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Belle de Jour turns novelist

21.01.08 Tom Tivnan

Orion is further expanding the Belle de Jour franchise, signing the pseudonymous former call girl diarist to write three novels. The books will be "fictionalised versions" of her call girl life, with the first as yet untitled book expected to be published in October. The other two titles will follow in 2009 and 2010.

Malcolm Edwards, deputy c.e.o. at Orion, bought UK and Commonwealth rights from Patrick Walsh at Conville & Walsh. Edwards said he thought the novels could be as popular as the diaries. He added: "She is a very good natural writer. With the television series putting background into her story, such as a named family, that wasn't in original diaries, we thought the novels would be a logical extension."

The first novel is timed to be released around the second ITV series based on "The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl", starring Billie Piper. The 14 episodes will be shown this autumn on ITV2.

The tie-in to "The Intimate Adventures . . ." has sold over 145,000 copies through Nielsen BookScan since being published in September 2007.

Media tom tivnan Rights deal Belle de Jour

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