Peter Pan is back. Captain Hook couldn't kill him, Robin Williams had a damn good try while Jeremy Sumpter's attempt was mostly ignored, but now children’s' author Geraldine McCaughrean has breathed some fresh life into Michael Jackson's inspiration for messing around in kids' bedrooms. The not so catchy 'Peter Pan in Scarlet' will tell readers what happened next not only to Peter, but the rest of the gang too:
McCaughrean said: "Neverland was such a marvellous place to spend my year. "I clean forgot Barrie's ghost might be reading the computer screen over my shoulder - forgot to worry whether the necessary people would like what I wrote. "Mind you, that's a good sign. When a book is a joy to write, some of the fun often snags on the letters and gets trapped between the pages."
We've had similar problems with ghosts using the Londonist PCs after hours - how else explain the ectoplasm congealed on the keys each morning?
We're not cynical enough to suggest that this is simply a money making scheme for the Great Ormond Street hospital who have perpetual copyright on the original book inside the UK. Plans for 'Peter Pan' to be included in the Google Print program lead to a slight gnashing of teeth on both sides of the copyright divide as shown here on Boing Boing. But is there really a need to tack on sequels to classics like this?
If so we'd quite like to find out what happened to the Magic Faraway Tree's inhabitants when land developers decided their wood would look better with an airport terminal and runway running through it.
* Ok we know it's spelled differently, but we can't resist a little innuendo on a Friday morning
