Judi Dench writing autobiography

Mar 10, 2010, 12:22 GMT

Dame Judi Dench is writing her autobiography.

The veteran actress - who has had a career spanning 50 years which has seen her win nine BAFTAs, seven Laurence Olivier Awards, an Oscar, two Golden Globes and a Tony Award - has reportedly agreed to pen an account of her life, titled 'And Furthermore', with the help of biographer John Miller, who has previously written a number of books on the star.

The 75-year-old British film and theatre icon is thought to have signed a six-figure sum with publishers Weidenfeld and Nicolson, who will release the book later this year.

The publishers have promised the book will be "much more than a career record", and will also include an account of her 30-year marriage to actor Michael Williams, who died of lung cancer in 2001.

Malcolm Edwards, deputy chief of the Orion Publishing Group, Weidenfeld and Nicolson's parent company, is delighted that the iconic star has finally agreed to tell all about her life.

He said: "In an era of shallow, instant celebrity, Dame Judi is the genuine article: one of Britain's leading actresses for almost half a century, and one the country's best-loved figures."

The actress - who previously shunned all autobiography requests - recently spoke about how she was worried about dying, which may be why she has now made the decision to set her story to paper.

She said: "I think about dying all the time but I push it to the back of my mind. Why? Because of fear of course."