UK Release Of William Boyd's 007 Novel: Solo

By: Anders Frejdh

Published:
2013-01-07

UK publication of the new James Bond novel Solo written by William Boyd. The new novel is published Jonathan Cape – Ian Fleming's original publisher and an imprint of Vintage Publishing – in the UK, and on October 8 by HarperCollins in USA and Canada.
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From Sweden with Love was invited to the launch (and release party) of 'Solo' at The Dorchester in London on 25th September 2013. Read our report from the launch.
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In a press release from April 2012, William Boyd commented:

"When the Ian Fleming estate invited me to write the new James Bond novel I didn’t hesitate. I accepted at once – for me the prospect appeared incredibly exciting and stimulating – a once-in-a-lifetime challenge.

In fact my father introduced me to the James Bond novels in the 1960s and I read them all then – From Russia with Love (1957) being my favourite.

I then became very intrigued by Ian Fleming the man and have written about him on numerous occasions. The fascination went so far that I placed him as a character in my novel Any Human Heart where he’s responsible for recruiting the novel’s protagonist, Logan Mountstuart, into the Naval Intelligence Division in World War II.

One other coincidence should be mentioned. It turns out that I’ve worked with three of the actors who have played James Bond over the years. They’ve all starred in films that I’ve written: Sean Connery in A Good Man in Africa, Pierce Brosnan in Mr Johnson and Daniel Craig in The Trench. The idea that these somewhat random connections with Fleming and Bond should culminate in my writing a new James Bond novel is irresistibly appealing. The only thing I’m prepared to say at this stage about the novel that I will write is that it will be set in 1969."

Read a great review of Solo by our good friend John Cox at The Bond Bond.

Editor's note:
William Boyd is the third author in recent years to be invited by the Ian Fleming estate to write an official Bond novel, following in the footsteps of the American thriller writer Jeffery Deaver, who wrote Carte Blanche in 2011, and Sebastian Faulks who wrote Devil May Care that was published to mark Ian Fleming’s centenary in 2008.

As well as the publication of the new novel, 2013 is a significant year for Bond, marking the 60th anniversary of Fleming's first 007 novel, Casino Royale, first published by Cape on April 13, 1953. Cape was also the publisher of the first ever official Bond novel following Fleming’s death in 1964, when Kingsley Amis took up the mantle writing Colonel Sun as Robert Markham in 1968.

For other posts about William Boyd's Solo on From Sweden with Love, click here.

A selection of William Boyd's previous books:
A Good Man in Africa (1981);
On the Yankee Station and Other Stories (1981);
An Ice-Cream War, 1982);
Stars and Bars (1984);
School Ties (1985);
The New Confessions (1987);
Brazzaville Beach 1990);
The Blue Afternoon (1993);
The Destiny of Natalie 'X' and Other Stories (1995);
Armadillo (1998);
Nat Tate: An American Artist 1928-1960 (1998);
Any Human Heart (2002);
Fascination (2004);
Bamboo (2005);
Restless (2006);
The Dreams of Bethany Mellmoth (short story) Notes from the Underground (2007);
Ordinary Thunderstorms (2009);
Waiting for Sunrise (2012).

Other events for the 60th Anniversary of the literary 007 featured on From Sweden with Love:
>New edition of Ian Fleming's "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: The Magical Car" (March 12, 2013)
>Publication of "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang - Race Against Time" (March 12, 2013)
>New edition of Ian Fleming's "The Diamond Smugglers" (April 4, 2013)
>New edition of Ian Fleming's "Thrilling Cities" (April 4, 2013)
>The Birth of Bond: Ian Fleming's Casino Royale at 60 (April 12-July 12, 2013)
>Casino Royale: 60th anniversary (April 13, 2013)
>Publication of "The James Bond Omnibus: Volume 5" (November 22, 2013)

Photo above:
UK hardback cover for Solo, the new James Bond novel. © 2013 Jonathan Cape. All rights reserved.

Pre-order the new James Bond novel by William Boyd from Amazon UK:

www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0224097474/fromswedenwit-21/

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#solo_william_boyd

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UK Release Of William Boyd's 007 Novel: Solo

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