Whether it’s Library Lovers Day in February or National Book Month in October, there are plenty of wonderful book holidays in 2023 that give us an opportunity to celebrate all things books and reading.

You might decide to encourage your network to join you for World Storytelling Day. Maybe you’ll call attention to National Library Week in your community. Perhaps you’ll host a contest for National Bad Poetry Day.

No matter how you want to support books and reading, you’ll find plenty of popular literary dates plus special days, weeks, and months that focus on books, reading, writing, and literacy in the 2023 literary calendar below.

How to use your 2023 literary calendar

What’s the best way to use these special dates? Here are ideas.

Step 1. Start by reviewing the list in the 2023 literary calendar below and selecting those that speak to you. For example, did you write a memoir? Gather a few of your favorite memoirists together for a conversation about writing your life story on We Love Memoirs Day in August or during November, National Memoirs Month.

Are you a children’s book author or illustrator? You’ve got an entire week in February dedicated to you. Take advantage of it!

Step 2. Add your favorite occasions and dates to your calendar, then set a reminder a few days in advance so you have time to plan and create what you’ll use to promote the special day. (I use my smartphone’s “Reminders” app for this.)

Step 3. Decide how you’ll recognize the occasion. Here are a few ideas:

• Use the holiday as a conversation starter on social media. For example, for Paperback Book Day (image below), I’ll ask my connections on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter if they read paperbacks or prefer hardcovers, e-books, or audiobooks. I can turn that into a survey in my Facebook book marketing group, too.
• Blog about why the special day is important to you or write about it in your email newsletter.
• Create a short video to share on social media. Post to Instagram or Facebook Stories, TikTok, or share it on your book’s Facebook page.
• Create an event-related image to share on social media. Here’s one I created for Paperback Book Day, which is July 30. Notice that I branded it with this site name. You’ll want to brand yours, too.

Step 4: Don’t let all of these amazing ways to honor books and reading go to waste. Take action!

Your 2023 literary calendar

Now you’re ready to make things happen. Here’s your month-by-month 2023 literary calendar.

(Please note that there’s conflicting information online about some of these dates, but we’ve tried our best to verify and validate everything. Please let us know if you have a correction or clarification.)

January 2023

National Braille Literacy Month

1 – Copyright Law Day

2 – National Science Fiction Day

8-14 – Universal Letter Writing Week

10 – Poetry at Work Day

18 – Thesaurus Day

18 – Winnie the Pooh Day (birthday of author A.A. Milne)

19 – Edgar Allan Poe’s birthday

23 – National Handwriting Day

25 – Burns Supper (Robert Burns’s birthday)

25 – Library Shelfie Day

27 – Family Literacy Day in Canada

29-February 5 – National Storytelling Week

February 2023

Library Lovers’ Month

1 – World Read Aloud Day

4 – Take Your Child to the Library Day

5-11 – Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week

7 – Charles Dickens’s birthday

9 – Read in the Bathtub Day

12 – Judy Blume’s birthday

14 – International Book Giving Day

14 – Library Lover’s Day

19 – Amy Tan’s birthday

19-25 – Freedom to Read Week in Canada

26 – Tell a Fairy Tale Day

27 – John Steinbeck’s birthday

March 2023

National Reading Month

Small Press Month

1 – International Hug a Librarian Day

2 – Read Across America Day

2 – Dr. Seuss’s birthday

2 – World Book Day in the UK and Ireland

4 – National Grammar Day

5-11 – Read an E-book Week

5-11 – Return Borrowed Books Week

16 – Freedom of Information Day

20 – World Storytelling Day

21 – World Poetry Day

26 – Robert Frost’s birthday

30 – Pencil Day

April 2023

D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read) Month

National Poetry Month

School Library Month

1 – Reading is Funny Day

2 – International Children’s Book Day

2 – National Children’s Picture Book Day

2 – Hans Christian Anderson’s birthday

4 – National School Librarian Day

4 – Maya Angelou’s birthday

9 – National Unicorn Day

12 – Drop Everything and Read (D.E.A.R.) Day

12 – Beverly Cleary’s birthday

13 – Scrabble Day

13 – Celebrate Teen Literature Day

15 – Rubber Eraser Day

15 – World Art Day

16 – National Librarian Day

17 – International Haiku Poetry Day

18 – Newspaper Columnists Day

23 – Shakespeare’s birthday

23 – World Book and Copyright Day

23 – World Book Night

23-29 – National Library Week

24 – Congress approved the Library of Congress

25 – National Library Workers Day

26 – National Library Outreach Day (formerly National Bookmobile Day)

27 – Take Action for Libraries Day

27 – National Tell A Story Day

28 – Harper Lee’s birthday

28 – Great Poetry Reading Day

29 – Independent Bookstore Day

May 2023

Get Caught Reading Month

Short Story Month

1 – Mother Goose Day

2 – International Harry Potter Day

2-8 – Children’s Book Week

3 – World Press Freedom Day

5 – National Cartoonists Day

6 – Free Comic Book Day

9 – Peter Pan Day

12 – Limerick Day

16 – Love a Tree Day

20 – Eliza Doolittle Day

22 – Sherlock Holmes Day

31 – Walt Whitman’s birthday

June 2023

Audiobook Appreciation Month

Rainbow Book Month

10 – Ball Point Pen Day

12 – Anne Frank’s birthday

16 – Bloomsday (celebration of Irish writer James Joyce’s life)

22 – Octavia Butler’s birthday

23 – Typewriter patent awarded

25 – Eric Carle’s birthday

July 2023

National Anti-Boredom Month

Read an Almanac Month

11 – E.B. White’s birthday

17 – World Emoji Day

21 – Ernest Hemingway’s birthday

30 – Paperback Book Day

31 – J.K. Rowling’s birthday

August 2023

Romance Awareness Month

2 – National Coloring Book Day

9 – Book Lover’s Day (also November 4)

18 – National Bad Poetry Day

21 – Poet’s Day

31 – We Love Memoirs Day

September 2023

Be Kind to Editors and Writers Month

Library Card Sign Up Month

National Literacy Month

Read a New Book Month (also December)

4 – Richard Wright’s birthday

6 – Read a Book Day

7 – Newspaper Carrier Day

8 – International Literacy Day

18 – Read an E-book Day

22 – Hobbit Day

22 – Dear Diary Day

24 – National Punctuation Day

24 – F. Scott Fitzgerald’s birthday

25 – National Comic Book Day

29 – National Coffee Day in the U.S.

October 2023

National Book Month

National Reading Group Month

1-7 – Banned Books Week

1 – International Coffee Day

5 – National Poetry Day in the UK

6 – Mad Hatter Day

11 – Myth and Legends Day

15-21 – National Friends of Libraries Week

16 – Dictionary Day

20 – National Day on Writing

27 – National Tell a Story Day in Scotland and the UK

November 2023

National Family Literacy Month

National Memoir Writing Month

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

Picture Book Month

1 – National Family Literacy Day

1 – Author’s Day

2 – National Non-Fiction Day in the UK

4 – Book Lovers Day (also August 9)

13-17 – National Young Readers Week

14 – Young Readers Day

15 – I Love to Write Day

18 – High-Five a Librarian Day

29 – Louisa May Alcott’s birthday

December 2023

Read a New Book Month (also September)

7 – Letter Writing Day

10 – Dewey Decimal System Day

16 – Jane Austen’s birthday

21 – Crossword Puzzle Day

21 – National Short Story Day

24 – Jolabokaflod, Iceland’s Yule Book Flood

Need more book promotion ideas to help you take advantage of these occasions and for book marketing in general? Sign up for the Build Book Buzz 365 Daily Book Marketing Tips. You’ll get one tip every day for a year for just $1 total, and you’ll start the year off right.

Have we missed anything? If you know of a holiday or occasion that should be on this calendar but isn’t, tell us in a comment. We’ll continually update this as needed. Thanks! 

It forces me to do something I need to do more often — study what resonates with you here, then deliver more of it.

I start the two-part process with Google Analytics.

Identifying the top book marketing articles

First, I look at the traffic for all of my content, not just what I created for 2021. There are a few perennial favorites, including one article I wrote in 2012 that continues to rank at the top.

Then I narrow the list down to content created this year. Both exercises help me:

• Identify trends
• Uncover surprises (for example, I thought you’d be really interested in “Should you sell books from your website?” You weren’t.  )
• Guide what I write about in the following year

Here are the articles that interested you the most in 2021. I’m looking forward to delivering more information that helps in 2022.

1. 2021 literary calendar with 137 occasions for book lovers

This month-by-month list of occasions that celebrate all things books during the year we’re leaving behind made it easy to find opportunities you could work into your book marketing plans. It includes information on how to use the 137 special days and holidays for year-round book marketing. (And while this article ran at the end of 2020, the vast majority of traffic it attracted came in early 2021.) And, if you’re looking ahead to 2022, here’s the link to that calendar: https://buildbookbuzz.com/2022-literary-calendar/

2. Who are the best BookTubers?

“BookTube” refers to YouTube video bloggers who talk about books; the book lovers who create those videos are “BookTubers.” This article links to seven lists of the top BookTubers so you don’t have to spend hours and hours wading through searches to find the best and most popular options.

3. 11 free things you can do to buzz your book

If your goal is a high-quality book, you’re going to have to spend money on cover design, editing, and proofreading, for starters. But there are lots of effective tactics you can use to promote your book that cost nothing but time. Learn more about 11 of them in this article.

4. How to give readers a direct Amazon review link

Get more reader reviews by giving fans a link that goes directly to the “write a review” section of your book’s description page on Amazon. This demo video shows where to find that section and how to grab and use the corresponding link.

I’d like to do more of these types of “let me show you how to do that” videos, but struggle to come up with ideas for them. What can I show you how to do?

5. Amazon Verified Purchase reviews: Fact versus fiction

Some authors believe that if you didn’t purchase the book on Amazon so that it’s “verified,” you can’t review it. Others think that reviews that aren’t verified have no value and aren’t worth securing. They’re both wrong. Learn how it works in this article.

6. 3 things you need to stop doing on social media

You see people making mistakes on social media all the time, don’t you? In the early days, it was tweeting “buy my book” nonstop. Today, the faux pas are more sophisticated. Here are three that will put distance between you and your readers.

7. Use Amazon’s embed feature to preview your book anywhere

Guest blogger Walter Rhein introduces us to a little-known Amazon marketing tool that every author with an Amazon listing can use. The “here’s what it looks like” images he provides are especially helpful.

8. 3 book marketing tactics you can ignore

To help you find your focus, I’ve identified three popular tactics that aren’t going to work for most authors. There are exceptions, of course. But for most, you can ignore these activities when you see others using them.

9. 10 Amazon changes authors need to know about

In this guest column, book marketing consultant Rob Eagar outlines the 10 most important Amazon updates for authors. They involve Amazon Advertising, Author Central accounts, and self-publishing with KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing).

10. Kindle Vella: Is it a good fit for you?

Kindle Vella is a new storytelling option from KDP that lets authors self-publish serialized stories, one short episode at a time. This article introduces the concept and links to detailed Kindle Vella summaries and specifics on other sites.

What’s your favorite article from this site this year? Is it on this list, or is it something else? Please tell us in a comment. 

Whether you want to celebrate the importance of grammar, support indie bookstores, or dig into the dictionary, there’s an occasion you can you can celebrate and enjoy.

Use this 2022 literary calendar to help support books, reading, and literacy in the coming year. They’re all important in civilized society.

(Looking for our 2023 Literary Calendar? You’ll find it here.)

How to use your 2022 literary calendar

What’s the best way to use these special dates? Here are ideas.

Step 1. Start by reviewing the list below and selecting those that speak to you. For example, do you have a favorite classic author from years gone by? Throw one of them a virtual birthday party! (I might have to do that for Louisa May Alcott on November 29.) Are you a children’s book author or illustrator? You’ve got an entire week in February dedicated to you. Take advantage of it!

Step 2. Add your favorite occasions and dates to your calendar, but also create a reminder a few days in advance so you have time to plan and create what you’ll use to promote the special day.

Step 3. Decide how you’ll recognize the occasion. Here are a few ideas:

• Team up with a group of authors to donate proceeds from book sales during a specific period to a nonprofit or cause linked to one of the occasions that’s close to your heart.
• Blog about why the special day is important to you or write about it in your email newsletter.
• Create a short video to share on social media. Use Instagram or Facebook Stories or share it on your book’s Facebook page.
• Create an event-related image to share on social media. Here’s one I created for World Book Day, which is on March 3 this year.

Step 4: Don’t let all of these amazing ways to honor books and reading go to waste. Take action!

Your 2022 literary calendar

Now you’re ready to make things happen. Here’s your month-by-month, 2022 literary calendar.

January

National Braille Literacy Month

1 – Copyright Law Day

2 – National Science Fiction Day

9-15 – Universal Letter Writing Week

11 – Poetry at Work Day

18 – Thesaurus Day

18 – Winnie the Pooh Day (birthday of author A.A. Milne)

19 – Edgar Allan Poe’s birthday

23 – National Handwriting Day

25 – Burns Supper (Robert Burns’s birthday)

26 – Library Shelfie Day

27 – Family Literacy Day in Canada

February

Library Lovers’ Month

2-8 – Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week

2 – World Read Aloud Day

5 – Take Your Child to the Library Day

7 – Charles Dickens’s birthday

9 – Read in the Bathtub Day

12 – Judy Blume’s birthday

14 – International Book Giving Day

14 – Library Lover’s Day

19 – Amy Tan’s birthday

20-26 – Freedom to Read Week in Canada

26 – Tell a Fairy Tale Day

27 – John Steinbeck’s birthday

March

National Reading Month

Small Press Month

2 – Read Across America Day

2 – Dr. Seuss’s birthday

3 – World Book Day in the UK and Ireland

4 – National Grammar Day

6-12 – Read an E-book Week

6-12 – Return Borrowed Books Week

16 – Freedom of Information Day

20 – World Storytelling Day

21 – World Poetry Day

26 – Robert Frost’s birthday

30 – Pencil Day

 April

D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read) Month

National Poetry Month

School Library Month

1 – Reading is Funny Day

2 – International Children’s Book Day

2 – National Children’s Picture Book Day

2 – Hans Christian Anderson’s birthday

3-9 – National Library Week

4 – National School Librarian Day

4 – Maya Angelou’s birthday

5 – National Library Worker’s Day

6 – National Library Outreach Day (formerly National Bookmobile Day)

7 – Take Action for Libraries Day

9 – National Unicorn Day

12 – Drop Everything and Read (D.E.A.R.) Day

12 – Beverly Cleary’s birthday

13 – Scrabble Day

14 – Celebrate Teen Literature Day

15 – Rubber Eraser Day

15 – World Art Day

16 – National Librarian Day

17 – International Haiku Poetry Day

18 – Newspaper Columnists Day

23 – Shakespeare’s birthday

23 – World Book and Copyright Day

23 – World Book Night

24 – Congress approved the Library of Congress

27 – National Tell A Story Day

28 – Harper Lee’s birthday

28 – Great Poetry Reading Day

30 – Independent Bookstore Day

May

Get Caught Reading Month

Short Story Month

1 – Mother Goose Day

2 – International Harry Potter Day

2-8 – Children’s Book Week

3 – World Press Freedom Day

5 – National Cartoonists Day

7 – Free Comic Book Day

9 – Peter Pan Day

12 – Limerick Day

16 – Love a Tree Day

20 – Eliza Doolittle Day

22 – Sherlock Holmes Day

31 – Walt Whitman’s birthday

June

Audiobook Appreciation Month

GLBT Book Month

10 – Ball Point Pen Day

12 – Anne Frank’s birthday

16 – Bloomsday (celebration of Irish writer James Joyce’s life)

22 – Octavia Butler’s birthday

23 – Typewriter patent awarded

25 – Eric Carle’s birthday

July

National Anti-Boredom Month

Read an Almanac Month

11 – E.B. White’s birthday

17 – World Emoji Day

21 – Ernest Hemingway’s birthday

30 – Paperback Book Day

31 – J.K. Rowling’s birthday

August

Romance Awareness Month

2 – National Coloring Book Day

9 – Book Lover’s Day (also November 6)

18 – Bad Poetry Day

21 – Poet’s Day

31 – We Love Memoirs Day

September

Be Kind to Editors and Writers Month

Library Card Sign Up Month

National Literacy Month

Read a New Book Month (also December)

4 – Richard Wright’s birthday

4 – Newspaper Carrier Day

6 – Read a Book Day

8 – International Literacy Day

18 – Read an E-book Day

18-24 – National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week

22 – Hobbit Day

22 – Dear Diary Day

24 – National Punctuation Day

24 – F. Scott Fitzgerald’s birthday

25 – National Comic Book Day

25-October 1 – Banned Books Week

29 – National Coffee Day in the U.S.

October

National Book Month

National Reading Group Month

1 – International Coffee Day

6 – Mad Hatter Day

11 – Myth and Legends Day

16 – Dictionary Day

16-22 – National Friends of Libraries Week

20 – National Day on Writing

27 – National Tell a Story Day in Scotland and the U.K.

November

National Family Literacy Month

National Memoir Writing Month

National Novel Writing Month

Picture Book Month

1 – National Family Literacy Day

1 – Author’s Day

3 – National Non-Fiction Day in the UK

6 – Book Lovers Day (also August 9)

8 – Young Readers Day

15 – I Love to Write Day

18 – High-Five a Librarian Day

29 – Louisa May Alcott’s birthday

December

Read a New Book Month (also September)

7 – Letter Writing Day

10 – Dewey Decimal System Day

16 – Jane Austen’s birthday

21 – Crossword Puzzle Day

21 – National Short Story Day

24 – Jolabokaflod, Iceland’s Yule Book Flood

Please note that there’s conflicting information online about some of these dates, but we’ve tried our best to verify and validate everything. Please let us know if you have a correction or clarification.

Have we missed anything? If you know of a holiday or occasion that should be on this calendar but isn’t, tell us in a comment. We’ll continually update this as needed. Thanks! 

COVID-19’s impact on most industries is stunning. On the book publishing side, publishers have furloughed or laid off staff. Printers have struggled to print and ship books according to pre-COVID timelines. Authors who rely on in-person promotion had to re-think their book marketing strategies.

And yet, as an author, you’ve kept moving forward, haven’t you?

I have, too. This past year, I’ve published dozens of book marketing articles designed to help you rise above the chaos and confusion so you continue to sell books.

Which Build Book Buzz articles made the most difference for you? Here are your favorite book marketing articles according to blog traffic reports.

1. 2020 literary calendar with 122 occasions for book fans

This month-by-month list of occasions that celebrate all things books during the year we’re leaving behind makes it easy to find opportunities you can work into your book marketing plans. It includes information on how to use the 122 special days and holidays for year-round book marketing.

2. Book cover re-designs: A pro offers 7 before and after examples

This guest post by cover designer Alexander von Ness explains the thought process behind makeovers of seven fiction and nonfiction book covers. Each example includes the original cover and Alexander’s redesigned version, along with a link to a more detailed examination on his site.

3. “I wish I had known that before I self-published.” 25 authors share what they’ve learned

I asked self-published authors, “What do you know now about self-publishing that you wish you had known when you started?” This article showcases their responses on everything from where to learn what you need to know to whether you should publish on Amazon exclusively and the importance of a book marketing plan.

4. TikTok demographics for authors

TikTok was the fastest growing social network in 2019. This 2020 article digs into the video platform’s demographics so you can see if it’s a good fit for your target readers.

5. 3 Amazon secrets every author needs to know

In this guest post, book marketer Rob Eagar explains how to use Amazon’s power to your advantage. He presents three little-known Amazon secrets that can make a big difference, including how to use the platform to build your author email list.

6. The shy author’s guide to book promotion

While some authors embrace book marketing and promotion with enthusiasm, many just wish it would go away. In this article, I detail five “I can’t do this” obstacles I see the most from shy authors. It includes ideas for getting around them.

7. 2021 literary calendar with 137 occasions for book lovers

This December update to the popular 2020 list published last January takes things up a notch with more holidays and a “download and save this calendar” option designed to make it even more useful.

8. Trade book reviews: Behind the scenes with a professional reviewer

Rose Fox, director of BookLife Reviews, Publishers Weekly‘s paid review service for indie authors, explains trade reviews (also known as media and literary reviews) and how to get them. She walks us through exactly what happens on the publication review side. She also explains why getting a book reviewed can take a lot longer than you’d think.

9. How to get awesome book cover blurbs

Many self-published authors refer to their book description as a blurb, but the publishing industry uses that word for pre-publication endorsements and testimonials. This article addresses who to approach for endorsements and presents nine steps for snagging blurbs your mother would be proud of.

10. 4 steps to new book marketing habits

This article breaks down the habit-making recommendations of B.J. Fogg, author of Tiny Habits: The Small Changes that Change Everything. It’s a must-read if you’re serious about improving your life by replacing habits that don’t work for you anymore with those that will do the job.

I was happy to see that three of the top 10 book marketing articles here were written by guest bloggers.

It’s a reminder that guest blogging in reverse — bringing top authorities and experts to your site instead of going to theirs — helps provide your readers with useful content that matters to them.

Help me create content that will hit the top 10 list next year! Please add a comment telling me what you’d like to learn more about in 2021.

Tip of the Month

I like to share a “Tip of the Month,” a free resource or tool for authors, on the last Wednesday of the month.

This month, it’s Blogging Bistro’s 2021 Content Calendar Template.

People use content calendars to plan their blog posts and social media posts in advance. They help you become more thoughtful and organized, with the end result being a more consistent and strategic social media presence.

I love this particular calendar because it’s a Word document, not a PDF file, so you can type in it. You can even change the theme colors to reflect your author branding.

It’s the perfect companion to my popular 2021 Literary Calendar (and be sure to download the PDF version of that, too, here). Laura Christianson, the calendar’s creator, even linked to that list and pre-loaded the calendar with some of its writerly occasions.

I’ve downloaded the 2021 Content Calendar Template and have started adding the literary holidays that I’d like to promote in coming months. Give it a try yourself.

Whether you want to thank your favorite librarian, encourage teen reading, or promote poetry, there’s an occasion you can leverage.

We need books and reading more than ever. Use this calendar to help support both in the coming year.

How to use the 2021 literary calendar

What’s the best way to use these special dates? Here are ideas.

Step 1. Start by reviewing the list below and selecting those that speak to you. For example, if you (like me) love your library and its librarians, you’ve got plenty of opportunities in April to show that love. Do you enjoy celebrating birthdays? Several literary luminaries were born in February. Throw one of them a virtual birthday party!

Step 2. Add the dates you like to your calendar, but also create a reminder a few days in advance so you have time to plan and create what you’ll use to promote the special day.

Step 3. Decide how you’ll recognize the occasion. Here are a few ideas:

• Create a short video to share on social media. Instagram’s Stories function is perfect for this, but don’t overlook your Facebook page.
• Write an article about why the special day is important to you for your blog or newsletter.
• Collaborate with a large group of authors to donate proceeds from book sales during a specific period to a nonprofit or cause linked to one of the occasions that’s close to your heart.
• Create an event-related image to share on social media. Here’s one for National Bookmobile Day in 2020 to get you thinking.

Step 4: Don’t let all of these amazing ways to honor books and reading go to waste. Take action!

Your 2021 literary calendar

Now you’re ready to make things happen. Here’s your month-by-month calendar.

January

National Braille Literacy Month

1 – Copyright Law Day

2 – National Science Fiction Day

12 – Universal Letter Writing Week

14 – Poetry at Work Day

18 – Thesaurus Day

18 – Winnie the Pooh Day (birthday of author A.A. Milne)

19 – Edgar Allan Poe’s birthday

22 – Library Shelfie Day

25 – Burns Supper (Robert Burns’s birthday)

27 – Family Literacy Day in Canada

February

Library Lovers’ Month

1-7 Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week

3 – World Read Aloud Day

6 – Take Your Child to the Library Day

7 – Charles Dickens’s birthday

9 – Read in the Bathtub Day

12 –Judy Blume’s birthday

14 – International Book Giving Day

14 – Library Lover’s Day

19 – Amy Tan’s birthday

21-27 Freedom to Read Week in Canada

27 – John Steinbeck’s birthday

26 – Tell a Fairy Tale Day

March

2 – Read Across America Day

2 – Dr. Seuss’s birthday

2-8 Read an E-book Week

4 – National Grammar Day

4 – World Book Day in the UK and Ireland

16 – Freedom of Information Day

20 – World Storytelling Day

21 – World Poetry Day

26 – Robert Frost’s birthday

30 – Pencil Day

 April

National Poetry Month

D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read) Month

1 – Reading is Funny Day

1 – Poetry and the Creative Mind Day

2 – International Children’s Book Day

2 – Hans Christian Anderson’s birthday

4 – National School Librarian Day

4 – Maya Angelou’s birthday

4-10 National Library Week

6 – National Library Worker’s Day

7 – National Bookmobile Day

9 – National Unicorn Day

12 – Beverly Cleary’s birthday

13 – Scrabble Day

15 – Rubber Eraser Day

15 – World Art Day

16 –  National Librarian Day

15 – Celebrate Teen Literature Day

18 – National Columnists Day

23 – Take Action for Libraries Day

23 – Shakespeare’s birthday

23 – World Book and Copyright Day

23 – English Language Day

24 – Congress approved the Library of Congress

24 – Independent Bookstore Day

27 – National Tell A Story Day

28 – Harper Lee’s birthday

28 – Great Poetry Reading Day

May

Short Story Month

Get Caught Reading Month

1 – Mother Goose Day

3-9 Children’s Book Week

2 – Harry Potter Day

4 – Free Comic Book Day

5 – National Cartoonists Day

9 – Peter Pan Day

10-14 – Reading is Fun Week

12 – Limerick Day

16 – Love a Tree Day

20 – Eliza Doolittle Day

22 – Sherlock Holmes Day

31 – Walt Whitman’s birthday

June

Audiobook Appreciation Month

GLBT Book Month

10 – Ball Point Pen Day

12 – Anne Frank’s birthday

16 – Bloomsday (celebration of Irish writer James Joyce’s life)

22 – Octavia Butler’s birthday

23 – Typewriter patent awarded

July

Read an Almanac Month

11 – E.B. White’s birthday

17 – World Emoji Day

21 – Ernest Hemingway’s birthday

22-24 Hemingway Days

30 – Paperback Book Day

31 – J.K. Rowling’s birthday

August

2 – National Coloring Book Day

9 – Book Lover’s Day

18 – Bad Poetry Day

21 – Poet’s Day

31 – We Love Memoirs Day

September

Library Card Sign Up Month

Be Kind to Editors and Writers Month

National Literacy Month

Read a New Book Month

4 – Richard Wright’s birthday

4 – Newspaper Carrier Day

6 – Read a Book Day

8 – International Literacy Day

19-25 – National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week

19-25 – Banned Books Week

22 – Hobbit Day

22 – Dear Diary Day

24 – F. Scott Fitzgerald’s birthday

25 – National Comic Book Day

29 – National Coffee Day in the U.S.

October

National Book Month

National Reading Group Month

1 – International Coffee Day

6 – Mad Hatter Day

11 – Myth and Legends Day

16 – Dictionary Day

18-22 – National Friends of Libraries Week

20 – National Day of Writing

27 – National Tell a Story Day in Scotland and the U.K.

November

National Novel Writing Month

Picture Book Month

National Family Literacy Month

National Memoir Writing Month

1 – National Family Literacy Day

1 – Author’s Day

2 – Book Lovers Day

4 – National Non-Fiction Day in the UK

10 – Young Readers Day

15 – I Love to Write Day

18 – High-Five a Librarian Day

29 – Louisa May Alcott’s birthday

December

Read a New Book Month

7 – Letter Writing Day

10 – Dewey Decimal System Day

16 – Jane Austen’s birthday

21 – Crossword Puzzle Day

21 – National Short Story Day

24 – Jolabokaflod, Iceland’s Yule Book Flood

Please note that there’s conflicting information online about some of these dates, but we’ve tried our best to verify and validate everything. Please let us know if you have a correction or clarification.

Have we missed anything? If you know of a holiday or occasion that should be on this calendar but isn’t, tell us in a comment. We’ll continually update this as needed. Thanks! 

Editor’s note 12-9-20: Thanks to alert reader L.R., we’ve added #134: October is National Reading Group Month.

You have plenty of them this year! There’s a day, week, month, or special occasion for just about every book-related topic you can think of in 2020.

Want to support your local library? Promote literacy? Get more people reading? You’ll get what you need in the 2020 literary calendar.

How to use the 2020 literary calendar

How can you take advantage of these special dates? It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3, 4. Here are the basics.

Step 1. Start by reviewing the list below and selecting those that resonate with you. For example, if you are a children’s book author, one of them might be Children’s Authors & Illustrators Week starting February 3. Is the Grapes of Wrath the best book you’ve ever read? Feburary 27, John Steinbeck’s birthday, might be for you.

Step 2. Add the dates you like to your calendar. Then schedule time before each holiday or occasion to create the materials you’ll use to promote the event. (Don’t be like me and forget to do this.) The lead time depends on what you’ll do to recognize the event, how much time you need, and whether your plan involves collaborating with others.

Step 3. Decide how you’ll recognize the occasion. Here are a few ideas:

• Write a blog post or article about why it’s important to you. This can be for your blog, for someone else’s, or on a platform such as Medium.
• Join a local library committee to plan and execute library-related events.
• Reduce the price of your book for a limited time.
• Create an event-related image to share on social media. Some themed months, weeks, and dates with an organization behind them create images you can use, too. Here’s one for Independent Bookstore Day, April 25.

Step 4: Execute your plan.

Your 2020 literary calendar

Ready to have some fun? Here’s a month-by-month breakdown.

January

1 – Copyright Law Day

2 – National Science Fiction Day

4 – World Braille Day

12 – Universal Letter Writing Week

14 –  Poetry at Work Day

18 – Thesaurus Day

18 – Winnie the Pooh Day (birthday of author A.A. Milne)

19 – Edgar Allan Poe’s birthday

22 – Library Shelfie Day

25 – Burns Supper (Robert Burns’s birthday)

January 26 – February 2 – Family Literacy Week

27 – Lewis Carroll’s birthday (author of Alice in Wonderland )

27 – Family Literacy Day in Canada

February

Library Lovers’ Month

1 – Take Your Child to the Library Day

3-7 Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week

5 – World Read Aloud Day

9 – Read in the Bathtub Day

12 –Judy Blume’s birthday

14 – International Book Giving Day

14 – Library Lovers’ Day

19 – Amy Tan’s birthday

23-29 Canada’s Freedom to Read Week

26 – Tell a Fairy Tale Day

27 – John Steinbeck’s birthday

March

1-7 – Read an E–book Week

2 – Read Across America Day

2 – Dr. Seuss’s birthday

3-9 – Return Borrowed Books Week

4 – National Grammar Day

5 – World Book Day in the UK and Ireland

16 – Freedom of Information Day

20 – World Storytelling Day

21 – World Poetry Day

26 – Robert Frost’s birthday

30 – Pencil Day

April

National Poetry Month

1 – Reading is Funny Day

1 – Poetry and the Creative Mind Day

2 – Children’s Book Day

2 – Hans Christian Anderson’s birthday

4 – School Librarian Day

4 – Maya Angelou’s birthday

12 – Drop Everything and Read (D.E.A.R.) Day

12 – Beverly Cleary’s birthday

13 – Scrabble Day

14 – Noah Webster published American Dictionary of the English Language

15 – Rubber Eraser Day

16 – Celebrate Teen Literature Day

18 – Newspaper Columnists Day

19-25 – National Library Week

19-25 – National Poetry Week

21 – National Library Workers Day

22 – National Bookmobile Day

23 – Take Action for Libraries Day

23 – William Shakespeare’s birthday

23 – World Book and Copyright Day

23 – English Language Day

25 – Independent Bookstore Day

27 – Tell a Story Day

28 – Great Poetry Reading Day

May

Short Story Month

Get Caught Reading Month

1 – Mother Goose Day

2 – Free Comic Book Day

4-10 – Children’s Book Week

5 – National Cartoonists Day

12 – Limerick Day

22 – Sherlock Holmes Day

31 – Walt Whitman’s birthday

June

Audiobook Appreciation Month

GLBT Book Month

10 – Ballpoint Pen Day

22 – Octavia Butler’s birthday

23 – The first typewriter patent was awarded

25 – Eric Carle’s birthday

July

Read an Almanac Month

4 – National Tom Sawyer Day

11 – E.B. White’s birthday

21 – Ernest Hemingway’s birthday

30 – Paperback Book Day

31 – J.K. Rowling’s birthday

August

2 – National Coloring Book Day

9 – Book Lovers Day

18 – Bad Poetry Day

21 – Poet’s Day

31 – We Love Memoirs Day

September

Library Card Sign Up Month

Be Kind to Editors and Writers Month

Literacy Month

Read a New Book Month

4 – Richard Wright’s birthday

6 – Read a Book Day

7 – Buy a Book Day

8 – International Literacy Day

21-27 Science Literacy Week in Canada

22 – Hobbit Day

22 – Dear Diary Day

24 – F. Scott Fitzgerald’s birthday

25 – National Comic Book Day

September 27-October 2 – Banned Books Week

29 – International Coffee Day in the U.S. (October 1 in the UK)

October

National Book Month

6 – Mad Hatter Day

7 – Random Acts of Poetry Day

11 – Myth and Legends Day

16 – Dictionary Day

20 – National Day of Writing

20-26 – National Friends of Libraries Week

November

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

National Memoir Writing Month

National Non-Fiction Month in the UK

Picture Book Month

National Family Literacy Month

1 – National Author’s Day

10 – Young Readers Day

15 – I Love to Write Day

18 – High Five a Librarian Day

December

10 – Dewey Decimal System Day

16 – Jane Austen’s birthday

21 – Crossword Puzzle Day

21 – National Short Story Day

24 – Jolabokaflod, Iceland’s Yule Book Flood

Here’s a short disclaimer: Please note that there’s conflicting information online about some of these dates, but we’ve tried our best to verify and validate everything. Please let us know if you have a correction or clarification.

Have we missed anything? If you know of a holiday or occasion that should be on this calendar but isn’t, tell us in a comment. We’ll continually update this as needed. Thanks! 

Editor’s note 1-15-20: Thanks to an alert reader, we’ve add #123: May is Short Story Month.