Date: 20 August 2004

Search for a sequel to Peter Pan

‘All children, except one, grow up.’ So begins the most famous and the most haunting of children’s books. To mark the centenary of Peter Pan, a new search is launched today for a magical sequel to J.M.Barrie’s timeless masterpiece.

The Special Trustees of Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity own the copyright to Peter Pan. They have authorised the creation of a new book that will share the same enchanting characters as the original, the same longevity, and be just as valid in a hundred years as the original is today.

Peter Pan is a dark and complex piece that appeals to both adults and children alike; as a piece of magical realism and a ‘crossover’ book for all ages, it is way ahead of its time.  The guidelines to the sequel must therefore allow an individual creative response whilst also remaining true to the spirit of the original. As such, the central theme might still encompass the eternal dilemma between the delights of childhood and the pathos of leaving it behind, yet be placed in a contemporary setting.

The Special Trustees are inviting publishers and literary agents to put forward the names of up to two authors who would like to be considered for the project. The author can be a children’s or an adult writer and of any nationality, although the book, a narrative fiction, is to be written initially in English. The trustees are appointing an advisory panel of experts from the worlds of children’s entertainment and publishing, including Liz Attenborough, Mariella Frostrup, Daisy Goodwin, Lizo Mzimba and Lord Puttnam.

Nominated writers will be asked to submit a brief synopsis and a sample chapter by 31 January 2005. The winner will be announced in the Spring and it is envisaged that the new Peter Pan will be published in Autumn 2005.

Sir James Barrie gave the copyright in Peter Pan to Great Ormond Street Hospital in 1929 and since then the royalties have been a significant but confidential source of income for the Hospital. J.M.Barrie died in 1937 so copyright in the EU runs until 2007 and until 2023 in the US.

Jane Collins, Chief Executive of the Great Ormond Street Hospital, comments:

“For a number of years we have been wondering whether it was possible for a sequel to be written to Peter Pan. This is partly because of the additional income it would bring to the hospital but mainly because we know that so many people, children and adults, love the book and are drawn to its central theme. We hope a sequel would bring as much pleasure as the original. Peter Pan’s centenary seems the right time to do this and we are enormously grateful to our team of experts for agreeing to be on the judging panel.” 

-ends

Contact information:

Notes to editors:

1.     The first ever performance of J.M.Barrie’s Peter Pan took place on 27 December, 1904 at the Duke of York Theatre in London

2.     For interviews and visuals, please contact Colman Getty PR

3.     Throughout 2004 the Hospital will be running a year of themed Peter Pan events in honour of the centenary of its first performance. For more information visit www.gosh.org

4.     Judges:

• Liz Attenborough is the former editor of Puffin Books. A consultant to the National Literacy Trust, she is an expert on children’s reading and literacy.
  Mariella Frostrup is a journalist and broadcaster, former Booker Prize judge and current presenter of BBC Radio 4’s Open Book.
  
• Daisy Goodwin is Editorial Director for the production company TalkBack and television presenter for BBC 2’s Essential Poems (To Fall in Love With). She is also the editor of several bestselling poetry books.
  
• Lizo Mzimba currently presents BBC’s Newsround.
  
• Lord Puttnam is an Oscar-winning film producer. He now focuses on his work in education: in addition to having served as the first Chairman of the General Teaching Council, he is also Chairman of the Trustees of the National Teaching Awards.

Only published authors are being considered.

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