Posted by Peter Willis on February 26, 2005 at 11:11:05 from 195.92.168.165 user PeterWillis.
Just heard an intriguing item on Radio 4's Excess Baggage travel programme,
So, what place links Artur Ransome and Philip Pullman? (apart from Oxford of course, significant in Pullman's work but chiefly a source of excellent marmalade to Ransome)
Answer, Spitzbergen, aka Svalbard, as used by Pullman in Northern Lights.
Very strange and intersting place - I recommend checking it out on the BBC's Listen Again websiten service. Apparently you can get whale meat pizza there (Svalbard, not BBC.co.uk)