13 Diverse Authors Nominated for PBS’ The Great American Read

By Jessica Mizzi

The Great American Read is an eight-part television and online series designed to spark a national conversation about reading and the books they’ve selected. Hosted by Meredith Vieira, the series features 100 books that have inspired, moved, and shaped us. The goal is for viewers to read the books and vote from the list of 100, advocating for their favorite read.

The Great American Read premieres Tuesday, May 22 at 8/7c on PBS stations. Voting will be open through the summer and into the fall, when seven new episodes of the series will air as the quest to find America’s most beloved book moves into high gear.

The authors listed below wrote books that have been nominated for this year’sThe Great American Read. All of them are people of color who deserve recognition for the breadth of their literary masterpieces in spite of the challenges they’ve faced to achieve that success. We should all make a point to expand our reading lists to include more diverse authors, and these books can help you to do just that. Check out the list at Signature Reads.