“In his house in Jamaica, Ian Fleming used to write a thousand words in the morning, then go snorkelling, have a cocktail, lunch on the terrace, more diving, another thousand words in late afternoon, then more Martinis and glamorous women. In my house in London, I followed this routine exactly, apart from the cocktails, the lunch and the snorkelling.”

Sebastian Faulks, one of Britain’s most admired novelists, is announced as the author of a brand new
James Bond novel, to be published next year by Penguin Books in the UK. The book, entitled Devil May Care, will be published to mark the centenary of Ian Fleming’s birth – 28th May 2008.

Ian Fleming Publications Ltd announced in July 2006 that a new Bond book had been commissioned and
now, after a year of speculation, the author and title are revealed. Sebastian Faulks comments, “I was surprised but flattered to be asked by the Fleming Estate last summer if I would write a one-off Bond book for the Ian Fleming Centenary. I told them that I hadn’t read the books since the age of 13, but if, when I re-read them, I still enjoyed them and could see how I might be able to do something in the same vein, then I would be happy to consider it. On re-reading, I was surprised by how well the books stood up.”
He continues, “I found writing this light-hearted book more thrilling than I had expected. I hope people
will enjoy reading it and that Ian Fleming would consider it to be in the cavalier spirit of his own novels
and therefore an acceptable addition to the line.”

Fleming’s last Bond books, Octopussy and the Living Daylights, was published in 1966. Forty two years
later and in keeping with tradition, Devil May Care is set in the Cold War and the action is played out
across two continents, exotic locations and several of the world’s most thrilling cities.

Like Fleming, who was a journalist for Reuters and the Sunday Times, Faulks was a journalist for the
Daily and Sunday Telegraph, he was the first Literary Editor of the Independent and later became Deputy
Editor of the Independent on Sunday.

“The Fleming family were delighted with the typescript when we received it. Barbara Broccoli, to whom
we gave a sneak preview, said if I had told her the family had found an old manuscript of Ian’s in the
basement, she would have believed me. Sebastian couldn’t have written a better book to celebrate Ian’s
100th birthday.”

Ed’s Note: Perhaps the new Bond will swop his traditional martini for a Leopard’s Leap wine cocktail?