Beginning in November, Penguin Random House’s Vintage Books will reissue 11 novels by Toni Morrison with never cover designs and introductions by high-profile contemporary writers.
As opposed to typical reissue programs, which are pegged to anniversaries, Vintage said in its announcement that this repackaging aims to counteract the ongoing censorship efforts targeting Morrison's work.
"Toni Morrison remains central to nearly every American conversation, which is why Vintage feels it is the right time to give her books a fresh look for a new generation of readers," the publisher said. It has been 20 years since Vintage last spotlighted Morrison with a reissue program.
New editions of Sula, Beloved, The Bluest Eye, and Song of Solomon will kick off the program in November, including introductions by Jesmyn Ward, Honoree Jeffers, Jacqueline Woodson, and Tayari Jones, respectively. Jazz (introduction by Kevin Young), Love (introduction by Raven Leilani), Tar Baby (introduction by Sasha Bonet), and Paradise (introduction by Tommy Orange) will come out in March and April of next year. The program will wrap up in August 2026 with A Mercy (introduction by Imani Perry), God Help the Child (introduction TBD), and Home (introduction TBD).
Perry De La Vega, who designed the new covers, said he tried to strike a balance between the "transcendent" and intimate qualities of Morrison's work.
"The hand-drawn type suggests human touch, a reference to the way in which Toni shapes her unforgettable characters. The simple, colorful imagery on each cover alludes to the beauty and sensuousness of her writing," De La Vega said in a statement. "These background illustrations depict instances of Morrison's rich symbolism found at the heart of her storytelling; the many small moments throughout her stories that connect the rich inner lives of her characters to the pulsating, ever-changing outer world."
Morrison, who is the only Black woman to have ever won the Nobel Prize in Literature, has become a frequent target of book banning efforts. In 2024, The Bluest Eye was the third most frequently challenged book in U.S. public and school libraries, and it has consistently ranked among the top ten most contested titles since 2020, according to data from the ALA.
Efforts to censor titles across Morrison's oeuvre, which is widely taught in schools across the country, often cite her depictions of "sexually explicit" material and child abuse. In August, a Florida federal court ruled in Penguin Random House v. Gibson that a piece of state legislation banning material that “depicts or describes sexual content” from school libraries was unconstitutional, ordering that distinctions be made based on the "overall value" of the work in question.
"These new editions celebrate her groundbreaking artistry at a time when her books are being silenced in classrooms and libraries," said Vintage. "They stand as a testament to the freedom to read and the necessity of hearing Toni Morrison's voice."
