Former Vice President Kamala Harris has officially announced the upcoming publication of her memoir, “107 Days,” promising an intimate and candid account of her brief but impactful 2024 presidential campaign following President Joe Biden’s unexpected withdrawal from the race.
Harris stated her intention was to offer a behind-the-scenes perspective on the intense 3 1/2-month sprint for the White House, a period she described as the “shortest presidential campaign in modern history.” She expressed a belief in the value of sharing her experiences, lessons learned, and her vision for the future of American politics.
Publisher Simon & Schuster, through CEO Jonathan Karp, lauded the upcoming “107 Days” as a vivid portrayal of the drama inherent in a presidential campaign, asserting its superiority to other accounts. While specific financial details of the book deal were not disclosed by the publisher, the anticipation surrounding the memoir suggests a significant literary event.
The memoir delves into the critical moments of her 2024 presidential bid, which saw her emerge as the Democratic Party’s nominee after President Biden’s decision to step aside, influenced by a challenging debate performance and pressure from within senior Democratic circles.
Despite her historic nomination, Harris became the first Democratic presidential candidate in two decades to lose the national popular vote, and notably, she was defeated by Donald Trump in every battleground state during the election.
Since the election, the former Vice President has largely maintained a low public profile, opting out of major political gatherings like the California Democratic Party convention. However, she has made select public appearances, including attending the prestigious Met Gala in New York and a high school graduation in Compton, California, alongside other engagements.
Industry insiders speculate that the “Kamala Harris memoir” could have commanded an advance of up to $20 million, drawing comparisons to lucrative deals secured by other high-profile political figures such as former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. Some sources suggest the greater financial opportunities for authors now lie in ancillary rights like podcasts and movie adaptations.
Simon & Schuster has preemptively secured the world, audio, and first serial rights for “107 Days,” which Harris herself will narrate for the audiobook version. The book, a product of several months of dedicated work on the manuscript, is slated for simultaneous release in hardcover, ebook, and audio formats across its international branches, coinciding with her first post-election interview on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” where she is expected to promote the new publication.
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