asy - f iction ▁novel , ▁followed ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁his ▁school ▁plays ▁which ▁inspired ▁his ▁first ▁children ' s ▁book , ▁Count ▁Karl stein , ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 . ▁He ▁stopped ▁teaching ▁shortly ▁after ▁the ▁publication ▁of ▁The ▁Ruby ▁in ▁the ▁Sm oke ▁( 1 9 8 6 ), ▁his ▁second ▁children ' s ▁book , ▁which ▁has ▁a ▁Victor ian ▁setting . ▁ ▁P ull man ▁taught ▁part - time ▁at ▁West min ster ▁College , ▁Oxford , ▁between ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁continu ing ▁to ▁write ▁children ' s ▁stories . ▁He ▁began ▁His ▁Dark ▁Material s ▁in ▁about ▁ 1 9 9 3 . ▁The ▁first ▁book , ▁Northern ▁L ights , ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁( ent itled ▁The ▁Golden ▁Com pass ▁in ▁the ▁U . S ., ▁ 1 9 9 6 ). ▁P ull man ▁won ▁both ▁the ▁annual ▁Car neg ie ▁Medal ▁and ▁the ▁Guardian ▁Children ' s ▁F iction ▁Prize , ▁a ▁similar ▁award ▁that ▁authors ▁may ▁not ▁win ▁twice . ▁ ▁P ull man ▁has ▁been ▁writing ▁full - time ▁since ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁He ▁continues ▁to ▁deliver ▁tal ks ▁and ▁writes ▁occasionally ▁for ▁The ▁Guardian , ▁including ▁writing ▁and ▁lect uring ▁about ▁education , ▁where ▁he ▁is ▁often ▁critical ▁of ▁un im agin ative ▁education ▁policies . ▁He ▁was ▁awarded ▁a ▁C BE ▁in ▁the ▁New ▁Year