For the past 250 years of America’s existence, books have been fundamental instruments through which we preserve, interpret, and engage in history as an ongoing practice of free expression.

"This Day” is partnering with Random House to bring you a special, month-long series called “A Nation of Readers.” In this series, we’ll be talking to an all-star cast of authors—all published by Random House—about how books and the act of distributing ideas through publishing shape and reshape American history.

Random House believes that history emerges from a collection of voices and range of perspectives, each exercising the right to free expression on the page. So, this month, This Day is featuring a small selection of the many voices Random House publishes and bringing you a literary festival of sorts, with poems, stories, speeches, and conversations with some of our most brilliant historians, writers, and thinkers.

Featuring Jon Meacham, Javier Zamora, Isabel Wilkerson, Tiya Miles, Kathleen DuVal, Hanif Abdurraqib, Tara Westover and Nate DiMeo.