erg yman . ▁Ar ound ▁this ▁time ▁P ull man ▁discovered ▁John ▁Mil ton ' s ▁Parad ise ▁Lost , ▁which ▁would ▁become ▁a ▁major ▁influence ▁for ▁His ▁Dark ▁Material s . ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 6 5 , ▁P ull man ▁attended ▁Ex eter ▁College , ▁Oxford , ▁receiving ▁a ▁Third ▁class ▁B A ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 . ▁In ▁an ▁interview ▁with ▁the ▁Oxford ▁Student ▁he ▁stated ▁that ▁he ▁" did ▁not ▁really ▁enjoy ▁the ▁English ▁course " ▁and ▁that ▁" I ▁thought ▁I ▁was ▁doing ▁quite ▁well ▁until ▁I ▁came ▁out ▁with ▁my ▁third ▁class ▁degree ▁and ▁then ▁I ▁real ised ▁that ▁I ▁wasn ' t ▁– ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁year ▁they ▁stopped ▁giving ▁fourth ▁class ▁degrees ▁otherwise ▁I ' d ▁have ▁got ▁one ▁of ▁those ". ▁He ▁discovered ▁William ▁Bla ke ' s ▁illustr ations ▁around ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁which ▁would ▁also ▁later ▁influence ▁him ▁greatly . ▁ ▁P ull man ▁married ▁Jud ith ▁Sp eller ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁and ▁began ▁teaching ▁children ▁aged ▁ 9 ▁to ▁ 1 3 ▁at ▁Bishop ▁Kirk ▁Middle ▁School ▁in ▁Sum m ert own , ▁North ▁Oxford ▁and ▁writing ▁school ▁plays . ▁His ▁first ▁published ▁work ▁was ▁The ▁Ha unted ▁Storm , ▁which ▁was ▁joint - w inner ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁English ▁Library ' s ▁Young ▁W riter ' s ▁Award ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁He ▁never theless ▁ref uses ▁to ▁discuss ▁it . ▁Gal ate a , ▁an ▁adult ▁fant