Dan Brown to release YA version of The Da Vinci Code

Dan Brown is set to release an abridged version of his hit book The Da Vinci Code aimed at the Young Adult market.

Penguin Random House UK will release the title in time for Christmas on 8th September in paperback and e-book, while the US will release it a few days later on 13th September in hardback and e-book.

The story will be abridged for ages 13+ and maintain Brown’s original plot, introducing a new generation of readers to symbologist Robert Langdon and cryptographer Sophie Neveu. The books will also have new cover designs.

Brown said: “It is my sincere hope that this adaptation of The Da Vinci Code sparks in young adults the same thrill of discovery that I feel while exploring hidden history and the mysteries of the world we live in.”

He added: “My parents were educators, and so it’s no surprise that I have a fascination with history and research. In fact, if I weren’t an author, I’m sure I would be a teacher myself.”

Francesca Dow, managing director of Penguin Random House Children’s U.K., and Barbara Marcus, president & publisher of Random House Children’s Books (U.S.), obtained world English rights to the adaptation from Heide Lange of Greenburger Associates.

Shannon Cullen, publishing director of Penguin Random House Children’s UK, said: “The Da Vinci Code is a thrilling, page-turning adventure that we know older teenagers are already reading. We're pleased that our abridged edition is going to enable more young adults to enjoy Dan Brown's international bestseller, which is packed with fascinating historical content and a clever code-breaking mystery.”

PRH said The Da Vinci Code has sold 82m copies worldwide since its publication in 2003. In the UK, the paperback edition is the second-bestselling book since records began according to Nielsen BookScan figures (after Fifty Shades of Grey), selling 4.5m copies, and it spent 50 non-consecutive weeks as the overall number one, the longest ever. Across all editions it’s sold 5.1m copies.

News of the YA edition of The Da Vinci Code comes ahead of the film release of another Brown title "Inferno" in UK cinemas on 14th October, 2016, with the novel published by Bantam Press in 2013.

Brown has previously warned fans it may be some time before the next Robert Langdon book would be ready. Speaking in November 2014, Brown told The Bookseller that while his next title would feature Langdon, it could take him “two or three years” to write, while praising his publisher Doubleday for “not putting too much pressure on him to complete manuscripts”.