Philip Pullman is a successful author of both children's and adult books. His controversial trilogy His Dark Materials won him many awards.
Philip Pullman spent a great deal of his childhood living abroad as his father, and later his stepfather, both served in the RAF. He attributes much of his ability to describe long sea voyages and different exotic countries in his books to the time he spent travelling to, and living in, Rhodesia and Australia.
When he was 11, Philip and his family moved to Harlech, where he "learnt to write more clearly" under the guidance of English teacher Enid Jones. Philip still keeps in touch with her and sends her copies of his books.
At that time children were allowed to roam freely around the streets and countryside, and Philip took great advantage of this freedom, gaining much of the inspiration for his later books from Harlech and the surrounding area.
He studied English at Exeter College, Oxford, before becoming a teacher and writing many school plays and production. Some of these plays became inspiration for his novels, including The Ruby in The Smoke.
But Philip Pullman is best known for the hugely successful His Dark Materials trilogy, describing the adventures of Lyra and Will and other characters, including the armoured bears, witches, ghosts, angels and life-zapping spectres. The books deal with the loss of innocence, and the battle between the republic, and the kingdom of heaven - subject matter which has caused much debate and controversy.
Philip says the books which have had most influence on him include Grimms Fairy Tales, Homer's Illiad and Odyssey, Sherlock Holmes, The Picture History of Painting and the Superman and Batman comics of the 1950s.
When writing in his shed, Philip always ensures that he has completed three sheets of A4 paper, and writes the beginning of a sentence on a clean sheet before finishing for the day. He always comes in to watch Neighbours - though he doesn't watch any other soap operas as Neighbours gives him quite enough to think about!
Books by Philip Pullman include:
His Dark Materials trilogy: Northern Lights (1996), The Subtle Knife (1997), The Amber Spyglass (2000)
The Ruby in the Smoke (1999)
The Shadow in the North (1999)
The Tiger in the Well (1999)
The Tin Princess (2000)Philip Pullman interview.
Philip Pullman on Radio Wales.
John Pugh, now of North Carolina, says: "This is a shot I took of our old English teacher, Enid Jones, when we had a school reunion at Ysgol Ardudwy in Spring 2002. When I read your piece about Philip Pullman and the reference to Enid I thought I would send this picture. I managed to visit Enid Jones at her home in Harlech during one of my visits there. Many of the teachers at Ysgol Ardudwy were inspiring, but Miss Jones was so enthusiastic about English that it was always a pleasure to attend her classes. Her enthusiasm was infectious. I will always be grateful to her for all she taught me. I particularly enjoyed the play reading sessions we had in the classroom from time to time. Great memories!"
Philip Pullman was appointed Honorary Professor in Arts and Humanities at Bangor University in 2007.
Author of successful children's trilogy His Dark Materials.
