World Book Day 2015 (UK & Ireland)

by The Editorial Team Published on: 5th March 2015

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World Book Day is a yearly event on 5th March, "designated by UNESCO as a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and marked in over 100 countries all over the world"*. On this occasion, we are pleased to invite visitors and readers of our website to celebrate reading and meditating on the various dimensions of the book in history and in our present culture.

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“This is the 18th year there’s been a World Book Day, and on 5th March 2015 children of all ages will come together to appreciate reading. Very loudly and very happily. The main aim of World Book Day in the UK and Ireland is to encourage children to explore the pleasures of books and reading by providing them with the opportunity to have a book of their own…” (WorldBookDay.com)*

In the Muslim world, the celebration of the World Book Day is an opportunity to renew the commemoration of books and reading with remembrance of the heritage. Islam is the religion of the book, including the book par excellence, the Quran. Whose first revealed verse starts with the word “Read” In the classical Islamic civilisation, interest in books developed very early through reading, writing, authoring and dissemination of learning. Books became a visible medium within the first century of Islamic history. Muslims soon came to know and spread the use of paper, calligraphy, illumination, binding, publishing, marketing, lending and collection development, to name a few. Books became popular through book stores, writers, editors, copyist, translators, and most importantly, libraries. Libraries began in mosques, then in private homes and palaces. Public, school, academic and research libraries soon followed. The famous institution of Baghdad, the House of Wisdom, founded by the Abbasid Caliphs, which radiated knowledge throughout the world started as a library. Despite this advancement status of the book in the civilization, few comprehensive surveys exist on its historiography.

At the Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation (FSTC), our major interest is in offering a tenable and sustainable history of science and technology that recognises the contributions of all cultures, as against the presently, mainly Euro-centric history, offered in most schools and institutions.

From our published works to our articles, books and manuscripts are main part of our FSTC orginisation. As we celebrate them through our all projects Muslim Heritage, 1001 Inventions, CE4tF and MHAG/MHANT. Please visit our books section for more information: