The Merton Big Read: Connecting community through books
Wimbledon BookFest – in partnership with Merton Libraries – has launched Merton’s first ever Big Read; a shared reading scheme which aims to connect the local community through books and stories.
The inaugural Big Read is The Last White Man – a compelling and thought-provoking story from Mohsin Hamid, acclaimed author of The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Exit West.
500 hundred copies of the novel have been distributed from libraries across the borough, with readers being encouraged to pass on their copy to give others the opportunity to read and engage with the story.
The Last White Man tells the story of how the world changes for a man who wakes up to a darker skin tone. It is a story of love and rediscovery in a time of unsettling change.
The Big Read is part of Wimbledon BookFest’s partnership with Merton Libraries, funded by Arts Council England – which aims to produce a wide range of exciting literary and cultural events across the borough of Merton.
Fiona Razvi, Festival Founder and Director said: “We are delighted to announce The Last White Man as our first ever Big Read. It is a brilliant novel of ideas and tackles universal themes of identity, loss and human fragility. We believe in the power of stories to bring people together and the aim of the Big Read is to get the whole community involved – so if you have a copy please do pass it on to help us get as many people as possible reading this wonderful novel.”
You can find out more about The Big Read here
