Around the slogan Ok. So your next book is…? the city’s principal objective is to popularize reading and increase accessibility to books throughout society.
Specifically designed for children, youngsters and readers who have limited access to books, the programme focuses on the use of modern technologies as powerful tools for the promotion of reading among young people. It includes several large-scale and sustainable activities involving libraries and a book festival for children, a state-of-the-art digital project for transforming books into games, and the rebuilding of the first Georgian publishing house.
The year of celebrations will start on 23 April 2021, on the World Book and Copyright Day.Cities designated as UNESCO World Book Capital undertake to promote books and reading and to organize activities over the year. As the twenty-first city to bear the title since 2001, Tbilisi follows Kuala Lumpur (2020) and Sharjah (2019). Past winners include Madrid (2001), Alexandria (2002), New Delhi (2003), Anvers (2004), Montreal (2005), Turin (2006), Bogota (2007), Amsterdam(2008), Beirut (2009), Ljubljana (2010), Buenos Aires (2011), Erevan (2012), Bangkok (2013), Port Harcourt (2014), Incheon (2015), Wroclaw (2016), Conakry (2017) and Athens (2018).
The International Publisher’s Association is a member of the Advisory Committee nominating the World Book Capital city is alongside the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) and UNESCO.
You can read the original announcement here and coverage in Publishing Perspectives here.