In the early 1990s whilst working at Penguin I was involved with a cross-company committee looking at the opportunities for marketing the publishing industry.

In 1995 UNESCO launched the first global World Book Day but the UK was not part of that. The problem was that the UK publishing industry was too fragmented and did not respond as an entity to such a glorious opportunity. Our committee first went to see individual publishers, but the response was essentially negative.

We therefore took another approach and got the support of libraries, literary associations, the Book Trade Association, the Publishers Association, Waterstones and other book retailers, as well as a few eminent individuals. Next, we approached the big publishers. We said that we had such widespread support and yet the publishers, who stood to benefit financially from this event, would not support it.

I finally got my CEO at Penguin to agree to support us and then a committee member had a conversation with Gail Rebuck, head of Random House at the time. She was immediately on board and organised the initial World Book Day UK meeting at the Publishers Association at their offices in Bedford Square.

The first UK World Book Day was held in March 1997. Gail Rebuck and her husband Philip Gould were good friends with Tony Blair and the next year, Gail persuaded Tony Blair, by then Prime Minister, to declare support for World Book Day. There was obviously a huge amount of coverage and very happily World Book Day was established.

Actions have consequences. The first consequence of World Book Day events being successful led Blair and the Labour Government to have a Government Year of Reading, which helped promote all sorts of literature and literacy projects. The second was that World Book Day became more well known and even better supported.

One final point: whilst the rest of the world celebrate World Book Day on Shakespeare’s birthday, we celebrate in early March because we wanted to be sure that schools would not be on holiday. In two years’ time the event will have been going for thirty years. I am sure there will be a party and I just hope I will be around to celebrate.

Andy Hayward (OE1961-68)