> Skip to content

Article  •  15 February 2017

 

Announcing Philip Pullman's new trilogy

6 things you need to know about The Book of Dust

1.     The Book of Dust is a story in three parts. The first part is set ten years before the events of His Dark Materials, and the rest of the story takes place twenty years after that: in fact, ten years after Lyra comes home to Jordan College after her adventure in the Arctic at the end of The Amber Spyglass.


2.     Alethiometers, daemons and the Magisterium all feature!

 

3.     The story will focus on some new characters, as well as an ordinary boy who eagle-eyed readers may have spotted in Lyra’s story before. With Lyra, he is caught up in a terrifying adventure that takes him into a new world…

 

4.     Their tale is pretty topical - it centres on the struggle between a despotic and totalitarian organisation that wants to stifle speculation and enquiry, and those who believe that thought and speech should be free.

 

5.     Rather than a prequel or a sequel to His Dark Materials, Philip describes The Book of Dust is as an 'equel' - a new story that stands beside his previous trilogy.

 

6.     Like His Dark Materials, it will be released in three parts. Part One will be published on 19th October 2017 - 22 years after Northern Lights was published in July 1995.

More features

See all
Article
Dr Hinemoa Elder's Matariki Events

Celebrate Matariki with Dr Hinemoa Elder at events across the South Island, in conversation about her books and the wisdom that inspires them.

Article
Help us personalise your Penguin emails

Tell us what you love reading so we can personalise the books, recommendations and emails you receive from Penguin.

Article
Look Inside: Astromancer 3: Ariā and the Monster Island

Read the first three chapters of Ariā and the Monster Island!

Article
The Best Interactive Hairy Maclary Books for Toddlers and Babies

For generations, Lynley Dodd’s Hairy Maclary stories have introduced young children to the joy of reading…

Article
Laugh-out-loud books to encourage a love of reading

There is nothing kids love more than a big old belly-laugh, and when it comes to reading, a book full of laugh-out-loud moments can unlock a joy of reading for life!

Article
The Perfect Mother’s Day Brunch

Treat Mum to an amazing meal at home this Mother’s Day! We’ve curated the perfect Mother’s Day brunch using some of our most popular recipes.

Article
The Migrants Author Talks

Join Christopher de Hamel as he travels across New Zealand for a series of author talks, exploring the connections between his South Island childhood, medieval manuscripts and 19th century Aotearoa.

Article
Why readers LOVE Lottie Brooks: Real Reader Reviews

In their own words, younger readers review their favourite Lottie Brooks books and why they love the series!

Article
Your guide to Matt Dinniman's Dungeon Crawler Carl series

Not sure where to start with the Dungeon Crawler Carl series? Find out which to read first, and learn a little bit about each book.

Article
15 of the best vampire books to add to your TBR

Discover some of the best vampire books – from paranormal to gothic and beyond.

Article
10 debut authors share where the ideas for their first novels came from

Learn about the inspiration behind debut authors’ first novels.

Article
Jacinda Ardern to appear at NZ writers festival events

Penguin Random House is delighted to announce that Jacinda Ardern will be doing three book events in New Zealand in April and May.

Looking for more articles?

See all articles