The One Book, One Philadelphia Selection Committee chose the recent PEN/Faulkner Award Winner and National Book Award finalist, The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka for its 2013 selection. This powerfully moving, poetic novel tells the tragic story of the Japanese “picture brides” who travelled from Japan to San Francisco in the early 1900s, tracing their collective and individual experiences as wives, mothers, breadwinners, and marginalized members of American society during both peacetime and the onset of World War II.

One Book, One Philadelphia is a joint project of the Mayor's Office and the Free Library of Philadelphia that has the goal of promoting literacy and encouraging the Philadelphia community to come together through reading and discussing a single book. Each year, lectures, discussions, films, workshops, exhibitions, and performances illuminate both specific and universal themes within a featured selection. The 2013 program ran from January 17th to March 13th.

Hundreds of community partners developed programs and contributed resources to help ensure another successful year of One Book, One Philadelphia. We are grateful for our sponsors and partners for their tremendous support!

Download our 2013 Calendar of Events.

Lead Sponsor

Join the Walmart Community Action Network by visiting www.walmartphiladelphia.com.

Primary Sponsors
The Field Foundation
The Lenfest Foundation

Sponsors

Pepper Hamilton, LLP
Thank you also Mary Ellen Byrne and Sondra Bergey for their generous support.

Media Partners