Oscar winner Forest Whitaker, Emmy Award-winning talk show host Oprah Winfrey and Lincoln actor David Oyelowo will lend their voices to the audiobook edition of The Butler: A Witness to History.
Atria Books’ 37 INK imprint will publish the print edition of Wil Haygood’s nonfiction book; a biography that profiles an African-American butler named Eugene Allen who was employed at the White House for 34 years.
The three actors will all star in adaptation of the novel, directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Lee Daniels.
The print book contains a foreword written by Daniels as well as fifty-seven photos of Allen, his family, and his presidential employers.
Simon & Schuster Audio will release the audiobook in August. Here’s more from the release:
Academy Award-winner Forest Whitaker narrates the story of Eugene Allen, a butler who served no less than seven presidents, from Harry Truman to Ronald Reagan. Allen was witness to history during his years at the White House, serving tea and supervising buffets as influential decisions about the moon landing, Vietnam War, Civil Rights legislation, and more took place around him. The Butler audiobook also includes author Wil Haygood’s exploration of the history of black images on celluloid and in Hollywood, read by Oprah Winfrey and David Oyelowo.