2025 literary calendar: 180 opportunities for embracing reading and writing
Download your free copy of the Build Book Buzz 2025 Literary Calendar and use it all year to generate interest in your book.
National Poetry Month. Black Children’s Book Week. Read an E-book Day.
These special literary occasions in 2025 are just a sampling of what you’ll find in the Build Book Buzz 2025 Literary Calendar. With 180 holidays and occasions for writers, authors, and book lovers — 17 more than in 2024 — it’s the most comprehensive listing of book- and writing-related special days, weeks, and months available.
Whether you write romance novels, mysteries, nonfiction, poetry, or memoirs, there’s something here to celebrate.
Or maybe you simply want to support literacy, libraries, and bookstores. We’ve got you covered with all of them!
How to use your 2025 literary calendar
What’s the best way to use these special dates? Here are ideas.
Step 1.
Start by reviewing the list in the 2025 literary calendar below and identifying what’s relevant or interesting to you.
Would you like to see people writing letters once again? Launch a campaign during Universal Letter Writing Week starting on January 12.
Do you write children’s books? Search the list for “children’s” and start thinking about which of those dates you’ll use to call attention to your books. Do any of them offer a theme for your children’s book author appearances?
Are you a poet? Work with your local independent bookstore to organize a poetry slam during April, National Poetry Month.
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 Ballpoint Pen Day on June 10 — see below. Notice that I branded it with “Build Book Buzz.” You’ll want to brand yours, too.
- Use the holiday as a conversation starter. For example, on Ballpoint Pen Day, I’ll create social media posts about why I’m fussy about pens, and poll people about what they like to write with.
- 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 2025 literary calendar
Now you’re ready to make things happen. Here’s your month-by-month 2025 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 2025
Hot Tea Month
National Braille Literacy Month
1 – Copyright Law Day
2 – National Science Fiction Day
9 – National Word Nerd Day
12-18 – Universal Letter Writing Week
14 – Poetry at Work Day
16 – Book Publishers Day
18 – Thesaurus Day
18 – Winnie the Pooh Day (birthday of author A.A. Milne)
22 – Library Shelfie Day
23 – National Handwriting Day
25 – Burns Supper (Robert Burns’s birthday)
27 – Family Literacy Day in Canada
February 2025
African American Read-In Month
Creative Romance Month
Library Lovers’ Month
1 – Take Your Child to the Library Day
1-9 – National Storytelling Week in the UK
2-8 – Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week
3-7 National News Literacy Week
5 – World Read Aloud Day
7 – Send a Card to a Friend Day
9 – Read in the Bathtub Day
9-15 – Freelance Writers Appreciation Week
14 – International Book Giving Day
14 – Library Lover’s Day
20 – Clean Out Your Bookcase Day
23-March 1 – Freedom to Read Week in Canada
23-March 1 – Black Children’s Book Week
26 – Tell a Fairy Tale Day
March 2025
March Into Literacy Month
National Reading Month
Small Press Month
1 – International Hug a Librarian Day
1-7 – National Ghostwriters Week
2 – Read Across America Day
2 – Dr. Seuss Day
2-8 – Read an E-book Week
2-8 – Return Borrowed Books Week
2-10 – Jewish Book Week
3-7 – Newspapers in Education Week
4 – National Grammar Day
6 – World Book Day in the UK
8 – National Proofreading Day
14 – National Write Your Story Day
16 – Freedom of Information Day
16-22 – World Folktalkes and Fables Week
19 – International Read to Me Day
20 – World Storytelling Day
20 – Bibliomania Day
21 – World Poetry Day
30 – Pencil Day
April 2025
D.E.A.R. (Drop Everything and Read) Month
National Card and Letter Writing Month
National Poetry Month
National Literature Month
School Library Month
1 – Reading is Funny Day
2 – International Children’s Book Day
2 – Children’s Picture Book Day
4 – National School Librarian Day
6-12 – National Library Week
8 – National Library Workers Day
9 – National Library Outreach Day (formerly National Bookmobile Day)
10 – National Encourage a Young Writer Day
12 – Drop Everything and Read (D.E.A.R.) Day
13 – Scrabble Day
14 – National Donate a Book Day
15 – Rubber Eraser Day
15 – World Art Day
15-21 – Canada Book Week
16 – National Librarian Day
17 – International Haiku Poetry Day
17 – Take Action for Libraries Day
17 – 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
26 – Independent Bookstore Day
27 – National Tell a Story Day
27-May 3 – Canadian Children’s Book Week
28 – Great Poetry Reading Day
29 – National Poem in Your Pocket Day
May 2025
Get Caught Reading Month
Mystery Month
National Share a Story Month
Latino Book Month
1 – Mother Goose Day
2 – International Harry Potter Day
3 – World Press Freedom Day
3 – Free Comic Book Day
4 – National Black Authors Day
5 – National Cartoonists Day
8 – Make a Book Day
12 – Limerick Day
16 – National Biographer’s Day
22 – Sherlock Holmes Day
31 – Speak in Sentences Day
June 2025
Audiobook Appreciation Month
Rainbow Book Month
10 – Ballpoint Pen Day
16 – Bloomsday (celebration of Irish writer James Joyce’s life)
23 – National Typewriter Day
July 2025
National Anti-Boredom Month
Read an Almanac Month
4 – Alice in Wonderland Day
13 – Oxymoron Day
17 – World Emoji Day
30 – Paperback Book Day
31 – Harry Potter Day
August 2025
Romance Awareness Month
2 – National Coloring Book Day
9 – Book Lover’s Day (also November 4)
14 – Love Your Bookshop Day
16-23 – Children’s Book Week in Australia
18 – National Bad Poetry Day
21 – National Poet’s Day
25 – National Hug a Librarian Day
31 – We Love Memoirs Day
September 2025
Be Kind to Editors and Writers Month
Library Card Sign Up Month
National Literacy Month
Read a New Book Month (also December)
1 – World Letter Writing Day
4 – National 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
24 – National Punctuation Day
25 – National Comic Book Day
29 – National Coffee Day in the U.S.
October 2025
Church Library Month
National Book Month
National Reading Group Month
1 – International Coffee Day
3 – National Poetry Day in the UK
4 – Bookshop Day
5-11 – Banned Books Week
5-11 – National Newspaper Week
6 – Mad Hatter Day
11 – International Newspaper Carrier Day
11 – Myth and Legends Day
12 – Cookbook Launch Day
12-18 – Teen Read Week
16 – Dictionary Day
19-25 – National Friends of Libraries Week
20 – National Day on Writing
27 – National Tell a Story Day in Scotland and the UK
November 2025
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
1 – National Book Lover’s Day
6 – National Non-Fiction Day in the UK
7-13 – National Book Award Week
10-14 – National Young Readers Week
11 – Young Readers Day
15 – I Love to Write Day
18 – High Five a Librarian Day
December 2025
Read a New Book Month (also September)
Write a Friend Month
7 – Letter Writing Day
10 – Dewey Decimal System Day
21 – Crossword Puzzle Day
21 – National Short Story Day
21 – Celebrate Short Fiction 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 recently updated 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 2025 book marketing plan? Tell us in a comment! (And be sure to let us know if you’ve got a holiday to add to next year’s calendar!)
Like what you’re reading? Get it delivered to your inbox every week by subscribing to the free Build Book Buzz newsletter. You’ll also get my free “Top 5 Free Book Promotion Resources” cheat sheet immediately!
