MORRISTOWN FESTIVAL OF BOOKS ANNOUNCES 2023 KEYNOTE EVENT
Two Pulitzer Prize–Winning Journalists, One Epic Media Empire Exposé
Morristown, NJ (June 26, 2023) ─ The Morristown Festival of Books is thrilled to welcome Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists James B. Stewart and Rachel Abrams as its 10th Anniversary Keynote Speakers. Stewart and Abrams will discuss their jaw-dropping New York Times bestseller, Unscripted: The Epic Battle for a Media Empire and the Redstone Family Legacy, hailed as the true-life Succession story of our time.
Mark your calendars now for an evening you won’t want to miss! Stewart and Abrams will be speaking at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, October 6, at the Mayo Performing Arts Center (MPAC), Morristown, in an on-stage conversation with Brian Stelter, former CNN correspondent.
“Addicted to Succession? Well, here’s the real thing.” – The Hollywood Reporter
Unscripted is the shocking inside story of the struggle for power and control at Paramount Global, the multibillion-dollar entertainment empire controlled by the Redstone family, and the dysfunction, misconduct, and deceit that threatened the future of the company, from the acclaimed journalists who first broke the news.
In 2016, the fate of Paramount Global—an empire that included Paramount, CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, Showtime, and Simon & Schuster—hung precariously in the balance. The secret inner workings of public companies and their boards usually stay secret, but Stewart and Abrams deliver in Unscripted an unvarnished look at a wealthy, dysfunctional family in the throes of seismic change, and the downfall of a once-victorious multibillion-dollar entertainment empire in the wake of greed, sexual exploitation, and corporate malfeasance.
Tickets go on sale on Wednesday, June 28, at 10 a.m. Purchase online through morristownbooks.org or call the MPAC box office at 973-539-8008. The 10th Anniversary Fundraiser Event tickets are available at two levels: $60 General Admission, which includes a signed hardcover copy of Unscripted; $100 Festival Champion Admission, which includes a signed hardcover, preferred seating, and access to a post-talk Author Meet & Greet Dessert Reception.
The Keynote Event is generously co-sponsored by the Blanche and Irving Laurie Foundation and Delta Dental. The Fundraiser Event helps underwrite the remarkable free offerings of MFOB’s all-day Saturday Festival, which features the opportunity to interact with scores of authors.
About the Saturday Book Festival
The all-day, free Main Festival takes place on Saturday, October 7, and has something for everyone. More than 100 award-winning and bestselling authors will speak and answer questions at five locales, all within walking distance of each other along South Street in historic Morristown. Book sales and signings will take place on the grounds of the historic Vail Mansion. KidFest is an activity-filled part of the event where kids meet their favorite authors, get their books signed, and partake in crafts, face painting, and more.
About the Keynote Authors and Moderator
James B. Stewart is the author of ten books, including the New York Times blockbuster Den of Thieves. He is currently a columnist for the New York Times and a professor of business journalism at Columbia University. In 1988, he won a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the stock market crash and insider trading.
Rachel Abrams is a reporter and senior producer for the television documentary series The New York Times Presents. Prior to that, she was part of the reporting team that won a Pulitzer Prize for public service in 2018 for reporting on the Harvey Weinstein sexual misconduct allegations.
Brian Stelter is a bestselling author and formerly a media reporter at the New York Times, anchor of CNN’s Reliable Sources, and the Walter Shorenstein Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Public Policy. He is currently a special correspondent for Vanity Fair.
Morristown Festival of Books is a fund of the Community Foundation of New Jersey, a non-profit corporation. For more information, go to morristownbooks.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @morristownbooks!