Da Vinci Code author Dan Brown chooses Yorkshire for exclusive launch of new novel

The American thriller writer will unveil the fifth instalment in the Robert Langdon series, Origin, at Harrogate International Festivals. It will be Mr Brown’s only UK public appearance and the Royal Hall event on October 9, where he will also discuss his life and work, represents something of a coup for the festival.

Victoria Ibbertson, literature festivals manager at Harrogate International Festivals, said: “The fact that he and his publishers, Penguin, have chosen to launch Origin with us is testimony to our festival’s reputation for positioning Harrogate as one of the country’s leading literary destinations.” The festival has hosted a number of exclusive one-off book launches over the years with bestselling authors, including crime writers Jo Nesbo and Michael Connelly and Girl on the Train author Paula Hawkins.

Ms Ibbertson said: “Dan Brown is such a global star that the occasion demanded the Royal Hall, and we do expect huge interest from audiences across the UK to catch this rare UK appearance of one of the biggest selling authors of his generation.”

Brown’s spellbinding new novel sees the return of Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology and religious iconology, as he arrives at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao to attend the unveiling of a discovery that “will change the face of science forever”. The evening is blown apart before the discovery can be revealed. On a trail marked only by enigmatic symbols and elusive modern art, Langdon must uncover the clues that will bring him face-to-face with a world-shaking truth that has remained buried.

Tickets for the event, which go on sale today, cost £20 and include a copy of Origin. The first 200 to book will get a guaranteed signed copy. 01423 56303, harrogateinternationalfestivals.com