Ian Fleming announcement: Charlie Higson Returns with King Zero

 

Ian Fleming are excited to announce King Zero, a blockbuster new adult James Bond novel from multi-million copy bestselling Young Bond creator, Charlie Higson. It will be published in the UK on 24th September 2026 by Penguin Michael Joseph.

Beginning with the murder of an agent in Saudi Arabia by a weapon never before seen by the Secret Service and spanning the globe in an epic race against time to avert global catastrophe, the novel brings the literary Bond squarely into the twenty-first century, where the old world that made him is crumbling and a terrifying new order emerges while a dangerous villain – the most distinctive since Goldfinger – moves in the shadows. Higson explores themes of power, technology, and international tensions over resources in an extraordinarily timely story.

“Having warmed up with my Young Bond series, and the short story, On His Majesty’s Secret Service, I’m beyond excited to be writing my first full blown adult Bond adventure. 20 years after first writing “The name’s Bond, James Bond,” it still sends shivers down my spine every time I type it. I’m having a blast with this new novel, which is absolutely set in the modern world, and I hope will sit comfortably on the airport bookshelves alongside other contemporary thrillers. It embraces the worlds of both the literary Bond and the cinematic Bond, and my bad guy has all the elements we expect from a classic Bond villain, with a twist that’s not been done before.” – Charlie Higson

“We are delighted to be working with Penguin Michael Joseph on the publication of King Zero. Charlie Higson’s return to James Bond follows his outstanding success with On His Majesty’s Secret Service, commissioned for the King’s Coronation, and we are delighted to be working with Charlie again, bringing the next chapter of Bond to fans.” – Amanda Douglas, Managing Director of Ian Fleming Publications Ltd.

“There’s no character in all of fiction quite like James Bond, and since Ian Fleming’s passing no-one has captured him quite so distinctively as Charlie Higson. We were swept away by Charlie’s vision for Bond which will delight old fans and new, and we can’t wait to make this the coolest, classiest publication of the year.” – Joel Richardson, Publisher at Michael Joseph

Agent Alert: New Hardback Covers

Memorandum sent 12/08/2024
 
Classification: Gold level (For Your Eyes Only)
 
To our agents in the field,

Today, August the twelfth, marks precisely 60 years since the death of Ian Lancaster Fleming – journalist, father, ‘the world’s worst stockbroker’, and of course author of the beloved stories detailing the exploits of our very own James Bond.

To mark this date, and celebrate Fleming’s legacy, Ian Fleming Publications are pleased to reveal the covers for their new hardback editions of all fourteen of Fleming’s original Bond adventures, created by legendary designer Michael Gillette.

Casino Royale – 70 Years of 007

It is 2023 and 70 years ago today the first James Bond book Casino Royale by Ian Fleming was published. It was of course the start of what has subsequently become a symbolic series of books. It was the same year that Queen Elizabeth II was crowned, 14 books later and if you mention 007 everyone will know who you are talking about. 

For readers Ian Fleming's James Bond introduced us to an iconic character who is a coldblooded assassin and a hard drinker as well. You don't be come a double O without being willing to kill in cold blood. In my view it is clear that the groundwork for the James Bond character is laid out pretty much in its entirety in Casino Royale. His character has of course spawned a number of imitators. Think Sol Weinstein's Israeli Bond, Kim Newman's Anno Dracula novel  Dracula Cha-Cha-Cha whose vampire character is called Hamish Bond (this is by far my favourite), the 1981 novel Night Probel by Clive Cussler where his eponymous hero Dirk Pitt finds himself working with a retired Secret Service agent. Don Pendleton's Marc Bolan series and of course the James Coburn “Flint” films to name a few. 

Casino Royale is in my view a masterpiece. From the interesting and very clever intelligence reports that form parts of the opening chapters to the tales of an aged Cold War spy.

All the Bond books are atmospheric and obviously deserve to be recognised as the classics and best of the spy genre. Everyone has their favourite Bond book and I am no exception. My favourite Bond book unsurprisingly is Casino Royale. It is not solely because it is the first in the series, though that is part of the reason but also because for me (and possibly for others as well) it was the introduction to stubtle and not so stubtle product placement in books. It was also my introduction to spy thrillers as well. But then again, Ian Fleming mentions these things because they were things that he liked and enjoyed. Why mention food that you don't like to eat or cigarettes that you don't like to smoke. I loved the fact that he is very particuar about food and drink. Whilst Gin is my drink of choice, I will never turn down a good Martini. 

Furthermore, the thing about Ian Fleming's writing is that not only is it so quoteable but also it is the “hooks" at the end of chapters that heighten tension and pull the reader rapidly into the next chapter which one certainly wants to read. To this day reading the bit where Bond's genitals are being beaten with a carpet beater by Le Chiffre still makes me cringe. He has in my opinion and as Umberto Eco stated in his 1979 essay about the Bond books a rhythm, a polish, a certain sensuous feeling for words. For many also it is a book for boys.

All the key players of the series including MI6, Moneypenny, and M are introduced in Casino Royale, but we are also introduced to two other key characters that we will come into contact with in future books and that is Felix Leiter of the CIA who is a character in six 007 novels and René Mathis of the  French Deuxième Bureau who is also in From Russia With Love and is mentioned in Thunderball.

For me Casino Royale is the sort of thriller that for many it may not considered to be literature. However, it does in its own way read just as good as any literature book and in any event nowadays there are quite a few thrillers that should be considered not only as thrillers but also literature as well. 

The plot itself is quite simplistic and concise and whilst I certainly favour the 2006 version of Casino Royale as one of my favourite Bond films. It is the simplicity of the book which makes it standout. The final twist in the story and Bond’s bitter response to it, sets his character up for the rest of the series of books. The Bond in the books is of course mostly the same “Bond” all through the series. He does however change in that the further away from the war in the books the calmer he comes across.

Spy thrillers to this day still follow the trend set out in Casino Royale in that they continue to reflect the real world and of course good against evil.  In fact, to this day the plots and themes of Casino Royale are surprisingly current.

Casino Royale has always been for me a first-rate thriller. Whilst it’s not a very long read, I personally love this book in that it captures the reader and holds on until the end. With a breathtaking plot where by Fleming manages to keep us (or I should say) as far as I am concerned, enthralled and looking forward to more books in the series. For Casino Royale to be celebrating 70 years and for the Bond canon to still be seen as one who aet the original standard which has since been copied by others. It is not surprising that if readers are asked to name their favourite spies, Bond will always been on the list. Bond is of course one of the ultimate heroes in fiction.  Casino Royale is the best Ian Fleming novel in my opinion and if you are only going to read only one, this is it.

Crimewave Heads to Bristol

 

A crimewave is headed to Bristol as CrimeFest sees more than 150 authors take part in the crime fiction convention this May.

CrimeFest, which is sponsored by Specsavers, has revealed its full line up for the four-day celebration of the UK’s most popular genre, hosted at the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel from Thursday 11 to Sunday 14 May, 2023.

Alongside 2023 featured guests - stalwarts of the genre, Mark Billingham and Elly Griffiths – around 50 panels will explore everything from crime fiction set during World War Two, to the crime genre in the digital age.

Panellists include Andrew Child, co-author of the Jack Reacher novels, adapted as Reacher by Amazon Prime, author of the award-winning crime series set in India, Vaseem Khan, and Robert Thorogood, the creator behind the smash-hit BBC One series, Death in Paradise.

As Nielson book data report that sales of crime fiction in 2022 are up 19% pre-pandemic levels, one panel explores today’s ‘New Golden Age’ with the leading authority of the original Golden Age of crime fiction, Martin Edwards, alongside Janice Hallett, best known for her phenomenally successful debut, The Appeal. The panel is chaired by Agatha Christie’s publisher, David Brawn.

Nielson book data also reported an “increased appetite” in ‘cosy crime’ in 2022 book sales. The panel, ‘Keeping it Cosy’ features the former journalist turned mystery writer, Fiona Veitch Smith, and author of the Lady Hardcastle mysteries, T E Kinsey.

Marking the 70th anniversary of the publication of Casino Royale, the first James Bond novel, this year’s Ghost of Honour commemorates Ian Fleming. The panel includes the first female 007 author, Kim Sherwood. She will be joined by Corinne Turner, managing director of Ian Fleming Publications, with panel moderator, Simon Brett.

Also attending from Colorado is the winner of last year’s CrimeFest Specsavers Debut Crime Novel award with Winter Counts, David Heska Wanbli Weiden. The Professor of Native American Studies and Political Science at Metropolitan State University of Denver is an enrolled citizen of the Sicangu Lakota nation. He was named by the New York Times as one of “the most critically acclaimed young novelists working now.”

He will feature on a panel with the Icelandic novelist, playwright, and former wife of the Prime Minister of Iceland, Jónína Leósdóttir.

The former police detective turned author, Graham Bartlett appears on the panel, ‘Society: What Crime Fiction Says About Us’. Bartlett has advised some of the biggest names in crime fiction to inject reality into procedurals, and has now turned to crime fiction, with his debut, Bad for Good.

Panellists also include the son of Dick Francis, the crime writer Felix Francis, creator of the Cait Morgan Mysteries Cathy Ace, the international number one bestselling author, Liz Nugent, and Antony Johnston, the New York Times-bestselling creator of Atomic Blonde, the hit movie based on his graphic novel.

Bristol author The Sunday Times bestselling author, C. L. Taylor, who has sold nearly two million copies of her books in the UK alone, also features. As does the multi-million bestselling author Adele Parks, who will be discussing plot twists in ‘A Twist in the Tale’ with her fellow blockbusting author, Lisa Jewell, who has topped the New York Times and Sunday Times charts.

Author, playwright and TV and radio producer Simon Brett features on a panel ‘Partners in Crime’, chaired by Kate Ellis, best known for her series of detective novels which blend history and mystery.

Kia Abdullah, whose novel Take it Back was a Guardian and Telegraph thriller of the year will be on the panel, ‘Protagonists Under Pressure’ with the Scottish author, Caro Ramsay.

Leading minds from the genre include the Financial Times crime fiction reviewer and genre expert, Barry Forshaw, the chair of the Crime Writers’ Association and all-round publishing polymath, Maxim Jakubowski, alongside the President of the Detection Club - the novelist and leading authority on crime fiction, Martin Edwards.

Highlights include the annual Pub Quiz with the journalist and author Peter Guttridge as the Inquisitor; Peter is also the Toastmaster at the annual CrimeFest Awards.

Bristol-born Dame Mary Lesley Perkins DBE co-founded the optician chain and is an avid reader. Dame Mary will attend the CrimeFest gala dinner and awards presentation, which features the CrimeFest Specsavers Debut Crime Novel Award. The annual CrimeFest awards are now in their 16th year and honour the best crime books released in 2022 in the UK.

Director and co-founder of CrimeFest, Adrian Muller, said: “The fact that sales of the genre continue to rise, and it now dominates our TV screens shows the remarkable appeal of crime fiction. The line-up this year illustrates the wealth and breadth of topics behind a genre that not only offers escapism and entertainment, but can also give insights and comment on pressing issues in society.”

Donna Moore, co-founder of CrimeFest, added: “CrimeFest is a chance for readers and authors to mingle in a friendly, accessible, and fun setting. We hope people will come along, and be inspired.”

Panel topics explore humour in crime fiction, serial killers, psychological thrillers, and the importance of settings. A Fresh Blood panel will also showcase debut authors.

For those who think it’s a crime to miss Eurovision, CrimeFest will also be screening the Eurovision Final Song Contest on Saturday 13 May in the convention hotel.

CrimeFest runs at the Mercure Bristol Grand Hotel from 11-14 May, 2023. For details and to book, go to: https://www.crimefest.com/

New James Bond trilogy featuring the next generation of Double O agents to be published

HarperCollins Publishers acquire licence to thrill with a fully authorised new James Bond trilogy from Kim Sherwood, featuring the next generation of Double O agents

HarperCollins Publishers have acquired the UK & Commonwealth and US & Canadian rights to three contemporary thrillers by Kim Sherwood set in the world of James Bond that feature a new raft of Double O agents for the 21st century. The deal was negotiated by Kathryn Cheshire in the UK and David Highfill at William Morrow in the US, with Jonny Geller and Viola Hayden of Curtis Brown, on behalf of Ian Fleming Publications Limited. Kim Sherwood is represented by Susan Armstrong at C&W Agency. 

James Bond is missing, presumed captured or even killed. All of Bond’s contemporaries are gone and a new generation of Double O agents has been recruited to replace them and battle a global threat. At the same time, M and Moneypenny are searching for a mole in MI6. Will the truth be uncovered in time – or is this the end of the Double O section?

Kathryn Cheshire says: “James Bond is one of the most recognisable names in the world, and I was so excited when the Double O project came across my desk. Kim is steeped in the world of James Bond, and this trilogy is fresh, contemporary, and thrill-a-minute, with a new generation of spies everyone will love. It’s going to be so much fun to publish, and I cannot wait for readers to be introduced to the new Double O world!”

David Highfill says: “Kim Sherwood has pulled off the seemingly impossible task of writing a new Bond novel that’s both respectful of Fleming’s original genius and yet refreshingly modern. The book is audacious, pacey, sexy and just irresistibly entertaining. People are going to be talking about this one.” 

Kim Sherwood says: “James Bond has been one of the enduring loves of my life since I first watched Pierce Brosnan dive from the dam in GoldenEye. I was soon hooked on Ian Fleming’s novels. As a teenager, I chose Fleming when my English teacher asked us to write about an author we admired – I still have the school report. Since then, I’ve dreamt of writing James Bond. It’s rare that dreams come true, and I am grateful to the Fleming family for this incredible opportunity. I feel honoured to be the first novelist to expand the Bond universe through the Double O sector, bringing new life to old favourites, and fresh characters to the canon. I couldn’t be more excited to introduce the world to my Double O agents.”

Corinne Turner, Managing Director of Ian Fleming Publications Ltd, says: “In her first novel, Testament, Kim showed a rare gift for characterisation, time and place. She drew readers into a journey that unfolded in unexpected ways. These talents and her near lifelong passion for Fleming and Bond make her the perfect choice for this exciting new extension of the 007 universe. I can’t wait for readers to see what she’s created.”

Jonny Geller says: “We struck gold with this latest collaboration with Kim Sherwood as not only is she a fine novelist but a Fleming aficionado of the highest order. Her re-imagining of some of our favourite characters and world building will delight any fan of James Bond and Ian Fleming.” 

Cinematic Bond at 60: National and International Perspectives - Call For Papers

 

A History Research Group Symposium

Bournemouth University (Online), 4 March 2022

Keynote Speaker: Professor Andrew Spicer (University of the West of England)

In 1962 the first James Bond film, Dr No (Terence Young) was released. The film was a huge financial success for EON productions, catapulted Sean Connery to lifelong stardom and started a period of Bondmania that lasted for most of the 1960s. As a cultural icon and cultural phenomenon, James Bond and the Bond film have become a globally recognised brand.

The films have been widely analysed for their spectacle, their often problematic engagement with masculinity, gender relations and cultural appropriation as well as the ideological implications of how they engage with their backdrop of social and geopolitical change across the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. 

With 2022 marking 60 years of the cinematic Bond and the latest instalment, No Time to Die (Cary Fukunaga), due (allegedly) for release in October 2021, critical reflections on this ongoing franchise are relevant and timely.

This one-day online symposium, hosted by the History Research Group at Bournemouth University, will offer delegates the opportunity to discuss and interrogate the Bond franchise across diverse concepts. We are especially keen for scholars from outside of the United Kingdom to bring international and transnational perspectives to the character of Bond and the films. Likely topics include but are not restricted to:

• Gender
• Class
• Race and ethnicity
• Imperialism and post-imperialism
• Colonialism and post-colonialism
• Cold War and/or Cold War I
• Stars and stardom
• Fashion/style/aesthetics
• Music and/or sound design
• Adaptation/adoption/appropriation
• Fans and fandom
• Audiences
• Reviews and reception
• Marketing and merchandise

Delegates will be invited to submit their papers for an intended edited collection to be published in the Routledge Studies of Espionage and Culture series.

We seek proposals for 20-minute papers, or for pre-constituted panels of three or four papers, that engage with any aspects of the above topic. 

Abstracts of no more than 300 words, along with a short biographical note, should be submitted for peer review to:

Dr Laura Crossley: lcrossley@bournemouth.ac.uk by 29^th October 2021.

Cataloging 007 from A17924 to Zwart: The Origins of The James Bond Lexicon By Alan J. Porter & Gillian J. Porter

 

“Oh, I’m sure we can get the research done in a year…” So much for that way over optimistic estimate of what it would take to us chronicle the various lives and worlds of the world’s most famous secret agent across almost seventy years of adventures in various movies, novels, and comics. 

While there was already separate encyclopedias covering the Bond movies and the Ian Fleming stories we felt that the Bond community needed an overarching reference that would bring all the worlds of 007 together including unfamiliar spin-off material and stories told in other media. It was a reference book that we wanted on our shelves, so we set out to write it. 

It turned out to be a bigger project than we first estimated, and we faced some obstacles along the way.

We originally planned to publish the book sometime in 2016, but in mid-2015 Gillian was diagnosed with Stage 3 Gall Bladder Cancer, which hit us pretty hard. As a consequence, we decided to put everything on hold to fully focus on Gill's surgery and treatment. 

By mid-2017 things were going well enough that we decided to get back to working on the book and updating the manuscript. Unfortunately, it was around this time that one of the co-owners of the publishing company we had contracted with suddenly passed away. His business partner decided he didn't want to continue and shut the company, so we were now left with a partially updated manuscript and no publisher. This was a big decision point for us, and to be honest we came very close to just shelving the project. But after some thought decided to carry on and include all Bond material through to the end of 2017 and see if we could find another publisher.

A series of conversations with our On Her Majesty's Secret Podcast co-host Van Allen Plexico in 2018 resulted in him agreeing to publish the James Bond Lexicon via his White Rocket Books imprint and we were back to updating the manuscript for the third time with the intent to cover everything up to the end of 2019 so we could include Danny Boyle's Bond 25 (or so we thought).

Once the No Time To Die delays started to happen we had to make a decision of whether we stuck with "everything up to the end of 2019" or keep waiting so we could include the most recent movie. At first, we thought about waiting but as the impact of COVID started to result in multiple slip dates we decided to stay with what we had and actually work towards getting the book out. So we fixed it at covering the 271 official Bond stories released between 1953 and the end of 2019 - you have to put a line in the sand somewhere on a project like this or you will never finish.

We also decided to launch a companion website (http://jamesbondlexicon.online) where we are posting new entries for material released after 2019, and hopefully, one day that will include the entries for No Time To Die.

So here we are in April 2021 and are delighted to see The James Bond Lexicon book finally available, and hope that it will become a well loved and much thumbed reference for Bond enthusiasts, scholars, and general pop-culture fans.

The James Bond Lexicon includes more than 450 pages (over 300,000 words!) of Bond knowledge. Between its oversize covers you will find 5,000 individual entries, covering all the characters, major and minor; all the great Bond gadgets, famous and obscure; those famous vehicles; and the exotic locations Bond and his adversaries have visited, among many other items. The detailed entries come from more than two hundred different Bond stories, as presented in all the various media, from film to comics to tv to novels.

Additionally, the book is fully illustrated with more than eighty pieces of gorgeous original artwork by noted artist Pat Carbajal.

The James Bond Lexicon is available on global Amazon sites and you can follow updates and news at the companion http://JamesBondLexicon.online website or by following the @BondLexicon account on Twitter (https://twitter.com/bondlexicon) 

The James Bond Lexicon: - The Unofficial Guide to the World of 007 in Movies, Novels, and Comics by Alan J Porter and Gillian J Porter (Published by White Rocket Books) Out Now!

300,000 Words, 5,000 Individual entries, 200+ stories covered, 80+ pieces of original art and 6 Years of Research. It all adds up to ONE book –The James Bond Lexicon - the most comprehensive guide to the worlds of James Bond in Movies, Novels, TV, and Comics.  Covering 271 James Bond stories released between 1953 and 2019. Written by Alan J. Porter and Gillian J. Porter: This husband and wife team are active in the James Bond community and are both members of the Ian Fleming Foundation. Alan J. Porter is the author of JAMES BOND: the illustrated 007 (Hermes Press), the critically acclaimed history of Bond in comics, and has presented shows on the topic at museums, libraries, and various comics and science-fiction conventions. Alan is also a regular show co-host on the On Her Majesty’s Secret Podcast channel.

Photograph of Gill and Alan Porter at Ian Fleming's desk at Goldeneye, Jamaica.

©photograph and book cover copyright Alan J. Porter and Gillian J. Porter

Mark Hodder on Sexton Blake

I came to Sexton Blake from two directions. The first was via my teenage enthusiasm for the works of Michael Moorcock, whose debut novel CARIBBEAN CRISIS (which, back then, I'd never read) was a Sexton Blake yarn and whose famous Elric character was inspired by one of Blake's arch enemies, Zenith the Albino.

The second was through a cheerfully British breed of literary hero, which had its genesis with Raffles and reached an apotheosis with Bulldog Drummond, The Saint, The Toff, The Baron, and Norman Conquest before then being supplanted by the rather less jovial James Bond and his imitators.

I loved those yarns and was intrigued when I discovered that Berkeley Gray, the author of the Conquest novels, was actually Edwy Searles Brooks, who was apparently also responsible for a great many Sexton Blake tales. Norman Conquest, I learned, grew out of his Blake character, Waldo the Wonder-man.

Who, though, was this oft-mentioned Sexton Blake?

I found out when I discovered a battered paperback in a used bookstore: THE WITCHES OF NOTTING HILLby W. A. Ballinger, The Sexton Blake Library 5th series, 1965.

Fifth series! How many series had there been, I wondered? (The answer is six, though it’s debatable).

I almost didn't bother to find out. The novel was terrible. Blake was an uninspired Bond knock-off, the plot was risible, and the female characters were treated as little more than "totty."

My curiosity would have ended there were it not for the advent of the internet—and eBay—on which, one day, I saw advertised a set of UNION JACK magazines, "Sexton Blake's Own Story Paper," dating from 1919. I bid and, remarkably, no one else did, so I got them for next to nothing.

And … wow!

The yarns I discovered in that stack of crumbling, browned old issues were amazing. The Blake of the period was quite different to his later incarnation—a sort of Indiana Jones with the trappings of Sherlock Holmes and a dash of Batman. He, his teenage sidekick, Tinker, and their bloodhound, Pedro, ranged the world, spy-catching and solving locked-room mysteries; tussling with eccentric super-villains and trekking into deepest Africa; they discovered lost cities and caught the Spanish flu; exposed impersonators and lost their memories; threw themselves into punch-ups and somehow survived ferocious gunfights. All this, and much, much more in a single year's-worth of issues!

Blake had been published continuously from 1893 through to 1978, sometimes in multiple magazines per week, written by approximately 200 authors. During the '40s and '50s, his adventures were translated into many different languages, including Gujarati, and were particularly popular in Spain and South America. In general, the stories were aimed at a young adult market, though in the later years they split into a juvenile branch—picture strips and simplistic two-page stories in KNOCKOUT COMIC, for example—and a more adult branch, beginning when W. Howard Baker took over editorship of the Sexton Blake Library in 1956 and “Bondified” Blake. In addition, there were Blake theatre productions, many silent movies, a handful of talkies, a long-player record, two radio serials, a very popular TV series on ITV, and—sounding the death knell—a far less successful show on the BBC. 

All of this sent me on a collecting odyssey that continues to this day. From the outset, I was intrigued by the way Blake basically remained the same while the world transformed around him. While it's true that he was broody Holmes-ish at times and a bit brutal Bond-ish in the later years, essentially, he was always the ultimate, well-mannered, unemotional, stiff upper lipped Britisher; a mouthpiece for the empire when it still was one; a character whose popularity very slowly dwindled as the empire very slowly faded. For modern sensibilities, his unwavering faith in British superiority is sometimes heart-warming, sometimes risible, and sometimes downright racist—it depends on the writer—but it never fails to offer a solid slice of social history. Blake threw himself into all the huge upheavals of the twentieth century. New technologies frequently featured as centrepieces to his adventures: Radio! Telephones! Cars ("Events move pretty rapidly when one is travelling at thirty miles an hour!")! Flight! Television! And during his twilight years: The atom bomb! Computers! 

He also explored all the new industries that arose amid the changes, working undercover in a myriad of different roles, all of them giving his young readers an insight into what were, essentially, new job opportunities. 

I've never encountered history—not in fiction nor in textbooks—that has felt so palpable as it does in the Blake tales. That’s especially true of the war years, where all the attitudes and hardships jump off the pages.

This, though, is just a bonus. The real attraction is that the stories, aside from the occasional and inevitable stinker, are an immense amount of fun. They rattle along at a furious pace, packed with perils and hair-raising escapades, often hilariously implausible but frequently amazingly inventive.

Though every period has something to offer, the 1920s were undoubtedly Sexton Blake's "golden years." With Eric Parker providing outstanding artwork for its covers, and a band of particularly talented writers at work on the stories, the UNION JACK story paper really hit its stride. This was the era of the super-crook, when Blake and Tinker battled what were, essentially, prototype Batman villains, every bit as wild and bizarre as the Joker, Penguin and Riddler but predating them by twenty years and very easily outshining them. Zenith! Doctor Huxton Rymer! The Black Trinity! The Criminals’ Confederation! George Marsden Plummer! The Owl! Miss Death! The Master Mummer! Gunga Dass! The nefarious ne’er-do-wells make for a very long list, yet each of them is unique and memorable.

I've been collecting, reading, and writing about Sexton Blake for more than two decades now and I never grow tired of it. With so much material, there's always something new to discover!

Long live Blake!

Sexton Blake and the Great War Edited by Mark Hodder (Published by Rebellion Publishing) Out 16 April 2020

 Britain and Germany are at war and Sexton Blake is in the thick of it. As the battle for the Western Front rages, adventuring detective Sexton Blake pits his intellect and physical prowess against the machinations of the Kaiser. A band of intrepid allies join Blake to take on the forces of evil in three classic stories, collected here for the first time.  From uncovering secret German naval bases to dangling from Zeppelins, fighting atop moving trains and escaping firing squads, Blake moves through war-torn Europe solving mysteries and fighting against tyranny.  Join him as he enters a war of secrets, soldiers and spies…

The Shots review can be found here.

Sexton Blake Versus the Master Crooks  (Published 25 June 2020

Sexton Blake ‘s Allies (Published 6 August 2020)

Sexton Blake on the Home Front (Published 6 October 2020)

Sexton Blake’s New Order (Published 10 December 2020)

£2.5m James Bond Collection For Sale at Masterpiece

£2.5m James Bond Collection For Sale at Masterpiece London including signed books to Churchill, Kennedy and others

Some of the exceptional inscribed first editions included in the Ian Fleming Collection.

Peter Harrington, the UK’s largest rare bookseller, this year celebrates its 50th anniversary, and is thrilled to offer for sale an exceptional collection of Ian Fleming material for £2.5m, which it will be exhibiting at this year’s Masterpiece London. It is the most significant Fleming Collection to ever appear on the market and contains inscribed first editions of every James Bond book published in the author’s lifetime.

Amongst these inscriptions are some sensational associations:

An omnibus edition of Casino Royale, From Russia With Love and Doctor No inscribed to James Bond;

Live and Let Die inscribed to Winston Churchill;

The Spy Who Loved Me inscribed to Robert Kennedy;

Moonraker inscribed to Raymond Chandler;

From Russia with Love bearing a personal inscription from Fleming to his wife.

The Collection also includes a number of manuscripts, pre-publication proofs, advance copies and ephemera, and a number of books from Fleming’s personal library. These include a notebook kept by Fleming on a trip to Japan, from which selected passages appear in You Only Live Twice, books from his childhood and a copy of Raymond Chandler's last novel inscribed to Fleming by the author.

Ian Fleming’s books about James Bond are perennially popular and there is an extremely enthusiastic fan base for both the books and the films.  Continued interest is fuelled by the release of each new film, with (working title) the latest film, set for release early next year. An indication of the price trend of James Bond first editions can be seen with a particularly fine copy of which Peter Harrington has been lucky enough to sell four times in the past few years: for £22,000 in 2002; £26,000 in 2006; £30,000 in 2008; and in 2013, for £50,000. Bond 25Casino Royale

 

It is remarkably rare to see a whole collection like this for sale, as they are usually broken up, and it will appeal to someone looking to acquire a complete and exceptional Fleming collection all in one go. This collection is the highest valued Peter Harrington has ever offered for sale. The 81 items come from a New York collector, who has been assembling the collection for over 30 years and it is offered for sale as a collection for £2.5m.

 

Pom Harrington owner of Peter Harrington Rare Books says: “.”The significance of this collection cannot be overstated. From typescripts which document Fleming’s creative process, to inscriptions which provide an insight into his personal life, few collections tell such a complete story about an author. We are extremely excited to be able to present it at this year’s Masterpiece fair, alongside a selection of other carefully chosen items

 

Masterpiece London takes place in the grounds of the Royal Hospital in Chelsea from Thursday 27th June until Wednesday 3rd July and is open daily from 11am until 7pm on Friday 28th, Saturday 29th and Sunday 30th June and until 9pm on all other days.

If you would like a ticket for Masterpiece (Limited availability) please RSVP by clicking   HERE

 

To view the full list of items in the Fleming Collection Click HERE

James Bond Collection Highlights 

 

Gilt-Edged Bonds Inscribed to James Bond

A presentation copy of Gilt-Edged Bonds (1961), the first Omnibus edition of Casino Royale, From Russia With Love and Doctor No., inscribed by Ian Fleming to a person who shared his name with Fleming’s hero: “To James Bond from Ian Fleming”.

Live and Let Die (1954) Inscribed to Winston Churchill

A superb presentation first edition, inscribed by Ian Fleming to Winston Churchill: “To Sir Winston Churchill, from whom I stole words! From the author. 1954”. The inscription refers to the Churchill quote regarding the secret services that is used on the front flap of the dust jacket, taken from his Thoughts and Adventures.

Since his boyhood, Ian Fleming was a great admirer of Winston Churchill. His father, Valentine Fleming, served in Churchill’s old regiment during the First World War. When Valentine was killed Churchill wrote an appreciation for him in The Times which Ian Fleming framed and hung in his various homes throughout his life. Churchill gets a passing reference in From Russia, With Love, where Bond's housekeeper refuses to call anyone "sir" save for the King and Winston Churchill.

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 The Spy Who Loved Me (1962) Inscribed to Robert Kennedy 

A first edition, presentation copy inscribed by Ian Fleming to Robert Kennedy “to [Herr?] Robert Kennedy from [Herr?] Ian Fleming”. Fleming first met Robert Kennedy's brother, the future president John F. Kennedy, in Washington in March 1960. Fleming had dinner with John F. Kennedy, and their discussions on the Cuban threat interested John, who was already a fan of James Bond. Through John, Fleming became acquainted with Robert, and he sent inscribed copies of his books to both Robert and John and to their sister Eunice Shriver. John F. Kennedy later told Life Magazine of his fondness for James Bond, which was enthusiastically quoted on the dust jacket of the US edition of The Spy Who Loved Me, a major boost for Bond’s popularity in America. 

On 20 June 1962, Ian Fleming wrote to Robert Kennedy (then Attorney General) “I am delighted to take this opportunity to thank Kennedys everywhere for the electric effect their commendation has had on my sales in America.”

Moonraker (1955) Inscribed to Raymond Chandler and containing Chandler’s notes 

An outstanding association first edition, inscribed by Ian Fleming to the novelist Raymond Chandler “To Field Marshall Chandler from Private Ian Fleming 1955”. Despite the deferential inscription, Fleming’s homage to the writer he admired so greatly, this did not prevent Chandler from reading the book with a critical eye. On the first page of text, Chandler notes in the margin that the Colt Detective Special mentioned in the text has a "2 1/2 barrel" (p. 9). He sums up the first chapter as "All Padding" (p. 18), and a description of Bond's day on p. 15 as "Bad". He has added about 24 words in manuscript on the rear flap of the jacket. Chandler did review the book encouragingly in the Sunday Times though. 

The inscription is expressive of the remarkable friendship which grew up between the two masters of the thriller, creators of two of the century’s most memorable fictional characters, James Bond and Philip Marlowe. Fleming had long admired Chandler’s work before their first meeting over a dinner in London in May 1955, shortly after the publication of Moonraker, and with Diamonds Are Forever completed. Fleming treated him with deference and the two got on well together. Fleming inscribed Moonraker to Chandler in 1955, possibly at this meeting.

This meeting was of enormous consequence to Fleming's literary career as in March 1955 after completing the manuscript of Diamonds Are Forever, Fleming seemed to have had enough of James Bond. However, Chandler encouraged Fleming, praising the second Bond novel Live and Let Die, and writing a testimonial about the book for Fleming's publishers. Chandler's approval seemed to make Fleming quickly decide that his next book, instead of finishing Bond off for good, would go to the opposite extreme. It would be different from any other book he had written, it would have depth and seriousness. Consequently, it can be affirmed that Chandler transformed Moonraker from among the last Bond books to the third of fourteen; Peter Harrington feel that few conceivable copies could be more desirable.

From Russia with Love Inscribed to Fleming’s Wife Ann (1957) 

A first edition, inscribed by Fleming to his wife Ann Charteris, “To Annie, with love and lashes, Ian”, the lashes referring to their sexual preferences.

Archive for the dust jacket of "For Your Eyes Only" by Richard Chopping (1959 – 1960)

A series of twenty-two autograph and typed letters signed and sent between Ian Fleming, Michael Howard, his agent, and Fleming’s dust-jacket artist of choice, Richard Chopping, documenting the conception and creation of Chopping’s jacket design for Fleming’s For Your Eyes Only. The collection contains a number of drafts and colour palettes for the dust jacket, as well as a final sketch and is housed in a custom-made blue cloth folder.

You Only Live Twice: Manuscript Notebook (1962)

Fleming's fascinating small notebook kept while jaunting around Japan in 1962 with Dick Hughes, containing travelogue impressions, hotel and restaurant addresses, schedules, linguistic notes (Moshimoh - hello!), philosophical responses ("[Drawing of a Yin-Yang symbol] Only the good can be bad - only the believer can blaspheme - only the black can be white."), and most importantly several long passages that he would later incorporate almost verbatim into You Only Live Twice (1964).

The final typescript of Diamond Are Forever, with Fleming's revisions (1965-6)

Ian Fleming's 277 page revised typescript of Diamonds are Forever, with numerous autograph additions. The typescript is peppered throughout with tweaks, written in Fleming's characteristic blue ballpoint. Many tighten the plot, while some are more minor: a telephone number, for example, gets altered from Wisconsin 9.00456 to Wisconsin 7.3697. 

Others add vigour to the prose: when Bond checks himself into the Hotel Astor, Fleming originally wrote "in front of an elderly woman"; but changed it to "before a hatchet-faced woman with a bosom like a sandbag". On page 88, "too many expense-account customers" becomes "too much expense-account aristocracy". While most pages contain one or two alterations, more substantial additions appear in eight places.

Chapter 17 was originally called "Bond Forces the Race" but becomes "Thanks for the Ride". Every now and then the nagging voice of the publisher's reader can be heard, protesting at one point "but surely the world's diamond centre is Amsterdam?" This final draft was typed by Fleming's secretary Ulrica Knowles. 

Ian Fleming’s copy of The Boy's Own Annual (1918)

This copy of The Boy’s Own Annual was published just before the end of the Great War and was given to Ian Fleming, when he was a ten-year-old boy, just after the war ended, by his mother, with the inscription, “Ian, from Mama, Christmas 1918”. Clearly this book, full of stories of adventure and empire, was important to Fleming, and in later years he affixed to it a photograph of himself in naval uniform. 

Playback by Raymond Chandler (1958)

A first edition of Raymond Chandler’s last novel inscribed to Fleming by the author “To Ian, with love, Ray”.