Philip Pullman is one of the most famous children's authors in the world! From his legendary series His Dark Materials to the Sally Lockhart mysteries, Philip Pullman has delighted millions of readers! How much do you know about Philip and his life? Here are 15 fun facts all about Philip and how he got started as a writer, including where he grew up, what inspired His Dark Materials and why he didn't win Shed of the Year. Liked this? We've got more author facts like these 20 fun JK Rowling facts! Or how about these brilliant book facts? And here's some facts about one of my those famous writers ever, Beatrix Potter!

1. Philip Pullman is From Norfolk in the UK

Philip Pullman was born in Norwich on the 19th October, 1946. He had a busy childhood - his dad was in the RAF, and the family travelled a lot, to places like Zimbabwe and Australia, although Philip spent much of his childhood in Wales.

2. His Father Died When Philip Was A Boy

When Philip was seven, his father was killed in a plane crash in Kenya during the Mau Mau Uprising. At the time, Philip viewed his father as a hero, but as he got older he found out more about the conflict and his father's life, and started to wonder what really happened. Lots of Philip's books deal with relationships between parents and children, and maybe this is the reason Philip writes about those relationships.

3. He Loved Reading as a Child

To distract himself from unhappy times, like his father's death, Philip would read. He particularly enjoyed comic books - and still does! He particularly enjoyed the Batman and Superman comics, which were hard to get hold of in the UK. Today he still enjoys reading comics, and even had some of his own books adapted into graphic novels! Philip also got a love of the Bible and hymns from his grandfather, and this love inspired later ideas and themes in His Dark Materials.

4. He Enjoys Woodworking

It might be a surprising hobby of choice for an author, but Philip Pullman loves woodworking! He says he enjoys it because, like writing, its a craft.

5. He Went to Oxford University

Philip went to Exeter College, Oxford to study English. Although he did not do very well or enjoy the course, Oxford would later become a key part of His Dark Materials - Lyra's universe has its own, magical version of Oxford. Today thousands of tourists flock to Oxford just to see the buildings he mentions in the books.

6. He Used to Be A Teacher

After Philip graduated from Oxford, he became a teacher to support his writing career. He enjoyed teaching because it gave him a chance to share his passion for literature and books with his pupils. Today he still cares passionately about education and the importance of all children having access to reading.

7. His Most Famous Books Are The Dark Materials Trilogy

Philip Pullman wrote the first book in the trilogy, The Northern Lights, in 1995. It tells the story of Lyra, an orphan in a magical version of Oxford, who has a 'daemon' - a magical animal that represents her soul. The books follow Lyra's journey around the world and parallel universes, and was partly inspired by John Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost. In 2017, he published The Book of Dust, a new trilogy that continues the story.

8. He Also Wrote the Sally Lockhart Mysteries

Philip Pullman also wrote The Sally Lockhart Mysteries, a series of four books about a young woman and her friends and their adventures in the darker parts of Victorian London. Two of the books were adapted for TV in 2007, starring Billie Piper as Sally. Philip Pullman also announced he would one day return to writing about Sally, but there's been no news yet!

9. Philip Pullman Nearly Won Shed of the Year

Although Philip has won many awards over the years, he sadly failed to win the most prestigious accolade of all - shed of the year! Like many famous writers before him, including Roald Dahl and Virginia Woolf, Philip Pullman liked to write in a shed in his garden, and in 2017 it was nominated for Shed of the Year (yes, it's a real thing). He didn't win, but the shed sounds cool - it had an old dentist's chair, which Philip said he used to meditate in!

10. He Knows What His Daemon Would Be

If you've read His Dark Materials, you've probably imagined which animal you're daemon would be - and Philip is no exception! He says his daemon would be in the shape of a magpie, which makes a lot of sense! Magpies are curious, clever and a staple in the UK - all attributes that suit Philip and his writing perfectly!

11. He's Also Written Lots of Other Books

Philip Pullman doesn't see himself as a children's writer. When he wrote The Northern Lights, he didn't have an audience in mind. He just writes what he finds interesting. Other books he's written include The Firework Maker's Daughter, about a girl in ancient China, and Clockwork, set in a historical German town. Philip says he likes to draw inspiration from other books he's read, especially classic books and philosophy.

12. He's Won a Lot of Awards

Although he didn't win Shed of the Year, Philip Pullman has won some other prizes that are nearly as impressive, including the Carnegie Medal, the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, and was also a president of the Blake society. He was also previously the president of the Society of Authors.

13. He's a Football Fan

Philip Pullman, like lots of British people, loves football! His team of choice is Norwich, which makes sense, as that's his birthplace, and he's such a big fan he even wrote a book about the history of the club! Go canaries!

14. He Was Knighted in 2019

Philip Pullman was knighted in 2019, something he said he was 'Very surprised and honoured' by. He was knighted by Prince Charles (now King Charles)

15. He Believes Reading is Really Important

Philip Pullman is passionate about reading and writing, and believes they are crucial to children and young people. He believes that children deserve quality literature that is written with care and thought, and that children and adults should be able to read them alike. We couldn't agree more!