Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

New Bond novel this year

Updated at 6:27 am on 19 February 2013

A new James Bond novel written by novelist William Boyd will be released on 26 September.

"1969. A veteran secret agent. A single mission. A licence to kill. James Bond returns," readers were promised on Monday by publishers Jonathan Cape.

AAP reports Boyd previously used Fleming as a character in his book Any Human Heart. He has also worked with Bond actors Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig.

Creator Ian Fleming, died in 1964 after writing 14 novels in the series, but other authors have since kept the saga alive and the franchise has now sold more than 100 million books.

The latest two novels were Devil May Care (2008) by Sebastian Faulks and Carte Blanche (2011) by Jeffery Deaver.

AAP reports it is 60 years since the first Bond novel, Casino Royale, was published in 1953.

Skyfall, the 23rd official Bond film, is the first film ever to take STG100 million at the British box office. Globally, last year's Bond movie has taken more than $US1 billion.

Copyright © 2013, Radio New Zealand