World Book and Copyright Day
April 23rd is World Book and Copyright Day, a date established by UNESCO in 1995 to honor books, their authors, and all readers. This day invites us to reflect on the value of reading and its impact on society.
In this regard, Oswaldo Encalada, renowned writer and research professor at the University of Azuay, shared his vision of the value of books in our society. Culture is unthinkable without books, not only for their content, but also for their ability to preserve knowledge over time. He highlighted how, since the origins of writing, human beings have sought to preserve their meanings, ideas, and stories in a physical medium that transcends individual memory. Books, Encalada affirmed, are the great repository of humanity's collective memory.
He also addressed the key role of reading in childhood. He emphasized that a love of books is born in the earliest years of life, and that this connection must be fostered by parents. He fondly recalled the image of a child listening to bedtime stories, and how this seemingly simple gesture sows a lasting seed. For him, teaching children about the wonderful stories that live in books opens the door to a universe of possibilities that will accompany them throughout their lives.
As an author, he shared that his greatest satisfaction has come through children's stories. He recounted an anecdote in which a child, after reading one of his stories, asked him with childlike logic why a mouse could have a rabbit's tail as a charm, since it was bigger than him. That spontaneous curiosity, that developing critical thinking, is for him one of the greatest gifts of literature.
Encalada also emphasized that reading stimulates essential skills such as imagination, creativity, and critical thinking. In a world saturated by audiovisual media, he emphasized that reading is an active activity that deeply engages the reader. He compared the experience of reading to that of playing a real-life soccer game, as opposed to simply watching it on a screen: one engages the body and mind, the other merely entertains them. In reading, the reader must imagine, mentally constructing scenes, characters, and landscapes, which requires an invaluable creative effort.
Books are a treasure, not for romantic reasons, but for truth, Encalada asserts. Anyone who wants to enrich themselves in any area of knowledge must turn to books. You can't be rich without working, and reading is the most beautiful work a human being can do.
This World Book Day, let's celebrate the power of words, share stories, and continue cultivating the habit of reading. Because every book is an open door to knowledge, imagination, and freedom.
