BRITISH CHILDREN’s WRITER Michael Bond, the creator of the much-loved fictional character Paddington Bear, has died at the age of 91.
His publisher HarperCollins revealed the news today.
“It is with great sadness that we announce that Michael Bond, CBE, the creator of one of Britain’s best-loved children’s characters, Paddington, died at home yesterday aged 91 following a short illness,” they said in a statement.
Bond was born in Berkshire, England, in 1926. His first book, A Bear Called Paddington, was published in 1958.
His famous series about a friendly teddy bear from Peru sold more than 30 million copies worldwide and was turned into a blockbuster film in 2014.
Numerous people took to Twitter to express their sadness at Bond’s death and to thank him for his writing.
“So sorry to hear that Michael Bond has departed,” Stephen Fry wrote. “He was as kindly, dignified, charming and lovable as the immortal Paddington Bear he gave us.”
Bond kept writing until his death. His most recent story, Paddington’s Finest Hour, was published in April.
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