Award winning author Philip Pullman to speak at PPL’s AGM on 3 June 2015

13 May 2015 - Press release

It is announced that award-winning, famous British author Philip Pullman CBE is to be the guest keynote speaker at PPL’s AGM, taking place on Wednesday, 3 June at Kings Place, London.

Born in Norwich in 1946, Philip Pullman, who has openly expressed his views on the importance of copyright, was educated in Africa, Australia, London, Norfolk, and Wales, depending on where his RAF father (and then stepfather) was posted. He attended Oxford University before working as a middle school teacher for thirteen years. He is the author of several novels and shorter books, mainly for children, including the three books in His Dark Materials, the last of which, The Amber Spyglass, was the first (and so far the only) children’s book to win the overall Whitbread Book of the Year Award (now sponsored by Costa). His latest book is Grimm Tales, a new version of fifty of the tales of the Brothers Grimm. Philip Pullman is also President of the Society of Authors.

“We at PPL are absolutely delighted that Philip Pullman has agreed to be our very special guest keynote speaker at this year’s AGM in PPL’s 81st year,” said Fran Nevrkla, Chairman of PPL. “I am genuinely thrilled about Philip Pullman’s participation, especially as he is hugely admired both for his brilliant writing as well as for his tireless and determined efforts on behalf of authors and other creators to ensure that they receive proper payment for their work”.

Philip Pullman comments: “I’m very glad to have the chance to speak to an organisation devoted to the rights of creators and performers. In this age of digital reproduction we need a strong voice to speak up for rights that can be so easily ignored.”

Previous speakers at PPL’s AGM have included, amongst others, Professor Adrian Sterling; BBC broadcaster Jeremy Vine; chief executive and comptroller general of the Intellectual Property Office, John Alty CB; and CBI’s director general, John Cridland CBE.