Oliver James manifested writing his first book before learning how to read as an adult through TikTok

Oliver James went viral on TikTok for learning to read as an adult, and now he’s telling his story in a new memoir, “Unread.”

Most people who publish a book have been writing for years and, at the very least, have been lifelong readers. That wasn’t the case for Oliver James. The first-time author just released his first book, but five years ago, he couldn’t read.

On Wednesday, Feb. 25, the 37-year-old TikToker announced on the platform that his new memoir, “Unread,” is officially out. The book chronicles his very public journey of learning not only how to read as an adult, but how to fall in love with it along the way. He also kicked off his book tour this week.

“Today, the book comes out today,” he said in a celebratory video. “Oh snap! The book came out today.”

The clip captured moments from the start of his tour, including a stop at the “New York Living” studios in New York, with a quick coffee run in between.

“Make sure you go get that,” he told followers of his debut title.

Back in October 2022, James uploaded a vulnerable video to TikTok admitting that he didn’t know how to read and was, at the time, functionally illiterate. At 32, he challenged himself to learn and set the ambitious goal to read 100 books in a year. He ultimately reached it through a mix of children’s picture and chapter books, young adult and adult fiction, and nonfiction. He would regularly hop on TikTok Live and read, receiving encouragement and advice from those tuning in. 

“Unread,” which arrived on shelves Tuesday, Feb. 24, dives into what it was like for James to learn in real time with the help of thousands of tutors and BookTokers online. It also feels full circle.

Not long after he began his literary mission in 2022, he shared a dream of writing a book one day. In a January 2025 TikTok, he reminded his followers by overlaying an image of “Unread’s” cover atop a clip of himself speaking it into existence.

“I’m hoping one day when I become a motivational speaker and I write a book,” he said in the earlier video before pausing. “I don’t know … how would I do that? But anyways, maybe I could write a book.”

The memoir also revisits his childhood, growing up in Bethlehem, Pa., with ADHD and OCD in what he describes as a “chaotic” household with a single mother and sister, and how his inability to read was largely swept under the rug. In school, he was labeled a problem before he eventually began to see himself that way. In his late teens, he also briefly ended up behind bars. Before turning to TikTok, he relied on memorizing street signs and common symbols and on loved ones, including his partner Anne, to help read for him.

According to recent data from the National Literacy Institute, nearly one in five American adults struggles with basic literacy, and more than half read below a sixth-grade level.

Now a father himself, James told USA Today he hopes parents walk away from his story with a renewed commitment to making sure their children are truly learning how to read and comprehend. For adults who see themselves in his journey, many of whom have connected with him online, he urges them to push past shame and give learning to read a real chance.

“You can’t be the kid and the adult,” he told the outlet. “You already had your chance to be the kid. Now you’re the adult. So stop putting the blame on the kids like they did to you when you were a kid.”