The event, organised by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Central Committee’s Propaganda and Training Department, the Ministry of Education and Training, and Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee, aims to affirm the value of books and reiterate their role and importance in society.
Under the theme, ‘Book, Knowledge and Social Development’, the festival features various activities, including an exhibition, “Book, Knowledge and Social Development” (April 20 to May 5), to introduce readers to materials on the essence of human knowledge; cultures and civilisations around the world formed on the development of knowledge; knowledge gained and Vietnam’s achievements in the areas of socio-economic, scientific and technological development, as well as education, healthcare, security and defence.
The event also features a book fair from April 20-23 with the participation of a number of publishers and bookstores, introducing thousands of books at preferential prices.Participants also have an opportunity to exchange with authors and speakers, historian Duong Trung Quoc and Nguyen Kiem, former director of the Bureau of Publication under the Ministry of Information and Communications.
Within the framework of the event, the organisers call on and receive funding from agencies, organizations and individuals to support libraries in remote and difficult areas.
According to the Director of the National Library of Vietnam, the event aims to promote awareness of the significance and importance of reading for acquisition of knowledge, skills, development of thinking, education and personal development, while improving the responsibility of relevant authorities and social organisations at all levels in building and developing a Vietnamese reading culture.
It also intends to honour those who collect, compile, publish, print, distribute, preserve and disseminate books, apart from encouraging the reading movement in the community.