NEW YORK, March 19 — Ian McEwan’s new novel will delve into the life of conjoined twins, with “The Children’s Act” expected to reach stores this autumn.

For “The Children’s Act,” McEwan’s research led him to spend time with legal practitioners, in the same way that he had followed a surgeon for “Saturday,” notes Commonwealth Writers Prize judge Graham Beattie.

The Scottish author, who won the Man Booker Prize with “Amsterdam,” nominated on a further five occasions, is known for adopting a humanist position when it comes to ethical matters.

But “The Children’s Act” has as its canvas the dilemmas presented “when religious conviction seeks to prevent medical intervention,” according to the description of his forthcoming May 17^th appearance at the Charleston Festival near Brighton, UK.

His 2012 spy romance “Sweet Tooth” has been optioned by production company Working Title, which was behind the Golden Globe-winning adaptation of “Atonement.” — AFP-Relaxnews