Sophie Dahl signs deal for second book

Model Sophie Dahl has signed a publishing deal for her second novel after her literary debut proved a huge success.

Her novella, The Man With The Dancing Eyes, made the best-seller lists when it was released in February.

Now Bloomsbury, who also publish the Harry Potter books, are paying her a reported £100,000 for a follow-up.

Unlike her first work, a slender volume written in the style of a fairytale, her new offering will be “a big, grown-up novel”, according to her literary agent.

She has begun writing the as yet unnamed book and it is likely to be published next year.

“We are thrilled to be publishing Sophie’s second book and her first one was a great success,” a spokeswoman for Bloomsbury said.

“It made the best-seller lists in the UK and America the moment it came out.

“Sophie has only just started work on her second book so it is too early to say what it will be about.”

Dahl, 23, is the granddaughter of Roald Dahl, author of such children’s classics as James and the Giant Peach and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

She is one of the country’s most successful models, whose credits include the provocative Opium adverts and the current campaign for Pringle.

But her agent Ed Victor said her future lay in writing and acting.

“Sophie wants to be a professional novelist in the future, as well as pursuing acting work,” he told the Evening Standard.

“She is passionate about writing and is already working on the new book.”

He added that he was in the process of selling the film rights to The Man With The Dancing Eyes and Dahl hopes to co-write the screenplay.