Havana, April 23 (RHC-PL) -- Cuba is celebrating today World Language Day, established as a tribute to the Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes, with a series of literary and publishing activities.

Cultural fairs, the presentation of a school dictionary and a scholarship for creative writing will take place on the date recalling the death of the author of Don Quixote, on April 23, 1616.

The literary event 'Como esperando abril', which promotes reading in schools and workplaces in Havana, will also take place this week with the support of the Cuban Book Institute.

World Language Day celebrates internationally the importance of the Spanish language, with over 450 million speakers worldwide.

The origin of this celebration dates back to 1926, when the Valencian author Vicente Clavel Andres proposed the idea of establishing a special day to celebrate literature, an official date adopted two decades later.