'Mum, me and our Discworld tattoos': readers' tributes to Terry Pratchett
Hundreds of tributes from readers have poured in for the author of the Discworld series – here is a selection, from stories of lifechanging reads to memes in honour of the writer and his letters to fans
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If life is about making a positive impact in the lives of others, Terry Pratchett’s was exceptional, for all that it ended too soon. Here are some of the tributes, memories and anecdotes our readers shared to honour the writer. You can read more or add your own on this thread and on GuardianWitness.
It’s all Pratchett’s fault
Anthony Smith writes:
“In 1991, some strange yet beautiful woman turned up at my door the night after we had met at a gig in Manchester. She had come to borrow my Terry Pratchett books (so she said, wink emoticon). We got chatting and a great friendship formed.
11 years later, I got them back after we moved in together and got married – finally, my Discworld collection was reunited. We both still count Good Omens as our favourite book. One of our children is named after one of the characters.
It’s fair to say that Sarah and I might not be married were it not for Terry Pratchett’s booksIt’s fair to say that Sarah and I might not be married were it not for Terry Pratchett’s books. I can’t imagine that the “fat kid with a flick” had all that much more going for him than his love of great writers (yes, I was good at Doom but it was a talent that was largely unappreciated by the fairer sex). [...]
I think his books, more than anything else, form the bedrock of my sense of humour. I’m a sarcastic git. I blame Terry Pratchett. I blame him for my marriage, my good life, my wonderful kids, my sarcastic humour. My love of reading. I might exaggerate a wee bit at times as well. Probably his fault too.
Whenever you read about the death of people you admire, it makes you feel a little sad but in a removed kind of fashion. After reading theTwitter feed where it was announced Terry had died, I genuinely had a tear or two in my eyes.
Buggrit.”
From religious cult to Small Gods
MontyLovering recalls:
“A grew up in a religious cult, only getting out in the early nineties. At the same time I discovered Terry Pratchett
I think Small Gods was about the fifth book of his I read. Even if you’ve not grown up in a totalitarian belief structure it’s funny, but if you have its humour runs deep and shines. It helped harden the edges of the new opinions I was forming for myself.
He had a rare talent for dismantling the airs and graces that the rich, the powerful, and those falsely confident in their opinions clothes themselves with in a light but penetrating way. Since then he has, time and again, been one of the few authors who can genuinely make you laugh out loud on public transport. And today, cry a little. Thanks Terry, you will be missed.”
The reason I’m an English teacher
“I started reading his books when I was about 10 - my mum gave them to me. Still now, over 20 years later, they are a constant, comforting presence in my life: if I’m ill or sad or just fed up, I read a Discworld book and am instantly cheered; they are a warm, witty, satirical fuzzy blanket (though definitely not a blue one ...) I realised I loved reading and writing because of these books and it’s that love of stories that got me into teaching English; so thank you, Terry, for my career – which I love.”
I’m still banned from an Oregon brewpub
“Thanks to Guards, Guards!, the story that introduced me to Commander Vimes and his fellow Night Watch officers, I’m still banned from an Oregon brewpub. The punnery and delicious absurdity of his characters and their actions had me doubled over, howling with laughter, which upset the drab January crowd. I paid my tab before the crowd could find their clubs and pitchforks to chase after me. In Powell’s City of Books, I found more of his books. What a marvellous place the Disc World. Thank you, Sir Terry. Please give Death of Rats a sweety from me and my ratties.”
When you are a teenager and life feels a bit rubbish ...
“It helps immeasurably when an acerbically humoured but kindly uncle shows you the wonder and absurdity of it all.”
Mum, me and our Discworld tattoos
“On my 21st birthday I had a Discworld-themed party with my family and friends. My mum made me the most amazing cake. The next day my mum and I got matching Discworld tattoos (I had always planned to, then she copied me at the last minute). Discworld has been a huge part of my life – since I was 12 I have been listening to his audio books. This man told me a story every night for 10 years. He has made me think, feel and laugh!”
He made me realise that a book could make me laugh. Loudly. On buses.
“When I was young, I didn’t read books. I skimmed them for school work, or flicked through the pictures of those I received as gifts, and once, on World Book Day, because I couldn’t think of anything more interesting to read, I brought in an anthology of the Beau Peep cartoons to school. Because I was having trouble sleeping, though, I decided to try listening to audiobooks at night. I went down to the library and picked out two Terry Pratchett cassettes: Carpe Jugulum and Interesting Times (mostly because of the colourful covers), and that, as they say, was that.
He made me pick up books for the first time and then made me realise that I wanted to write them tooI still had trouble sleeping, but now it was because I didn’t want to fall asleep. Before that moment, I didn’t realise people could write books like that; I didn’t realise that a book could make me laugh. Loudly. So loudly that people tended to avoid me on buses. Terry Pratchett made me pick up books for the first time and then, because I enjoyed it so much, made me realise that I wanted to write them too. Yesterday, after many unsuccessful attempts, my first story was published in a tiny magazine, and very few things have ever made me happier. There’s no way I could ever thank him enough for that feeling, or convey just how much his books mean to me, and I’m sure there are millions who feel the same. Thank you.”
You know you’re with friends if they ‘get’ Pratchett
“I am sad.
Terry Pratchett is probably the author who has had the most impact on my life. He’s almost definitely the author I have read the most. There are entire shelves on my bookcase that are exclusively Pratchett. I must have read millions of his words, and now I’ll never read a new one.
I remember being recommended him by friends when I was probably about 14, and picked up a second-hand copy of Carpe Jugulum from a market stall in Alnwick. (I still have it). I realise that starting with the 23rd book in the series was not the most sensible idea, but it did have vampires in it. That night, I found myself unable to stop laughing at “James What The Hell’s That Cow Doing In Here Poorchick”. Probably about an hour of laughter just at that one line. I was hooked. [...]
In 2012, I realised a genuine ambition when I got the chance to direct the stage version of Wyrd Sisters. Everyone in the cast were brilliant at getting the spirit and sense of humour in Pratchett. Okay, not everyone in the audience got it, but that’s the thing with Terry Pratchett. Not everyone gets it, but if you meet someone who does, you know they’re good people.” Read more
Extra-marital narration
“We were lucky enough to be at two of your book signings and found you even funnier in “real life”... I told Terry that “I read your novels to my husband.” He quickly replied “Are you sure he is your husband? We can’t have any extra-marital narration!!” We all laughed and our treasured memory was to leave our favourite literary genius with his witty repartee running through our minds and the image of those twinkling eyes locked in our hearts.”
The greatest distraction from the rigours of life
“Terry Pratchett has been the greatest distraction from the rigours of life for me since being introduced to his books in 1989. I have in turn introduced many friends to the utter joy of his books. I met him twice and found him as charming and witty as his books. He will be missed by everyone who has ever picked up one of his books.”
A gift to me has become one for my son
“Terry Pratchett came to me through love. I read The Colour of Magic and one day, casually, my girlfriend asked me, which writer I liked. I remember saying, “I don’t mind Terry Pratchett”. That birthday I unwrapped a big red box and inside every Terry Pratchett Discworld book to that point in time. Those books and now many others line my bookshelf and that girlfriend has now become my wife. Terry’s books have been devoured by my son who struggled with reading anything else. The ones from my red box are well read with turned corners, slightly yellowed paper, crinkled covers and look a little gypsy raggedy.
They still have pride of place in my library. The world is a poorer place without Mr Pratchett and my eager wait for a new book, usually sometime around October, will become a memory now. I hope his family are warmed by the love of his readers and the wonderful, bright life he led.”
Why “ook!’ is a very big word
“I was lucky enough to meet Terry Pratchett twice at book signings many years ago, once when I was a library student and later when I had qualified and was working as a children’s librarian. Upon discovering that I was a student librarian he said “ahh, I may have something for you” reached into his pocket, fumbled around a bit, and then produced a small yellow badge with the word “Ook” printed on it – ook being the sole word spoken by the orangutan librarian in the Discworld novels. He later wrote a character into one of his books, Carpe Jugulum, saying “they’d be a Chlamydia Weaver toddling around today if her mother hadn’t suddenly decided Sally was easier to spell.” As my name at the time was Sally Weaver, I always liked to think he’d named her after me.”
Who knew footnotes could be so funny?
“My first brush with Terry Pratchett’s novels was through the covers of his books.
Ironic really, given it was his words which mattered the most.
The ones I remember are those illustrated by Josh Kirby. Full of these vivid characters and the kind of artwork I’d never seen before, I’d spend hours poring over the covers. I pretty much broke the “never judge a book by its cover” rule several times over. I was quite young, so I think I found them a bit frightening at first.
Eventually, I thought I’d give one of those strange looking books a try and fell headlong into this world of witches, wizards, wit and wisdom. Who knew footnotes could be so funny? And who could have imagined a kindlier Grim Reaper?
Since then, Pratchett’s books have been a staple part of my literary diet.” Read more
Just my cup of tea...
“Husband away Monday to Friday every week; daughters grown up and gone; I read Discworld over my morning cuppa, before heading off for a rather grim teaching job, and it was like having a humorous, kind, lively, sardonic friend in the house. I’m too sad to be eloquent!”
A cure for nightmares
“When I was a teenager, I was afflicted by terrible nightmares. The only way to get through them was to read until I was too tired to go on. Terry Pratchett’s books always worked the best, providing me with the wit, warmth and courage I need to venture inside the darkness each night. If it wasn’t for Terry, I wouldn’t want to be a writer.
Fate would have Terry come to my university graduation as the guest speaker. I had the chance to speak to him then, but froze up. I’ve always been shy, but this was an opportunity to speak to the biggest inspiration in my life. What could I have possibly said that would have conveyed just how important his work was to me? I should have at least said “Thank you”. But now I think the fact that I was reading and still read his books again and again is more than anything I could have said to him that day. He will be missed, but never forgotten.”
What would I have been without him?
“What would I have been without Terry Pratchett? I have read his books since I was a child. My own humour and sensibility would be half-formed without his influence. It’s extraordinary how he became more than the measure of the many things he paid reference to – he was a satirist of the highest form and calibre. I still find it odd that he’s considered to this day a fantasy novelist, when his characters, his situations and his ideas are wonderfully human, and real. A writer like Sir Pratchett is very rare, and I’m proud that he was appreciated in his time. I hope that in the future the esteem in which we hold him grows even more.”
By BeepTwice
Granny Weatherwax’s magic necklace
“My favourite character has always been Granny Weatherwax, so my partner got me this necklace as a Christmas gift. I wore it while I was having some stressful times in work and it’s turned into a kind of good luck charm I suppose. I think it has less to do with Granny, and more to do with my love for the Discworld books and the impact they had on me throughout the years.
Terry Pratchett has created a world that I can sink and disappear into when I need a smile or just a giggle at the sublime ridiculousness of everything. I will miss looking forward to new Terry Pratchett books. And I will miss indulging my silly little fantasies of the two of us meeting and us turning into the very best of friends.”
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