Springtime in Deschutes County means A Novel Idea celebrations are underway as thousands of readers discuss the same books and participate in free cultural programs, all leading up to the main author event. This year, the 20th anniversary of Oregon’s largest community read program, Deschutes Public Library welcomes four authors from years past to honor this special occasion.

“It wasn’t enough to pick just one book or one author to mark this tremendous milestone,” said Deschutes Public Library Programs Supervisor Liz Goodrich. “We are excited and honored to welcome back authors David James Duncan, María Amparo Escandón, Peter Heller, and Anne Griffin.”

When the A Novel Idea community read program first started 20 years ago it was with a simple question in mind: What would happen if everyone in Deschutes County read the same book? And the answer is: great things! The goal is to engage with the community through thought-provoking and relevant programming and wrap it all up with a free and accessible visit from the author.

Over the last two decades readers have been around the world together—they’ve even been to the moon— and have visited times that stretch into the past as well as into the future. The exponential growth of A Novel Idea, with more than 9,000 participants in 2023, is a testament to the readers and thinkers of Deschutes County.

“The community’s interest and enthusiasm continues to enrich A Novel Idea year after year,” said Goodrich. “We’re delighted to facilitate more than two dozen programs that focus on themes found in each of the four books, including a special exhibit hosted by The Deschutes Historical Museum highlighting artifacts and ephemera from the past 20 years.”

A Novel Idea culminates with a free presentation featuring all four authors followed by a moderated discussion hosted by The Source Weekly publisher Aaron Switzer on Saturday, April 29, at 6:00 p.m. at Bend High School. Tickets are free, but required for the main author events and are available at www.dplfoundation.org and at Deschutes Public Library locations starting April 10.

About the Programs

This year the library is hosting more than 24 programs in support of A Novel Idea. Visit the A Novel Idea website (dpl.pub/anovelidea) for dates, times, and locations. All programs are free and open to the public thanks to the support of the Deschutes Public Library Foundation.