Paddington Here and Now

Paddington – the beloved, classic bear from Darkest Peru – is back in this fantastically funny, long-awaited, brand new illustrated novel from master storyteller Michael Bond!

'I'm not a foreigner,' exclaimed Paddington hotly. 'I'm from Darkest Peru.'

Paddington Bear always manages to find himself in tricky situations, sometimes extraordinary situations. Like the time he had a difficult encounter with a policeman or when he found himself in deep water with a newspaper reporter. But since arriving from his native Peru after an earthquake Paddington has always felt at home with the Brown family who found him on Paddington station. Then one day, a surprise visitor arrives at thirty-two Windsor Gardens. Is it time for Paddington to decide where 'home' really is?

In 2008 Michael Bond's first novel featuring the adventures of Paddington Bear will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary. Paddington's amazing ability to get into and out of trouble is at the heart of the countless stories that have been loved the world over ever since. However, it is many years since a new novel has been published, and in celebration of this landmark, Michael Bond has written the funniest and the most moving Paddington novel ever.

Reviews

Praise for the Paddington series:

'I've always had great respect for Paddington… He is a British institution.' Stephen Fry

'Paddington has joined Pooh as one of the great bears of English children's literature.' The Teacher

'Michael Bond's accident-prone bear…has become one of the most enduring of children's characters.' The Bookseller

About the author

Michael Bond was born in Newbury, Berkshire on 13 January 1926 and educated at Presentation College, Reading. He served in the Royal Air Force and the British Army before working as a cameraman for BBC TV for 19 years. In 2015, Michael was awarded a CBE for his services to children’s literature, to add to the OBE he received in 1997. Michael died in 2017, leaving behind one of the great literary legacies of our time.