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The NEA Big Read Program Schedule for Spring 2019

  • Post Date: 10/19/2018
  • Author: Paul Sung, student writer
  • Reading Time: 15 minute read

The NEA Big Read in Champaign-Urbana will focus on The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri (external link), published in 2003 (and adapted into a feature film in 2006).

Get a free copy of the book from our partner libraries (limited number available). When you’ve finished, pass it along to a friend and come to any of the 10 public book discussions!

NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts (external link) in partnership with Arts Midwest (external link). The Big Read (external link) broadens our understanding of our world, our communities, and ourselves through the joy of sharing a good book. This local partnership linking campus, Champaign, and Urbana is one of 79 nonprofit organizations to receive an NEA Big Read grant to host a community reading program in the winter of 2019.

Learn more about the National Endowment for the Arts and the NEA Big Read in our previous blog post.

Program Schedule

The following public programs occur between January 27–March 10, 2019. All events are free and open to the public.

  • Sunday, January 27

  • Saturday, February 2

    • NEA Big Read Cultural Celebration
      • Time: 2:00 pm–4:00 pm
      • Location: The Urbana Free Library
      • activityfamily friendly

  • Sunday, February 3

    • Get to Know India: Bengal
      • Time: 1:00 pm–3:30 pm
      • Location: Spurlock Museum
      • activityfamily friendly

    • An Afternoon with Samrat Upadhyay
      • Time: 3:00 pm
      • Location: Champaign Public Library
      • talk, film, concert

  • Monday, February 4

    • Mississippi Masala Film and Discussion
      • International & Area Studies Library and Illinois Program for Research in the Humanities
      • Time: 7:00 pm
      • Location: The Art Theater
      • activityfamily friendly

  • Tuesday, February 5

    • Film Adaptation Screening and Discussion
      • Led by Prof. Rini Bhattacharya Mehta
      • Co-sponsored by the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies
      • Time: 7:30 pm
      • Location: 114 David Kinley Hall, 1407 W Gregory Dr, Urbana
      • talk, film, concert

  • Wednesday, February 6

    • Chai Wai Discussion
      • Time: 2:00 pm
      • Location: IASL
      • book discussion

  • Sunday, February 10

  • Monday, February 11

  • Tuesday, February 12

    • Book Club: Food, Clothing, and Ritual in The Namesake
      • Time: 7:00 pm
      • Location: The Urbana Free Library
      • book discussion

  • Wednesday, February 13

    • Indian Comics Program
      • Time: 12:00 pm
      • Location: IASL
      • talk, film, concert

  • Thursday, February 14

    • Douglass Branch Library NEA Big Read Book Club
      • Time: 1:30 pm–2:30 pm
      • Location: Champaign Public Library Douglass Branch
      • book discussion

  • Sunday, February 17

  • Monday, February 18

    • The History of Henna (external link)
      • Time: 6:30 pm–8:30 pm
      • Location: Champaign Public Library
      • Participants: Limited to 30 participants, reservations required.
      • activityfamily friendly

  • Tuesday, February 19

    • Teen Open Lab: Bengali Arts and Crafts
      • Time: 3:00 pm–5:30 pm
      • Location: The Urbana Free Library
      • activity

    • Book Club: Love, Sex and Marriage: Exploring Relationships in The Namesake
      • Time: 7:00 pm
      • Location: The Urbana Free Library
      • book discussion

  • Wednesday, February 20

    • Teen Open Lab: Bengali Arts and Crafts
      • Time: 3:00 pm–5:30 pm
      • Location: The Urbana Free Library
      • activity

    • Women's Immigration Panel
      • Time: 7:00 pm
      • Location: The Urbana Free Library
      • talk, film, concert

  • Thursday, February 21

    • Book Club
      • Time: 12:00 pm
      • Location: IASL
      • book discussion

    • Champaign Public Library NEA Big Read Book Club
      • Time: 1:30 pm–2:30 pm
      • Location: Champaign Public Library
      • book discussion

    • Teen Open Lab: Bengali Arts and Crafts
      • Time: 3:00 pm–5:30 pm
      • Location: The Urbana Free Library
      • activity

    • Panel: Global Archives of Home: Finding Voices of Belonging in The Namesake
      • Time: 7:00 pm
      • Location: Channing Murray Foundation
      • talk, film, concert

  • Saturday, February 23

    • Bengali Crafts and Folktales
      • Time: 4:00 pm
      • Location: The Urbana Free Library
      • activityfamily friendly

  • Sunday, February 24

    • Get to Know India: West India
      • Time: 1:00 pm–3:30 pm
      • Location: Spurlock Museum
      • activityfamily friendly

    • In Concert at CPL: Classical Indian Music and Dance
      • Time: 2:00 pm–3:00 pm
      • Location: Champaign Public Library
      • talk, film, concert

  • Monday, February 25

  • Tuesday, February 26

    • Book Club: What's in a Name? Naming and Identity in The Namesake
      • Time: 7:00 pm
      • Location: The Urbana Free Library
      • book discussion

  • Thursday, February 28

    • Book Club
      • Time: 12:00 pm
      • Location: IASL
      • book discussion

    • NEA Big Read Battle of the Books
      • Time: 6:30 pm–8:30 pm
      • Location: Champaign Public Library
      • book discussion

  • Sunday, March 3

  • Wednesday, March 6

    • Growing Up in Two Worlds: Teens and Immigration Panel
      • Time: 7:00 pm
      • Location: The Urbana Free Library
      • talk, film, concert

  • Thursday, March 7

    • Book Club
      • Time: 12:00 pm
      • Location: IASL
      • book discussion

  • Saturday, March 9

    • Book Discussion
      • Time: 3:00 pm
      • Location: Riggs Brewery
      • book discussion

  • Sunday, March 10

  • Tuesday, March 12

    • AsiaLENS Film and Discussion: The Song Collector
      • Time: 7:00 pm
      • Location: Spurlock Museum
      • talk, film, concert

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