Celebrate World Read Aloud Day with a 12-hour read-a-thon of George Orwell’s 1984.
Join the staff of the Mid-Manhattan branch of the NYPL on Thursday, Feb. 16th, reading 1984 from cover to cover, 9am to 9pm, on the first floor. You can sign up to read part of the book, or listen to others read portions, and write your thoughts on a special Orwell wall during the reading.
You can sign up to read the day of the event.
The book about Big Brother watching us and governing our lives is suddenly popular again. So popular that the Mid-Manhattan branch is just one of NYPL branches with long “holds” lists to borrow or download.
There are two editions of print copies in English, a print copy in Spanish, two different ebooks, and an audiobook.
There are more copies of 1984 on order for the NYPL.
In the meantime, here are suggestions by the librarians of similar books about power, tyrants, government surveillance and dystopian societies.
The Mid-Manahttan branch of the NYPL is on Fifth Avenue and 40th Street, across Fifth Ave. from the main branch famously guarded by two stone lions.
The Brooklyn Public Library has a weekly 1984 book club discussion, led by educators and literary experts. February sessions are already booked (pardon the pun). Click here for more information.
I just located my copy of 1984, which I last read in college. It is on same shelf as Thomas Becket’s Waiting for Godot and Bud Schulberg’s A Face in the Crowd. Wow, what a trio. 
What do you think about this? We welcome your comments.