Pullman at Brent Library Event
Posted on July 21, 2011 by Bethan

Philip Pullman spoke at an event to save the six libraries of Brent, North-West London, on Thursday the 21st of July, to a packed audience of book lovers.

At the event, he read from his newest novel The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, talked with local author Maggie Gee, and answered audience questions.

Pullman has been incredibly outspoken about the library closures in Britain and recently managed a win against his own council of Oxfordshire, who decided to defer their plans to close 20 out of their 40 libraries to save money.

To find out more about the campaign to save Brent’s libraries, visit their website.
They have a short interview with Pullman before the event, here.



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July Contest – only 3 days left to enter
Posted on July 18, 2011 by Bethan

Our July contest closes in three days! If you’d like the chance to win a signed copy of The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ (or the two unsigned copies we have as runner-up prizes) enter now!

In Northern Lights/The Golden Compass, Lyra is given the truth-telling alethiometer; in the Subtle Knife, Will acquires a knife with intentions of its own; in The Amber  Spyglass, Mary makes a spyglass that lets her see something she couldn’t before.

The events in each book are shaped by these artefacts. We want YOU to come up with a fourth artefact of your own! Tell us what object you’ve come up with, and in one sentence only, explain what its abilities are.

Send your entry in to contest@bridgetothestars.net, with the subject line “July Contest” by 11:59pm GMT on the 21st of July. The entries will be judged anonymously and the best ones will receive our awesome prizes! Only one entry per person allowed. This contest is open to everyone except BridgeToTheStars.net staff. Good luck!



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Mark Reads The Amber Spyglass, with BTTS
Posted on July 18, 2011 by Jaya

BridgeToTheStars.net is delighted to announce that we will be teaming up with blogger Mark Oshiro (of Mark Reads) to bring YOU the ultimate The Amber Spyglass reading experience.

Over the next eight weeks, Mark will be reading one chapter of The Amber Spyglass each weekday and writing up his review. We’ll be hosting weekly discussion threads on our forum, The Republic of Heaven, so that you can discuss each chapter, talk spoilers, and predict how Mark will react…

Can’t remember who tried to poison Lord Asriel? Want to know how Lee Scoresby and Iorek Byrnison met? We’ll also be here to answer any questions you have about the His Dark Materials multiverse.

Whether you’re re-reading along with Mark, already finished The Amber Spyglass (we know some of you couldn’t wait) or are just along for the ride, discuss each chapter as Mark Reads it*, and we’ll have some special treats for you along the way!

Click here for our Mark Reads The Amber Spyglass week one discussion thread.

*Beware, there will be spoilers for The Amber Spyglass in the discussion thread, so stick to the Mark Reads site if you’ve not read the books already!



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Pullman to speak up for Brent’s Libraries
Posted on July 11, 2011 by Bethan

Philip Pullman will be speaking at an event to raise funds for the Libraries of Brent, North London, on Wednesday the 20th of July. He will be reading from The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, talking to novelist Maggie McGee and answering questions from the audience.

The event will be at 7pm at the Queen’s Park Community School hall and tickets are £10 and can be found at the following:

  • The Lexi Cinema, Chamberlayne Road, NW10
  • Queens Park Books, 87 Salusbury Road, NW6 (tel. 0207 625 1008)
  • L’Angolos deli, College Rd, NW10

For more information, go here.



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Pullman at London Literature Festival
Posted on July 3, 2011 by Bethan

The London Literature Festival was opened on Thursday the 30th of June, by Philip Pullman. He spoke about his early life, his love of public libraries (calling them ‘a fantastic treasure chest‘), and his thoughts on current politics. He also spoke about his newest work, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ.

He said a few things Sraffies would find surprising, such as his dislike for fantasy as a genre. “I realised that His Dark Materials would have to be fantasy – realised with a heavy heart, because I don’t really like fantasy.”

On the subject of storytelling and how long it can take, he said, “time spent telling a great story is never time wasted.“

But Pullman reveals he never writes a first draft when he sets about telling his stories, “I never write first drafts: I write the last draft fourteen times.”

To listen to his hour-long speech, go here. You can read more about his opening speech at the Festival’s official blog, here.



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