23 April is a symbolic date for world literature. It is on this date in 1616 that Cervantes, Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega all died.
It is also the date of birth or death of other prominent authors, such as Maurice Druon, Haldor K.Laxness, Vladimir Nabokov, Josep Pla and Manuel Mejía Vallejo.
It was a natural choice for UNESCO’s General Conference, held in Paris in 1995, to pay a world-wide tribute to books and authors on this date.
UNESCO created the World Book and Copyright Day for this purpose.
World Book Capital for 2017 is Conakry, Guinea
Conakry: Know More- Conakry is the capital of Guinea, a country in West Africa.
- The city sits on the slender Kaloum Peninsula, which extends into the Atlantic Ocean.
- Just offshore, the Loos Islands are known for their beaches, dense palm forests and water sports.
- Its enormous Grand Mosque has 4 tall, elegant minarets.
