On 9 November, the UK’s leading music book imprint White Rabbit will publish Curepedia: An A-Z of The Cure - an encyclopedic biography of The Cure written by one of the UK’s greatest music writers Simon Price with a foreword by Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite and illustrations by Andy Vella - the designer behind The Cure’s iconic visual identity for the past 30 years. Curepedia is the definitive guide to the band’s past and present, painting a comprehensive portrait of the band’s inimitable legacy, politics, image and rich cultural influences from existentialist writers like Albert Camus; Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast series set in a decaying Gothic castle; to the menacing literary, musical and cinematic connotations behind ‘A Forest’ - a definitive, epically long single that has mutated over the years through series of covers.
Curepedia offers a complete portrait of the canon behind The Cure, examining and rifling through miscellaneous trivia, detailed analysis of discography, films, concerts and appearances, biographies of the band members past and present, as well as delving deeper into the political and cultural undertones of their songs. Price goes beyond the music in this mammoth biography, offering a detailed analysis of The Cure’s wider cultural impact on British male mental health, toxic masculinity and stoicism in the face of emotional trauma with an essay on Boys Don’t Cry. Over the years, the song has become more than a pop song but an antidote to the “English stiff upper lip” mentality and an anthem for male sensitivity. Providing rich cultural context for the inspirations behind the band’s ever-evolving and diverse discography, Curepedia is the go-to book for every music fan.
Told in an A to Z format, Curepedia is a playful, eccentric and engaging biography of one of the biggest alternative rock bands in the world. The accessible format offers something new to both the longtime fans and new listeners of the band, from the definitive albums like Pornography, Disintegration and Wish to the cult releases like Blue Sunshine by Robert Smith & Siouxie and The Banshees bass guitarist Steve Severin’s supergroup Glove.
White Rabbit has acquired World All Language Rights in Curepedia: An A-Z of The Cure by Simon Price, a literary biography of The Cure, from Matthew Hamilton at The Hamilton Agency.
Lee Brackstone, Publisher and Founder of White Rabbit said: “I have wanted to work with Simon Price for many years. He is one of the great British music writers of his generation and I know many people who value great pop culture writing will celebrate, finally, the arrival of a big project from such an influential writer. The mythology, mystique and music of The Cure has never been covered in a satisfying biographical way; Simon’s approach will fill the vacuum and please the legions of fans around the world.”
Simon Price said: “The Cure are the biggest alternative rock band on the planet, and their magnificent body of work continues to inspire successive generations of musicians and music-lovers. I first became a fan of The Cure as a 16-year-old in the 1980s, and I've written about them numerous times throughout my journalistic career. I've always admired the definitely individual path that Robert Smith and his bandmates have followed, as well as their unfailingly high standards. Writing a book about them is an honour.
The A-Z format of Curepedia will allow me to combine in-depth analysis with utter trivia in a way which is, I hope, both entertaining and informative, both factual and fun. The book will also be a beautiful object to hold and to own. I'm very excited to be working with White Rabbit and their partner publishers around the world to make Curepedia an essential item for any fan of The Cure.”
Simon Price is a British music journalist whose career includes nine years as one of the main feature writers at Melody Maker and twelve years as the senior Rock & Pop Critic for the Independent on Sunday newspaper. His first book, Everything (A Book About Manic Street Preachers) became the fastest-selling rock biography in British history on its publication by Virgin in 1999, selling the first 10,000 copies in record time and the next 10,000 almost as quickly. It was named Book of The Year by NME and Rock Book of The Decade by the Guardian.
Foreign Rights have already been sold to Dey Street Books (USA), Sexto Piso (Spain) and Heyne Hardcore (Germany).
Curepedia will be published by White Rabbit on 9 November 2023 in hardback, export trade paperback, ebook and audio, priced £35.00.
The special deluxe edition of 1000 will feature alternative original cover artwork, housed in a bespoke slipcase, with a ribbon marker and 26 integrated full colour A-Z chapter headings. Complete with interior pages printed in red and black ink and bespoke C-U-R-E lettered endpapers, this edition also comes with four additional prints (C-U-R-E) from original mixed media print in an envelope, and a bookplate insert signed by Simon Price and Andy Vella. All artwork, design and packaging is by Andy Vella, celebrated artist and longtime Cure collaborator (as part of Parched Art). The deluxe edition is priced at £85.00 and available to purchase here.
Do you even Tik Tok? https://www.tiktok.com/@paulnomad
Instagram it up! https://www.instagram.com/paulnomad/
All the VIDS! https://www.youtube.com/user/IdleHandsBlog
No comments :
Post a Comment