Both, William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes happen to share the same day of their demise on April 23rd, 1616, almost four hundred years ago. To commemorate the two immortal bards, UNESCO declared this day the International Day of the Book.
April 23rd coincides with Sant Jordi day, the day of the patron saint of Catalunya as well as Aragon, whilst England celebrates Saint George, the patron saint of England.
All over Spain, libraries and book shops celebrate the Diada de Sant Jordi with a catalogue of activities related to literature and books, and Mallorca is no exception. Book shops in Palma exhibit their wares not only in their tiendas but also in public locations such as Plaça Espanya, Plaça Major, Carrer Oms, la Rambla dels Ducs de Palma, Passeig es Born, Plaça Cort and many others places, weather permitting.
If you buy a book today most sellers will grant you a 10 % discount and will probably throw a single rose in with the purchase, the rose being the symbol of the day.
The Consell de Mallorca will organize a series of public poetry readings under the heading of Paraules al vent. Readings will be held in Plaça Cort, Plaça Major and in the Jardí de la Misericòrdia at 11h00, 12h30, 17h00 and 18h30 (my photo was taken at one such reading in last year’s event).
The photo was chosen from my archive. It was taken in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. The date: April 23rd, 2008. The time was 12:42:07.
The Mallorca Photo Blog 
just returned from Palma and had the possibility to sit at Plaza major during the book day. Very fascinating and intriguing to observe parents buying books for their children.
My own blogpost can be seen here and more will come in the days ahead.