Jay-Z’s entertainment umbrella Roc Nation is exploring the literary world by way of its latest book publishing partnership.
Billboard reports that Roc Nation and Random House — a division of Penguin Random House — have both announced a joint venture to launch a new publishing imprint called “Roc Lit 101.”
According to an announcement, the imprint will commit to publishing “books at the intersection of entertainment and genre-defying literature, including exhilarating, innovative work from some of the biggest artists and most imaginative and incisive writers of our time on a wide range of subjects such as music, sports, pop culture, activism, and art.”
Billboard shares that the new imprint will be lead by Chris Jackson, publisher and editor-in-chief of Random House imprint One World Books, and Jana Fleishman, EVP of Roc Nation.
“The goal of RocLit 101 is to provide a creative outlet for acclaimed wordsmiths and artists to share their visions with new audiences,” Fleishman shared in a statement. “There are so many untold stories and we consider it a true privilege to be able to amplify diverse voices while exploring the uncharted worlds that are about to open to us.”
Jackson tacked onto her statement saying: “Our aspiration for the imprint is to create books that draw from the best of pop culture—its most imaginative and talented storytellers, innovators, and literary chroniclers—to create beautifully written and produced works that will entertain and enthrall readers, but also illuminate critical issues. But the partnership isn’t just about the books – it’s also about audiences: we want to find new voices and new stories, but also new readers.”
Roc Lit 101 will roll out its inaugural titles next summer with future books from Roc Nation artists such as Meek Mill, Lil Uzi Vert, Yo Gotti, and Fat Joe, as well as other prominent figures like music journalists Danyel Smith and Chris Smith.
