North Carolina Humanities

10/08/2026

North Carolina Reads is highly valued by readers across the state. Since 2022 NC Humanities has distributed over 15,000 free books across the state!

A museum who led a local book club in our 2026 series shared that their participants learned more about North Carolina history from the program than any other activity.

10/05/2026

It's National Arts & Humanities Month! All October, we're celebrating how North Carolina tells its stories.

First up: North Carolina Reads. Want to hear about the 2027 books first? Sign for our newsletter to get the latest scoop: https://mailchi.mp/nchumanities/north-carolina-humanities-newsletter

09/28/2026

Happy ! September 28th recognizes North Carolina as the 12th state to join the Union. Check out these artifacts from the NC Museum of History!

09/17/2026

We are so proud to have been a part of this exciting national initiative! Check out the trailer for this new podcast to see how the nation's humanities councils have been commemorating the 250th!

We are pleased to share the trailer for the official By the People: Conversations Beyond 250 podcast. Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

The first three episodes of the podcast will be out on Wednesday, September 23, featuring humanities councils and cultural practitioners in Washington, Wyoming, and Georgia. A total of eight original episodes will be released by November.

You can listen to the trailer and episodes on our website or subscribe to the show on Apple, Spotify, or any other podcast platform.

Learn more at: https://www.statehumanities.org/bythepeoplepodcast/

Humanities Washington, Wyoming Humanities, Georgia Humanities, Smithsonian Folklife

09/09/2026

There is still time to share your thoughts and help shape NC Reads 2027!

Survey closes TOMORROW September 10, 2026. Take the survey using the link below. Book selections will be announced later this year. Survey: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/RBevmKF3AR

NC Reads is our award-winning statewide book club which annually features five books that explore the history and culture in North Carolina.

08/27/2026

We want to hear from you! Help us decide what books to feature in our 2027 North Carolina Reads program. Take the survey using the link below. Survey closes September 10, 2026. Selections will be announced later this year.

Your feedback on our survey will help make NC Reads 2027 another successful and meaningful community program. Thanks to Bigfoot Books & Brews, Buxton Village Books, Inc, CityCenter GalleryandBooks, and Flyleaf Books for helping curate this year’s longlist. Visit an independent bookstore or library in your community for copies of the NC Reads 2027 longlist titles.

Survey: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/RBevmKF3AR

NC Reads is our award-winning statewide book club which annually features five books that explore the history and culture in North Carolina.

08/24/2026

Watch Shelley McKechnie discuss her book “Stronger Than the Storm: Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina” with NC Humanities!

This summer, NC Humanities selected two books to represent North Carolina at the Library of Congress’ National Book Festival. To further celebrate this year’s adult reader selection, NC Humanities hosted an online conversation with Shelley McKechnie to give the audience an in-depth look at a collection of stories from artists and writers about Hurricane Helene. You can now watch the program on demand on NC Humanities’ YouTube channel below!

As part of the Great Reads from Great Places program, North Carolin...

08/20/2026

Check out this sneak peak! NC Humanities is ready for you stop by and see us at this year’s National Book Festival!

Take a literary trip around the country by visiting the Roadmap to Reading area at the Library of Congress National Book Festival on Saturday August 22, 2026!

Every year, each center for the book selects one book for young readers and one book adult readers creating a list of books called Great Reads from Great Places. NC Humanities selected Stronger Than the Storm: Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina edited by Shelley McKechnie and Blue’s March: An Overmountain Men Tale by Katelynn Hatton to represent North Carolina at the 2026 National Book Festival.

The Roadmap to Reading is sponsored by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA).

08/17/2026

We are so pleased to be a part of this amazing cultural initiative! When you attended one of our "By the People: Music from the Old North State" programs this year you were participating in a national celebration of folklife and culture!

Check out the article below to learn more about how "By the People" has taken shape in other states.

We are so grateful to the Federation of State Humanities Councils and Smithsonian Folklife for helping to make this possible.

For the first time, humanities councils have partnered with the Smithsonian on a single initiative engaging communities across the country.

08/11/2026

TOMORROW! Independent bookstores in North Carolina we want to hear from you!

There is still time to register and join our annual North Carolina Bookseller’s Roundtable on August 12, 2026 at 10:00 am. Please use the link below to register.

Register Here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/yhEQkIVHSqSwdVWwNSk7AQ

To all the readers out there, please tag your favorite NC Bookstore in the comments!