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Philip Pullman
Philip writes in a shed in his garden. He always writes three
pages a day making sure that he has written at least a couple of
lines on a new page, so that he never has to start with a blank
piece of paper. He finds tipping his chair, tapping his desk with a
ruler and tying up his fingers with little bits of string useful
for concentration!
Philip's father was in the RAF and so he went to eight
different schools all over the world before he was 11. In those
days, most long-distance travel was by sea, so Philip spent a lot
of his childhood on big ships, and he was even given the protection
of the seas. Much of his secondary education was in Wales, a
country renowned for its love of story-telling, which may have had
an influence on Philip's later career.
Philip always loved telling stories, and when he was
at school he entertained his friends by reading ghost stories to
them - or by making up his own. He started to write his first novel
the day after he finished his final exams at Oxford. He thought it
would be quite easy but found it was much harder than he had
expected.
Philip's first job was as a teacher. He retold the
Greek myths and legends to his pupils and also wrote plays for
them. Later he adapted some of his plays into books, as in the case
of Spring-Heeled Jack, Count Karlstein and The Ruby in the
Smoke.
Philip is now the author of over a dozen books,
including the prize-winning and best-selling His Dark Materials
trilogy that begins with Northern Lights. The third book in the
trilogy, The Amber Spyglass, won the Whitbread Book of the Year
2001 - the first children's book to win Book of the Year in the
history of the award!
Clockwork
A scary story-within-a-story. Karl, a clock-maker's apprentice, must make a new piece for the great clock in town by midnight. But Karl has been lazy and there is no time left. When a mysterious clockwork character appears, Karl seems to have found a solution. But nothing is quite as it seems…(9+)
Published by Corgi Yearling
The Ruby in the Smoke
Set amidst the swirling smog of Victorian London, Sally Lockhart must make the best use of her wits and her courage to survive the many dangerous plots that threaten her. An atmospheric thriller that brings the past dramatically to life. (11+)
This edition published by Scholastic Ltd
The Firework-Maker's Daughter
Daughter of the country's greatest firework-maker, Lila longs to make fireworks too. But first she must travel on a difficult, dangerous and magical journey to find the three gifts that she needs to become a true firework-maker. (8+)
Published by Corgi Yearling
I Was A Rat
Old Bob and his wife Joan long for a son - and magically one appears. But Roger insists that he was once a rat! Was he? No one knows the truth for sure but everyone has an opinion as this story is told in all sorts of ways including newspaper cuttings and interviews. (9+)
Published by Corgi Yearling
Northern Lights
Part one of the magnificent His Dark Materials Trilogy. This is the story of Lyra's first meeting with the dangerous Mrs Coulter, as she sets out to the frozen lands of the North to save her friend Roger. A magical and dramatic adventure. (11+)
This edition published by Scholastic Ltd
Spring-Heeled Jack
Told in words and cartoons, this is a fantastic adventure story. Mack the Knife, lurking in the shadows of the fog, threatens Rose, Lily and Ned, but they are rescued in the nick of time by the mysterious Spring-Heeled Jack. Funny and scary in equal measure. (9+)
Published by Corgi Yearling
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[ Windows Media Clip 1- Clockwork ]
[ Windows Media Clip 2- For me it starts with a picture ]
[ Windows Media Clip 3- Books I read as a child ]
[ Windows Media Clip 4- I walk about staring at things / the 3 phases of writing ]
