Call for 2026-2027 Big Read Selection Committee Members

October 28, 2025

The Go Big Read Program invites all interested university staff, academic staff, and faculty to lend their diverse perspectives to the Go Big Read book selection committee, which will help pick the book for the 2026-2027 academic year. Applications to join the committee are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025. 

The time commitment for serving on the Go Big Read book selection committee will vary on a week-by-week basis. Most of the committee’s work will be concentrated in late November through February. The committee can expect to meet synchronously via Zoom two times during those months. Additionally, the committee will be assigned asynchronous work, like reviewing and ranking book nominations.

Timeline of the GBR Book Selection Process and Committee Member Expectations:

In November, there will be an open call to campus and the community for book recommendations for the 2026-2027 Go Big Read. By the end of November, the Go Big Read Selection Committee and the Office of the Chancellor will be sent a list of the nominated books with relevant information to help rank those nominations. In early-to-mid-December, the committee will meet to discuss the nominations and create a short list of books to review. During winter break, the committee will read their assigned books and prepare to discuss why those books should be chosen as the 2026-2027 Go Big Read. In February, the selection committee will meet to narrow down the list of books to our top recommendations for the Chancellor.

Application Form: Go Big Read Selection Committee Member Application

Please feel free to reach out to the Go Big Read Program Coordinator, Bethany Willig, (bwillig@wisc.edu) with any questions about serving on the Go Big Read book selection committee. Thank you for your consideration, and don’t forget to attend the 2025 Go Big Read Author Keynote: An Evening with Percival Everett on Nov. 4 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The event will be hosted in Union South’s Varsity Hall, and it will also be livestreamed. The livestream link will be available on the Go Big Read website homepage on the morning of Nov. 4.

Other Upcoming Go Big Read Events: