French publisher Flammarion announced Thursday that it will publish the next book by Michelle Obama, the author who has left Viard Editions after losing several authors in recent weeks.
“This Light We Carry” is scheduled to appear on November 15, the same day it appears in English (“The Light We Carry”) and in eleven other languages including Chinese, Spanish or Portuguese.
The 58-year-old former First Lady of the United States is one of the world’s best-selling authors in recent years. His 500-page autobiography translated into 50 languages, “Devenir” (2018), has sold over 17 million copies worldwide.
After revamping its administration in June, Frenchman Viard witnessed the departure of several dissatisfied authors.
Her former manager, Sophie de Closets, had left in March a home she had managed for eight years. She became the Chairman and CEO of Flammarion in mid-July.
“Devenir” has been one of Fayard’s great successes in recent years. Flammarion noted that it has sold “more than 500,000 copies of all formats in the French language”.
Mrs. Obama’s new French publisher did not specify the conditions under which the publisher was changed. But Ms. de Closets told the weekly L’Express in 2020 how she had personally invested in acquiring the French-language rights to the Obama wives’ books.
As part of a delegation from Hachette, the world’s number three publishing and parent company of Fayard, during a 2017 meeting in Washington with Barack Obama, she was one of those who persuaded him to sign. “The fact that I spoke to Obama as a writer and not just as a former head of state certainly played a role,” she said.
Thus, Mrs. De Closets won for Fayard the first volume of Barack Obama’s memoir, The Promised Land, which was published in 2020. With millions of copies sold worldwide, the publication date of the second volume is not known.
According to the Financial Times, at the end of their meetings with publishers in 2017, Obama secured a $65 million receipt, an unprecedented amount in the sector, by signing with Penguin Random House (Bertelsmann Group).
In This Light In Us, Flammarion identifies, “Michelle Obama offers her readers unique personal stories and relevant reflections on change, adversity, and strength.” “She shares tips, stories, and effective strategies for staying optimistic and calm,” the editor added.
