The Community Read, presented by Aspen Words and Pitkin County Library, strives to celebrate literature, unite readers around a work of fiction, and ignite meaningful conversation on the vital social issues explored in each year's Aspen Words Literary Prize winning novel.
Sign up for the Community Read
Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad is the 2024 winner of the Aspen Words Literary Prize!
Books are available for pickup at the Pitkin County Library front desk.
Upcoming Events:
Library Cinema presents Hamlet (1996) & (1948)
Friday, September 13 | Time TBA
Saturday, September 14 | Time TBA
Hamlet (1996)
In the only unabridged film version of the classic play, here updated to the 19th century, Prince Hamlet (Kenneth Branagh) is traumatized by the revelation that his father was murdered by the present king, Claudius (Derek Jacobi), with the aid of Hamlet's mother, Gertrude (Julie Christie). Hamlet considers a plot for revenge and mistakenly kills Polonius (Richard Briers), the father of his love, Ophelia (Kate Winslet), causing a chain reaction that leads to a climactic and tragic ending.
Critics Consensus
Kenneth Branagh's sprawling, finely textured adaptation of Shakespeare's masterpiece lives up to its source material, using strong performances and a sharp cinematic focus to create a powerfully resonant film that wastes none of its 246 minutes. (1996 USA).
Hamlet (1948)
Winner of four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor, Sir Laurence Olivier's "Hamlet" continues to be the most compelling version of Shakespeare's beloved tragedy. Olivier is at his most inspired - both as director and as the melancholy Dane himself - as he breathes new life into the words of one of the world's greatest dramatists.
Critics Consensus
A well-executed labor of love from star and director Laurence Olivier, Hamlet not only proved that Shakespeare could be successfully adapted to the big screen, it paved the way for further cinematic interpretations. (1948 Britain).
Library Open House presents Community Read Book Celebration
September, Day and Time TBA
Join for a presentation and discussion on the topic of Home: What Does It Mean?
Using the central theme of the book Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad, we will discuss the idea of home, how it changes, and how we find our place in the world.
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Aspen Words Literary Prize 2024 Shortlist:
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Temple Folk by Aaliyah Bilal
Witness by Jamel Brinkley
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
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Previous Community Read Books
The Haunting of Hajji Hotak and Other Stories by Jamil Jan Kochai
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawnie Walton
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
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Recordings of Previous Author Talks by Aspen Public Radio
Community Read Author Talk with Literary Prize Winner Jamil Jan Kochai
Aspen Words Community Read: Author Talk with Dawnie Walton
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Aspen Words was founded in 1976 as a literary center based in Aspen, CO. A program of the Aspen Institute, its mission is to encourage writers, inspire readers and connect people through the power of stories. The Aspen Words Literary Prize is a $35,000 annual award for an influential work of fiction that illuminates a vital contemporary issue and demonstrates the transformative power of literature on thought and culture. Open to authors of any nationality, the award is one of the largest literary prizes in the United States and one of the few focused exclusively on fiction with a social impact. The inaugural award was presented in 2018 to Mohsin Hamid for his novel Exit West.