National Humanities Center

Opinion | How a Community of Readers Saved Their Book Festival

“We are a fangless, clawless, furless species, and we survive only in community.”

How a Community of Readers Saved Their Book Festival

#humanities

Fellowships Gulbenkian Institute for Advanced Study Apply for a research opportunity at the GIAS in Lisbon. Submit your application for the academic year 2026/27.

The Gulbenkian Institute for Advanced Study’s inaugural competition for fellowships is open.

Launched by Miguel Tamen (NHC Fellow, 2010–11), the Gulbenkian is an independent institute in Portugal that supports communities of fellows for limited periods. Apply by Oct 15.

2026 Being Human Festival (US) - Submit Your Proposal Today

Calling artists, scholars, educators, and other #humanities practitioners!

We invite you to submit event proposals for the 2026 #BeingHumanFestUS, a public humanities initiative for diverse, non-academic audiences across the U.S.

Learn more about the Festival & how to apply: bit.ly/3Iq7Z8Q

About Humanities Councils - Federation of State Humanities Councils Programs that Serve All Americans Humanities councils are exemplary of the strongest public/private partnership. Funds distributed to the councils by NEH are locally controlled and used by councils to...

October is National Arts and Humanities Month. To celebrate, we are spotlighting some of the amazing and important work being done by our colleagues in communities across the US. Stay tuned for featured initiatives from our peers nationwide.

#NAHM #Humanities #ArtsAndHumanities

In Conversation: How to Disagree Agreeably event with Cornel West, Robert P. George, and Jane Ferguson. Register for the livestream.

Can we disagree without division?

Journalist Jane Ferguson will join philosopher Cornel West and legal scholar Robert P. George for a conversation about respectful debate on the questions that matter most.

Register for the livestream: bit.ly/3VJKKJY

“Writing the book changes me profoundly.”

@marthasjones.bsky.social reflects on the transformative power of researching and writing her latest book, “The Trouble of Color,” with @tressiemcphd.bsky.social during a lunchtime conversation held last week at the Center.

The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Buddhism Public Scholars Buddhism Public Scholars use their expertise to bolster the capacity of host organizations in the area of Buddhist art and thought.

Apply by Jan. 27 to The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Buddhism Public Scholars, placing early-career scholars in positions with @lionsroar.com, @tricyclemag.bsky.social, @artsmia.bsky.social, The Courtauld Institute of Art, & the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art: www.acls.org/BuddhismPublicScholars

Congratulations to Tressie McMillan Cottom (NHC Fellow, 2025–26), recipient of the 2025 Thomas Wolfe Prize.

As this year’s recipient, Cottom will deliver the annual Thomas Wolfe Lecture on September 30 at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Congratulations to Patrick McKelvey (NHC Fellow, 2025–26), who recently received two book awards from the National Communication Association. Learn more about Patrick’s work and his NHC fellowship project: bit.ly/42B1KG2

A group gathered in The Teachers Commons at the National Humanities Center.

In the current climate, how important are the #humanities? What humanities-related issue(s) are you most concerned about?

Help us shape our future by sharing your unique perspectives in this brief survey: bit.ly/47LLOnY

Being Human Festival (US) | National Humanities Center The Being Human Festival's community-focused events demonstrate how the humanities add depth and meaning to our lives, help us understand ourselves and one another, and provide context for the complex...

Are you passionate about the #publichumanities and have a unique community-focused event idea? We welcome proposals from prospective partners looking to stage a community-focused event as part of #BeingHumanFestUS 2026. #humanities

Absolutely! I found it fascinating and informative.

Insightful podcast episode exploring how the United States built its federal government between 1789 and 1829.

ACLS Marwan M. and Ute Kraidy Centennial Fellowship in the Study of the Arab World and Latin America. Supporting humanities and social sciences scholars. Apply by Sept. 25 9 PM EDT.

Calling scholars studying the Arab World or Latin America! Apply for the ACLS Marwan M. and Ute Kraidy Centennial Fellowship by Sept. 25, 9PM. Special interest in supporting comparative or transnational approaches. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3Q0Oi5I

A.I. School Is in Session: Two Takes on the Future of Education

A.I. School Is in Session: Two Takes on the Future of Education

“I think that A.I. is going to help break, in a sense, the university model that has anyway reached a certain kind of end game,” says the Princeton professor D. Graham Burnett.

#humanities #artificialintelligence

National Humanities Center Names 2025–26 Teacher Advisory Council | National Humanities Center Teachers from schools in 12 states will work with the Center’s staff to pilot, evaluate, and promote NHC resources and professional development programs.

Join us in welcoming our 2025–26 Teacher Advisory Council.

These teachers, representing schools in twelve states, will collaborate with the Center’s staff to pilot, evaluate, and promote NHC resources and professional development programs for collegiate and pre-collegiate educators. #humanities

Scholarly Programs | National Humanities Center The National Humanities Center provides scholars with an environment and resources conducive to generating new knowledge and furthering understanding of the human experience.

Interested in applying for the 2026–27 academic year? Applications close October 2, 2025.

The John P. Birkelund Lounge at the National Humanities Center.

Did you know 1,783 books have resulted from NHC fellowships?

Over the past five decades, the Center has been privileged to support the work of some of the world’s leading humanists, and to enlist their expertise on behalf of its programs for educators and public #humanities work.

Want to read about @austinmccoy.bsky.social's Hip Hop History class? He wrote about it for #AHAPerspectives last year: 🗃️

The Human Edge: Our Future with Artificial Intelligences Higher education leaders, researchers, and practitioners will meet in Research Triangle Park on September 17th to explore the evolution of the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence (...

We're looking forward to this vital conversation between higher education leaders, researchers, and practitioners in Research Triangle Park on September 17. Registration is required for both in-person and virtual attendance. #AI #artificialintelligence

I set up my perfect little office at the National Humanities Center today and then promptly sat down and cried.

This is what it has all been for.

Statement in Support of the Smithsonian Institution | National Humanities Center The National Humanities Center stands firmly in support of the Smithsonian Institution, its administration, and its museum professionals. The Smithsonian must be allowed to fulfill its mission without...

The National Humanities Center stands firmly in support of the Smithsonian Institution, its administration, and its museum professionals. Please read the complete statement on our website.

Set on a Path by Socrates - Humanities Moments As a college freshman, Thérèse Cory encountered Plato’s Socratic dialogue Euthyphro for the first time. Reading Socrates’ exhortations for Euthyphro—a man

As students across the country begin their first year at university, consider the formative impact of their first semester classes. Thérèse Cory (NHC Fellow, 2017–18), in this #Humanities Moment, recounts how a story she learned in her first year set her on a path to become a philosophy professor.

Why so few Americans read for pleasure The decline in Americans’ leisure reading comes as attention spans are shrinking and print book sales are in decline.

Why so few Americans read for pleasure

"Fewer Americans than ever before are reading for pleasure, according to a new study released Wednesday, declining 40 percent in the past 20 years."

Grants & Fellowships Archives | Association for Slavic, East European, & Eurasian Studies

Please follow us for this type of information. As we hear about things in our field, and announce our own programs this Fall, we will share. Currently, @acls1919.bsky.social and @natlhumanities.bsky.social have applications open for fellowship programs.
aseees.org/award-type/g...

2026–27 Residential Fellowship Program at the National Humanities Center. Application Deadline: October 2, 2025.

A fellowship at the National Humanities Center isn't just a break from teaching or a change of scenery. It's an opportunity to draft chapters, reimagine arguments, and follow ideas into unexpected terrain.

Application Deadline: October 2, 2025

Learn more: bit.ly/nhc-scholarly-programs

Reading Jane Austen in the 21st Century with Patricia A. Matthew | Folger Shakespeare Library Folger Shakespeare Library is the world's largest Shakespeare collection, the ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world. Shakespeare belongs to you. His world is vast. Come explore. Jo...

How relevant is Jane Austen’s work in the twenty-first century? Listen to @triciamatthew.bsky.social's (NHC Fellow, 2022–23) rich and expansive perspective on Austen, gained from research conducted during her fellowship with @folger.edu.

ACLS Launches New Doctoral Futures Initiative to Assess and Reimagine Humanities Graduate Education Three year collaboration with the AHA, MLA, and SBL aims to identify and introduce new approaches for humanities PhD programs

ACLS has launched Doctoral Futures: a bold, three-year collaboration with @historians.org, @modernlanguage.bsky.social, & @sblsite.bsky.social
that aims to reimagine humanities PhD programs with new structures, policies, and academic cultures.

Learn more: bit.ly/4mARchQ

Unmasking the humanity in the Humanities In many ways it feels like old school is the new school

“Old school is the new school” is one of the many valuable insights HS English teacher Matt Hicks gained about technology in the classroom from attending the Center’s AI and Digital Literacy institute series. Check out other thoughts he has about #AI integration in the classroom. #humanities

Illuminate: Insights from the National Humanities Center, July 2025 | National Humanities Center These are the featured stories from the second issue of the National Humanities Center's digital newsletter Illuminate, published in July 2025.

Our residential fellowship competition is underway. While you consider applying, check out our interview with Martha Kelly, the NHC’s vice president for scholarly programs, and gain valuable insight into the application process.