(Thomas) Michael Bond (1926-) Biography

Born 1926, in Newbury, Berkshire, England; Ethnicity: "White." Education: Attended Presentation College, 1934-40. Hobbies and other interests: "Food, wine, theater, photography and things French."

Agent—Stephen Durbridge, The Agency, 24-32 Pottery Lane, Holland Park, London W11 4LZ, England.

Michael Bond

British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC), Reading, England, engineer's assistant, 1941-43; BBC, Caversham, England, with monitoring service, 1947-50; BBC, London, England, television cameraman, 1950-65; full-time writer, 1965–. Military service: Royal Air Force, 1943-44, air crew; British Army, Middlesex Regiment, 1944-47.

American Library Association Notable Book citation for Tales of Olga Da Polga; named to Order of the British Empire, 1997, for services to children's literature.

"PADDINGTON" SERIES

A Bear Called Paddington (also see below), illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, Collins (London, England), 1958, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1960, revised edition, Houghton Mifflin, 1998.

More about Paddington (also see below), illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, Collins (London, England), 1959, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1962, revised edition, Houghton Mifflin, 1997.

Paddington Helps Out (also see below), illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, Collins (London, England), 1960, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1961.

Paddington Abroad, illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, Collins (London, England), 1961, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1972.

Paddington at Large (also see below), illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, Collins (London, England), 1962, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1963.

Paddington Marches On, illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, Collins (London, England), 1964, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1965, reprinted, Fontana (Huntington, NY), 1986.

Adventures of Paddington (also see below), Collins (London, England), 1965.

Paddington at Work (also see below), illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, Collins (London, England), 1966, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1967, revised edition, Houghton Mifflin, 2001.

Paddington Goes to Town, illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, Collins (London, England), 1968, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1969, revised edition, Houghton Mifflin, 2001.

Paddington Takes the Air, illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, Collins (London, England), 1970, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1971.

Paddington Bear, illustrations by Fred Banbery, Collins (London, England), 1972, Random House (New York, NY), 1973, revised with new illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1998.

Paddington's Garden, illustrations by Fred Banbery, Collins (London, England), 1972, Random House (New York, NY), 1973, reprinted, HarperFestival (New York, NY), 1993.

Paddington at the Circus, illustrations by Fred Banbery, Collins (London, England), 1973, Random House (New York, NY), 1974, revised with new illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2000.

Paddington Goes Shopping, illustrations by Fred Banbery, Collins (London, England), 1973, published as Paddington's Lucky Day, Random House (New York, NY), 1974.

Paddington's "Blue Peter" Story Book, illustrations by Ivor Wood, Collins (London, England), 1973, published as Paddington Takes to T.V., Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1974, reprinted, Houghton Mifflin, 2000.

Paddington Goes to School, Caedmon (New York, NY), 1974.

Paddington on Top, illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, Collins (London, England), 1974, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1975, revised edition, Houghton Mifflin, 2000.

(With Albert Bradley) Paddington on Stage (play; adapted from Bond's Adventures of Paddington), illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, Collins (London, England), 1974, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1977, acting edition, Samuel French (New York, NY), 1976.

Paddington at the Tower, illustrations by Fred Banbery, Collins (London, England), 1975, Random House (New York, NY), 1978.

Paddington at the Seaside, illustrations by Fred Banbery, Collins (London, England), 1975, Random House (New York, NY), 1976, published as Paddington at the Seashore, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1992.

Paddington Takes a Bath, Collins (London, England), 1976.

Paddington Goes to the Sales, Collins (London, England), 1976.

Paddington's New Room, Collins (London, England), 1976.

Paddington at the Station, Collins (London, England), 1976.

The Great Big Paddington Book, illustrations by Fred Banbery, Collins & World (London, England), 1976.

Paddington's Loose-End Book: An ABC of Things to Do, illustrations by Ivor Wood, Collins (London, England), 1976.

Paddington's Party Book, illustrations by Ivor Wood, Collins (London, England), 1976.

Paddington's Pop-up Book, Collins (London, England), 1977.

Fun and Games with Paddington, Collins & World (London, England), 1977.

Paddington's Birthday Party, Collins (London, England), 1977.

Paddington Carpenter, Collins (London, England), 1977.

Paddington Conjurer, Collins (London, England), 1977.

Paddington Cook, Collins (London, England), 1977.

Paddington Golfer, Collins (London, England), 1977.

Paddington Hits Out, Collins (London, England), 1977.

Paddington Does It Himself, Collins (London, England), 1977.

Paddington in the Kitchen, Collins (London, England), 1977.

Paddington's First Book, Collins (London, England), 1978.

Paddington's Picture Book, Collins (London, England), 1978.

Paddington's Play Book, Collins (London, England), 1978.

Paddington's Counting Book, Collins (London, England), 1978.

Paddington's Cartoon Book, illustrations by Ivor Wood, Collins (London, England), 1979.

Paddington Takes the Test, illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, Collins (London, England), 1979, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1980, revised edition, Houghton Mifflin, 2002.

Paddington: A Disappearing Trick and Other Stories (anthology; also see below), Collins (London, England), 1979.

Paddington for Christmas (also see below), Collins (London, England), 1979.

Paddington Goes Out, Collins (London, England), 1980.

Paddington at Home, Collins (London, England), 1980.

Paddington and Aunt Lucy, illustrations by Barry Wilkinson, Collins (London, England), 1980.

Paddington in Touch, illustrations by Barry Wilkinson, Collins (London, England), 1980.

Paddington and the Snowbear, Collins (London, England), 1981.

Paddington at the Launderette, Collins (London, England), 1981.

Paddington's Shopping Adventure, Collins (London, England), 1981.

Paddington's Birthday Treat, Collins (London, England), 1981.

Paddington on Screen: The Second "Blue Peter" Story Book, illustrations by Barry Macey, Collins (London, England), 1981, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1982.

Paddington Has Fun, Collins (London, England), 1982.

Paddington Works Hard, Collins (London, England), 1982.

Paddington's Storybook, illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, Collins (London, England), 1983, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1984.

Paddington on the River, illustrations by Barry Wilkinson, Collins (London, England), 1983.

Paddington Weighs In, illustrations by Barry Wilkinson, Collins (London, England), 1983.

Paddington's Suitcase (includes Paddington's Notebook and Paddington's Birthday Book, Collins (London, England), 1983.

Great Big Paddington Bear Picture Book, Pan (London, England), 1984.

Paddington at the Zoo, illustrations by David McKee, Collins (London, England), 1984, Putnam (New York, NY), 1985, revised edition with new illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1998.

Paddington and the Knickerbocker Rainbow, illustrations by David McKee, Collins (London, England), 1984, Putnam (New York, NY), 1985.

Paddington's Art Exhibition, illustrations by David McKee, Collins (London, England), 1985, published as Paddington's Painting Exhibition, Putnam (New York, NY), 1986.

Paddington at the Fair, illustrations by David McKee,

Collins (London, England), 1985, Putnam (New York, NY), 1986, revised with new illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1998.

Paddington at the Palace, illustrations by David McKee, Putnam (New York, NY), 1986, revised with new illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1999.

Paddington Minds the House, illustrations by David McKee, Collins (London, England), 1986, revised with new illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1999.

Paddington Spring Cleans, Collins (London, England), 1986, published as Paddington Cleans Up, Putnam (New York, NY), 1986.

The Hilarious Adventures of Paddington (boxed set; contains A Bear Called Paddington, More about Paddington, Paddington at Large, Paddington at Work, and Paddington Helps Out), Dell (New York, NY), 1986.

(With daughter, Karen Bond) Paddington at the Airport, illustrations by Toni Goffe, Hutchinson (London, England), 1986.

(With Karen Bond) Paddington Mails a Letter, illustrations by Toni Goffe, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1986, published as Paddington Bear Posts a Letter, Hutchinson (London, England), 1986.

(With Karen Bond) Paddington's Clock Book, Hutchinson (London, England), 1986.

(With Karen Bond) Paddington's London, Hutchinson (London, England), 1986.

(With Karen Bond) Paddington's First Puzzle Book, Crocodile (New York, NY), 1987.

(With Karen Bond) Paddington's Second Puzzle Book, Crocodile (New York, NY), 1987.

Paddington's Busy Day, illustrations by David McKee, Collins (London, England), 1987, revised with new illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1999.

Paddington and the Marmalade Maze, illustrations by David McKee, Collins (London, England), 1987, revised with new illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1999.

Paddington's ABC, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1990.

Paddington's 123, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1990.

Paddington's Colors, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1990.

Paddington's Opposites, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1990.

Paddington's Jar of Jokes, Carnival (London, England), 1992.

Paddington Breaks the Peace, Young Lions (London, England), 1992.

Paddington Does the Decorating, Young Lions (London, England), 1993.

Paddington's Disappearing Trick, Young Lions (London, England), 1993.

Paddington's Picnic, illustrations by Nick Ward, Young Lions (London, England), 1993.

Paddington Meets the Queen, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1993.

Paddington Rides On!, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1993.

Paddington's Magical Christmas, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1993.

Paddington Book and Bear Box (includes plush toy), Viking (New York, NY), 1993.

Paddington's First Word Book, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1993.

Paddington's Things I Do, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1994.

Paddington's Things I Feel, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1994.

Paddington's Christmas Treat, illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1997.

Paddington Bear and the Christmas Surprise, illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1997.

Paddington "A Classic Collection" (collection), illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, HarperCollins UK, 1998.

Paddington and the Tutti Frutti Rainbow, illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1998.

Paddington Bear All Day, illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperFestival (New York, NY), 1998.

Paddington Bear and the Busy Bee Carnival, illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1998.

Paddington Goes to Market, illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1999.

Paddington My Scrapbook, illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1999.

Paddington Treasury (collection), illustrations by Peggy Fortnum, colored by Caroline Nuttall-Smith, Houghton Mifflin (Boston, MA), 1999.

Paddington up and About, illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1999.

Paddington's Party Tricks, illustrations by R. W. Alley, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2000.

(With Karen Jankel) Paddington Goes to Hospital, illustrations by R. W. Alley, Collins (London, England), 2001, published as Paddington Bear Goes to the Hospital, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2001.

Paddington Bear in the Garden, illustrations by R. W. Alley, Collins (London, England), 2001, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2002.

Paddington's Grand Tour, illustrations by R. W. Alley, Collins (London, England), 2003.

Also author of fifty-six episodes of animated "Paddington" films and three half-hour "Paddington" television specials for Home Box Office.

"THURSDAY" SERIES

Here Comes Thursday!, illustrations by Daphne Rowles, Harrap (London, England), 1966, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1967.

Thursday Rides Again, illustrations by Beryl Sanders, Harrap (London, England), 1968, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1969.

Thursday Ahoy!, illustrations by Leslie Wood, Harrap (London, England), 1969, Lothrop (New York, NY), 1970.

Thursday in Paris, illustrations by Ivor Wood, Harrap (London, England), 1971.

"OLGA DA POLGA" SERIES

Tales of Olga da Polga (omnibus volume), illustrated by Hans Helweg, Penguin (Harmondsworth, England), 1971, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1973.

Olga Meets Her Match, illustrated by Hans Helweg, Penguin (Harmondsworth, England), 1973, Hastings House (New York, NY), 1975.

Olga Counts Her Blessings, Penguin (Harmondsworth, England), 1975.

Olga Makes a Friend, Penguin (Harmondsworth, England), 1975.

Olga Makes a Wish, Penguin (Harmondsworth, England), 1975.

Olga Makes Her Mark, Penguin (Harmondsworth, England), 1975.

Olga Takes a Bite, Penguin (Harmondsworth, England), 1975.

Olga's New Home, Penguin (Harmondsworth, England), 1975.

Olga's Second House, Penguin (Harmondsworth, England), 1975.

Olga's Special Day, Penguin (Harmondsworth, England), 1975.

Olga Carries On, illustrated by Hans Helweg, Penguin (Harmondsworth, England), 1976, Hastings House (New York, NY), 1977.

Olga Takes Charge, illustrated by Hans Helweg, Penguin (Harmondsworth, England), 1982, Dell (New York, NY), 1983.

The Complete Adventures of Olga da Polga (omnibus volume), illustrated by Hans Helweg, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1982.

First Big Olga da Polga Book, illustrated by Hans Helweg, Longman (Harlow, England), 1983.

Second Big Olga da Polga Book, illustrated by Hans Helweg, Longman (Harlow, England), 1983.

Olga Moves House, illustrated by Hans Helweg, Oxford University Press (Oxford, England), 2001.

"PARSLEY" SERIES

Parsley's Tail, illustrations by Esor, BBC Publications (London, England), 1969.

Parsley's Good Deed, illustrations by Esor, BBC Publications (London, England), 1969.

Parsley's Last Stand, BBC Publications (London, England), 1970.

Parsley's Problem Present, BBC Publications (London, England), 1970.

Parsley's Parade [and] Parsley the Lion, Collins (London, England), 1972.

Parsley and the Herbs, edited by Sheila M. Lane and Marion Kemp, Ward, Lock (London, England), 1976.

Also author of The Herbs (thirteen-episode puppet series) and The Adventures of Parsley (thirty-two-episode puppet series).

MYSTERIES; FOR ADULTS

Monsieur Pamplemousse, Hodder (London, England), 1983, Beaufort (New York, NY), 1985.

Monsieur Pamplemousse and the Secret Mission, Hodder (London, England), 1984, Beaufort (New York, NY), 1986.

Monsieur Pamplemousse on the Spot, Hodder (London, England), 1986, Beaufort (New York, NY), 1987.

Monsieur Pamplemousse Takes the Cure, Hodder (London, England), 1987.

Monsieur Pamplemousse Aloft, Hodder (London, England), 1989.

Monsieur Pamplemousse Investigates, Hodder (London, England), 1990.

Monsieur Pamplemousse Rests His Case, Hodder Headline (London, England), 1991.

Monsieur Pamplemousse Stands Firm, Hodder Headline (London, England), 1992.

Monsieur Pamplemousse on Location, Hodder Headline (London, England), 1992.

Monsieur Pamplemousse Takes the Train, Hodder Headline (London, England), 1993.

Monsieur Pamplemousse Afloat, Alison & Busby (London, England), 1998.

Monsieur Pamplemousse on Probation, Alison & Busby (London, England), 2000.

Monsieur Pamplemousse on Vacation, Alison & Busby (London, England), 2002.

Monsieur Pamplemousse Hits the Headlines, Alison & Busby (London, England), 2003.

Contributor of short stories to Strand magazine and Malice Domestic 7.

OTHER

(Editor) Michael Bond's Book of Bears, Purnell (London, England), 1971.

The Day the Animals Went on Strike (picture book), illustrations by Jim Hodgson, American Heritage (New York, NY), 1972.

(Editor) Michael Bond's Book of Mice, Purnell (London, England), 1972.

(Translator with Barbara von Johnson) The Motormalgamation, Studio-Vista (Eastbourne, England), 1974.

Windmill, illustrations by Tony Cattaneo, Studio-Vista (Eastbourne, England), 1975.

How to Make Flying Things (nonfiction), photographs by Peter Kibble, Studio-Vista (Eastbourne, England), 1975.

Mr. Cram's Magic Bubbles, illustrations by Gioia Fiammenghi, Penguin (West Drayton, England), 1975.

Picnic on the River, Collins (London, England), 1980.

J. D. Polson and the Liberty Head Dime, illustrations by Roger Wade Walker, Mayflower (London, England), 1980.

J. D. Polson and the Dillogate Affair, illustrations by Roger Wade Walker, Hodder (London, England), 1981.

The Caravan Puppets, illustrations by Vanessa Julian-Ottie, Collins (London, England), 1983.

(With Paul Parnes) Oliver the Greedy Elephant, Methuen (London, England), 1985, Western Publishing (New York, NY), 1986.

(And photographer) The Pleasures of Paris (guidebook), Pavilion (London, England), 1987.

A Day by the Sea, illustrations by Ross Design, Young Lions (London, England), 1992.

Something Nasty in the Kitchen, Young Lions (London, England), 1992.

Bears and Forebears: A Life So Far, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1996.

Also author of radio and television plays for adults and children, including Simon's Good Deed, Napoleon's Day Out, Open House, and Paddington (various short- and full-length animated films), which have been shown in Great Britain, the United States, France, Germany, Scandinavia, Canada, South Africa, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, Italy, Ceylon, and many other countries. Contributor to British periodicals.

SOUND RECORDINGS

A Bear Called Paddington, Caedmon (New York, NY), 1978.

Paddington: A Disappearing Trick and Other Stories, Caedmon (New York, NY), 1979.

Paddington for Christmas, Caedmon (New York, NY), 1979.

Paddington Turns Detective, Caedmon (New York, NY), 1979.

Also author of audio version of Paddington's Storybook.

Many of the "Paddington Bear" works have been adapted to videocassette, filmstrip, and cassette tape.

English author Michael Bond has delighted children all over the world with his stories of Paddington the Bear. He began his series with A Bear Called Paddington in 1958, and has continued writing for decades about the bear from Peru who lives with the Brown family. Bond's "Paddington" projects have ranged from picture and pop-up books for younger children to activity books, and Paddington has been featured in plays as well as television series and specials. The bear's appeal, according to critics, is his ability to get into trouble and then manage to come out of it without any major harm being done. Bond has also created such memorable children's characters as the lovable guinea pig Olga da Polga, Thursday the mouse, Parsley the lion, and J. D. Polson the armadillo. In the early 1980s Bond also began publishing works for adults, most notably the "Monsieur Pamplemousse" mysteries. Bond was born January 13, 1926, in Newbury, Berkshire, England. He grew up in a home where he was surrounded by books, and he began to read at an early age. His mother enjoyed English mystery writers, but young Bond's favorite books were Bulldog Drummond and The Swiss Family Robinson.

Unfortunately, Bond enjoyed reading at home more than he liked attending school. Though his family was Anglican, he went to a Catholic school, and feeling like an outsider, he often faked illnesses to avoid attending class.

Completing his schooling at the age of fourteen, Bond went to work in a lawyer's office. Soon afterward, he responded to a newspaper job advertisement for radio work, won the position because he had handled radio sets as a hobby, and began his career at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). One of his colleagues at the BBC supplemented his income by writing short stories. This coworker inspired Bond to attempt something creative, and he submitted a cartoon to Punch. It was rejected, but the editor had written favorable comments on it, so Bond was not discouraged.

Bond took time out during the 1940s to serve in the British Armed Forces, beginning with the Royal Air Force until airsickness forced him to transfer to the British Army. While serving in Egypt, Bond wrote an adult short story and submitted it to London Opinion. To his delight, it was accepted. From that time on, he continued to write and submit stories and plays, making occasional sales.

On Christmas Eve in 1957, Bond stopped in a London store to find a present for his wife. "On one of the shelves I came across a small bear looking, I thought, very sorry for himself as he was the only one who hadn't been sold," Bond recalled in Something about the Author Autobiography Series. "I bought him and because we were living near Paddington station at the time, we christened him Paddington. He sat on a shelf of our one-roomed apartment for a while, and then one day when I was sitting in front of my typewriter staring at a blank sheet of paper wondering what to write, I idly tapped out the words 'Mr. and Mrs. Brown first met Paddington on a railway platform. In fact, that was how he came to have such an unusual name for a bear, for Paddington was the name of the station.' It was a simple act, and in terms of deathless prose, not exactly earth shattering, but it was to change my life considerably. . . . Without intending it, I had become a children's author." A Bear Called Paddington was published in 1958.

Since his first appearance on the literary scene, Paddington has "become part of the folklore of childhood," wrote Marcus Crouch in The Nesbit Tradition: The Children's Novel in England 1945-70. The now-world-famous bear is recognized, despite his diverse representation at the hand of a variety of illustrators, by his unkempt appearance, Wellington boots, and duffel coat. A foreigner from Peru, Paddington exhibits both innocence and a knack for trouble. "The humour of Paddington is largely visual; it is not what he is but what he does and how he does it that is funny," observed Crouch. In the New York Times Book Review, Ellen Lewis Buell cited the bear's "endearing combination of bearishness and boyishness" as one reason for his popularity. According to Pico Iyer in the Village Voice, "Paddington is a resolute little fellow of strong principles and few prejudices, full of resourcefulness and free of rancor: both the bear next door and something of a role model."

With sequels such as Paddington Helps Out, Paddington Abroad, and Paddington at Work, Bond has continued to add to his creation's popularity. Eric Hudson wrote in Children's Book Review that "one is immensely impressed by the way each collection of stories comes up so fresh and full of humorous and highly original situations." Bond has also adapted his Paddington stories for even younger readers in a series of picture books that include Paddington Bear and Paddington at the Circus, and he has written several Paddington activity books, some with the assistance of his daughter, Karen Bond.

In the late 1960s Bond began experimenting with other children's characters, such as Thursday the mouse and Parsley the lion. The latter was a feature of a stop-action animation show on the BBC television network in addition to being the subject of children's books. Bond's most successful children's character, after Paddington, is perhaps Olga da Polga, the guinea pig he began writing about in the early 1970s. Though Olga is restricted to the hutch her owners keep her in, she entertains herself and her animal friends by telling imaginative stories. Horn Book contributor Virginia Haviland asserted that in Olga, Bond "has drawn another beguiling creature with a distinct personality—a guinea pig whose cleverness equals that of Paddington." Olga is featured in books such as Tales of Olga da Polga, Olga Meets Her Match, and Olga Moves House.

In the early 1980s, Bond branched out into the field of adult mystery books with the "Monsieur Pamplemousse" books. The hero of these, Monsieur Pamplemousse, is a French food inspector who solves mysteries with the aid of his dog, Pommes Frites. For the works, Bond draws on his knowledge of France, a country he enjoys visiting frequently. Sybil Steinberg, writing in Publishers Weekly, noted, "Pamplemousse and his faithful hound are an appealing pair and offer an evening of civilized entertainment."

Despite Bond's varied literary output, he will always be remembered for the character of Paddington. "Most critics agree . . . that to think of Michael Bond is to think of Paddington Bear," observed Dictionary of Literary Biography contributor Charles E. Matthews. And Bond enjoys his role as a children's author. In Something about the Author Autobiography Series, he remarked: "One of the nice things about writing for children is their total acceptance of the fantastic. Give a child a stick and a patch of wet sand and it will draw the outline of a boat and accept it as such. I did learn though, that to make fantasy work you have to believe in it yourself. If an author doesn't believe in his inventions and his characters nobody else will. Paddington to me is, and always has been, very much alive."

Over the years, Paddington has become something of a cottage industry. Bond's creation has been reproduced as a stuffed animal and as a float balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, and his image has appeared on a British postage stamp. In 2000 a life-sized bronze statue of the bear was unveiled in Paddington Station in London, and the official Paddington Bear Web site debuted in 2003.

Reflecting on his characters and life as a writer, Bond mused in the Something about the Author Autobiography Series, "Writing is a lonely occupation, but it's also a selfish one. When things get bad, as they do for everyone from time to time, writers are able to shut themselves away from it, peopling the world with their characters, making them behave the way they want them to behave, saying the things they want to hear. Sometimes they take over and stubbornly refuse to do what you tell them to do, but usually they are very good. Sometimes I am Paddington walking down Windsor Gardens en route to the Portobello Road to buy his morning supply of buns, but if I don't fancy that I can always be Monsieur Pamplemousse, sitting outside a cafe enjoying the sunshine over a baguette split down the middle and filled with ham, and a glass of red wine. I wouldn't wish for anything nicer."