BROWARD COUNTY, FL - Broward County Library (BCL) is one of 62 organizations nationwide selected on the basis of artistic excellence and merit to receive a 2022-2023 National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Big Read grant. An award of $20,000 will support a January 2023 community reading program in Broward focusing on the novel Infinite Country by Patricia Engel.
Infinite Country is a powerful saga of three generations of a Colombian family facing the harsh realities of separation at national borders and the struggles of undocumented life, interspersed with Andean myths.
An initiative of the NEA in partnership with Arts Midwest, the NEA Big Read broadens our understanding of our world, our communities and ourselves through the power of a shared reading experience.
BCL will make Infinite Country the starting point for original programs, creating opportunities for community conversations. Says BCL Director Allison Grubbs, "We are greatly honored to be chosen for this prestigious grant and are looking forward to creating meaningful library experiences around the themes of this exceptional book."
In conjunction with book discussions and themed programs, BCL plans to offer a range of activities that reflect many different voices and perspectives, aiming to inspire conversation, artistic responses and new discoveries and connections. All events are free and open to the public.
BCL is partnering with the following organizations to implement the program:
- Broward Public Library Foundation
- Florida Atlantic University
- Florida Humanities
- Nova Southeastern University's Alvin Sherman Library
- Helen Hoffman Plantation Library
- Ethel M. Gordon Oakland Park Library
- Hispanic Unity of Florida
- U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service
For additional information or partnership opportunities, contact Michael Bryant, Mdbryant@broward.org, 954-357-7435. NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest, with additional sponsorship provided by the Broward Public Library Foundation and Florida Atlantic University. Follow us on #NEABigReadBCL, #NEABigRead.
About Broward County LibrariesBroward County Libraries Division, named 2020 and 2015 Library of the Year by the Florida Library Association, was founded in 1974 and is one of the largest and busiest library systems in Florida. Broward County Libraries Division's 38 locations provide convenient access to a full range of innovative and cost-effective services that satisfy the changing needs of the people of Broward County for information, education and recreation. Visit our website, Broward.org/Library, or follow Libraries on Facebook and Twitter.