From the Mirror archives

November 7, 1963

James Bond author Ian Fleming poses for a portrait in an interview by award-winning Mirror writer Donald Zec. Fleming, noted for his dry humour, said he dreamt up Bond to take his mind off “the appalling business” of getting married to the former Viscountess Rothermere in 1952. He claimed to be unruffled by critics who found sex and violence in his novels “depraved”.