INTERNATIONAL BOOK DAY

Every April 23rd we celebrate Book Day, did you know that this celebration started in 1995 organised by UNESCO?

This year is a special one as we are celebrating Shakespeare and Cervantes' 400th Death Anniversaries. 

Lots of references about them can be watched or read on the media and social netwoks nowadays. A new First Folio has just been discovered in a house on the Island of Bute in Scotland. 

The First Folio is the first collected edition of William Shakespeare's plays, compiled and published in 1623 by two of Shakespeare's friends (John Heminge and Henry Condell) seven years after his death. Folio editions were large and expensive books that were seen as prestige items, they included 36 plays divided in tragedies, comedies and histories even some which hadn't been published before "Macbeth", "The Tempest" and "As You Like It"

There are 234 copies in the world and this manuscript was split  in three for easy reading.

The First Folio is the first collected edition of William Shakespeare's plays, collated and published in 1623, seven years after his death. Folio editions were large and expensive books that were seen as prestige items. - See more at: http://www.bl.uk/collection-items/shakespeares-first-folio#sthash.2OJMuUzm.dpuf

We have studied his biography or plays but I think that including some curious facts about "The Bard" could be interesting

• He never attended university but he knew the classics quite well
• Besides being a poet and playwright he was a successful businessman
• He is the second most quoted author after the Bible
• He created more than 1400 characters, 13 of them commited suicide. 
• He introduced more than 3000 words into English, including insults that are used today.

The First Folio is the first collected edition of William Shakespeare's plays, collated and published in 1623, seven years after his death. Folio editions were large and expensive books that were seen as prestige items. - See more at: http://www.bl.uk/collection-items/shakespeares-first-folio#sthash.2OJMuUzm.dpuf

The First Folio is the first collected edition of William Shakespeare's plays, collated and published in 1623, seven years after his death. Folio editions were large and expensive books that were seen as prestige items. - See more at: http://www.bl.uk/collection-items/shakespeares-first-folio#sthash.2OJMuUzm.dpuf

 If you want to know more about Book Day celebration Click on the UNESCO site and read the Message from Ms Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO

"In turbulent times, books embody the human capacity to conjure up worlds of reality and imagination and express them in voices of understanding, dialogue and tolerance. They are symbols of hope and dialogue that we must cherish and defend."  

I can't avoid mentioning here other anniversaries that are important for British Literature this year

• CHARLOTTE'S BRONTË'S 200th birth anniversary(1816)
• ROAL DAHL'S 100th anniversary (1916)

 So I conclude as Shakespeare said: 
 

“Brevity is the soul of wit” (Hamlet)

“Good night, good night! parting is such sweet sorrow, 

That I shall say good night till it be morrow.”

( Romeo and Juliet)

he First Folio is the first collected edition of William Shakespeare's plays, collated and published in 1623, seven years after his death. Folio editions were large and expensive books that were seen as prestige items. - See more at: http://www.bl.uk/collection-items/shakespeares-first-folio#sthash.2OJMuUzm.dpuf so I'd like to include some curious facts