Winnie-the-Pooh, the world's most famous British bear, is back after an absence of 81 years.
The last we saw of the little yellow fellow was in 1928 in House at Pooh Corner waving goodbye to Christopher Robin in Hundred Acre Wood.
Now the first Winnie-the-Pooh sequel since his creator AA Milne, who dies in 1956, stopped writing them in 1928 is to hit the shelves, bringing back other favourite characters including Eeyore, Piglet and Tigger.
David Benedictus is writing the new book and he has written an 'exposition' that sets the scene for the start of it.
Christopher Robin is named after AA Milne's son, who died in 1996.
The name Winnie comes from a bear called Winnipeg, which was a mascot for the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade which was loaned to London Zoo in WWI. Pooh was the name Milne and his son, Christopher Robin, had given a swan when they were on holiday.
Now, where was I? 81 years on, Winnie-the-Pooh is back in the first official sequel to AA Milne classics
By Beth Hale
04th September 2009
Daily Mail
Classic: Winnie-the-Pooh is coming back in the first authorised sequel since AA Milne laid down his pen 81 years ago
He was last seen with his pals in the Hundred Acre Wood bidding a fond farewell to Christopher Robin.
Christopher, as all Winnie-the-Pooh fans will know, was about to go to boarding school leaving the inhabitants of the wood to carry on their adventures alone.
But when the last page closed on the House at Pooh Corner in 1928 whatever happened to the eponymous and loveable bear of 'very little brain'?
Well soon fans - old and new - will find out.
The first authorised Winnie-the-Pooh sequel since AA Milne laid down his pen more than 80 years ago is ready to hit the shelves, bringing Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and the melancholic donkey Eeyore, to a new century of readers.
Now the Daily Mail can give a hint of what to expect in the Return to the Hundred Acre Wood.
The author with the daunting task of following in Milne's footsteps is David Benedictus and he has written an 'exposition' that sets the scene for the start of the new book.
In it, he is clearly aware of the risk that any updating of the classic tales could enrage Pooh's legions of older fans.
'But are you really going to write us new adventures?' Christopher Robin asks.
'Because we rather liked the old ones.' A sentence or so later Eeyore gives his thoughts - and, unsurprisingly, they are not encouraging.
'He'll get it wrong,' says Eeyore, 'see if he doesn't. What does he know about donkeys?'
'A little boy and his bear will always be playing': Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet and Christopher Robin play Poohsticks on a bridge over running water
Benedictus has already worked on audio CD adaptations of AA Milne's stories and has collaborated with illustrator Mark Burgess, who has also worked on Paddington Bear.
To write the ten stories that make up the new book he tried to immerse himself in Milne's world.
He visited Ashdown Forest, in East Sussex, where the tales were set and he read everything that Milne wrote for Punch magazine - where he was assistant editor - in the 1920s and 1930s.
Milne's first Pooh Bear collection was Winnie-the-Pooh in 1926, followed by The House At Pooh Corner, in which Tigger joined Owl, Piglet, Eeyore, Rabbit and Kanga.
Both were illustrated by the revered artist EH Shepard.
In the final sentence of The House At Pooh Corner, Milne wrote: 'But wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on top of the Forest, a little boy and his bear will always be playing.'
Since then, the honey-loving bear's adventures have been translated into 50 languages - including Latin - and turned into a major Disney franchise.
AA Milne died in 1956 and his son Christopher Robin, who complained in adulthood that he never broke free from the shadow of the Pooh stories, died in 1996.
The Milne line continues with Christopher's daughter Clare, who was born with cerebral palsy. In 2001 the Clare Milne Trust was set up in her name to help those suffering from cerebral palsy and other disabilities.
The Trustees of the Pooh Properties, who represent both the Milne and Shepard estates, had high praise for the sequel.
Speaking earlier this year, they said that they had often wished there could be further tales from the Hundred Acre Wood and that Benedictus and Burgess had 'captured the spirit and quality of those original books'.
Last night David Riley, director of Egmont Publishing, said: 'Return to the Hundred Acre Wood is set to be a huge hit this year with children and parents alike. We are delighted to be publishing the sequel to a wonderful children's classic.'
Martyn Luke, head of marketing and brands, added that the tales were 'very faithful' to the original.
'It's our biggest launch of the year and some people are saying it's going to be the publishing event of the year,' he said.
'Because of the popularity of Pooh it really does have a huge age range appeal.' But neither were giving away what Pooh might have been up to in the last eight decades.
Nevertheless Return to the Hundred Acre Wood is understood to pick up where The House at Pooh Corner left off, with Christopher Robin back from school to play with his friends.
Older fans, of course, may well have come up with alternative devices to bridge the 80-year gap.
Who knows, perhaps Winnie-the-Pooh - also called Pooh, or Pooh Bear, but never, ever, just Winnie - was engaged in a very long game of pooh sticks?
Publicity for the Pooh sequel is now gathering pace and the beloved bear will be appearing on billboards at shopping centres and on posters in the Underground in London.
The book is out on October 5.
Enlarge
Star in the making: Winnie-the-Pooh makes his first appearance in print on Christmas Eve, 1925
David Benedictus sets the scene with his 'exposition'
Enlarge
dailymail.co.uk
The last we saw of the little yellow fellow was in 1928 in House at Pooh Corner waving goodbye to Christopher Robin in Hundred Acre Wood.
Now the first Winnie-the-Pooh sequel since his creator AA Milne, who dies in 1956, stopped writing them in 1928 is to hit the shelves, bringing back other favourite characters including Eeyore, Piglet and Tigger.
David Benedictus is writing the new book and he has written an 'exposition' that sets the scene for the start of it.
Christopher Robin is named after AA Milne's son, who died in 1996.
The name Winnie comes from a bear called Winnipeg, which was a mascot for the 2nd Canadian Infantry Brigade which was loaned to London Zoo in WWI. Pooh was the name Milne and his son, Christopher Robin, had given a swan when they were on holiday.
Now, where was I? 81 years on, Winnie-the-Pooh is back in the first official sequel to AA Milne classics
By Beth Hale
04th September 2009
Daily Mail
Classic: Winnie-the-Pooh is coming back in the first authorised sequel since AA Milne laid down his pen 81 years ago
He was last seen with his pals in the Hundred Acre Wood bidding a fond farewell to Christopher Robin.
Christopher, as all Winnie-the-Pooh fans will know, was about to go to boarding school leaving the inhabitants of the wood to carry on their adventures alone.
But when the last page closed on the House at Pooh Corner in 1928 whatever happened to the eponymous and loveable bear of 'very little brain'?
Well soon fans - old and new - will find out.
The first authorised Winnie-the-Pooh sequel since AA Milne laid down his pen more than 80 years ago is ready to hit the shelves, bringing Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and the melancholic donkey Eeyore, to a new century of readers.
Now the Daily Mail can give a hint of what to expect in the Return to the Hundred Acre Wood.
The author with the daunting task of following in Milne's footsteps is David Benedictus and he has written an 'exposition' that sets the scene for the start of the new book.
In it, he is clearly aware of the risk that any updating of the classic tales could enrage Pooh's legions of older fans.
'But are you really going to write us new adventures?' Christopher Robin asks.
'Because we rather liked the old ones.' A sentence or so later Eeyore gives his thoughts - and, unsurprisingly, they are not encouraging.
'He'll get it wrong,' says Eeyore, 'see if he doesn't. What does he know about donkeys?'
'A little boy and his bear will always be playing': Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet and Christopher Robin play Poohsticks on a bridge over running water
Benedictus has already worked on audio CD adaptations of AA Milne's stories and has collaborated with illustrator Mark Burgess, who has also worked on Paddington Bear.
To write the ten stories that make up the new book he tried to immerse himself in Milne's world.
He visited Ashdown Forest, in East Sussex, where the tales were set and he read everything that Milne wrote for Punch magazine - where he was assistant editor - in the 1920s and 1930s.
Milne's first Pooh Bear collection was Winnie-the-Pooh in 1926, followed by The House At Pooh Corner, in which Tigger joined Owl, Piglet, Eeyore, Rabbit and Kanga.
Both were illustrated by the revered artist EH Shepard.
In the final sentence of The House At Pooh Corner, Milne wrote: 'But wherever they go, and whatever happens to them on the way, in that enchanted place on top of the Forest, a little boy and his bear will always be playing.'
Since then, the honey-loving bear's adventures have been translated into 50 languages - including Latin - and turned into a major Disney franchise.
AA Milne died in 1956 and his son Christopher Robin, who complained in adulthood that he never broke free from the shadow of the Pooh stories, died in 1996.
The Milne line continues with Christopher's daughter Clare, who was born with cerebral palsy. In 2001 the Clare Milne Trust was set up in her name to help those suffering from cerebral palsy and other disabilities.
The Trustees of the Pooh Properties, who represent both the Milne and Shepard estates, had high praise for the sequel.
Speaking earlier this year, they said that they had often wished there could be further tales from the Hundred Acre Wood and that Benedictus and Burgess had 'captured the spirit and quality of those original books'.
Last night David Riley, director of Egmont Publishing, said: 'Return to the Hundred Acre Wood is set to be a huge hit this year with children and parents alike. We are delighted to be publishing the sequel to a wonderful children's classic.'
Martyn Luke, head of marketing and brands, added that the tales were 'very faithful' to the original.
'It's our biggest launch of the year and some people are saying it's going to be the publishing event of the year,' he said.
'Because of the popularity of Pooh it really does have a huge age range appeal.' But neither were giving away what Pooh might have been up to in the last eight decades.
Nevertheless Return to the Hundred Acre Wood is understood to pick up where The House at Pooh Corner left off, with Christopher Robin back from school to play with his friends.
Older fans, of course, may well have come up with alternative devices to bridge the 80-year gap.
Who knows, perhaps Winnie-the-Pooh - also called Pooh, or Pooh Bear, but never, ever, just Winnie - was engaged in a very long game of pooh sticks?
Publicity for the Pooh sequel is now gathering pace and the beloved bear will be appearing on billboards at shopping centres and on posters in the Underground in London.
The book is out on October 5.
Enlarge
Star in the making: Winnie-the-Pooh makes his first appearance in print on Christmas Eve, 1925
David Benedictus sets the scene with his 'exposition'
Enlarge
dailymail.co.uk
