MetroWest Readers Fest Reveals 2022 Book For Community Read

SUDBURY, MA — This year's community read from the MetroWest Readers Fest will be a book that explores the reopening of U.S.-China relations. The community read will culminate in a live talk with author Gish Jen at Lincoln-Sudbury High School in October.

Here's more from a MetroWest Readers Fest news release:

MetroWest Readers Fest announces its second annual regional community-wide read called ONE. The title for this year’s initiative is "Thank You, Mr. Nixon," a short story collection by the acclaimed writer Gish Jen. In this collection of 11 linked short stories, Jen “embarks on a fictional journey through U.S.-China relations, capturing the excitement of a world on the brink of tectonic change.” Thank You, Mr. Nixon was named the #1 Recommendation for AAPI Month by Oprah Daily, an Amazon Editor’s Pick for Best Literature & Fiction, and was called “marvelous” by Claire Oshetsky in the New York Times. In addition to Thank You, Mr. Nixon, Jen is the author of eight other books and has had short stories selected for The Best American Short Stories five times, including The Best American Short Stories of the Century, edited by John Updike. Gish Jen is currently a Visiting Professor at Harvard.

MetroWest Readers Fest is happy to partner with Wayland Free Public Library and Goodnow Library (Sudbury) to host Gish Jen at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School in Sudbury on Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. All are invited to attend this free, in-person event, although there will be an option to tune in virtually as well. In addition to this capstone event with Gish Jen, 24 regional libraries are participating in the initiative, with some planning book discussions and/or complementary events that address topics and themes found in Thank You, Mr. Nixon. A current schedule of all events related to ONE can be found at metrowestreadersfest.org and will be continually updated.

The goal of ONE is to build and celebrate community using one book as a unifying thread. If anyone would like to coordinate a book club or discussion group in one’s own “micro community” (i.e. town, place of worship, school), they are encouraged to reach out via info@metrowestreadersfest.org.

MetroWest Readers Fest was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in 2020. Its mission is to celebrate the joy of reading, to inspire lovers of literature, and to build community by connecting authors with the people who purchase, share, and engage with their work: Readers.