Ta-Nehisi Coates to guest edit Vanity Fair September issue

(Photo by Zach Gibson/Getty Images)

Renowned journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates has been tapped to guest edit the September issue of Vanity Fair.

“There’s no one better suited than Ta-Nehisi to illuminate this urgent moment in American history—to answer the question, why is this time different?” said the publication’s editor in chief Radhika Jones. “We are honored to collaborate with him on this project, bringing together the writers, artists, and icons whose work pushes us toward a more just world.”

Coates, a best-selling author, is working with the editorial and creative teams to oversee every process of the production for a special issue that will explore art and activism in America, per Vanity Fair.

Read More: HBO to adapt Ta-Nehisi Coates’ ‘Between the World and Me’

“I’m honored to be partnering with Radhika and the entire Vanity Fair staff on this project,” said Coates. “Equally, I’m humbled that so many of this country’s best writers and artists have agreed to participate. The moment is too big for any one of us to address alone.”

Ta-Nehisi Coates will guest-edit V.F.’s September issue—a special edition exploring art, activism, and power in 21st-century America. The issue will also feature more than 40 prominent creators, including Ava DuVernay, Bomani Jones, Jesmyn Ward, and more. https://t.co/w3EZMifCY9

— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) August 4, 2020

The issue features more than 40 influencers and artists, including Ava DuVernay, Zerina Akers, Jason Bolden, Quil Lemons and more.

In related news, a stage production of Coates’ “Between the World and Me,” his prize winning book about racism and police violence, is being adapted by HBO for a special this fall.

An earlier report on theGRIO noted that the program will feature readings from “Between the World and Me” and will be directed by Apollo Theater Executive Producer Kamilah Forbes.

“I’ve been working with Kamilah for almost as long as I’ve been a writer,” Coates said in a statement. “I can think of no one better to put ‘Between the World and Me’ on screen and no better home for it than HBO.”

Coates’ book, published in 2015, is structured as an open letter to his adolescent son about what to expect as a Black person living in the United States.

The September issue of Vanity Fair hits newsstands September 1.

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