Stormzy has announced the launch of #Merky Books, his new publishing imprint in conjunction with Penguin Random House.
The grime MC, who released his debut album ‘Gang Signs & Prayer‘ last year, already has a label and festival called #Merky. The latest edition of the latter took place earlier this week at Ibiza Rocks.
In a post on his Instagram account, Stormzy shared the news of #Merky Books. “Super proud to announce our new venture #Merky Books, a publishing imprint in collaboration with Penguin Random House,” he wrote. “We will be using this as a platform for young writers to become published authors.
“I know too many talented writers that don’t always have an outlet or a means to get their work seen and hopefully #Merky Books can be a reference point for them to say “I can be an author” and for that to be a realistic and achievable goal,” he continued.
Stormzy added that reading and writing when he was younger was “integral to where I am today.” He also announced there would be school competitions where young writers could submit their work for a chance to be published, and a paid internship at #Merky Books in 2019.
The first book to be published on the imprint will be Rise Up: The #Merky Journey So Far. It will be published on November 1 and is available for pre-order now. An official synopsis for the book reads: “In three years Stormzy has risen from one of the most promising musicians of his generation to a spokesperson for a generation. Rise Up is the story of how he got there. It’s a story about faith and the ideas worth fighting for. It’s about knowing where you’re from, and where you’re going. It’s about following your dreams without compromising who you are.”
The book will feature “hundreds of never-before-seen” photos, annotated lyrics and contributions from “those closest to” the grime star. “Rise Up is Stormzy’s story, in his words, and the record of a journey unlike any other,” according to the blurb.
The Penguin website describes #Merky Books as being “dedicated to publishing the best new fiction, non-fiction and poetry” and will “form a home for a new generation of voices.” It will publish two to three books a year.
Meanwhile, Stormzy stopped his set at his own #Merky Festival in Ibiza on Tuesday (July 3) to watch England’s World Cup penalty shootout against Colombia.