GENERATIONS of children have tumbled down the rabbit hole with Alice.

Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland has left readers, young and old, spellbound for 150 years.

And to celebrate the milestone anniversary, the original publisher who worked with the Daresbury author on the first edition in 1865 is releasing a special treasury edition on Saturday.

It includes Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Alice through the Looking Glass in one volume, the rarely seen episode The Wasp in a Wig and illustrations based on John Tenniel's originals.

There is also information about how it came to print, features on the conversations that took place between publisher Alexander Macmillan and Carroll and photos from the Macmillan archive.

Stephanie Barton is Macmillan's children's publisher for readers under six and said Alice in Wonderland has never been out of print since 1865.

She said: "I think it’s an iconic book that sold very strongly and captured everyone’s imagination even when it was first published.

"It’s incomparable really and it’s had a very strong influence on so many other writers and illustrators and thinkers.

"I think it’s a very important book in children’s literature but also in English literature."

Carroll – whose real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson – was born in the original Daresbury parsonage on Morphany Lane, close to All Saints Church, where his father was the vicar.

In the 1830s and 1840s, shortly before the creation of Warrington Museum, temporary exhibitions were held at Warrington's market place.

The mathematician-turned-author was one of the first to find inspiration from the collections in Warrington and this is the main reason the museum has a prominent dodo on display in tribute to his book.

Carroll first told the adventures of Alice in July 1862 when he was out for a picnic with the daughters of Henry George Liddell, the dean of Christ Church in Oxford where he worked as a tutor.

He was then introduced to publisher Alexander Macmillan in October 1863 who was looking to expand his company's range of children's novels after the success of Charles Kingsley's The Water Babies.

Carroll tried Macmillan's patience with many demands about the quality of the printing but it was an immediate hit.

Stephanie added: "It’s very daring, it’s full of adventure and it’s got a strong heroine at the heart of it who doesn’t take any nonsense but at the same time is living in a world of nonsense.

"It’s a very intriguing and clever book and in some ways anyone can read it. It’s not got a moral undercurrent which is complex in any way.

"It’s got that thread of storytelling but it’s difficult to decipher and I think that intrigue and that mystery keeps people interested in it

"Plus it’s very funny and the pictures are amusing and that’s part of its attraction. Certainly that is something that would have inspired Walt Disney to use it."

There have been around 20 screen adaptations of Alice in Wonderland and references to the White Rabbit have been found in the likes of Michael Crichton's novel Jurassic Park and Hollywood film The Matrix.

Stephanie said: "Each generation has come to it with a different context but still it’s maintained that strong appeal. It’s remarkable.

"It’s a visually rich book which is another part of its appeal. John Tenniel’s drawings were very powerful due to his ability as a cartoonist and caricaturist.

"He was given quite a detailed brief by Carroll who was very particular about the way he wanted the pictures to be integrated into the text."

Stephanie may love Alice's adventures now but she was not so sure when she was growing up.

"I found it sometimes quite disturbing," she added

"I remember I didn’t like the picture of Alice holding the pig, the duchess’s baby. That was always a frightening picture.

"But it was just fascinating and you’re instantly drawn into it because it is so odd, so curious."

COMPETITION

Weekend has teamed up with Macmillan to give away a copy of The Complete Alice treasury.

To enter, simply answer the question: What year was Alice in Wonderland published?

Send your answers along with your name, address and phone number before noon on Thursday, July 9, after which a winner will be selected at random.

Send an e-mail with the title ‘Alice 150’ to David Morgan at david.morgan@guardiangrp.co.uk

Entrants must be willing to pick up the book from the Warrington Guardian office in Bridge Street.

Usual Newsquest terms and conditions apply, log onto newsquest.co.uk/terms for full details.

DAVID MORGAN