Cervantes, World Book Day, and… the University of Wrocław Book Days
In Catalonia, the celebration has taken place since 1926. It became a global observance 30 years ago. The patron of the day – April 23rd, the date of Cervantes’ death – has been the subject of two books written by Magdalena Barbaruk, Director of the Institute of Cultural Studies at the University of Wrocław. This year, students at the university organised the “Book Days 2025” event.
In 1995, UNESCO declared April 23rd as World Book and Copyright Day. The choice of date was no coincidence – on that day, Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote, passed away. His iconic novel has inspired more than 500 works of literature. Remarkably, April 23rd is also both the birth and death date of William Shakespeare.
Profesor śladami powieści wszech czasów
A professor following in the footsteps of the novel of all novels
Magdalena Barbaruk, professor at the University of Wrocław and Director of its Institute of Cultural Studies, has long researched the cultural agency of literature – its influence on the lives of individuals, communities, and topographical spaces. She has written two books about Cervantes’ thousand-page, 400-year-old novel – a work still widely read and republished. Długi cień Don Kichota was published ten years ago, followed by Sensy błądzenia. La Mancha i jej peryferie in 2018. Her most recent book focuses on the work of the so-called “School of Valparaíso”, which connected architecture and poetry with a mission of decolonising the Americas through movement (travesía). Ruch Amereidy, published last year as a result of long-term research in Chile, has been nominated for the Marcin Król Award. It is also worth recalling that Professor Barbaruk, who explores the contemporary legacy of Cervantes and new dimensions of Don Quixotism, successfully retraced the famous literary journey that was originally undertaken in 1905 – the 300th anniversary of the novel’s first publication in 1605. This research project was carried out with funding from Poland’s National Science Centre. But Cervantes’ novel was written 420 years ago. What, then, is the state of the book today – both literary and academic?
Books from the University of Wrocław at the Book Days event
Students from Lorem Ipsum, the bibliology student research group at the University of Wrocław are exploring that question. During the Book Days, held on Friday and Saturday (25 April from 15:00 to 18:00 and 26 April from 10:00 to 17:00), visitors to the Institute of Information and Media Studies (Plac Uniwersytecki 9/13) will have the chance to learn: where do books come from? How does a publishing house work? What happens to a book after it’s published? What is self-publishing? And is Wrocław a book-friendly city?
One of the invited guests will be Marcin Skrabka, Director of the University of Wrocław Press, who will speak about changes in the academic publishing market. – The world is shaped by fashions and emerging trends – and university presses are no exception. They must recognise and respond to new challenges arising from both global developments and shifts within the academic world – explains Marcin Skrabka. – Academic books, while maintaining their traditional format, are increasingly fulfilling new functions and reaching non-academic audiences. Popularising science has become a key mission for universities. We know how to publish books that attract readers not only through their scholarly content but also through their form and design. During Book Days, I will discuss the importance of academic literature in the age of fake news, artificial intelligence, and the rise of expert-driven knowledge.
Full programme of Book Days:
25 April 2025
- 15:15–16:00 — Karolina Rodek-Wójcik & Michał Wójcik: Droga do samodzielnego wydania książki – praktyka, pasja, pułapki
- 16:00–16:45 — Irek Grin, Director of the Wrocław House of Literature: Za kulisami, o organizacji wydarzeń literackich
- 17:00–17:45 — Emilia Konwerska: Literacki Wrocław
26 April 2025
- 10:00–10:45 — Ewa Jabłońska-Stefanowicz: Ile zarabia autor i dlaczego tak mało
- 11:00–11:45 — Marcin Skrabka, Director of the University of Wrocław Press: Czy i jak warto dziś wydawać książki naukowe? Praktyczne aspekty zmian na polskim rynku wydawniczym.
- 12:00–13:00 — Martyna Kufel & Marcela Mazurkiewicz: Współpraca z wydawnictwami, działalność w social mediach i praca w wydawnictwie.
- 14:15–15:00 — Wojciech Sierżęga: Praca wydawnicza, o historii i teraźniejszości rynku książki.
- 15:00–15:45 — Marcin “MarMax” Borowski: Straszliwy gender a literatura fantasy – na podstawie „Cyklu o Straży Miejskiej” Terry’ego Pratchetta
Date of publication: 23.04.2025.
Complied by Jacek Antczak
