New James Bond Continuation Author

By: Anders Frejdh

Published:
2008-07-11

Sebastian Faulks writes the new James Bond novel, to be published by Penguin.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE

“In his house in Jamaica, Ian Fleming used to write a thousand words in the morning, then go snorkelling, have a cocktail, lunch on the terrace, more diving, another thousand words in late afternoon, then more Martinis and glamorous women. In my house in London, I followed this routine exactly, apart from the cocktails, the lunch and the snorkelling.”

Sebastian Faulks, one of Britain’s most admired novelists, is announced today as the author of a brand new James Bond novel, to be published next year by Penguin Books in the UK and Doubleday in the US. The book, entitled DEVIL MAY CARE, will be published to mark the centenary of Ian Fleming’s birth - 28th May 2008.

Ian Fleming Publications Ltd announced in July 2006 that a new Bond book had been commissioned and now, after a year of speculation, the author and title are revealed.

Sebastian Faulks comments:

“I was surprised but flattered to be asked by the Fleming Estate last summer if I would write a one-off Bond book for the Ian Fleming Centenary. I told them that I hadn’t read the books since the age of 13, but if, when I re-read them, I still enjoyed them and could see how I might be able to do something in the same vein, then I would be happy to consider it. On re-reading, I was surprised by how well the books stood up.”
He continues, “I found writing this light-hearted book more thrilling than I had expected. I hope people will enjoy reading it and that Ian Fleming would consider it to be in the cavalier spirit of his own novels and therefore an acceptable addition to the line.”

Fleming’s last Bond book, OCTOPUSSY AND THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS, was published in 1966. Forty two years later and in keeping with tradition, DEVIL MAY CARE is set in the Cold War and the action is played out across two continents, exotic locations and several of the world’s most thrilling cities.

Alex Clarke, the editor at Penguin, comments:

"Penguin UK is delighted to be publishing DEVIL MAY CARE in May 2008 to mark the centenary of Ian Fleming's birth. When we heard that Sebastian Faulks would be taking up the mantle, we knew instantly there could not be a more fitting celebration of the most iconic spy in literature and film - Bond, James Bond. Not only has Sebastian picked up from where Fleming left off, but he has also brought his own exquisite prose to the cocktail party - and, in so doing, has written a tour de force that will thrill and satisfy every kind of reader and every kind of James Bond fan.”

He continues, “DEVIL MAY CARE will be a superb addition to the James Bond publishing legacy. Penguin UK publishes all 14 of Fleming's Bond novels, the Charlie Higson Young Bond series, as well as Fleming's children's classic Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. To mark the centenary, we will be creating a special James Bond imprint, Penguin 007 - within which DEVIL MAY CARE will be published in May 2008.
Sebastian Faulks is best known for his French trilogy, The Girl at the Lion d'Or, Birdsong and Charlotte Gray. Birdsong is regularly voted one of the nation's favourite books and Charlotte Gray was filmed with Cate Blanchett as Charlotte. The trilogy has sold almost four million copies in the UK. In all, Faulks has written ten books, including eight novels, the most recent of which, Engleby, was published to widespread acclaim in May this year.

Like Fleming, who was a journalist for Reuters and the Sunday Times, Faulks was a journalist for the Daily and Sunday Telegraph, he was the first Literary Editor of the Independent and later became Deputy Editor of the Independent on Sunday.

Corinne Turner, Managing Director Ian Fleming Publications Ltd comments:

“We had had Sebastian Faulks in mind for our centenary novel for quite some time. I have always enjoyed and admired his novels, but it wasn’t until I read On Green Dolphin Street that it occurred to me that he would be perfect for Bond. He has an ability to write totally convincingly in whichever period or genre he chooses, and that particular book made me think he might enjoy exploring the world of Ian Fleming and James Bond. I knew that it would have to be something very special to tempt him to have a go, and at the time didn’t make an approach. However, when we came to think of authors for our centenary novel and his agent, quite independently, suggested Sebastian, it was just meant to be.

“The Fleming family were delighted with the typescript when we received it. Barbara Broccoli, to whom we gave a sneak preview, said if I had told her the family had found an old manuscript of Ian’s in the basement, she would have believed me. Sebastian couldn’t have written a better book to celebrate Ian’s 100th birthday.”

DEVIL MAY CARE is published to mark the Ian Fleming Centenary. The book is at the centre of a larger programme of celebratory events that will run throughout 2008.

Faulks remains with his usual publisher, Random House, and comments:

"I am sure Penguin will do a great job with this book, but I would like to stress that Random House remain my publishers. Hutchinson and Vintage have done a fantastic job for me over the last 20 years and I will stay with them for as long as they will have me -- for another 20 years at least, I hope."

FULL STATEMENT FROM SEBASTIAN FAULKS:
"I was surprised but flattered to be asked by Ian Fleming Publications last summer if I would write a one-off Bond book for the Ian Fleming centenary. I told them that I hadn’t read the books since the age of 13, but if when I re-read them I still enjoyed them and could see how I might be able to do something in the same vein then I would be happy to consider it.

After almost five years researching Victorian psychiatry for Human Traces, there was something attractive about a jeu d’esprit which, if I followed Fleming’s own prescription, I could write in about six weeks.

On re-reading, I was surprised by how well the books stood up. I put this down to three things: the sense of jeopardy Fleming creates about his solitary hero; a certain playfulness in the narrative details; and a crisp, journalistic style that hasn’t dated. I tried to isolate the essential and the most enjoyable aspects of the books. Then I took that pattern and added characters and a story of my own with as much speed and as many twists as I thought the reader could bear.

I developed a prose that is about 80 per cent Fleming. I didn’t go the final distance for fear of straying into pastiche, but I strictly observed his rules of chapter and sentence construction. My novel is meant to stand in the line of Fleming’s own books, where the story is everything.

In his house in Jamaica, Ian Fleming used to write a thousand words in the morning, then go snorkelling, have a cocktail, lunch on the terrace, more diving, another thousand words in late afternoon, then more Martinis and glamorous women. In my house in London, I followed this routine exactly, apart from the cocktails, the lunch and the snorkelling.
I found writing this light-hearted book more thrilling than I had expected. I hope people will enjoy reading it and that Ian Fleming would consider it to be in the cavalier spirit of his own novels and therefore an acceptable addition to the line."

About Sebastian Faulks:
Born in April 1953. He was brought up in Newbury, Berkshire, and educated at Wellington College and Cambridge (the background for much of his recently published novel Engleby). Before resolving to become a full-time writer in 1991, he worked as a journalist for the Daily Telegraph and the Sunday Telegraph (1978-86) and as Literary Editor and Deputy Editor of the Independent (1986-91).

His “French trilogy” of novels – The Girl at the Lion d’Or, Birdsong and Charlotte Gray (1989-1997) – established him in the front rank of British novelists: UK sales of Birdsong exceed 2,500,000 copies, and for this book he was named “Author of the Year” by the British Book Awards in 1995.

Other novels include A Fool’s Alphabet (1992), On Green Dolphin Street (2001) and Human Traces (2005). His biographical study of three doomed young men of the 20th century, The Fatal Englishman, was published in 1996.

Sebastian Faulks lives in London with his wife and their three children.

Editor's note:
- DEVIL MAY CARE by Sebastian Faulks will be published in hardback by Penguin Books in the UK and by Doubleday in the US
- Penguin are launching a brand new imprint – Penguin 007– under which they will publish all their Bond titles, including DEVIL MAY CARE
- Sebastian Faulks continues to be published by Hutchinson and Vintage
- Ian Fleming Publications Ltd is the Fleming family owned company that owns the copyright in the Bond books

JAMES BOND PUBLISHING:
• Over 100 million Bond books have been sold and over half the world’s population has seen a Bond film

• Ian Fleming wrote fourteen James Bond books: CASINO ROYALE (1953); LIVE AND LET DIE (1954); MOONRAKER (1955); DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER (1956); FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (1957); DR NO (1958); GOLDFINGER (1959); FOR YOUR EYES ONLY (1960); THUNDERBALL (1961); THE SPY WHO LOVED ME (1962); ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE (1963); YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE (1964); THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN (1965) and OCTOPUSSY AND THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS (1966)

• Fleming’s other works include the children’s favourite, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1964), which was made into a film and stage musical, The Diamond Smugglers (1957) and a collection of travel writings called Thrilling Cities (1963)

• Charlie Higson is author of the Young Bond books which are published by Puffin. Launched in March 2005 with publication of SilverFin, the fourth in the series, Hurricane Gold, will be published in September 2007. The Young Bond series has now sold over half a million copies and has been translated into 23 languages

• Samantha Weinberg, writing as Kate Westbrook, is the author of the Moneypenny Diaries, the second volume of which was published in November 2006

• Previous authors of official James Bond novels include Kingsley Amis, John Gardner and Raymond Benson

Visit Penguin's official James Bond website for more information:

www.penguin007.com

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#literary_news

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