Philip Pullman is fighting to prevent an Oxford boatyard that inspired parts of His Dark Materials from being turned into a luxury apartment.
He joined other protesters against the scheme when they gathered at the yard last week. British Waterways set a deadline of last Friday for Steve Goodlad, who runs Alchemy Boats, to close his business building and repairing craft. Mr Pullman said the proposal to replace a "lively, enchanting, vibrant" area with 46 flats, a piazza and restaurant was "iniquitous".