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When Philip Pullman was little he wanted to be a girl called Margot. But when the grown-ups laughed at him, he realised it was an aspiration that was best kept to himself. Nowadays his books are full of strong, interesting girls, such as Lyra Silvertongue in the trilogy His Dark Materials and Sally Lockhart in The Ruby in the Smoke.

Philip was born in England in 1946. His father was in the Air Force and was posted to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), where the family stayed for several years. From that time he remembers the smell of roasted corn on the cob, of which he was very fond. He also recalls that his school was haunted: a boy who'd had his hand cut off in a door and subsequently died could find no peace, so he haunted the pupils and teachers. At least, that's what everyone believed.

After a while, Philip's father died and his mother married another Air Force officer. The family moved to Australia, where Philip discovered what fun it was to tell stories. There was no television, so everyone listened to the radio, and it was radio that sparked off his storytelling ambitions. Every night he made up stories which he told his younger brother after they'd gone to bed.

Storytelling is something he's carried on with all his life. He trained to be a teacher and told stories about the Greek gods to his 12 and 13 year-old pupils. He strung out the Iliad and the Odyssey over an entire school year. He had three classes every year and was a teacher for twelve years, so he's worked out that he must have told the same stories 36 times.

He got to know them inside out, and what they taught him was how to build up a story and make it exciting. He also wrote plays for his pupils to perform, some of which he later adapted into novels, such as Count Karlstein, a chilling horror story which has become an interesting mix of comic strip illustrations and text in its novel form.

Nowadays Philip Pullman is a full-time writer who is incredibly popular both in his home country and around the world. He writes three pages every morning, and has no idea how any book is going to end until he starts writing it. His first books were for adults, but he now prefers to write for children and young people.

His most famous books are the three that make up His Dark Materials, which are read just as keenly by adults as by younger readers. They have been adapted into a play, and a film version is imminent. He also writes historical books, parodies and mystical fairytales that are both original and exciting. He has also written some contemporary and realistic novels for younger readers, including The Butterfly Tattoo.

Philip Pullman is married and has two grown-up sons. The address to his interesting and always up-to-date website is:
http://www.philip-pullman.com

A selection of books by Philip Pullman

His Dark Materials - A trilogy

Pullman doesn't think these novels should be called fantasy fiction, since Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass aren't about elves or other typical fairytale characters. More refined in nature, they are about wanderings between different parallel worlds, accessible via special portals.

The main character is Lyra Silvertongue, a very interesting girl who's inquisitive, brave, strong and independent. In her world, which is very like our own, everybody has daemons which take the form of different animals. These daemons are their souls or personalities, physically manifested: some people have dogs, others foxes, birds or lions. Children's daemons can change form, only assuming their final appearance when childhood comes to an end. But what happens when evil-minded people steal the daemons from children?

These books are extremely rewarding, completely original and unlike any others.

The Scarecrow and His Servant

Jack is totally alone in the world, without a home or parents. One morning he wakes up in a barn where he has been sleeping and hears the rain lashing down and thunder crashing. Cold and hungry, he goes in search of something to eat, when he hears someone calling him. It's a scarecrow who has been brought to life by the lightning and now wants some help.
Jack can't believe his eyes, but the scarecrow is actually alive and wants to employ him as his servant. He can't pay him any wages, and can only offer him the honour of the position and an exciting life. They might go hungry sometimes, but they'll never be without adventure, the scarecrow promises.
Jack accepts his offer, and indeed they are never without adventures on their wanderings. And Jack gets to make great use of his ingenuity.
The Scarecrow and His Servant is a funny and exciting book that gives you lots to think about.

The Ruby in the Smoke

16 year-old Sally Lockhart lives in London at the end of the 19th century. Her father has recently died in mysterious circumstances. Was he murdered? If so, then by whom? And what exactly are "The Seven Blessings"?
Sally is determined to find out. She has two allies to help her, one an eavesdropping and adventurous errand boy, the other a bohemian, good-hearted photographer.
The Ruby in the Smoke is the first of four books to feature Sally Lockhart, one of Pullman's strong and admirable female characters. It's a thrilling adventure in a highly interesting setting.

I Was A Rat!

One evening there's a knock at the door of the elderly couple, Bob and Joan. It's a little boy who doesn't know what his name is or where he lives. He claims he was a rat and that he's now three weeks old.
This is the opening of a hilarious story about an entire community turned upside down by a small boy. Perhaps he really is a rat? Or a monster, as the newspapers claim in order to sell more copies?

Bob and Joan are convinced that he's a nice boy who simply has to stop chewing the walls and bedposts. But how are they to convince other people of this? And how come the rat boy knows so much about the palace and the prince's new fiancée?