There are plenty of authors who dabble in the world of music (just take a look at the Rock Bottom Remainders) so why should we be surprised when rock stars write books?
The winner of the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature is Bob Dylan, a man known for his musical prowess rather than his literary achievements and although his lyrics are excellent within the context of his music, I don’t think they’d work so well as a piece of literature. However he has written a lot of poetry and he is the author of a novel so despite the reasons for his selection allegedly being the lyrics to Subterranean Homesick Blues he does have some literary acumen. He is not the only musician to have dipped their perfectly tuned toes into the world of literature and here we have 10 musicians who have written books.
Leonard Cohen – Beautiful Losers
Described as one of the best known experimental novels of the 1960s Beautiful Losers centres on the sexual obsessions of the hapless members of a love triangle and their shared fascination with a mythic Saint. Leonard Cohen’s most critically acclaimed literary work is an original and explicit examination of friendship, sex and spirituality with echoes of his dark poetry that is so prevalent in his music
Johnny Cash – Man in White
Johnny Cash’s vision of his recently deceased father resonated with him on a deep level, reminding him of the vision that the apostle Paul had of God and firing his imagination into writing this historical novel about the amazing life of the intriguing figure with whom Cash identified so deeply. Passionate, controversial, fiery, destructive, redeemed; see the apostle as you’ve never seen him before, through the eyes of Johnny Cash.
Bruce Dickinson – The Adventures of Lord Iffy Boatrace
Imagine Bertie Wooster if he’d been written by a rock god; got it? “Lord Iffy Boatrace invited some of the Old Boys for a holiday with a difference. But even he, with his penchant for fishnet stockings and stiletto heels, is stunned by the antics of his guests – to say nothing of the Butler who invented the ultimate sex machine.” I couldn’t have described it any better myself.
Buy The Adventures of Lord Iffy Boatrace US
Buy The Adventures of Lord Iffy Boatrace UK
Courtney Love – Princess Ai
The co creator of Manga series Princess Ai, Courtney Love’s series follows the only royal princess as she escapes her home of Ai-Land a magical land that is in the throes of revolution only to find herself in modern day Tokyo. Confused and in shock she explores her surroundings in order to unravel the secrets that could tear her home apart. Demons, armed Talent Scouts and a love affair with a talented musician make this a series well worth adding to any Manga collection
Nick Cave – And the Ass Saw the Angel
Euchrid Eucrow of Ukulore inhabits a nightmarish Southern valley of preachers and prophets, incest and ignorance, mute and outcast he is the lone surviving twin cut from his drunk mother and he doesn’t fit in. When a foundling child is declared to be the chosen one Euchrid is horrified as he sees her very differently and his conviction of her lack of divinity in conjunction with his insanity does not bode well for either of them.
Buy And the Ass Saw the Angel US
Buy And the Ass Saw the Angel UK
It seems that those who are talented, truly are talented and can turn their hand to almost anything, although we’re highly unlikely to see the honour reversed with an author picking up an award for their musical prowess imagine as one comment on our Facebook page said “And winner of the MOBO award for best Hip-hop Act goes to Charles Dickens for The Pickwick Papers.”
Not going to happen is it.
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