Following in the footsteps of Dua Lipa and Emma Roberts, Cody Simpson has launched his own book club. Called Baileys Book Club and created in partnership with Diageo, it will feature one read a month, picked by Simpson and paired with a Baileys cocktail.
Simpson’s first pick is Jack Kerouac’s ‘On The Road’. A story of friendship, freedom and adventure, the novel has been a cult favourite since it was first published in 1957. And the pairing? OG Baileys Original Irish Cream over ice, another classic, of course.
“Books have always been a big part of my life, and ‘On the Road’ is one I keep coming back to. It’s all about chasing freedom and the people you meet along the way, and it’s shaped what I read and how I write. It felt like the right place to start the Book Club, and there’s no better evening ritual than settling in with your favourite read and a Baileys.”
Simpson is an author himself. He published his own poetry and prose collection ‘Prince Neptune’ in 2020, exploring themes of love, fame, environmentalism and nature. Its own press material describes it as: “Jack Kerouac meets Arthur Rimbaud for the millennial generation”. In 2024, Simpson followed it with the children’s book ‘The Sea in Me’ about finding calm and quiet by the ocean away from everyday noise.
“Back in the day, poetry and writing were really flourishing,” the singer-turned-swimmer told W Magazine in a 2020 interview. “They were popular art forms for young people, especially. But nowadays with TV and all these other outlets, people read fewer books and people write less. It’s something I find important in my life, and I want to inspire others, especially my fans, to find alternatives.”
In the same interview, he said he wrote his first poem at around seven or eight, and his mum still has it framed in her house. It wasn’t until he turned 18, though, that he began taking poetry and literature seriously and reading voraciously.
LA-based Simpson split from partner of four years Emma McKeon in February 2026. He returned to Australia in October for the Baileys x Dymocks ACOTAR Midnight Release Party in Sydney. He’ll share his Baileys Book Club picks on his Instagram, while Baileys’ Instagram will have cocktail inspiration on pairings for each read.
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