12 Months of Literary Book Holidays and Reasons to Celebrate Reading
I thought it would be interesting and fun to pull together a calendar of bookish reading events / holidays/ observances so we can all mark our calendars with the ones that interest us. Let me know if there's something I miss (which is entirely likely). Here's a month-by-month listing of bookish things I could find. Check back here anytime to refresh your memory or direct your reading.......
JANUARY
Jan 2 -National Science Fiction day
Jan 27 - International Holocaust Remembrance Day
Caldecott Award given
Printz Award given
FEBRUARY
Black History Month
Newbery Award given
Feb 1 - World Real Aloud Day (first Wed in February every year)
Feb 14 -Library Lovers Day
MARCH
National Women's History Month
Read Across America - a monthly theme to engage young readers with suggested books to help guide them
Mar 1 - Read Across America Day
Mar 2 - World Book DAy
Mar 5-11 - Read an Ebook Week
Mar 21 - World Poetry Day
Mar 25 - National Tolkien Reading Day
Mar 31 - International Day of Transgender Visibility
APRIL
National Poetry Month
School Library Month
Bram Stoker Award given
Edgar Award given
Pulitzer Award given
Nebula Award given in spring
Apr 16 - National Librarian's Day
Apr 17 - National Haiku Poetry Day
Apr 22 -Earth Day
Apr 22-28 -National Park Week (fees waived at National Parks on the 22nd)
Apr 23-29 -National Library Week
Apr 29 - Independent Bookstore Day
MAY
Asian / Pacific American Heritage Month
Jewish American Heritage Month
Agatha Award given
May 1-7 - Children's Book Week
May 8-13 - Reading is Fun Week
JUNE
Gay and Lesbian Pride Month
Rainbow Book Month celebrating all sexual diversity
Audiobook Appreciation Month
Women's Prize Award given
Locus Award given
June 19 -Juneteenth
JULY
Jul 14 -International Non-Binary People's Day
Jul 30 - Paperback Book Day AND International Friendship Day
AUGUST
Aug 9 - National Book Lover's Day
Aug 26 - Women's Equality Day
SEPTEMBER
National Hispanic Heritage Month
Sept 6 - National Read-a-Book Day
Sept 8 - International Literacy Day
Sept 17-23 Banned Book Week
OCTOBER
Filipino American History Month
LGBTQ History Month
Family History Month
National Reading Group Month
National Book Month
Booker Award given
Oct 1-7 - Mystery Series Week
Oct 15-21 - Teen Read Week
NOVEMBER
Native American Heritage Month
Nonfiction November
National Novel Writing Month
Picture Book Month
National Book Award given
Nov 6 - National Nonfiction Day
DECEMBER
Read a New Book Month
Dec 24 - Jolabokaflod (Christmas Book Flood celebrated in Iceland)
Then I found a couple more exhaustive but fun calendars. This calendar has a bookish event for almost every day of the year - author birthdays and things like "Salman Rushdie has a fatwa placed on his head" Feb 1989. However, for something a bit more frivolous, this one lists the "special" event recognized for just about every day in the year - including stuff like National Fruitcake Toss Day or Organize Your Home Day - as well as historical events that happened that month, etc. There's something for everyone - you can search month by month.
Have fun with this calendar and maybe it'll send you down the rabbit hole of bookish special days. Which ones were a surprise to you? Which ones do you recognize or participate in?
