Michelle Obama

Raised on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is a graduate of Princeton University, where she read sociology and African-American studies, and Harvard Law School. She started her legal career at law firm Sidley Austin, where she met her future husband Barack, and subsequently held various positions in Chicago city government and executive roles at the University of Chicago, as well as working for various non-profit organisations. Michelle Obama participated actively in her husband’s presidential campaign and in 2009 became the first African American First Lady of the United States. During her time in the White House (2009-17), Obama established herself as a powerful advocate for women and girls and worked actively to support veterans and military families.

In 2018, Michelle Obama published her internationally bestselling autobiography Becoming, which became the fastest-selling book in the United States that year. A warm and empowering memoir reflecting Obama’s journey from the less glamorous South Side of Chicago to the White House, Becoming has been translated into 24 languages and has sold over 14 million copies. Her 2022 book, The Light We Carry, features new stories from Obama’s past in the context of a personal development guide, offering words of wisdom on building relationships, navigating change and encouraging readers to ‘light up’ for others.