Rapper Stormzy has already firmly established himself as a voice of the youth and now he's on a mission to shine his spotlight on young talent.
The 24-year-old Londoner has started a publishing imprint under the iconic umbrella of Penguin books, with which he will publish a couple of books a year. #Merky Books will foster the next generation of writers, particularly providing a platform for those who don't know where to turn to have their work published.
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"I know too many talented writers that don't always have an outlet or a means to get their work seen," the rapper wrote in a statement to Instagram. "We've created #Merky Books for many reasons, the first simply for it to be a reference point for talented young writers to say 'I can be an author' and for that to be a feasible and realistic achievement and not something in the distance. I look forward to publishing writers from all different walks of life, especially those who may have never had the opportunity to get into the industry so early."
The imprint will launch with Stormzy's debut book. It's unclear whether the novel is a memoir or a biography of sorts, but is reported to include "never-before-seen photographs, annotated lyrics and contributions from those closest to [the rapper]."
If you're a young writer or a publishing hopeful, #Merky Books is set to soon create a competition for talent to submit their fiction, non-fiction of poetry. Paid internships will also soon be up for grabs (so prepare your resumés now), but in the meantime relive Stormzy using his Brit Awards performance to call out Prime Minister Theresa May for lack of action. Truly a man of the people.
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