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Writer's pictureMorgan Fagg

BEXIT (Book EXIT)

Updated: Apr 23, 2021

Why doesn’t Ireland join the rest of the world and exit World Book Day?

World Book Day well at least the one celebrated in England and Ireland was celebrated on March 7th 2019 because, well because nothing else was happening that day and unbelievably with no significance for that particular date. So happy World Book Day England and Ireland why the hell do we call it World Book Day when it is only celebrated in the British Isels?

World Book and Copyright Day is celebrated by the rest of the planet on the anniversary of the Spanish writer Miguel Cervantes and the lesser known writer something Shakespeare.


The author of Don Quijote is seen as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and his English contemporary Bill Shakespeare is believed to not only to of died on the same day as Cervantes but the same year which incredibly is also believed to be Bill’s birthday.


Normally the bard would be called William Shakespeare and we might talk about Romeo & Juliet, Hamlet, MacBeth and A Midnight Summer’s Dream but sadly for Bill his birthday and anniversary is overlooked because World Book Day (Ireland and England) was celebrated then and not on April 23rd like I believe the rest of the world does.


According to the FAQ section about World Book Day which is celebrated only in the British Isles.

March 7th was chosen as there were no other significant celebrations on that date.


El Día del Libro in Spain is clearly connected with Miguel de Cervantes’ anniversary on the 23rd of April but the 23rd of April is Saint George’s Day in England so sorry Shakespeare you were born and buried on the wrong bloody day.


What’s in a day,

if named by any other name would it not be as sweet?

You might slay dragons like Saint George or get your own day like Star Wars’ May the 4th and Harry Potter’s fictional birthday 30th of July but for some reason to quote Miguel de Cervantes we seem to have “cut off our nose despite our face” and wrote Shakespeare out of his own day, his story and history. If it were to be done, then it is better done on March 7th I guess but why does Ireland celebrate World Book Day with England?


Why can’t Ireland remember poor olde Mr Shakespeare like the rest of the world? What is Ireland celebrating on the 23rd of April that is so important anyways?

I am suggesting, Ireland quickly BEXITs from World Book Day and seeks out new relationships with other countries just like England hopes to do with BREXIT.

I am sure Ireland has made numerous associations with book publishers and schools to celebrate World Book Day* with the rest of the UK and considering Ireland shares a border with Northern Ireland and probably has many contracts with UK book shops and suppliers then maybe BEXIT is just a waste of time for nothing that would only cost a fortune to duplicate the same event on a different date.

BEXIT seems like a terrible waste of time and energy but maybe if I could get a big red library bus to promote it then my idea might take seed and maybe I should blame those bloody British foreigners for forcing Ireland to celebrate World Book Day with our closest neighbour and not all or other European allies.

Ireland is sending millions to England for books which would be better spent on Tayto.

We should BEXIT.


Belated World Book Day to England and Ireland and Feliz Dia del Libro to the rest of the world as they celebrate World Book and Copyright Day.


In the immortal words of William Shakespeare, “I’m turning in my damn grave watching you celebrate ye olde World Book Day on my bloody birthday you bastards.”


“Every year it like a bell that summons me from heaven to hell.”

My olde neighbour Miguel de Cervantes died and was buried in my neighbourhood in Madrid in 1616 and I was disappointed that a bigger fuss wasn’t made about his 400 anniversary in 2016 especially considering his body had only recently been re-discovered.


From the cradle to the grave, Shakespeare might be forgotten on Saint George’s Day but Miguel de Cervantes did receive the final word well final insult when a plaque was prepared for him, complete with a little typo. The same care author Donal Trump gives to his tweets as he fights his own windmills like the errant knight Donny Quijote.


All the world is a sage, I guess but after 4000 ears, the author of Donkey Hotel was remembered with a selling mistake even if it wasn't a major one.

KING LEER

Leer is the Spanish verb to read but old King Leer himself, William Shakespeare is forgotten about in England, ¿Que Raro? as the Spanish would say, how strange?


Romeo, Romeo, "Where art thou" on World Book and Copyright Day?

Even Romeo and Juliet are not forgotten in Spain as Catalunya has Sant Jordi which sees people giving a rose and a book on the 23rd of April.

Who doesn't love flowers and books with dragons?

El día del Libro is also Sant Jordi in which people exchange books and flowers as presents.


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