Dubai: The long-awaited James Bond novel Carte Blanche that will be launched on Thursday, will end the suspense for expectant readers waiting to see what Dubai has in store for the MI6 agent.
Crime writer Jeffery Deaver, who was tasked with writing the adventure, unveiled the title of the book in January as part of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, 2011.
He announced at the time that parts of the book would be set in Dubai, including the Intercontinental Hotel, Dubai Festival City, Port Saeed, Deira. Bond will also be flying into Dubai with Emirates Airline.
"From my viewpoint, James Bond brings his own special magic to wherever he travels, and we certainly felt it in January. Things started happening, unexpectedly, and mysteriously, so it was difficult at times to separate truth from fiction. When the news broke, the media frenzy around the world was huge, and everyone wanted to know why James Bond was happening in Dubai. For those of us who live in Dubai, the answer is obvious," Isobel Abulhoul, Director of the Literature Festival, told Gulf News.
Surprises
"I can assure you that anyone living in Dubai will enjoy this book, and recognise places and the atmosphere very well. There are even a few well-known characters who appear in the pages!," she said.
James Bond was created in 1953 by Ian Fleming, who wrote 12 novels. A number of novels and short stories have been written since the original author's death, chronicling the secret life of the British spy.
"In the world of espionage, giving an agent carte blanche on a mission comes with an enormous amount of trust and constantly tests both personal and professional judgement. Part of the non-stop suspense in the novel is the looming question of what is acceptable in matters of national and international security. Are there lines that even James Bond should not cross?," Deaver said in a press statement.
"The novel will maintain the persona of James Bond as Fleming created him and the unique tone the author brought to his books, while incorporating my own literary trademarks: detailed research, fast pacing and surprise twists," the suspense writer said.
Discussion
Deaver will be discussing Carte Blanche with Abulhoul on the "Talking of Books" show on Saturday, and the ongoing Festival Reading Group will be talking about the Bond novel in its July meeting.
The Emirates Airline Festival of Literatures is held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, with the support of Dubai Culture.
Commissioned by the Ian Fleming Estate, Carte Blanche will be published by Hodder & Stoughton a few days before Ian Fleming's birthday.
