An article looking at the return to critical success and popularity of epic narrative – Lord of the Rings, Phillip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” trilogy and the Cannes film-festival-award-winning “Atanarjuat the Fast Runner”
“It’s a shift of emphasis from the telling to the subject of what’s being told; from the writing down part to the making up part,” he says. “It’s always more satisfying to use your imagination to explore the business of being alive than to explore language.”
Also – more Phillip Pullman links over at the awesome Linkmachinego.com
Also-Also – another Pullman profile from this week’s Observer courtesy of the Linkmachinego.com
Petafloptimism 
Hi, I’m Anna and I’m 12. Is Phillip Pullman the best author EVER or what? I simply could not put down his books about Lyra and Will, I love them! They’re the most fascinating books ever, definitely my favourite. Phillip Pullman is cruel not to let us find out what happens to Lyra and Will! The Amber Spyglass put me in tears and I would do anything for Phillip Pullman to write a fourth book! From His Nomber one fan, Anna
Phiillip Pullman is also my favourite author ever. I fist when Norhtern lights when i was about 11 and found it really hard going so i gave up. A couple of years later however i read it again and realised just how brilliant it was. I love the way it challenges the ideas of religion and even though it’s fantasy, it’s believable. Who knows, there could be countless other universes we are blissfully unaware of? (unlikely but possible). To compare Pullman with Rowling or even Tolkien doesn’t do him justice. His books have far more depth than the likes of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. I am a 15 yr old who doesn’t normally like fanstasy genre at all but i was pleasantly surprised by His Dark Materials. I only wish we studied books like these for the dreaded GCSE’s
My name is Leah, and I’m 16. I have yet to find a book that is as detailed,and masterfully spun as any written by Phillip Pullman. The His Dark Materials trilogy is one of the best I’ve ever read before. I couldn’t force myself to put it down! I only read fantasy books like the ones he writes, and his are the only ones that have ever peaked my interest like this. I wish very hard that he would write others like them, because I’m getting bored with all these other authors who are trying to top, or to write like him. I half-wished I had a daemon there to enjoy the book with me!