World Book Day and Book Fairies

LL LIFE The Book Fairies take fl ight A worldwide organisation aimed at getting the public reading has come to Liverpool in time for World Book Day. MIA O’HARE finds out more.

The Book Fairies are spreading their love for reading across the world by turning it into a gift for someone else.

The organisation was set up in 2017 and is made up of people from over 100 countries including actress Emma Watson. They are people who enjoy reading and want to share the books they’ve read. The Fairies wrap books with a ribbon and a Book Fairy sticker and leave it somewhere to be discovered.

Liverpool has its own group of Book Fairies that hide books around the city for others to enjoy.

The Official Book Fairy for Liverpool said: “The Book Fairies Liverpool started in August 2018 with me visiting the city centre and dropping books around for people to stumble upon. At first, the books came from my own shelves and charity shops, but as more authors and publishers got in contact we expanded.

“We also distribute books from independent authors as well as wellknown publishers to help get their stories heard and/or gain publicity for the likes of an upcoming film that may be based on the book we are given.”

Last year the Book Fairies teamed up with Liverpool One for World Book Day where the shopping centre distributed their own books whilst the Fairies went around the city hiding ‘Messy, Wonderful Us’ by local author Catherine Issac.

The Book Fairy said: “A big reason why The Book Fairies Liverpool started was to hopefully make a few people happy as they went about their day, which would help keep the spirit of Liverpool alive.

“One of my favourite things about Liverpool is the sense of community and the support this creates for anyone who sets foot there. So, to work together and share the same passion for reading and spread this love to celebrate World Book Day together was really special.”

This year, the Fairies have had to adapt their usual plans for World Book Day. They have decided to celebrate on April 23, instead of March so they can plan the day and stick to government guidelines.

The Fairy said: “For World Book Day we will be doing a huge book drop across countries and cities. We usually give book recommendations or do treasure hunts, however, with the ongoing pandemic being so unpredictable, no final decisions have been made just yet.”

The Liverpool group fully support the message World Book Day gives about getting children to enjoy reading.

She said: “Children and adults spend so much time surrounded by screens, especially now with virtual learning and zoom meetings in lockdown, so it’s important to take a break from that every once in a while.

“On certain Sundays, and definitely World Book Day, we encourage others to take a break from all social media and screens and spend a few moments reading a book to help relax or just distract themselves for a little while.

“With the rise in technology, we do worry that books will be forgotten about, which is why we aim to encourage people to pick one up and remind them of why reading is so good for us.”

The lockdown has not only affected World Book Day, but also the work the organisation does on an everyday basis due to travel restrictions into Liverpool.

The Fairy said: “With fewer people visiting the city, and increased cases of coronavirus, particularly in Liverpool, The Book Fairies Liverpool has been on hold throughout lockdown

“This has been a real shame because a huge drive for all of the book drops is to hopefully improve people’s moods which would have been really handy, given the consequences lockdown has had on people’s mental health, which I think was very prominent in Liverpool when it came to the Tier systems.

“For Book Fairies themselves, doing this job is often a great distraction from our own personal lives. Knowing that you could have potentially made one person’s day through a simple act of kindness certainly helps keep me motivated so having this part of my life paused for a while has definitely felt strange.

She added: “However, as always, Book Fairies have tried to look on the brighter side. Via our social media pages we’ve filled our followers’ feed with book recommendations, book fairy read-alongs and competitions.

“Some Book Fairies even offered ‘book fairy deliveries’ for those who couldn’t leave their house but still wanted a new book to read; book fairy swaps have also occurred worldwide to help keep that sense of togetherness through the power of reading, despite social distancing.”

The Book Fairy reiterated that the organisation is a random act of kindness movement, whilst they also aim to keep the love of reading alive and make popular books more accessible to people.

She said: “I encourage everyone to be a part of the Book Fairies, whether you want to do it to know what it feels like or because you just need to declutter your shelves. People of all ages in all areas of the world can get involved, and World Book Day might be the best day to start.”

Dedicated to celebrating reading and encouraging a love of books, World Book Day is an annual event held on the first Thursday in March which sees children across the UK participate in a number of ways – and this year is no different.

The aim is to make sure the day sends a strong and positive message about books, even in lockdown. Children will still be gifted a £1 book to encourage them to appreciate reading but a digital voucher will be used this year.

World Book Day organisers said: “The £1 books are a gift from booksellers, who fully fund the cost of the £1 book token redemptions. Bookshops are offering new ways to make the £1 books available, and bookshops will welcome families when they open again.”

The charity says it is working with teachers and nursery leaders to provide the printed token for the key worker children still in school and a new single-use digital version, that can be printed at home or shown to booksellers on a phone or tablet screen.

The token is also on McDonald’s Happy Meal boxes through February and March and in some children’s magazines.

Parents can redeem the tokens in supermarkets as well as bookshops.

To reflect the national lockdown, World Book Day has set up a range of online resources including Author and Illustrator Academy videos with activities to make reading more interactive.

The organisation said: “We want to make sure every child has access to books, and our upcoming events – all digital for the year ahead – will help children enjoy reading for pleasure as a life-long habit.”