I keep seeing book-related "official" weeks and days popping up around the news media and the blogosphere. Unfortunately, most of them are revealed too late to do any planning or celebrating. Being an organizer, I thought I would gather some of these dates so that we can all celebrate books together year-round!
First week of January - Buy a Friend a Book Week (worldwide)
January 27 - Family Literacy Day (Canada)
First week of February - National Storytelling Week (UK)
First Thursday in March - World Book Day (UK and Ireland) - March 4, 2010
First week of April - Buy a Friend a Book Week (worldwide)
A week in April - National Library Week (USA - ALA sponsored) - April 11-17, 2010
(includes National Library Worker Day - April 13, 2010)
April 23 - World Book and Copyright Day (worldwide except UK and Ireland - UNESCO sponsored)
April 30 - El día de los niños/El día de los libros (USA - ALA sponsored)
First Saturday in May - Free Comic Book Day (worldwide) - May 1, 2010
A week in May - Children's Book Week (USA) - May 10-16, 2010
First week of July - Buy a Friend a Book Week (worldwide)
September 8 - International Literacy Day (worldwide - UNESCO sponsored)
First week of October - Buy a Friend a Book Week (worldwide)
If you know of another significant book date, leave a comment and I will add it to the list. I would like to keep this at a country and worldwide level -- no conferences or city-specific book festivals please. Once I have a relatively complete list, I will find a way to keep this handy for everyone!
Celebrating books with my nearest and dearest worldwide friends,
K
March 25 is Tolkien Reading Day. September 22 is Hobbit Day (unless one is a real Shire calendar purist, and then it's Sept. 14) and the week containing that day is Tolkien week!
ReplyDeleteThis is great - I had no idea many of these days existed! I love it that there are two buy a friend a book weeks!
Also, in honor of "tell a story week" which is RIGHT NOW (how could I have missed this?) I'd to invite everybody to check out my blog, on which a friend and I are, in fact, telling a story (or attempting to at least).
Happy storytelling!
What a great idea, thank you for the info.
ReplyDeleteHow often will you post updates?
What a great idea ... thanks for doing this. I love all the "Buy A Friend A Book Week." I hope my friends celebrate this!
ReplyDeleteSolsticia - Thank you for the Tolkien days! And how fortunate that you can celebrate immediately. :)
ReplyDeleteAl - I've added a permanent tab under the header for the celebrations and think I might add in a reminder at the end of each month (maybe in Starred Saturdays) about the dates in the coming month.
Jenners - You're welcome. ;) I need to buy more books for friends ...
Share-a-Story Shape-a-Future is the week of March 8th this year. It's a week celebrating literacy with tips and special guest posts online. I can share the website next time I'm at an actual computer.
ReplyDeleteAnd, what about Roald Dahl month/day?
Thanks for the other dates!! I'm going to be adding your links to my Sunday post!