Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens - Illustrated by Arthur Rackham

Peter Pan and Wendy, or Peter Pan; The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up is J. M. Barrie’s most famous work. It first appeared in the form of a play, in 1904, and was later transformed into a novel ­– written in 1911. Both versions tell the story of Peter Pan, a mischievous little boy who can fly, and his adventures on the island of Neverland with Wendy Darling and her brothers, the fairy Tinker Bell, the Lost Boys, and the pirate Captain Hook. Over a century after its initial publication it remains loved and appreciated, by adults and children alike. The work is accompanied throughout by a series of dazzling colour and black and white illustrations – by a master of the craft; Arthur Rackham (1867-1939). One of the most celebrated painters of the British Golden Age of Illustration (which encompassed the years from 1850 until the start of the First World War), Rackham’s artistry is quite simply, unparalleled. Throughout his career, he developed a unique style, combining haunting humour with dream-like romance. Presented alongside the text, his illustrations further refine and elucidate this carefully collated anthology.