What is the Big Read?

It is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts of America designed to encourage book reading among citizens. The literature in focus is on American popular culture. The National Endowment has partnered the Institute of Museum and Library Services and Arts Midwest. Support for the Big Read is given by the W K Kellogg Foundation and a grant by the Paul G Allen Family Foundation. The project provides citizens the opportunity to read and discuss books within their communities. It gives publicity to reading programmes and its website has information on authors and their works.