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.
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!
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
Get lots of ideas for using these holidays
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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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!
You’re welcome, Nancy! I’m so glad you’re able to use some of these!
Sandy
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.
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
Thank you so much for providing such an amazing information it help me a lot in arranging my library for the new session 2024.
I’m so glad it’s helpful, Shivani! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Sandy
Nice Blog!! Calendar is the basic need of a person.
Thank you!
Sandy