Who Is Morgan Radford? Why the NBC News Anchor Is Suddenly Trending

NBC News anchor and Harvard-educated journalist Morgan Radford has officially stepped into the literary spotlight. During a recent appearance on NBC News NOW, Radford revealed that her first novel, “Now Then,” will hit shelves in May 2026 through HarperCollins and in Spanish translation the following September. She told viewers the book grew out of years of genealogical research into her Afro-Cuban roots and a desire “to show how the past keeps calling us forward.” The story follows a young, bicultural broadcaster who uncovers a hidden family secret that stretches from the Jim Crow South to modern-day New York, mirroring strands of Radford’s own life while weaving in fictional twists. Social buzz around the announcement was immediate. Radford’s Instagram reel racked up thousands of likes within hours as she flashed an early copy of the book and urged followers to “pre-order now.” On X (formerly Twitter), fellow NBC personalities, authors and viewers congratulated the anchor, pushing #MorganRadford and #NowThen onto trending lists throughout Monday afternoon. Industry insiders note that celebrity fiction debuts can be unpredictable, but Radford’s built-in audience gives “Now Then” a head start. The Emmy-nominated broadcaster anchors NBC News Daily from noon to 2 p.m. ET and frequently files long-form reports for TODAY, Nightly News and MSNBC. Her reach across linear TV, streaming and social platforms tops 15 million viewers per week, according to Nielsen and NBCUniversal internal data—an audience publishers covet. Radford says the manuscript was mostly written during early-morning train rides between her New York apartment and 30 Rockefeller Plaza. “Newsrooms move at warp speed, but fiction lets you linger on a truth even longer,” she explained. She also credited her mother, Dr. Lily Kelly-Radford, for urging her to preserve family stories before they disappeared. Pre-orders are open on Radford’s website and major retailers such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. HarperCollins is planning a multi-city book tour that will double as live conversations on racial identity and intergenerational healing—topics Radford has reported on extensively since joining NBC a decade ago. What makes “Now Then” stand out in an increasingly crowded debut-novel field? Early blurbs hint at a narrative that blends newsroom intrigue with historical mystery. A HarperCollins spokesperson compared its scope to Brit Bennett’s “The Vanishing Half” and Christina Alger’s “The Banker’s Wife,” predicting strong crossover appeal to both literary and thriller audiences. For fans who want more, Radford teased supplemental content: a companion podcast exploring archival documents referenced in the novel and an augmented-reality timeline accessible via QR codes printed in first-edition hardcovers. Key dates to remember • Fall 2025: Cover reveal and exclusive excerpt in Oprah Daily • March 3, 2026: National Book Critics preview event at SXSW • May 5, 2026: U.S. publication of “Now Then” (English) • Sept 1, 2026: Spanish-language edition release With her byline now extending beyond the teleprompter, Morgan Radford joins the growing list of journalists translating on-air credibility into literary capital. If early engagement numbers are any indicator, “Now Then” could be one of next spring’s breakout fiction titles—and Radford’s most personal storytelling assignment yet.