Paddington Bear is a fictional character in
children's literature. He first appeared on 13 October 1958 and has featured in more than twenty books written by
Michael Bond and illustrated by
Peggy Fortnum and other artists. The friendly bear from deepest, darkest
Peru—with his old hat, battered suitcase (complete with a secret compartment, enabling it to hold more items than it would at first appear),
duffle coat and love of
marmalade—has become a classic character from English children's literature. Paddington books have been translated into 30 languages across 70 titles and sold more than 30 million copies worldwide.