We are a charity that operates in the UK, with a mission to promote reading for pleasure, offering every child and young person the opportunity to have a book of their own. We work to give more children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, a life-long habit of reading for pleasure and the improved life chances this brings. Our annual celebration, World Book Day, is celebrated at the beginning of March every year.

You can find out more information about UNESCO’s ‘World Book and Copyright Day’, which is celebrated internationally on 23 April, here – https://www.unesco.org/en/days/world-book-and-copyright. Many countries use the day to celebrate books and authors and encourage access to books, but these activities are not connected to us.

Find out more about us here.

The £1/€1.50 token for book exchange is a contribution to World Book Day’s charitable purpose to encourage reading for pleasure.  Nearly 1m children in the UK don’t have a book of their own. World Book Day’s £1/€1.50 books are the first book some children own (including 1 in 5 children receiving free school meals).

Publishers produce and pay for the costs of producing the £1/€1.50 books. Booksellers buy the £1/€1.50 books from publishers to gift to children in exchange for their £1/€1.50 book token. The £1/€1.50 is not reimbursed.

It’s important to World Book Day’s charitable purpose that children can access their books, using the token, for free. To find out more about the process click here.

To find out more about how booksellers can work with World Book Day click here.

World Book Day doesn’t suggest a theme, instead we hope that schools and families encourage children to read for pleasure, focussing on the 6 elements of reading for pleasure.

It’s vital that World Book Day encourages even more children to be readers.  That’s why World Book Day aims to be an ally to all children, making sure that all can see themselves represented in what we do, and make a deep connection with what they read. To find out more about our approach click here.

World Book does not carry any stock of the £1/€1.50 books. Booksellers buy the books directly from publishers or wholesalers. Find your local retailer here.

We work with Books Council Wales  to have an exclusive £1 book title for Wales each year in the Welsh language and resources for teachers.

You can find out more about World Book Day 2025 in Wales here.

We work with partners in the Republic of Ireland ensure there are exclusive €1.50 titles for Ireland, including in the Irish language and materials for teachers. World Book Day materials, including €1.50 World Book Day book tokens are sent to schools in Ireland by the Irish Department of Education.

You can find out more about World Book Day 2025 in Ireland here. Please send enquiries to [email protected].

World Book Day is a time for us all to celebrate reading together, but reading is for every day. Have a look at our Activity Bank, Reading Recommendations, Share A Story Corner for reading fun all year round.

You can also see our schools and families hubs for free resources including audiobooks, activity sheets, discussion guides, and videos with the World Book Day £1/€1.50 authors and illustrators.

You can find out how to fundraise for us here.

Our fundraising page details all the different ways you can donate to us: via BACS transfer, cheque, by phone, or simply by donating online through our JustGiving campaigns.

World Book Day is funded by our sponsor National Book Tokens, a wide selection of publishers, and through other contributions, donations from a range of companies and fundraising.

You can see our annual accounts here.

You can find out more about how the World Book Day £1/€1.50 token and £1/€1.50 books exchange works here.

You can find out how to fundraise for us here.

On World Book Day, on March 6 2025, every child and family is invited to join the celebrations. This year, we’re inviting children to “Read Your Way”, and we want celebrations to be inclusive and fun for everyone. This year’s celebration materials include online events, new inspiring video content for home and the classroom, as well as resources to engage children in reading.

Children and families can start using their £1/€1.50 token from 13 February – 23 March 2025. To know more about the £1/€1.50 token click here.