Rebecca Skloot Journalist, Teacher, Author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

May 8, 2012

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Author Rebecca Skloot to explore human-animal bond in new book for Crown

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Contact: David Drake
212-782-9001; ddrake@randomhouse.com

THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS AUTHOR REBECCA SKLOOT
TO EXPLORE HUMAN-ANIMAL BOND IN NEW BOOK FOR CROWN

(New York, NY — October 13, 2011) Rebecca Skloot, the author of the multi-year, critically acclaimed, nonfiction bestseller The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, has reached agreement with Crown Publishers to write a new book that will focus on the human-animal bond and explore some of the biggest, and as yet unanswered, questions at the heart of animals’ roles in our lives.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks was published by Crown in hardcover in February 2010 and has sold more than 1.25 million copies to-date in the U.S., print and e-book editions combined. It has been on the New York Times hardcover and trade paperback bestseller lists for a combined 74 weeks, and counting. The book was awarded the National Academy of Science, National Academy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine’s 2011 Best Book Award, among numerous other accolades. It was chosen as Amazon.com’s #1 Best Book of 2010, and named among the best books of the year by more than 60 media outlets, including the New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and O: The Oprah Magazine.

In her new book, which is as yet untitled, Ms. Skloot will employ the intimate storytelling and masterful reporting that made The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks a favorite of readers and critics alike. She will explore, among many other subjects, the neurology of human-animal relationships, human nature and responsibility, and the unexamined ethics of our relationship with animals. A publication date has not yet been set.

Ms. Skloot worked for more than a decade in veterinary medicine, first as a nurse for animals in general practices and emergency rooms, and later as a technician in veterinary morgues and neurology labs. In writing her book, she will weave personal stories — her own and others’ — with science, medicine, ethics, and history.

Molly Stern, Vice President, Publisher, Crown Publishers, acquired North American, audio, e-book, and first serial rights from Simon Lipskar at Writers House. Writers House retains foreign rights.

Said Molly Stern, “It has been a long time since a first-time science writer dominated bestseller lists in the way that Rebecca Skloot has, and her success speaks to her rare ability to convey scientific and ethically-nuanced subjects with real emotional power and clarity. We are very proud to be publishing her next book, which will resonate deeply with a wide range of readers.”

Crown Publishers is an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group division of Random House, Inc., whose parent company is Bertelsmann AG.

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