February 27, 2002

Riverhead Books has acquired the rights to publish a book derived from the personal journals of musician Kurt Cobain, the former frontman of the Seattle-based rock group Nirvana. World rights were acquired in a pre-emptive bid accepted by David Vigliano of Vigliano Associates, Ltd. on behalf of the estate of Kurt Cobain. Riverhead plans to publish the as yet untitled work in hardcover in late 2002, Julie Grau, co-editorial director of the imprint announced.

The journals, which consist of 23 notebooks containing some 800 pages of Cobain's writings, lyrics, and drawings, commence prior to the group's formation and continue through to 1994, the year of his death.

"The journals are an intimate, unadulterated portrait of an artist of great influence," Grau said. "They reveal Cobain's vision and design. They document his creative and personal struggles. They are insightful, provocative, moving, funny, and show him to be very smart and very aware."