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Former President Barack Obama has picked his six guests for his “A Great Book” podcast to discuss the books that have had the biggest impact on his worldview — and on our society.
“A Great Book With Barack Obama” is
a six-episode series that debuts exclusively from Audible on Sept. 24, 2026. Later in the year, it will also be available on YouTube and everywhere you get your podcasts. The series is collaboration between Audible and Higher Ground, the production company founded by Barack and Michelle Obama.
The guests in conversation with President Obama — and the books they’ll discuss — are:
- Episode 1: Tom Hanks, Academy, Emmy, and Golden Globe Award-winning actor, on “Gilead” by Marilynne Robinson
- Episode 2: Ta-Nehisi Coates, National Book Award-winning author, MacArthur Fellow, and journalist, on “The Fire Next Time” by James Baldwin
- Episode 3: Jill Lepore, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and journalist, on “All the King’s Men” by Robert Penn Warren
- Episode 4: Ben Rhodes, former National Security Advisor and author, on “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” by John le Carré
- Episode 5: Percival Everett, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning author, on “Song of Solomon” by Toni Morrison
- Episode 6: Lauren Groff, three-time National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author, on “All the Pretty Horses” by Cormac McCarthy
The podcast is described like this by Audible and Higher Ground: “Reflecting on identity, power, memory and culture, the conversations between President Obama and his guests explore one central question: What do the stories we love tell us about the world we live in and the world we want to create?”
Previous Audible and Higher Ground collaborations include “Michelle Obama: The Light Podcast” hosted by the First Lady; “Your Mama’s Kitchen: Conversations From the Heart of the Home” hosted by Michele Norris; “The Wonder of Stevie” hosted by Wesley Morris; Peabody Award-winner “Fela Kuti: Fear No Man,” hosted by Jad Abumrad; and “Reconstruction: The Unfinished Promise,” a collaboration with the History Channel and Pushkin Industries hosted by Malcolm Gladwell and featuring Barack Obama.
