New James Bond novel from William Boyd goes on sale in September

A new James Bond novel, written by the award-winning author William Boyd, will be published in September. Bond creator Ian Fleming's estate confirmed the date of 26 September yesterday, but is keeping the title and plot of the spy's latest adventures a secret.

It did reveal, however, that Boyd will be taking Bond back to his heyday of 1969, when he is 45 years old, to mark the 60th anniversary of the publication of Fleming's first 007 escapade, Casino Royale.

Six decades later Bond is still as popular as ever, with the latest movie, Skyfall, starring Daniel Craig, becoming the first film to take more than £100m at the UK box office.

Fleming died in 1964 but his estate has kept the adventures coming – and book sales at more than 100 million – by hiring literary stars such as Sebastian Faulks and US thriller writer Jeffery Deaver. Boyd said it was a "once in a lifetime challenge".