Listen to Actress Ruth Wilson Narrate An Excerpt From New “The Golden Compass” Audiobook (Exclusive)
The acclaimed actress will narrate new audiobook editions of Philip Pullman’s ‘His Dark Materials’ fantasy series
Jarek; Listening Library
Ruth Wilson and the audiobook cover for 'The Golden Compass' by Philip PullmanRuth Wilson is lending her voice to an exciting project that will also feel familiar to some readers.
The acclaimed actress will narrate the new audiobook editions of Philip Pullman’s beloved His Dark Materials fantasy series. Consisting of the novels The Golden Compass (published as Northern Lights in the U.K.), The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass, the audiobooks will be published by Listening Library — and PEOPLE has an exclusive first listen.
Pullman first published the children's series, which follows two children as they navigate a series of parallel universes, in the U.K. in 1995. The books became global bestsellers, and The Golden Compass was adapted into a movie in 2007. His Dark Materials premiered as a TV series for BBC One and HBO in 2019, with Wilson portraying the villain Mrs. Coulter.
Listening Library
The audiobook cover for 'The Golden Compass' by Philip Pullman"I fell in love with Philip’s world of His Dark Materials when I first read the books: they're so complex in their themes and playing Mrs. Coulter on screen allowed me to explore themes deeper than just her villainy: narcissism, freedom, motherhood, imagination,” Wilson said in a statement shared with PEOPLE. “Having the opportunity to narrate this series of audiobooks and delve further into Philip’s profoundly intricate world was an honor and a pleasure.”
Wilson is also set to narrate the other two novels in the series, with The Amber Spyglass featuring a recorded conversation between Wilson and Pullman. The series’ original audio recordings, narrated by Pullman, will also still be available alongside the new editions.
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“I was delighted when I learned that Ruth Wilson was going to narrate the new audio edition of His Dark Materials. I enjoyed her TV performance so much, and I learned from that — and from talking to her separately — how much thought she puts into every characterization,” Pullman said in a statement.
“Her voice is naturally rich and attractive, and she can vary it with the tiniest possible intonation here or emphasis there and make the story live as vividly in the ear of the listener as I hoped it would have in the eye of the reader.”
Jarek
Ruth Wilson behind the scenes of narrating the 'His Dark Materials' audiobooks“I count myself very lucky that she was involved in both TV and audio,” the author added.
Listen below for an exclusive audiobook excerpt from the first chapter of The Golden Compass.
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The new audio edition of The Golden Compass is now available. The audiobooks for The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass will be released by Listening Library in 2025.
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