Author Martel signs deal for new book

LONDON, July 19 (UPI) -- Canadian writer Yann Martel, author of "Life of Pi," has signed a deal to write a book to be published next year, a British publisher says.

Publisher Jamie Byng of Canongate said Martel's new book will focus on a writer named Henry who becomes friends with a taxidermist who is creating a play about a howling monkey and a donkey, The Sunday Times of London reported.

The upcoming novel's use of animals as central characters is similar to "Pi," which featured a boy sharing a raft with a Bengal tiger.

For Martel, his new book will serve as an allegorical tale about the Holocaust, a subject he feels most authors are loathe to explore in a creative way.

"I think writers have been fearful of letting the imagination loose on the Holocaust," he told The Times. "My novel is an attempt to see if there is a way of talking about the Holocaust without talking about it literally."

The Times said news of Martel's forthcoming book comes as movie director Ang Lee is eyeing "Pi" for a big-screen adaptation.