The One Book One Northwestern selection committee is seeking recommendations for the 2019-20 academic year. Book suggestions should include: title, author, number of pages, a short summary, and a brief description of why this book would make a good common read.
The deadline for submissions is Friday, Nov. 9
Submit suggestions here, and submit questions to onebook@northwestern.edu.
Please note, the selected book should be available in paperback and digital formats by May 1, 2019.
Northwestern hosted visionary author and feminist icon Margaret Atwood last week as part of the One Book program.
Atwood's novel, “The Handmaid’s Tale,” was submitted through the same process last year and selected as the all-campus read for 2018-19.
Set in a dystopian future in which the U.S. government has been overthrown by a theocratic authoritarian regime that uses fertile women as handmaids to bear children for the all-controlling ruling class, “The Handmaid’s Tale” is a modern classic that explores the politics of religion and gender and offers a warning about a future the author hopes will never come to pass.
"It's astonishing to me how ‘The Handmaid's Tale’ [published over 30 years ago] has found itself more timely now than it was when it appeared," Atwood said.
One Book One Northwestern is a community‐wide reading program hosted by the Office of the President. It aims to engage the campus in a common conversation centered on a carefully chosen, thought-provoking book. It began in 2005 for students in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences and has since evolved into a community-wide program involving students, faculty and staff from all majors and departments.
Everyone is encouraged to read the One Book selection. The Office of the President sends a free copy to incoming first-year and transfer students the summer before they arrive on campus.
Throughout the year, events like lectures, films and discussion groups provide an opportunity for individuals to gather and talk about the issues presented in the book. Many of these events are open to the public and the entire community is invited to participate. Visit the Participate section to learn how you can get involved.
For more information about the program, including this year's selection, see the One Book One Northwestern website.