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A full slate of publications and events have been
lined up to celebrate the Ian Fleming Centenary next
year...
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Ian Fleming Centenary Plans
22nd December 2007
2008 is the centenary year of Ian
Fleming, creator of one of
the world’s most legendary literary characters, James Bond.
As well as being an author, during his youth he was an accomplished
athlete and later a journalist. He worked in Naval Intelligence
during the war, and was a travel writer and a spy. 2008 promises
a year-long programme of events celebrating the many aspects
of his extraordinary life.
Central to the centenary celebrations is
Devil
May Care, the new James Bond book by the British
writer Sebastian Faulks, one of the most eagerly anticipated
publishing events of 2008.
Although the plot remains a
closely guarded secret until publication by Penguin on
Fleming’s birthday – 28 May – the writer
has revealed that Devil May Care is set in the Cold War.
Action is played across two continents, exotic locations
and several of the world’s most thrilling cities.
And there will be beautiful women, naturally.
Penguin will
also be publishing new hardback editions
of all 14 of the original Bond novels under a special 007
imprint.
The centenary will also be marked by a special centenary
edition of the children’s classic, Chitty Chitty
Bang Bang. Originally written by Fleming for his son, Caspar,
it will be published by Puffin in May, with original illustrations
by John Burningham. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was made in
to a film in 1968 starring Dick Van Dyke and became a stage
musical and West End box office smash in 2002, and is currently
on tour in the UK.
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Above: Cover
art for Devil May Care |
The publication of Hurricane
Gold in paperback, the latest in
Charlie Higson’s
Young Bond series, is also planned to
coincide with Fleming’s birthday. The hugely popular series,
published by Puffin, has now sold over half a million copies
and has been translated into 23 languages. The fifth book in
the Young Bond series will be published in September alongside
a graphic novel of the first book, SilverFin, illustrated by
Kev Walker.
The Moneypenny Diaries – Final Fling by Kate
Westbrook is published by John Murray in hardback in May. This is the third
book in the series, following the affairs and adventures of James
Bond’s right-hand woman.
Above: Ian Fleming, born on May 28th 1908
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The centenary year, however, will kick off with
a Royal Mail issue of six stamps featuring different editions
of six of Ian
Fleming’s most famous novels on January 8. The two 1st
Class stamps feature Fleming’s first novel Casino
Royale and Dr
No, the first novel of the Bond series to be filmed. The
four other books featured are the covers of Goldfinger, Diamonds
are Forever, For
Your Eyes Only, and From
Russia with Love.
For Your Eyes Only:
Ian Fleming and James Bond, which opens at The Imperial War
Museum in April 2008, is the first major
exhibition devoted to the life and work of Ian Fleming. Featuring
fascinating material, much on public display for the first time,
For Your Eyes Only will look at the author and his fictional
character in its historical context and examine how much of the
Bond novels were imaginary and to what extent they were based
on real people and events.
This exhibition will explore the early
life of Ian Fleming, his wartime career and work as a journalist
and travel writer. It will examine how, as an author, he
drew upon his own experiences to create the iconic character
of James Bond that continues to have global appeal. An
accompanying book by Ben Macintyre will be published by
Bloomsbury in April 2008.
Also in April, Bond Bound: Ian Fleming and the Art of
Cover Design opens at the Fleming Collection on Berkeley
Street in Mayfair. The exhibition will cover all Ian Fleming’s
books including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Thrilling Cities – his
collected travel journalism.
However, much of the exhibition
will chart the role of artists and designers in creating
and defining the Bond look. After London, the exhibition
travels to Edinburgh for the Festival, before touring
internationally.
Throughout the year there will be a number of events,
including a Goldfinger Golf Tournament, to raise money
for the official centenary charity, the British Heart Foundation.
A special one-off
radio play adaptation of Dr No will be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in April. |
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To find out more about all centenary projects, visit
the centenary
website.
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