This year's Book Night has the slogan: "You're not isolated with a book!".
The event is organised to mark World Book and Copyright Day, observed on 23 April and Croatian Book Day, observed on 22 April, with the aim of promoting reading.
This year's Book Night event is featuring nearly 200 programmes prepared by bookshops, second-hand bookshops, libraries, primary and secondary schools, kindergartens, theatres, illustrators, translators, writers and other creatives and institutions that are "friends of books" from all over Croatia.
Books: A Window into the World During COVID-19
In its message on the occasion of World Book and Copyright Day, UNESCO underscores the power of books at a time of isolation, noting that reading is now more important than ever. It calls on readers all over the world to share quotes, poems and messages that symoblise the power of books and encourage reading.
"Now more than ever, at a time when globally most schools are closed and people are having to limit time spent out of their homes, the power of books can be leveraged to combat isolation, to reinforce ties between people, and to expand our horizons, while stimulating our minds and creativity," says UNESCO.
"During the month of April and all year round, it is critical to take the time to read on your own or with your children. It is a time to celebrate the importance of reading, foster children's growth as readers, and promote a lifelong love of literature and integration into the world of work," this international organisation says on its web site.
"Through reading and the celebration of World Book and Copyright Day, we can open ourselves to others despite distance. We can travel thanks to imagination. From April 1st to 23rd, UNESCO is sharing quotes, poems and messages to symbolize the power of books and encourage reading as much as possible. By creating a sense of community through the shared readings and the shared knowledge, readers around the world can connect and mutually help curb loneliness."
The event in Croatia is is being jointly organised by the Association of Publishers and Booksellers of the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, the National and University Library in Zagreb, the Zagreb City Libraries, the Croatian Publishers' Reprographic Rights Association – ZANA, the Moderna Vremena books and culture website, the Knjizni Blok association, and the Croatian Association of School Librarians.