Could Twitter be the source of tomorrow’s bestsellers?

It’s a well-known fact that certain public figures can be a little Twitter-happy. While Donald Trump uses the social network to disseminate his profound political musings, John Cena prefers to use the platform to share inspirational quotes about love, success and the power of positive thinking.

The American professional wrestler has now decided to condense his feed of uplifting tweets into two books, due to be published in April by Penguin Random House.

book authors
The American wrestler and actor John Cena is set to publish two books based on his best tweets in April 2021. Image: AFP/Valerie Macon

“Put more into making a change, not an excuse” and “Live grounded. Dream grand. Love gratefully. Never lose hope” are just some of the tweets that John Cena has chosen to feature in his upcoming book for children, “Do Your Best Every Day to Do Your Best Every Day,” (ages 8-12), accompanied by a version for all ages called “Be A Work in Progress.”

According to The Hollywood Reporter, John Cena will offer his young fans affirmations about growing up, while also encouraging them to help make the world a better place. “Do Your Best Every Day to Do Your Best Every Day” will feature illustrations by Susanna Harrison.

In the version for grown-ups, the pro wrestler will encourage readers to embrace challenges while also seizing opportunities and making the best of those that arise. This version will be illustrated by Valeria Petrone.

“We all have a lot on our minds, especially now, given the current state of the world. Words of encouragement can help us stay motivated and focused on what’s really important, and I hope that both ‘Do Your Best Every Day to Do Your Best Every Day’ and ‘Be a Work in Progress’ will inspire kids and adults to be the best versions of themselves,” John Cena said in a statement, widely reported in American media.

When tweets become literature

While the WWE champion has already published several successful books, these will be his first literary projects composed of tweets. The initiative could surprise some in the publishing world, where these kinds of works are still few and far between. To everyone’s surprise, the former Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams previously blazed the trail in 2016 with “My Little Book of Tweets” — a book in which the Irish politician shared his best bons mots as well as his finest selfies … watch out Kim Kardashian!

But the real pioneer of the book of tweets could well be the French journalist and writer Bernard Pivot, who released a collection of his best musings of less than 140 characters in “Les tweets sont des chats” [Tweets are like cats] all the way back in 2013. Who says tweets aren’t works of literature? IB

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