Remember discussions in high school English class when you’d all be reading and exploring the same book together? What about book clubs? Have you ever been a part of a group of people meeting every week to unpack a compelling read?
Our community has a high value for literacy and we know that books are more fun when explored together. Here’s what you need to know about the NEA Big Read happening in Champaign-Urbana this winter!
According to the Spurlock Museum website, “The Big Read broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book.” Champaign-Urbana is one of 79 nonprofit organizations to receive an NEA Big Read grant through the National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with Arts Midwest. This grant makes all the programming happening this winter possible!
The book featured in this year’s Big Read is “The Namesake” by Jhumpa Lahiri. A novel about two generations of a Bengali-American family living in Massachusetts, the father, mother, son and daughter detail their experiences as immigrants born in a foreign country raising their children born in America. If you’re interested in downloading discussion questions, or learning more about the book, visit the NEA website.
What does this mean for our community? There are lots of wonderful events happening over the course of six weeks at local libraries, museums and campus, many of which are FREE and family-friendly!
While a comprehensive list of NEA Big Read events is available by clicking here, we’ve featured a few of the Big Read events that are family-friendly, or that we think would be of special interest to #chambana families. Many are also listed on our event calendar!
Featured family-friendly NEA Big Read Events
- Urbana Free Library hosts an Indian Cultural Celebration on Saturday, February 2.
- The Spurlock Museum is holding a “Get to Know India” series during the Big Read, so bring your kids out on Sunday afternoons from 1-3:30pm.
- Champaign Public Library will host an afternoon of classical Indian music and dance on Sunday, February 24.
The Big Read in Champaign-Urbana is a partnership of the Spurlock Museum, International & Area Studies Library, Urbana Free Library, Champaign Public Library, Asian American Cultural Center, Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Asian Educational Media Service, Indian Cultural Society of Urbana-Champaign, Art Theater, and Krannert Art Museum and Kinkead Pavilion.