He
wrote The Ruby in the Smoke in 1986, the first in a quartet
of books featuring a young Victorian adventurer, Sally Lockhart.
This book has been adapted for television by the BBC, starring
Billie Piper and Julie Walters. The author says that he did
a great deal of research whilst writing this quartet (which
is evident when you read the books), so there will almost
certainly be more of them!
However, Philip Pullman’s most well known work is the ‘Dark
Materials’ trilogy, which began with Northern Lights in 1995
(known as The Golden Compass in the USA, also the name of
the film released in 2007 starring such big names as Nicole
Kidman and Daniel Craig), continued with The Subtle Knife
in 1997, and concluded with The Amber Spyglass in 2000. This
is a very exciting and imaginative trilogy, which brings to
life beautifully the idea of parallel existence. It did attract
considerable criticism from the religious corner, with some
critics arguing that it takes an anti-Christian stance. However,
others argue that Philip Pullman is critical of oppressive
religious dogma, rather than Christianity itself. Personally
I think that like all good fantasy fiction it explores the
boundaries of conventional existence and creates worlds that
are different whilst at the same time drawing parallels. I
love the concept of one’s soul manifesting itself as an animal
familiar (called a daemon) external to oneself but inseparable,
which changes constantly in childhood but becomes fixed in
adulthood.
Philip Pullman also enjoys writing short stories, which he
calls fairy tales, examples of which are The Firework Maker’s
Daughter, I Was a Rat!, and Clockwork.
When not writing books Philip Pullman likes to draw and make
things out of wood. He also likes to play the piano, not well
so he says.
Bibliography:
Novels:
The Haunted Storm, 1972, published by New English Library
Galatea, 1978, published by Gollancz
Using ‘The Oxford Junior Dictionary’: A Book of Exercises
and Games, 1979, published by Oxford University Press. Co-edited
and illustrated by Ivan Ripley, and re-published a ‘Using
the Oxford Illustrated Junior Dictionary’ in 1995.
Ancient Civilisations, 1981, published by Wheaton. Illustrated
by Gary Long.
Count Karlstein, 1982, published by Chatto & Windus
Detective Stories (Editor), 1985, published by Kingfisher
Books
The Ruby in the Smoke, 1985, published by Oxford University
Press. Book 1 of the Sally Lockhart quartet.
The Shadow in the Plate, 1986, published by Oxford University
Press. Re-published as ‘The Shadow in the North’ in 1988,
book 2 of the Sally Lockhart quartet.
How to be Cool, 1987, published by Heinemann.
Spring-Heeled Jack, 1989, published by Doubleday. Illustrated
by David Mostyn.
Frankenstein (play adaptation), 1990, published by Oxford
University Press.
The Broken Bridge, 1990, published by Macmillan Children’s
Books.
The Tiger in the Well, 1991, Viking Children’s Books. Book
3 of the Sally Lockhart quartet.
Sherlock Holmes and the Limehouse Horror (play adaptation),
1992, published by Nelson.
The White Mercedes, 1992, published by Pam Macmillan.
The Wonderful Story of Aladdin and the Enchanted Lamp, 1993,
published by Scholastic. Illustrated by David Wyatt.
The New Cut Gang: Thunderbolt’s Waxwork, 1994, published by
Viking. Illustrated by Mark Thomas.
The Tin Princess, 1994, published by Puffin. Book 4 of the
Sally Lockhart quartet.
Northern Lights, 1995, published by Scholastic Children’s
Books. Book 1 of the Dark Materials trilogy.
The Firework Maker’s Daughter, 1995, published by Doubleday.
A fairytale.
The New Cut Gang: The Gas-Fitter’s Ball, 1995, published by
Viking. Illustrated by Mark Thomas.
Clockwork, 1996, published by Doubleday. A fairytale illustrated
by Peter Bailey.
The Subtle Knife, 1997, published by Scholastic. Book 2 of
the Dark Materials Trilogy.
Mossycoat, 1998, published by Scholastic Hippo. Illustrated
by Peter Bailey.
The Butterfly Tattoo, 1998, published by Macmillan Children’s
Books. Re-issue of ‘The White Mercedes’.
I was a Rat!, aka The Scarlet Slippers, 1999, published by
Knopf (USA). A fairytale illustrated by Peter Bailey.
Puss in Boots, 2000, published by Doubleday. Illustrated by
Ian Beck.
The Amber Spyglass, 2000, published by Scholastic. Book 3
of the Dark Materials Trilogy.
Lyra’s Oxford, 2003, published by Scholastic. Engravings by
John Lawrence. A short story spin-off from the Dark Materials
trilogy.
The Scarecrow and his Servant, 2004, published by Doubleday.
Illustrated by Peter Bailey.
Once Upon a Time in the North, 2008, published by David Fickling
Books. Another spin-off from the Dark Materials trilogy, engravings
by John Lawrence.
Prizes and Awards:
1995 British Fantasy Award (shortlist) for Northern Lights
1996 British Book Awards Children's Book of the Year for Northern
Lights
1996 Carnegie Medal for Northern Lights
1996 Guardian Children's Fiction Prize (joint winner) for
Northern Lights
1996 Nestlé Smarties Book Prize (Gold Award, 9-11 years) for
The Firework Maker's Daughter
1997 Carnegie Medal (shortlist) for Clockwork
1997 Whitbread Children's Book Award (shortlist) for Clockwork
2000 British Book Awards Children's Book of the Year for The
Amber Spyglass
2001 British Book Awards Author of the Year
2001 Whitbread Book of the Year for The Amber Spyglass
2001 World Fantasy Award for Best Novel (shortlist) for The
Amber Spyglass
2002 Eleanor Farjeon Award
2003 British Book Awards Audiobook of the Year (shortlist)
for Dark Materials Trilogy
2003 British Book Awards Author of the Year (shortlist)
2003 British Book Awards Children's Book of the Year (shortlist)
for Lyra's Oxford
2005 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (Sweden) (joint winner)
2005 Carnegie Medal (shortlist) for The Scarecrow and his
Servant
2005 Nestlé Smarties Book Prize (shortlist, 9-11 years) for
The Scarecrow and his Servant
2007 Carnegie of Carnegies for Northern Lights
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