Obama to Launch New Podcast Ahead of Midterms

Obama said the podcast will include discussions with invited guests, although participants have not yet been announced.

“I invited some friends to explore why these books resonate, how they can shape our understanding of ourselves and each other, and why literature matters now more than ever,” he said.

Several of the selected authors wrote extensively about topics that have long been central to Obama’s public life, including race, political power, morality and American identity.

Morrison, in particular, shared a personal connection with Obama. He awarded the Nobel Prize-winning author the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012 and later described her as a close friend after her death in 2019.

The podcast will be distributed through Audible and produced in partnership with Higher Ground, the media company Barack and Michelle Obama launched in 2018.

The new series is the latest addition to Higher Ground’s growing collection of films, documentaries and audio programs. Previous projects include Michelle Obama’s “The Light Podcast,” the documentary “American Factory,” the Netflix film “Leave the World Behind” and “Rustin,” a biographical drama about civil rights leader Bayard Rustin.

Obama has maintained a strong public association with books since leaving office in 2017, regularly publishing annual reading recommendations and lists of his favorite books, movies and music.