'Gathering pieces of lives, past and present'

 

“One curious thing about growing up is that you don't only move forward in time; you move backwards as well, as pieces of your parents' and grandparents' lives come to you.” – Philip Pullman

Born in Norwich, England on Oct. 19, 1946 Pullman is perhaps most noted for the fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials and his fictionalized biography of Jesus, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ.  His most recent book is 2022’s The Imagination Chamber, a companion to His Dark Materials. 

 

Pullman was a teacher when his first book The Haunted Storm was published in 1972.  It was an instant hit, winning him the New English Library's Young Writer's Award.

  

Since then he's published more than 30 books, won Sweden’s “Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award” for career contributions to children's and young adult literature, and been a two-time finalist for the Hans Christian Andersen Medal - given biennially to the best writer of fiction for children and young adults.  And The Times of London has ranked Pullman one of the "50 greatest British writers since 1945."

 

Pullman’s advice to beginning writers is simple – write 3 pages a day.  “If you can't think of what to write, tough luck; write anyway,” he said.  “If you can think of lots more when you've finished three pages, don't write it; it'll be that much easier to get going next day.”