23rd April is observed as World Book Day across the world. Observed by millions of people, World Book Day seeks to highlight the importance of books and reading and bring an appreciation for this habit. It also promotes publishing and copyright of books.
On World Book Day, here are a few interesting facts about books and reading!
- The three most read books in the world are The Holy Bible, Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung, and the Harry Potter series.
- A book lover is called a ‘Bibliophile’.
- If you are a book lover, you would certainly identify and love the wonderful smell of old or good books. Do you know that there is a word for it? It is called ‘Bibliosmia!’
- The first book ever written using a typewriter was ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’.
- Various studies have proven that regular reading results in reduced risk of Alzheimer’s later in life.
- The oldest mechanically printed full-length book was the ‘Gutenberg Bible’, printed in Mainz, Germany in 1455 AD by John Gutenberg.
- The word ‘bookworm’ originates from the larvae of certain species of insects that eat holes in the bindings and paper of old books.
- According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the longest novel ever published was ‘A la recherche du temps perdu’ by Marcel Proust. It contains an estimated 9,609,000 characters (each letter counts as one character. Spaces are also counted, as one character each). The title translates to “Remembrance of Things Past”. Proust produced the first volume of his 13-volume masterpiece in 1912 (it was first published in 1913).
- According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest book is ‘This the Prophet Mohamed’ and is a compilation of stories highlighting the lifetime achievements of Islam’s Prophet. It measures 5 m x 8.06 m (16.40 ft x 26.44 ft), weighs approximately 1500 kg (3,306 lb) and consists of 429 pages.
- According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the longest audio book is “50 Lectures” by Takaaki Yoshimoto (Japan) is 6,943 minutes (115 hours 43 minutes).
- Bertha Wood from the United Kingdom holds the record for the oldest author to have their first book published. Wood published her first book, ‘Fresh Air and Fun: The Story of a Blackpool Holiday Camp’ published on her 100th birthday on 20 June 2005. The book is based on her memoirs, which she began writing at the age of 90.
Aren’t these some super interesting facts about books? Which book are you picking up to celebrate World Book Day? Do let us know in the comments section below.
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