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Join us for the kickoff of NEA Big Read: Lawton 2026, a community-wide celebration of reading, conversation, creativity, and connection centered on Harper Lee’s To K*ll a Mockingbird.This year’s Big Read invites our community to explore a story that continues to spark conversations about justice, courage, empathy, prejudice, and the responsibilities we have to one another.
⚖️ MEET OUR FEATURED SPEAKER: NEIL WEST
Lawton attorney and longtime community advocate Neil West brings a uniquely local perspective to these conversations.
During nearly three decades of legal practice, Neil has worked on both sides of the courtroom, serving as an Assistant City Attorney and City Prosecutor for the City of Lawton, an Assistant District Attorney and Mental Health Court Coordinator for Comanche County, a public defender with the Oklahoma Indigent Defense System, and an attorney in private practice.
His connection to Lawton extends well beyond the courtroom. Neil is a longtime performer, musician, and supporter of the arts who has participated in Lawton Community Theatre, Southwest Pride Barbershop Chorus, the Lawton Philharmonic Chorus, and other local ensembles. In 2013, he received the Lawton Arts and Humanities Council’s Citizen of the Arts Award.
His experience in law, public service, and the arts offers a fascinating lens through which to begin Lawton’s exploration of To K*ll a Mockingbird.
🍽️ TASTE THE STORY
We’re bringing the book to the table, too! Guests will have an opportunity to sample foods inspired by dishes and flavors found in To K*ll a Mockingbird, offering another way to step into the world of Harper Lee’s Maycomb.
FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
You don’t need to be a literary expert, and you don’t need to have recently read the book. Whether To K*ll a Mockingbird is an old favorite or completely new to you, come experience the story through conversation, community, and food.
This kickoff is only the beginning. NEA Big Read: Lawton 2026 will continue with events and programs throughout the community.
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Event venue
Carnegie Library (Lawton, Oklahoma), 183 SW 5th St, Lawton, OK 73501-3913, United States
Tickets
Concerts, fests, parties, meetups — all the happenings, one place.