Susan Boyle: The book

Susan Boyle is releasing her autobiography.

The 'I Dreamed A Dream' singer - who shot to fame last year after appearing on UK reality TV contest 'Britain's Got Talent' - hopes her life story, which will be entitled 'The Woman I Was Born To Be', will be an inspiration to others.

The 49-year-old Scottish singing sensation said: "When I strutted on to the stage for that audition, I was a scared wee lassie, still grieving for my mother, not caring how I looked. I think I've grown up a lot in the last year, become more of a lady, and I'm not so frightened any more. I'm writing this book to try to show that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover and I hope it will benefit other people.

"My story demonstrates that you shouldn't just look at the label, you should look at the whole person, emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually, and I hope that telling it will show that dreams are not impossible, if you've got courage and a willingness to go on no matter what the circumstances."

Susan - who had a brief stint in rehab to help her cope with the fame she achieved after her 'Britain's Got Talent' audition was seen by millions of people worldwide - is also expected to tell all about her struggles in the book, which is to be released this autumn.

A spokesperson for Transworld, who are publishing Susan's story, said: "This astonishing transformation has not always been easy for Susan, faced with all the trappings of celebrity, but in the whirlwind of attention and expectation, she has always found calm and clarity in music. Susan was born to sing."