Former US President Barack Obama announced on Monday that he will launch a new podcast dedicated to literature on September 24, featuring conversations with invited guests about the influential books that have shaped his life and worldview.
The upcoming series, titled A Great Book with Barack Obama, will be available on the Audible audio streaming platform. The project is produced in partnership with Higher Ground, the media production company founded by Obama and his wife, former First Lady Michelle Obama.
Writing on his X social media account, where he reaches nearly 20 million followers, the former president stated that in an era when fewer people sit down to read a book, it is important to remember the joy and power that reading can bring. He added that certain books do not simply tell a story, but fundamentally alter how people view the world.
Literary influences and summer reading lists
Since leaving the White House and stepping back from frontline politics in January 2017, Obama has frequently demonstrated his passion for reading. He regularly shares his cultural interests online, where his annual summer recommendations of books and music have become an eagerly awaited tradition for readers around the world.
Obama explained that some time ago he returned to several books that had marked him during his youth and influenced his thinking regarding family, faith, race, politics, and the United States. His new podcast will explore these formative works alongside invited guest speakers.
Among the titles he revisited is The Fire Next Time, the 1963 landmark civil rights essay collection by James Baldwin, and Song of Solomon, the 1977 novel by Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison. His list of influential reading also includes Cormac McCarthy's 1992 novel All the Pretty Horses and Marilynne Robinson's 2004 Pulitzer Prize winning novel Gilead.
Rounding out the books that influenced his early thinking are Robert Penn Warren's 1946 political novel All the King's Men and British author John le Carré's 1974 espionage thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
Presidential foundation and library projects
Beyond his cultural and media initiatives, Obama continues to direct operations at the Barack Obama Foundation. The non-profit organization works to strengthen the legacy of his presidency by promoting a pluralistic vision of democratic governance and delivering leadership training programs for future generations.
As part of his ongoing legacy work, Obama inaugurated his official presidential library this past June. The inauguration follows a long-standing American tradition initiated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1930s, under which former US presidents establish dedicated institutions to preserve public records and engage citizens in civic history.
