About the project
The European Book Day aims at promoting literacy in Europe and engage EU-citizens from all age groups with reading. The European Book Day is not one new single day in the annual calendar, but is connected to existing events in four European countries. The objective of the project is to attract new visitors – especially young adults from un-privileged social backgrounds – to those events and introduce European guest authors to the audience. In addition, a curriculum will be written by specialists from the partner countries to organize workshops for the target group.
Where does it take place?
The idea for the European Book Day originated in Austria, based on the success of the Reading Aloud Day Austria. The three other partner countries are Romania, Germany and Sweden. In each partner country a European Book Day will be added to (a project in) the annual calendar. Based on the European Book Day curriculum, culturally disadvantaged young people will be invited to the project, and EU citizens living abroad will get the opportunity to get in contact again with authors of their home country.
The European Book Day does not end when all four events have taken place, but invites organisations all over Europe to adopt the idea of the project and organise their own European Book Day in their country. For more information about (adopting) the project, please contact Betina Aumair via betina.aumair[at]vhs.at.
Activities
Romania
The first European Book Day was supposed to take place in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, in May 2020. Due to the Corona crisis, unfortunately the event has been postponed. Asociatia Versus will organise the European Book Day in the framework of its ongoing activities for reading promotion in Romania at a later date, probably May 2022.
Germany
In November 2021 the European Book Day lands in Bonn, Germany, during the Bundesweiter Vorlesetag, which has been a national event for 16 years.
Austria
In March 2022, the Reading Aloud Vorlesetag will take place in Austria, under the flag of European Book Day.
Sweden
In June 2022, it is Sweden’s turn to welcome European Book Day. It will do so in the city of Gävle.
Organisations involved
Echo Medienhaus and the Wiener Volkshochschulen, Austria
Media Partners SRL and Asociatia Versus, Romania
Stiftung Lesen and City of Bonn, Germany
ABF, Sweden
EURead, Belgium
