The release date for Philip Pullman’s second Book of Dust novel has been announced

The second novel in Philip Pullman's Book of Dust series has been announced.

The Secret Commonwealth will be published on October 3, 2019. It is set seven years His Dark Materials' The Amber Spyglass and two decades after La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust Volume One.   The Secret Commonwealth will follow a now-adult Lyra as she tries to navigate a dangerous and complex new world, which will take her "beyond the edges of Oxford, across Europe and into Asia, in search of an elusive town said to be haunted by dæmons". The description continues:

"As well as taking readers on an exhilarating journey into places at once familiar and extraordinary, the book is a timely exploration of what it is to be human, to grow up and make sense of the world around us."

  In a statement, the author said:

“At the heart of the book are Lyra, the young woman we saw first as a girl of twelve and then as a baby, and Malcolm, whose life as a boy became involved with hers and who now finds their lives helplessly entangled again; and how some emotions can last a lifetime, and others change beyond recognition.”

The news comes just days after the first look at the highly-anticipated BBC One adaptation of the author's His Dark Materials trilogy. Originally announced in November 2015, the series was due to air in 2017 before being pushed back, but we will now see it on our screens at some point this year. Dafne Keen will play Lyra Belacqua, while Ruth Wilson and James McAvoy star as Marisa Coulter and Lord Asriel respectively. Lin Manuel-Miranda plays the Texan balloonist Lee Scoresby and Clarke Peters will appear as Dr. Carne. You can read more about that here.