Philip Pullman Biography
Philip Pullman was born in Norwich on October 19, 1946 to Audrey and Alfred Pullman. The early part of his childhood was spent traveling from base to base as his father, and later stepfather, were part of the Royal Air Force (RAF). At age seven, following the death of his father, Philip Pullman and his younger brother Francis moved back to Britain to live with their grandfather in Norfolk, an Anglican clergyman. Their mother moved to London to find work.
When Pullman was eight, a stepfather - another RAF pilot - entered the Pullman family and once again the family moved from base to base. For a time, they settled in Australia. In Australia, he first discovered the wonders of comic books, a force that would later influence both his writing and illustrating of future stories.
The family moved again back to Britain when Pullman was ten years old. They relocated this time to North Wales as his stepfather resigned from the Royal Air Force to concentrate on the growing family. He was enrolled in a prep school in Battersea, and later transferred to a state school in Harlech.
In 1965, Pullman won a scholarship to Exeter College in Oxford to study English. He did a number of odd jobs before moving back to Oxford to become a teacher. He taught at various middle schools for the next twelve years, publishing his first books during this time. Eventually becoming a regularly published author, Pullman was able to take on a part-time lecturer job at Westminster College, Oxford.
Pullman and his wife Jude live in Oxford with sons Jamie and Tom. In March of 2004, Pullman received the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
This biography was last updated on 04/21/2009.
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