Philip Pullman

"The power of theatre to change the lives of young people who take part is familiar to any drama teacher. When you add the greatest genius of the stage, and give children the chance to inhabit his immense characters and dramatic situations, in a setting where the highest professional standards are a matter of daily practice, the result is almost miraculous." - Philip Pullman

Philip Pullman worked as a teacher for many years and is one of the world's most widely read children's authors. Passionate about education, he has been an SSF Patron for a number of years.

On 18th July 2011 Philip Pullman responded to our invitation to take part in an unusual fund-raising evening at which Romeo and Benvolio were put on trial for the death of Tybalt. Tolworth Girls' School and Southborough High School for Boys acted the story of Romeo and Juliet up to the fatal stabbing. The stage, at Gray's Inn, then became a court room, with SSF patron-witnesses Philip Pullman and Jenny Agutter, as Friar and Nurse, called to the stand.

Philip has won many awards including the Carnegie Medal, the Guardian Children's Fiction Prize, the Smarties Prize, The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, the Whitbread Book of the Year Award and a CBE. His acclaimed trilogy, His Dark Materials, has been published in 39 languages. His latest book The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ is now out in paperback.