Posted by Cookiemonster on November 28, 2007 at 4:09 am
BBC News reports that Philip Pullman, already an honourary fellow at Bangor University, has recently been made an honourary professor there. Pullman will take seminars for Bangor students and host discussions on literature and narrative structures. The author was “delighted,” crediting north Wales as the place where he was awakened “to the pleasures and responsibilities of literature.”
The Times Online have posted an article today, in which they hail The Golden Compass as “the year’s most eagerly awaited film” and talk to Pullman himself about what he thinks of the film. The author told them that the film was “stunning” and what impressed him most about the film “was the way the human figures and the computer images have been integrated on the screen. They really do look as if they occupy the same space.” Read the full article here.
The Phoenix Picturehouse in Oxford will on Sunday December 9th at 4.40pm be presenting an exclusive hour-long discussion with Philip Pullman. According to their website, the discussion “will reveal the author’s thoughts on the adaptation of Northern Lights, the first book of the trilogy, for the big screen.” It will also apparently “delve into his lifelong literary inspirations, taking in rarely discussed topics that are of interest to him, such as the importance of storytelling, modern education, spirituality and esoteric wisdom.”
Tickets for this event are unfortunately sold out, however, the conversation is to be beamed live via satellite to 17 other Picturehouse cinemas around the UK, a list of which you can see here. Prices are around £6-£8 per person. You can read more about the event here.
There’s a brief review of the Butterfly Soup fundraiser held by Oxford youth theatre Pegasus (of which Philip Pullman is a patron) last weekend on the BBC website. Amongst other things, it selects as a highlight Philip Pullman’s use of a Texan accent. You can read more here. More is to follow soon from our bridgetothestars report on the evening.
An interview of Philip Pullman by Donna Freitas, co-author of “Killing the Imposter God: Philip Pullman’s Spiritual Imagination in His Dark Materials”, has been uploaded to YouTube. In it, he discusses the almost-divinity of Dust and its manifestation in the world as consciousness and intelligence. There are five videos in all, touching on religion, story-telling and everything else that’s been discussed in the news recently. View them here on YouTube. Here’s the video on “Nature and Meaning of Dust” to get you going:
The Pegasus Theatre in Oxford have released a poster for their fundraising evening, entitled Butterfly Soup, which is to take place on November 17th. You can view it by clicking on the thumbnail below. To find out more details about tickets, click here.
Philip Pullman visited the Union Square Barnes & Noble in New York City this past Thursday (1st November) to speak to his fans and sign some books. Mockingbird was in attendance and has shared with us her impressions: ” As soon as I saw him, I felt strangely immediately comfortable–he simply has a genial, jovial presence, like an academic with a sense of humor, which is what he is. His speech was nothing we haven’t heard before, but I had never heard it in person–and that is an engaging experience.”
Barnes & Noble has posted its webcast of the event online, in which Pullman shares a bit more of what he means by the “democracy of reading”. Watch it here. Click below for Mockingbird’s fan report.
Today, Philip Pullman appeared on NBC to speak to Al Roker who features the Golden Compass as his book club selection. As well as responding to accusations that his books are “atheism for kids,” and speaking about what he hopes his readers take up from the books, he also answers some of his readers’ questions. “As for the atheism, it doesn’t matter to me whether people believe in God or not, so I’m not promoting anything of that sort. What I do care about is whether people are cruel or whether they’re kind, whether they act for democracy or for tyranny, whether they believe in open-minded enquiry or in shutting the freedom of thought and expression.” The website also features video from the interview and questions from elementary school students participating in Al’s Book Club. Click here to read more and see the video.
During his stop in Toronto for Trinity College’s conference on children’s literature, Daphne Gordon had the opportunity to speak with Philip Pullman for the Toronto Star. The article describes His Dark Materials’ critics amid New Line’s large scale promotion of the upcoming film adapation, but the author also had the opportunity to discuss the books themselves. On the famous kiss in the Amber Spyglass, he says, ‘”I don’t describe anything more than a kiss. And I don’t think they did anything more than kiss,” he says. “People who have accused me of sexualizing them are people with fundamentally dirty minds; people who have forgotten the importance, the profundity of a kiss.”‘ Read more.
USA Today’s Book Buzz features some soundbites from Philip Pullman’s New York visit this week. “I spent seven years getting the story to this point. Taking it apart and putting it back together again is not my idea of fun.” His stop in New York was described a a film promotion stop for his North American tour. On what he has seen of the movie so far, he says it’s, “rich, strange and wonderful.” Read more.
BBC News reports that Philip Pullman, already an honourary fellow at Bangor University, has recently been made an honourary professor there. Pullman will take seminars for Bangor students and host discussions on literature and narrative structures. The author was “delighted,” crediting north Wales as the place where he was awakened “to the pleasures and responsibilities of literature.”
