PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Free Library of Philadelphia has unveiled its featured reading selection for the 21st year of the One Book, One Philadelphia program.
This year’s book is “Interior Chinatown,” a novel by Charles Yu. It takes the reader on a journey of the life of the main character, Willis Wu, inside a Chinatown in Southern California.
The book uses a screenplay format, and the California writer’s humor, to explore how culture and family shape us all.
“Through our shared reading of ‘Interior Chinatown,’ each of us will also have the chance to engage with the power and history of our city’s Asian American communities,” said Mayor Jim Kenney.
“Readers are invited to reflect upon the many ideas that Charles Yu explores in his novel, including topics about race, pop culture, immigration assimilation and what it means to escape the roles we are forced to play.”
Free Library of Philadelphia Manager of Civic Engagement and Programs Terence Washington said this is one people will really enjoy.
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“The book is funny! I laughed out loud several times,” said Washington. “The way that he builds tension and then breaks it, it’s just masterful.”
From April 20 through June 22, the city will host various events and programs inspired by the book. The events for all ages will include panel discussions, cooking programs, and film screenings.
Free Library of Philadelphia President Kelly Richards says it’s important to keep the much-loved annual One Book program going.
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“It keeps the culture together, the whole community of Philadelphia. It brings everybody together for reading, programming and activities, and it’s a way for everybody to talk civilly,” said Richards.
Each year, a committee made up of librarians from the city chooses the featured books. They also select two companion reading books for kids.
This year, those books include “American Born Chinese” and “Drawn Together.” Plenty of copies of all three books will be on hand for folks to borrow.