SirJamesMathewBarriewasbornonMay9,1860,atKirriemuirinScotland,theninthoftenchildrenofaweaver.WhenBarriewassix,hisolderbrotherDaviddiedinaskatingaccident.Barriethenbecamehismother'schiefcomforter,whileDavidremainedinhermemoryaboyofthirteenwhowouldnevergrowup.BarriereceivedhisM.A.degreefromtheUniversityofEdinburghin1882andbeganworkingasajournalist.In1885hemovedtoLondon,andhiswritingswerecollectedinAuldLichtIdlls(1888)andAWindowinThurns(1889),which,togetherwithasentimentalnovel,TheLittleMinister(1891),madehimabest-sellingauthor.In1894hemarriedanactress,MaryAnsell,butthemarriagewasprofoundlyunhappy,producednochildren,andwasdissolvedin1910.However,afavoriteSaintBernarddogofMary'slaterbecamethefamousNanaofPeterPan.In1897,withtheadaptationofTheLittleMinister,Barriebecameasuccessfulplaywright,writingtheplaysTheAdmirableCrichton(1902),WhatEveryWomanKnows(1903),andPeterPan(1904),whichwasproducedin1904andrevivedinLondoneveryChristmasseasonthereafter.WhilethefigureofPeterPanfirstappearedinBarrie'sbookTheLittleWhiteBird(1902),thestoryandtheconceptbeganinthetalesBarrietoldthesonsofMrs.SylviaLlewelynDavies,awomanBarrieloved.BarriethenpublishedthestoryofPeterPaninbookformasPeterandWendy(1911).ThebestofBarrie'slaterworksisDearBrutus(1917),ahauntingplaythatagainbroughtthesupernaturalandfantasytotheLondonstage.Barriediedin1937,bequeathingthecopyrightofPeterPantotheGreatOrmondStreetHospitalinLondon,ahospitalforchildren.