If you aren’t familiar with Philip Pullman‘s His Dark Materials books by that name, perhaps you recognize it from the movie based on one of the books: The Golden Compass. Which I love. He has now written a brand new short story set in that world, and it’s exclusively at Audible, starting today. Whether you are a fan of Lyra, or if you’ve never seen, read, or heard anything from His Dark Materials but you love lovable brave fantastic characters and creatures, you really need to check this out.
Here are the details, including the fact that the narrator is none other than Bill Nighy, from more movies and TV series than I can remember, but most recently on Masterpiece Contemporary’s Worricker, and notably on the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Below the press release is a clip from Audible, and a link to Audible so you can get your own full copy.
Philip Pullman returns to the ‘His Dark Materials’ universe with exclusive story for Audible.com
Fans of the ‘His Dark Materials’ trilogy can return to Lyra’s Oxford this January, as Audible.com offers members an exclusive new short story written by Philip Pullman and performed by award-winning British actor Bill Nighy, best known for his performance as Billy Mack in Love Actually and his portrayal of Davy Jones in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.
The Collectors is an original short story by one of the most well-loved and admired British novelists of recent times. It will be available on January 12th.
Set in the Senior Common Room of Oxford on a dark winter’s night, The Collectors follows the conversation of a pair of new characters, Horley and Grinstead, as they discuss two new works of art that Horley has added to his collection. Little do they know that these pieces are connected in mysterious and improbable ways, and that both of them are about to be caught in the crossfire of a story that has travelled through time and between worlds.
The Collectors marks the first time that Pullman has returned to the universe he created for the beloved His Dark Materials trilogy since the publication of Once Upon A Time in the North in 2008. Written exclusively for Audible as a standalone story, it introduces new listeners to the His Dark Materials books, while revealing a little something extra to fans of Lyra and her world.
Laurence Howell, Audible’s director of editorial and merchandising said: “We are delighted to be able to offer our listeners another glimpse into the spellbinding world of the His Dark Materials trilogy. The Collectors is a perfect story, written by a master of storytelling and narrated by the mellifluous voice of Bill Nighy. We love it and can’t wait to share it with our listeners.”
Here’s an audio clip from the short story:
Clip: The Collectors by Philip Pullman, narrated by Bill Nighy
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Remember, it’s only available at audible.com — here’s the direct link to The Collectors — so click on over there to buy your copy to download or listen via the Audible app. I’ve been a member of Audible for years, and adore it. Often audiobooks are the only way I can get to books I’m dying to read, and they’re perfect company when gardening, cleaning, and driving. Go on and join, I bet you’ll love it like I do. Go on.
