World Book Day 2011
A celebration of books and reading
World Book Day is a worldwide celebration of books and reading, and is marked in聽more than聽100 countries around the globe.
Today the through a series of .
We will be celebrating the day by tweeting favourite reads from leading across our sectors, including the . We鈥檒l also be adding details to this page.
, CEO of the British Library shares her favourite book: 鈥淎s a child, 鈥楢lice in Wonderland鈥� was always a favourite book. It is a real privilege to now be able to view the various depictions of Alice by artists from John Tenniel to Salvador Dali on public display in the . Having had cats at home as child, my favourite character was undoubtedly the Cheshire Cat - I think I lived in hope that mine would also strike up a conversation!鈥�
, Chief Executive of VisitBritain: 鈥淚鈥檓 sure I won鈥檛 be alone in choosing Charlotte Bronte鈥檚 鈥楯ane Eyre鈥�. Intensely moving and romantic with gothic overtones and great sense of place, I loved it when I first read it in my teens and it鈥檚 one of the few books that I鈥檝e re-read (as I鈥檓 not a great re-reader of books!).鈥澛�
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE, 11-time Paralympic Gold medallist: 鈥淔avourite book - at the moment 鈥楶ride and Prejudice and Zombies鈥� by Seth Grahame-Smith. It has it all the class of Austen, a happy ending but zombies too. Completely irreverent.鈥澛�
, Chair of English Heritage: 鈥溾�楰ilvert鈥檚 Diaries鈥� - enchanting glimpse of complex interior life of rural Victorian cleric; unique window on innocence of time and place.鈥�
, Chief Executive, Sport England: 鈥溾�楾he Divide鈥� by Nicholas Evans - author of 鈥楾he Horse Whisperer鈥�. If you liked the 鈥楬orse Whisperer鈥� then you must read this book, it is even better.鈥�
, Director-General of the Imperial War Museum: 鈥淢y favorite book is Jane Austen鈥檚 鈥楶ersuasion鈥� - it a great social commentary on the structure of society and the pressures on young women to make the right friends and alliances in order to advance ot maintain their social status. I like it particularly for its lack of dialogue which allows the reader more opportunity to understand the nuances of the text.鈥�
Penny Johnson, Director of the : 鈥淚 don鈥檛 have a favourite book like I don鈥檛 have a favourite work of art. Among my favourite books are George Eliot鈥檚 鈥楳iddlemarch鈥�, Thackeray鈥檚 鈥榁anity Fair鈥� and 鈥榃hite Teeth鈥� by Zadie Smith. A book I particularly enjoy reading at the moment is 鈥楾he Hare with the聽Amber Eyes鈥� by Edmund de Waal. I have been savouring it by reading it slowly because it is so well written and wonderfully evocative and observant. De Waal, an artist, uses netsuke heirlooms passed on through his family to trace the history of his ancestors and to explore the meaning these small Japanese figurines聽 have for him. I like the references to art - his great great grandfather knew, and was聽a patron of, Manet, Degas and Renoir. I can鈥檛 wait to read the next bit.鈥�
鈥楤ounce鈥� by Matthew Syed has got the vote of聽Lord Herman Ouseley, Chair of , football鈥檚 equality and inclusion campaign. 鈥淟ike everything else in life, Bounce is convincing about the part luck plas in being successful in sport,鈥� he said. 鈥淵ou may be hugely talented, but success comes only with hard work, knowing the right people and being in the right place at the right time to get the sort of bounce that really makes a difference.鈥�
Tourism Minister 聽enjoys reading 鈥楽urface Detail鈥� by Iain M Banks. 鈥淪ci fi is a bit of a guilty pleasure but Banks manages to be intricate, thought-provoking and humane. A great way to relax when you鈥檙e holidaying in Britain.鈥�
Gaming legend , Life President of Eidos and co-founder of Games Workshop has a soft spot for 鈥極n the Road鈥� by Jack Kerouac, whereas , Director of the National Portrait Gallery picks William Morris鈥檚 鈥楴ews from聽Nowhere鈥�:聽鈥漈his is Morris鈥檚 utopian dream of a future society in which art and craft are valued as part of everyday life. It is integrated into a view of work which encourages everyone to be creative. And the book ends with a beautiful description of a journey up the Thames, after the 鈥楻evolution鈥�, and ends at Kelmscott Manor.鈥�
Sports and Olympics Minister picks two favourites: 鈥淎s a child, my favourite book was 鈥楲ord of the Rings鈥� - for its excitement, the power of its imagery and its wonderful use of the English language.聽More recently, I have massively enjoyed 鈥楩rom the Holy Mountain: A Journey in the Shadow of Byzantium鈥� by William Dalrymple.聽Apart from the fact I am fascinated by the Middle East, I have heard it said that his analysis of the problems of Lebanon is the most accurate and incisive dissection of the troubled history of that country.鈥�
Roy Clare, Chief Executive of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, plumps for a Victorian classic: 鈥溾�楧iary of a Nobody鈥� by George and Weedon Grossmith. Evergreen comic novel that is good for keeping perspective and worth re-reading at once if ever needing instant grounding.鈥澛�
, Chief Executive of the Churches Conservation Trust, recommends a recent read: 鈥淢y favourite book - for this year anyway (so far!) - is 鈥楩reedom鈥� by Jonathan Frantzen.聽OK, so it鈥檚 a pretty bleak take on 21st century society and how greed scuppers any attempt to achieve environmental sustainability. It鈥檚 not too cheerful about human nature or modern day relationships either.聽But it鈥檚 brilliantly written, a gripping read and I couldn鈥檛 help empathising with one or two of the characters.聽I鈥檓 not telling which.鈥�
Last but not least, Baroness , Chair of UK Sport and Youth Sport Trust picks 鈥楳ore Than Just A Game鈥� by Chuck Korr and Marvin Close, 鈥渂ecause it shows the power of sport in inspiring people and changing lives,鈥� and the man responsible for administering the Public Lending Right, Registrar Jim Parker tells us 鈥淢y favourite childhood book was Gavin Maxwell鈥檚 鈥楻ing of Bright Water鈥� - the author鈥檚 account of how he reared a wild otter and established an otter sanctuary in the western isles of Scotland. Beautifully and evocatively written at a time in the late fifties and early sixties when wildlife and environmental issues were beginning to come to public attention.鈥�
World Book Night party
On Saturday 5 March, book lovers from across London will聽gather at聽Southbank Centre鈥檚 Clore Ballroom to celebrate the inaugural free , which will see 20,000 selected members of the public give-away one million books across UK and Ireland.
Jude Kelly, Chair of World Book Night and Artistic Director, nominates her favourite book: 鈥溾�楾he Golden Notebook鈥� by Doris Lessing remains a seminal and powerful read. It鈥檚 a classic in content and form; and I love her mind as well as her words.鈥�