Go Big with Books This Fall

This Year’s Go Big Read Selection: James by Percival Everett

The 2025 Go Big Read book, James, reimagines Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of Jim, the enslaved man. The 2024 National Book Award winner for fiction, James invites reflection on race, freedom, and storytelling. Through Go Big Read, campus provides plenty of ways for academic staff to get involved in this powerful novel.

 Attend an Event—On or Off Campus

Join the campus community for the Go Big Read keynote featuring James author Percival Everett on Monday, November 4, from 7:00 to 8:30 pm in Varsity Hall at Union South. The event is free and open to the public. No ticket required. You can also explore the book through community book discussions and Go Big Read panels this fall. Visit the Go Big Read events page to discover events in Madison and beyond, throughout the year.

Discuss the Book with Colleagues

Looking to spark a meaningful conversation in your office or department? James offers rich themes that resonate beyond the classroom, and through Go Big Read UW–Madison is providing tools to help staff spark conversation.

Academic staff can apply for free copies of James if you intend on facilitating campus programming, including departmental book discussions. You can also borrow copies from UW Libraries, or purchase a copy at the University Book Store at a discount (5% off with Wiscard). Accessible formats, including audiobooks and e-books, are also available to readers looking for alternative ways of engaging with the text.

The Go Big Read Discussion Guide offers prompts and questions to help guide staff conversations. Use the Go Big Read Marketing Toolkit to promote discussions internally. Posters, email templates, and social media graphics make it easy to invite participation and build community around the book.

More Bookish Events This Fall

Celebrate literature and learning at the Wisconsin Book Festival from October 23 to 26 at the Madison Central Library and other downtown Madison venues, including the Arts + Literature Laboratory, UW–Madison’s Discovery Building, and the Wisconsin Historical Society. The festival features more than 55 free public events, several of which include UW–Madison affiliated authors and books:

• Quan Barry’s The Unveiling
• Doug Bradley’s The Tracks of My Years: A Music-based Memoir 
• Emily Callaci’s Wages for Housework: The Story of a Movement, An Idea, a Promise.
• Allison Daminger’s What’s On Her Mind: The Mental Workload of Family Life 
• Curt Meine’s We Can Do Better  
• Alison Thumel’s Architect: Poems
• Rebecca Hogue Wojahn’s Saving Our Sturgeon

This year’s Fall Celebration overlaps with the Wisconsin Science Festival, offering a unique opportunity to explore science-themed books and events.

Friends of UW–Madison Libraries Used Book Sale

Academic staff looking to expand their home libraries can check out the semiannual used book sale hosted by the Friends of the UW–Madison Libraries at the Memorial Library from October 22 to 25.