Over the past five decades, The Cure have created a musical mythology and canonical body of work
that straddles the worlds of music, film and art, which continues to resonate with audiences around
the world with their irreverent, defiant and mythical spirit.
On 9 November, the UK’s leading music book imprint White Rabbit will publish Curepedia: An A-Z of The Cure – an encyclopaedic biography of The Cure written by one of the UK’s greatest music writers Simon Price with a foreword by Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite and illustrations by Andy Vella – the designer behind The Cure’s iconic visual identity for the past 30 years. Curepedia is the definitive guide to the band’s past and present, painting a comprehensive portrait of the band’s inimitable legacy, politics, image and their rich cultural influences from existentialist writers like Albert Camus;
Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast series set in a decaying Gothic castle; to the menacing literary, musical and cinematic connotations behind ‘A Forest’ – a definitive, epically long single that has mutated over the years through series of covers.

Curepedia offers a complete portrait of the canon behind The Cure, examining and rifling through miscellaneous trivia, detailed analysis of discography, films, concerts and appearances, biographies of the band members past and present, as well as delving deeper into the political and cultural undertones of their songs. Price goes beyond the music in this mammoth biography, offering a
detailed analysis of The Cure’s wider cultural impact on British male mental health, toxic masculinity
and stoicism in the face of emotional trauma with an essay on Boys Don’t Cry. Over the years, the song has become more than a pop song but an antidote to the “English stiff upper lip”
mentality and an anthem for male sensitivity. Providing rich cultural context for the inspirations behind the band’s ever-evolving and diverse discography, Curepedia is the go-to book for every
music fan.

Told in an A to Z format, Curepedia is a playful, eccentric and engaging biography of one of the
biggest alternative rock bands in the world. The accessible format offers something new to both the
longtime fans and new listeners of the band, from the definitive albums like Pornography,
Disintegration and Wish to the cult releases like Blue Sunshine by Robert Smith & Siouxie and The
Banshees bass guitarist Steve Severin’s supergroup Glove.
White Rabbit has acquired World All Language Rights in Curepedia: An A-Z of The Cure by Simon
Price, a literary biography of The Cure, from Matthew Hamilton at The Hamilton Agency.
Lee Brackstone, Publisher and Founder of White Rabbit said: “I have wanted to work with Simon
Price for many years. He is one of the great British music writers of his generation and I know many
people who value great pop culture writing will celebrate, finally, the arrival of a big project from
such an influential writer. The mythology, mystique and music of The Cure has never been covered in
a satisfying biographical way; Simon’s approach will fill the vacuum and please the legions of fans
around the world.”

Simon Price said: “The Cure are the biggest alternative rock band on the planet, and their magnificent body of work continues to inspire successive generations of musicians and music-lovers. I first became a fan of The Cure as a 16-year-old in the 1980s, and I’ve written about them numerous
times throughout my journalistic career. I’ve always admired the definitely individual path that Robert Smith and his bandmates have followed, as well as their unfailingly high standards. Writing a book about them is an honour.

The A-Z format of Curepedia will allow me to combine in-depth analysis with utter trivia in a way which is, I hope, both entertaining and informative, both factual and fun. The book will also be a beautiful object to hold and to own. I’m very excited to be working with White Rabbit and their partner publishers around the world to make Curepedia an essential item for any fan of The Cure.”