More than 80 years on, Winnie the Pooh makes a
welcome return in a sequel to The House at Pooh Corner

Hardie Grant Egmont announces the forthcoming launch of a new
Winnie-the-Pooh book. Generations of readers have wondered what became of Christopher Robin and Winnie-the-Pooh after the end of A. A. Milne’s The House At Pooh Corner, the sequel to Winnie-the-Pooh, and on Monday October 5th 2009, they will
find out in the first authorised sequel to the books:
Return to the Hundred Acre Wood.

Michael Brown, for the Trustees of the Pooh Properties, who manage the affairs of the
A. A. Milne and E.H. Shepard Estates said, “We have been hoping for a good many years
that we might one day be able to offer the world a sequel which would do justice
to the original Winnie-the-Pooh stories.
The original books were one of the greatest celebrations of childhood in any language,
but we believe that David Benedictus and Mark Burgess have captured the spirit
and quality of those original books. We hope that the many millions of Pooh enthusiasts
and readers around the world will embrace and cherish these new stories
as if they had just emerged from the pen of A. A. Milne himself.”

David’s manuscript was inspired by his familiarity with Winnie-the-Pooh’s adventures
after having worked on Audio CD adaptations of previous Winnie-the-Pooh stories.
David has collaborated with illustrator Mark Burgess to create what is sure to
become another iconic Winnie-the-Pooh story.

Author David Benedictus is delighted to be working on this exciting new project:
“It’s an honour to have my sequel to the original stories approved by the Pooh Trustees.
I hope that the new book will both complement and maintain
Milne’s idea that whatever happens, a little boy and his Bear will always be playing.”

Winnie-the-Pooh was first published in 1926 and is currently available
in 50 languages around the world. Return to the Hundred Acre Wood is also
expected to be available in 50 languages globally.
More than 80 years on, Winnie the Pooh makes a welcome return in a sequel to The House at Pooh Corner.


e x p o s i t i o n
Pooh and Piglet, Christopher Robin and Eeyore were
last seen in the Forest – oh, can it really be eighty years
ago? But dreams have a logic of their own and it is as if
the eighty years have passed in a day.

Looking over my shoulder, Pooh says: “Eighty is a
good number really but it could just as well be eighty
weeks or days or minutes as years,” and I say: “Let’s call
it eighty seconds, and then it’ll be as though no time has
passed at all.”
Piglet says: “I tried to count to eighty once, but when
I got to 37 the numbers started jumping out at me and
turning cartwheels, especially the sixes and nines.”
“They do that when you’re least expecting it,”
says Pooh.
“But are you really going to write us new adventures?”
Christopher Robin asks. “Because we rather liked the
old ones.”
“I didn’t like the ones with the Heffalumps in,”
adds Piglet, shuddering.
“And can they end with a little smackerel of something?”
asks Pooh, who may have put on a few ounces in
eighty years.
“He’ll get it wrong,” says Eeyore, “see if he doesn’t.
What does he know about donkeys?”

Of course Eeyore is right, because I don’t know;
I can only guess. But guessing can be fun too. And if
occasionally I think I have guessed right I shall reward
myself with a chocolate biscuit, one of those with
chocolate on one side only so you don’t get sticky
fingers and leave marks on the paper, and if sometimes I
am afraid that I have guessed wrong I shall just have to go
without.

“We’ll know,” says Christopher Robin. “We’ll help
you get it right if we can.” And Pooh and Piglet smile
and nod their heads, but Eeyore says: “Not that you are
likely to. Nobody ever does.”
D.B.