HERE’S THE SURPRISE: BARACK AND MICHELLE OBAMA REVEAL A NEW PROJECT

Former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama are behind a new media project that brings Barack’s long-standing interest in books and literature to a new podcast audience.

The project is titled “A Great Book with Barack Obama,” a six-episode Audible Original produced through Higher Ground, the media company founded by Barack and Michelle Obama.

Audible and Higher Ground announced the series in August, describing it as an intimate conversation between Obama and guests about books that have influenced their perspectives and understanding of society.

The announcement marked another expansion of the Obamas’ work in audio programming, following several podcast projects developed through their production company since leaving the White House.

Unlike a traditional political program, the new series focuses primarily on literature, personal experiences and the ways books can influence how people understand themselves and the wider world.

Obama selected six books for the series, including works by James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Cormac McCarthy, Marilynne Robinson, Robert Penn Warren and John le Carré.

The first episode features actor Tom Hanks discussing Marilynne Robinson’s “Gilead” with Obama, bringing together two prominent public figures for a conversation centered on family, parenting and literature.

Later episodes feature writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, historian Jill Lepore, former Obama adviser Ben Rhodes, novelist Percival Everett and novelist Lauren Groff.

The six conversations correspond to six different books, creating a series that moves across themes involving identity, history, politics, morality, culture and personal experience.

The featured books include “The Fire Next Time,” “Song of Solomon,” “All the Pretty Horses,” “Gilead,” “All the King’s Men” and “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.”

Obama has frequently shared reading recommendations since leaving office, making the podcast a continuation of an interest that has become part of his public life.

In announcing the project, Obama said books had helped him understand who he was and what he believed, while emphasizing the continuing importance of literature in contemporary life.

The collaboration also highlights Higher Ground’s continuing relationship with Audible. The podcast represents another release under an exclusive first-look agreement between the two companies.

Higher Ground was established by Barack and Michelle Obama and has developed projects across television, film, podcasts and other forms of storytelling since its creation.

Michelle Obama has also remained active in audio programming, including “IMO with Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson,” while Higher Ground has continued developing additional entertainment and documentary projects.

The new podcast therefore does not represent a political announcement from the couple. Instead, the confirmed project centers on books, conversations and the Obamas’ broader media-production work.

“A Great Book with Barack Obama” premiered exclusively on Audible on September 24, 2026, with six episodes planned for the series.

By late September, the series had already attracted attention from major publications, including The Guardian, which highlighted Obama’s conversation with Tom Hanks as part of its podcast coverage.

For listeners expecting a traditional political discussion, the project offers something different: Obama examining literature alongside writers, historians, actors and other cultural figures.

The announcement also illustrates how the former president and first lady continue building projects outside electoral politics, using Higher Ground as a platform for storytelling and cultural programming.

With its six books and six guests, the series gives audiences another opportunity to hear Obama discuss subjects that extend beyond presidential history and contemporary political debates.