TICKETS are still on sale for a talk by Oxford author Philip Pullman about his new novel.

He will speak at the Sheldonian Theatre about The Secret Commonwealth on Sunday, October 6 at 5.30pm to 6.30pm.

The fantasy novel featuring Lyra is the second instalment of The Book of Dust trilogy, which is due to be published on Thursday.

It follows La Belle Sauvage, which was published in October, 2017 and praised by the critics.

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The new story opens seven years after readers left Lyra and Will Parry on a park bench in Oxford’s Botanic Gardens in The Amber Spyglass, the final book in the His Dark Materials sequence. Lyra is now a 20-year-old Oxford student, about to embark on an epic journey across Europe and into Asia as she seeks out an elusive town said to be haunted by dæmons.

Oxford Mail:

Commenting on the plot earlier this year, Pullman said: “Things have been biding their time, waiting for the right moment to reveal their consequences for Lyra Silvertongue.

The Secret Commonwealth tells the continuing story of the impact on Lyra’s life of the search for, and the fear of, Dust.”

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The talk will be one of only two author events this autumn to mark publication of this highly-anticipated book, and the only one to take place in Mr Pullman’s home city.

The talk, with tickets costing from £10 to £25, is being organised by Blackwell's.

Oxford Mail:

A new BBC TV series of His Dark Materials, Mr Pullman’s award-winning first fantasy trilogy featuring Lyra, is due to be screened from Sunday, November 3 on BBC1.