“When it was possible to have a belief about God and heaven, it represented something we all desired. It had a profound meaning in human life.

“But when it no longer became possible to believe, a lot of people felt despair. What was the meaning of life? It seems that our nature is so formed that we need a feeling of connectedness with the universe. If there is no longer a king, or a kingdom of heaven, it will have to be a republic in which we are free citizens. We ourselves as citizens have to build the republic of heaven.”

» Guardian: Narnia books attacked as racist and sexist : Philip Pullman dismisses work of CS Lewis as blatant religious propaganda
[thanks linkmachinego]

» www.hayfestival.co.uk: Philip Pullman interview in Audio