Tuesday, Jan 18, 2011
Gulf News
Renowned suspense author talks of filming next 007 film in emirate
Dubai The new James Bond book Carte Blanche has some scenes set in Dubai, renowned suspense author Jeffery Deaver revealed at a press conference yesterday.
“I travel a great deal and this year I have spent 80,000 hours in the air. There are not as many exotic locations there used to be. When writing the book I thought of Dubai,” Deaver said.
He added that if Ian Fleming had been alive today, he would have set one of his novels here as well.
Deaver also said that they are going to “pursue a connection” with the possibility of filming the next James Bond film in the emirate.
Deaver is in Dubai as a guest author as part of the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, which will be held from March 8 to 12 at the Intercontinental Hotel Dubai Festival City, and the Cultural and Scientific Association, Al Mamzar.
He is the author of a number of internationally best-selling crime series: he’s best known for his Kathryn Dance and Lincoln Rhyme books, most notably The Bone Collector, which was adapted for film in 1999, starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie.
“I became enamoured of British writers like Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle,” Deaver said, “but with respect to Sherlock Holmes, Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, they asked what happened, while Ian Fleming asked what is going to happen,” he said.
The crime writer also said that the hotel figures to some extent in the novel. Saeed Al Naboudah, Acting Director General of the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) said at the conference that he is a big fan of the thriller writer’s work, and has read all of his novels.
Corinne Turner, of Ian Fleming publishing, added that Dubai is very “Bond-esque”.
The book will be released for publication on May 26
Tickets for the Lit Fest go on sale today. There are a number of new strands and sessions, including the first Literary Lunch with Michelin starred chef Pierre Gagnaire including a cookery demonstration.
Calligraphy workshops will be held and the inaugural George Orwell lecture will be given by BBC journalist Gavin Esler.
VIRENDRA SAKLANI/Gulf News
Up for the thrill
From left: Lucy Hale, sales and marketing director of Hodder; Isobel Abulhoul, festival director; Sir Maurice Flanagan, executive vice-chairman of Emirates Airline and Group; author Jeffery Deaver, and Saeed Al Naboudah, acting director-general of Dubai Culture, after announcing the name of the new James Bond book yesterday.
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By Alice Johnson?Staff Reporter
Gulf News 2011. All rights reserved.
