Report by Hugo Webster, Year 7
When I first heard there was a new ‘Young Bond’ book being
published I thought of the author Charlie Higson and I searched for it online -
it said Steve Cole was the author and I thought “who’s he?” I was excited but
anxious - was he going to be as good as Charlie Higson….?
I received the book a couple of days before Steve’s visit
and was enthralled…
On Monday 10th of September Steve Cole came to
Charters. At second break I queued to get my book signed (I had only got to
page 76 and boy it was good!). A group of Bond lovers surrounded Steve and we
had our picture taken.
Finally fifth period arrived and the wait was over! I saw streams
of people heading for the hall and I managed to get a front row seat - a
perfect view to see him. He stepped out and introduced himself, then explained
how he had written Astrosaurs and Cows In Action. He’d worked as an editor for
a magazine company before he became a full time writer.
He told us about the day that would change his life….. the day,
when he’d finished his lunch as he was walking out of the restaurant his
assistant phoned him and told him that the Ian Fleming Foundation had picked
him to write the new books.
After that he showed us some spy gadgets: he had binoculars where
one of the eye pieces was a flask (for when you are spying on someone and you
need a drink) - he also had a gun keychain that was a lighter for when you are
out in a forest and you need to make a fire.
Following the gadgets that he showed us Steve went on to talk
through the first chapter of the book and tell us about the characters; James
Bond, the teenage boy, expelled from Eton, never to trust again. Hugo Grande a
dwarf that doesn’t like classes but loves skiving. Boudicca (Boody) Pyre a girl
that will take machines apart to her heart’s content and Dan Solomon, a boy who
found a film reel, the reel that someone is willing to kill for. These friends
all went to Dartington Hall.
Steve highlighted that as it was the anniversary of Ian Fleming’s
first film when he was picked to write the stories that it would be a good idea
for the group of friends to visit Hollywood as part of the plot. First, as
always, he had to run it past Ian Fleming’s remaining family. Then he told us
about their mode of transport, the LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin. A key
part of the story, it was a German-built and operated airship which
actually operated commercially from 1928 to 1937. The airship was named after
the German pioneer of airships, Ferdinand von Zeppelin, who was a count (Graf)
in the German nobility.
Even though I had read it, hearing him inject so much life
and passion into the story I wanted to read the rest there and then.
To conclude he played a game. He had a target and two Nerf
guns, he picked two contestants by telling us a riddle and whoever got the
riddle right played against each other, he used the lipstick to mark the darts.
The first person to fire hit the third ring out from the center of the target
and when the second person fired she hit near the middle of the ‘O’ in BOND at
the top of the card board target. When Steve had his turn he pulled out a
bigger Nerf gun and blew the target away.
Information On Steve
Cole
Steve was born in 1971 and was brought up in rural Bedfordshire. One of
the reasons he loves being an author is because he can lounge around wearing pyjamas
all day but when he starts to write something he can’t stop.
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