Former President Barack Obama is expanding his media footprint by hosting A Great Book with Barack Obama,
a new six-episode podcast premiering September 24 exclusively on Audible. Produced in collaboration with Higher Ground, the series features the former commander-in-chief in conversation with six guest luminaries discussing foundational literary works.
The former president is bringing his well-documented reading habits to the audio space through a brand-new project developed with Amazon-owned Audible and Higher Ground Productions, the media company he launched alongside Michelle Obama. The series centers on a half-dozen influential works that have defined his personal worldview and broader societal conversations.
The Six Literary Works Shaping the Presidential Podcast
While Obama routinely publishes expansive summer reading lists and end-of-year roundups populated by contemporary authors like Tayari Jones, George Saunders, and Colson Whitehead, his podcast selections skew deliberately toward the 20th century. The initial six-episode run draws on titles that have stayed with him across decades.
The confirmed book selections for the series cover a diverse range of American and international literature, featuring James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time, Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon, and Cormac McCarthy’s All the Pretty Horses. Rounding out the curated list are Robert Penn Warren’s All the King’s Men, John le Carré’s spy classic Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, and Marilynne Robinson’s Pulitzer-winning 2004 novel The Hill.
The connection to Robinson’s work carries particular historical weight. Obama forged a personal and intellectual correspondence with the author after inviting her to dinner at the White House, later presenting her with the National Humanities Medal in 2012 and interviewing her for the New York Review of Books during a 2015 trip to Des Moines.
Inside the Audible and Higher Ground Partnership
The upcoming literary series represents the sixth project born from an exclusive, worldwide, multi-project, multi-year first-look deal struck between Audible and Higher Ground Productions in 2022. The partnership previously yielded audio programs including Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast, Michele Norris-hosted Your Mama’s Kitchen: Conversations From the Heart of the Home, Wesley Morris’s The Wonder of Stevie, Jad Abumrad’s Peabody Award-winning Fela Kuti: Fear No Man, and the History Channel-backed Reconstruction: The Unfinished Promise.
Executives at both production entities emphasize that the podcast aims to bridge a cultural gap at a time when deep-dive reading faces modern headwinds. Dan Fierman, head of audio at Higher Ground, noted that the series captures the former president’s genuine passion for literature in an accessible format.
What Remains Unannounced Ahead of the September Premiere
While production details and release schedules are locked in for September 24, key questions remain regarding the roster of guest participants. The companies have confirmed that the former president will sit down with six luminaries,
describing them generally as thinkers, writers, and artists, but their specific identities are currently being withheld.
By framing each episode around how these shared texts resonate across identity, power, memory, and culture, the series pivots away from standard author interviews or standard book reviews. Instead, it positions itself as an intimate inquiry into why literature continues to matter in contemporary public life.
Worth a look
