Geoffrey Jenkins, a South African adventure novelist, was a friend of Fleming`s from their newspaper days. Jenkins pressed Fleming to visit South Africa. Apparently Fleming had promised to one day write a Bond novel set in South Africa. Circa 1957, Jenkins wrote an outline for a Bond novel that Fleming thought had great possibilities.
Unfortunately, tragically, details are sketchy – apparently those in the know prefer not to discuss the novel. However this much is known: set in South Africa, it was about the diamond industry in the Rand and involved diamond smuggling, a secret spy escape route through a magic lake named Funduzzi in the Northern Transvaal, towards Mozambique. Gold bicycle chains and baobab wood coffins might have been used as smuggling gimmicks.
Fleming and Jenkins discussed it at length and Fleming had made changes; Fleming was very particular with what he intended to do with the outline, the approach he contemplated. Fleming wrote, “I must know how everything smells, tastes and looks for myself in South Africa.” Twice he was scheduled to visit to do background research, but in both cases, something arose and he postponed it. (Fleming often invited Jenkins to Jamaica, but the latter was unable to go.)
In August 1964, several days before Fleming died, he and Jenkins discussed the project again. Jenkins would be in London shortly and hoped to persuade Fleming to visit South Africa. Fleming had promised to one day write a Bond novel set in South Africa; he had even gone so far as to sketch out the plot [sic], which they had discussed.
On May 4th, 1965, John Pearson, then researching his forthcoming book The Life Of Ian Fleming wrote to Geoffrey Jenkins, asking for the latter`s memories of Fleming. Jenkins wrote back on June 1st, 1965, and mentioned that circa 1957 he had written a Bond outline for Fleming, set in South Africa. Fleming had apparently been very keen and had intended to travel there. Jenkins tried hard to get Fleming out there, and twice Fleming almost did go. On September 24th, 1965, Jenkins wrote back asking after the 25 page Bond plot he had written for Fleming, who had been pretty keen on it. Jenkins had lost his own copy and hoped Pearson could find a copy in Fleming`s papers. On October 1st, 1965, Pearson wrote back saying he would forward a copy. Intriguingly, Pearson suggested that perhaps Jenkins should write the book now. On October 6th, 1965, Jenkins wrote back that he and Fleming had discussed it at length and had made changes. Fleming was very particular with what he intended to do with the outline, the approach he contemplated. Twice he was due to visit South Africa to get his background. Jenkins thought it would be quite a nice tribute to Ian if he, Jenkins, were to write a posthumous Bond novel. On November 3rd, 1965, Pearson wrote back, “I hope that you write that book. Just reading your synopsis through I can understand why Ian got so excited about it, and you can`t possibly allow such magnificent material to go to waste. Gold bicycle chains and baobab wood coffins. What else can the Bond-lover ask for?”
In a letter to Jenkins` publisher William Collins, dated December 11th, 1965, Ann Fleming would apparently meet with Glidrose on December 14th about the outline. Aiken and Charles Tyrrell of Glidrose now wanted the synopsis that Jenkins had originally offered. However, Jenkins became reluctant. He felt a synopsis would be unsatisfactory because the story would change and grow as it progressed. Also, he felt that Ann Fleming`s “inexperienced” eye would be at a disadvantage reading a synopsis. In a letter to William Collins, dated January 2nd, 1966, Jenkins said he hoped to get the go-ahead any time.
From here on in information becomes sketchy.
Jenkins at some point secured Bond film producer Harry Saltzman`s support and threatened to write the novel unless permission was forthcoming. Glidrose reluctantly commissioned the book (probably sometime in the spring/summer of 1966), but deemed the final manuscript unpublishable and suppressed it. If his novel Hunter Killer is anything to go by, Jenkins probably finished the novel in at most several months, ahead of Amis completing Colonel Sun.
Jenkins` 1983 novel, The Unripe Gold, might refer to Per Fine Ounce:
“Maybe one of his famous hunches – and no one could deny that on a famous occasion Major Rive`s hunch had paid off when there had been a James Bond attempt to land a plane upcoast and fly out a parcel of stolen diamonds.” (Chapter 30, page 212, Collins edition)
Biography:
Geoffrey Jenkins was born June 16th, 1920 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. He followed his father into journalism and became the Johannesburg Star`s representative in Pretoria, the seat of government, in 1949.
In 1947 he won Lord Kemsley`s Commonwealth Scholarship [a.k.a. Imperial Journalistic Scholarship] and went to London as guest sub-editor and worked in turn on the Sunday Times and other Kemsley newspapers, where he met Ian Fleming. The two men became friends and kept in touch. Before returning to South Africa, Jenkins broadcast for the BBC a series of talks based on his adventures in Fleet Street. His first novel, A Twist Of Sand, was published in 1959 and Ian Fleming wrote in the Sunday Times: “Geoffrey Jenkins has the supreme gift of originality… A literate, imaginative first novel in the tradition of high and original adventure.”
In one press article published in The Star (25 May 1971) Jenkins explains his failure to produce a published work during the 5 years following the publication of Hunter Killer (1966) as follows: “I took time off to re-find myself. … I was suffering under what I call the Fleming Syndrome. Ian was a great friend of mine and gave me plenty of encouragement when Twist was launched. I used to look him up whenever I was in London. So I suppose it was natural my writing should drift towards the Bond style and my plots should begin to take on that form. That and an eye on the film rights. I couldn`t shake it off even though I began to loathe the film industry. So I dropped everything and set about reassessing myself.”
In a Sunday Times (1981) interview he describes Ian Fleming as the personification of James Bond and in another Sunday Times interview (1972) he refers to his friendship with Fleming in the late forties as follows: “He was my immediate boss… He had the famous old 4 and a half litre Bentley then. I can remember how he used to look at the clock at about 12.30 and say `Geoffrey, old boy, time for a spot of lunch`. We would never get back until 3 o`clock.” However, Jenkins went to great pains during the 1960`s to make clear that Fleming was NOT Bond.
At one of their last meetings, it seems that Fleming was “collating” memories and experiences in Hong Kong. For a new Bond work? According to Jenkins, a Bondian idea was born during drinks: Fleming had seen a poster for a publisher of religious books in a converted Hong Kong brothel. Interestingly Fleming claimed that the “Bond style” spy-thriller was dead. In London over drinks, they considered making Bond a necrophiliac and conjured up a scenario, which grew more hilarious and censorious as it unravelled. (John Pearson remarked that, “making Bond a necrophile is a typical Ianism.” In fact both regretted that Fleming made such poor use of his rich sense of humour in the novels.)
Nevertheless, age itself does not cause male impotence. Use breathable purified cotton underpants appalachianmagazine.com buy canada levitra rather than tight-fitting chemical fiber underpants.Last but not least, keep good feelings everyday. Quite a large number of males viagra pills for women http://appalachianmagazine.com/author/AppalachianMagazine/page/90/ have started taking coffee to get sexual improvement in their health. Some call it a learner permit; others call it a professional license, in spite of the fact that levitra prescription appalachianmagazine.com is a protected and adequate drug, it is better to consult your doctor first so he may tell you the appropriate treatment for it. Jenkins considered Casino Royale Fleming`s best, and The Spy Who Loved Me one of the least successful.
Jenkins` novels:
A Twist Of Sand [1959]
The Watering Place Of Good Peace [1960, rev 1974]
A Grue Of Ice [1962; US title: The Disappearing Island]
The River Of Diamonds [1964]
Hunter-Killer [1966]
Scend Of The Sea [1971; US title: The Hollow Sea]
A Cleft Of Stars [1973]
A Bridge Of Magpies [1974]
Southtrap [1979]
A Ravel Of Waters [1981]
The Unripe Gold [1983]
Fireprint [1984]
In Harm`s Way [1986]
Hold Back A Shadow [1989]
A Hive Of Dead Men [1991]
A Daystar Of Fear [1994]
Unfilmed screenplay:
The Fifth Paw Of The Lion [1966, Columbia]
Non-fiction:
A Century Of History: The Story Of Potchefstroom [1939, Potchefstroom
Herald; rev 1971, A.A. Balkema]
Non-fiction with his wife Eve Palmer:
The Companion Guide To South Africa [1978]
[Nick Kincaid`s note: try reading Jenkins` novels, especially Scend of the Sea and A Cleft of Stars. Jenkins` novels have a very evocative feel for South Africa, and he is an adventure novelist in the purest sense – which Fleming wasn`t. Jenkins` novels are perpetually fresh. He lacks some of Fleming`s complexities and literary touches, and does tend towards “thick-ear” dialogue, but I think he would have made an interesting Bond novelist. Some people – myself included – consider Per Fine Ounce the “holy grail” among Bond items.]
007Forever is your number one internet source for information about these and other neglected Bond items. Special thanks to Mr. Geoffrey Jenkins, Ann Torlesse of the National English Literary Museum, and Boston University for help with this article.