A young adult classic has found its long-lost sequel after half a century.
"For 50 years, Lee kept her word until news that fans will see a masterwork of hers once more in a new book, 'Go Set a Watchman,' which will be published on July 14 with the first 2 million copies set to be printed," Books & Review reported.
"Go Set a Watchman" will reveal Scout's life of "To Kill a Mockingbird" in the years that followed the first novel's storyline.
To celebrate the release of "Go Set a Watchman," which American Masters dubbed as a "landmark literary event," THIRTEEN will celebrate "THIRTEEN Days of Harper Lee" from July 5 to 17. The event will feature an airing of the updated version of Harper Lee's documentary, titled "Harper Lee: American Masters," on PBS station.
The original documentary, "Harper Lee: Hey, Boo," was made by filmmaker Mary McDonagh Murphy in 2012. She is also the author of "Scout, Atticus & Boo: A Celebration of To Kill a Mockingbird," which is a compilation of interviews with prominent people, showing how the book made an impact on their lives.
The program will run on the following schedule as posted on the event's page:
July 5 to 6
The event "THIRTEEN Days of Harper Lee" will launch at the American Masters' page. An online "To Kill a Mockingbird" book club will be launched in partnership with the New York Public Library.
July 7 to 8
PBS Learning Media will release multimedia resources that will help teachers utilize "To Kill a Mockingbird" for classroom use. There will be an online "To Kill a Mockingbird" quiz and a Harper Lee book giveaway.
July 9 to 10
MetroFocus will hold an interview with Murphy to be broadcasted on NJTV and online. The updated Harper Lee documentary will be available for free screening.
July 11 to 12
There will be a Reddit Ask Me Anything with Murphy.
July 13 to 14
"Harper Lee: American Masters" will be broadcasted at 6 pm and 1:30 am.
July 15 to 17
The first chapter of "Go Set a Watchman" will be on the American Masters' website.
"Go Set a Watchman: What the Readers are Saying" web feature will explore the readers' opinions of the new book.
American Masters will play the game Six Degrees of Separation with Harper Lee.
As 89-year-old Harper Lee cannot promote the novel through bookstore appearances, bookstores are creating different ways of celebrating the upcoming novel.
The New York Times reports that Mary Badham, the actress who played little Scout in the movie adaptation of the first book, will be reading the book at the a poetry center in Manhattan on July 14.
“Of course at age 10 I wasn’t aware of the impact Mockingbird had at the time, or the impact the film would have later, but it has been a special part of my life ever since. Now I am really excited about Watchman and being able to share it with Miss Nelle’s loyal and passionate fans,” Badham stated on 92y.org/harperlee.