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Today is World Book Day

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Today is World Book Day

Our friends at UNESCO agree that we love books. World Book Day was proposed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization as a day to celebrate the pleasure of reading for pleasure.

World Book Day is observed in over a hundred countries, and why not?

Children who read for pleasure on a regular basis score higher on tests, have a larger vocabulary, have more general knowledge, and have a better understanding of other cultures than their non-reading peers. Reading is a passport to this and many other worlds, whether you read traditional paperbound books or use your Kindle/iPad/whatever.

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So join us on April 23 to celebrate! Here’s how to channel your inner bookworm — and possibly score a free book in the process.

On April 23, World Book Day honours the pleasure of reading books. It’s a day to honour the gift of reading, so go to the library or curl up on the couch and indulge your inner bookworm!

Reading is a fantastic form of entertainment because it requires you to use your imagination instead of just watching images on a screen. The actual feel of a book, with its scent of printed pages and glossy covers, is also extremely relaxing. Books are a valuable part of society now, but they weren’t always.

Clay tablets were used to develop vocabulary and writing thousands of years ago. Papyrus and parchment were created as a result of this. The Chinese developed the first form of a book in the third century, though their books were made up of thick bamboo pages that were stitched together.

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The printing press revolutionised books in the mid-fifteenth century, transforming them into what they are today and making them widely available. We can now enjoy the prose and poetry of countless authors and poets, from Shakespeare and Tolstoy to George R.R. Martin, thanks to this brilliant invention.

On April 23, 1995, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) established World Book Day. This date was chosen because it is the anniversary of the deaths of William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, a prominent Spanish chronicler.

Previously, there were several suggestions for when World Book Day should be observed. Originally, Valencian writer Vicente Clavel Andrés proposed that the day be commemorated on Miguel de Cervantes’ birthday. This meant it could happen on his birthday, October 7, or on his death date, April 23. This date was chosen because it coincided with the dates of the deaths of William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. Surprisingly, several other well-known authors, including William Wordsworth and David Halberstam, died on April 23.

World Book Day is observed on a variety of dates throughout the world. The United Kingdom, Sweden, and Ireland are all members of the European Union.

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Laid stars Stephanie Hsu and Zosia Mamet reveal the worst gifts their romantic partners gave them | Exclusive

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Laid stars Stephanie Hsu and Zosia Mamet reveal the worst gifts their romantic partners gave them | Exclusive

romantic partners

Stephanie Hsu and Zosia Mamet talk about their new series Laid, and some of the horrors of dating as millennials. Imagine a scenario where anyone and everyone you have ever been intimate with begins to die one by one. Is it a curse?

If yes, then who is cursed? These are questions that Stephanie Hsu‘s Ruby battles with in the new zany comedy, Laid. Ahead of the show’s release, Stephanie and co-star Zosia Mamet spoke exclusively with HT about their roles, the show’s unique premise, and the horrors of dating as millennials. (Also read: Dune: Prophecy star Emily Watson on working with Tabu: ‘She is a true treasure’)

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Stephanie Hsu on her character’s flawed morality

Laid, created by Nahnatchka Khan and Sally Bradford McKenna, is the story of Ruby (Stephanie Hsu), who discovers that all her sexual partners are dying one by one, and she must warn them. Helping her in this unique quest is her best friend AJ (Zosia). The fun thing about Laid is that the protagonists are not the usual likeable characters. “She is totally an anti-hero of our story. I really love that.

says Stephanie, referring to Ruby’s moral greyness. “I am not a perfect person and I love playing flawed characters. But it was difficult. The creators told me that she is a total narcissist. But narcissists don’t think they are one, so I had to figure out a way to love her. For me, playing Ruby was about getting into her psychology and finding the innocent part of her – which is that she just wants love,” the actor adds.

While sitcoms usually add the best friend as the voice of reason trope, Laid diverges from that, with AJ even zanier and more morally ambiguous than Ruby. Talking about playing such a colourful character, Zosia Mamet says.

“When you play not-so-likable or zany characters, people don’t believe they are that way. I don’t think AJ wakes up every morning and thinks, ‘I am absolutely crazy’. It’s about trusting the writing and finding an organic way into these characters to make them seem grounded, real, and relatable.”

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Stephanie, Zosia reveal the worst gifts they received from partners

In Laid, Ruby gives the gift of death to the men she is with, even if that is inadvertent. Ask the women about the worst ‘gift’ a partner has ever given them, and the discussions veer into the unusual horrors of modern-day dating.

“I got a vintage wooden duck decoy from someone. It was broken, and I thought, ‘What does this say about our relationship?’. They didn’t know me well enough to know if I’d want this but also that they gave me something old and ailing,” Zosia says with a laugh.

In a recent interview, Stephanie Hsu and Zosia Mamet, stars of the comedy series Laid, shared anecdotes about the most perplexing gifts they’ve received from romantic partners.

Zosia Mamet recounted receiving a vintage wooden duck decoy from a partner. The gift was broken, leading her to question its significance and what it implied about their relationship. She humorously reflected on the lack of thoughtfulness behind the present, noting that the giver didn’t know her well enough to choose something appropriate.

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Stephanie Hsu shared an experience involving an ex who, after a five-year hiatus, sent her a bag of gifts, including a hat knitted by his mother. She found the gesture odd and was uncomfortable with the idea of wearing an ex-boyfriend’s mother’s handmade hat.

These personal stories highlight the complexities and occasional missteps in romantic gift-giving, offering a glimpse into the actors’ real-life experiences that parallel the humorous and relatable themes explored in their show.

Laid is a comedy series that follows the character Ruby, portrayed by Stephanie Hsu, who discovers that all her sexual partners are dying one by one, prompting her to warn them. Zosia Mamet plays her best friend, AJ, who assists Ruby in this darkly comedic quest. The series premiered on December 19, 2024, on Peacock and is available in India on JioCinema.

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