Paul Simon announces new audiobook on 80thbirthday

Paul Simon celebrated his 80th birthday on Wednesday by announcing the release of a new audiobook.

Miracle and Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon, a reference to the music legend's song The Boy In the Bubble, follows his life from his beginnings in Queens, New York to his rise to fame. The project, a collaboration between the legendary songwriter, author Malcolm Gladwell and journalist Bruce Headlam, includes new music and unreleased studio versions of Simon & Garfunkel classics, such as The Sound of Silence and The Boxer.

Variety reports that the trio recorded over 30 hours of audio over nine interview sessions. The final cut runs at five hours and has a star-studded cast of cameos, including Sting, Jeff Tweedy, Herbie Hancock, and Rosanne Cash.

"Over my career, I must have given hundreds of interviews on various projects, but speaking and collaborating with Malcolm on this was especially enjoyable," Simon said in a statement.

Gladwell praised Simon's approachability throughout the project, saying, "He's the most un-rock-star rock star. Paul is surprisingly down to earth and approachable. Even if he wasn't the most successful musician of his generation he'd be the same person."

Miracle and Wonder: Conversations with Paul Simon is set to be released on 16 November.