World Book Night Wants You

If you’re reading this, chances are you won’t be receiving one of the 1,000,000 books World Book Night is giving away. But you still can (and should) take part.

Everyone has a friend who doesn’t read (or doesn’t read enough), and those are the people World Book Night is targeting. On April 23, WBN will be working with thousands of volunteers, libraries, and bookstores to distribute books by hand to “light or non-readers” After last year’s successful launch in the UK, WBN is coming to the states.

Here’s the story from Carl Lennertz, the Executive Director and sole employee of World Book Night, U.S.

World Book Night is printing hundreds of thousands of special free paperback editions, and they are looking for thousands of volunteers to go out on one day and give books out across America. … You pick the place: hospital or diner, school or … well, lots of possibilities. Be creative. … yes, there are some rules and regulations. But no cost, except for your time, love of books, and caring for your community.

The titles on offer are being printed at-cost and made possible by generous publishers and writers, including Dave Eggers, Ann Patchett, Nicole Krauss, Jhumpa Lahiri, Junot Díaz, and Patti Smith.

The deadline to apply to be WBN 2012 Giver is February 6. Do your part and click here to register.

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 — Benjamin Samuel is the Online Editor of Electric Literature and looking for a “light reader” disguise to wear on April 23 (costume suggestions are welcome). You can find him on Twitter here.