Birthday present from the Bard

St. George’s Day, 23rd April, is Shakespeare’s birthday. You may get a present, if you are in the right place at the right time. World Book Night, the event where enthusiasts give a book to passers-by, will take place this evening. The organisers hope that 2.5 million copies of 25 books will be given away by 78,000 volunteers in the United States, Britain, Germany and Ireland.

This massive undertaking is laudable, even though the selection of books is wholly unimaginative. Martina Cole, Audrey Niffenegger and Bernard Cornwell may not need more readers, but their best-selling pot-boilers might get more people reading. Like all the best things in life, one book leads to another.

There are readings and events around the world, click here to find out if there’s anything on near you.

Not everyone is enamoured with the aims of World Book Night. There are those who say that the principle of giving a book is simply wrong; a practice that is the cause of the publishing industry’s present distress; a practice that undermines authors, especially those who don’t top bestseller lists.