MANILA, PHILIPPINES — In anticipation of the World Book Day, on April 20, Instituto Cervantes de Manila, the Embassy of Spain, Ayala Land and Make it Makati invite visitors to the Ayala Triangle Gardens to Día del Libro from 9:00 am to 11:00 pm, an exciting jam-packed day with a variety of activities that promote the joy of reading.
From fiction to non-fiction, poetry to prose, thousands of books will be up for grabs around Instituto Cervantes’ premises in Ayala Triangle. Día del Libro will feature Manila’s top bookstores and publishing houses that will be selling a wide array of books at a 20% discount.
Following the tradition in Spain, each book purchase will come with a free rose. Apart from the book market, visitors to the Día del Libro will get to join poetry recitals, free Spanish classes, book presentations, street art, games, exhibits, storytelling sessions, Spanish food, as well as fun activities for the children.
First introduced in Manila by Instituto Cervantes in 2006, the tradition of Día del Libro began in Barcelona, Spain. To the present, the tradition is commemorated on St. George’s Day (23 April), during which Spanish people exchange roses and books. This date also honors two of history’s greatest writers – Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare – who coincidentally died on the very same day, April 23, 1616.
These significant incidents prompted the UNESCO to declare April 23 as “World Book and Copyright Day” to instill the love of reading among the youth and to promote respect for the rights of authors over their works. April is also the birth month of the classic Filipino poet Francisco Balagtas, and to honor him the National Commission for Culture and the Arts declared April as National Literature Month.
Among the activities of Día del Libro 2024, the inauguration of the WTA Open Library stands out. Thanks to the collaboration between the WTA Architecture and Design Studio, Ayala Land, and Instituto Cervantes, this charming library will revive at Ayala Triangle Gardens a highly successful cultural project – a space where books are exchanged altruistically.
Another of the highlights enriching Ayala Triangle during Día del Libro will be the Paseo de la Poesía, a street adorned with Filipino, Spanish, and Latin American poems. More than one hundred authors will be sharing their poems, creating a rich tapestry of literary expression.
For those who want to develop their artistic skills, Instituto Cervantes has prepared the drawing workshop Dibujo Makati, conducted by the Spanish leading illustrator Enrique Flores. Register here on a first come, first served basis.
In this edition, to commemorate the Day of Miguel de Cervantes, Instituto Cervantes is challenging visitors to join a Quixotic attempt: to handwrite Don Quixote de La Mancha. The final hand-written book will be deposited in the Library of Instituto Cervantes. People interested in taking part in the writing of Don Quijote can register here, or join on the same day with no prior registration. Participants in the handwriting chain will receive a rose.
Through the third Recital of Filhispanic Poetry, Instituto Cervantes is inviting poetry lovers to recite verses written in Spanish by Filipino poets. All the recorded recitations will be compiled in a video that will be posted in Instituto Cervantes Youtube channel at the end of April 2024. Interested poetry aficionados can register here.
Thanks to the collaboration of publishing houses, visitors will have the opportunity to meet authors who will be signing their works. Book lovers will also have the chance to attend book presentations organized by some publishers. Click here to check program schedule.
As one of the perks of Día del Libro, Instituto Cervantes will offer free Spanish classes, and a free access to AVE, Instituto Cervantes’ self-learning platform, for those enrolling on April 20.
To cap it off, Instituto Cervantes will close Día del Libro 2024 with a live concert by two leading Filipino rock bands at 8:00 pm.
For this year’s celebration, Instituto Cervantes will be giving out hundreds of books for free! Día del Libro 2024 is organized by Instituto Cervantes de Manila, in collaboration with the Embassy of Spain in the Philippines, AECID, Ayala Land, Make it Makati, and the embassies of Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Panama and Venezuela, Harper Collins Ibérica, WTA Architecture and Design Studio, and the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines. Among the participating publishing houses and bookstores are Ateneo University Press, Vibal Publishing, FEU Publishing House, Milflores, Anvil, Ortigas Foundation, Biblio, Everything’s Fine, Kahel Press, Tawid, and Gachapress. Admission to all Día del libro activities is free.
For more information about Instituto Cervantes de Manila’s Book Day 2024, visit this page or connect on Facebook.
