Book drop around the UK marks 'La Belle Sauvage' paperback publication

Dame Kelly Holmes has joined The Book Fairies in dropping 200 copies of Philip Pullman’s La Belle Sauvage in public places all around the UK to mark the publication of its paperback edition today (6th September).

One "special copy" of the book personally wrapped by double Olympic champion Dame Holmes, who is a Pullman fan, is now waiting to be found somewhere in central London.

In collaboration with the book's publishers David Fickling Books and Penguin Random House, the book drop was organised by The Book Fairies, a project that launched in March last year under Cordelia Oxley and has since involved celebrities including Emma Watson‏ to publicise the distribution of thousands of books for free worldwide.

As part of the stunt, members of the public will be able to find a "beautifully wrapped" copy of Pullman’s first volume in the Book of Dust trilogy featuring original new illustrations by Chris Wormell to enjoy and then pass on in locations across the UK, including London, Oxford, Devon, County Down, Hull, Kent, Cheshire, Gwent, Truro, Fife, Gateshead and the Isle of Man. Fans who wish to find a book can discover clues on social media using the hashtag #bookofdust.

La Belle Sauvage is the first in a companion series to His Dark Materials, telling the first chapter of Lyra Belacqua’s story. The paperback campaign launched in June this year with a partnership with The Booksellers Association that has already seen Pullman visit independent bookshops around the country. Continuing this partnership, La Belle Sauvage will now feature as a limited-edition children’s tote bag design for the Books Are My Bag 2018 campaign on Bookshop Day (6th October).

La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust Volume One is a £7.99 paperback.