Titled “A Great Book with Barack Obama,” the podcast will premiere on Audible on September 24, 2026. Obama will engage in conversations with guests about books that have had a significant impact on their lives.
The podcast will consist of six episodes, with each episode focusing on one of six books personally selected by Obama as having had a major influence on him.
The podcast is being produced by Audible, an Amazon company, in partnership with Higher Ground, the media production company founded by Barack and Michelle Obama. Higher Ground produces audio, film and other creative content.
The six books selected by Obama are “Song of Solomon” by Toni Morrison, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” by John le Carré, “The Fire Next Time” by James Baldwin, “All the Pretty Horses” by Cormac McCarthy, “Gilead” by Marilynne Robinson, and “All the King’s Men” by Robert Penn Warren.
Obama said great books have helped him understand who he is and make sense of what he believes. He explained that the six books accompanied him at different stages of his life, with each offering important lessons about the human experience.
He said he invited some of his friends to join him on the podcast to discuss why the books moved them, how they can help people better understand themselves and others, and why literature continues to matter in the modern world.
Obama hopes listeners will be inspired to discover new books or return to books they have already read, particularly those capable of changing the way people understand life and the world around them.
The names of the guests who will appear across the six episodes have not yet been announced.
Obama is widely known for his love of reading and for regularly sharing books that have impressed him. In recent years, he has published annual lists of books he has read during the summer as well as books he particularly enjoyed at the end of the year.
His latest list, released in late July 2026, included “Kin” by Tayari Jones, “Vigil” by George Saunders, “The Things We Never Say” by Elizabeth Strout, “Transcription” by Ben Lerner, and “Cool Machine” by Colson Whitehead.
Unlike his regular reading lists, which often feature recently published books, nearly all of the titles selected for the podcast were published in the 20th century. “Gilead” by Marilynne Robinson, published in 2004, is the only book among the six released in the 21st century.
