Michael Gillette’s art is nothing short of beloved by Bond fans. In 2008, he created a set of 15 instantly iconic covers for the Fleming centenary editions of the novels. Since then, he has also produced covers for continuation books. In October 2024, he releases his highly conceptual and utterly gorgeous covers for the new hardback editions of the Fleming originals. The project has been gestating for six years! Michael tells the full story here for the first time. Michael also shares how it feels to be such an integral part of what he calls 'the Bondiverse', relates his own Bond beginnings (including his experiences of reading Fleming for the first time) and how his work has been influenced by the places he’s lived, the music he loves and the Bond cover artists who came before him.

The episode’s title is a quote from Quantum of Solace, specifically the scene where Mathis attempts to get to the bottom of Bond’s sleep problems. In the Bond films we don’t see our hero getting healthy, natural sleep all that often. Perhaps because, as Hitchcock famously asserted, ‘drama is life with the dull bits cut out’, we’re supposed to assume Bond sleeps like a normal human being when we’re not looking. On the occasions where we do see Bond waking up, it’s usually because he’s been drugged or knocked unconscious. But this is a different story in the books. David has gone back through Fleming’s 14 Bond books and found there are more than 400 direct references to sleep - that’s more than 30 per book! Might this suggest that Fleming himself had an interesting relationship with sleep that he transposed into his character? There are definite patterns across the books, which David guides us through here, highlighting particularly intriguing examples from Casino Royale, Live and Let Die, Moonraker, From Russia, With Love and Thunderball. Is there anything from the Bond films and the Fleming books we can use to help us address our own sleep problems? Both Alex and David have wrestled with sleep issues their entire lives, including experiencing prolonged periods of insomnia. But there are differences… Alex is a night owl, an evening person, someone who has no issue being wide awake really late at night. David is the opposite, a lark, who is mentally and physically most alert early in the morning. Although neither Alex nor David are sleep scientists (and sleep science as an academic discipline is still very new!), both have put in a lot of effort to resolving their sleep issues, including reading some of the same books - sometimes with different results! Here, both talk through the approaches they’ve tried and tested over the years and reveal how they have reframed their relationships with sleep. Sleep hygiene is key for both of them. How does alcohol, caffeine and what we do in the hour before bed make a difference? Alex and David also tackle: Why is it important to know your chronotype (night owl/morning lark, etc)? How does insomnia relate to anxiety? What happens if we never sleep? (Like Gustav Graves in Die Another Day) Should we be concerned if we don’t dream? If we experience night terrors (like Bond does in the books) how can we deal with these? What are the ups and downs of sleeping pills? (There are a lot of them in Fleming!) How do sleep rhythms differ internationally? Why is jet lag so evil? What’s the sun got to do with sleep? Why is it sometimes more difficult to sleep in hotels than home? How does Fleming’s Bond always wake up on time without an alarm clock? And what is his standard wake up time? What chronotype does that make him?

Mental health is not discussed enough, despite it being an important element of the 007 stories. In this series, David talks very openly about mental health with members of the Bond community. He has a theory: these are the sorts of things on many of our minds but we often struggle to put them into words. Maybe we can change that? Here, David talks with Blake Powers ( @BondLifeChicago ) about hypervigilance. As a first responder in the Police, Blake is the ideal person to guide us through what it's like to be in an elevated state of constantly assessing potential threats. Blake can certainly relate to Bond in this regard and has written a brilliant article about this in which he insightfully makes many links with Bond's behaviour in the books and films. David and Blake focus in particular on the film of Quantum of Solace and Fleming's Thunderball. Together they explore: What impact does hypervigilance have on the brain and body? What should you do when you go 'off duty' and find yourself slipping into a depression-like state? How do we avoid using coping strategies which are bad for us? How much should we follow the example set by Bond? Read Blake's article here: https://spygestmag.com/posts/the-melancholy-spy/ If you are interested in appearing on a future episode of 'On Our Minds Only?' then please get in touch.

James Bond is dead! But only in a literal sense. With classical parallels aplenty, No Time To Die secures Bond’s place in the pantheon of queer heroes, making a myth out of 007 by turning him into a being we recognise as human - whoever we might be.

This is the podcast version of an article published on www.licencetoqueer.com

This is my pure, unadulterated 'off the cuff' take on No Time To Die, 24 hours after seeing it for the first time.

The first segment (14 minutes) is completely spoiler free: although I usually keep my opinions to myself, this time I give them free reign.

And then I get stuck into no-holds-barred spoiler territory (don't worry - it's very clearly signposted so you will know when to stop listening). This is my unfiltered 'queer re-view', before I've had chance to do my usual extensive research and restrain my free-wheeling thoughts, taming them into something more civilised and refined.

Enjoy!

The line didn’t exist in the earlier drafts of Casino Royale. Is it just a throwaway quip or something more revealing of Felix’s character?

After exploring the changes to the script of Casino Royale and the queer connotations of fruits and vegetables (it all makes sense, I promise!) we dig into a short history of gin and how it has fallen out of favour and back in again.

Two days before the world premiere of No Time To Die, big UK broadcaster ITV chose Diamonds Are Forever as their Sunday afternoon film, one of my favourites of the series. Could I resist watching it on TV even though I had several copies on Blu Ray and DVD? Of course I couldn't! And despite me giving no warning about it, neither could many of you, including the following lovely folks on Twitter: @andytowne @shaggythetyke @jordan_welshy @tomsmason91 @seaniebird @lioneltwigg @notperfectedyet

Rather than talk over the film, I recorded my thoughts during the ad breaks. It was a huge nostalgia trip, taking me back to watching the Bonds on TV as a child.

Watching a double bill of Casino Royale and A View To A Kill with married couple Han (who never seen a Bond film) and Maz (who loved Bond as a child but was bullied into not liking it at school) was like seeing both films for the first time all over again. Listen in as two same sex couples banter about Bond with themed drinks along the way.

For more on the drinks we had, check out https://www.licencetoqueer.com/blog/lgbt-lesbians-and-gays-bond-together 

I’ve yet to find anyone who thinks having Noël Coward playing Dr. No would have been even a vaguely good idea, and that included the man himself. So what did Ian Fleming see in Coward - friend, neighbour, best man, godfather to his son - which the rest of us have missed?

Was the humour intentional or not? Does it matter?

After a discussion of the Camp aspects of Dr. No, I have a go at coming up with a score (out of 007) to rank it - purely in terms of queerness - in relation to the other Bond films.

Finally, some post re-view reflections on why people get worked up about the gender binary, an excerpt from a brilliant book by Meg-John Barker and Alex Iantaffi (link below) which has shaped my thinking and the acknowledgements.

https://www.rewriting-the-rules.com/self/new-book-life-isnt-binary-out-today/ 

Full references on www.licencetoqueer.com/dr-no

If Bond is midway between the extremes of masculine and feminine, where does that locate the girls?

What's queer about 'three blind mice'? How bent is Dent? Is there something trans about Taro? And what do Dr. No's hands REALLY represent?

Find out in this episode.

Warning: Contains an academic discussion of the word 'f*ggot' in relation to 18th Century art.

In part 2, I look at the first portrayals of regulars Moneypenny, M and Felix Leiter. I also explore the colonial underpinnings of Bond's relationship with Quarrel and how much Fleming's own preference for male friendship influenced his writing and the subsequent films.

Kim Sherwood's A Spy Like Me had its official launch on Saturday 27th April at Dukes Hotel in London.

The event was a collaboration between 007GB - The British James Bond Fan Club, Ian Fleming Publications Limited and Harper Collins. It was my pleasure to be not only an organiser but also the emcee for the evening. The centrepiece of the event was a conversation between Kim and me with a follow-up Q&A. This is a recording of that. I hope you enjoy it.

More about the book

A Spy Like Me is the second novel in the Double O trilogy, the follow-up to the critically acclaimed Double or Nothing. A Spy Like Me is even more tense than its predecessor. It’s both an addictively readable thriller and a work of great Literature.

How Kim achieved such a magnificent feat was explored at the launch, with David Lowbridge-Ellis MBE hosting the evening, conversing with Kim and taking questions from the audience.

Check out David's review of the book here: https://www.licencetoqueer.com/blog/book-review-a-spy-like-me

Watch David and Kim discussing other aspects of the novel in this series of Classified Chats:

https://www.licencetoqueer.com/blog/classified-chats-with-kim-sherwood

More about the launch event

The launch was a collaboration between 007GB - The British James Bond Fan Club, Ian Fleming Publications Limited and Harper Collins – the first time anything like this has happened.

We chose to have it at Dukes Hotel for reasons obvious to any Fleming fan; it’s practically a site of pilgrimage for us (Bond’s creator loved to drink at the sensational bar) and it has long associations with the character of 007.

Compared with a regular book launch, there was a more intimate, familial atmosphere. This was something we had planned for as soon as we were asked by Ian Fleming Publications and Harper Collins to collaborate with them. It’s unusual to have a book launch on a weekend, but having it on a Saturday meant it could be a more relaxed and convivial affair. It also meant more members from across the country could make it to London for the event. Some of our overseas members were also able to attend and it was lovely to have them there.

The evening began with a sumptuous wine reception and continued long after the official finish time. Representatives from the Fleming family, Ian Fleming Publications and Harper Collins mingled with club members, Kim’s family and invited guests. Fellow Bond author Charlie Higson was also in attendance; he asked a deliciously tongue in cheek question about the third book, which will be released in 2025. You can hear this - and all of the other questions - in this podcast.

The first part of the Dr. No queer re-view explores the character of Bond, as first presented to us by Sean Connery in his first appearance. What gives him a 'gay sensibility'? Expect a far-ranging and provocative discussion including different points of view on the usual things (girls, guns, clothes) we associate with the character.

This is an audio version of an article on licencetoqueer.com, where you will also find in-depth and idiosyncratic quasi-academic analyses of all aspects of queerness in Bond from a range of voices across the LGBTQ+ spectrum.

Join in the mission to uncover what makes Bond such a draw for queer audiences, on www.licencetoqueer.com or on social media @licencetoqueer

What makes the queer re-view of Dr. No worth listening to?

This is kind of the trailer, with me outlining the main ideas which get discussed in relation to the girls, the villains, the allies and Bond himself - and I also throw in some behind the scenes insights.

Queer re-view launches Saturday 21st August

- David

From the Glossary on www.licencetoqueer.com

The word queer, when used correctly, can be an empowering term which helps open up discussion and therefore foster greater understanding between people of different characteristics.

Unfortunately, queer was commonly used to attack the LGBTQ+ community until only very recently, and it still is at times. I remember being labelled ‘queer’ in the school playground and those negative associations are still with me. That’s part of the reason I want to reclaim the term and get people using it in the right way.

I’m not alone in this. Many younger LGBT people prefer the term queer because it doesn’t make them choose a particular box. It also carries a connotation of rebellion because of its history.

So queer can be used as a way of describing your identity.

It is also an academic term, one which has been used by academics for around four decades.

When the term queer is applied to a cultural text, such a book or film, it doesn’t have to refer to something that features explicitly (or even implicitly) lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, intersex or asexual characters. An early pioneer of queer readings of films intended for consumption of non-queer people, Alexander Doty, argued that anything could be seen as queer. A queer book, film, video game, whatever is anything that challenges heteronormativity - the ideas, pervasive in many cultures: that the only normal or natural relationships are those between one man and one woman for the purposes of procreation; that gender is a binary (male/female). Queer texts present alternative possibilities to traditional narratives - you can’t be what you can’t see - helping people live more authentic, happier lives.

https://www.licencetoqueer.com/glossary 

...I recommend listening to this first.

Or read this: https://www.licencetoqueer.com/blog/what-makes-you-think-its-my-first-time

A brief overview of what Licence to Queer is all about and how you can get involved.

On their most recent trip to Tokyo, David and Antony really didn’t expect to find themselves in a lesbian bar themed around James Bond. Nor could they quite believe it when the owner herself was up for being interviewed about her Bond fandom and how ‘women only’ carries a different meaning in Japanese culture.

This interview was originally included in a podcast covering our whole trip to Japan, which you can find here:

https://www.licencetoqueer.com/blog/welcome-to-japan

Well, they can't all be winners, eh?

Antony and David dive into the second Warren Ellis/Jason Masters' "caper" Eidolon, which deals with dirty money and even dirtier duties as James and Tanner, er, torture a suspect by removing his skin (?!) to prevent the rise of a neo-SPECTRE.

Listen to what the couple thought, along with thoughts from LTQ listener, on 2016's Eidolon from Dynamite Entertainment.

This episode is also available as a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6T0oz1O9yjU

Award-winning Bond author Kim Sherwood and Licence to Queer's David Lowbridge-Ellis sit down to watch together the Bond film appearances of Kim's grandfather, George Baker - the man who Fleming wanted to play Bond.

More than a decade after his passing, George remains a household name in the UK, immediately familiar to generations of film and TV viewers - especially Bond fans. Although his screen time in the Bond series is relatively svelte, he leaves a lasting impression in two very different roles: the no-nonsense Captain Benson in The Spy Who Loved Me and the comically fusty brass-rubbing genealogist Sir Hilary Bray in On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Which of these roles was closest to the real George? Kim shares her unique insights.

In On Her Majesty's Secret Service, George Baker also revoiced George Lazenby for around a third of the film. Baker himself said he found dubbing Lazenby "extraordinary", not least of all because he would have played James Bond himself if Ian Fleming had got his own way. Kim and David explore in detail how George almost became Bond and also the lesser known parts of his legacy: how he was not just an actor but a poet and award-winning playwright; how he was a British icon who was actually born in Bulgaria (and he could still speak the language until his final days); how he might have been a spy using his acting roles as cover!; how he earned a reputation as a ladies' man while being someone who was very vocal towards any institution which discriminated against women (this film contains some strong language!). And of course, Kim shares how much of an influence George had - and continues to have - on her own life and work.

As usual with Kim and David, the chat ranges far and wide. Expect discussion of:

- The merits of DVD menus

- The complexities of keeping the British end up

- Tweed (See: #SirHilaryBrayDay)

- Accents! Accents! Accents! (And more accents!)

And: an accidental recreation of Lethal Weapon.

Utilising the Licence to Queer queer view system (Bond, Allies, Girls, Villains, Camp), Antony and David tackle the first in Dynamite Entertainment's long line of James Bond comic books:

Vargr by Warren Ellis and Jason Masters from late 2015.

We're launching a new mini-series on the Licence to Queer podcast feed and one which is going to be led by Antony Lowbridge-Ellis, David's (better) half.

In this introductory episode, Antony, a life-long fan of the medium of comic books (see his X-Men podcast X-Nation) gives a bit of background on this new Licence to Queer project where Antony and David will review each arc, in order, of the James Bond comic books being published by Dynamite Entertainment.

Before we get to Episode 001 (Warren Ellis' and Jason Masters' 2015/16 reboot "Vargr"), Antony explains in Episode 000 the history of James Bond on the comic book page, detailing how the "funny book" version pre-dates the cinematic Bond by almost four years.

Antony and David debate the merits of the various Bond comic books published by Dynamite Entertainment, including the new run by Garth Ennis.

As usual for the 'Our Month' series, they look back on the many ways Bond has intersected with their daily lives and the special events they've been involved with, including Jim Fanning Friday: Live and Let's Bow Tie and a Goldfinger celebration in a bank vault. They also get everyone up to speed with the events to come: Sir Hilary Bray Day and the epic watchalong fundraiser Time to Donate.

This episode's cocktail is a new creation: the Casino Royale.

Is this the most niche Bond podcast of all time? We hope so! And we guarantee you'll find it interesting! Artist Rosie Sherwood and me tackle the topic of tweed in Bond and find there's much more to it than just snazzy looking garments. Rosie is the grandaughter of Bond actor George Baker and costume designer Julia Squire, who worked with John Huston, Alfred Hitchcock, David Lean and many others. And if the name Sherwood sounds familiar, that's because Rosie is the sister of Bond author Kim Sherwood. Rosie shares some lovely family stories before we embark on our exploration of tweed in Bond, in the books and the films (there's more tweed in Bond than you may realise!). We also talk about the fabric's comparable role in other British cultural exports such as Downton Abbey and Peaky Blinders. We recorded this podcast ahead of Sir Hilary Bray Day: on 1st April, join us in celebrating the tweed-wearing heraldry expert played by Rosie's grandfather in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (and impersonated by George Lazenby for the middle chunk of the film). All you need to do is wear some tweed - we're pretty sure you'll own some already and, if not, we have tips on where to get hold of some. Articles we found of particular use in our research: Bond Suits (Matt Spaiser) https://www.bondsuits.com/how-to-look-modern-in-tweed-007-examples-of-bonds-tweeds/ Gentleman's Gazette https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/tweed-guide-harris-history-styles-patterns/

Antony and David take on the treasure-hunt experience across London with their friend Natasha Stone (aka The Red Vesper). What did they make of it? Join them before, during and after the adventure. (No spoilers)

“When you focus your time and energy into the things you can change and influence, opportunities come to you and doors open that wouldn’t have been there before.” - John Able

John is a father and a writer of stories aimed at bringing children and their caregivers closer together. Earlier this year, he wrote an article about martial arts in Fleming which set off a chain of events leading to him becoming far more involved in the Bond community.

John also has a rare life-threatening heart condition. Here, he speaks openly about the feelings of grief he had after being diagnosed with the condition and how he approached making what changes he could to how he lived his life.

A lot of mental health difficulties stem from a feeling of being out of control, so we should try to focus on the things we can control. John uses two Bond films as a metaphor for how to approach the things life throws at us: we can be like Bond in Goldfinger and be the passive recipient of things happening to us or we can be like Bond in Quantum of Solace and continually adapt, creating new opportunities.

Although John speaks very candidly about his specific circumstances, he urges us to focus on the things all of us can control in all aspects of our lives.

While talking with John, David retrospectively realises he took this approach during the worst phase of his life - where negative thought patterns threatened to takeover - and it ultimately made him a much happier person.

John goes on to explain how he learned to defuse negative thoughts. It takes effort, but it’s worth it!

Finally, David and John discuss the extent to which Bond provides us with a fantasy of control.

Find John on Instagram: @writerjohnable

And check out his works on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/212Opi02PNbO64xqRRIytx?si=b8ac940c3bab4a56

With a drought on the Bond film front, why is everyone not quenching their thirst with the Bond books? Perhaps it's because, with more than 50 continuation stories published in the sixty years since Fleming's death, it can be hard knowing where to start. Setting each other the mission of proving the case that there's a Bond book for every mood and every taste, Licence to Queer's David Lowbridge-Ellis and Mark Edlitz, author of James Bond After Fleming, have each curated a list of seven 007 continuation novels.

Here they share their picks and why they selected them. David and Mark each choose...

The one to read in one sitting

The one to read when you're in the mood to squirm in your seat

The one to read when you want something fantastical

The one to read on the beach

The one to read when you want something psychological

The one to read when you want to see Bond from a different angle

The one to read when you want something fresh and original

*There are slight spoilers for the opening chapters of some of the books but nothing significant about the plots.*

Stephen Bourne saw Goldfinger in the cinema in 1964 as an ‘impressionable little gay boy’. Author of one of the first (if not the first) books to see Bond films queerly, Stephen reveals how his thinking about the ‘offensive’ characters in Bond has become more nuanced since he wrote the book - and urges everyone to keep a more open mind.

Stephen is the author of Brief Encounters: Lesbians and Gays in British Cinema, published in 1996. To my knowledge, this is one of very first (if not the first) books to treat Bond films as ‘queer’ films. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brief-Encounters-Lesbians-British-1930-71/dp/0304332860 

Fighting Proud is the book which first drew Stephen to my attention. Published in 2017, the book reveals the untold stories of the gay men who served in Two World Wars. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fighting-Proud-Untold-Story-Served/dp/1784538744 

Stephen published his very first book in 1991, collaborating with his adopted aunt on relating her life as a black working-class Londoner. The book was later turned into a documentary, which you can view here: https://youtu.be/710s3ljCKag?si=XPgvRsJHs9WF8Egy 

2022’s Black Poppies: The Story of Britain’s Black Community in the First World War is Stephen’s bestselling book to date, currently in its third printing. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Poppies-Story-Britains-Community/dp/0750999632/ref=sr_1_1?crid=19LQ4MO9E51VN&keywords=black+poppies&qid=1705232380&s=books&sprefix=black+poppies%2Cstripbooks%2C65&sr=1-1 

In the last two years, the Licence to Queer community raised almost £4,000 for charity. This year we’re raising money to support the vital work of a charity whose mission is close to our hearts: PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide.

Very few people will not have been affected by suicide. One of my motivations for starting Licence to Queer was to do whatever I could to shatter the stigma surrounding suicide. Not only have I experienced suicidal thoughts for prolonged periods of my own life but I have known several people who have taken their own lives.

One of my earliest pieces dealt very personally with my own battle with suicidal ideation and it’s a topic I’ve returned to more recently in my coverage of the latest James Bond film, No Time To Die.

That film’s title provided us with the inspiration for the name of this year’s fundraiser. Its star, Daniel Craig, has personally donated to our chosen charity and sent them messages of support.

This year we are raising money for PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Suicide.

As we have done in previous years, my husband and me are going to create a focal point for our efforts by having a marathon Bond watchalong with followers. The first year, it was the Bond films of Roger Moore. Last year it was the Bond films of Pierce Brosnan. This year’s it’s fitting that it’s Daniel Craig.

On the surface, a movie marathon might not sound all that ardous - even one lasting over 700 minutes! - but if you’ve been involved in one of these before, you know it’s so much more. Expect custom drinks (which you can make yourself, as we’ll share the recipes in advance), costume changes and much more. We’ll be watching along with fans on social media and streaming live between each film.

Save the date: Sunday 26th May 2024

Find out more and donate at https://tinyurl.com/LtQTfD2024

HOPELINE247 is available 24 hours a day, 265 days of the year to support young people experiencing suicidal thoughts, and those concerned about a young people that might be feeling suicidal.

Call: 0800 068 41 41 

Text: 07860 039 967

Antony and David review a fully stocked 2023. Rather than retread things they've already talked about in detail on episodes of Our Month in Bond they instead choose one highlight from each month to elaborate on, sharing hitherto unheard stories. Their selections include book launches, film screenings, events, trips to Bond locations at home and abroad, charity fundraisers, awards and - most thrillingly of all - making new Bond friends.

The episode ends by bringing the Our Month in Bond series up to date with their Christmas trip to Venice and their exclusive first reading of the new Bond novel (due out in April 2024) A Spy Like Me.

In the latest instalment of their popular series uncovering how Bond films developed through the scripting process, Tom Mason and David Lowbridge-Ellis set their gunbarrel sights on The World Is Not Enough. Early versions of the script reveal significantly different locations, different action sequences, different characters and different versions of the infamous gag which brings the film to its memorable climax! Previous episodes (available on YouTube and wherever you find podcasts) have tackled early drafts of Diamonds Are Forever and The Spy Who Loved Me. Which film do you think Tom and David should do next?

Your hosts recount their trip to Buckingham Palace to pick up David's MBE, the climactic 007GB event of 2023 and their experience of David Arnold's intimate live gig. After making a Doctor Who-themed Martini, they run through Christmas gift ideas for Bond fans, the release of Mark Edlitz's new book and finish with a discussion of Bond-tangential media they have enjoyed, including the film Saltburn and a 'shaken not stirred' Super Mario video game.

Your hosts will return before the end of the year, live from Venice, where they will be spending Christmas day itself.

While Antony and David really enjoyed 007: Road to a Million and are looking forward to the next series, they both choose three things which they think could make the show even better for all audiences, including the hardcore James Bond fans.

Contains spoilers for the whole series.

What did David and Antony think of the new game show on Amazon Prime?

*Contains spoilers for the first two episodes*

#007RoadtoaMillion

Antony and David reflect on another busy month which included David introducing a special screening of Casino Royale and interviewing six Bond authors at Pinewood Studios for Bondstars. They also discuss the Doctor Who connections with Bond (Doctor Who is celebrating its 60th anniversary), Halloween-related articles on the LTQ website, the Roger Moore auction and David receiving a very special item that once belonged to Roger Moore.

A bumper double episode, bringing you two months in one. We've both been so busy being 'problem eliminators' with our day jobs we didn't have chance to record at the end of August, so we saved it for now. We look back at the brilliant 007GB Club Belfry event in Birmingham, new editions of Bond novels for Global James Bond day, the excellent new Bond video game Cypher 007, our holiday plans to a classic Bond location and what's hot on the Licence to Queer website including new cocktail - the 'Kara Milovy'.

Our review of Cypher 007 in the main body of the episode is spoiler free but the last 10 minutes of the podcast are full of plot spoilers for the first 10 missions of the game. There is plenty of warning so you won't stray into this section by accident.

“Just because someone seems happy, doesn’t mean it’s the reality of the situation. It’s good to check in and see how people are doing.” - Vinnie Harris

Vinnie Harris is an unfalteringly positive voice in the Bond community - his voice is also very deep and many of you will recognise it from his appearances on various podcasts!

As Anya Amasova tells Bond in The Spy Who Loved Me, “it’s very important to have a positive mental attitude.” This can be easier said than done however! So positive is Vinnie online that you might be surprised to learn about the challenges he has overcome and continues to battle in his everyday life. This is the first time Vinnie has opened up publicly about these and how he is learning to cope with them. 

Diagnosed with autism and ADHD early in life, Vinnie talks candidly about how, like Bond, he felt like he didn’t fit in. Two decades down the line, he shares his thoughts about combatting negative self-talk, taking advice from family and friends, how it’s important to live life at your own pace and learning to own your uniqueness.

You can follow Vinnie on X @Harris94Vinnie and Instagram @mrharris00794

Benson’s Bond books updated 007's world for their period and were even ahead of their time in key ways. On the eve of the re-release of Zero Minus Ten, Raymond and I chat in detail about not just Bond but also other mutual passions, including Hitchcock, Hong Kong cinema and listening to The Beatles without earmuffs. As well as being a novelist, Raymond has been a theatre director, music composer, computer game creator and film historian. Although he’s now written over 40 books, 1997’s Zero Minus Ten was his first novel to be published. Zero Minus Ten is being re-released on 5th October 2023. Although we discuss Benson’s Bond books in some detail, none of the twists and turns in the stories are given away. Here’s an overview of our chat: 00:00 Bond and Bergman  04:50 Hitchcock and Kubrick  07:00 Acting, directing and many other careers 09:25 Zero Minus Ten - his first novel (if you don’t count the one starring his nephew) 12:50 A Hitchcockian approach to plotting 20:25 Hong Kong history - a succinct summary of British Colonial History 29:40 Hong Kong cinema and the ‘casting’ of Zero Minus Ten 32:50 Modernising Bond’s world 34:00 Sex scenes: a focus on female pleasure.  39:40 Getting inside Bond’s head 43:20 “You asked, why do I love Bond…” 46:50 Early Bond obsession: awkward admissions from childhood! 48:20 The peaks and troughs of Bond’s popularity 49:30 Bond films: a history of pop culture 50:00 Nerdy questions about Raymond’s Bond books 57:20 The novelisations 01:02:00 Looking back on seven years of writing Bond novels 01:04:00 Looking ahead: reprints and a rendezvous at Pinewood Due to a little internet lag, the video is occasionally out of sync and we inadvertently talk over each other here and there early on, but not enough to hamper your enjoyment.

What's up with Largo ordering champagne as his plot crashes and burns?!

What's 'camp' about camp collars?

A Dr Who reference?!

Red rubber, really James?

And are those mermaids in love???

With more girls than ever before, none of whom are in the mood for 'settling down' with anyone, Thunderball takes aim at heteronormativity.

Beginning with a full-on fight with a man in drag, Thunderball has some curiously queer villains, including asexual Vargas, piratical Largo and the fabulous femme fatale Fiona Volpe.

Thunderball features an early example of the ‘found family’ or ‘chosen family’ we typically associate with some of the Pierce Brosnan films and definitely the latter half of the Daniel Craig era. Those in the field include regulars Felix Leiter and Q, plus local contacts Paula and Pinder.

Don't frighten the fish!

Of all the fantastical things that happen in Thunderball (and there are a lot of them), the one that strains credulity the most is Bond and Domino having sex under water.

Is James Bond - at least metaphorically - a fish? And what might make his feel like a fish OUT of water?

Paul Baker is the author of the bestselling 'CAMP! The Story of the Attitude that Conquered the World'. Not only is the book fabulously funny but it also successfully captures what camp is all about (not a mean feat!) using a plethora of brilliant examples. There's only one problem: there's no way Paul could include everyone's favourite examples and only bits of one of the most camp things of all time - James Bond - made it into the book. David and Paul meet to put Bond in the camp spotlight.

The Spy Who Loved Me is one of the most balanced Bond films, with a finely calibrated blend of all we love about Bond. But the film we ended up with went through dozens of iterations, many containing thoroughly unhinged ideas. Tom Mason and David Lowbridge-Ellis have read every screen treatment and script they can get their hands on - two years' worth! - and are now ready to share what they've found. Batten down the hatches for seal sex, crash zooms, a villain called Kronk, Anya's brother-lover, testicular torture and a very temperamental Lotus Esprit... Contains some strong language (direct quotes from the screenplays).

A gala fundraiser aboard HMS Belfast; an online event with Kim Sherwood exploring Bond and travel; the new Double-O novel gets its title and a sneak preview; Bond girls and singers sparkle in the V&A's stunning Divas exhibition; a memorable portrayal of Ian Fleming In the wonderful musical Operation Mincemeat and Antony gives his verdict on Fleming's Diamonds Are Forever after his first read. NB: Contains a discussion of a racial slur.

Kim Sherwood and David Lowbridge-Ellis talk with a live audience about all things travel and 007. How much is travel is responsible for the success of the books and films? Why do we have the urge to make pilgrimages to Bond locations? What can we learn from Bond about how to travel (and how not to)? This is a recording of an event held on Zoom on 22nd July 2023.

“It shook my foundations. I flipped from being someone that was 'Just get on with it' to a person who felt far more empathy, understanding not everyone has the tools to be able to 'Just get on with it'.” - Natasha Stone Arm yourself because no one else here will save you? It’s a brilliant song lyric, but how far does being self-reliant really help us? When is the time to call for reinforcements? And how do we find the words when social norms tell us to keep things inside, especially if we’re men? All of these questions and more get answers in this chat, which has its origins off the back of a heated Bond Book club debate. When they got together, now over a year ago, to discuss Natasha’s first reading of Fleming’s Casino Royale, David and Natasha had wildly diverging views of the character of Bond: Natasha felt Bond was too needy and ‘unmasculine’ whereas David found his vulnerability role model-worthy. With unflinching honesty, Natasha traces her ideas about masculinity back to early childhood, when she formed a fantasy of the ideal man being of the ‘Alpha’ variety. A defining moment of Natasha’s childhood was her mother - an incredibly strong woman - having a nervous breakdown. This formed her earliest ideas about mental health. Her self-created ‘inner steel’ helped steer her through very difficult times, including finding herself unexpectedly pregnant while at university. And then, two decades later, a shocking tragedy completely shook Natasha’s foundations and upended her perspective on masculinity and mental health. “Boys will smile, even when they’re in complete turmoil.” - Natasha Stone A mother of four boys and one girl, Natasha shares her insights into the importance of communication for ensuring mental wellbeing, particularly for young men. David opens up about the ways we can make a difference, using examples from his professional life as an educator. Ultimately, they agree that the key is finding a middle ground between being self-reliant and knowing when to call for support. They link everything back to Bond books and films, and specifically the song ‘You Know My Name’. Finally, they share some pearls of wisdom from Bond Girl/force of nature Martine Beswicke. Natasha mentions fundraising for mental health charity CALM, which you can find out more about here: https://www.thecalmzone.net/