Prince Harry to host surprise event to support his memoir ‘Spare’

In support of his memoir, ‘Spare’, Prince Harry has announced via his website and publisher Penguin Random House’s social media accounts that he will be hosting a virtual event for fans with Dr. Gabor Maté on March 4.

The ticketed virtual event will be streamed live on VIMEO starting at 12 p.m. EST/9 a.m. PST and will go over the topics of loss and healing that Prince Harry focuses on in his memoir.

The success of ‘Spare’

‘Spare’ became an instant hit when it was released on January 10 of this year. At 416 pages, the book held the #1 spot on the New York Times bestseller list for six consecutive weeks.

‘Spare’ became the fastest-selling nonfiction book in the UK since the record began in 1998. It has sold over 1.43 million copies in both physical and digital formats for the English language edition alone.

The memoir was ghostwritten by American novelist J. R. Moehringer, who won a Pulitzer Prize in 2000 for his newspaper feature writing.

Harry announced the memoir back in July 2021, and that he was planning to donate sales of the book to charity. He then confirmed that $1.5 million will be going to the Sentebale charity he founded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, to help youth dealing with their HIV status.

He later announced that £300,000 will go to WellChild, a children’s charity that provides support to children with serious health needs. Prince Harry has been a patron of the charity for 15 years.

Who is Dr. Gabor Maté?

Dr. Gabor Maté, the author of ‘The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture’, is a Hungarian-Canadian physician with a focus on family practice and childhood development and trauma.

Maté immigrated to Canada in the 1960s, where he later ran a private family practice for over 20 years. During his time as a physician, he observed symptoms of childhood trauma in adult patients with substance abuse and other chronic health issues, writing about his treatment of these patients in his book ‘In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts’ in 2008.

How to watch the event

Tickets for the March 4 virtual talk can be purchased via the official website for Prince Harry’s memoir at princeharrymemoir.com.

Each ticket comes with a hardcover copy of ‘Spare’, with the option to also purchase Dr. Maté's ‘The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture’ book as well.

During the event, there will be an opportunity for fans to participate in a Q&A. Purchasing a ticket by March 1 ensures that fans will be given an opportunity to ask Prince Harry and Dr. Maté a question live on air.