John le Carre is to bring back one of the world’s most famous fictional spies – George Smiley.
The British author’s new novel, A Legacy Of Spies, will be released on September 5, publisher Viking said.
The book will reveal how spymaster Smiley and his fictional peers, such as Peter Guillam, come under scrutiny over their Cold War service with British intelligence – and face a younger generation which knows little about their history.
The novel will also refer to previous le Carre classics The Spy Who Came In From The Cold and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.
Le Carre, 85, last wrote about Smiley in 1991 novel The Secret Pilgrim.
Smiley was played by the late Sir Alec Guinness in two critically acclaimed TV adaptations, while Gary Oldman brought the character to a new generation in the big screen version of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy in 2011.
Last year, BBC drama series The Night Manager – based on le Carre’s novel of the same name – became an international success and was watched by 10 million people in the UK.
