ARTICLE : The Best Bear in All the World Continued
lectured and broadcast on the work of A. A. Milne and E. H. Shepard. So we are delighted to be able to bring you a Q&A with children’s author Brian Sibley below. What was the most inspirational aspect to participating in writing the ‘Winter’ story in The Best Bear in All the World? Firstly, there was the challenge of trying to emulate the style of A. A. Milne: a writer consummately skilled in the art of seemingly effortless witty prose and sparkling dialogue. Secondly, there was the opportunity to try to think and speak like Pooh, Piglet and the others in a way that was true to characters who are so well known and loved. And, finally, to have the courage (or, perhaps, just the temerity) to introduce a new character into the world of Pooh, inspired by a long-overlooked photo of Milne and Christopher Robin playing with Pooh – and a toy penguin. How do you hope this sequel will be received and what has the initial reaction been? The immediate response has been overwhelmingly positive with readers accepting (even welcoming) Penguin as a new visitor to the Hundred Acre Wood. My chief hope is that people will realise that the writers – Paul Bright, Kate Saunders, Jeanne Willis and myself – along with the book’s illustrator, Mark
Photograph © Culture Club/Getty Images; illustration © Pooh Pr Burgess, have attempted Finally, why do you think Four Colman Getty to create four new stories Winnie-the-Pooh is loved written and illustrated out of generation after generation our admiration and affection the world over? for the words of A. A. Milne One reason is because the and the artistry E. H. Sunday 18ofSeptember 2016 books work on two distinct Shepard, who jointly created levels: young readers enjoy an imaginary world that has the childlike (but never already endured for 90 years childish) exploits of Pooh and and shows no sign of losing his friends, while grown-ups its appeal. respond to Milne’s sharp, What was the highlight of often sardonic, humour. revisiting this most famous When we are very young, of story characters? the characters become our#Pooh9 child friends, when we are Having the opportunity to rather older, we discover write a new•story for Pooh toy that Penguin featured in are photograph wi the animals just set in winter. My choice of like people we know: easily New features in Winter, writ season was•inspired bycharacter two confused Poohs, timid Piglets, of my favourite stories from melancholic bouncy pen new tales for the Eeyores, 90th anniversary o the original books: the one Tiggers, bossy Rabbits, in which Pooh and Piglet fussy Kangas and pompous mistakenly they are Egmontthink Publishing today, Owls. Sunday Therein lies 18 the September true pursuing Woozles in the genius of A. A. Milne: to The Bes anniversary sequel for Winnie-the-Pooh, snow (when they are actually write simultaneously for tracking their own pawtwo audiences. Couple that prints), and thethe laternew story in with thejoining graphic brilliance of Penguin, character the Hundred which the same duo build a Ernest Shepard’s ‘decorations’ house for Eeyore – made out photograph featuring writer A.A. Milne and his so of a pile of old sticks that was Continues overThe the page. a penguin alongside Teddy Bear. picture already Eeyore’s toy house!
New character revealed for annivers
anniversary of Winnie-the-Pooh on 14 October 20
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Brian Sibley – one of four authors to have written