Amanda Gorman's Inaugural Book Will Get One Million First Prints to Meet Demand

America's first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman, will have quite the publishing debut. The writer's publisher, Viking Books for Young Readers (an imprint underneath Bertelsmann SE's Penguin Random House), announced plans on Thursday to print one million copies each of all three of Gorman's upcoming books, which are due out later this year.

The Hill We Climb: An Inaugural Poem for the Country is scheduled to become the 22-year-old's first book to be published. It was originally planned to release on April 27, however, the publisher has since advanced the date to March 16. The writer's second book, the poetry collection The Hill We Climb and Other Poems, is slated to hit the market on September 21. Her third—a picture book called Change Sings: A Children's Anthem, featuring illustrations by Loren Long—will arrive later in 2021, according to the Wall Street Journal.

None of these titles have even officially landed on shelves (or, rather, been delivered to readers' homes), but Gorman is already breaching best-sellers lists. Her inaugural poetry book, which will include a foreword penned by Oprah Winfrey, reached the No. 4 spot on Amazon's Top 100 bestseller list on Thursday. Meanwhile, Gorman's sophomore collection and picture book both reached No. 1 on that same list, at different points.

Newsweek has reached out to Gorman and Viking Books for Young Readers for comment.

Amanda Gorman's Inaugural Book Prints
American poet Amanda Gorman reads a poem during the the 59th inaugural ceremony on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2021, in Washington, DC. Patrick Semansky-Pool/Getty Images

The stunning print figures are just a sign of the massive success that seems to await the Harvard graduate.

Gorman received national acclaim after she read her poem "The Hill We Climb" during President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris' inauguration on January 20. The poem amplified the new administration's call for unity and togetherness—a message that Biden also emphasized during his inauguration speech.

"What I really aspire to do in the poem is to be able to use my words to envision a way in which our country can still come together and can still heal," Gorman said during an interview with the New York Times following her inauguration performance.

The Los Angeles native, who started writing when she was just a child, has since been signed to IMG Models, which will manage Gorman's fashion and beauty endorsements, and was chosen to perform a poem at the upcoming Super Bowl LV.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced plans on Wednesday for Gorman to recite an original piece, ahead of the game, that will recognize three honorary captains at this year's Super Bowl, all of whom "served as leaders in their respective communities during the global pandemic." Following the poem, the honorary captains—nurse manager Suzie Dorner, educator Trimaine Davis and veteran James Martin, according to CNN—will help with the big game's official coin toss.

Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


Michigan native, Janice Williams is a graduate of Oakland University where she studied journalism and communication. Upon relocating to New ... Read more

To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek magazine delivered to your door
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go
Newsweek cover
  • Newsweek Voices: Diverse audio opinions
  • Enjoy ad-free browsing on Newsweek.com
  • Comment on articles
  • Newsweek app updates on-the-go