World Book and Copyright Day speech template
Published 10 October 2026 · Date checked on 5 October 2026 · Written by the Cue Card Converter team at EventProgrammer, event production professionals
World Book and Copyright Day, on 23 April, celebrates books and reading and honours authors, including the protection of their work through copyright. UNESCO proclaimed it in 1995. The date is symbolic in world literature because it is linked to the deaths of Miguel de Cervantes, William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega in 1616. It also echoes the Catalan tradition of exchanging books and roses on Saint George's Day. It is marked with readings, book swaps, library events and author visits.
- Date
- April 23
- Next dates
- Friday 23 April 2027
Sunday 23 April 2028
Monday 23 April 2029 - Observed
- Internationally
- Tone
- Cultural celebration
- Typical events
- School and library assemblies, bookshop and author events, university literature societies, workplace book clubs and community reading festivals or book swaps.
- Length
- 178 spoken words · about 1.5 min at 130 words a minute · 4 cue cards
The World Book and Copyright Day speech, ready as cue cards
A complete host script in 4 cards, about 1.5 minutes of speaking. Open it in the editor to add your names, change the card size or highlights, and print.
- WELCOME1 / 4
Hello, and welcome, readers of every age. I'm {Your name}, and on behalf of {School or library}, thank you for joining us for World Book and Copyright Day. Whether you love detective stories, poetry, comics or cookbooks, you belong here today. - WHY THIS DATE2 / 4
This celebration was proclaimed by UNESCO in 1995. Its date is linked to two giants of literature, Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare, who both died in 1616. And it is a copyright day too: a reminder that every story we enjoy is someone's work, and that writers deserve credit for it. - THREE SHORT READINGS3 / 4
Now for the heart of our celebration. Three readers will each share a favourite passage of no more than two minutes, then tell us in one sentence why it matters to them. Our first reader is {Reader's name}.
[READINGS – EACH READER COMES FORWARD IN TURN] - PASS IT ON4 / 4
What a wonderful mix of voices. Thank you to all our readers. Before you leave, please visit the book swap table by the door: bring one, take one, and write a short note inside for the next reader. Happy reading, everyone, and see you between the pages.
Red is used only for names, titles, organisations, dates, times and section headings. Replace the words in {curly brackets} with your own details; lines in [SQUARE BRACKETS] are stage directions and are not read aloud.
How to adapt it
- In the UK and Ireland, World Book Day is usually held on a Thursday in early March, so check which date your school or audience expects before you promote the event.
- Borrow the Catalan custom of pairing books with roses: a paper rose or a bookmark for each reader, or for each book swapped, is a cheap and festive touch.
- Vary the readings by genre, age and language. In multilingual schools or communities, include at least one passage in another language, introduced with a single sentence in English.
- Honour the copyright half of the day: name the author and translator before each reading, and keep extracts short when reading aloud or projecting text on a screen.
Print and rehearse
“Edit and print these cards” opens the script in the free cue card maker, where you can choose A5, 4 × 6 or 3 × 5 inch cards, print several per sheet with cut lines or export PDF, PowerPoint and Word, and rehearse full screen in practice mode. To write your own programme around it, see how to write an MC script and the run of show template.
Sources
Date and background checked on 5 October 2026 against: World Book and Copyright Day | UNESCO. Customs vary between organisations and regions; always follow the official programme of your event.
More international days
- International Women's Day · March 8
- World Environment Day · June 5
- International Day of Peace · September 21
- World Teachers' Day · October 5
- World Children's Day · November 20
- Human Rights Day · December 10