The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services and in cooperation with Arts Midwest designed to revitalize the role of literature in American culture and to encourage citizens to read for pleasure and enlightenment. The Big Read provides U.S. communities with grants and comprehensive resources that support their efforts to read and discuss a single book or the work of a poet.

To learn more about The Big Read, including current programming, visit www.NEABigRead.org.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

The purpose of The Big Read is to encourage literary reading. The following information outlines the expectations and requirements for Big Read organizations. 

Organizations applying to The Big Read must select from the reading choices listed below. Organizations selected to participate will receive a grant, access to online training resources and opportunities, educational and promotional materials to support widespread community involvement and participation, an Organizer's Guide for developing and managing Big Read activities, inclusion of the organization and its activities on The Big Read Web site, and the prestige of participating in a highly visible national program.

Grant size

Organizations may apply for grants ranging from $2,500 to $20,000. Grant size will be determined based on:

• Community population—for example, the suggested grant range for a small community with fewer than 50,000 residents is $2,500–$7,500; the suggested grant range for larger cities or towns is $7,500–$20,000.
• Number of activities planned—applicants demonstrating innovative and detailed plans to host more than the minimum required activities (see Event plans) may be considered for grants at the upper end of the grant range.
• Overall strength of the application— based on the selection criteria.

Grants must be matched at least 1 to 1 with nonfederal funds. Grant funds may be used for such expenses as book purchases, speaker fees and travel, salaries, advertising, and venue rental. Please see the program budget instructions for more information. 

Reading choices

Applicants must choose one of the following selections. Previous grantees must select a different reading choice from their previous programming.

Book titles 

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
My Ántonia by Willa Cather
Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
Sun, Stone, and Shadows: 20 Great Mexican Short Stories edited by Jorge F. Hernández
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Washington Square by Henry James
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. LeGuin
The Call of the Wild by Jack London
The Thief and the Dogs by Naguib Mahfouz
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
The Shawl by Cynthia Ozick
The Stories and Poetry of Edgar Allan Poe
Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
The Bridge of San Luis Rey and Our Town by Thornton Wilder*
Old School by Tobias Wolff

* Applicants choosing Thornton Wilder's The Bridge of San Luis Rey must include in the application plans for a live, full-length production of Our Town performed by a local school drama department, community theater, or professional theater company. The Big Read educational materials address both the novel and the play.

Poets

Emily Dickinson
Robinson Jeffers
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 

Educational and promotional materials

One of the major benefits of The Big Read is the availability of high-quality educational and promotional materials provided at no cost to participating community organizations. The Big Read educational materials are accessible on www.NEABigRead.org, as well as provided in limited print quantities to grantees. The broad use and wide distribution of the educational and promotional materials throughout the community is essential and a key component of The Big Read.

The following educational and promotional materials are provided and available online:

• Reader's Guides: 16-page booklets containing an introduction to the featured book or poet, historical context, background of the writer, information about related works, and discussion questions.
• Spanish translations of Reader's Guides: Available for In the Time of Butterflies; Bless Me, Ultima; Fahrenheit 451; The Maltese Falcon; Sun, Stone, and Shadows: 20 Great Mexican Short Stories; To Kill a Mockingbird; The Call of the Wild; The Stories and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe; The Grapes of Wrath; and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.
• Teacher's Guides: 20-page booklets containing lesson plans and other teacher resources for high schools or middle schools that can be used in the classroom and/or by the school library media specialist.
• Audio Guides: 30-minute CDs featuring interviews with notable literary and public figures about the book for radio promotion and classroom use; for the poetry selections, 20-minute CDs containing readings of poems.
• Banners, posters, and bookmarks for promotional and marketing purposes.
• Web site: Participating community organizations also contribute to www.NEABigRead.org.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS                                                                      

Community organizations participating in The Big Read shall develop and produce a well-planned, well-attended, community-wide read with widespread involvement and participation. Your literary programming should feature innovative, diverse activities, and plans to connect to the chosen book or poet. The ideal Big Read program lasts approximately one month and must occur between September 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011. A successful Big Read will reach lapsed and/or reluctant readers, especially middle and high school students and young adults (ages 18-24), and have a wide range of imaginative activities. Successful applicants' programming will occur in various venues to encourage participation by diverse audiences and reluctant readers.

If your organization has previously received a Big Read grant, your 2010-2011 application must include program plans that build on past Big Read programming.

Event plans

Activities should include:

• A kick-off event to launch the program locally.
• At least one keynote session on the selected book or poet (e.g., lecture by key biographer, panel discussion, or author reading).
• A minimum of two to three special events involving other kinds of programming (e.g., art exhibits related to the themes of the book or poet, music or dance events, film series including adaptations of the book, or a theatrical reading).
• A minimum of 10 discussions on the book or poet in varied locations, including libraries, bookstores, and museums, that attract diverse audiences.

The number of activities planned should correlate with your community population. 

Organizations are responsible for seeking legal permissions for certain activities and promotional materials. 

Deadline: February 2, 2010. For more information and details please visit their web site.

To view other available grants please click here.

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