Complete List of National Days for Book Lovers & Writers 📚

Welcome to the ultimate guide of literary celebrations, meticulously curated with an unabashed love of books at its core! This is no ordinary calendar, but a singular destination for all bookish events, including 109 book-related national days, 26 full weeks of literary festivities, and 32 entire national months dedicated to various aspects of reading and writing.

Imagine it as your exclusive library of observances, overflowing with enthralling holidays from the globally acknowledged World Book Day to more playful ones, like Read In The Bathtub Day or Love Your Bookshop Day. And, it doesn’t end there!

This article is the most comprehensive collection of book-related holidays on the internet. It’s a constantly evolving compendium, updated regularly to ensure you’ll always have a bookish event to look forward to.

So, prepare to mark your calendars, and join us as we explore this array of literary events, turning ordinary days into extraordinary celebrations of our shared passion for books!

In this guide you’ll find:

The Most Popular Days for Book Lovers and Writers
The Ultimate Calendar of Book-Related Holidays 2023/2024
Book-Related Weeks 2023/2024
Book-Related Months 2023/2024

The Most Popular Days for Book-Lovers and Writers

Before we head to our full year calendar of special book days and observances, here is a list of most popular book-related days/weeks.

The popularity of the holidays listed below is determined by how often their main hashtag was used on Instagram. This measurement only considers Instagram and does not include other sources. Last updated 9th of July 2023.

World Book Day (#WorldBookDay 1,292,861)
National Novel Writing Month a.k.a. NaNoWriMo (#NaNoWriMo 588,455)
World Poetry Day (#WorldPoetryDay 190,343)
Book Lovers Day (#BookLoversDay 189,778)
National Library Week (#NationalLibraryWeek 75,046)
International Literacy Day (#InternationalLiteracyDay 67,206)
National Poetry Day (#NationalPoetryDay 63,924)
Dr. Seuss Day (#DrSeussDay 54,242)
Harry Potter’s Birthday (#HarryPotterBirthday 53,214)
Independent Bookstore Day (#IndependentBookstoreDay 45,637)

➤➤➤ Want to celebrate something special every day in 2024? Check out our Printable National Day Calendar 2024 and find a reason to celebrate daily!

January

Embrace the chill of January with a warm book in hand, diving into a world of literary celebrations. Kick-off with the enchanting tales of J.R.R. Tolkien on January 3rd, and venture into uncharted galaxies with National Science Fiction Day on the 2nd. January, a fresh chapter in your life, invites you on countless literary journeys!

January 1: International Public Domain Day a.k.a. Public Domain Day #InternationalPublicDomainDay #PublicDomainDay
January 2: National Science Fiction Day #NationalScienceFictionDay
January 3: JRR Tolkien Day #JRRTolkienDay
January 9: National Word Nerd Day #NationalWordNerdDay
January 16: Book Publishers Day #BookPublishersDay
January 18: National Thesaurus Day #NationalThesaurusDay
January 24: Library Shelfie Day #LibraryShelfieDay #LibraryShelfieDay2024
January 29: National Bible Sunday #NationalBibleDay #NationalBibleSunday

February

Get ready to fall in love with reading all over again this February! Celebrate International Book Giving Day on Valentine’s Day, transforming it into a celebration of literature shared with loved ones. Finish off the month with a sprinkle of magic on National Tell A Fairy Tale Day on the 26th. February offers a lovely blend of literary sweetness and enchantment, just perfect for a cozy winter’s read.

February 1: National African American Read-In #NationalAfricanAmericanReadIn
February 1: Robinson Crusoe Day #RobinsonCrusoeDay
February 3: Take Your Child To The Library Day #TakeYourChildToTheLibraryDay
February 7: World Read Aloud Day #WorldReadAloudDay #WorldReadAloudDay2024
February 9: Read In The Bathtub Day #ReadInTheBathtubDay
February 14: International Book Giving Day #InternationalBookGivingDay #BookGivingDay
February 14: Library Lovers’ Day #LibraryLoversDay #LibraryLoversDay2024
February 14: Read to Your Child Day #ReadtoYourChildDay
February 20: Clean Out Your Bookcase Day #CleanOutYourBookcaseDay
February 26: National Tell A Fairy Tale Day #NationalTellAFairyTaleDay

March

March truly is a magical month for book lovers. Potterheads, rejoice! With Hufflepuff, Slytherin, Gryffindor, and Ravenclaw Pride Days, there’s plenty to celebrate from the wizarding world. Moreover, get lost in Middle-earth on Tolkien Reading Day on the 25th, commemorating the fall of Sauron. With enchanting narratives and world-class literature, March promises to be an extraordinary journey through the pages.

March 2: Dr. Seuss Day #DrSeussDay #DrSeussDay2024
March 2: National Read Across America Day #NationalReadAcrossAmericaDay #NationalReadAcrossAmericaDay2024
March 4: National Grammar Day #NationalGrammarDay
March 7: World Book Day (UK and Ireland) #WorldBookDay #WorldBookDay2024
March 14: National Write Your Story Day #NationalWriteYourStoryDay
March 19: International Read To Me Day #InternationalReadToMeDay
March 20: Bibliomania Day (marks anniversary of Stephen Blumberg’s grand heist of 26,000 books) #BibliomaniaDay
March 20: Hufflepuff Pride Day (celebrates renowned Hufflepuff house from Harry Potter series) #HufflepuffPrideDay
March 20: World Storytelling Day #WorldStorytellingDay #WorldStorytellingDay2024
March 21: World Poetry Day #WorldPoetryDay #WorldPoetryDay2024
March 21: Slytherin Pride Day (recognizes the Slytherin House from Hogwarts in Harry Potter) #SlytherinPrideDay
March 22: Gryffindor Pride Day (celebrates Gryffindor House from the Harry Potter series) #GryffindorPrideDay
March 23: Ravenclaw Pride Day (celebrates Ravenclaw House from the Harry Potter series) #RavenclawPrideDay
March 25: Tolkien Reading Day (encourages readings of J.R.R. Tolkien, marking the fall of Sauron) #TolkienReadingDay

April

April buzzes with literary energy, hosting numerous celebrations for book lovers and writers. It’s a special month for budding authors, as National Encourage a Young Writer Day on the 10th lights the way for creative minds. Also, it is synonymous with the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), sparking discussions and excitement across social media platforms. And let’s not overlook April 23rd, a literary trifecta with World Book Day, Shakespeare Day, and National Tell A Story Day. From fun and weird events to grand global observances, April is a treasure trove of reasons to delve deeper into the world of words.

April 1: Edible Book Day a.k.a. International Edible Book Festival #EdibleBookDay #EdibleBookFestival
April 1: Library Snap Shot Day #LibrarySnapShotDay #SnapShotDay
April 1: Myles Day #MylesDay
April 1: Reading is Funny Day #ReadingIsFunnyDay
April 2: International Children’s Book Day (celebrated on Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday) #InternationalChildrensBookDay #ChildrensBookDay
April 4: National School Librarian Day #NationalSchoolLibrarianDay
April 6: National Library Day #NationalLibraryDay
April 10: National Encourage a Young Writer Day #NationalEncourageAYoungWriterDay
April 12: D.E.A.R. Day a.k.a. Drop Everything and Read Day #DEARDay #DropEverythingandReadDay
April 14: National Donate a Book Day #NationalDonateABookDay
April 16: National Librarian Day #NationalLibrarianDay
April 17: National Haiku Poetry Day #NationalHaikuPoetryDay
April 18: Celebrate Teen Literature Day #CelebrateTeenLiteratureDay
April 18: National Columnists’ Day #NationalColumnistsDay
April 18: National Support Teen Literature Day #NationalSupportTeenLiteratureDay
April 19: Poetry And The Creative Mind Day #PoetryAndTheCreativeMindDay
April 21: Thank You for Libraries Day #ThankYouForLibrariesDay
April 23: Canada Book Day #CanadaBookDay
April 23: Shakespeare Day (the anniversary of the bard’s death) #ShakespeareDay
April 23: Talk Like Shakespeare Day (the anniversary of the bard’s death) #TalkLikeShakespeareDay
April 23: World Book and Copyright Day #WorldBookAndCopyrightDay
April 23: World Book Day (UNESCO) #WorldBookDay #WorldBookDay2024
April 23: World Book Night (UK and Ireland) #WorldBookNight
April 26: National Library Outreach Day (formerly National Bookmobile Day)
April 27: Independent Bookstore Day #IndependentBookstoreDay #IndependentBookstoreDay2023
April 27: National Poem In Your Pocket Day #NationalPoemInYourPocketDay
April 27: National Tell A Story Day #NationalTellAStoryDay
April 28: Great Poetry Reading Day #GreatPoetryReadingDay

May

May, affectionately known as the ‘Gateway to Summer,’ invites you to celebrate an array of unique literary events. Fancy some supernatural thrills? World Dracula Day on May 26 commemorates the publication of Bram Stoker’s iconic horror novel. Also, don’t forget to pay homage to the master of humorous science fiction, Douglas Adams, on Towel Day, May 25, by carrying a towel in tribute to his classic, ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’. Let’s let the spirit of literature brighten our May days even more!

May 1: National Mother Goose Day (commemorates the imaginary author of a collection of children’s fairy tales and nursery rhymes) #NationalMotherGooseDay
May 2: International Harry Potter Day (honors the epic Battle of Hogwarts) #InternationalHarryPotterDay
May 4: Free Comic Book Day #FreeComicBookDay
May 5: National Cartoonists’ Day #NationalCartoonistsDay
May 9: Make a Book Day #MakeABookDay
May 11: National Twilight Zone Day (celebrates the Twilight Zone, an iconic television show) #NationalTwilightZoneDay #TwilightZoneDay #TwilightZone
May 12: National Limerick Day (Marks Edward Lear’s birthday, known for popularizing limericks in 1846)
May 14: International Dylan Thomas Day (celebrates the life and work of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas) #InternationalDylanThomasDay
May 16: National Biographer’s Day #NationalBiographersDay
May 25: Towel Day (celebrates the author Douglas Adams, fans carry towels in homage to his book The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) #TowelDay #TowelDay2024
May 26: World Dracula Day (honors Bram Stoker’s Dracula, published on May 26, 1897) #WorldDraculaDay
May 31: National Speak in Sentences Day (encourages use of proper sentence structure.) #SpeakInCompleteSentencesDay

June

June, with its golden sunlight and warm breezes, offers us a respite from a busy schedule of literary celebrations. Yet, there’s still something to look forward to! Mark your calendars for Bloomsday on June 16, an international celebration of James Joyce’s pivotal novel ‘Ulysses.’ And don’t forget to tip your hat to a crucial instrument in the history of literature on National Typewriter Day, June 23. Ah, June! A perfect month to kick back, relax, and immerse yourself in a good book or two.

June 16: Bloomsday #Bloomsday
June 23: National Typewriter Day #NationalTypewriterDay

July

As the summer heat intensifies in July, we have the perfect excuse to escape into the cool shade with a great book. July 4th marks Alice in Wonderland Day, a perfect opportunity to tumble down the rabbit hole into Lewis Carroll’s whimsical world. Towards the end of the month, we celebrate Paperback Book Day on the 30th, reflecting on how the publication of the first Penguin paperbacks in 1935 made literature more accessible to all. Finally, raise your wands (and your books!) on July 31st, as we celebrate the birth of both the brilliant author J.K. Rowling and her iconic creation, Harry Potter.

July 4: Alice in Wonderland Day #AliceInWonderlandDay
July 30: Paperback Book Day #PaperbackBookDay
July 31: Harry Potter’s Birthday #HarryPotterBirthday #JKRowlingBirthday #harrypotterbirthdayparty #harrypotterbirthdaycake

August

As we bask in the final full month of summer, August brings us some wonderful reasons to celebrate literature in all its forms. Start the month off with a splash of color on National Coloring Book Day, August 2nd. This is a day for everyone to unleash their inner artist!

Then, on August 9th, it’s Book Lovers Day, an occasion to revel in our shared passion for the written word. If you’re seeking an excuse to visit your local bookstore, look no further than August 14th – Love Your Bookshop Day.

And, with the dog days of summer upon us, August 18th’s Bad Poetry Day can offer a light-hearted escape. As the month closes, we pay tribute to Mary Shelley’s monstrous creation on Frankenstein Day, August 30th, before celebrating the power of personal stories on We Love Memoirs Day, August 31st. Enjoy the bookish delights of August!

August 2: National Coloring Book Day #NationalColoringBookDay #ColoringBookDay
August 9: Book Lovers Day (celebrates literature and books) #BookLoversDay #BookLoversDay2023 #bookloversday📚
August 14: Love Your Bookshop Day #LoveYourBookshopDay
August 18: Bad Poetry Day #BadPoetryDay
August 30: Frankenstein Day #FrankensteinDay
August 31: We Love Memoirs Day #WeLoveMemoirsDay

September

As the leaves start to turn, September offers a rich harvest of book-related holidays. On September 6th, indulge in your favorite paperback or hardcover for National Read A Book Day. Mid-September brings us Libraries Remember Day, celebrating the role of libraries as repositories of collective memory. Then, it’s time to relive the magic of Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series on National Twilighters Day and honor Roald Dahl’s unforgettable children’s stories on Roald Dahl Day, both falling on September 13th.

September 6: National Read A Book Day #NationalReadABookDay
September 7: Buy a Book Day (promotes declining book-buying and reading culture) #BuyABookDay
September 8: International Literacy Day #InternationalLiteracyDay
September 8: National Ampersand Day #NationalAmpersandDay
September 11: Libraries Remember Day #LibrariesRememberDay
September 13: National Twilighters Day (celebrates Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight book series) #NationalTwilightersDay #TwilightSaga
September 13: Roald Dahl Day (renowned children’s books author) #RoaldDahlDay
September 18: Read An eBook Day #ReadAnEBookDay #EbookLove
September 22: Hobbit Day (celebrates the characters and world of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit) #HobbitDay
September 24: National Punctuation Day #NationalPunctuationDay
September 25: National Comic Book Day #NationalComicBookDay

October

Start your journey through the month with a dip into the realm of rhyme and rhythm on National Poetry Day (UK and Ireland), October 5th. Immerse yourself in verses that capture the soul.

Then, don your favorite top hat and dive into the nonsensical world of John Tenniel’s Mad Hatter from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland on Mad Hatter Day, October 6th. And as the month concludes, swap your Halloween candy for a good read on Books for Treats Day, October 31st.

October 5: National Poetry Day (UK and Ireland. This year’s theme is: Refuge) #NationalPoetryDay #NationalPoetryDay2023
October 6: Mad Hatter Day (dedicated to John Tenniel’s Mad Hatter from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland) #MadHatterDay #madhatterday🎩
October 7: Bookshop Day #BookshopDay #BookshopDay2023
October 7: Love Your Bookshop Day (Australia) #loveyourbookshopday #LYBD2023
October 16: Dictionary Day (honors Noah Webster for publishing the first dictionary in 1806) #DictionaryDay
October 17: Black Poetry Day #BlackPoetryDay
October 27: Frankenstein Friday (celebrates Mary Shelley and her famous novel Frankenstein) #FrankensteinFriday
October 31: Books For Treats Day #BooksForTreatsDay

November

This November, let’s take a moment on the 1st to celebrate National Author’s Day. It’s all about saying a big thank you to the authors who create the amazing books we love. So, why not enjoy a book from your favorite writer and maybe even send them a message to let them know you appreciate their work?

November 1: National Author’s Day #NationalAuthorsDay #NationalAuthorsDay2023
November 2: National Non-Fiction Day (annual celebration of children’s non-fiction in the UK) #NationalNonFictionDay
November 4: National Waiting for the Barbarians Day (novel) #NationalWaitingForTheBarbariansDay
November 12: National Chicken Soup for the Soul Day (Honoring inspirational Chicken Soup for the Soul book series) #NationalChickenSoupForTheSoulDay
November 15: I Love to Write Day #ILovetoWriteDay
November 18: High Five a Librarian Day #HighFiveaLibrarianDay

December

December is great for chilling out and getting lost in a good book. You can enjoy reading while staying warm indoors, or start thinking about what books you want to read next year. It’s all about spending time with family, reading, and planning for the future. So go ahead and grab a book to enjoy during this cool, comfy month.

December 10: Dewey Decimal System Day #DeweyDecimalSystemDay
December 21: Phileas Fogg Win a Wager Day (a date in Around the World in 80 Days) #PhileasFoggWinAWagerDay

January 30-February 6, 2024: National Storytelling Week #NationalStorytellingWeek
February 1-7, 2024: Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week #ChildrensAuthorsandIllustratorsWeek
February 5-11, 2024: Freelance Writers Appreciation Week #FreelanceWritersAppreciationWeek
March 1-7, 2024: National Ghostwriters Week
March 2-6, 2024: Read Across America Week (celebrated on the birthday of Dr. Seuss) #ReadAcrossAmericaWeek
March 3-9, 2024: Read an eBook Week #ReadAnEBookWeek
March 3-9, 2024: Return Borrowed Books Week #ReturnBorrowedBooksWeek
March 17-23, 2024: World Folktales and Fables Week #WorldFolktalesAndFablesWeek
March 21-27, 2024: Shakespeare Week #ShakespeareWeek
April 23-29, 2023: National Library Week (this year’s theme: “There’s More to the Story.”) #NationalLibraryWeek #NationalLibraryWeek2023
April 15-21, 2024: Canada Book Week #CanadaBookWeek
May 1-7, 2023: Children’s Book Week #ChildrensBookWeek (also celebrated during the first full week in November)
13-19 May 2024: National Stationery Week #NATSTATWEEK2024 #NationalStationeryWeek
October 1-7, 2023: Banned Books Week #BannedBooksWeek
October 1-7, 2023: Mystery Series Week #MysterySeriesWeek
October 1-7, 2023: National Newspaper Week (USA and Canada) #NationalNewspaperWeek
October 14-16, 2023: Sherlock Holmes Weekend #SherlockHolmesWeekend
October 15-21, 2023: Friends of Libraries Week #FriendsofLibrariesWeek
October 15-21, 2023: Teen Read Week #TeenReadWeek
November 6-12, 2023: Children’s Book Week #ChildrensBookWeek
November 7-13, 2023: International Games Week #InternationalGamesWeek #InternationalGamesWeek2023
November 7-13, 2023: National Book Award Week #NationalBookAwardWeek
November 13-17, 2023: World Nursery Rhyme Week #WorldNurseryRhymeWeek #WorldNurseryRhymeWeek2023
November 13-17, 2023: National Young Readers Week #NationalYoungReadersWeek
November 13-19, 2023: Book Week Scotland #BookWeekScotland #BookWeekScotland2023
November 19-25, 2023: National Bible Week #NationalBibleWeek
November 20-24, 2023: National Book Week #NationalBookWeek #NationalBookWeek2023

January: National Book Blitz Month #NationalBookBlitzMonth
February: National Library Lovers Month #NationalLibraryLoversMonth
March: Gardening, Nature and Ecology Books Month
March: National March Into Literacy Month
March: National Reading Month (in honour of Dr. Seuss’ birthday) #NationalReadingMonth #NationalReadingMonth2024
March : Read an E-Book Month
March: Small Press Month #SmallPressMonth
April: National Literature Month #NationalLiteratureMonth
April: School Library Month #SchoolLibraryMonth
May: Get Caught Reading Month #GetCaughtReadingMonth
May: Latino Books Month #LatinoBooksMonth
May: National Share a Story Month #NationalShareAStoryMonth
June: Audiobook Appreciation Month #AudiobookAppreciationMonth
July: Read an Almanac Month
September: Be Kind to Editors and Writers Month
September: National Library Card Signup Month #NationalLibraryCardSignupMonth
September: Read a New Book Month (also celebrated in December) #ReadaNewBookMonth
October: Black Speculative Fiction Month #BlackSpeculativeFictionMonth #BlackSpeculativeFiction
October: Church Library Month #ChurchLibraryMonth
October: National Book Month #NationalBookMonth
October: National Cookbook Month #NationalCookbookMonth #nationalcookbookmonth📚
October: National Medical Librarians Month #NationalMedicalLibrariansMonth
October: National Reading Group Month #NationalReadingGroupMonth
November: Library and Information Services Month
November: National Life Writing Month
November: National Family Literacy Month #NationalFamilyLiteracyMonth
November: National Non-Fiction November (Federation of Children’s Book Groups’ annual celebration of all things factual) #NationalNonFictionNovember #NNFN2023
November: National Novel Writing Month a.k.a. NaNoWriMo #NaNoWriMo #NaNoWriMo2023 #NationalNovelWritingMonth
November: Picture Book Month #PictureBookMonth #PictureBookMonth2023
December: Spiritual Literacy Month #SpiritualLiteracyMonth
December: Read a New Book Month (also celebrated in September) #ReadaNewBookMonth

And there you have it, folks – the definitive calendar for all book aficionados, wordsmiths, and everyone who falls somewhere in between! We’re pretty certain you’ve spotted some of your favorite festivities in there. Make sure to keep this post handy – it’s your go-to guide that we continually update with precise dates (as some holidays shift year-to-year) and all the fresh literary celebrations we discover.

Before we bid you adieu, we couldn’t resist sharing some of our other specially curated thematic holiday compilations with you. So, here goes:

Categorized in:

Holidays,

Last Update: December 6, 2023

National Days for Book Lovers 2023-2024