![]() ![]() Publishers did not immediately see its potential, but it was eventually accepted and the book was published in October 1958.īy 1965, the books were so successful he was able to give up his job at the BBC. He started writing stories about the bear for fun, but after 10 days realised he had a book on his hands and sent it to his agent. He has said he was inspired to create the character after he bought a small toy bear on Christmas Eve in 1956 when he saw it left on a shelf in London department store Selfridges and felt sorry for it.īond took it home as a present for his wife and named it Paddington because they were living near the railway station of the same name at the time. Paddington Bear became a symbol for 2016 protests against intolerance. Project Paddington has seen more than 25,000 bears sent to refugee children in Iraq, Lebanon and Jordan. Paddington became a symbol of compassion for the UK initiative Project Paddington, under which children send teddy bears to refugee children with notes of welcome and support. That theme of tolerance became particularly important as refugee numbers surged throughout the world over the last decade. It’s about an evacuee, a refugee coming to a foreign country and having been told certain things about that culture to expect,” Bonneville said at the film’s launch. “I suppose if there are some delicate emotional themes underneath. His final instalment of the book series, Love from Paddington, came in the form of letters written to Paddington’s aunt Lucy in Peru, telling her about his new life in London.ĭownton Abbey actor Hugh Bonneville, who starred in the 2014 movie, said the Paddington story was fun, but had an underlying theme of tolerance. Over his lifetime, Bond penned 150 books, including his first title A Bear Called Paddington, and 25 others about the marmalade-loving bear in iconic duffle coat, hat and wellingtons. The 2014 movie Paddington sparked a resurgence of interest for the character. Paddington, the impeccably polite stowaway from Peru, turns up at London’s Paddington Station with a battered suitcase containing a nearly-finished jar of marmalade and a label on his blue duffle coat reading: “Please look after this bear. RIP #MichaelBond #childhoodmemories /L7g1lp34in “I'm not a criminal,” said Paddington, hotly. The writer became a beloved giant of children's literature after his first book, A Bear Called Paddington, was published in 1958 about the bear from Peru who loves marmalade.Įnglish author Bond wrote 150 books in total, with 25 additional books about Paddington following his first effort.“He was a true gentleman, a bon viveur, the most entertaining company and the most enchanting of writers,” Ann-Janine Murtagh, executive publisher at HarperCollins Children’s Books, said of Bond in a statement.īond’s books proved so popular they have been on shelves ever since they were first published in 1958 and have inspired statues, toys, a television series, a feature film and have become the face of tolerance for refugees. "My thoughts and love are with his wife, Sue, and his children Karen and Anthony." "He will be forever remembered for his creation of the iconic Paddington, with his duffle coat and Wellington boots, which touched my own heart as a child and will live on in the hearts of future generations." She said in a statement: "I feel privileged to have been Michael Bond's publisher - he was a true gentleman, a bon viveur, the most entertaining company and the most enchanting of writers. Michael Bond, the creator of Paddington Bear, has died at the age of 91 following a short illness, his publisher said.Īnn-Janine Murtagh, executive publisher at HarperCollins Children's Books, said the writer who created the character nearly 60 years ago died at home on Tuesday (June 28). ![]()
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