Below is a list of poetry and literary holidays celebrated annually celebrating various forms of poetry, the diversity of authors, and the libraries and bookstores who carry their works.
Poetry Holidays
- Second Tuesday in January – Poetry at Work Day
- March 21 – UNESCO’s World Poetry Day (first observed in 2000)
- The Entire Month of April – National Poetry Month in the United States (since 1996) and Canada (since 1998) and Global Poetry Writing Month
- April 17 – Haiku Day
- The third week of April – Cowboy Poetry Week
- The last Week of April – Poem in Your Pocket Day
- April 28 – Great Poetry Reading Day
- First Tuesday in May – Poem on Your Pillow Day
- May 12 – Limerick Day
- July 26 – Poet Laureate Day in Vallejo honors the establishment of the program
- August 18 – National Bad Poetry Day
- Entire Month of October – National Poetry Month in the UK and Ireland. Between 1950 and 1995 in the United States World Poetry Month was also celebrated in the USA in October.
- The first Thursday in October – National Poetry Day in the United Kingdom
- A date in late September – Read a Poem to a Child Day by 100TPC
- October 15 – National Poetry Day and World Poetry Day – established in 1947 in honor of Ralph Cheyney who passed on October 15th, 1941. It was widely celebrated in 50 states and 41 countries in the 20th century.
- October 17 – National Black Poetry Day – established in 1985 to honor Black poets. The date was chosen to honor Jupiter Hammon’s birthday. He was the first Black poet published in the US.
- October 26 – Sacramento Poetry Day
- December 20 – Poet Laureate Day
Literary Holidays
- The first week of February – Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week
- The second week of February – Freelance Writers Appreciation Week
- February 14 – Library Lovers Day
- The first week of March – Read an e-Book week
- March 2 – Read Across America Day
- March 12 – World Day Against Cyber Censorship
- Entire month of April – Christian Book Month, Philippines National Literary Month, Drop Everything and Read Month
- April 2 – Children’s Book Day
- April 6 – National Library Day
- The last Saturday in April – Independent Bookstore Day
- The entire month of May – Latino Books Month, National Get Caught Reading Month, National Family Reading Month
- May 4 – National Black Authors Day
- The entire month of June – Listen to an Audiobook Month
- July 30 – Paperback Book Day
- August 9 – National Book Lovers Day
- The entire month of September – Black Reading Month, Library Card Sign-up Month, Be Kind to Editors and Writers Month
- The last week of September – Banned Books Week
- September 6 – National Read a Book Day
- The entire month of October – National Book Month
- The entire month of November – Muslim Storytellers Month, National Family Literacy Month
- November 1 – National Authors Day
- November 15 – I Love to Write Day
- The 30 days leading up to Hanukkah – Jewish Book Month established in 1943