The magical masterpiece, which charts the eternal dilemma between the delights of childhood and the pathos of leaving it behind, was written by J M Barrie in 1904.
Sir Barrie left the copyright in Peter Pan to Great Ormond Street Hospital in his will, and since then the royalties have been a significant but confidential source of income for the Hospital. J M Barrie died in 1937 so copyright in the EU runs until 2007 and until 2023 in the US.
Within the UK, GOSH is in the unusual position of holding copyright in the story in perpetuity, thanks to a clause in the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, which gives the Special Trustees:
"A right to a royalty in respect of the public performance, commercial publication, broadcasting or inclusion in a cable programme service of the play "Peter Pan" by Sir James Matthew Barrie, or of any adaptation of that work, notwithstanding that copyright in the work expired on 31st December 1987".
"For a number of years we have been wondering whether it was possible for a sequel to be written to Peter Pan," said Jane Collins, Chief Executive of the Great Ormond Street Hospital. "This is partly because of the additional income it would bring to the hospital but mainly because we know that so many people, children and adults, love the book and are drawn to its central theme."
The Special Trustees have therefore launched a search for an author to produce a sequel, and have invited publishers and literary agents to put forward the names of up to two published authors who would like to be considered for the project.
It is hoped that the book will be published next Autumn.