Two More Ian Fleming Centenary Events Announced

Two more events have been announced in celebration of the centenary of James Bond creator, Ian Fleming’s birth.

IanFlemingCentenary.com carries details of a Royal Society of Literature lecture entitled “Licenced to Kill” to take place on 12 May 2008. Chaired by Alan Judd and delivered by Daphne Park, the lecture will also feature readings by Ian Fleming’s niece, Lucy Fleming.

Full details are below.

Royal Society of Literature lecture: ‘Licenced to Kill’

The Ian Fleming Centenary Lecture will take place on Monday 12 May at 7pm at the Kenneth Clark Lecture Theatre, Courtauld Institute at Somerset House, London.

The lecture will be given by Daphne Park and will feature readings by Lucy Fleming.

Daphne Park does not look like James Bond – in fact her beady cosiness is more reminiscent of Miss Marple – but she was the true face of British Intelligence for the second half of the twentieth century. She served in the SOE during the Second World War, in Moscow during the Cold War, and in Hanoi during the Vietnam conflict. She smuggled men out of the Congo in the boot of her car (not an Aston Martin, but a 2cv), and became a senior controller for MI6, before moving on to become Principal of Somerville College, Oxford. Created Baroness Park of Monmouth in 1990, she insists that intelligence work is less about glamorous derring-do than about ‘knowing human beings’. So, how real was James Bond? In a discussion to mark the centenary of the birth of Ian Fleming, interspersed with readings from his work by his niece, the actress Lucy Fleming, Lady Park talks to diplomat Alan Judd, author of the authorised life of Mansfield Cumming, founder of MI6, and of the spy novel Legacy.

The Lecture is entitled ‘Licenced to Kill’ and will be chaired by Alan Judd. Tickets, which are not issued in advance, are available on the door. Suggested contribution £5. Please telephone 020 7845 4676 or email [email protected] for further details.

In addition to this lecture, the website now features a listing for the Goldfinger golf tournament. Further details will follow, but the tournament will take place on 25 June 2008 at the Royal St George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, Kent, where Fleming was a member.

CommanderBond.net will bring you full details of this exciting event as soon as they emerge.

Britain-based Bond fans can also look forward to two previously-announced exhibitions: “For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming & James Bond”, which will examine the legacy of Ian Fleming’s life and works, and “Bond Bound: Ian Fleming and the Art of Cover Design”, which looks at the artwork adorning the 007 novels.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for the most up-to-date James Bond news on the web.

'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' Release Date Moves Up

New edition of Ian Fleming’s Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

As first reported on CommanderBond.net back in October 2007, Ian Fleming’s Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, one of his three non-James Bond novels, was set to be reprinted in early 2008 as part of the centenary celebrations being put together by Ian Fleming Publications (IFP).

Originally set for a 1 May release date, the official Ian Fleming centenary website has been updated with a new release date of 8 April for the hardback novel.

Retailing for £14.99 and featuring original illustrations by John Burningham, 007 fans can order this ‘fabulous new gift edition’ Chitty Chitty Bang Bang from amazon.co.uk.

The wings slowly tilted, and as Commander Pott, at last realizing what Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was up to, pressed down the accelerator pedal, the big green car tilted up her shining green and silver nose and took off! Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, invented “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” for his young son Caspar, and it went on to become the most famous and best-loved car in fiction. This treasured story inspired a film and a musical and is celebrated in this lavish, highly collectible new edition, complete with its original timeless artwork by John Burningham, one of Britain’s most popular author/illustrators.

This reprint of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is just one of many upcoming releases literary Bond fans can look forward to. Others include Sebastian Faulks’ debut 007 novel Devil May Care, Samantha Weinberg’s third Miss Moneypenny adventure Final Fling, new hardback reprints of all 14 original Fleming 007 novels, the UK paperback edition of Charlie Higson’s latest Young James Bond adventure Hurricane Gold and the SilverFin graphic novel

• Order Chitty Chitty Bang Bang from Amazon.co.uk

Keep watching CBn for all the latest literary James Bond news and coverage. To keep track of all the upcoming 007 releases, events, television shows, and more–just keep your eyes on the CBn Calendar, located on the right panel of our main page.

'SilverFin' Graphic Novel Release Date Shift

James Bond fans awaiting the release of the graphic novel adaptation of Charlie Higson’s debut Young Bond novel, SilverFin, will unfortunately have to wait a bit longer.

Kev Walker’s character art for SilverFin

Originally due out in May 2008, before being postponed to 4 September 2008, the book will now hit shelves on 2 October 2008, according to IanFlemingCentenary.com.

The artwork for the SilverFin adaptation is being created by Kev Walker, who has provided illustrations for the official Young Bond website, as well as the cover art for the US releases of Blood Fever and Double Or Die.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for the most up-to-date James Bond coverage on the web.

Cover Art For Raymond Benson's Union Trilogy Revealed

Raymond Benson’s The Union Trilogy

The cover artwork for Raymond Benson’s Union Trilogy–a collection of his three James Bond novels High Time To Kill, Doubleshot and Never
Dream of Dying–has been revealed.

As first reported by CommanderBond.net this past December, Benson’s 007 will be returning to print in the US in an omnibus edition by Pegasus Books in October 2008 after a five year absence.

As the cover details, this new Union Trilogy collection will also feature a brand new introduction by Benson. As an added bonus to Bond fans, this omnibus will also include the complete, unedited version of Benson’s first 007 short story, Blast From The Past.

Raymond Benson

Blast From The Past was first (and up to this point, only) published in an edited version in the January 1997 edition of Playboy magazine. The full-length short story was originally only made available in French and Italian.

Furthermore, Pegasus Books is currently planning to follow this omnibus with yet another Benson collection in 2009.

Benson’s other Bond-related works include novels Zero Minus Ten, The Facts of Death and The Man with the Red Tattoo, the Midsummer Night’s Doom and Live at Five short stories and the film novelizations for Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day.

Stay tuned to CBn for all the latest literary James Bond news.

Search Begins For 'Devil May Care' Theme Song

Devil May Care cover

Publisher Penguin and social networking website MySpace have joined forces to deliver a unique online James Bond experience.

A MySpace page has been launched to promote the release of Sebastian Faulks’ highly anticipated James Bond novel, Devil May Care. In addition to some exclusive goodies (such as wallpapers, and a glimpse at the cover art for the upcoming Ian Fleming hardback reissues), 007 fans have the opportunity to compose and perform the official Devil May Care theme song.

The winning track will feature on the Devil May Care audiobook and will also be available to download via iTunes and the Penguin website.

The full press release is below.

Penguin and MySpace Begin Search For James Bond Theme Tune

LONDON – 28.1.2008 – Musicians and James Bond fans across Britain have the rare chance to be a part of 007’s iconic history as Penguin announces its search for the theme tune to Devil May Care, the eagerly awaited new Bond novel written by Sebastian Faulks.

From today visitors to uk.myspace.com/devilmaycarebook have the chance to create an original piece of music for the new Bond book which is published on 28th May, the centenary of Ian Fleming’s birth.

The winning track will become the book’s official theme tune and will be featured on the Devil May Care audio book, published on the same day. This will be the first theme tune to accompany a James Bond book and will later be available as a free digital download.

A shortlist of five entries will be selected by a high-profile judging panel, which includes the book’s author, Sebastian Faulks along with respected figures from the world of literature and music, including cult music producer Jazzie B and Matthew Fleming, great nephew of original Bond author Ian Fleming. Dom Cook, Director of Marketing and Content for MySpace UK and Alex Clarke, Penguin Editor of Devil May Care will also judge.

The competition is open to all musicians – both amateur and established artists – with the deadline for entries on 25th February. All entry criteria, including guidance on the style required, can be found on the Devil May Care MySpace page. As well as the exposure, the winner will also pick up the overall prize of £1,000 worth of music equipment.

Once the shortlist is chosen, the final vote will be opened to the public on Monday 3rd March, with the winner announced on Monday 17th March.

Speaking about the launch, Dom Cook, Director of Marketing and Content at MySpace UK said: “With more than eight million artists and bands on MySpace it’s the best place to discover exciting new talent. We hope the passion and creativity that fuels our site will be reflected in the high quality of entries that Penguin receive.”

Alex Clarke, Penguin Editor of Devil May Care commented, “I hope that this is a dream brief – create your own Bond theme tune – it doesn’t get much better than that. We’re really pleased to be able to reach out to all the millions of Myspacers – and hope that loads of people will be inspired to rise to the challenge. It’s an amazing novel – so it’ll need some really good music!”

Alongside the competition, the Devil May Care MySpace profile will be a hub of information and news in the build up to the publication of the book. It will make available downloadable wallpapers and counters and will be regularly updated with blog posts, videos and new writing from Bond aficionados and authors.

Following the release of the audio book, the theme tune will be made available for free download via Penguin (penguin.co.uk) and iTunes.

Devil May Care will be released on 28 May 2008.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for the most up-to-date literary James Bond news on the web.

James Bond Royal Mail Stamp Competition

Presentation Pack

Following up the Royal Mail issuing it’s new line of James Bond stamps earlier this month as part of the Ian Fleming centenary celebrations, 007 fans now have the chance to win one of the presentation packs that were issued.

The Friends of Scotland website is holding a competition with 20 of the newly issued Bond presentation packs as the prizes.

Entrants must simply answer a few 007 trivia questions to be entered into the drawing for a prize. For further information and conditions and to enter this competition, visit the Friends of Scotland website.

Presentation Pack (inside)

Click here for CommanderBond.net’s full coverage of the brand new Ian Fleming James Bond stamps (including pictures of the many different items available).

Keep your eyes on the CBn main page for all the latest news on the Ian Fleming centenary events taking place throughout 2008. To keep track of all the upcoming 007 releases, events, television shows, and more–just keep your eyes on the CBn Calendar, located on the right panel of our main page.

'Hurricane Gold' Paperback To Include 'Young Bond 5' Extract

While the wait for Charlie Higson’s fifth, final, and currently untitled Young James Bond adventure, which is due out on 4 September, may seem like a long time, the Young Bond Dossier has some good news for fans.

The website reports that the UK paperback of Higson’s fourth Young Bond novel, Hurricane Gold, will include an exclusive sneak peak at the fifth adventure. The Hurricane Gold hits UK bookshelves on 28 May.

• Order the UK hardback edition of Hurricane Gold from Amazon.co.uk
• Order the UK paperback edition of Hurricane Gold from Amazon.co.uk
• Order the UK audiobook edition of Hurricane Gold from Amazon.co.uk

The Young Bond Dossier notes that this upcoming extract is a first for a UK Young Bond paperback. Only the US paperback of SilverFin previously included an extract for Blood Fever.

Higson previously said regarding the fifth novel’s ending: ‘We see where he’s going to go in his future and what’s going to happen to him. He learns a quite a few nasty lessons in the book, about life, and people, and who you can trust and not trust.’

‘It’s not going to be a particularly happy ending, I don’t think. It’ll be interesting to see how kids react to that.’

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest Young Bond coverage.

Bond Authors Charlie Higson And Sebastian Faulks At Oxford Literary Festival

Two literary 007 authors–Charlie Higson, creator of the popular Young Bond series, and Sebastian Faulks, author of the forthcoming James Bond novel, Devil May Care–are set to attend the upcoming Sunday Times Oxford Literary Festival.

The Young Bond Dossier reports that the event will be running from 31 March through 6 April at Christ Church in Oxford.

Higson will be making an appearance at the children’s events to be held on Wednesday, 2 April at 6:00pm. Admission to this event is £6.

Faulks will be taking part in an interview with Peter Kemp on Monday, 31 March at 6:00pm. Admission costs £7.50.

For further details or to purchase tickets, visit the official website or phone 01865 276152 for a brochure.

Keep watching CommanderBond.net for all the latest literary James Bond news and coverage. To keep track of all the upcoming 007 releases, events, television shows, and more–just keep your eyes on the CBn Calendar, located on the right panel of our main page.

'For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond' Cover Artwork

As reported on CommanderBond.net last year, a new book entitled For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond by Ben Macintyre has been planned for release this upcoming April and also acts to accompany the Ian Fleming centenary exhibition which goes under the same name.

The cover artwork for For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond has now been revealed and can be viewed online at amazon.co.uk. The book, published by Bloomsbury Publishing, is set to be released on 7 April (retailing for £20.00) in the UK and 29 April ($34.95) in the US. The full blurb:

Published to coincide with the 2008 Imperial War Museum exhibition of the same name, this is a thrilling stand-alone book that looks into the entwined worlds of James Bond and Ian Fleming. The book and exhibition will explore how Fleming’s 007 emerged against the background of the Second World War and the Cold War, and how Bond’s world was based on the realities (and fantasies) of Fleming’s life as a wartime spy-master and peacetime bon viveur. They will show how the film version of Bond evolved for a later age, and answer a question that has obsessed generations of Bond fans over the years: where does the world of Ian Fleming end, and that of James Bond begin? Stylishly illustrated, this book will incorporate a treasure-trove of gadgets, costumes, props, and storyboards from the films – Daniel Craig’s blood-stained shirt from Casino Royale, the Aston Martin DB5, complete with weaponry – as well as memorabilia from Fleming’s personal archive: his smoking jacket, the manuscript for Casino Royale, his golden typewriter, his guns, and much more. Alongside this array of extraordinary visuals, Ben Macintyre tells the story of how Fleming created the most popular legend of all time.

• Order the UK hardback edition of For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond from Amazon.co.uk
• Order the US hardback edition of For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond from Amazon.com

Click here for CBn’s full coverage of the Fleming exhibition, which is set to run from 25 April 2008 through 1 March 2009 at the Imperial War Museum in London.

Stay tuned to CBn for further details on Ben Macintyre’s For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming and James Bond and complete coverage of the Ian Fleming centenary events.

French 'Devil May Care' Coming In Late Summer '08

Following up the announcement of the international publishers for Sebastian Faulk’s upcoming James Bond novel, Devil May Care, this past December, JamesBond-fr.com has since uncovered further information on the French edition of this centenary novel.

The French edition of Devil May Care will be titled Le Diable l’emporte (roughly translates to ‘The Devil Takes It’). To be published by Flammarion with a retail price of € 15, the book will hit shelves in late summer 2008.

Cover artwork for this specific edition is yet to be revealed.

As previously mentioned by Faulks, Devil May Care is set in 1967 when ‘Bond is damaged, aging and in a sense it is the return of the gunfighter for one last heroic mission.’

Devil May Care will be published by Penguin Books in the UK and its territories (under the new Penguin 007 imprint) and by Doubleday in the US on 28 May.

CommanderBond.net will keep you updated with all the latest news and details on Devil May Care. To keep track of all the upcoming 007 releases, events, television shows, and more–just keep your eyes on the CBn Calendar, located on the right panel of our main page.