On this day...

UNESCO have celebrated International Literacy Day since 1966. With the aim of highlighting the importance of literacy to indivisuals, communities, and societies, UNESCO uses the day to bring the plight of adult learning into sharper focus. Here are a few statistics as to why...

• 776 million adults lack minimum literacy skills
• one in five adults is still not literate and two-thirds of them are women
• 75 million children are out-of-school and many more attend irregularly or drop out
• South and West Asia has the lowest regional adult literacy rate with 58.6%
• Countries with the lowest literacy rates in the world are Burkina Faso (12.8%), Niger (14.4%) and Mali (19%)

A number of famous writers and global organisations are behind this year's initiative, which will focus on 'The Power of :iterature'.