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.

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.

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.