The program named “Reading is Being Free” is currently underway at Torre do Tombo in Lisbon, aiming to commemorate three significant dates within the literary world: World Poetry Day on March 21st, International Children’s Book Day on April 2nd, and World Book Day on April 23rd, as announced by the DGLAB on its website.
“These anniversaries emphasize the importance of books and reading as essential pillars for personal and cultural development, for both children and adults,” notes the organization on its site.
Aiming to promote reading, incite a love for books, and create a platform for reflection and sharing on the projects undertaken by DGLAB within the scope of non-school book and reading policy, several activities are set to take place: a reading promotion campaign, a series of discussions, an exhibition, an editorial design award ceremony, a webinar on “Public Domain and Local Authors,” and the distribution of books.
The first initiative involves a social media campaign under the theme “A Page a Day,” meant to encourage a daily reading routine and nurture the reading habit through the sharing of inspirational quotes.
From April 2nd to 16th, the “Reading is Being Free” Conversation Cycle will occur, featuring debates with writers, publishers, illustrators, and readers on literary creation, creative freedom, new technologies, and the role of institutional support, bookstores, libraries, content creators, and readers in the book universe.
Alongside the event, an exhibition entitled “Reading is Being Free: 20 Years on a Poster” will open, lasting until the end of May. This exhibition will showcase for the first time the illustrated posters of DGLAB since 2005, paying tribute not only to books and reading but also to the art of illustration.
The posters, created over 20 years for World Book Day and International Children’s Book Day, were illustrated by some of the country’s most “talented” illustrators and designers, including Afonso Cruz, Ana Biscaia, Ana Ventura, André Carrilho, André Letria, António Jorge Gonçalves, Bernardo P. Carvalho, Catarina Sobral, Inês Viegas De Oliveira, Joana Paz, Madalena Matoso, Rachel Caiano, and Yara Kono.
On April 11th, at 6:00 PM, the Book Design Award 2024 will be presented, recognizing the best works in editorial design, with visitors able to view the exhibition of the finalist books until April 24th.
Another initiative within “Reading is Being Free” is the webinar “Public Domain and Local Authors: Opportunities for Libraries, Archives, and Museums,” happening on April 22nd. This event is a collaboration between Wikimedia Portugal and DGLAB, aiming to explore public domain opportunities for libraries, archives, and museums, focusing on local authors who entered the public domain this year.
Lastly, on April 23rd, to mark World Book Day, DGLAB will distribute books on various themes, an initiative intended “to open its doors to everyone, give new life to books, and promote reading while enhancing access to culture.”
