Common Reading
2026-2027 Common Reading Selection
The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass is the 2026-2027 Shepherd University common reading selection. All are invited to “Read the Book & Join the Conversation!” throughout the academic year (Aug. 2026-April 2027), as part of the 20th annual Common Reading Program.
Shepherd University’s Common Reading Program is a proud recipient of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) through Arts Midwest to support the University’s the program during the 2026-27 academic year.
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About the Book: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave is an 1845 autobiographical treatise on abolition by Frederick Douglass, who escaped enslavement and became a prominent activist, author, and public speaker. A leading figure in the abolitionist movement, he fought for the end of slavery until the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation and continued to vehemently fight for human rights until his death. The book describes in detail his
experiences of life as an enslaved person and was one of the most influential works of literature in the abolitionist movement in the Unites States.
From NEA Big Read 2026-2027: Book Titles Honoring America250
NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.
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The Common Reading Program is made possible through the support of the Shepherd University Foundation. 
Additional sponsors include Scarborough Library; Shepherd University Bookstore; Four Seasons Bookstore in Shepherdstown, WV; individual donors; the Robert C. Byrd Center for Congressional History & Education; and other partners across the campus and community.