Reissues go States-side

News today of a deal between Harper Collins and Sterling Partners to reissue most of Len Deighton's books in new editions in the US market.

In August 2011, twelve books by Deighton, including The Ipcress File, Horse Under Water, Funeral in Berlin, Billion-Dollar Brain, Bomber, and Declarations of War, will come out in new editions with new covers (expected to be the Schwartzman covers). These will include the new introductions which Len has written about (and, indeed, as he said in the recent interview with this blog, is still writing).

More information's available on the Booktrade website.

Q&A with Len Deighton - part three

Following yesterday's second blog posting, below is the third and final part of the exclusive Deighton Dossier Q&A with author Len Deighton, in which among other things the author recounts his first steps to discovering what Cold war life was like, behind the Iron Curtain. The questions in this Q&A are either my own or suggestions from blog readers. A full .pdf copy of this interview will be put up on the main Deighton Dossier website.

Len Deighton Q&A - part three

All text (c) Pluriform 2011

Q&A with Len Deighton - part two

Part one of the Deighton Dossier's exclusive Q&A chat with Len Deighton was yesterday. Now, in part two of the interview below, find out more about how Deighton approached the writing of the immense Samson triple-trilogy, and his feelings on the never re-broadcast TV adaptation of Game, Set & Match.

Deighton Q&A - part two


All text is (c) Pluriform 2011

Exclusive to the Deighton Dossier: Q&A with Len Deighton

“I didn’t want simplicity. I didn’t want a spot-lit singer on a bare stage. I wanted an opera.”

Len Deighton, on the Game, Set & Match triple trilogy.

Though he spends much of his time in retirement outside of the UK, Len Deighton still visits London regularly and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to catch up with him on a recent visit. Over lunch we talked about his writing past and present, his approach to characterisation - notably the development of the rough-around the-edges Bernard Samson - and setting, his recollections of central London in the ‘sixties ..... and the dipping headlights on his 1978 Cadillac! We also discussed his experiences in the film industry, and he talked positively about the putative Bomber production and hinted at a possible film of Horse Under Water, the ‘missing’ Harry Palmer novel adaptation.

Having failed spectacularly to capture this conversation on my iPhone recorder (see posts passim), I asked Len if he would be willing to do a short interview for the website and blog via email, in the form of the Q&A.

He agreed. The result is this three-part online discussion, based on questions from me and from readers of the blog, the website and the related online forums. Given his infrequent appearances in the UK media, the Deighton Dossier is incredibly privileged to have this opportunity to engage with the author.

Enjoy.

Note: all text is (c) Pluriform 2011

Len Deighton Q&A - part one

A touch of ennui

Nick Jones' interesting book-based blog Existential Ennui (great title) has this week been looking at Len Deighton's 'Harry Palmer' series of books, copies of which he's picked up at various book fairs. Well worth checking out, not least because the blog provides an interesting insight into the motivations and passions of the book collector. Nick's library is certainly varied and, one imagines, large!