Terry Pratchett: A Life with Footnotes

The Official Biography

By: Rob Wilkins

Narrated by: Rob Wilkins

Brought to you by Penguin.

WINNER OF THE BRITISH SCIENCE FICTION ASSOCIATION AWARD FOR BEST NON-FICTION

'PEOPLE THINK THAT STORIES ARE SHAPED BY PEOPLE. IN FACT, IT'S THE OTHER WAY AROUND.'

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.

At six years old, Terry was told by his headteacher that he would never amount to anything. He spent the rest of his life proving that teacher wrong. At sixty-six, Terry had lived a life full of achievements: becoming one of the UK's bestselling writers, winning the Carnegie Medal and being awarded a knighthood for services to literature.

Following his untimely death from Alzheimer's disease, the mantle of completing Terry's memoir was passed to Rob Wilkins, his former assistant, friend and now head of the author's literary estate.

Drawing on his own extensive memories, along with those of Terry's family, friends, fans and colleagues, Rob recounts Terry's extraordinary story - from his early childhood to the literary phenomenon that his Discworld series became; and how he met and coped with the challenges that 'The Embuggerance' of Alzheimer's brought with it.

©2022 Rob Wilkins (P)2022 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Of all the dead authors in the world, Terry Pratchett is the most alive." (John Lloyd)

"Always readable, illuminating and honest. It made me miss the real Terry." (Neil Gaiman)

Great listen!

This biography was wonderful! Filled with glimpses into the life of the greatest author of all time; it told us STP’s story in a way only the man who was closest to him could have done. And the author’s narration of the book was flawless. Bravo Rob! And thank you for this gift to those of us who love DiscWorld and all the other worlds Terry created. Going to start a reread of everything Pratchett on New Year’s Day. Can’t think of a better way to spend the year.

No Words Can (fill in the blank).

Excellent...proper homage, true to Terry's way.....and being forced to write more does not fit. Really!

Wonderful story behind the story

I am a nurse and a decades long reader and fan of Terry Pratchett. This is so helpful to understand the lived experience of an author who also has a diagnosis getting insufficient discussion in the public space. The story is touching and human, different than and just like the books

So good, I started right over as soon as it ended

This book is magical. It takes us into Sir Terry Pratchett's life -- it really feels as if you are there in the room with him, from the day of his birth, watching him grow up. It's 16 hours long, and somehow, every minute is enjoyable. It really is. We discover Sir Terry to have been so much more than simply one of the greatest English novelists, alive *or* dead.

We learn of his remarkable precocity with all things electronics, of his love of tortoises, of his near-hallucinatory powers of imagination. Of his youth in a post-war English cottage, without electricity or running water, but with potentially lethal falling tiles.

There are fantastic anecdotes about the books and delicious insights into the characters. In a way, this is giving me a whole new library of Pratchetts because now, *I know the stories behind the stories.* I am so looking forward to re-reading Night Watch and knowing why Nobby & Colon request a kettle and a dartboard as their reward for saving the entire city of Ankh-Morpork.

Wilkins does good voices, too. If you listen to "Terry Pratchett in his own words," which I highly recommend, you'll know that he captures Pratchett's cadence, tones and especially his wry humor beautifully. And it's wonderful to get to know Pratchett's wife Lynn and his daughter Rihanna. You can't help but fall in love with this family circle.

The extraordinary people who peopled Pratchett's world are brought to life. It was delightful to hear how they influenced the stories. I now firmly believe Bernard Pearson *is* Sam Vimes, and nothing will make me change my mind. I wish we could've gotten to read What Doger Did Next and Raising Taxes.

It's so good to finally know what happened with Raising Steam, I had desperately wondered. I'm going to go back and read it again now, and I think I'll be able to enjoy it more. As for The Shepherd's Crown, that one always felt right, for which I will forever be grateful. Pratchett's final novel was pure Pratchett, one final time.

Wilkins is both a wonderful writer and an wonderful narrator. The love he has for his employer, mentor and friend shines through in every word. It's told with humor -- I burst out laughing within the first six sentences and did so at regular intervals through the rest of the narration-- honesty and heartbreak as we witness Alzheimer's destructive progress and are invited into the family's intimacy in Sir Terry's final days.

Pratchett feels like a strong voice in this book, almost a coauthor. This truly is a gift from Sir Terry, his family, and Rob Wilkins, to the readers he loved so much. If you love and miss Terry Pratchett, and wish you had more of him to read, do yourself a favor. Listen to this book.

A perfectly written and read tribute to Sir Terry

Even knowing the end I still cried a bit. A moving thoughtful and humorous look at Sir Terry's life and death. Written and read by someone that loved him dearly.

Beautiful

I cried and I laughed. I have been a fan of Prof. Sir Terry Pratchett since my dad handed me Reaper Man in the late 90s with the only explanation DEATH gets fired....

Made me cry.

Beautiful story about the life and death of a great author. A little bit more about his death than I would have liked, but it was well written and entertaining.

It's a wonderful life

Terry Pratchett created moments and shared ideas that transformed my perspective. Rob Wilkins made me love him even more. I am so grateful to get this deeper glimpse into this life, complete with footnotes. Thank you!

Nicely done

It is nicely done, both the book and the reading by the author. I recommend it.

An amazing life

This is a fascinating account of a singularly brilliant and complex man. I found it enlightening and pleasing to know more about the man behind the imaginative stories I have read over the years. I appreciate what Rob Wilkins unfolded to his audience and now have a greater admiration for Terry Pratchett. This is a moving narration.