Amanda Gorman's Poetry Book Is Racking Up The Accolades
Amanda Gorman is now a best-selling author
After the year Amanda Gorman has had, it should come as no surprise you can now add “Best-Selling Author” to her list of titles.
The 23-year-old Harvard graduate and National Youth Poet Laureate was the youngest inaugural poet in U.S. history (she was 22 at the time), the first poet to write and perform an original poem for the Super Bowl, was signed by modeling agency IMG, and the first poet to ever grace the cover of Vogue. Now her book, The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country, is not only the first book of poetry to debut at No. 1 on USA Today’s Best-Selling Books list, but it’s also the first book of poetry to ever claim that spot since the list’s start in 1993.
“History made: The Hill We Climb now has the biggest week 1 sales of any Poetry title ever published,” Gorman wrote on Twitter of the news. “It is the 1st book of poetry ever to claim the top spot on the list since its start in 1993. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
“I am so humbled and honored by this exciting news,” Gorman told USA Today. “I know that this best-seller spot comes from so many people deciding to bring my words into their lives. It makes me speechless to see poetry have such a ripple effect, and I’m excited to see more poets stand beside me on the best-seller list.”
Penguin Random House announced that because of the “overwhelming demand” and pre-sales, it would give Gorman’s book a first printing of 1 million copies, which quickly turned into 1.5 million — a big indication of just how popular the book would become.
“We were all stunned and inspired by Amanda’s powerful reading at the presidential inauguration,” Jen Loja, president of Penguin Young Readers, said in a statement to USA Today. “She is introducing the beauty and power of poetry to so many new readers, and now she’s also breaking records as the first poet to top the USA Today bestsellers list. We are so proud and honored to be able to help share her words with readers, fans and future poets.”
Not one to slow down, Gorman is also sharing the cover of her new children’s book, saying in part on Instagram, “Finally get to share the cover of my first children’s book!! I wrote ‘Change Sings’ as a children’s anthem to remind young readers that they have the power to shape the world.”
She added: “I felt strongly that the book should come out in 2021, when children would be facing the results of the 2020 election and whatever those would be, I wanted them to know they were the leaders of the future. I had no idea that around the same time I myself would be named the youngest inaugural poet at that time!”
Gorman is a force to be reckoned with. Her messages of hope and power for future leaders is inspiring. It will be incredible to watch what she does in the future.
