National Book Giving Day

Georgia takes pride in its traditions – everyone who has heard of this country most likely knows the fact by heart. However, it’s less known that Georgians are as serious about starting up new traditions as they are about keeping the old ones.

Giorgi Kekelidze, a famous Georgian writer and poet, a public figure and an innovator, recently proposed to make April 23, already established as 'World Book and Copyright Day,' a National Book Giving Day in Georgia.

“There’s a tradition in this world that is as priceless as it is cheap,” Kekelidze wrote on his Facebook page, “and that is Book Giving Day. Even if it didn’t exist in different parts of the world, we would have started it… A book is a sum of the memories of the human race, an experience much like yours and mine.”

The idea is being promoted by Kekelidze, the National Library of Georgia, and marketing group Anagrama. Everyone is encouraged to become one of the very first participants of this incredible tradition and spread the news on their social media pages so that more people get involved.
Since the date is getting close, start thinking ahead: who would you gift a book to, why and what handwritten note would you leave on its first blank page?

By Nini Dakhundaridze