8 things you need to know about Philip Pullman’s The Book of Dust

1. The Book of Dust is a story in three parts. The first part, La Belle Sauvage, is set 10 years before the events of His Dark Materials, and the rest of the story takes place 20 years after that: in fact, 10 years after Lyra comes home to Jordan College after her adventure in the Arctic at the end of The Amber Spyglass.

2. The second volume of The Book of Dust, The Secret Commonwealth published 3rd October 2019.

3. Alethiometers, daemons and the Magisterium all feature.

4. 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…

5. Their tale is topical as 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.

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

7. Like His Dark Materials, the series will be released in three parts.

8. The covers for La Belle Sauvage and The Secret Commonwealth were illustrated by the extremely talented Chris Wormell, who specialises in linocuts and wood engraving, as well as illustration.