Celebrating Nantucket’s 12th Annual One Book One Island Festival!
One Book One Island is a collaborative community project which seeks to promote reading, literacy and community by encouraging everyone on Nantucket to read, discuss, and reflect on the same book. Each year a group of community partners and sponsors host a week-long festival offering multiple opportunities for cultural enrichment in the community. The Community Foundation for Nantucket is proud to hold the One Book One Island charitable field of interest fund and play an active role in this amazing community event.
This year’s book was TransAtlantic by Colum McCann. The committee felt it was a natural fit for Nantucket and all were overjoyed by the positive response from the community. “TransAtlantic had elements in it that connected our two islands’ journey of Irish immigration, and our history with Frederick Douglas, which made it the perfect fit for this year’s book” Jeanne Miller OBOI Committee Member and CFN Program Director.A few highlights from the week included a Skype interview with Sen. George Mitchell, Northern Ireland Mediator, about his time in Ireland and the personal connection he had with McCann’s story. The Dreamland Theatre also hosted an amazing Skype interview with TransAtlantic’s author Colum McCann, where he explained why he chose each historical character for his novel. Both of these skype sessions illustrated the significant impact One Book One Island has on our Island community. It brought together people of all ages to discuss, reflect, and celebrate the different historical and cultural backgrounds that make up Nantucket.
The festival ended with an wonderful evening at the Nantucket Hotel with Irish comedian Kevin Flynn, Irish Step Dancing, and phenomenal Irish fare. It was a great way to end the weeklong festival of events and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day on Nantucket.
The Community Foundation loves being able to support One Book One Island through financial and staff support. To learn more about this field of interest fund and to donate directly visit the One Book One Island Fund Page
The program is made possible by funding from the Tupancy-Harris Foundation, the Nantucket Hotel, Hale Family Foundation together with financial and staff support from:
Annyes Whole Food
Artists’ Association of Nantucket
Community Foundation for Nantucket
Egan Maritime Institute*
Maria Mitchell Association*
Mitchell’s Book Corner
Museum of African American History
Nantucket Arts Council
Nantucket Atheneum*
Nantucket Bookworks
Nantucket Chamber of Commerce
Nantucket Community School
Nantucket Conservation Foundation*
Nantucket Department of Culture & Tourism
Nantucket Dreamland Foundation
Nantucket Historical Association*
Nantucket Inquirer & Mirror
Nantucket Lightship Basket Museum
Nantucket Preservation Trust*