A day of books and roses

READING IS not necessarily a solitary affair as it can be a fun activity shared with somebody else. On April 23, book lovers of all ages can celebrate Dia del

Libro or International Book Day at Makati’s the Ayala Triangle where hundreds of free books will be given to visitors, participating book shops will offer 20% off their wares, and roses will be distributed for every purchase.

Starting at 10 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. at the Ayala Triangle Park, around 4,000 titles — ranging from children’s books to classic and contemporary titles — will be offered for sale with a 20% discount. The participating book stores include National Bookstore, Fully Booked, Artbooks, and Powerbooks, while local publishers like Vibal, Visprint, Anvil, and Adarna, and some university-based publishers including the University of Sto. Tomas and Ateneo de Manila, will also take part.

As the book bazaar runs, other activites will be held including storytelling and puppet shows, a balagtasan ( a traditional poetry joust), a jazz concert, and cocktails.

The event is led by the Instituto Cervantes, in partnership with the National Book Development Board ( NBDB), Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, WTA Architecture and Design Studio, and the Intellectual Property Office in the Philippines, among others.

APRIL 23 IN LITERATURE

April 23 is an important day in the world of literature.

In Spain where Dia del Libro started, the 23rd of April is St. George’s Day, a day when men and women exchange roses and books. April 23 is also the day two of the world’s greatest authors, Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare, died (See stories on this page. — Ed.).

Thus, UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) declared April 23 as “World Book and Copyright Day.”

In the Philippines, April is the birth month of the great classic Filipino poet, Francisco “Balagtas” Baltazar, the man behind the epic poem “Florante at Laura.” To honor him, the National Commission on Culture and the Arts declared April as National Literature Month.

POP-UP LIBRARY

In the lineup of activities of Dia del Libro is the inauguration of a pop-up library called the Book Stop. A project of the WTA Architecture and Design Studio, the non-profit mobile library aims to bring the books directly to the readers and encourage the development of a community of book lovers. The long-term goal, according to one of Book Stop’s architect designers, Manolo Guanzon, is to eventually set up permanent Book Stops in open public spaces. A three- by four-meter space, the Book Stop will be open at the Ayala Triangle for two weeks before moving to Intramuros, Manila, for another two weeks. The other places where the Book Stop will be set up are yet to be announced. The Book Stop at the Ayala Triangle will have more than 500 titles gathered from private donations. Anyone can get one book by giving another book in exchange to replenish the Book Stop’s shelves. Mr. Guanzon said the majority of the titles it has are textbooks, but there are also books of fiction like the Percy Jackson series, Twilight, and some children’s books. “We want to encourage a culture of reading, especially among the youth. In addition to it, we aim to redefine the meaning of architecture, which should be about maximizing open spaces like parks,” Mr. Guanzon told BusinessWorld. Neni Sta. Romana Cruz, NBDB chairwoman, laments that the country does not have public libraries open for leisurely reading. Instead, “we only visit the library to research.” She added: “[ The event aims to provide] access to books... Why do we have to buy all the books we want to read?” she asked, when we could read them in the library — that is if our barangay has a library.

REWRITING AND PRINTING HISTORY

One of the highlights of Dia del Libro is the actual rewriting of the classic book Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. Insituto Cervantes is calling for 500 volunteers to take part in, well, this “quixotic” activity — to write Mr. Cervantes’ novel by hand. A volunteer writer has two minutes to write a sentence from the novel. The final handwritten book will be deposited in the Library of Instituto Cervantes. Participating writers will get a rose.

From handwriting we move to printing quotations and excerpts. Book lovers and visitors can bring their own shirt — or buy one from the NBDB booth — and have a chosen lines printed on the shirt. Visitors can choose from excerpts of works by poets Marne Kilates and Joselito Delos Reyes, fictionists Noreen Capili and Jun Cruz Reyes, and graphic artists Mervin Malonzo and Manix Abrera. To complement the experience, visitors are treated to body art calligraphy through face paint and henna tattoo.

For more information on Dia del Libro check http:// manila. cervantes. es or www.facebook.com/InstitutoCervantesManila. —