World Book Night is a national celebration of reading and books that takes place on 23 April every year. It’s a chance for everyone, up and down the country, to celebrate the difference that reading makes to people’s lives, and there are lots of brilliant ways that you can get involved. 

We’re joining in the celebrations and we’d love for you to join us. Select a book from this year’s booklist, themed ‘Books to Make You Smile’ or choose any book that you want to read and join in the #ReadingHour from 7-8pm, sharing what you’re reading on social media. You can also join in two online events with the British Library, featuring Kazuo Ishiguro, Kate Mosse, Sandi Toksvig and more!

If you’re looking for the perfect book for World Book Night, download a free eBook or audiobook of Stories to Make You Smile, a special commission featuring ten short stories by bestselling authors. For children, we also have a range of brilliant free audiobooks on our website as well video stories to enjoy in our Share A Story Corner. 

We look forward to hearing how you celebrate whether that’s listening to an audiobook, reading to your children before bed, holding a book club meeting, or spending #ReadingHour enjoying a book you’ve been meaning to read for ages. Have fun!

About World Book Night
World Book Night is run by The Reading Agency in partnership with Specsavers. The Reading Agency is a national charity that tackles life’s big challenges through the proven power of reading. Over the past year, reading has been a lifeline to many, offering comfort, support and company. World Book Night is an opportunity to celebrate books, as well as encouraging more people to make reading for pleasure a regular habit. We hope that this year’s activities will inspire adults and young people across the country to read more.