A NEW book detailing the life of renowned Lyme Regis palaeontologist, Mary Anning, is set to be released in the coming weeks - with half of proceeds going to Lyme Regis Museum.

‘The Fossil Woman’ will be taking its place on the shelves of many a book store on November 1. Author Tom Sharpe takes a fresh look at the woman often described as ‘the greatest fossilist the world ever knew’.

50 per cent of royalties from the book will be donated to Lyme Regis Museum, which will be selling copies of the book in its gift shop.

The book's release comes as a new Hollywood film about Mary Anning, Ammonite, starring Kate Winslet, is released in cinemas.

David Tucker from Lyme Regis Museum said: “Tom was a trustee of the museum for several years, he’s very supportive of us and he’s very well known within geology.

"Mary Anning is an important part of Lyme Regis history and it’s good to see her getting the recognition she deserves.

“I’m sure it will be a great read, Tom’s is an excellent writer and I’m looking forward to reading it myself."

Mary Anning is heralded for the discoveries she made in the 1800s, revealing a previously unknown world of extinct reptiles, helping turn our knowledge of life on earth on its head.

Prohibited by her class and gender, Anning, never received the credit she deserved in her own lifetime.

She is now beginning to be recognised for her achievements and was recently included in a list put together by The Royal Society, naming her as one of most influential women in British science.