2024 literary calendar
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Comprehensive 2024 literary calendar showcases 163 opportunities for supporting reading and writing

Spice up your book marketing by celebrating several of these bookish holidays and occasions from our 2024 literary calendar. 

National Science Fiction Day. Teen Read Week. Get Caught Reading Month.

They’re just three of the 163 holidays and occasions for writers, authors, and book lovers in the Build Book Buzz 2024 Literary Calendar. It’s the most comprehensive listing of book- and writing-related special days, weeks, and months available.   

Download and save your free 2024 literary calendar

Looking to promote haiku, children’s books, or memoirs? You’ll find occasions here to help you do that. Want to support your local library? You’ll love April’s events! Are comic books your thing? There’s something for you, too.

How to use your 2024 literary calendar

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

Step 1.

Start by reviewing the list in the 2024 literary calendar below and identifying what’s relevant or interesting to you.

For example, do you write short stories? Create a series of Instagram Reels for May, Short Story Month.

Are you a poet? Show your lighthearted side by running a bad poetry contest in the days leading up to Bad Poetry Day on August 18.

Are you a Grammar geek? Own it on social media on March 4, Grammar Day.

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 your special day content.

I use my smartphone’s “Reminders” app for this.

Step 3. 

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

  • Create an event-related image to share on social media. I created one for Read in the Bathtub Day on February 9 — see below. Notice that I branded it with this site name. You’ll want to brand yours, too.
  • Use the holiday as a conversation starter. For example, on Read in the Bathtub Day, I’ll create a poll on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn that asks people if they read in the bathtub.
  • Create a short video to share on social media. Post to Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube, and link to it in your newletter.
  • Blog about why the special day is important to you or write about it in your newsletter.

Step 4: 

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

2024 literary calendar promotion example
Here’s an example of how to turn a 2024 literary calendar occasion into a social media post.

Your 2024 literary calendar

Now you’re ready to make things happen. Here’s your month-by-month 2024 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. And, we’ve removed some occasions from previous calendars because we can no longer verify them.)

January 2024

National Braille Literacy Month

1 – Copyright Law Day

2 – National Science Fiction Day

7-13 – Universal Letter Writing Week

9 – National Word Nerd Day

9 – Poetry at Work Day

16 – Book Publishers Day

18 – Thesaurus Day

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

23 – National Handwriting Day

24 – Library Shelfie Day

25 – Burns Supper (Robert Burns’s birthday)

27 – Family Literacy Day in Canada

27-February 4 – National Storytelling Week in the UK

February 2024

Library Lovers’ Month

African American Read-In Month

3 – Take Your Child to the Library Day

4-10 – Freelance Writers Appreciation Week

4-10 – Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week

7 – World Read Aloud Day

9 – Read in the Bathtub Day

14 – International Book Giving Day

14 – Library Lover’s Day

18-24 – Freedom to Read Week in Canada

20 – Clean Out Your Bookcase Day

25-March 2 – Black Children’s Book Week

26 – Tell a Fairy Tale Day

March 2024

National Reading Month

Small Press Month

National March Into Literacy Month

1 – International Hug a Librarian Day

1-7 – National Ghostwriters Week

2 – Read Across America Day

2 – Dr. Seuss Day

3-9 – Jewish Book Week

3-9 – Read an E-book Week

3-9 – Return Borrowed Books Week

4 – National Grammar Day

7 – World Book Day in the UK

14 – National Write Your Story Day

16 – Freedom of Information Day

17-23 – World Folktales and Fables Week

19 – International Read to Me Day

20 – World Storytelling Day

20 – Bibliomania Day

21 – World Poetry Day

30 – Pencil Day

April 2024

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

National Poetry Month

National Literature Month

School Library Month

1 – Reading is Funny Day

2 – International Children’s Book Day

2 – National Children’s Picture Book Day

4 – National School Librarian Day

7-13 – National Library Week

9 – National Library Workers Day

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

10 – National Encourage a Young Writer Day

11 – Take Action for Libraries Day

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

13 – Scrabble Day

14 – National Donate a Book Day

14-20 – Canada Book Week

15 – Rubber Eraser Day

15 – World Art Day

16 – National Librarian Day

17 – International Haiku Poetry Day

18 – Celebrate Teen Literature Day

18 – Newspaper Columnists Day

19 – Poetry and the Creative Mind Day

21 – Thank You for Libraries Day

23 – Canada Book Day

23 – Shakespeare Day

23 – World Book and Copyright Day

23 – World Book Night

24 – Congress approved the Library of Congress

27 – Independent Bookstore Day

27 – National Tell a Story Day

28 – Great Poetry Reading Day

28-May 4 – Canadian Children’s Book Week

29 – National Poem in Your Pocket Day

May 2024

Get Caught Reading Month

National Share a Story Month

Latinos Book Month

1 – Mother Goose Day

2 – International Harry Potter Day

3 – World Press Freedom Day

4 – Free Comic Book Day

5 – National Cartoonists Day

9 – Make a Book Day

12 – Limerick Day

16 – National Biographer’s Day

22 – Sherlock Holmes Day

31 – Speak in Sentences Day

June 2024

Audiobook Appreciation Month

Rainbow Book Month

10 – Ball Point Pen Day

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

23 – National Typewriter Day

July 2024

National Anti-Boredom Month

Read an Almanac Month

4 – Alice in Wonderland Day

17 – World Emoji Day

30 – Paperback Book Day

31 – Harry Potter Day

August 2024

Romance Awareness Month

2 – National Coloring Book Day

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

14 – Love Your Bookshop Day

17-23 – Children’s Book Week in Australia

18 – National Bad Poetry Day

21 – National Poet’s Day

31 – We Love Memoirs Day

September 2024

Be Kind to Editors and Writers Month

Library Card Sign Up Month

National Literacy Month

Read a New Book Month (also December)

4 – Newspaper Carrier Day

6 – Read a Book Day

7 – Buy a Book Day

8 – International Literacy Day

13 – National Twilighters Day

18 – Read an E-book Day

22 – Hobbit Day

22 – Dear Diary Day

22-28 – Banned Books Week

24 – National Punctuation Day

25 – National Comic Book Day

29 – National Coffee Day in the U.S.

October 2024

Church Library Month

National Book Month

National Reading Group Month

1 – International Coffee Day

3 – National Poetry Day in the UK

5 – Bookshop Day

6 – Mad Hatter Day

6-12 – National Newspaper Week

11 – Myth and Legends Day

13-19 – Teen Read Week

16 – Dictionary Day

20-26 – National Friends of Libraries Week

20 – National Day on Writing

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

November 2024

National Family Literacy Month

National Life Writing Month

National Memoir Writing Month

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

Picture Book Month

1 – National Family Literacy Day in the U.S.

1 – National Author’s Day

7 – National Non-Fiction Day in the UK

10-16 – National Young Readers Week

12 – Young Readers Day

15 – I Love to Write Day

18 – High-Five a Librarian Day

24-30 – National Book Week

December 2024

Read a New Book Month (also September)

7 – Letter Writing Day

10 – Dewey Decimal System Day

21 – Crossword Puzzle Day

21 – National Short Story Day

24 – Jolabokaflod, Iceland’s Yule Book Flood

Download and save your free 2024 literary calendar

Get lots of ideas for using these holidays

daily book marketing tips

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.


Which holidays will you work into your 2024 book marketing plan? Tell us in a comment!

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10 Comments

  1. December 21 is also “Celebrate Short Fiction” Day (which I created a few years ago) so I’ll definitely be celebrating that one. (Info is on my website: https://www.nancychristie.com/focusonfiction/celebrate-short-fiction-day/)
    And as I do every year, I’ll also be making a plug for Library Lover’s Day, Freedom of Information Day, and a number of the others on your list.
    I didn’t know about Alice in Wonderland Day (that’s my favorite book!) so I’m adding it to my marketing calendar!
    Thanks for a great list!

  2. Thank you for this list, it’s fantastic! So many creative content ideas are flowing from the calendar. I will work several of the holidays into my plan; some favs include Get Caught Reading Month, Mother Goose Day, Pencil Day, and Reading Is Funny Day.

    1. I’m so glad it’s inspiring you, MJ! “Pencil Day” is one of my favorites, too, because it’s so quirky. I hope you have fun with them! (And send me an email when you do so I can check it out!)

      Sandy

  3. Thank you so much for providing such an amazing information it help me a lot in arranging my library for the new session 2024.

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