Updated with 2020 dates and even more literary holidays you can celebrate this year!
January
January 2 – National Science Fiction Day
January 4 – World Braille Day
January 14 – Poetry at Work Day
January 18 – National Thesaurus Day
January 22 – Library Shelfie Day
January 23 – National Handwriting Day
January 25 – Burns Supper
February
National Library Lovers Month
First week – Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week
February 1 – Take Your Child to the Library Day
February 5 – World Read Aloud Day
Second week – Freelance Writers Appreciation Week
February 14 – Library Lovers Day
February 26 – Tell a Fairy Tale Day
March
First week – Return Borrowed Books Week
March 2 – National Read Across America Day
March 4 – National Grammar Day
March 5 – World Book Day
March 8 – National Proofreading Day
March 14 – National Write Your Story Day
March 16 – National Freedom of Information Day
March 20 – World Storytelling Day
March 21 – World Poetry Day
March 25 – National Tolkien Reading Day
April
National Poetry Month
April 2 – International Children’s Book Day
April 4 – National School Librarian Day
April 5 – National Read A Road Map Day
April 10 – National Encourage a Young Writer Day
April 12 – D.E.A.R. Drop Everything And Read Day
April 13 – National Scrabble Day
April 16 – Celebrate Teen Literature Day
April 17 – National Haiku Poetry Day
April 18 – National Columnists’ Day
Fourth week – National Library Week
April 22 – National Bookmobile Day
April 23 – English Language Day
April 23 – National Talk Like Shakespeare Day
April 23 – World Book and Copyright Day
April 25 – Independent Bookstore Day
April 27 – National Tell a Story Day
April 28 – National Great Poetry Reading Day
May
National Get Caught Reading Month
May 2 – National Comic Book Day
May 5 – National Cartoonists Day
May 12 – Poem on Your Pillow Day
May 12 – National Limerick Day
May 22 – Sherlock Holmes Day
May 31 – National Speak in Complete Sentences Day
June
GLBT Book Month
June 10 – National Ballpoint Pen Day
June 16 – Bloomsday
June 19 – National Garfield The Cat Day
July
July 10 – Clerihew Day
July 15 – Take Your Poet to Work Day
July 30 – Paperback Book Day
August
August 2 – Color Book Day
August 8 – Love Your Bookshop Day
August 9 – National Book Lovers Day
August 17 – National #2 Pencil Day
August 18 – National Bad Poetry Day
August 21 – Poet’s Day
August 28 – International Read Comics in Public Day
August 30 – Frankenstein Day
August 31 – We Love Memoirs Day
September
National Library Card Signup Month
September 4 – National Newspaper Carrier Day
September 6 – National Read a Book Day
September 8 – International Literacy Day
September 8 – National Ampersand Day
September 13 – Roald Dahl Day
September 16 – Anne Bradstreet Day
September 18 – International Read an eBook Day
September 22 – Dear Diary Day
September 22 – Hobbit Day
September 24 – National Punctuation Day
Last Week – Banned Books Week
October
National Book Month
National Reading Group Month
Children’s Magazine Month
National Cookbook Month
Medical Librarian Month
First week – Mystery Series Week
October 3 – National Poetry Day
October 6 – Mad Hatter Day
October 7 – Random Acts of Poetry Day
Second week – National Newspaper Week
October 11 – Myth and Legends Day
October 12 – Cookbook Launch Day
October 16 – Learn a Word Day
October 16 – Dictionary Day
October 17 – Black Poetry Day
October 20 – National Day on Writing
Third week – National Friends of Libraries Week
October 30 – National Frankenstein Day
October 31 – Books for Treats Day
November
Picture Book Month
November 1 – National Author’s Day
November 1 – National Family Literacy Day
November 10 – National Young Readers Day
November 12 – National Chicken Soup for the Soul Day
November 15 – Day of the Imprisoned Writer
November 15 – I Love To Write Day
Third week – World Nursery Rhyme Week
November 18 – High Five a Librarian Day
December
Read a New Book Month
December 7 – Letter Writing Day
December 10 – Dewey Decimal System Day
December 21 – National Short Story Day
December 21 – Crossword Puzzle Day
December 21 – Celebrate Short Fiction Day
December 25 – A’phabet Day or No “L” Day (Pun Day)