The Colour Purple

Penguin Vitae new hardcover series: Penguin Classics presents Penguin Vitae, a new deluxe hardcover series featuring a dynamic landscape of classic fiction and nonfiction that have shaped the course of our readers' lives. Penguin Vitae invites readers to find themselves in a diverse world of storytellers, with beautifully designed classic editions of personal inspiration, intellectual engagement, and creative originality.

Penguin Classics book design: Penguin Vitae is a collectible series of vibrant foil stamped hardcovers with colored endpapers and high-quality paper. Penguin Vitae marks an exciting next chapter in our Classics hardcover series program, following the acclaimed series book designs of The Penguin Galaxy, Penguin Drop Caps, and Penguin Horror under Penguin Art Director Paul Buckley, and the Clothbound Classics designed by Coralie Bickford-Smith.

40th anniversary in 2022: The Color Purple will celebrate its 40th anniversary of its first publication in 2022.

Foreword by Kiese Laymon: Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy: An American Memoir, provides a new foreword reflecting on the importance of The Color Purple in his own life.

Cultural touchstone and acclaimed adaptations: The Color Purple is the source inspiration for the acclaimed Steven Spielberg-directed 1985 film starring Golden Globe winner Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, and Danny Glover, and the 2005 Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, and 2016 Tony Award-winning Broadway revival starring Cynthia Erivo and Jennifer Hudson.

Year-round opportunities for promotions: Available to promote for Black History Month (February), Women's History Month (March), Mother's Day (May), Summer Reading (June-August), Back-to-School (Aug-Sep), holiday season (Nov-Dec).

Future opportunities: A musical movie adaptation is in very early development stages with Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg.