Last fall, London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital, which owns the copyright to J M Barrie’s Peter Pan, accused Disney of diverting money from sick and needy children with the publication of Peter and the Starcatchers, an ‘unauthorized’ Peter Pan prequel. Now, the hospital is announcing plans to add its own installment to the Peter Pan universe — an “authorized” sequel by children’s author Geraldine McCaughrean, winner of a worldwide talent search launched last August.
Somewhat surprisingly, none of the papers reporting last October on the hospital’s accusations mentioned the hospital’s (ulterior…) talent search. Also surprising, but in a different way: the similarity between the names of J.M. Barrie’s great great nephew and contest judge, David Barrie, and Peter and the Starcatchers author, Dave Barry. It’s enough to make the prequel almost sound official…