The Fulton County Library System, in collaboration with the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library Foundation, is excited to announce, One Book, One Read a county-wide book club with the aim of getting as many people across Fulton County reading, talking about and engaging with the same book. The goal is to promote critical conversations, community building and literacy all while having fun with your friends, family and neighbors.

The Library System’s first ever One Book, One Read program will begin with Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson. The book’s core resides in comparisons between the caste system in India, the American race system, and the rise of the Third Reich in Germany. It also examines the current state of race politics as well as its harrowing history.

The 2022 One Book, One Read program will kick off in January with the goal of engaging community members to host book clubs across the County. Additionally, many of Fulton’s 34 libraries will host book clubs around Caste.

“I am most excited that the Fulton County Library System will host its inaugural One Book, One Read program. It has been a plan in the works for a long time. The hope is that it will serve as the kickoff to an annual event for all those who choose to participate,” said Gayle Hunter Holloman, Executive Director of Fulton County Library System.

A reading guide will be available with additional resources, guiding questions, and background on the author in December 2021. Book clubs will meet in January and February independently and in March with the author herself. Community leaders from organizations in sectors such as education, business, not-for-profit and more will be asked to lead book clubs.

Sign up at your local library to be a part of their book club or start your own book club by emailing onebook@afplf.org to sign up. Those interested in starting their own book club, will be invited to join a webinar later in December which will walk book club leaders through the book guide created by Auburn Avenue Research Library. Clubs will read the book January through March and meet with their book clubs monthly.

The culminating book club will be a lecture by Isabel Wilkerson at the Auburn Avenue Research Library on March 27 at 3 p.m. The event is free. Please secure your tickets here.

For questions or interests in partnership with One Book, One Read, please reach out to onebook@afplf.org or visit https://afplf.org/one-book-one-read.