On International Literacy Day, Travel Around the World in 10 Books

 
Happy International Literacy Day! On November 17, 1965, UNESCO proclaimed September 8 International Literacy Day. Every year, the organisation celebrates and raises awareness about the importance of literacy to individuals, their communities and the global society, an issue central to ZODML's mission of providing "channels through which people can freely access information and learning tools to acquire knowledge." As UNESCO states on their website:
Literacy is a human right, a tool of personal empowerment and a means for social and human development. Educational opportunities depend on literacy. Literacy is at the heart of basic education for all, and essential for eradicating poverty, reducing child mortality, curbing population growth, achieving gender equality and ensuring sustainable development, peace and democracy.
Writers from countries around the world lend their support to International Literacy Day through the Writers for Literacy Initiative to fight against illiteracy and encourage a love of reading and books. Click through the gallery below to see some of our favourite books and writers from around the globe, and share yours with us in the comments! [gallery link="none" columns="5" ids="1875,1876,1877,1881,1880,1884,1883,1882,1878,1879"] Check out our International Literacy Day book choices in the ZODML Catalogue:

Oscar and Lucinda
The Handmaid's Tale
Love in a Fallen City
No Longer at Ease
Midnight's Children
Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
The Golden Notebook
Doctor Zhivago
One Hundred Years of Solitude
Distant View of a Minaret and Other Stories