Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes: The Official Biography

Rob Wilkins

Sep 2022 · Random House

About this ebook

WINNER OF THE 2023 LOCUS AWARD FOR NON-FICTION
WINNER OF THE BRITISH SCIENCE FICTION ASSOCIATION AWARD FOR BEST NON-FICTION
FINALIST FOR THE HUGO AWARD FOR BEST RELATED WORK
SHORTLISTED FOR THE BRITISH FANTASY AWARD FOR BEST NON-FICTION

'Always readable, illuminating and honest. It made me miss the real Terry.' - Neil Gaiman

'Sometimes joyfully, sometimes painfully, intimate . . . it is wonderful to have this closeup picture of the writer's working life.' - Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Observer

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At the time of his death in 2015, award-winning and bestselling author Sir Terry Pratchett was working on his finest story yet - his own.

The creator of the phenomenally bestselling Discworld series, Terry Pratchett was known and loved around the world for his hugely popular books, his smart satirical humour and the humanity of his campaign work. But that's only part of the picture.

Before his untimely death, Terry was writing a memoir: the story of a boy who aged six was told by his teacher that he would never amount to anything and spent the rest of his life proving him wrong. For Terry lived a life full of astonishing achievements: becoming one of the UK's bestselling and most beloved writers, winning the prestigious Carnegie Medal and being awarded a knighthood.

Now, the book Terry sadly couldn't finish has been written by Rob Wilkins, his former assistant, friend and now head of the Pratchett literary estate. Drawing on his own extensive memories, along with those of the author's family, friends and colleagues, Rob unveils the full picture of Terry's life - from childhood to his astonishing writing career, and how he met and coped with what he called the 'Embuggerance' of Alzheimer's disease.

A deeply moving and personal portrait of the extraordinary life of Sir Terry Pratchett, written with unparalleled insight and filled with funny anecdotes, this is the only official biography of one of our finest authors.

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'Spins magic from mundanity in precisely the way Pratchett himself did.' - Telegraph

'As frank, funny and unsentimental as anything its subject might have produced himself.' - Mail on Sunday

Ratings and reviews

Rob Wilkins has done a masterful job of stitching the life, and, untimely death of Terry Pratchett together in this biography. Ably assisted by Sir Terry himself, of course! I've been a lover of Sir Terry's books for decades and could not tell you the amount of times I have reread them. To read the story of his life (edited to bring down the word count, I'm sure 🤣), was both joyous and deeply saddening at the same time. As I read further into the book, I started reading in smaller bursts as I knew the end (of both the book and the subject) was drawing near and I wasn't looking forward to the inevitable tears. And cry, I did. Silently though, as my daughter was in the next room. Sadly, none of my children have yet caught the Pratchett bug but I'm sure they will eventually. After all... it took 3 decades to convince my wife to read The Belgariad series (which she now loves). I'm nothing, but persistent 😉. Please do yourselves a favour and read Terry Pratchet : A Life With Footnotes.

A wonderful and poignant look inside the life of Terry Pratchett - I grinned, I laughed, and by the end I was in tears. I only met him once and briefly, but I spent years immersed in his imagination and miss him deeply. I am profoundly grateful for this chance to know him better. GNU Terry Pratchett

A moving account of the great man's life.

About the author

Rob Wilkins worked with Terry Pratchett for more than twenty years, first as his personal assistant and later as his business manager. He now manages the Pratchett literary estate and Terry's production company, Narrativia.