The newest member of the Best of British Beer crew, Sara, came into the office with some exciting news last week. She’s been selected as a ‘giver’ for World Book Night. Now, I was familiar with World Book Day, through various nephews and nieces talking about the free books they’d got and the fancy dress costumes they’d worn to school.
But World Book Night was new to me.
It turns out (and you may know this, in which case skip this paragraph) that World Book Night is a grown up version of this. Although you don’t get permission to turn up to work dressed as Edward Cullen from Twilight, or Tracy Beaker, you may be accosted on 23rd April by a stranger giving you a free book. The aim is to get the nation reading – reaching out to those who don’t normally have books in their lives, and making connections with new people through the sharing of stories. People had the chance to volunteer on-line to be one of these book-giving strangers, and to select the tome they’d like to distribute. For more information, see www.NationalBookNight.org.
Sara’s being given 20 copies of her chosen book, to pass out. What’s this got to do with Best of British Beer? Well, she’s going to be passing them out through the medium of beer cases – which makes a change from her passing out through consumption of cases of beer, which has also been known! The first 20 cases we send out on 23rd April will each be accompanied by one of Sara’s books, along with a slip explaining what World Book Day is all about and asking for feedback.The book we’ll be sending out is called A Little History of the World by E H Gombrich. “From the big bang to the present day this really is the story of our world, told as just that, a story. As charming and delightful as it is utterly fascinating and absorbing.” With 40 easy to read chapters, it sounds just ideal for dipping into while you sit back and enjoy one of your bottles of fine British Ale. All of us here are proud to be supporting such a good cause as National Book Night.
But World Book Night was new to me.
It turns out (and you may know this, in which case skip this paragraph) that World Book Night is a grown up version of this. Although you don’t get permission to turn up to work dressed as Edward Cullen from Twilight, or Tracy Beaker, you may be accosted on 23rd April by a stranger giving you a free book. The aim is to get the nation reading – reaching out to those who don’t normally have books in their lives, and making connections with new people through the sharing of stories. People had the chance to volunteer on-line to be one of these book-giving strangers, and to select the tome they’d like to distribute. For more information, see www.NationalBookNight.org.
Sara’s being given 20 copies of her chosen book, to pass out. What’s this got to do with Best of British Beer? Well, she’s going to be passing them out through the medium of beer cases – which makes a change from her passing out through consumption of cases of beer, which has also been known! The first 20 cases we send out on 23rd April will each be accompanied by one of Sara’s books, along with a slip explaining what World Book Day is all about and asking for feedback.The book we’ll be sending out is called A Little History of the World by E H Gombrich. “From the big bang to the present day this really is the story of our world, told as just that, a story. As charming and delightful as it is utterly fascinating and absorbing.” With 40 easy to read chapters, it sounds just ideal for dipping into while you sit back and enjoy one of your bottles of fine British Ale. All of us here are proud to be supporting such a good cause as National Book Night.
