Gregory Maguire is once again taking readers back to Oz.
The author of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West will explore the origin story of Galinda Upland in Galinda: A Charmed Childhood, coming in 2026 from William Morrow, People magazine reports.
Wicked, published in 1995 by ReganBooks, was Maguire’s original take on L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The novel told the story of the Wicked Witch of the West, whom he named Elphaba Thropp, and her relationship with her college roommate, Galinda Upland, the Good Witch.
The book was adapted into a musical that premiered on Broadway in 2003 and went on to earn three Tony Awards, including one for Idina Menzel, who played Elphaba. Jon M. Chu directed a two-part film adaptation of the musical starring Cythia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Galinda; the first installment premiered last year and scored 10 Oscar nominations. The second film, Wicked: For Good, was released last week.
Maguire revisited the world of Wicked in several novels including Son of a Witch, A Lion Among Men, and Out of Oz. In March, he told Elphaba’s origin story in the novel Elphie: A Wicked Childhood, which a critic for Kirkus called “a bit of a slog and a bit of a downer, but essential for Elphaba fans.”
Galinda, Morrow says, “reveals the girl behind the bubbly, shallow cliché—offering fans of Wicked their first richer glimpse into the life of a beloved and iconic character.” Morrow will publish a limited-edition hardcover with designed endpapers and stenciled edges.
Galinda is slated for publication on Sept. 29, 2026.
Michael Schaub is a contributing writer.
