Philip Pullman has written more books than we can count, but he is most famous for His Dark Materials, a trilogy that went on to win numerous awards and has been translated into over 35 languages. The story of Lyra Belacqua and her daemon Pantalamion enchanted millions of you across the world, and Pullman published a number of companion novels to the trilogy so his readers could stay in Lyra’s world just a little longer.

As some of you may know, Philip Pullman wrote a number of other books both before and after His Dark Materials, and his second-most famous work is also a series, or rather, a quartet of historical thrillers. They are set in Victorian London and other European cities and follow the protagonist Sally Lockhart as she solves a number of mysteries that could change the world.

Whether they are from long-ago or completely made-up, Pullman’s worlds are fascinating because no matter the setting, his stories are all about the very current, very real matter of growing up.

To help you jump right (back) in, we have collected 10 of our favourite Philip Pullman quotes.

“I wish...” she said, and stopped. There was nothing that could be gained by wishing for it. A final deep shaky breath, and she was ready to go on.



Northern Lights/The Golden Compass

“Being in love was like China: you knew it was there, and no doubt it was very interesting, and some people went there, but I never would… and then someone passed me a bit of some sweet stuff, and suddenly I realized that I had been to China. So to speak. And I’d forgotten it.” Northern Lights/The Golden Compass

“For a human being, nothing comes naturally,” said Grumman. “We have to learn everything we do.” The Subtle Knife

You said I was a warrior. You told me that was my nature, and I shouldn’t argue with it. Father, you were wrong. I fought because I had to. I can’t choose my nature, but I can choose what I do. And I will choose, because now I’m free.



The Amber Spyglass

“Tell them stories. They need the truth. You must tell them true stories, and everything will be well, just tell them stories.”



The Amber Spyglass

Everything has a meaning, if only we could read it.



Lyra’s Oxford

Her upbringing had given her an independence of mind that made her more like a girl of today than one of her own time – which was why she had walked out, and why she was not daunted by the prospect of being alone.



The Ruby in the Smoke

Without stories, we wouldn’t be human beings at all.



Philip Pullman

I’m trying to write a book about what it means to be human, to grow up, to suffer and learn.



Philip Pullman, in an interview about His Dark Materials

A still from The Golden Compass , the film version of Northern Lights starring Dakota Blue Richards as Lyra Belacqua and Nicole Kidman as Mrs Coulter. Photograph: Laurie Sparham/New Line Cinema

The story I was trying to write was about real people, not beings that don’t exist like elves or hobbits. Lyra and Will and the other characters are meant to be human beings like us, and the story is about a universal human experience, namely growing up.



Philip Pullman

To win a signed set of the 20th anniversary edition of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials just email childrens.books@theguardian.com with the subject line “Philip Pullman signed books” by midnight on Monday 16 March 2015, telling us why you should win. Entrants should be aged between 7 and 18, or entering on behalf of a child. Please include your name, age, and postal address; if you are under 16 you must also include the name, contact telephone number and email address of your parent or guardian. Good luck!

All three novels in the His Dark Materials series are now available in eBook for the first time in the UK and can be downloaded here & here. Also available to download is eBook short story The Collectors which delves into the past of character Mrs Coulter.

You could also see Philip himself at a Guardian Live membership event – Grimm Tales with Philip Pullman – on Monday 30 March, 7 to 8.30pm. More details and book tickets here.

Please share your favourite quotes with us! Email us at childrens.books@theguardian.com or tweet @GdnChildrensBks and we’ll add them to this blog to make the magic overflow.

