Martin Paul Eve wore a t-shirt showing a post horn – a symbol from Thomas Pynchon's novel The Crying of Lot 49 - on 'Pynchon in Public' day.

A Sussex research student who is studying the works of a renowned American author has set up an annual "culture jamming festival" in his honour.

The first ever 'Pynchon in Public' day took place on 8 May - the birthday of Thomas Pynchon, a famously reclusive writer noted for his dense and complex novels and best known for Gravity's Rainbow, published in 1973.

The event was "part of an effort to demonstrate the impact and value of my work", says organiser Martin Paul Eve, who for his English Literature PhD is studying the novels of Thomas Pynchon in relation to various schools of European philosophy.

Martin told a Guardian blogger: "The appeal lies in the author's stance on privacy; a man who has evaded the media gaze for 50 years while writing some of the most highly regarded, and most controversial, American prose couldn't be asked to come out in public.

"On the other hand, his devoted following could wheel out the symbols of paranoia that pervade his books and celebrate what's in the texts."

Martin suggested that fans of the author might read Pynchon's books in public, or alternatively the work of his 'heirs', such as David Mitchell and Dave Eggers.

Another idea was to read any other work, for example Katie Price's latest biography, with a sticker on the cover proclaiming, 'My Other Book Is A Thomas Pynchon'.

In Brighton, Martin posted several pictures of post horns - a symbol from Pynchon's novel The Crying of Lot 49 - around the streets.

Meetings and readings took place on 8 May in Brighton, Munich, Barcelona, Madrid, New York and Los Angeles.

The day "went pretty well", says Martin, who has already started planning next year's activities.