According to the author, his new books will continue to tell the story of Lyra Belacqua, the heroine of the His Dark Materials series. The first two volumes will cover two parts of her life, starting at the beginning of her story and returning to her 20 years later.

“What can I tell you about it? The first thing to say is that Lyra is at the center of the story. Events involving her open the first chapter, and will close the last. I’ve always wanted to tell the story of how Lyra came to be living at Jordan College and, in thinking about it, I discovered a long story that began when she was a baby and will end when she’s grown up,” said Pullman.

The author went on to say that the book was neither a sequel nor a prequel, but an “equel” that will stand beside the original trilogy. He added that there will be settings and characters that readers will recognize, as well as new ones, including “a boy that we have already seen in an early part of the story, if you were paying attention.”

“I’ve hugely enjoyed getting to know the new characters, seeing Lyra again, and exploring the world(s) they live in. I’ve loved watching the story expand across the years, and take me to places I’d never dreamed of. As for future volumes, my lips are sealed,” he wrote.

Previously, Pullman has also written two short companion books to His Dark Materials, namely Lyra’s Oxford (2003), and Once Upon A Time In The North (2008). A film based on Northern Lights, titled The Golden Compass, was released in 2008.

The Book Of Dust will be published jointly by David Fickling Books and Penguin Random House Children’s in Britain, and by Random House Children’s Books in the US.