“Station Eleven,” a post-apocalyptic science fiction novel by Emily St. John Mandel, is the Big Read Wichita book for 2018.
Mayor Jeff Longwell, one of the co-chairs for the event, made the announcement Thursday. Big Read Wichita, which returns for an 11th year, runs from Oct. 1 to Nov. 15. It will include several events, including a kickoff party this fall and a visit from Mandel.
"Station Eleven" was published in 2014 and is set 20 years after a flu pandemic destroys civilization. It won the Arthur C. Clarke Award for best science fiction novel published in the United Kingdom and was a finalist for the National Book Award.
The Big Read is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.
Susan Estes, wife of U.S. Rep. Ron Estes, will serve as the other honorary co-chair.
Tom Shine is director of news and public affairs for KMUW. Follow him on Twitter @thomaspshine. To contact KMUW News or to send in a news tip, reach us at news@kmuw.org.