Harper Lee will release sequel to 'To Kill a Mockingbird'
Image courtesy of HarperCollins.
Legendary author Harper Lee, whose only published novel To Kill a Mockingbird is a classic in both general and legal genres, is finally coming out with another book 55 years later, the Associated Press and New York Times report.
The new work, Go Set a Watchman, will be released July 14 by HarperCollins Publishers. It is in effect a sequel to her first novel, though it was written earlier and set aside before ultimately being misplaced, the publishing company said in a news release.
Go Set a Watchman takes place the mid-1950s, 20 years after the racially charged trial in a small Alabama town that is at the heart of To Kill a Mockingbird, which won the Pulitzer Prize.
“It features a character known as Scout as an adult woman, and I thought it a pretty decent effort,” the 88-year-old Lee said in a statement issued by her publisher. “My editor, who was taken by the flashbacks to Scout’s childhood, persuaded me to write a novel (what became To Kill a Mockingbird) from the point of view of the young Scout.
“I was a first-time writer, so I did as I was told. I hadn’t realized it (the original book) had survived, so was surprised and delighted when my dear friend and lawyer Tonja Carter discovered it.”
According to the press release, the book had been in a secure location, affixed to an original typescript of her published novel.
Fans and critics had long hoped for Lee to write again, but reports a few years ago indicated she had found the pressure and publicity surrounding Mockingbird too great to bear after her initial success.
Related articles:
Christian Science Monitor: “Harper Lee ‘Mockingbird’ sequel greeted with joy – and skepticism “
The Vulture: “Harper Lee’s Editor on the New Book, Which He Only Learned About ‘Yesterday’ “
Huffington Post: “Harper Lee’s New Novel Sparks Questions Over Whether ‘Vulnerable’ Author Wanted It Published”
See also:
ABAJournal.com: “Harper Lee settles case claiming agent tricked her for ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ rights”
Updated on Feb. 4 to add links to subsequent coverage.
