Every year an annual event, World Book Day, is held across the world in over 100 countries. World Book Day was started by UNESCO to celebrate books and everything to do with reading. World Book Day aims to introduce the love of reading in the younger members of every country – because, as any bookworm will know, one you fall in love with reading, it’s a love that lasts a lifetime.

Every year, World Book Day is held on the same day – the 23^rd of April, except in UK and Ireland, which celebrate it on the first Thursday of March, which this year falls on 7 March.

World Book Day: Celebrating books and reading

World Book Day is the world’s biggest campaign to bring the power of the written word to every young child or teenager. World Book Day is a registered charity and is generously sponsored by National Book Tokens in the UK and Ireland.

These days, one of the biggest obstacles to reading is ‘screens’ or rather all the digital media children are exposed to – from online games, to vlogs, to apps and of course the old favourite, TV! In countries like UK and Ireland, children are sent home with National Book Tokens so they can find a book they really love. The hope is by reading something they really want to; the book will unlock the power of their imagination and their love of reading will start to grow.

A celebration of reading

This year World Book Day is celebrating one of its most successful years of getting books directly into the hands of children and young people who normally wouldn’t have access to them. In South Africa, World Book Day is celebrated nationally, coordinated by the Centre for the Book – an Outreach Unit of the National Library of South Africa. The aim of this organisation is to promote reading and writing in all South Africa’s local languages as well as give people access to books and encourage them to use their library facilities.

A celebration of books

World Book Day needn’t just be about the youth, the magical power of books is enjoyed by everyone, and bookstores and local book clubs all over the world join in the celebrations. If you have a love of reading and want to enjoy a book that is at the top of the reading list in the country you are living in, here are some suggestions:

Top 5 best sellers: South Africa (recommended by Exclusive Books):

• Becoming: Michelle Obama
• The subtle art of not giving a f*ck: Mark Manson
• The 5am Club: Robin Sharma
• 21 Lessons for the 21^st Century: Yuval Noah Harari
• The Binding: Bridget Collins

Top 5 best sellers: UK (recommended by WHSmith)

• The tattooist of Auschwitz: Heather Morris
• Watching You: Lisa Jewell
• The Blood Road: Stuart Macbride
• Murder Mile: Lynda la Plante
• Believe Me: JP Delaney

Top 5 best sellers: Canada (according to CBC Books)

• Women Talking by Miriam Toews.
• The Flame by Leonard Cohen.
• Trickster Drift by Eden Robinson.
• Split Tooth by Tanya Tagaq.
• Starlight by Richard Wagamese​​

Top 5 best sellers: Australia (according to Boomerang books)

• The Fast 800: Australian and New Zealand edition: Dr Michael Mosley
• The Barefoot Investor: Scott Pape
• Easy Keto: Pete Evans
• Ottolenghi Simple: Yotam Ottolenghi
• Dog Man 6: Brawl of the Wild: Dav Pilkey

Top 5 best sellers: New Zealand (according to Mighty Ape)

• The Fast 800: Australian and New Zealand edition: Dr Michael Mosley
• The subtle art of not giving a f*ck: Mark Manson
• Rich enough: Mary Holm
• Magnolia Kitchen: Bernadette Gee
• The Fork, the Witch and the Worm: Christopher Paolini

If you are living (and enjoying your books abroad) and would like to know more about how you can maximise your finances through financial emigration, accessing your South African retirement annuity and our tailor-made tax solutions for South Africans around the world, contact FinGlobal today.