A photo that looks down the aisle of shelves in a bookstore

NEA Big Read

The National Endowment for the Arts Big Read—a partnership with Arts Midwest—broadens our understanding of ourselves and our neighbors through the power of a shared reading experience. The goals of the NEA Big Read are to inspire meaningful conversations, celebrate local creativity, elevate a wide variety of voices and perspectives, and build stronger connections in each community.

Information on the 2025-2026 NEA Big Read Grantees(link is external)

Active Books

Archived Books
The House on Mango Street book cover
Sandra Cisneros
The House on Mango Street
The New Wilderness Book Cover
Diane Cook
The New Wilderness
In the Distance Book Cover
Hernan Diaz
In the Distance
I Cheerfully Refuse Book Cover
Leif Enger
I Cheerfully Refuse
Catalogue of Unfinished Gratitude book cover
Ross Gay
Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude
Their Eyes Were Watching God book cover
Zora Neale Hurston
Their Eyes Were Watching God
Lab Girl cover
Hope Jahren
Lab Girl
The Bear book Cover
Andrew Krivak
The Bear
You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World Book Cover
Ada Limón
You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World
North Woods Book Cover
Daniel Mason
North Woods
Blackfish city book cover
Sam J. Miller
Blackfish City
Bite by Bite book cover
Aimee Nezhukumatathil
Bite By Bite: Nourishments and Jamborees
Book cover: author name in all caps orange, title in white against a background of two hands offering an orange origami bird
Julie Otsuka
When the Emperor Was Divine
bewilderment book cover
Richard Powers
Bewilderment
Fuzz book cover
Mary Roach
Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law
The Grapes of Wrath book cover
John Steinbeck
The Grapes of Wrath
The Seed Keeper Book Cover
Diane Wilson
The Seed Keeper