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The New Statesman.

Hello, I'm Tom Gatti and you're listening to Culture from the New Statesman, a weekly podcast exploring the cultural moments that define our world.

Whether or not you read the original Michael Bond books as a child, it's certain that living in Britain today you will regularly come into contact with Paddington Bear.

First conceived in 1956 by a BBC cameraman,

the marmalade-loving immigrant from Peru has become an iconic British cultural figure,

treasured for his chaotic nature, impeccable manners, and proximity to royalty.

Paddington stepped off the pages and onto the small screen for the first

time in 1976. That same year, he was declared one of the richest animals in the business by the

Sunday Times. And after receiving the Hollywood treatment in 2014, his empire's expansion seems to

know no bounds. So how did Paddington become the

spokesman for Britain and one of the most commercially successful characters in the world?

I'm joined now by New Statesman contributor Amelia Tate, who has written for the latest New

Statesman magazine about the triumph of Paddington, Inc.

And John Foster, who has been a Paddington screenwriter for over a decade.

Amelia John, welcome.

Hi.

Thank you.

...