James Bond Books Were Never Written by a Woman — Until Now

Ian Fleming introduced James Bond 007 in 1953, writing 14 Bond books before he died. Since then, a few well-regarded novelists have carried the torch for the world's most famous spy.

This week’s guest Kim Sherwood is the first woman to pen a James Bond book. Double or Nothing is the first in a trilogy commissioned by the Ian Fleming Estate. The book expands the Bond universe to chronicle the adventures of three new 00 spies:  Sid, a child of South Asian immigrants; Joseph, a Black man who grew up rough on the London streets; and Johanna, who is part Algerian and a woman. There is even a character played by AI. 

Sherwood is an award-winning author and creative writing teacher at the University of Edinburgh. On the podcast, she talks about how she got the gig, her lifelong obsession with Bond, her secret mission in writing the novel, and how she updated the characters and universe for the 21st Century.