Johnny Depp to launch publishing venture

Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp has teamed up with HarperCollins to publish books that float his boat, some by famous and others by relatively unknown authors, the company said today.

In the "Infinitum Nihil" collection "Depp will publish titles that reflect his diverse interests and passions," HarperCollins said, in a statement released by its New York headquarters.

"Infinitum Nihil will be a home for authentic, outspoken, and visionary ideas and voices, from authors both celebrated and unsung," it said.

The first new title from the imprint will be "The Unraveled Tales of Bob Dylan" by journalist Douglas Brinkley, which is due out in 2015.

"Based on archival research and exclusive interviews with Dylan, the book will set the record straight on scores of issues pertaining to the rock-and-roll legend," Brinkley said.

"Johnny and I thought the Dylan book was the ideal way to inaugurate the Infinitum Nihil series."

In January, also in conjunction with Brinkley, Infinitum Nihil will publish folk singer Woody Guthrie's only fully realized novel, House of Earth. Guthrie completed the novel in 1947 but did not seek its publication.

Depp, the 49-year-old Hollywood heartthrob, said he would do his best "to deliver publications worthy of peoples' time, of peoples' concern. Publications that might ordinarily never have breached the parapet.

"For this dream realized, we would like to salute HarperCollins for their faith in us and look forward to a long and fruitful relationship together," Depp added.

AFP