And Another Thing… by Eoin Colfer

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Hitchhiker’s Timeline

Timeline

Want to know more about 30 years of Hitchhikers? Roll over the dates to find out more…

  1. 1978

    The radio series begins on Radio 4

    The first radio series of six episodes was broadcast in 1978 on BBC Radio 4. Despite a low-key launch of the series (the first episode was broadcast at 10:30 p.m. on Wednesday, 8 March 1978), it received good reviews and a tremendous audience reaction for radio.

  2. 1979

    The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy arrives on Earth

    The most remarkable book ever to come out of Ursa Minor (and Earth) is made available to humanity in Pan paperback, as the first stage play is opened at the ICA in The Mall.

  3. 1980

    The adventure continues

    Pan publishes the sequel: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe, and the first ever Hitchhiker convention is held in Glasgow – Hitchhercon One.

  4. 1981

    Hitchhiker on TV and in Euston

    The first TV series debuts on BBC2, and a Hitchhiker convention is held in Euston, London which boasted many of the cast of the TV version as guests, with Douglas Adams and Marvin!

  5. 1982

    Life, the Universe and Everything published

    The third installment, Life, the Universe and Everything, is published by Pan.

  6. 1983

    Douglas Adams wins Golden Pan award

    At 31, Douglas Adams is the youngest author ever to receive a Golden Pan award for The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy after sales of the book reached over 1 million copies. Douglas went on to win this award twice more.

  7. 1984

    So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish hits our shores

    The fourth book in the series is published by Pan.

  8. 1985

    The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy: the Original Radio Scripts

    The radio transcripts for the original 12 shows are published by Pan, as it was written and exactly how it was broadcast for the first time. They include amendments and additions made during recordings and original notes on the writing and producing of the series by Adams and Perkins.

  9. 1992

    Douglas Adams' Mostly Harmless published

    The fifth book in the series is published in hardback by Heinemann UK.

  10. 1995

    The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: A Trilogy in Five Parts

    This one volume edition includes Mostly Harmless and is published by Heinemann in hardback.

  11. 2001

    The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy commemorative editions

    After the tragic and sudden death of Douglas Adams in May 2001, Pan Macmillan celebrates his life and work with the publication of commemorative editions of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series, using the original front covers in tribute.

  12. 2002

    The Salmon of Doubt released

    Two years after the death of Douglas Adams, Macmillan publishes The Salmon of Doubt, containing a short story prequel to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

  13. 2003

    The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Radio Scripts

    Pan publishes the radio scripts for the three final books that were broadcast on Radio 4 with many original cast members.

  14. 2005

    The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Film Tie-In

    2005 finally sees The Guide make it to the big screen, courtesy of Touchstone pictures.

  15. 2006

    The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series are released as audiobooks on CD.

    Hitchhiker fans can now listen to the series – the first installment read by Stephen Fry and the rest by Martin Freeman, who played Arthur Dent in the 2005 Touchstone movie production.

  16. 2009

    And Another Thing...

    The 6th book in the Hitchhiker’s trilogy is published, along with special editions of the iconic Hitchhiker books.

1980

The adventure continues

Pan publishes the sequel: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. This eagerly anticipated sequel spends three weeks at number one and 19 weeks in the bestseller charts.

During this time the first ever Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy convention, Hitchercon 1, was held in Glasgow, with Douglas Adams as guest of honour – possibly leading to the definition given for Glasgow in his book The Meaning of Liff as “the feeling of infinite sadness engendered when walking through a place filled with happy people fifteen years younger than yourself”.

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