`James Bond` books’ back catalogue to be re-launched

London: Ian Fleming’s estate has signed a 10-year deal with Random House Group to publish the ‘James Bond’ novels in both print and e-book format. Vintage, a division of Random House, will take over publishing of print books from Penguin. Fleming’s 14 Bond books have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide.

His first Bond novel, ‘Casino Royale’, was published in 1953 by Vintage’s sister imprint Jonathan Cape. The estate, which has been publishing e-books, said the deal was “a significant step change” for the work. “We are delighted to be reuniting James Bond with his original publisher,” a leading news channel has quoted Corinne Turner, managing director of Publications. Sebastian Faulks and John Gardner are among authors who have written officially sanctioned Bond novels since Fleming’s death in 1964. The latest, ‘Carte Blanche’ - written by thriller author Jeffery Deaver and released in May last year - updates the James Bond back story and portrays him as a Royal Naval Reserve veteran whose service included a tour of Afghanistan. The 14 books, including two short story collections, will be re-launched this summer. ANI