It's here! Browse the 2024 Penguin Christmas gift guide
The Collectors

The Collectors

A short story from the world of His Dark Materials and the Book of Dust

Summary

From the best-selling master storyteller, Sir Philip Pullman, dive once again into the world of His Dark Materials and The Book of Dust...

'D'you - er - have you seen her before?'
'Yes. I know who she is.'
'But, Grinstead, this painting is seventy years old - probably nearer eighty! You're not being serious - I mean . . . What do you mean?'


On a dark winter's night in 1970, Horley and Grinstead huddle for warmth in the Senior Common Room of a college in Oxford. Conversation turns to the two impressive works of art that Horley has recently added to his collection.

What the two men don't know is that these pieces are connected in mysterious and improbable ways; and they are about to be caught in the cross-fire of a story which has travelled time and worlds.

About the authors

Philip Pullman

Philip Pullman is one of the most highly respected children's authors writing today. Winner of many prestigious awards, including the Carnegie of Carnegies and the Whitbread Award, Pullman’s epic fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials has been acclaimed as a modern classic. It has sold 17.5 million copies worldwide and been translated into 40 languages. In 2005 he was awarded the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. He lives in Oxford.
Learn More

Tom Duxbury (Illustrator)

Tom Duxbury is an illustrator from the moors of West Yorkshire. His work is influenced by lino-printing, which he uses to depict feeling, movement and nostalgia. He is inspired by the spirit of nature and the narrative of a landscape. His work is represented by Artists Partners Ltd.
Learn More

Sign up to the Penguin Newsletter

For the latest books, recommendations, author interviews and more