NPR’s Saturday voice to speak in Sonoma

Scott Simon, for many years the host of National Public Radio’s “Weekend Edition Saturday,” will be the guest on Aug. 13 of the next Sonoma Speaker Series presentation at Hanna Boys Center.

The 63-year-old author, journalist and radio and television host is a native of Chicago, where he started his NPR career as a bureau chief in 1977. His Saturday morning program has an estimated audience of four million, making it the most listened-to program on NPR, according to his website.

Simon has won every major award in broadcasting, including the Peabody and the Emmy, and has received numerous honorary degrees.

The most recent of his eight books is “My Cubs: A Love Story.”

Simon was personally invited to participate in the Sonoma Speaker Series by his former NPR colleague John McChesney, co-founder of the series, who hoped to host the on-stage interview with Simon. McChesney died at home in Sonoma on June 5.

Simon will be interviewed on stage by Amy Wallace, McChesney’s step-daughter, and the program will be dedicated to the late radio editor.

The Sonoma Speaker Series will be held on Monday, Aug. 13, at Hanna Boys Center, starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are $35, VIP tickets $75, available at sonomaspeakerseries.com.