Julia Child memoir to Duckworth
05.08.09 Victoria Gallagher on The Bookseller

Duckworth has acquired the rights to the memoir of late American chef, writer and television personality Julia Child.
Commissioning editor Mary Morris bought UK and Commonwealth rights from Susannah Smith at Knopf. My Life in France describes how Child arrived in France unable to speak the language, let alone cook the food. She subsequently became an expert on French cuisine and wrote Mastering the Art of French Cooking (Random House USA).

A film based on Child's cookery is to be released this September titled Julie and Julia, adapted from the book Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell (Little, Brown). Powell resolved to reclaim her life by cooking, in the span of a single year, every one of the 524 recipes in Child's book. The film is directed by Nora Ephron and stars Meryl Streep.

Duckworth aims to publish My Life in France in September to coincide with the film's release.Morris said: "I'm thrilled to have acquired this irresistible memoir for Duckworth and we’re pulling all the stops out to release it in time to coincide with the film. It’s easy to see why Julia Child was so well loved: her enthusiasm for food and for life is palpable on every page."

Cover shown above is US edition.

Review from NYT.