Honorary graduate to be president of Society of Authors

Dr Pullman (Hon DLitt 2010) is the author of many books including the trilogy His Dark Materials, the first volume of which, Northern Lights, was voted by readers their favourite of all those that have won the Carnegie Medal. The third volume, The Amber Spyglass, was the first children's book to win the overall Whitbread Award.

More recently he was commissioned by Penguin Books to re-tell 50 of his favourite tales from the Brothers Grimm.

“P. D. James has been a magnificent President, whose knowledge and wit and wisdom will be very hard to follow,” he said. “The Society of Authors has been representing and supporting the work of writers for a hundred and thirty years, and now that we’re in the middle of one of the greatest revolutions in printing and publishing and reading there has ever been, the Society’s experience will be needed more than ever.

“I am both honoured and excited to be taking on the role of President.”

The Society of Authors is an independent trade union which protects the rights and furthers the interests of authors.

Founded in 1884 it now has over 9,000 members writing in all areas of the profession - from novelists to doctors, textbook writers to ghost writers, broadcasters to academics, illustrators to translators.

Authors are eligible to join if they have been offered a contract from an independent publisher, broadcaster or agent or have sold over 300 copies of a self-published book.