Is never growing up the secret to great storytelling? With Philip Pullman

Is never growing up the secret to great storytelling? With Philip Pullman

From Ask Penguin by Penguin Books UK

October 30, 2025 · 42 min · Season 3 · Episode 3

About this episode

Philip Pullman discusses his inspiration and experiences in storytelling as he concludes his series featuring Lyra Belacqua.

What was the inspiration behind Philip Pullman’s Northern Lights series ? How does he want readers to feel on Lyra’s final adventure in The Rose Field ? Has his demon changed now that he has got to the end of this writing journey, and how do you say goodbye to characters you love? In this special edition of Ask Penguin , host Rhianna Dhillon visits Philip Pullman at his Oxford home, surrounded by books (and barking cockapoos), to mark thirty years since the world met Lyra Belacqua in Northern Lights . The two reflects on a lifetime of storytelling and returning to Lyra’s world one final time in the conclusion of The Book of Dust series, The Rose Field . Discover all the books mentioned in this episode here: here To put a question to future podcast guests, and for exclusive content and book giveaways, join our Broadcast channel on Instagram: @PenguinUKBooks    Philip Pullman is one of the most highly respected children's authors writing today. Winner of many prestigious awards, including the Carnegie of Carnegies and the Whitbread Award, Pullman’s epic fantasy trilogy  His Dark Materials  has been acclaimed as a modern classic. It has sold 17.5 million…

People in this episode

Host: Rhianna Dhillon

Guest: Philip Pullman

Topics covered

  • storytelling
  • children's literature
  • character development
  • author interview
  • fantasy series

Keywords

  • Philip Pullman
  • Northern Lights
  • The Rose Field
  • His Dark Materials
  • storytelling
  • children's author
  • character farewell
  • fantasy literature

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Penguin Books UK

Books & works: Northern Lights, The Rose Field, His Dark Materials

Places: Oxford

More episodes of Ask Penguin

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Ask Penguin podcast page.