Former first lady Michelle Obama is set to kick-off her 10-city U.S. book tour in support of her memoir “Becoming” on Nov. 13. The events will include all-star moderators whom she’s scheduled to appear with.
The first stop on the tour will be in Obama’s hometown of Chicago, with Oprah Winfrey moderating her conversation at the United Center. Other tour events will be moderated by Elizabeth Alexander (Nov. 25 and Dec. 1), Valerie Jarrett (Nov. 17 and Dec.17), Michele Norris (Nov. 24 and Dec. 14), Sarah Jessica Parker (Dec. 19), Phoebe Robinson (Nov. 29 and Dec. 11), Tracee Ellis Ross (Nov. 15), and Reese Witherspoon (Dec.13), each of whom will engage Obama in a conversation.
Last week, Obama and Live Nation announced a selection of the local and community organizations who will receive free admission the book tour. About 10 percent of ticket inventory in each city on the tour was set aside for various organizations including, schools, charities and community groups.
NowThis produced a video of Obama surprising students with the news.
Along with writing about her upbringing, the Princeton University and Harvard Law School graduate writes in her memoir about her time in the White House as the first Black first lady, motherhood and her public health campaign.
Penguin Random House, publisher of “Becoming,” said that with “unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it — in her own words and on her own terms.”
The book is to be published simultaneously in 24 languages around the world and will be released in the U.S. and Canada through the publisher’s Crown Publisher Group, according to Reuters. Obama will also read for the audio edition and there will be an international book tour, which will be announced at a later date.
Penguin Random House landed a deal to publish both the former first lady’s memoir and former President Barack Obama’s. After a bidding war, the company reportedly agreed to pay $60 million to the former first couple for their books.
Barack Obama’s three previous books — “Dreams of My Father,” “The Audacity of Hope” and “Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters” — were published by the same company.
The Obamas plan to donate a “significant portion of their author proceeds to charity,” including the Obama Foundation, the publisher said in a statement.
Tickets for Michelle Obama’s book tour are available at BecomingMichelleObama.com.
