Harry Potter Book Night is back! Yes, the annual, global celebration of reading Harry Potter books has finally returned after the event was postponed earlier this year. Here’s everything to know about this year’s events and the theme, Diagon Alley.

Discover the secrets of Diagon Alley with this year’s Harry Potter Book Night, which will be taking place physically and digitally in different ways!

For those unfamiliar with Harry Potter Book Night, the event takes place each year (usually in February) and calls upon libraries, schools, book shops and various other venues to host their own celebrations about reading and the wizarding world. For example, dressing up as iconic Harry Potter characters is usually encouraged!

Due to Covid-19 restrictions across the world, large-scale gatherings may not be possible at the time of Book Night. As such, UK publishers Bloomsbury have ensured that any activities and ideas can be easily adapted to any group size, and as many as possible will be suitable for virtual online events.

One particular virtual event to enjoy is this new Diagon Alley microsite where you can roam the cobbled streets for yourself! This interactive recreation of Diagon Alley, as illustrated by Jim Kay, involves your favourite wizarding shops, so you can be like Harry and pretend you’re getting ready for Hogwarts and play activities along the way.

For everything else you need to know about this year’s celebrations, wherever you may be, the Bloomsbury website has more details. And if you’re old enough, the social media hashtag to look out for is simply #HarryPotterBookNight – so you can see how other fans are commemorating this day.

If you’re reading Harry Potter for the first time, you may be interested in our new hub, Harry Potter Reading Magic, where we’ll be poring through the pages of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s/Sorcerer’s Stone for five weeks. You can expect contributions from Bloomsbury, among other friends, during this time – so do come and join us once you’ve celebrated Harry Potter Book Night!