Joanna Lumley to narrate new Penguin audiobook of children’s classic Peter Pan

We may all be familiar with J. M Barrie’s imaginative tale of the boy who wouldn’t grow up, but now prepare to return to Neverland like never before with this new edition of Peter Pan.

This autumn Penguin are bringing together an awe-inspiring cast, including Absolutely Fabulous star Joanna Lumley, to create their new audiobook edition of Peter Pan.

Alongside the award-winning actress will be fellow Ab Fab star Jennifer Saunders, Peaky Blinders’ Helen McCrory, Alex Kingston, Britain’s Got Talent judge, actor and comedian David Walliams, Zoe Wanamaker and Game of Thrones lead Kit Harington, amongst several other household names.

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This new edition is introduced by former Children’s Laureate and bestselling author Michael Morpurgo and is abridged by Martin Jarvis.

It will be published on 19th November. And this new edition is sold in aid of The Peter Pan Moat Brae Trust and Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. It will help support the hospital, to which author J.M. Barrie gifted the rights to Peter Pan in 1929.

Joanna Lumley as Patron

Joanna Lumley plays an instrumental role in this new audio edition. She is also Patron of The Peter Pan Moat Brae trust.

PRE-ORDER: Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, Penguin Random House Audio

Of this timeless story and character, she says, “He haunts us all: Peter Pan has never grown up and has never let us forget him. His shadow found in a drawer by Tinker Bell trails round the corners of our eyes. As I now know, like a grown-up Wendy, that most of our lives are lived in our minds, this strange, thrilling, charming and unsettling work beckons children and adults alike into the world of make-believe, without which our lives would be intolerable.”

Lumley also states that, “A host of stars has gathered to read the story aloud; their gift to the charity is a gift to us all. The Peter Pan Moat Brae House fires our imagination and draws us into the world of Neverland.”

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J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan

It might come as a surprise to some that this beloved children’s story was originally written as a play, though it was first published as a novel, Peter & Wendy in 1911.

This story of youthful innocence has gone on to sell over 85 million copies in 29 different languages. It has also been made into 13 films.

We can hardly wait to be transported back to Neverland by this star-studded cast in November.