Sean Connery never says never to autobiography
A book by James Bond actor Sean Connery that combines his autobiography and the history of Scotland is in the works and will be released in September, according to a publishing house in Edinburgh.
Canongate Books announced Wednesday it has secured the rights to publish the film star’s first major book, beating out hundreds of other publishing houses.
“Our goal is to produce a very readable, visually stimulating and hopefully intriguing history of Scotland, with personal discoveries,” said the 75-year-old actor in a statement released through Canongate.
The announcement came after the actor abandoned efforts earlier this year to finish writing his biography following fallouts with two ghostwriters.
Canongate officials say the book is being released to coincide with the 300th anniversary of the Treaty of Union between England and Scotland.
“We are absolutely thrilled to be publishing Connery’s Scotland,” Jamie Byng, Canongate’s publisher, said in a release.
“Not only is it going to be a fascinating and revelatory book about Scotland, but Sir Sean is a natural storyteller with his own great story to tell.”
The actor, who was knighted by the Queen in 1999, will co-write the book with Murray Grigor, a director and writer. Grigor has produced documentaries, including one called Sean Connery’s Edinburgh, as well as television series for American and British networks.
Life before Bond
Connery was born Aug. 25, 1930, to a working-class family in Edinburgh. His various careers have included a stint in the Royal Navy, delivering milk, modelling and finishing third in the 1950 Mr. Universe contest.
Connery hit it big as super-agent James Bond in 1962’s Dr. No. The actor has made more than 75 films, including seven Bond movies, such as Goldfinger, Thunderball and Never Say Never Again, as well as The Man Who Would Be King (1975), The Untouchables (1987), Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989) and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003).
Connery has been working on his memoirs for years and has been courted by numerous publishers. In 2004, he walked off the set of a film in Prague after declaring that he wanted to spend time writing his memoirs.
The actor announced earlier this year that he was quitting the movie life and wanted to retire from acting altogether.
Conner recently received the American Film Institute’s annual lifetime achievement award, bestowed on film luminaries such as Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock.
Categories