Blake aiming to be first with Susan Boyle bio

18.01.10 Catherine Neilan in The Bookseller

John Blake is beating Penguin to the punch, with its Susan Boyle biography due out towards the end of this month. Living the Dream will chart the rise of "new-found singing sensation" Boyle, who found international fame singing 'I Dreamed a Dream' from the musical 'Les Miserable's' on ITV's reality show 'Britain's Got Talent' last year.

She came second in the final of the show, but has sold more than 2m copies of her album worldwide since, becoming the fastest selling global female debut album ever.

Blake said: "The sales of her album are proof of her popularity as millions of fans flock to support Susan Boyle. With very little information about the star available fans are turning to Facebook, Youtube and Twitter for details – this will be the first biography on the market."

The book, written by journalist John McShane, is due to hit the shops on 25th January, as a paperback priced £6.99 - nearly two months before the Penguin biography, entitled Dreams Can Come True, is due out.