Stig of the Dump

Story

Barney is a small solitary boy who loves exploring the dump at the bottom of a nearby chalk pit. One day, he discovers a cave-boy living there, who has made a house for himself out of junk. No-one believes Barney, but the two boys become great friends, learning a lot from each other and embarking on adventures.

Why we chose it

A story about an unusual friendship between a lonely boy and the Stone Age child he meets in a chalk pit, now considered to be a modern classic.

Where it came from

Clive King’s children were the inspiration for Barney and Lou in the story. He also drew upon his own childhood, as he too often explored a chalk pit near his parents’ home in Kent. Stig was an invention though - as the place where he grew up was very boring and needed something to ‘wake it up’. Curiously, the manuscript was rejected 12 times before being picked up by Puffin.

Where it went next

Stig of the Dump wasn’t critically acclaimed at the time but it enjoyed slow burning success and has gone on to become a favourite Puffin title. It is now often described as a ‘timeless classic’. It has never been out of print and has sold over two million copies. It has also been adapted for television twice, in 1981 and 2002.

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