BOOKS: Today is World Book Day, organized by UNESCO — United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization —to promote reading, publishing and copyright.

It is also known as International Day of the Book. Either way, it’s a holiday we can get behind.

The original idea was conceived in 1922 by Vicente Clavel, director of Cervantes publishing house in Barcelona, as a way to honor the author Miguel de Cervantes and boost the sales of books. It was first celebrated on Oct. 7, 1926, Cervantes’ birthday, before being moved to his death date, April 23, in 1930.

In 1995, UNESCO decided that the World Book and Copyright Day would be celebrated on April 23, as the date is also the anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, as well as that of the birth or death of several other prominent authors.

On this day, “celebrations take place all over the world to recognize the scope of books — a link between the past and the future, a bridge between generations and across cultures. On this occasion, UNESCO and the international organizations representing the three major sectors of the book industry — publishers, booksellers and libraries, select the World Book Capital for a year to maintain, through its own initiatives, the impetus of the Day’s celebrations.”

The 2024 capital is Strasbourg, France; for 2025, it is Rio de Janeiro; applications are being accepted now for the 2026 designation.

Just how many books should one read in a year? A Pew Research Center study from 2015 said adults should read a dozen, other studies say 33 for an average person and 55 for a speedy reader. However, more than half of Americans read four or fewer.