Philip Pullman
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
BOOKWORLD CONTENTS / INHOUD Philip Pullman - Displaying his brilliant material Carina Diedericks-Hugo takes a look at this controversial author 18 Dansmusieke PHILIP PULLMAN A talk by the author to the reading circle of Bloubergstrand Library 19 Displaying his brilliant material Geraamtes dra nie klere nie The impressions of16-year-old Cara Meintjies 20 'n Stringetjie blou krale CARINA DIEDERICKS-HUGO Lorraine Matthewson berig oor 'n praatjie deur EKM Dido 21 Author / Editor Wicca weavesits magic ritish children'sbook author Philip A fascinating insight into this source of Pullman shot to fame when he won interest by Erich Buchhaus 21 B the 2001Whitbread Award. He Booklist writes bravelyand speaks loudly. Carina Erich Buchhaus'selection of reading Diedericks-Hugo takes a look at one of matter on wicca and witchcraft 23 Britain's most prolific, yet controversial authors. At the bottom of a garden in Oxford, publications such as the New YorkTimes metaphysical, but never stoop to the England stands a shabbyshed, peeping Literary Supplement and the Washington supernatural', described one critic. And through an overly-zealousivy web. Inside, Post have hailed Pullman's His dark mate - the intricate, yet paradoxically simple nar- aninteresting arrayof clutter: a six-foottall rials as`verygrandindeed',`morallycom- rative is masterfullycrafted byan author stuffed rat, thousands of yellow Post-it plex'and a work of `extravagant wonders'. who exhumes brilliance. notes, apple cores, dust, a heater, two One even went as far as saying`it was the In comparison, other children'sliterature comfortable chairs, an old computer,spi- momentthatliterature for theyoung finally now seems feeble and frivolous. One critic der'swebs, a saxophone, pencils, a cob- came of age'. described Pullman's magnum opus as`a blestone from Prague, splashes of Mont His dark materials consist of Northern sparkling addition to the canon of great Blanc and Cape Codwine and alargetable. lights (published asThe golden compassin children'sfictionthatleaves poor Harry Somewhere, on the table to be precise, is a the United States of America), The subtle Potter helplesslystrandedinthe compara- knife and The amber spyglass.Thestoryis 3 small, uncluttered space with a few blank tive banalityof his Platform 9 /4 '. piecesofpaperneatlystackedtogether and setin a world as we knowit, a world slightly Butit wasn'tonlythe critics who a broken pencil lying on top. An exorbi- differentto ours, and worlds parallel to swooned - academics and prize commit- tantlyexpensive Danishtilting-in-all-direc- ours, but unlike anything we know. It fol- teesjoined the chorus of approval and tions orthopaedic gas-powered swivelling lows the tale of11-year-old Lyra Belacqua made His dark materials the most chair pushed under the table completes the as she sets outto accomplish a task that acclaimed British children's book ever. picture. It is on this exact awaits her. Northern lights was awarded the spot that British children's `Stories are the In Northern lights Lyra Guardian Children's Fiction Awardin1996, book author Philip Pullman journeys to the far and cold the British Book Award and the presti- worked for seven years to most important thing Northinsearchofherfather gious Carnegie Medal. In1998 The subtle create a work which has in the world. andto saveherbestfriend and knife clinched the United Kingdom other children from lethal Reading Award and was short-listed for catapulted children'slitera- Without stories, ture into a new dimension. scientific experiments. Will the FCBG Children's Book of theYear `Ihave a high enough we wouldn't be Parry, a boy from our world, Awards. It reallywas the concluding opinion of myreaders to human beings at all' meets Lyra inThe subtle knife volume, The amber spyglass, which caused expectthemto take a little and as theydiscover a secret, astirthough.Pullmanwalkedawaywith difficultyin their stride... theirlives areintertwined and numerous prizes, including the 2001 Weareallstupid,andweareallintelligent. theirjourneycontinues to Whitbread Children's BookoftheYear and The line dividing the stupid from the intelli- fulfil their tasks. Finally, inThe amber spy- the overall Whitbread BookoftheYear- an gentgoes rightdownthe middle of our glass, both Lyraand Willhavetomakegreat unprecedented first. He was also long- heads. Othersmayfindtheirreadership on personal sacrifices and face tremendous listed for the Booker Prize. Again a firstfor the stupid side:I don't. Ipaymyreaders the dangerin an earth-shattering war ofthe anychildren'sbook. compliment of assuming that theyare intel- worlds. Pullman is no stranger to storytelling or lectuallyadventurous.' Thereisahintofthepastandatrace of writing. Born in Norwich in 1946, the son Philip Pullman has done the impossible. legend, historical references and a folklore ofaRoyalAirForcepilot,helivedin Believing that his readers are, in fact, intel- flavour. Fromthe familiar streets of Oxford Australia before settling down in North lectuallyadventurous, he hasgone and the readeris takento the far North where Wales atthe age of11. It was here where he created a1 500 page trilogytackling armoured bears, fierce and sensual started gathering stories in a time when themes such as quantumphysics, the origin witches, angels, miniature people and fear- children could still wander freelyto play of sin and the concept of good and evil. some phantoms or`Spectres'await. `You and roam about andlettheirimaginations Critics from famouslysceptical and blase¨ soar into the metaphorical and the do the same. After reading English at Cape Libr., Mar/Apr 2003 18 BOEKWEêRELD Exeter College,Oxford,Pullmantaught at Satan...but a figure who might stand for Later, having read the whole Narnia various middle schools. He wrote many Wisdom'. series as an adult, he was`angered and school plays - some of which were later This stance has caused some religious nauseated bythe sneakiness ofthat transformed into novels such asTherubyin critics to name Pullman as the`most dan- powerful seductive narrative voice, that the smoke.HereturnedtoOxfordwithhis gerous writer in Britain'. (No mean feat favourite-uncle stance, assumingmyassent wife,Jude,andtwosons-thistimeaslec- considering that Britain is home to authors to his sneering attitude to anything remo- turer at Westminster College. He taught such as JeffreyArcher.) Nevertheless, in telyprogressive in social terms, or to courses on theVictorian novel, the folk tale response to the criticism, a sardonic people with brown faces, or to children and a specialistcourse examining how Pullmantold a newspaper`if you find that who don't seem like his own favourites'. words and pictures fittogether. Spending youinadvertently become a Satanist (when Quiteironic, seeing that Pullman'swork has more and more time writing,Pullman reading His dark materials), youcanwriteto been compared toTolkien and especiallyCS decided to start writing full-time. the publisher and get your money back'. Lewis. His first published attempt was a novel On a differentlevel Pullman made head- Pullman is notthe onlyone who is critical for adults, but he soon began writing for linesin Britain when he criticised govern- of whattheybelieve is Lewis'patriarchal, children. Some of his works includeThe mentguidelines ontheteachingof Englishin paternal and morallyovert writing style. In shadow in the north, The tiger in the wall, primaryschools in an article he wrote for A natural history of make-believe (19 96), The tin princessand I am a rat! He relishes theTimes Educational Supplement.Calling John Goldthwaite compares Lewis to a type the factthat writing for children means the guidelines`half-baked drivel slapped of teacher who tries to befriend the bullies writing stories. In his acceptance speech for down in front of us like greasyfood on a of the school bymocking the children the theCarnegieMedalhesaid:`Inabookfor dirtyplate'he said the nationalliteracy bullies would have victimised anyway. children, youcan'tputtheplotonholdwhile strategy(which aims at improving literacy These are strong wordsin an emotional you cut artistic capers for the amusement levels in Britain) is smothering creativity debate,butonewehavenotyetseenthe of your sophisticated readers, because, and does nothing to nurture a child's end of. thank God, your readers are not enjoyment of books. The department for There can be no doubtthat Philip sophisticated. They've got more important education has dismissed his criticisms Pullman has established himself in a rela- things in mind than your dazzling wordplay. saying,`More children (can) have the tivelyshort space of time as a prolific Theywantto know what happens next.' reading and writing skills thattheyneed for author and a controversial figure. For the Similarlyto what JK Rowling has accom- their future learning.' time being though,Philip Pullmanwouldlike plished with HarryPotter,Pullmanisluring Pullman'smost controversial comment to move out of the limelight and settle back notonlychildren, but also adults to his though, was directed againstone of into his routine of sittingin his shed atthe stories. And the successin doing so has England'sbest-loved authors and theolo- bottom of his garden in Oxford, writing made him sceptical of labels. In an interview gians,CS Lewis. At a conference at norm-transcending novels and rushing on Scholastic'swebsite, he negates the idea Cambridge Universityin August 2001and back to watch his favourite soap-opera, that His dark materials was written solely later in an extensive article inThe Guar-