Opening Ceremony of World Book Day and Literature Under the April Sky 2019

2019世界书香日暨文学四月天开幕礼 

1. In the lead-up to the World Book Day and Literature Under the April Sky 2019, students from 106 primary and secondary schools had participated in World Book Day@Schools – a month-long programme comprising interesting reading activities. This is an increase from 83 schools last year. Today, more than 800 students, along with members of the public, attended the opening ceremony at the Singapore Conference Hall. Chairperson of the Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning (CPCLL) and Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education, Ms Low Yen Ling, was the Guest-of-Honour.

2. Co-organised by CPCLL and the National Library Board, the event aims to emphasise the importance of reading among youths.

3. This year’s theme, “穿越历史，阅读未来”, highlights how reading can take one back in time and yet have a profound impact on one’s future. Renowned overseas Chinese writers, Professor Zhao Baisheng（赵白生教授）and Professor Choong Yee Voon（钟怡雯教授）, delivered keynote addresses on the importance of reading and their experiences as authors.

4. To commemorate the 10^th anniversary of the Author-in-Residence Programme（驻校作家计划）, an initiative to inspire creative writing in Chinese among secondary school and junior college students, SPS Low also launched a special edition of the student publication,《青春同行》(Writing with the Youth), which is a collection of the best-written essays from the first ten editions. In addition, four participants from past editions of the Author-in-Residence Programme shared their experiences at the event. For more details, please refer to Annex A.

5. An exhibition showcasing the Reading Ambassadors Programme（阅读大使计划）activities, designed by 13 secondary schools, was also held. The list of schools is in Annex B.

6. Members of the public will be able to participate in various reading activities organised by local reading clubs, from now till 26 May 2019. For more information on World Book Day activities, please visit www.cpcll.sg.