ON HIS MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE paperback released

The UK paperback edition of Charlie Higson's On His Majesty's Secret Service is released today by Ian Fleming Publications. The paperback features revised text, exclusive content, and dynamite new cover art. The book supports the National Literacy Trust.

On His Majesty's Secret Service was a special one-off Bond novella to celebrate the coronation of King Charles. Higson authored the popular and acclaimed Young Bond series and really delivered with his first adult Bond novel.

My hope is that IFPL and Charlie will settle down together in a marriage that was always meant to be, and Charlie Higson will become the new official continuation novelist. I so miss the days of Gardner and Benson when we got a new Bond book every year. I'd love nothing more than a decade of regular James Bond adventures from Charlie Higson.

In the meantime, On His Majesty's Secret Service can be purchased from IFPL, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.

Spybrary interviews Charlie Higson

Spybrary's Shane Whaley is joined by special guests Charlie Higson and Mark Ashby to discuss the revised paperback edition of On His Majesty's Secret Service, and what could have been for Young Bond.

LINK: ‘Bond’s gone woke!’ Charlie Higson on the row around his ‘metrosexual’ 007

Nice article by Charlie Higson in The Guardian for those who care to read and think. Click the headline above.

"I believe that as long as Bond can remain an outrageous fantasy he will endure. No Time to Die experimented with grounding Bond and giving him a reality. I prefer the cocktail-fuelled rush of the night before."

Higson's superb On His Majesty's Secret Service is released in paperback in the UK this week.

ON HIS MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE limited paperback sells out in an hour

If there was ever a reason to subscribe to the Ian Fleming Publications newsletter, it was today. IFP offered 200 special signed paperback editions of Charlie Higson's acclaimed On His Majesty's Secret Service with sprayed 007 edges. They were available exclusively through the IFP online store and appear to have sold out within the hour.

You can still buy the regular paperback edition of On His Majesty's Secret Service via Amazon.co.uk. Release date is June 6.

Here's hoping Charlie and IFP are working on a deal for more books. Higson + Bond. This works!

Cover for paperback ON HIS MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE revealed and it's a beauty!

Cover art for the paperback edition of Charlie Higson's On His Majesty's Secret Service has been revealed, and it's FANTASTIC! (imho) IFP has also posted an interview with the designer Mark Ecob of Mecob.

BOND SAVE THE KING

It's the 4th of May, two days before the coronation of King Charles III and the world's favourite spy has his work cut out for him.

Bond is sent at the last minute to thwart an attempt to disrupt the coronation by the deadly megalomaniac Æthelstan of Wessex, who is on a mission of his own to rule the United Kingdom and rewrite history.

Can Bond thwart his plans by infiltrating Æthelstan’s private army and ending his reign of terror before it begins?

In support of the National Literacy Trust.

THE NEW PAPERBACK EDITION FEATURES REVISED TEXT AND EXCLUSIVE BONUS CONTENT.

The On His Majesty's Secret Service paperback will be released on June 6, 2024, and can be pre-ordered from IFP or Amazon.co.uk.

Seeing a proper cover like this just makes me want MORE! More traditional Bond adventures like this. More Charlie Higson! Let him take us into the next era of The Book Bond.

IFP announces releases for 2024

Ian Fleming Publications have announced their plans for 2024. Full press release below.

IFPL Announcement – What We Have Planned For 2024

As we make our way through the cold and blustery days of January, instead of lighting our 70th cigarette of the day, let’s instead look ahead to what’s coming in 2024. We’re very excited to share with you our plans for the year ahead and stay tuned for some surprises in the months to come…

Our first 2024 title to announce is a new eBook-only omnibus that collects Raymond Benson's six original Bond novels together into a single eBook.

James Bond: The Raymond Benson Years includes the classic books Zero Minus Ten, The Facts of Death, High Time to Kill, DoubleShot, Never Dream of Dying and The Man with the Red Tattoo.

James Bond: The Raymond Benson Years will be published on 26 February. It is available for pre-order HERE.

Next up, we're thrilled to announce that on 6 June, just in time for King Charles' official birthday, we'll be publishing a paperback edition of Charlie Higson's Sunday Times bestselling On His Majesty's Secret Service. The paperback edition will feature some exclusive new content, and we'll be sharing the new cover soon. As with the hardback, all royalties from the new edition will continue to go to support the work of the National Literacy Trust.

2024 marks 60 years since the publication of Ian Fleming's classic children's story about a flying car and the adventure of a lifetime, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. To celebrate this anniversary, we'll be publishing a new paperback edition of this beloved tale on 13 June. Aimed at young readers and featuring brand new illustrations, it's not the only thing we have planned this year to celebrate the world’s most famous flying car... Keep an eye on the skies, as we'll be revealing both the illustrator and cover of the new paperback version soon!

In time for James Bond Day in October, we'll be releasing fourteen beautiful new hardback editions of Ian Fleming's original Bond stories. From Casino Royale to Octopussy, start clearing some space on your shelves! Stay tuned for word on some exciting surprises, including the artist of the new covers...

That concludes the titles we'll be publishing ourselves, but we'd be remiss not to mention the titles coming from our partners too.

The first issue of a new blockbuster Bond comics run, penned by superstar writer Garth Ennis (The Boys, Preacher) was published 17 January.  In Your Cold, Cold Heart the humour is black, the blood is red and the drinks are crystal clear. Order your copy of James Bond: 007 (2024) #1 online or from your local comic shop, and issue #2 will be out in February.

Don't miss the second instalment in Kim Sherwood's explosive Double O series, A Spy Like Me, publishing in the US on 23 April and the UK on 25 April from HarperCollins. Johanna Harwood, Agent 003, is on the hunt – for revenge and for James Bond…

Our friends over at the Folio Society also have something special in store for you this year, but our lips are sealed for now.

Finally, our team is working hard to improve our online web shop. This year we'll be adding the option to buy eBooks of our titles direct from us - after purchase these will be distributed by email via BookFunnel, and will be available to download and send to your preferred device. We're also working to expand the areas we ship to, beyond just the UK & USA. Keep an eye on our socials for announcements of when both eBooks and expanded shipping options are live.

P.S. We recommend you start work on your golf game…

Thank you, IFP, for keeping the Bond flag flying!

JAMES BOND AFTER FLEMING by Mark Edlitz

Mark Edlitz, author of the superb The Lost Adventures of James Bond, is back with a new book, James Bond After Fleming: The Continuation Novels. I'm a big fan of the James Bond continuation novels (obviously), so this is a book I'm very excited about! I've actually had the pleasure of seeing an advance copy, and I can tell you this is a top-notch piece of work and a must-have for fans of the literary James Bond and beyond.

Ian Fleming wrote twelve original James Bond novels and two collections of short stories. Despite the cultural importance of Fleming’s 14 books, they represent just a fraction of the Bond novels. Since Fleming’s death, his estate has authorized the publication of numerous Bond novels and spin-off works. 

These continuation novels include scores of books about Bond’s dangerous adventures, movie novelizations, a pseudo-biography, and various spin-off series about the teenage Bond, the Secret Service’s beloved secretary Miss Moneypenny, and the next generation agents in the Double O division. 

For the first time ever, Mark Edlitz offers a comprehensive overview of every exciting Bond adventure in one illustrated volume. Whether you are fully immersed in Bond’s world or new to the spy game, James Bond After Fleming is an essential reference book that is a must-have for any Bond fan.

Purchase James Bond After Fleming: The Continuation Novels at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

IFP hosts a CELEBRATION OF BOND, Dec. 5

On December 5, Ian Fleming Publications will be hosting a celebration of James Bond and the 60th anniversary of Ian Fleming's novel On Her Majesty's Secret Service with a screening of the 1969 movie and a Q&A with Charlie Higson, author of On HIS Majesty's Secret Service. Tickets can be purchased HERE.

Sure beats staying home and watching a reality TV show! 😉

Charlie Higson talks ON HIS MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE

Really excellent interview here with Charlie Higson and David Zaritsky on The Bond Experience. So good to hear Charlie talking Bond again. Still waiting for my Goldsboro edition of OHisMSS to arrive from the UK, but I can't wait to read it! Enjoy.

You can purchase On His Majesty's Secret Service from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.

ON HIS MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE released today

Charlie Higson's On His Majesty's Secret Service is released today by Ian Fleming Publications. Charlie has written a terrific personal message that I'm taking the liberty of reproducing in full below. You can also read it HERE. I loved Charlie's work on the Young Bond series and I can't wait to get my hands on this new book. Thanks Charlie and IFP for giving this fan a much needed Bond boost!

To all Bond readers, Chapter One of SilverFin begins with the following line: ‘The smell and noise and confusion of a hallway full of schoolboys can be quite awful at twenty past seven in the morning.’ My first Young Bond novel was published in 2005 and my final Young Bond story, ‘A Hard Man to Kill’ was released in 2009. That seemed to be the end of that particular era of my writing.  Until now. It’s always an easy headline to say, ‘Bond is back’, so instead let’s boldly and modestly state ‘Higson has returned’. It’s been 14 years and much has changed with the world, with publishing, with popular culture and literature. But Bond hasn’t changed. And people still want to read Bond books. Including me. The time is always right for a James Bond adventure. Whether all is right with the world or all is wrong with the world, it is always a pleasure to relax at home with a cocktail, a cigarette and wearing a perfectly tailored suit (just me?) and become lost in the stories of Ian Fleming’s creation. The timing was particularly apt this year when in February 2023 I got the call from Ian Fleming Publications inviting me to write an original story for charity to time with the Coronation of King Charles III. A chance to dive back into the world of 007 – and produce a story in three weeks. How could I refuse? The day before I got the call, I had no notion of a new Bond adventure. It was not on my mind. And yet just a day or two after the call, the idea leapt almost fully formed – it shot out with the clarity and decisiveness of a poisoned blade hidden in the sole of a Smersh shoe. My story is set two days before the Coronation and finds Bond reflecting on his recent mission – to ‘neutralise’ a threat to King Charles III in the form of the self-styled Æthelstan of Wessex who sees himself as the true heir to the throne. The mission takes Bond to Croatia, Hungary and an ancient castle where Bond must take on Æthelstan and his army. Some things go as planned. Others do not. That is the case with this whole experience. And that’s okay. Myself and Ian Fleming Publications had not planned a new James Bond book for this year and yet here we are. With nothing but lots of encouragement, early morning scrambled eggs and late night coffee, we managed to create and deliver On His Majesty’s Secret Service in time for the historic occasion this May.

All royalties from the book are going to support the National Literacy Trust so please support their cause by buying a copy. It is available in hardcover (with some signed copies floating around), eBook and audiobook, read by me. So please, when you have finished watching the Coronation, sit back and lose yourself in Bond once again, as I have so enjoyed doing these last few months.

See you in another 14 years or so, Charlie Higson

Purchase  On His Majesty's Secret Service by Charlie Higson from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.

Purchase ON HIS MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE on the U.S. Amazon

Heads up! You can now purchase the UK edition of Charlie Higson's upcoming Bond novella On His Majesty's Secret Service on the U.S. Amazon for only $14.02.

This listing actually shows "in stock" and shipping in 3 to 4 days. IFP had tweeted that an audiobook read by Charlie Higson and eBook will also be released in the U.S., but no sign of those yet. They've also hinted at an official U.S. release in the future.

So here's a great way for U.S. Bond fans to have the book in hand on or near coronation day.

Purchase On His Majesty's Secret Service on Amazon.com.

Cover art for ON HIS MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE

Cover art has been revealed for Charlie Higson's upcoming Bond novel On His Majesty's Secret Service. The book will be released on May 4, 2023 to mark the coronation of King Charles III. It's a simple cover suited to the occasion and considering this book was entirely conceived only a matter of months ago, I'm thrilled with everything about this!

You can pre-order On His Majesty's Secret Service by Charlie Higson from Amazon.co.uk. Goldsboro Books is also offering a signed limited edition.

New Bond book from CHARLIE HIGSON coming May 4

Some fantastic news this morning from Ian Fleming Publications. The great Charlie Higson, author of the Young Bond novels (and my favorite continuation author) has written a new adult James Bond book set to be published May 4, 2023. Yes, that's in just a month! Here's the full press release from IFP.

On His Majesty’s Secret Service:

Charlie Higson commissioned to write new James Bond adventure to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III

Published 4 May 2023, in partnership with the National Literacy Trust

LONDON. Charlie Higson, author of the bestselling Young Bond series, has been commissioned by Ian Fleming Publications to write a new James Bond adventure to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III, it is announced today, Friday 31 March.

On His Majesty’s Secret Service will be published on Thursday 4 May ahead of the Coronation on Saturday 6 May – and 60 years after the publication of Ian Fleming’s tenth novel, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, in 1963. All royalties from the sale of the book will go to support the work of the UK charity, the National Literacy Trust.

The action of this entirely new 007 adventure brings Bond into the present day. It is the 4th of May, two days before the coronation of King Charles III and the world's favourite spy has his work cut out for him. Bond is sent at the last minute to thwart an attempt to disrupt the Coronation by the wealthy, eccentric and self-styled Athelstan of Wessex, who is on a deadly mission of his own to teach the United Kingdom a lesson. Can Bond dismantle his shady plans and defeat his privately hired team of mercenaries?

Corinne Turner, Managing Director of Ian Fleming Publications Ltd, comments: “The Coronation of King Charles III is a momentous occasion for the country. We asked ourselves how we at Ian Fleming Publications could celebrate it, and the answer seemed obvious. Ian Fleming’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was first published on 1st April 1963. What better way, sixty years on, to mark this new chapter in history than with a brand new story: On His Majesty’s Secret Service? We shared our thoughts with Charlie, and he was delighted to take on the challenge of writing a Bond adventure in time for publication in May. Together we hope this book will give valuable support to the National Literacy Trust.”

Charlie Higson’s phenomenally successful Young Bond series has sold over a million copies in the UK alone and has been translated into more than 24 different languages. He adds:

“When IFP came to me with the idea of writing an adult Bond story a little more than a month ago, I was thrilled – until I realised it had to be ready for the Coronation in May. Getting it written and turned around in such a short space of time was going to be as tense and heart-pounding as any Bond mission. Although, of course, nobody would actually be shooting at me. But I’ve been thinking about writing an adult Bond adventure ever since working on the Young Bond books, and he came bursting out of me with both fists flying. It was all I could do to keep up with him and get his story down on paper. Fleming famously wrote fast, and I channelled that energy. And now it’s so exciting for me to finally enter the world of grown-up Bond. Everything you want from a Bond story is in there – sex, violence, cars, a colourful villain with a nasty henchman, and of course, Bond himself. So well-known and yet so unknowable.”

Jonathan Douglas CBE, Chief Executive of the National Literary Trust, says: “James Bond has been creating avid readers for seventy years and we are delighted that the royalties from On His Majesty’s Secret Service will go towards our own not-so-secret mission: to support the literacy skills of children and adults in the nation’s most disadvantaged areas. We hope that this partnership will create a whole new generation of readers, who will continue to discover the thrills of Bond for years to come.”

This brand new James Bond adventure arrives during a momentous year for Ian Fleming Publications. 13 April 2023 marks 70 years since the initial publication of Ian Fleming’s first James Bond novel, Casino Royale. The company are celebrating 70 years of 007 throughout 2023, with many events planned, including the release of the Bond books under their own imprint on 13 April.

On His Majesty’s Secret Service is published by Ian Fleming Publications. It will be available digitally as an eBook, as an audiobook (read by Charlie Higson), and as a hardback, online and in bookshops from 4 May.

This is great news and I can't wait to add this next Bond adventure to my shelf. 

You can pre-order On His Majesty's Secret Service by Charlie Higson from Amazon.co.uk.

Kim SHERWOOD and Charlie HIGSON event, Sept. 1

Kim Sherwood will be joined by Young Bond author Charlie Higson at a special Double or Nothing launch day event on September 1st at the British Library. The event will "celebrate the ever-thrilling and evolving world of 007" and will be followed by a book signing. I like these two! (Still hoping Charlie will write an adult Bond novel some day.)

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS AND DETAILS

Double or Nothing will be released in the UK on September 1, 2022 and is available for pre-order on Amazon.co.uk.

CHARLIE HIGSON talks You Only Live Twice

Young Bond author Charlie Higson talks about his first and still favorite James Bond movie You Only Live Twice on the Smersh Pod podcast. It's good to hear Charlie talking Bond again. Enjoy.

For my money, Charlie Higson's Young Bond novels are among the very best James Bond continuations, and I'd love to see him get a crack at doing an adult Bond novel. Maybe this is the right time for that?

Young Bond GALAXY large print editions

Below are all five UK Large Print editions of Charlie Higson's Young Bond novels. These were released by Galaxy Plus and make a nice set. I especially like Hurricane Gold as the release UK paperback used a highly reflective gold cover that obscured the artwork. But here the croc can be seen clearly! Also notice SilverFin uses the UK proof cover art and By Royal Command the hardcover art. 

Click to read THE SECRET HISTORY OF YOUNG JAMES BOND

The Young Bond PROOFS

I was surprised at how popular the Raymond Benson James Bond proofs were that I just sold on eBay and shared here. So I thought I'd share my set of Young Bond proofs. I don't have plan to sell these, but still thought people would enjoy a look.

For the final two Higson books the publisher released what might be more accurately called Galleys. But as far as I know, these were the only advance copies. Hurricane Gold came in two variants.

The only proof I have for the Steve Cole books is Shoot To Kill. I don't know if proofs exist for his other three books.

U.S. publisher Miramax produced proofs for the first two Charlie Higson books. As far as I know, these are the only U.S. proofs for any of the Young Bond titles.

Higson's A HARD MAN TO KILL released as eBook

Charlie Higson's Young Bond short story A Hard Man To Kill is now available as an eBook at Amazon.com (U.S.) and Amazon.co.uk (UK).

A luxurious cruise
A deadly prisoner
A desperate scheme
Can James Bond overcome the chaos before it’s too late?

A Hard Man To Kill was first published in 2009 as part of the book Danger Society: The Young Bond Dossier. The story is set between the books Hurricane Gold and By Royal Command and takes place aboard an ocean liner. It's an excellent story that also sees the return of Wilder Lawless from SilverFin.

In a recent tweet, author Charlie Higson said: "I liked writing this story and fully intended to do more with the characters, but alas it wasn’t to be."

You can read more about A Hard Man To Kill at www.ianfleming.com. For a full history of Charlie Higson's Young Bond series, check out: The Secret History of Young James Bond.

CHARLIE HIGSON donates Young Bond materials to UEA

Charlie Higson has donated his Young Bond research and writing materials to his alma mater The University of Anglia (UEA) and their British Archive for Contemporary Writing. It will be known as the Charlie Higson Archive. Below is the full press release.

The University of Anglia (UEA) is delighted to announce that the Charlie Higson Archive is now part of the British Archive for Contemporary Writing. 

Charlie Higson is a highly acclaimed writer of comedy for television and radio as well as an actor and the bestselling author of the first Young Bond novels and The Enemy series. He studied English and film studies at UEA, where he met his comedy partner, Paul Whitehouse.

Together Higson and Whitehouse formed the punk band, The Right Hand Lovers. They later lived together in London and began writing comedy for a variety of other writers and performers, including Harry Enfield, Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer. They went on to create The Fast Show in the 1990s - a landmark in TV comedy that attracted a cult following.

The archive material includes early drafts, manuscripts and correspondence relating to Higson’s many fiction and comedy projects.

Higson said: “Going through all the boxes of stuff made me realise how many different areas I’ve worked in. Since leaving UEA over 35 years ago, I’ve worked in the music industry, as a singer during the 80s. I’ve worked in TV, writing, producing directing and acting in comedy and drama, and I’ve co-created at least one television programme that’s become part of our cultural heritage (even if it's just weather forecasters using the word ‘Scorchio’). I’ve written film scripts and worked in radio. And I’ve written four novels for adults and 13 books for younger readers, including a series of official James Bond books.

“I said to myself, “Come on, why are you keeping all this stuff? Nobody’s ever going to be interested in it. You're just being a typical bloody narcissistic writer, convinced that everyone is going to be fascinated by the outpourings of your tiny mind.

“The more I spoke to UEA, the more I realised that there actually might be some worth in my old papers. Because it wasn't all about me. People wouldn't necessarily want to study this material because they were obsessed with my obvious genius, but because I had lived and worked through ‘interesting times’.

“So, perhaps my work throws at least a dim light onto the cultural life of the UK over the last three decades. It’s not about blowing my own trumpet (which I did do a bit of when I was in my band, actually). It’s about the academic interest of what I’ve accumulated.

“So it’s fantastic that the dedicated team at UEA is going to properly catalogue and archive all this material for the use of students and academics. And whilst a lot of it is primarily or interest to researchers of the creative industries, it also includes manuscripts of my novels, TV scripts, unrealised projects, and even a couple of unpublished novels that I wrote while I was studying at UEA in the late 70s, one of which I am now in the process of rewriting.”

Dr Brett Mills, senior lecturer in UEA’s School of Art, Media and American Studies, said: “The archive gives us invaluable insights into the work of a key player in British popular culture over the last 30 years.

“As a scholar of comedy I’m particularly interested in the scripts and other production material for The Fast Show, which help demonstrate the particular complexities of making a sketch show, which relies on multiple characters, short narratives, and a highly organised production process juggling all the elements.

“Higson’s archive is also interesting because of the multiple roles he has undertaken within the comedy programming he has been involved in; it’s rare to come across someone who’s a writer, performer and producer. The archive helps us explore the differences and similarities between these roles.”

As Mills told The Observer: “The archive is also invaluable because comedy is a genre for which little historical documentation is kept – which is odd, given humour’s centrality to British culture and its importance to institutions such as the BBC. We need to take better care in remembering and exploring our comedy heritage.”

Dr Matthew Woodcock, a senior lecturer in UEA’s School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing, said the archive “offers a unique insight into the creative processes behind the production of several of the UK's leading young adult series.

“It will allow scholars and students of crime writing, spy fiction, and children's literature privileged access to the successive stages of research, composition, editing, and promotion that are necessary for a successful, engaging book.

“For me, this material also provides an exciting opportunity to explore how one goes about writing a James Bond novel and, moreover, how one re-imagines Ian Fleming's, at times, controversial hero for a young adult readership. It has been interesting to trace, for example, how Higson carefully revises and reworks the scene in which we first see young Bond so as to imitate the opening of Fleming's Casino Royale, and how he confronts the delights and perils of naming 007's friends and foes.”

Higson has loaned the material under the UEA's innovative storehouse model – which organises and provides access to collections much earlier in a writer's career while retaining flexibility should they need to withdraw material at a later date

The paper archive consists of 53 boxes and includes notebooks, correspondence, drafts, typescripts and working papers associated with the entire spectrum of Higson’s career as novelist, producer, actor and script writer. There are also numerous floppy discs and a large number of VHS recordings including unseen material not used in screened versions of his projects.

The archive will be catalogued according to the research priorities of scholars who are eager to begin working with the collection. The material has loaned under the UEA’s innovative Storehouse Model, which organises and provides access to collections much earlier in a writer’s career while retaining flexibility should the author need to withdraw material at a later date.

Click here to read my five part series on The Secret History of Young James Bond.

A HARD MAN TO KILL on new Ian Fleming website

Ian Fleming Publications has launched a completely redesigned website today. Browsing the new site offerings, I spotted what appears to be an upcoming eBook edition of Charlie Higson's Young Bond short story, A Hard Man To Kill.

A Hard Man To Kill was first published in 2009 as part of the book Danger Society: The Young Bond Dossier. The story is set between the books Hurricane Gold and By Royal Command and takes place aboard an ocean liner. It's an excellent story that also sees the return of Wilder Lawless from SilverFin. This marks its first availability in a solo edition.

While A Hard Man To Kill is listed in the new Ian Fleming website shop, the "Buy Now" link doesn't yet work, so consider this one a preview.

Check out the new Ian Fleming website at www.ianfleming.com. You can also follow on Twitter and Facebook.