Academy Award-winner and founding member of the legendary The Roots band, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, has a new venture in the works.
Named after Prince’s iconic squeal, AUWA Books will publish fiction and nonfiction on varying topics. Questlove will act as the imprint’s publisher and editor-in-chief. The newly minted lovechild will release its first work, a memoir by Sly Stone entitled Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin), on Oct. 17, 2023.
“I have been writing books for over a decade,” said the Roots drummer in a statement, “so it seemed like a natural step to publish them too. I’m very excited about AUWA Books, from the books we have lined up to the books we haven’t discovered yet. Let’s take it to the page.”
Stone uttered similar sentiments about the excitement surrounding his upcoming biography and the chance to tell his story on his own terms. “For as long as I can remember, folks have been asking me to tell my story,” says Stone. “I wasn’t ready. I had to be in a new frame of mind to become Sylvester Stewart again to tell the true story of Sly Stone. It’s been a wild ride, and hopefully, my fans enjoy it too.”
Mitzi Angel, president and publisher at Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, the parent company of AUWA, shared her hopes for the promising collaboration: “We are embarking on this new imprint with Questlove with great excitement. Questlove’s vision and many talents will add tremendously to our list, and we can’t wait to publish our first book on the AUWA imprint with Questlove this fall…”
Fans of Questlove should find the news in line with the diverse portfolio of projects the musician has had his hands in. Along with taking home the Oscar for his documentary Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), the Philadelphia native has published several titles, including Mo’ Meta Blues, Creative Quest, and Music Is History, which became a New York Times best-seller. His first children’s book, The Rhythm of Time, will be released this spring.