A first edition of Peter Pan which JM Barrie dedicated to the woman he clashed with throughout his life is the highlight of this month’s London International Antiquarian Book Fair.
The Kirriemuir-born author rarely signed his books but he made an exception for the nanny to the boys who inspired Peter Pan.
The inscription reads: “To Mary Hodgson with kindest regards from JM Barrie Jan 1907.”
Ten years’ previously Barrie, accompanied by his St Bernard dog Porthos, bumped into Hodgson as she walked the Llewellyn Davies children in Kensington Gardens, London.
He began regularly accompanying them through the park, telling them fantastic stories of fairies and pirates, which later became the basis for Peter Pan.
Los Angeles-based rare books dealer David Brass discovered the book in January and is now offering it for sale for £20,000.
He said: “It is a fascinating story. Mary Hodgson had such an important role in the thought process behind Peter Pan.
“Barrie met these boys in Kensington Gardens and befriended them. He was the child who never grew up and he was writing about himself but using the boys as models.”
At the heart of the remarkable story was Hodgson, who brought the children up.
She was horrified by Barrie’s permissive, anything-goes attitude and felt he was undermining her authority.
In Peter Pan the children’s nanny became a Newfoundland dog called Nana.
“I think there was a love-hate relationship between Barrie and Hodgson,” said Brass.
“They couldn’t do without each other but they disliked each other. The central thing though was the children.”
Hodgson had a difficult relationship with Barrie but she kept the copy of Peter Pan in good condition, putting her own cover around it.
Barrie developed a close friendship with the Llewellyn Davies boys’ mother, Sylvia, and became a regular fixture at their home.