'Peter Pan' sequel launched worldwide on centenary of creation

by Elodie Mazein

LONDON (AFP) - The first official sequel to Peter Pan, entitled "Peter Pan in Scarlet," hit bookstores in Britain and 30 other countries Thursday, 100 years after Scottish author JM Barrie created the character.

More than 500,000 copies of the work written by Geraldine McCaughrean have been published for the launch in English but also in languages including Basque, Chinese, French, Hebrew and Polish.

Some 200,000 copies are available in the United States and 50,000 in Britain.

"I'm more nervous now that I was when I signed on because I just didn't realize in my ignorance that it was going to be quite that big," said McCaughrean, a British children's author.

"I thought it was a very English kind of a book, possibly American, but not Korean and Russian. It's just very exciting," she told BBC radio.

In the new book, Wendy is now a wife and mother.

"They've grown up.... the first thing they have to do is to become children again so that they can go back to Neverland," McCaughrean said.

"And when they get there, they find Neverland seriously changed. It's colder, and more dangerous and more frightening than it was before," she told BBC radio.

"Peter Pan is the same, anarchic little demon as he always was. Tinkerbell is not there at the beginning of the book but there's a new fairy, called Fireflyer, who is all bent on meeting her," she said.

Captain Hook's spirit is stalking Neverland and newcomers include mysterious circus master "The Great Ravello," and a male fairy Fireflyer.

"This is the biggest dilemma that faced me because he disappeared into a crocodile and I don't do ghosts. But his ship is still floating on the lagoon and his spirit of evil is still lurking," she said.

The plot and new characters were secret, with a pre-publication embargo placed on the book. However, in August, an investigation was launched into how a copy of the book came to be leaked to a US newspaper.

A party is scheduled to take place Thursday evening at Kensington Palace to celebrate the launch of the sequel in 34 languages. Author James Matthew Barrie lived near Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, where a Peter Pan statue stands.

McCaughrean was handpicked to write the sequel from nearly 200 authors around the world after London's Great Ormond Street children's hospital launched a search for a writer in August 2004.

Entrants were asked to submit a sample chapter and synopsis.

Great Ormond Street's copyright on the original "Peter Pan", bequeathed to it by Barrie in 1929, runs out next year.

The royalties for the new book will be split between McCaughrean and the hospital.

David Barrie, Barrie's great-great-nephew, said: "JM Barrie could never have guessed that Peter Pan would still be making a vital difference to Great Ormond Street Hospital almost 70 years after his death.

"I'm sure he would be delighted to know that, thanks to Geraldine McCaughrean's sequel, the boy who wouldn't grow up will go on helping children back to health for many years to come."

What Brought Bagyo Milenyo to Igbaras

Recue workers help residents cross the
Sungsongon overflow bridge, whre the
ill-fated jeepney fell, amid strong water
current on Monday.




Residents cross the "overflow" bridge in Sungsongon, Brgy. Barasan, Igbaras, Iloilo after water from the Tangyan river subsided Tuesday afternoon. Inset photo shows raging water current overflowing the bridge last Monday hours after a jeepney full of passengers fell and was carried away by water.

Death toll up to 23, 22 still missing as 25 survive raging waters
By Florence F. Hibionada and Erly C. Garcia
The News Today

Igbaras, Iloilo--Hopes of finding any more survivors in the raging waters of Tangyan River along Igbaras, Iloilo dimmed as members of rescue groups now similarly focused current efforts to search and retrieval operations from Monday's "search and rescue."

As of noon Tuesday, the number of survivors remained at 25, the death toll now up to 23 as 22 others remain missing and feared dead in what stands to be the worst tragedy to hit this Iloilo southern town.

The incident occurred late Monday morning after a passenger jeepney carrying some 70 passengers who attended the burial of a certain Remo Eguico in Igbaras town proper was carried away by the raging current of water while crossing the 120-meter Sungsongan "overflow" bridge by Barangay Barasan.

Igbaras Rural Health Unit identified the 23 recovered dead bodies as: Zenaida Escubin, 63, Redelia Pait, 66, Rufino Efalan, 73, Domingo Embellado, 48, Kent Anthony Efalan, 3, Rodolfo Hermoso, 63, Josefina Efalan, 65, Encarnacion Javelona, 58, Aida Elmadin, 48, Estelita Mampula, 68, Luisa Elumba, 66, Remedios Ecijo, 68, Virgie Eguilos, 61, Evangeline Embiado, 33, Karylle Vien Efalan, 8, Romulo Mampula, 59, Marvin Del Rio, Anecito Ermeje, Margie Elumba, Margarita Ecijo, Margarito Elumba, Emma Flor Mampula and Antonio Estrellanes.

Those who are still missing as of press time are Ruel Efalan, Kris Vincent Efalan, Conchita Embalsado, Doris Estrellanes, Ponciano Edang, Esperanza Efalan, Fermina Odanggo, Eugenia Teves, Constancio Teves, Josefina Embate, Asuzena Idca, Rosalinda Esmediana, Rudy Niocasion, Jude Conde, Junior Pidok Ibanog, Tony Jim Estrellanes, Romulo Erpe, Rose Idca, Victor Embiado, Merlyn Javelona and Linda Ermeje.