“In a situation where, one year after the outbreak of the pandemic, most schools around the world are partially or completely closed (…) and all people are forced to limit the time they spend outside the walls of their homes, books, more than ever, become a source of strength to overcome forced isolation, broaden our horizons and stimulate creativity,” reads a communiqué from the Polish Committee for UNESCO published on the occasion of the International Book Day.
The pandemic reality consisting in large part of online meetings, video conferences and various online activities, makes us realize that we are not adapted to live only in the virtual world. A large part of society has once again come to appreciate traditional forms of spending time, such as reading. According to research conducted by IMAS International, in 2020 Poles and Polish women will read books more often than before the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
What does reading give us?
The advantages of reading are many. Beginning in infancy, when reading aloud builds synaptic connections in children, and also ending at the end of a human’s life, when reading can help reduce the risk of dementia and stress. What is more according to a study conducted by neuropsychologist David Lewis, just 6 minutes of reading is enough to reduce stress in an adult by about 60%. In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, stress reduction can be helpful in reducing the negative effects of the current situation. What is more the epidemic period is not only associated with an immediate threat to life and health. We also have a situation of an excess of unconfirmed information circulating in the media. In the face of chaos and “fake news”, books are also a stable source of entertainment or information. The research of psychologists proves that reading literary fiction gives us greater social competences and helps us to understand various behaviors of other people.
27th Book and Copyright Day
The International Book Day was established in 1995 at the 28th session of the General Conference of UNESCO. However, the idea itself refers to a Spanish tradition from the 1930s. At that time in Catalonia on this day in honor of St. George women were given red roses. Over time, women began to reciprocate the gifts by giving books to men. April 23 is an important date in the pages of literary history, the date of death of Cervantes, Shakespeare or Nabokov. Furthermore, every year, on the initiative of UNESCO, a city is chosen to receive the title of World Book Capital. In previous years it was Madrid (2001), Bangkok (2013) or Wroclaw (2016). In 2021, Tbilisi has been declared the book capital.
Book Day at Eximius Prak
Joining the #bookday celebrations, we would like to share with you the new books on the booksharing shelves located in the lobby of our buildings. Some very attractive titles have appeared on the shelves today. We hope that “The Tales of Pilot Pirx” and “Robot Tales” will be of interest not only to fans of futurology. On the occasion of the Year of Lem we encourage everyone to get to know the literary output of one of the most recognized Polish writers. Besides, as usual, there are various books waiting on the shelves so that everyone can find something for themselves.
