World Book Night

Missed it by thiiiis much....! Just read about World Book Night which took place on March 5 throughout Britain and Ireland (maybe they should check a map?) with 'the largest book giveaway ever'. 20,000 volunteers took to the streets and handed out one million free books in a publicity stunt designed to promote reading among the masses. 
Among the patrons, such luminaries as Margaret Atwood, Dave Eggers, Seamus Heaney, Sir Richard Branson and Colin Firth lent their energy to the cause, vaunting a book list of 25 novels - contemporary books and classics - selected by committee. 
If what one reads on the web is to be believed, despite the rash of freebies, sales of those novels have peaked in the weeks since World Book Day took place. You can check out the list of titles here. I'd have stuck my hand out very graciously for a copy of David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas. What would you have chosen?
And here's a novel idea: considering the title of the event, how about we in the Antipodes get a look in next year?