Harper Lee said she is “happy as hell” about the publication of a sequel to her bestseller To Kill a Mockingbird after concerns were raised about the extent of her involvement in the project.

A spokeswoman for her publisher said: “Harper Lee still enjoys reading and uses a magnifying machine from the New York Institute for the Blind to read books, newspapers and documents.”

I’m alive and kicking and happy

Lee herself said: “I’m alive and kicking and happy as hell with the reactions to Watchman.”

She previously said she had not realised the manuscript of her new book had survived and said she was “humbled and amazed” it was going to be published now.

Go Set A Watchman will be published on July 14 by William Heinemann, which was the original UK publisher of To Kill a Mockingbird.

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