Universal Book Night…

is an international event, supporting and celebrating books as the foundation of a healthy society;

addresses all generations of readers, from the youngest to the oldest;

addresses the professional, business and general public;

connects everyone working in the area of books and reading, as well as connects them with the readers;

encourages an increase in reading, literacy and the values of imagination in the society;

vision: a worldwide project that connects and empowers cultures and languages across the globe.

Dear friends of books,

When the night falls, the moon and stars will shine forth. A new day will emerge – but one illuminated by imagination, in which distant, forgotten worlds will come to light, and legends and memories will resurface, making us a part of a much bigger whole. On the wings of dreams and imagination, we can infuse life into everything around us.

Today, the Earth is shrouded by night, which is becoming ever more impenetrable. Stars and moonlight have become misted over by fog, densely woven out of heartlessness, ignorance and mere numbers.

Why? Why is it that in an era of unprecedented technological progress, in which development and wellbeing could effectively be everyone’s, we are being pulled into the deadly vortex of thoughtless narcissism, away from the wonderful possibilities that life, nature and god have given to mankind?

Book reveal to us how much beauty and life there is in human beings. That there is equally monstrosity is, however, revealed to us by the constant harping of cheats telling us what to do, what not do to, what to buy, what not to buy, and the screams of millions of the wretched and the disenfranchised at the other end.

For the diabolic circle of war, violence and mindlessness to continue, the book needs to be shut, as well as the heart that opens it … For decades UNESCO has been warning us that human nature – the core, inner nature – is under threat;  that daily and irretrievably cultures with their languages are being wiped out.  And yet, the old social order continues to intentionally and insidiously steer us away from everything that would give books, reading and education free reign.

It is sad that our time is a time of all-round culturo-cide and book-cide: tax and administrative pressures are becoming ever more strangling for the world of publishing and creativity. The number mongers want to take away our hope – in ourselves and the future.

Book Night has its calling – to bring to light our forgotten and wonderful inner being and make it shine forth. To bring back hope and trust in each other. And to remind us that we will not change the world with bombs or numbers, but by understanding who we are – within ourselves and to each other, in relationship to nature and animals.

The world is changing and waking up with a book in hand. With reading we can light the lamp of the future.

Book Night is our response to the darkness of our times.
Light is most visible in the dark.

Book Night Team