Stormzy launches search for 'best writer of a new generation'
Rapper develops his #Merky Books publishing imprint with the New writers’ prize for unpublished authors under 30
Less than a year after taking his first step into publishing with the launch of #Merky Books, the grime artist Stormzy has unveiled the New writers’ prize for authors under 30, to “promote the stories that aren’t being heard, and to find the best writer of a new generation”.
#Merky Books, a Penguin Random House imprint focused on fostering talent among young UK writers, is part of the musician’s growing #Merky empire, which also includes a record label and music festival. Its first book was Stormzy’s memoir, Rise Up, co-authored with the 25-year-old writer Jude Yawson.
Related: From Lena Dunham to Stormzy: the world of the celebrity book imprint
