Best ever World Book Day
40,000 books are destined for readers in Africa after an amazing fundraising success this World Book Day. Since 4 March, over 450 schools, colleges and libraries across the UK and Ireland have contributed to a total of £58,000. Money has been donated to the charity Book Aid International, which supplies books to disadvantaged readers overseas.
Thousands of children held readathons, book swaps and fancy dress days to mark their love of books. They raised money for Book Aid International in order to share the joy of reading with some of the world's poorest countries. Kingston Grammar School raised the most of all participating schools. Meg Serjeant, their librarian, spurred on pupils to raise nearly £3,000. She explained: “our pupils loved the idea of a charity which would help children of their own age to benefit from books and education, which we tend to take for granted”.
Book Aid International's 2004 World Book Day campaign has had widespread support from the book trade. Publishers and booksellers have ensured the charity gets a special boost in its 50th birthday year. Projects include a 50th birthday book, 'Eating Words for Breakfast', published by Puffin, which has sold over 4,000 copies.
Jacqueline Wilson is a big supporter of the charity and wrote the foreword to its birthday book of short stories. She, herself, has been hooked on reading since the age of six and explained: “Books mean all the world to me - so it's wonderful that Book Aid International recognises the need for books in deprived communities”.
The success of this year's World Book Day shows just how valued reading is in the UK. Donations from the event will help readers overseas to have equal access to this precious commodity.
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Notes to editors:
1. Photographs are available of children dressed up as book characters as part of the World Book Day celebrations
2. Schools fundraising on World Book Day has never before gone above £50,000. Book Aid International has been the charity for the day since 1998. Amounts raised over the years are as follows: 2003 - £50,000, 2002 - £47,000, 2001 - £20,000, 2000 - £41,000, 1999 - £40,000, 1998 - £48,000
3. BOOK AID INTERNATIONAL run a book donation programme to get relevant and appropriate books to readers who would otherwise not have access to them. 600,000 books are supplied to schools, libraries, refugee camps and hospitals each year. Advocacy work and support for the local book chain helps to ensure that a long-term solution is found to combat the crisis in local book provision.