about social change (for example, through literacy, education and poverty eradication) and create sustainable economic benefits.

• Through the World Book Capital programme, UNESCO acknowledges a city’s commitment to promote books and foster reading during a 12-month period as well as into the future. 

• Cities designated as UNESCO World Book Capital undertake to promote books and reading for all ages and groups, within and across national borders, and to organise a programme of activities for the year.

Former World Book Capitals:

• Madrid (2001)

• Alexandria (2002)

• New Delhi (2003)

• Antwerp (2004)

• Montreal (2005)

• Turin (2006)

• Bogota (2007)

• Amsterdam (2008)

• Beirut (2009)

• Ljubljana (2010)

• Buenos Aires (2011)

• Erevan (2012)

• Bangkok (2013)

• Port Harcourt (2014)

• Incheon (2015)

• Wroclaw (2016)

• Conakry (2017)

• Athens (2018)

• Sharjah (2019)

• Kuala Lumpur (2020)

• Tbilisi (2021)

• Guadalajara (2022)

• Accra (2023)

• Strasbourg (2024).

Manorama Yearbook app is now available on Google Play Store and iOS App Store