Research carried out ahead of the National Year of Reading shows that reading is becoming increasingly invisible in our culture. Reading should not feel like an indulgent luxury. Instead, those of us who read can proudly show how central reading is to our lives by talking about what we read and why it matters.
Here are some starter-for-ten ideas to help workplaces celebrate World Book Day, have fun together, and raise funds for the World Book Day charity.
Fundraising and Celebration Ideas
Second-hand book sale
Organise a workplace book sale using pre-loved books donated by staff. You may wish to set a maximum number per person to avoid boxloads. Display books on tables in a communal space and set simple prices. Donate all funds raised to World Book Day.
Book and bake sale
Add cakes to your book sale and turn it into a social event. Staff can enjoy cake while browsing books and chatting about what they love to read.
Secret Santa book exchange
Ask participants to make a small donation to take part. Each person is given another participant’s name and chooses a book for them. You can decide whether books should be new or much-loved favourites, and whether to keep gift-givers anonymous or include a short note explaining their choice. This works particularly well for remote teams, as books can be sent by post.
Book recommendation group
Invite staff to bring a favourite book and share recommendations. This works well alongside a cake sale or coffee break. You might choose a theme, such as:
- My favourite read this year
- A book I loved as a child
- The funniest book I’ve ever read
- A coming-of-age story
If successful, you could repeat this regularly with different themes. Include a donation point.
Book dress-up day
Celebrate World Book Day in traditional style. Staff make a donation and come to work dressed as a favourite book character.
Book quiz
Choose a book quiz that suits your workplace and invite staff to enter in teams with an entry donation. National Book Tokens make great prizes for winning teams.
Go home early and read
Invite staff to make a donation and finish work an hour early to spend time reading with their family.
World Book Day merchandise
Support the charity by buying official World Book Day merchandise from the World Book Day shop. You could also set up a small countertop display to sell World Book Day enamel badges and keyrings.
How to donate to World Book Day
You can send funds via our Supported Giving page.
If helpful, we can provide a donation QR code that tracks all contributions from your company and removes the need to collect cash.
We can also accept cheques or bank transfers if that works better for your organisation.
Related resources
Use of World Book Day resources
These resources are free to use for schools, early years settings, libraries, charities, and community groups celebrating World Book Day. Commercial organisations must have a partnership or licence agreement in place before using World Book Day assets. If you are interested in working with us, please contact [email protected].