UR is the kind of place where you can always find a challenging and stimulating conversation about issues that matter.

Our One Book, One Richmond program is a great example of the kind of discussions we have as a community. Each year, the One Book committee encourages everyone to read the selected book and to explore and engage with the book’s themes through a yearlong series of programs and events.

Each One Book looks at topics with social justice themes. In the past, the program has examined everything from mass incarceration, food insecurity, and poverty.

This year, for the first time, we’ve selected a book by one of Richmond’s own faculty members. The Faithful Scribe, by assistant professor of journalism Shahan Mufti, is both the personal story of Mufti’s family and an incredible account of Pakistan’s complex history. Themes of faith, nationalism, family, and war are woven throughout the text.

“The committee received a record of more than 50 nominations this year,” said Adrienne Piazza, the program’s manager. “We decided The Faithful Scribe offered many rich themes through which to explore current social justice issues in a way that speaks to our values as a welcoming and inclusive community.”

Lucky for us, Mufti is an unparalleled expert. As a journalist, he’s covered Pakistan and the political evolution of Islam for Harper’s, Atlantic Monthly, New York Times Magazine, The Nation, and Wall Street Journal… to name a few major outlets. But it's the campus outlet for his work that most excites Mufti.

"Very few writers ever get to have their books become part of the culture of a vibrant university campus for a whole year," Mufti said. "But to have my own university community read this story is truly special. I'm deeply honored to have my work be the One Book pick, and I'm really excited about diving into the book with people from around campus."

Programming for the year kicks off in the fall, so there’s plenty of time to add The Faithful Scribe to your summer reading list, Spiders!