This EU-wide celebration aims to knit together the book and education sectors and help European people discover the linguistic and cultural diversity of European literature. The Day of European Authors wants to showcase literature as a tool for individual empowerment that  can equip learners with the adequate skillset to engage with ongoing social and personal challenges.

Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education, and Youth, will officially launch this initiative in Sofia alongside Georgi Bardarov, famous Bulgarian author and winner of the EU Prize for Literature in 2021.

Secondary schools across the EU are invited to participate in a read aloud moment on 27 March 2023.

Want to join in?

• Invite an author or a popular personality to read aloud,
• Host a representative from the book sector to raise awareness of the diversity of book-related professions (author, translator, etc.),
• Have a read aloud session with your students.

Planning your school event:

• Find the right person to come and read in your school. It may be easier to find someone in your school alumni network. Reach out to them well in advance.
• Consider the logistics of the reading session: where would you like it to take place? Would the event take place for the whole school or smaller groups?

If your school is interested in participating, please contact EAC-DAY-OF-THE-EUROPEAN-AUTHORS@ec.europa.eu by 20 February 2023.

This event is one of many initiatives funded by the EU to encourage reading among students. In this article you can learn more about the different projects.