John Gardner, author of 14 James Bond novels and 2 movie novelisation's, talked to MI6 recently about his career as the official 007 author. In the first part of this series, we talk to John Gardner about how he got the job as official 007 author...

In Conversation With John Gardner (1)
18th April 2004

Could you tell us a little about the time before you signed to continue the Bond series? How were you approached, and was it an easy decision to make?

Well I was in work, I was a professional writer. I had ideas that would cover me for the next ten years just about. I was approached through an intermediary, a friend of mine, who is an author.

They wanted to do one book, and there were about six other people they had on the list.

My initial reaction was "no way!" because it seemed to be a no-win situation. In fact I wrote a letter to say "Thank you, but no thank you", but I didn't post it that day. I was living in Ireland at the time, and my agent phoned me that evening and I told him what had happened, and he said "Oh my God, you've got to do it! If you don't, someone else will". I thought about it for another day, and then I said "OK", and we went from there. Was that for three books initially? Yes, they wanted a three-book contract. I honestly didn't think we'd go more than one or two at the most. I didn't expect to do the full three. But of course, it went on from there!

Above: John Gardner, circa "Seafire".

Why did you not expect to complete the contract?

Well Kingsley [Amis] had done one. I thought they wanted me to do one at first, and then they would get someone else to write another after, but they didn't. They kept coming back.

My one regret is that I should not have done the last contract, I shouldn't have entered the last three, but we'll go into that later.

Above: Kingsley Amis, author of "Colonel Sun", the first non-Fleming official Bond novel in 1968.

Did you correspond with Kingsley about his brief time as a Bond author, before you started your first book? I knew him, not well, but I knew him. We spoke occasionally. I was always quite amused because he would be very vicious and violent in print, but not that I read reviews, because I don't. Is that all reviews, or just your books? All reviews generally. I was shown one review of his, which was pretty violent. I was at a lunch party with him, and I said "You're quite right Kingsley about these books". "Oh no my dear fellow, oh no no no!" Kingsley said. I thought that was quite amusing.

How long a shadow did Fleming cast over your early Bond titles?

Huge of course!

Did that feeling decrease, the more novels you wrote?

I guess it did, yes. It had to. Although it was the same man [Bond], my job was to bring him into the 80s and 90s. That was the job that Glidrose wanted me to do, they asked me to do it that way, and said "Right, then I will".

Join us in Part 2 where we talk about the process of writing his first Bond book, "Licence Renewed"...

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