A CRITICALLY-ACCLAIMED author, who draws his inspiration from Meirionnydd, has been announced as the first Patron of Literature Wales.

Multi award-winning writer of His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman, was awarded the prestigious role last week.

Mr Pullman was born in Norwich, and travelled with his family to Zimbabwe and Australia before settling in Llanbedr.

He attended secondary school at Ysgol Ardudwy in Harlech, before going on to study English at the University of Oxford.

Alongside His Dark Materials, which is currently being adapted into a BBC television series, the talented author wrote the popular young adult novel The Broken Bridge, which is set in the landscape of Ardudwy.

His awards include the Whitbread Book of the Year - the first time it was awarded to a children’s book - and the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.

The announcement was made recently by Literature Wales, the national company for the development of the country’s writing talent.

Philip Pullman said: “Making it possible for schoolchildren to meet a professional writer, I don’t say ‘real’ writer, because children are real writers too - is one of the best ways of encouraging them to think that writing has a purpose, and brings pleasure, and can be a means of exciting discovery and a source of lasting satisfaction.

“It is also a great stimulus to reading.”

See the full story in this week’s Meirionnydd edition of the Cambrian News