National Author's Day is celebrated every year on 1 November to celebrate American authors who contributed significantly to the improvement of society and whose works have been a landmark in the world of literature across the globe.
The idea to celebrate a day for all the national authors came from Nellie Verne Burt McPherson who was the president of the Bement (Illinois) Women's Club in 1928. She was a teacher and a prolific reader throughout her life.
The idea came to her during World War I, when she wrote to her favourite fiction writer, Irving Bacheller, about how much she enjoyed his book "Eben Holden's Last Day A' Fishin." In response, Bacheller sent her an autographed copy of another story.
Overwhelmed, McPherson decided to show her gratitude by submitting an idea for a National Author's Day to the General Federation of Women's Clubs which passed a resolution to mark 1 November as a day honouring American writers. Eventually, the US Department of Commerce also recognised the day in 1949.
Since then, it has become a cultural phenomenon across America and other parts of the world. As the world celebrates National Author's Day, here are some popular quotes by famous authors from around the globe.
"The development of civilisation and industry in general has always shown itself so active in the destruction of forests that everything that has been done for their conservation and production is completely insignificant in comparison." – Karl Marx
"I suppose that every one of us hopes secretly for immortality; to leave, I mean, a name behind him which will live forever in this world, whatever he may be doing, himself, in the next." – A.A. Milne
"No better way is there to learn to love Nature than to understand Art. It dignifies every flower of the field. And, the boy who sees the thing of beauty which a bird on the wing becomes when transferred to wood or canvas will probably not throw the customary stone." – Oscar Wilde
"Individual rights are not subject to a public vote; a majority has no right to vote away the rights of a minority; the political function of rights is precisely to protect minorities from oppression by majorities (and the smallest minority on earth is the individual)." – Ayn Rand
"The minute I heard my first love story, I started looking for you, not knowing how blind that was. Lovers don't finally meet somewhere. They're in each other all along." – Rumi
"Anybody can become angry - that is easy, but to be angry with the right person and to the right degree and at the right time and for the right purpose, and in the right way - that is not within everybody's power and is not easy." – Aristotle
Source: BrainyQuote
