Spanish Book Day

On October 7, 1926, Book Day was celebrated for the first time in Spain, thus instituting a day to extol the virtues of books and encourage reading. It was thought then that it was on October 7 when Cervantes was born and that was the reason for the choice. It was an initiative of the Valencian editor, writer and journalist Vicente Clavel Andrés, based in Barcelona and promoter of the Official Book Chamber of Barcelona.

Clavel, an admirer of the author of Don Quixote and founder of the Cervantes publishing house, presented the idea to the Chamber in 1923 and gradually gained support among the Catalan publishers and booksellers who made up the corporation. The initiative was soon also backed by the Madrid Chamber of Books.

A year before it was approved by the Government, El Sol, considered one of the best newspapers in Spain and whose editorial line was set by Ortega y Gasset, praised the initiative. In an article dated July 29, 1925, the newspaper gave as an example to imitate the Saint Germain fair in Paris, where, in order to help the sale of books, authors sign their works at the foot of the cover or on the flyleaves of the copy.

On February 6, 1926, the Gaceta de Madrid published the decree of the Government instituting the date of October 7 as the first Book Day. It was established that in the academies, universities and institutes solemn sessions dedicated to divulge the book would be celebrated, as well as in the military schools and in the Navy. In schools, one hour was to be dedicated to the reading, by teachers or students, of selected pieces of Spanish classics. The official libraries and libraries of educational centers were obliged to acquire books on that day and the provincial councils and town halls were obliged to allocate an amount for the purchase and distribution of books.