PRESS RELEASE

Paint a Vulgar Picture: Fiction inspired by The Smiths edited by Peter Wild and published by Serpent’s Tail at £8.99 original paperback on 28 May.

This Friday, Morrissey turns 50 and we’re publishing PAINT A VULGAR PICTURE: Fiction inspired by The Smiths on 28 May just in time for his golden jubilee. In this tribute to the songs of The Smiths, contributors including Mike Gayle, Kate Pullinger, Catherine O’Flynn, Helen Walsh, Mil Millington, Alison MacLeod, Matt Beaumont, Scarlett Thomas and Jeff Noon explain why they love the band and each choose a song title – Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now, There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, Ask, Shoplifters of the World Unite... - to write a story around.

As Peter Wild explains, ‘They were a band who celebrated books and reading – what was it Morrissey sang? “There’s more to life than books you know, but not much more.” – in a way that no band has before or, to my mind, since. When you think about it, it’s amazing that it’s taken this long for a book of fiction inspired by that most literary of bands to arrive. Is it really so strange? We don’t think so.’

• The anthology’s editor, Peter Wild is based in Manchester and is available for interviews, as are several of the contributors.
• Paint a Vulgar Picture is third in our series of Fiction inspired by cult bands which includes The Empty Page (Sonic Youth) and Perverted by Language (The Fall).
• Please email [email protected] for further information.