After the recent release of The Golden Compass Illustrated Edition an oversized, lavishly illustrated collector’s edition of Philip Pullman’s beloved fantasy classic, a now fully illustrated gift edition of Pullman’s LYRA’s OXFORD will be released this fall with all-new artwork!
Fans of His Dark Materials will be able to get their hands on this fully illustrated version this fall with a release date scheduled for October 19th. His Dark Materials: Lyra’s Oxford, Gift Edition will feature artwork by Chris Wormell who past credits include the just released The Golden Compass Illustrated Edition, Planetarium, and Dinosaurium.
Here’s the official press release…
A full-color gift edition of LYRA’S OXFORD by Philip Pullman, illustrated throughout by the brilliant Chris Wormell, was announced today by Melanie Nolan, VP & Publisher, Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers. This announcement comes days after the release of The Golden Compass Illustrated Edition, an oversized, lavishly illustrated collector’s edition of Pullman’s fantasy classic, which also features art from Wormell.
Lyra’s Oxford is set two years after the events of The Amber Spyglass and offers an exciting return to the enchanting world of Pullman’s bestselling His Dark Materials series, now an HBO original series starring James McAvoy, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ruth Wilson, and Dafne Keen. The story follows beloved characters Lyra and Pan and their interactions with a bird that they discover to be a witch’s dæmon, who claims that only Lyra can help him. But as this unlikely trio scours the winding streets of Oxford in search of a famed alchemist, their journey takes a deadly turn. The story was first published in 2003, with black-and-white illustrations by John Lawrence.
Chris Wormell’s stunning artwork takes us from the spired rooftops of Jordan College to the winding streets of Jericho and illuminates Lyra’s world as never before. This book plays a pivotal role in the Pullman pantheon as we see Lyra and Pan reconsidering their world after the grand adventures of His Dark Materials and beginning to meet the people and form the questions that will be so crucial in The Book of Dust.
-Nancy Siscoe, Senior Executive Editor, Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers
This announcement coincides with Midsummer’s Day, which is celebrated across the globe by fans of His Dark Materials. The pivotal date refers to a promise that characters Lyra Silvertongue and Will Parry make to each other upon parting: to sit on a certain bench in the Oxford Botanic Garden in each of their respective worlds at midday on Midsummer’s Day so that they can be close to one another at least once every year.
To pre-order a copy of His Dark Materials: Lyra’s Oxford Gift Edition, click HERE!
