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Pulp fiction: singer booked for gig as editor-at-large

Anthony Barnes
Thursday 13 October 2011 05:00 EDT
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Jarvis Cocker has a new literary role after becoming editor-at-large for a leading publisher.

The Pulp singer and solo star has been given an "open brief" and takes up the two-year position at Faber and Faber in January.

His new gig follows a similar role for The Who guitarist Pete Townshend at Faber in the early 1980s, but he can also look to more bookish predecessors such as T S Eliot for inspiration.

The firm expects him to stamp his "eccentric" tastes on the books he develops. Cocker – also a presenter for BBC 6 Music – is about to publish his first book Mother, Brother, Lover with the company next week. The book brings together many of the esoteric song lyrics that helped make his band famous – though the singer has said its name stems from the "embarrassing" number of times he had used the three words as a rhyming scheme in his songs.

"I am proud and more than a little excited to be asked to work with Faber in an editorial capacity," he said. "It is my dearest hope that we will produce some fantastic books."

The company is attempting to expand its range of music titles with books by Julian Cope, cult musician Will Oldham and a memoir by James Fearnley of the Pogues, as well as a book on Krautrock. Faber's publishing director Lee Brackstone said: "Jarvis felt like a natural fit with the Faber sensibility, both as author and editor, and I'm sure the small list of books he will develop will represent his eccentric and yet popular touch."

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