Terry Pratchett: A Life with Footnotes cover art

Terry Pratchett: A Life with Footnotes

The Official Biography

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Terry Pratchett: A Life with Footnotes

By: Rob Wilkins
Narrated by: Rob Wilkins
Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £16.99

Buy Now for £16.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
Switch payment method
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

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 Alzheimer's & Dementia Art & Literature Authors Friendship Physical Illness & Disease Relationships Dementia Feel-Good Funny Heartfelt Inspiring Witty Thought-Provoking Alzheimer's Disease

Listeners also enjoyed...

 Terry Pratchett in His Own Words cover art
Truckers cover art
Terry Pratchett: BBC Radio Drama Collection cover art
The Colour of Magic cover art
Long Drawn Out Trip cover art
Based on a True Story cover art
Ink in My Blood cover art
The Incredible Winston Browne cover art
Becoming Dr. Seuss cover art
So Long, Chester Wheeler cover art
Only You Can Save Mankind cover art
A Breathless Place cover art
The Covenant of Water cover art
Bibliomaniac cover art
Headlines and Hedgerows cover art
No One Round Here Reads Tolstoy cover art

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)
All stars
Most relevant  
A perfect, moving, and very personal tribute to the great man. It had me in floods of tears at the end.

Perfect.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Funny, and wonderfully moving. I laughed out loud and I shed a tear. which is what Terry would have wanted ;)

A wonderful tribute

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Funny , engaging and well read, with an ending that broke my heart even though I knew it was coming.

I’m going to have to read all his books again now.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Rob Wilkins really brought Terry Pratchett to life for the listener with his incredible narration and writing. I felt that I was in the Chapel with them at times. As he said, Terry is not dead, but alive in his books.

The best audiobook ever!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A joy and a celebration by Rob of a life well lived and shared with us all

Stunning

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A moving telling of Terry's life punctuated with comedy. Rob really brought Terry back to life for this.

I laughed. I cried. Literally

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I revisit the books of Sir Terry Pratchett (STP) often. I feel it appropriate my first meeting with him was when my children (5, 6, and 7) watched Truckers on TV after school, then I found his books at the library. I gradually bought all the published Discworld books (mostly paperbacks) for the home shelf. Soon I was waiting impatiently for the new books. Now I’m sharing the books with my grandson (due to becoming blind I gave my physical books away and started buying my collection again on Audible so my grandson first listened to Truckers, Diggers, and Wings as he played while I looked after him).
Enough background now to this book. Rob has done a remarkable job of pulling the threads together and narrating this story of a life. Knowing STP from his books it surprised me to learn he didn’t start as an enthusiastic reader as his interests seemed to mirror mine (almost anything and everything).
Learning about his life was a revelation.
Learning of how his dignity was supported towards the end of his life was a blessing.
This book was written with love and respect by someone who started as a fan of the author, who became a personal assistant, and friend.
If I could give more stars I would.
Thank you Rob for this book.
Thank you Sir Terry for the fun, laughs, diving off to read other books (history, folklore) to understand where round world touched the Discworld. You’ve given me hours of reading pleasure.
GNU Sir Terry.
Mind how you go.

Sad, dignified, and humorous

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
oh gods my heart might never recover! Terry Pratchett is the only famous person whose death brought me to tears and this book has brought them again.
beautifully written and so personal. brave, honest, funny and sad; and inspiring. Terry Pratchett lived his life with passion and verve and courage. and as long as his books are read he will never die.

tears laughter and inspiration

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This nearly had me tears. Getting to know the man who is responsible for my passion for Fantasy and Sci-fi. Did not know we had so much in common. Miss him. Thanks Rob

Everything I wanted

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Sentimentally bob on….Terry would have lived this read! Thank you to all who helped make it happen, including Terry obvs!!

Thank you

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews