IT'S nearly six years since Charlie Higson was contacted by Ian Fleming's estate about the possibility of writing a series of James Bond novels.

"I was incredibly excited but I thought, 'My God, how can you write a new Bond book?' But what they wanted was a children's book about Bond's childhood because this was an area Fleming didn't cover, and I thought 'I could do that'," he says.

Higson had written a series of popular thrillers in the early '90s and it was his former publisher who thought he was the best
man for the job.

"My adult books had quite a lot of sex and violence, which perhaps didn't make me an obvious choice, but I've always been a Bond fan and the Fleming estate wanted a darker edge. They wanted to move away from the Roger Moore image of Bond back to the intense character of the original books."

The initial agreement was for Higson to write one book, but such was the success of SilverFin, the first Young Bond book, that Higson was asked to write four more.

"We had an idea people would be interested in the first book because it was James Bond, but there was still a bit of trepidation as to whether kids would think
it's too old-fashioned, but each book has proved more popular than the last, and they've been more successful than anyone could have hoped for," he says.

The fifth and final book in the current series, By Royal Command, is due out in September and Higson admits he's enjoyed writing the novels.

"It's a dream job, especially for a man of my advancing middle age years. Also, I've got three boys of my own, so it's great to be able to write something that they could feel part of and relate to."

Higson is speaking ahead of his visit to Yorkshire next week (July 18) for the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, in Harrogate, when he will discuss our continued fascination with 007 along with a panel of fellow authors.

Many people recognise Higson for his comic partnership with Paul Whitehouse which spawned The Fast Show, but it was writing, rather than comedy, that interested him as a youngster. "I used to write for my own enjoyment as a teenager. When I should have been doing my homework, I would write stories, although I never thought I would get them published. It didn't seem a career that would be open to me. My father was an accountant and his attitude was I should get a proper job and write in my spare time."

It was while studying at the University of East Anglia in the late '70s that he became friends with Whitehouse and formed a band called The Right-Hand Lovers. "In those days if you wanted to arse about on stage you formed a pop group, because the alternative comedy scene didn't really exist outside of Oxford or Cambridge. At that time working in the arts wasn't really a career option like it is today; there was no such thing as Media Studies."

After leaving university, he and Whitehouse moved to London where they met Harry Enfield, whose career was beginning to take off.

The pair wrote for his TV show and "tried to hang on to his coat tails", as Higson puts it. By the early '90s, having established himself as hot comedy-writing property, Higson had written a couple of novels and was encouraged by friends to try and get them published. "It was around the time that the Loadsamoney and Stavros characters had taken off, and it was felt that I might be marketable," he says.

His crime thrillers proved popular, but it was The Fast Show, with such timeless characters as Ron Manager, Ted and Ralph and Swiss Toni, that made him a household name.

Since the show finished eight years ago, Higson has worked on other TV comedy programmes such as Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased) and Tittybangbang, but believes The Fast Show remains a unique comic creation.

"We were in the right place at the right time and the chances of capturing the zeitgeist, for want of a better word, and defining comedy for a generation again like we were able to do with The Fast Show, are very slim," he says. Which is why he jumped at the chance of writing the Young Bond novels.

"I was doing back to back TV for a few years which wasn't exactly becoming a treadmill, but I've always loved writing and this was a chance to stay at home with the kids."

And Higson believes the world's most famous secret agent has lost none of his appeal with audiences. "Casino Royale was the biggest money-making film ever, so you can't argue with that. The first Bond book came out in 1953 and it's hard to think of another character which has the same sticking power, apart from perhaps Sherlock Holmes.

"We love the trappings of Bond. The tuxedos and the fast cars. He's the man we want to be. He always says the right thing and knows what to do."

Higson says he's enjoyed writing the Bond novels and has agreed a deal with Puffin to write three new action-adventure children's books. Comedy fans will also be delighted to hear he's planning to team up with old pal Paul Whitehouse again.

"We're looking to do something next year if we get enough interest."

Given their track record, that shouldn't be a problem.

Charlie Higson is at the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate on July 18.