J M Barrie's Birthday

Today is the birthday of the creator of Peter Pan and Wendy, J. M. (James Matthew) Barrie was born in Angus, Scotland on May 9, 1860. Barrie first wrote about Peter Pan in a book of children's stories called The Little White Bird (1902). Two years later, he produced the play Peter Pan, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up (1904), which included the well-known story about Peter, Wendy and Captain Hook. Even though he'd produced many successful plays before, Barrie became obsessed with the production of Peter Pan. He rewrote the script more than twenty times. It was one of the most expensive productions ever attempted at that time, since it required the construction of harnesses and wires so that the actors could appear to fly around the stage.

Barrie's tale continues to inspire storytellers of all kinds, from Geraldine McCaughrean's Peter Pan in Scarlet and Johnny Depp's Finding Neverland.