> Skip to content

Article  •  15 February 2017

 

Announcing Philip Pullman's new trilogy

6 things you need to know about The Book of Dust

1.     The Book of Dust is a story in three parts. The first part is set ten years before the events of His Dark Materials, and the rest of the story takes place twenty years after that: in fact, ten years after Lyra comes home to Jordan College after her adventure in the Arctic at the end of The Amber Spyglass.


2.     Alethiometers, daemons and the Magisterium all feature!

 

3.     The story will focus on some new characters, as well as an ordinary boy who eagle-eyed readers may have spotted in Lyra’s story before. With Lyra, he is caught up in a terrifying adventure that takes him into a new world…

 

4.     Their tale is pretty topical - it centres on the struggle between a despotic and totalitarian organisation that wants to stifle speculation and enquiry, and those who believe that thought and speech should be free.

 

5.     Rather than a prequel or a sequel to His Dark Materials, Philip describes The Book of Dust is as an 'equel' - a new story that stands beside his previous trilogy.

 

6.     Like His Dark Materials, it will be released in three parts. Part One will be published on 19th October 2017 - 22 years after Northern Lights was published in July 1995.

More features

See all
Article
James Beard Award-winning cookbooks of 2025

Check out some of the incredible books honoured at the 2025 James Beard Foundation Book Awards.

Article
QUIZ: Which YA thriller should you read next?

Take this quiz to find out which YA thriller should be your next read!

Article
Penguin Fantasy Fest 2025

Penguin Fantasy Fest is back and better than ever!

Article
5 of the hottest YA books right now (2025)

Check out some of the hottest YA books in stores now, from epic romantasy to sweet, unexpected romance.

Article
20 books like The Let Them Theory

Finished The Let Them Theory and wondering what to read next? Check out this list of 20 suggested picks that will leave you feeling inspired and empowered.

Article
How to throw the perfect Bluey birthday party

Everything you need to throw the perfect Bluey birthday party!

Article
Your guide to writers’ festivals in May 2025

Check out some of the Penguin Random House authors who will be at upcoming writers’ festivals.

Article
How to save money on groceries: 6 innovative budget tips

Food shopping on a budget? These tips from Money-Saving Meal Plans With Chelsea will help you spend less on food.

Article
Penguin Picks: 4 books to escape with this long weekend – no travel required

Check out the long weekend reads Penguin employees are loving.

Article
Penguin Noir 2025 was a criminally good showcase

Our 2025 Penguin Noir events have wrapped up for another year – featuring four cities, four days, seven authors and a whole lot of crime!

Article
Two Penguin authors make the shortlist for the 2025 Stella Prize

Congrats to Samah Sabawi, author of Cactus Pear For My Beloved and Jumaana Abdu, author of Translations!

Article
Lynette Noni is touring Australia in 2025!

Find out where you can hear Lynette Noni speak about her upcoming book, Wandering Wild.

Looking for more articles?

See all articles
penguin pop image
penguin pop image