A midtown Manhattan pop-in: Oprah Winfrey delivers Tayari Jones’ ‘Kin’ news face-to-face

Oprah Winfrey made a surprise personal appearance at Penguin Random House’s Manhattan offices to announce her latest book club selection, catching author Tayari Jones off guard during what seemed like a routine meeting with her publisher.

The moment marked a special milestone for Jones, who becomes a rare “two-time” selection for Winfrey’s influential book club. Winfrey previously chose Jones’ critically acclaimed 2018 novel “An American Marriage,” a decision that Jones has described as transformative for her career.

“I’m a two-fer!” Jones exclaimed during the surprise encounter, exchanging high-fives with Winfrey in a moment of genuine excitement captured on video.

Jones’ newest novel “Kin,” published Tuesday, is her fifth work of fiction. The multi-generational story begins in 1950s Louisiana, tracing the divergent paths of motherless girls from the fictional town of Honeysuckle. The narrative explores themes of family bonds, chosen relationships, and the lasting impact of childhood circumstances.

Winfrey expressed a deep personal connection to the book. “It’s like a trip back home, like a visit with my own ‘kin’ I hadn’t seen in a long while,” she said in the announcement. “It is masterful and reminds us of the true bonds we share with family, whether biological or chosen.”

For Jones, the second selection represents extraordinary recognition in the literary world. “To be selected for Oprah’s Book Club is a writer’s dream, and to be chosen twice is a stunning gift,” she stated. “Oprah knows that our stories will heal us. For decades she has elevated the voices of the world — book by book. Like the old folks say, I’m honored to be one in that number.”

The announcement marks a significant shift in how Winfrey reveals her book club selections. For decades, she typically informed authors via surprise phone calls or unexpected appearances during video conferences. This more direct, in-person approach with Jones highlights both their established relationship and possibly signals a new chapter for the book club itself.

Winfrey’s book club selections continue to wield tremendous influence in the publishing industry, often catapulting authors to bestseller status and significantly boosting sales. Her endorsements have been known to increase book sales by hundreds of thousands of copies, creating what publishers refer to as the “Oprah effect.”

The book club has evolved through several iterations since its inception on Winfrey’s talk show in 1996. Most recently, Winfrey had partnered with Starbucks, using their stores as settings for author interviews in a collaboration called “Oprah’s Book Club: Presented by Starbucks,” launched in 2024.

However, Tuesday’s announcement notably omitted any mention of this partnership. Spokespersons for both Winfrey and Starbucks confirmed the collaboration ended in late 2025 but declined to elaborate on the reasons behind the separation. Prior to the Starbucks arrangement, Winfrey maintained a multi-year partnership with Apple TV+.

Readers interested in Winfrey’s conversation with Jones about “Kin” can view the full interview on the Oprah YouTube channel and various podcast platforms.

Jones’ selection continues Winfrey’s long tradition of spotlighting diverse voices in literature, particularly stories that explore complex family relationships, racial identity, and American experiences often underrepresented in mainstream publishing. With this second recognition from one of literature’s most powerful tastemakers, Jones’ position as a significant voice in contemporary American fiction is further solidified.