Keeping it in the family: Fergus and Tom talk to jamesbondfirsteditions.co.uk

Fergus Fleming (Ian Fleming's nephew), and Tom Fleming (Fergus's nephew) are keeping the Bond writer's legacy alive in more ways than one...

Fergus Fleming (left) and Tom Fleming (right) Fleming speak to jamesbondfirsteditions.co.uk

In the films, we all know that it’s the line “the name’s Bond, James Bond,” that never fails to send a shiver down the spine.

But to us book lovers, who possibly identify more with the novels, it’s talking to some who can say their name is ‘Fleming, XXX Fleming’ that still has something of a secret thrill.

Sadly, Fleming’s descendants are spread rather thinly nowadays (Ian’s only son, Casper committed suicide). But recently, I could claim to have spoken to not just one, but ‘two’ of the current bearers of this important bibliographic name: Fergus Fleming (Ian Fleming’s nephew), and relative newcomer to Ian Fleming Publications, Tom Fleming. Tom is the son of James Fleming – who was also Fleming’s nephew, and brother of Fergus, until his death in 2024.

We’re officially meeting because (in my journalist capacity), I’m profiling them both for trade magazine ‘Antiques Trade Gazette,’ as they prepare to be at the Firsts Book Fair in London in May.

Fergus I know well (and I’m sure he would consider me a friend), but Tom I’m meeting for the very first time.

But with so much to talk about, it seemed a shame not to also do a blog featuring them here.

Custodians of Fleming’s legacy:

For those who may not know their direct connection to the world of Bond and book collecting more generally, Fergus and Tom are probably the two most important current family members keeping the legacy of Fleming alive.

Fergus Fleming, as many might know, runs Queen Anne Press (QAP) – the fine binding publisher that continues to keep the limited edition book market alive, by publishing luxury-bound works of Ian Fleming and other modern authors.

Although QAP was initially launched by Sunday Times owner, Lord Kemsley, the managing director role of the press was gifted to Fleming (who ran the paper’s foreign desk), the following year, on the eve of his wedding to Anne, and as such, it has been synonymous with Fleming ever since.

Ian helmed QAP until his death in 1964, but thereafter it entered into a long period where it entered into different ownership (including being part of the Robert Maxwell empire no less!). However, the press was finally brought back into the Fleming fold in 2007. Here, it was acquired by Ian Fleming's literary estate with Fergus (alongside cousin Kate Grimond), named as owners and co-publishers.

Tom meanwhile, is now a fellow director (with Fergus) of The Book Collector – the revered quarterly journal that not only continues to spread the word, but also the discipline, the joy and the passion of book collecting.

Above: Issue 1 of The Book Collector, founded by Ian Fleming

Once more (and perhaps less well known), is the fact this journal also directly harks back to Ian Fleming himself – an avid book collector in his own right – and who actually launched the journal in 1952 precisely because of his love for book collecting (and which was initially printed by Queen Anne Press).

Again, Ian Fleming was heavily involved with it until his death, but following his passing the journal – much like QAP – left the direct control of the Fleming family, with ownership and editorship shifting to Nicholas Barker (for the next 50 years in fact).

But once again, opportunity again came knocking. James Fleming stumped up the money to buy the journal back. James then edited it between 2018 until his death, and it’s Tom that has been running things ever since (including last year appointing David Pearson, a past President of the Bibliographical Society, as its editor).

It means that after long periods of no Fleming involvement, both QAP and now The Book Collector are both back – arguably where they ought to be – in the Fleming family fold.

Fleming the book collector

Above: The Book Collector as it looks today...

“It’s often forgotten that before Ian the writer, was Ian first and foremost a passionate book collector,” reflects Fergus.

Aged just 21, the impressionable Fleming asked Bond Street bookseller, Percy Muir, to assemble a book collection for him – anything as long as it met the theme of celebrating milestones in western civilization. It saw Fleming build up a collection that included the very rare (first prints of The Origin of Species; and Einstein’s The Theory of Relativity), to the much more mundane – books on everything from penicillin, golf, bicycles, soccer, bridge, communism and even the development of the Boy Scout movement.

“I think dad liked the idea of bringing it back to the family,” adds Tom Fleming, who also says that one of the big reasons he did, was to eventually see it pass to him. “Dad said that he would only take The Book Collector on if I would be interested in continuing it – so you could say I’m now honouring that promise.”

The eagle-eyed might have noticed that in the last few months, the website of The Book Collector (https://thebookcollector.co.uk/) has had a major new refresh, and now subscribers will be fully able to access all its past content much more easily – content that James said his ambition was ensure had a “mix of wit, pleasure and knowledge.”

Tom and Fergus – on Bond itself

With one nephew of Ian’s now maintaining interest in Bond through QAP, and the other maintaining interest in book collecting itself, the two are the perfect mix for keeping the memory of Ian Fleming, and his books alive.

But in chatting to the pair, what strikes you is that while the name Fleming still has a slightly intoxicating mystique about it for people like you and I, the direct family of course (having lived with the shadow of Ian over them), see things a little differently.

“At one point, probably 20-30 years ago, many thought the Bond phenomenon had run its course,” confides Fergus – who says he can’t ever actually remember meeting Ian – who died when he was only five. He says: “When I was younger, I think some people certainly admired what he achieved, but less what he ‘wrote’,” he says. “There definitely wasn’t the first editions market we see now.”

Thankfully, he says, this has all changed now, and I rather suspect the pair are both very aware of the importance of the name they now carry.

“Ian’s definitely reached iconic status,” says Fergus. “He didn’t immediately after his death – that I do know. But I think the whole book collecting thing with him only really took off properly in the 1970s.”

Now of course, both Fergus and Tom’s appreciation for the famous forebear is very warm, and both do say they read the Bond novels from time to time.

“I’ve read them all, of course I have,” says Tom. “Not recently – I’m a bit of a sporadic reader.” He adds: “I think it almost ‘is’ your duty as a Fleming to re-read them, and six months ago, I actually revisited Colonel Sun [the first continuation novel] for a while, and really enjoyed it.”

When it comes to favourites though – both had an immediate response.

“For me, it’s Live and Let Die,” (left) argues Tom. “To my mind, it just has everything a Bond book should.”

Adds Fergus: “For me it’s From Russia With Love [also James’s favourite Ian Fleming novel]. “To me, I just love holding and reading all books,” he adds. “I love their physicality.”

With the 75^th anniversary of Casino Royale only just around the corner (2028), it’s anyone’s guess if both The Book Collector and QAP will mark it in some way (they were coy about this when asked).

But, with both of these Flemings at the helm, I’d argue it’s a good bet you won’t have seen the last of something Ian Fleming-related from the pair of them…

For more information:

The Book Collector: https://thebookcollector.co.uk/

Queen Anne Press: https://www.queenannepress.co.uk/