HarperCollins has announced that Wicked author Gregory Maguire is developing a new installment in the series, this time centered on Glinda. The publisher’s website reveals that Galinda: A Charmed Childhood will explore the early life of the “pink-clad, effervescent” Galinda Upland, who later becomes Glinda the Good.
Maguire’s Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West (1995), the first novel in the series, reimagined Elphaba Thropp—later the Wicked Witch of the West—offering a more empathetic portrayal of a character originally depicted as a villain in L. Frank Baum’s 1900 classic The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
The synopsis for the upcoming book explains that Galinda is the youngest of four children in a once-prestigious but economically struggling family, leaving her alternately indulged and overlooked. Set for publication in September 2026, the story traces her upbringing amid class and social pressures, leading up to her time at Shiz University, where she eventually befriends Elphaba. In Wicked, she famously changes the spelling of her name to “Glinda” in solidarity with Professor Dillamond, who consistently mispronounces it.
The prequel’s announcement follows closely on the heels of the release of the Wicked film adaptation, starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Galinda.
The book is described as a companion to Elphie: A Wicked Childhood, released earlier this year.
