Philip Pullman is honored in Oxford, and tells fans when to expect his long-awaited next book

By JILL LAWLESS and HILARY FOX
Associated Press

OXFORD, England (AP) — Fans of Philip Pullman have been waiting almost five years for the final instalment in the author’s sextet of books about his intrepid heroine Lyra and her adventures in multiple worlds. They won’t have to wait too much longer. Pullman says he has written 500 pages of a 540-page novel to conclude the “Book of Dust” trilogy, and it should be published next year. It still doesn’t have a title, though Pullman is confident he will think of one in time. Pullman was honored Thursday in his home city of Oxford with the Bodley Medal. The medal presented by Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries honors contributions to literature, media or science.