World Novel Week

Autumn directly encourages reading books. While the rain falls outside the windows and the fog rolls in, you can curl up in the warmth and immerse yourself in novel stories. Every October we mark the occasion with an international literary event called World Novel Week, which celebrates the existence and importance of novels.

How the idea for World Novel Week came about

Books are an amazing invention that have transformed the transmission and preservation of information, enabling stories to be told and history to be recorded. Many genres have emerged, but novels hold their prominent position. So the idea came up to create a global week dedicated to them. The idea came from UNESCO, which aimed to promote literature. This internationally recognized week was declared in 2021 at the 41st session of the UNESCO General Conference.

The date is fluid, but it falls on a day around 13 October each year. World Novel Week promotes the appreciation of literature as an expression of human creativity, further promotes the importance of reading and highlights the important role that writers play as disseminators of knowledge and cultural diversity.

“The aim of this international week is to promote the recognition of this literary genre as one of the expressions of human creativity, while raising awareness of the role of writers, as well as of the various actors involved in literary production and the promotion of reading, for the flourishing of cultures and their free interaction and mutual enrichment,” says UNESCO.

How it is celebrated around the world

During World Novel Week, hundreds of literary events take place at universities, book clubs, libraries and many cultural centres. Many international literary festivals have sprung up and are world-renowned, while public readings, often led by or debates with the writers themselves, are also held. The aim is to connect as many people as possible through literature who come from different parts of the world.

Collaboration is also the purpose of the event. UNESCO works closely with the cities that are part of the UNESCO Creative Cities of Literature. These include Edinburgh, Nottingham, Melbourne and many others.

With the rise of the digital age, some celebrations are moving into digital form. The advantage is that people from any country can get involved. There are various webinars, virtual readings or discussion forums. There are also many posts on social media that carry the hashtag #WorldNovelWeek.

A week that inspires

World Novel Week does not only celebrate the literary genre of the novel, but is a tribute to books in general and their contributions. Reading is both a part of education that everyone should have access to, and a leisure activity that fosters interest, brings people together and communicates stories.