The Worlds of Philip Pullman: 'His Dark Materials' and 'The Book of Dust'



Overview

Sir Philip Pullman is widely regarded as one of Britain’s greatest writers, and his fantasy novels have been described as 'the most ambitious work since The Lord of the Rings'.

His Dark Materials was published in three parts between 1995 and 2000. Its protagonists, Lyra and Will, grow up in different parallel worlds: Lyra in a version of Oxford where people’s souls take the form of talking animals, and Will in our world.

We will explore Pullman’s fantasy version of Oxford; his profound ideas on morality, spirituality, and identity; the ways he responds to other writers, including John Milton, William Blake, and J.R.R. Tolkien; and the different ways he has been adapted into TV, film, and radio.

Pullman’s follow-up to His Dark Materials is The Book of Dust: another profound fantasy trilogy recently completed with the publication of The Rose Field in late 2025.

Step into the imaginative worlds of Sir Philip Pullman, one of Britain’s most celebrated storytellers. Hailed as 'the most ambitious work since The Lord of the Rings,' Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy (1995–2000) redefined modern fantasy.

In this course, we’ll journey with Lyra and Will – two young protagonists from parallel worlds – through an Oxford where souls take the form of talking animals, and across realities that challenge our understanding of truth, freedom and faith.

Together, we’ll uncover Pullman’s rich tapestry of ideas about morality, spirituality, and identity, tracing his creative dialogue with writers such as John Milton, William Blake and J R R Tolkien. We’ll also examine how his works have evolved through powerful adaptations for screen, stage, and radio.

Finally, we’ll turn to Pullman’s remarkable companion trilogy, The Book of Dust – a sweeping return to his mythic universe, brought to a close with The Rose Field (2025).

By the end of the week, we will understand Pullman’s His Dark Materials and The Book of Dust in their full context, including religion, science and the city of Oxford.

This course is part of the Inspiring Oxford summer school programme, held at Brasenose College.

Programme details

Daily schedule

After registration on Sunday afternoon, we invite you to a welcome meeting in the Amersi Lecture Theatre in New Quad, where you will meet your tutors. Join us in Deer Park afterwards for our opening drinks reception, followed by dinner in Brasenose’s historic dining hall (informal dress).

Seminars take place on weekday mornings. Most afternoons are free, allowing you time to explore Oxford, enjoy a variety of optional social events (see details below), or to sit back and relax in one of the college's atmospheric quads.

Your course culminates on Friday evening with a closing drinks reception and gala farewell dinner at which Certificates of Attendance are awarded. For this special occasion smart dress is encouraged (no requirement to wear dinner suits or gowns).

Social programme 

We warmly invite all Inspiring Oxford students to take part in our optional social programme, with all events provided at no additional cost. Events are likely to include:

  • Croquet on the quad
  • Chauffeured punting from Magdalen Bridge
  • Expert-led walking tours of Oxford
  • Optional visit to an Oxford Library or the Ashmolean Museum
  • River Thames afternoon cruise
  • Quiz night in the college bar
  • Scottish country dance evening (where you do the dancing!)

Seminars and field trip

Monday

His Dark Materials: Themes and Beginnings
 
  • Introduction to Phillip Pullman and his work.
  • Group analysis of the first chapter of The Golden Compass/Northern Lights.
  • Discussion of extracts from His Dark Materials.

Tuesday

His Dark Materials in Context

  • Introduction to Pullman’s inspiration and sources.
  • Discussion of extracts from His Dark Materials alongside extracts from John Milton, William Blake, J R R Tolkien, the Bible, and other sources.

Wednesday

His Dark Materials: Adaptations

  • Introduction to Pullman’s theories on storytelling and adaptation.

  • Discussion of clips from His Dark Materials (BBC Radio 4, audio drama, 2003), The Golden Compass (New Line Cinema, film, 2007), and His Dark Materials (BBC and HBO, tv series, 2019–2022) alongside extracts from Pullman’s work.

Thursday

Field trip: Pullman’s Oxford

  • Exeter College
  • The Botanic Garden
  • The Ashmolean
  • History of Science Museum
  • The Pitt Rivers Museum

Friday

The Book of Dust: Pullman’s 'Equal' to His Dark Materials

  • Introduction to The Book of Dust.
  • Group analysis of the first chapter of La Belle Sauvage.
  • Discussion of extracts from The Book of Dust.

Certification

Certificate of Attendance

At the end of the course you will receive a Certificate of Attendance.

Digital Certificate

You will also be issued with an official digital certificate of attendance. After the course, you will receive an email with a link and instructions on how to download it. You will be able to share this on social media and add to your email signature if you wish to do so.

Fees

Description Costs
Fee option 1 (single en suite accom and meals per person) £2644.00
Fee option 2 (single standard accom and meals per person) £2294.00
Fee option 3 (twin en suite accom and meals per person) £2454.00
Fee option 4 (no accom; incl lunch and dinner per person) £1874.00

Funding

Please note there are no sources of funding (scholarships, bursaries, etc) available for the Inspiring Oxford Summer School programme.

Payment

All fees are charged on a per week, per person basis

Included in the course fee:

  • Any included excursions (see programme details above) and the full optional social programme.
  • Breakfasts Monday-Saturday (residential guests only), five weekday lunches, and dinners Sunday-Friday. If your course includes a full-day field trip, a packed lunch is normally provided.
  • Morning refreshments and the welcome and closing drinks receptions.

Participants attending multiple weeks

Residential participants staying at Brasenose College for consecutive weeks may arrange an additional Saturday night bed-and-breakfast between courses, available for an additional fee. Please email inspiringoxford@conted.ox.ac.uk to arrange this.

Payment terms

  • If enrolling online: full payment by credit/debit card at the time of booking.
  • If submitting an enrolment form: full payment online by credit/debit card or via bank transfer within 30 days of invoice date.

Please be aware that all payments (and refunds) made via non-UK credit/debit cards and bank accounts are subject to the exchange rate on the day they are processed.

Course change administration fee

Please note that course transfers may be permitted in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Programme Administrator, up to 1 May 2026; however, in accordance with our terms and conditions for our open access courses, an administration fee of £50 will be charged.​

Cancellations and refunds

Please see the terms and conditions for our open-access courses.

The Department cannot be held responsible for any costs you may incur in relation to travel or accommodation bookings as a result of a course cancellation, or if you are unable to attend the course for any other reason. You are advised to check the terms and conditions carefully and to purchase travel insurance.

Tutor

Dr Gabriel Schenk - Tutor

Gabriel Schenk teaches English literature online at Signum University and in person through Oxford Lifelong Learning. He has taught at Inspiring Oxford since 2024.

He is the Content Manager for the Owen Barfield Literary Estate, and an organiser and co-founder of the Tolkien Lecture series on Fantasy Literature held annually at Pembroke College, Oxford.

His YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@GabrielSchenk) has videos about authors and the places that inspired them, including ones on Philip Pullman, C.S. Lewis, Anne Brontë, and Mary Shelley.

He completed his DPhil at Pembroke College, Oxford, in 2014. His most recent publication is “A Jumble of Unrelated Mythologies? Cohesion and Consistency in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and The Hobbit” in The Songs of the Spheres: Lewis, Tolkien and the Overlapping Realms of their Imaginations (Walking Tree Publishers, 2024).

Teaching methods

Participants will be taught in seminar groups of up to 16 people.

Teaching methods used during this course may include:

  • Short lectures/presentations
  • Physical handouts
  • Seminars/group discussions
  • Audio recordings
  • Video recordings
  • Field trips

Application

Registration closes on 29 May 2026 at 2pm BST (UK time).

If your preferred course is fully booked, you may wish to add yourself to the waiting list and the Programme Administrator will contact you should a place become available.

Online enrolment (single person accommodation and non-residential)

Single person accommodation and non-residential places should be booked online by clicking on the 'Book now' button at the top of this page. Please do not complete an enrolment form for these. 

If you have any trouble booking online, please contact the Programme Administrator by emailing inspiringoxford@conted.ox.ac.uk.

Online enrolments require payment in full at the time of registering.

Single bedroom options:

  • Single en suite: private bathroom facilities (shower, washbasin and toilet).
  • Standard single: private bedroom with shared bathroom facilities (typically shared among four participants).

Enrolment form (multi-occupancy or accessible accommodation)

Twin bedrooms

Those requiring a twin en-suite room (for two people) should complete an enrolment form as these rooms cannot be booked or requested online. Please note these rooms have limited availability. 

If requesting a twin room, each person should complete an enrolment form and name the other person who they wish to share a room with. 

Ground/lower floor accommodation

Brasenose rooms do not have lift access, and the higher rooms can be located up a few flights of stairs. If you need a room on a ground or lower floor please complete an enrolment form and indicate your requirements, or contact the Programme Administrator directly at inspiringoxford@conted.ox.ac.uk as soon as possible. 

Enrolment form

The enrolment form is an editable PDF and can be completed electronically, so you should not need to print and scan it. 

Completed forms should be sent:

  • by email to inspiringoxford@conted.ox.ac.uk, or

  • by post to Inspiring Oxford, Oxford Lifelong Learning, University of Oxford Department for Continuing Education, 1 Wellington Square, OXFORD, OX1 2JA, UK.

Level and demands

The Inspiring Oxford programme is aimed at non-specialists: no prior knowledge is required, and classes are pitched at an introductory level. Courses are designed for an international audience aged 18 and over.

There are no assessments for this course.

Accommodation

Residential options are outlined below.

Please see the 'application' section above for guidance on how to book or request the right accommodation for you, including how to request a lower/ground floor room.

The course fee includes breakfasts Monday-Saturday (residential guests only), five weekday lunches, and dinners Sunday-Friday. All meals included are served in Brasenose College's dining hall. If your course includes a full-day field trip, a packed lunch is normally provided.

Accommodation options at Brasenose

During your course, for an authentic Oxford University experience you can stay in typical student accommodation at Brasenose College, in the heart of the city in buildings overlooked by the iconic Radcliffe Camera. 

Please note that bedrooms are student rooms. They are simply and modestly-furnished and do not have air-conditioning. You can find out more about Brasenose and its facilities by visiting their website.

The following types of accommodation are available. 

  • Single en suite: private bathroom facilities (shower, washbasin and toilet).
  • Twin en suite: shared between participants that apply to the programme together, with private bathroom facilities.
  • Standard single: private bedroom with shared bathroom facilities (typically shared among four participants).

Non-residential option

Prefer not to stay on site? We also offer places on a non-residential basis whereby participants can take classes and have lunch and dinner at Brasenose College, having arranged their own accommodation elsewhere. Breakfast is not included.

Non-residential participants are warmly encouraged to take part in every aspect of the academic and social programme and enjoy the same access to Brasenose facilities as residential participants.

Participants attending multiple weeks

We welcome students who want to attend multiple Inspiring Oxford courses. Residential participants staying at Brasenose College for consecutive weeks may arrange an additional Saturday night bed-and-breakfast between courses, available for an additional fee. This option ensures a seamless and enjoyable stay in Oxford.

Accommodation before/after your course

We are unable to arrange accommodation at Brasenose College prior to or following your course. Please visit universityrooms.com if you require additional nights of bed and breakfast accommodation, and they may be able to assist.

Additionally, family or friends who are not enrolled in the programme cannot be accommodated in college. 

Terms & conditions for applicants and students

Information on financial support