Michael Sheen will lend his voice to a new audio book of Philip Pullman’s highly anticipated La Belle Sauvage: The Book Of Dust.

Sheen will read aloud volume one of the novel, which will revisit the world of Pullman’s His Dark Material books when it is published later this year.

Into Film Awards – London
Michael Sheen (Ian West/PA)

La Belle Sauvage: The Book Of Dust Volume One will begin 10 years before Northern Lights and introduce a new hero, 11-year-old Malcolm Polstead and his daemon Asta, who lives across the river from where nuns are sheltering baby Lyra.

Sheen said: “The His Dark Materials trilogy had a profound effect on me.

“Rarely have I felt such loss on coming to the end of a story. So, as a reader and a fan, I was hugely excited on hearing that Phillip was returning to the story of Lyra and Dust and challenging the Authority.

“And, as an actor, it was a true privilege to be asked to record La Belle Sauvage, the first book of this new work.

“It was genuinely one of the most thrilling and enjoyable experiences I’ve had as a performer to sit in that darkened recording studio for three magical days and live inside the story of Malcolm and Lyra and their extraordinary journey.”

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Philip Pullman (Steve Parsons/PA)

Pullman added: “I’ve long admired Michael Sheen not only for his astonishing versatility but also for the passion and energy he brings to all his roles.

“I was delighted to learn that he’d be willing to read the audiobook of La Belle Sauvage, and I’m sure that listeners will be very excited by the result.”

The book will be published by David Fickling Books in association with Penguin Random House Children’s in the UK on October 19, when the audiobook will be released by Penguin Random House Audiobooks.