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Bookshops across London are holding events and late-night openings today to cope with the “unprecedented” interest in Harper Lee’s new book, Go Set A Watchman.

Booksellers have received tens of thousands of pre-sale orders for the novel, which is being published 44 years after the Pulitzer-prize winning To Kill A Mockingbird.

The release, at midnight, has been hailed as “one of the most exciting literary events of this decade.”

The book was written before To Kill A Mockingbird, but its events are set afterwards. The manuscript was discovered only last year.

Daunt Books in Marylebone will open at midnight to mark the occasion. Manager Brett Wolstencroft said he was expecting hundreds to attend, adding: “We know a lot of people want to get their hands on it. We will be giving customers a glass of wine and celebrating the occasion.”

Waterstones is hosting midnight openings in 11 stores nationwide and will screen the 1962 film adaptation of To Kill A Mockingbird at its Piccadilly Circus flagship store. It is also holding panel discussions featuring writer Joanna Trollope, head of Liberty Shami Chakrabarti and Labour MP Diane Abbott. The firm’s managing director, James Daunt, told the Standard it had had more than 20,000 pre-orders.

The figure may overtake the current record, held by Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, which was ordered by 21,000 readers. He added: “We feel like hosting an event honours the release of this highly anticipated book.

“Everyone is talking about it and it is fantastic to see booksellers and book fans getting excited about a release. Releases like Grey [the latest E L James novel] are good to get money in the tills and people in my stores, but with books that have real literary significance it is actually exciting for our industry. Interest has been unprecedented.”

The Foyles flagship store in Charing Cross Road is hosting a Southern-themed midnight opening featuring a live Dixie jazz band.

Andy Quinn, head of events at Foyles said: “Only very special books merit midnight openings and this is by far the most exciting book event of the year, if not the decade. It must be the longest we have ever waited for a second novel by a living author.”

But early reviews have caused dismay by revealing that hero Atticus Finch has now been portrayed as a racist.

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