NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House will host a reception for works submitted to the NEA Big Read Nacogdoches’ “A Novel Response” contest sponsored by the Nacogdoches Public Library. The reception is at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25.

The NEA Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. This program seeks to broaden understanding of the world and its communities, and of oneself, through the joy of sharing a good book.

The NEA Big Read in Nacogdoches has focused on the book “Station Eleven” by Emily St. John Mandel. The book was winner of the Arthur C. Clarke Award and finalist for the National Book Award and PEN/Faulkner Award. Free copies of the book are currently available at the library. Many activities in connection with NEA Big Read Nacogdoches are taking place throughout October, including the contest and subsequent Oct. 25 reception at Cole Art Center.

The library’s NEA Big Read Contest encourages readers to share their understanding of and personal connections to “Station Eleven” through poetry, art and photography. Entries will be displayed at the reception, and poets are encouraged to read their entry at the event. Contest winners will also be announced.

For more information, contact Crystal Hicks, assistant director of the Nacogdoches Public Library, at (936) 559-2970, or Lisa Steed, events coordinator for The Cole Art Center, at (936) 468-6557.