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  1. Ian Fleming Publications Announce New Series of 'Young James Bond' Novels

    By johncox on 2004-04-05

    Ian Fleming Publications announced today via their website that James Bond will return in Spring 2005 in the first of a new series of novels by Charlie Higson. But the James Bond who will grace this novel will only be 13-years-old…

    05/04/04 – The wait is over
    In Spring next year James Bond will return as we’ve never seen him before. Ian Fleming Publications Ltd is thrilled to announce that in March 2005 Charlie Higson will take us back to where it all began in the first of his novels introducing the teenage years of the boy who was to become 007.

    Charlie Higson is co-creator of the hugely popular The Fast Show and is a successful film and adult thriller writer. He’s also a firm fan of the original Ian Fleming Bond novels and, with meticulous research, he has created an authentic 1930s world for Young James Bond that fits seamlessly with Fleming’s. Higson says of this new project ‘Ever since having children of my own I’ve wanted to write a thriller for kids, so when I was approached by the Fleming estate to work on a new James Bond series for younger readers it was too good an opportunity to turn down. I’ve grown up with Bond, and whilst I’ve had to finally accept that I’ll never play him in the films, writing about him is even more exciting.’ The Fleming family are delighted. Lucy Fleming, Ian’s niece, said yesterday ‘Charlie’s done a wonderful job in capturing the essence of my uncle’s James Bond.’

    The first adventure will be published in the UK by Puffin. Rebecca McNally, Fiction Publisher at Puffin says ‘James Bond is the world’s biggest spy brand and Charlie’s writing is perfect – gripping, suspenseful and very true to the original Bond. We’ve had enough of wannabes – this is the real thing.’ Aimed primarily at the 9-12 market, initial reactions suggest that these quintessential Bond stories will appeal to young and adult readers alike:

    James Bond is thirteen and just about to start at Eton having been educated at home by his Aunt Charmian since the death of his parents. The first adventure takes James to a remote Scottish castle where a wealthy American has been conducting some very disturbing experiments…

    So disturbing, in fact, that Miss Moneypenny stayed up all night reading about them, Mary Goodnight missed her stop on the train and M’s locked in the office with the do not disturb light on…

    Please keep watching this news page for official information about the young James Bond novels over the coming months. All foreign translation rights enquiries should be sent to Jessica Buckman at The Buckman Agency at the following email address: [email protected]

    This is not the first time a “Young James Bond” series has been attempted. In 1967 Glidrose published the novel, 003 1/2: The Adventures of James Bond Junior. In 1991 Danjaq launched a James Bond Jr. series of animated cartoons, books, and comics.