MI6 examines the life and works of acclaimed British novelist Sebastian Faulks, author of the James Bond continuation novel "Devil May Care"...

Sebastian Faulks Biography
4th August 2008

Sebastian Faulks was born to parents Pamela and Peter Faulks on the 20th of April 1953. Faulks was born and raised in Newbury where his father was a lawyer and later a judge. While his grandmother was an actress, his mother was an academic and through her, Faulks was exposed to fine music and literature at a fairly young age. Faulks graduated from a public school, Wellington College in Crowthorne, Berkshire, and went on to study for a B.A. (with honours) at Britain's prestigious Cambridge University. For a long time Faulks considered becoming a diplomat or politician; instead the author-to-be elected to enter the literary world after falling in love with the works of George Orwell. Out of college, Faulks took a teaching position before trying his hand at writing - found in the form of journalism for the Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph. By 1986, Faulks took an 'editor of literature' position The Independent and quickly impressed superiors. He was recruited by the weekend paper, The Independent on Sunday, where he served as the deputy editor for several years. Whilst working for the Daily Telegraph, Faulks penned his first three novels. Two were rejected by various publishers before, in 1984 and at age 31, he scribed "A Trick of the Light" which found acceptance at UK publishing house Bodley Head - a division of Random House.

Datastream Name: Sebastian Faulks Date of Birth: 20th April 1953 Published: 1984-present Bond Novels: 1 Beyond Bond: Noted author of "Birdsong", famed for his research and historical detail.

In 1989, Faulks' second novel, "The Girl at the Lion d'Or" - one of his more commonly remembered works - was published. The first of Faulks' French trilogy, set in 1930s France, "The Girl at the Lion d'Or" received critical acclaim and Sebastian Faulks began to gain popularity, at least among selected critics. The book is a heart-wrenching tale of a doomed love affair but is often forgotten against the backdrop of some of his more commercial successes. In 1991, Faulks left his full time work with the presses to focus on his own writing but still maintained a solid income as a freelance author for The Guardian and The Evening standard throughout the 1990s.

It was in his early days of writing that Faulks was in discussions with his friend and noted author, Bernard Cornwell. When Faulks asked what Cornwell had achieved in the last year, his response was that he had written and had published two novels. In the same space of time Faulks admitted to have revised a single chapter. Faulks is an author noted for his patience and detail, taking the time needed to achieve his desired outcome.

Above: Faulks is best known for his work on World War II period piece, "Birdsong".

Faulks' 1992 novel, "A Fool's Alphabet" - which sees the lead character traveling Italy to find something of himself and his past - failed to wow the critics but fame was just around the corner. A year later Faulks received his place in the bestseller's charts with his novel "Birdsong". Undeniably his most widely remembered work, the novel marked Faulks' second entry to his hailed French trilogy and jumped time-periods to tell the stories of a World War I soldier, Stephen, and his granddaughter.

The final entry to his French trilogy, "Charlotte Grey", explores the life of a young Scottish girl who gains involvement with the French Resistance during the Great War. In 2001, Cate Blanchett took the title role in a film adaptation of Faulks' novel.

In his career as an author, Faulks has always elected to tackle some controversial and emotional topics: from the brutality of the First World War in "Birdsong", to the treatment of the mentally ill in Victorian England in "Human Traces". Faulks has not been a penman to shy away from the dark corners of British history. With a deep understanding for his subject matter and a measured patience, Faulks has been hailed for his often shocking but always realistic narrative. Since 1984, Faulks has published eight novels of fiction and one non-fiction exploration. "The Fatal Englishmen" - his non-fiction work - charts great British 20th Century figures who have fallen into obscurity, inviting readers to remember these historical men and women of acclaim. Faulks has often been tied closely to historians of war and confirmed this when he wrote and presented a Channel 4 special entitled "Churchill's Secret Army".

Above: Sebastian Faulks and "Devil May Care" cover-model Tuuli Shipster

In 2008, Faulks dabbled in the world of James Bond. Taking his place as the seventh officially sanctioned author to continue the fiction of 007.  Despite some harsh reviews, Faulks does his best to emulate the timely author and Bond creator, Ian Fleming. Faulks' adventure "Devil May Care", picking up where Fleming left off, sees 007 travel to the Middle East to hunt down a corrupt drug lord and prevent his insane plan to topple Britain.

Above: Sebastian Faulks at the launch of "Devil May Care"

In 2002, he was appointed with the title Commander of the British Empire (CBE) and given status as a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. In 2007, Faulks was elected to be an honorary fellow of Emmanuel College, his old house at Cambridge. It is fair to say that Cornwell must be proud of his old friend and the impressive career he has charted so far.