Antoineta Tsoneva with greetings for World Book Day and a donation to the Razgrad library

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The press center of “We continue the change-Democratic Bulgaria” distributed a greeting from the deputy from Razgrad region from PP-DB Antoaneta Tsoneva on the World Book Day. It is clear from the text that for that day she made a donation of 30 books of her choice to the Regional Library “Prof. Boyan Penev”-Razgrad. Here’s what Antoineta Tsoneva says about Book Day:

“The book is forever. Thus ends a proverb that is not here. However, we only need to look back at our reborns to recognize it as ours in spirit. The idea that books have an eternal value is the basis of every community center and every library in Bulgaria, since before the Liberation.

The idea that books connect us forever is part of the Spanish tradition, for which today the whole of Europe celebrates Book Day. In the 1920s, Catalonia added a book festival to the rose and San Jordi (St. George) celebrations. The idea is the writer, translator and publisher Vicente Clavel. And the day is particularly suitable – on April 23, 1616, both Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare left this world. Part of the renewed Catalan holiday is also this – when men present roses to their loved ones, women respond with a gift – a book. This is where the saying “A Rose for Love and a Book Forever” comes from, and in 1995, UNESCO announced the holiday as International Book and Copyright Day.

Here in our lands we never seem to have much time for romance, but we can proudly claim that our love of books goes way back in history. A serious part of our educational tradition has always been to collect and give away books – not just to one person, but to those homes of our common knowledge, such as the community centers and libraries.

Razgrad Regional Library “Prof. Boyan Penev” has a remarkable tradition in this regard, and it is an honor for me to add my donation this year to those of many other residents of Razgrad before me. For the selection of the editions, I would like to thank Manol Peykov and the wonderful work of everyone at Janet-45 publishing house. This holiday is, of course, theirs as well – in order for a book to be born and grow up to find its place in the world, the care and love of many people is needed. The names of most of them are not on the covers, but they too deserve our gratitude and admiration.

I think that in today’s age of painful divisions, it is especially important to talk about the books that connect us, the books that carry our shared memory, but also our shared hopes. And not only to talk, but also to do so that these books reach more people, of any age. I am glad to be able to add to the collection of the library in my hometown 30 such books.

Books that help us understand where we come from (“Exaltation”, “Chamkoria”, “Life has no second half”, “Ants and Gods”…).

Books in which we can get lost (“Volcano”) and find ourselves (“Shelter”, “Stars under the eyelids”, “Home for beginners”)

Books that turn us inward, towards ourselves (“And always love”, “Anne”…).

Books with which we get to know the world and others in it (“Greetings from the blue tent”, “Dictators, tractors and other adventures”, “About the inevitable randomness”, “Hagabula”…).

Books to welcome our children into the land of literature (“This is nothing like it”, “The Warm Man”, “Tea from Paraguay”, “The Narrow House”…).

Books that melt the differences between generations (“The Mice Go to the Opera”, “The Ant’s Letter”, “Out of Range”…).

Their selection is not random – these are all books that help us grow, no matter how old we are. Books that help us live better together. Happy Book Day!”