Here is the official biography of one of the world's most beloved and famous writers, the creator of the phenomenal Discworld series, Terry Pratchett. Begun shortly before his death by the author himself and completed by his assistant and good friend Rob Wilkins, this story tells of a boy who became Britain's most popular writer. Drawing on his own memory, the memories of the writer's family, friends and colleagues, Wilkins shows us an amazing picture of Terry's life: childhood, phenomenal writing career, and his struggle with serious illness. Winner of the Locus, Hugo and British Science Fiction Association Awards .Finalist of the British Fantasy Award. Terry Pratchett is a writer of international fame, creator of the phenomenal Discworld series, the novel The Seelie Signs" and a number of other books. Before his death, Terry was writing a memoir: the story of a six-year-old boy whose teacher predicted lack of success, but he decided to prove otherwise. As a result, Pratchett lived a life full of amazing achievements: he became one of the most popular and beloved writers in Great Britain, received the prestigious Carnegie Medal and was awarded a knighthood for literary services. The memoirs, which Terry, unfortunately, could not finish, were completed by Rob Wilkins, his assistant, friend, and now steward of Pratchett's literary legacy along with his daughter Rihanna. Drawing on his own memory, the memories of his family, friends and colleagues, Rob reveals the full picture of Terry's life - from childhood to the end of his amazing writing career, and also talks about how he faced the news of Alzheimer's disease and began a desperate battle against it. Here is the only official biography of one of the greatest authors of our time - a deeply moving and personal portrait of an amazing life, captured with unsurpassed insight and filled with funny stories from life. authors in the world, Terry Pratchett is the most alive.” – John Lloyd “Easy to read, instructive and honest. She made me miss the real Terry." – Neil Gaiman “Sometimes fun, sometimes painful and intimate... it's wonderful to see such a close-up view of a writer's working life.” – Frank Cottrell-Boyce “Magic is created out of the ordinary, just as Pratchett himself did.” – Telegraph“As frank, funny and devoid of sentimentality story, like all those that Terry himself wrote." – Mail on Sunday “No one other than Pratchett's wife, Lyn, and daughter, Rihanna, knew the writer as well as Wilkins. I was brought to tears by the last 20 pages, which beautifully depict Terry's final days in a way that is both sensitive and even-handed." - The Times "Sweet, funny and captures the perfect sense of how Pratchett has managed to take the memories of his working-class childhood in the 1950s... and turn them into a universe that is endlessly rich and inventive." – Mail on Sunday “The friendship and affection between these people is felt on every page. Of course, Pratchett fans will love this book... and even casual readers will enjoy hearing about his unique passions." – Independent"A biography almost as funny and insightful as any of Terry's novels. A rich, deeply moving portrait of a unique personality. It's great to see this author come back to life, albeit technically, in this fascinating and deeply moving work." - Daily Express "A touching and witty account of Pratchett's magical mind and his Alzheimer's disease, written by the man who knew him best." – The Sunday Times “Wilkins has a great advantage over other biographers: not only did he know his subject well, but he also took notes for the proposed memoir while he was still alive. The result is a story that at times feels like a ventriloquist's performance, but with Pratchett's voice and personality coming through loud and clear." – The Herald “It is both more, and less, than a regular biography. Full of insights and revelations, it is in many ways exactly what Pratchett might have written about himself, proud of what was done and honest about the process. A story written with intelligence and compassion." – Christopher Priest “Brought me to tears from both laughter and heartache.” – Daily Mirror “Live and tender, there is no criticism or fawning here. Pratchett is shown here to be brilliant and generous, but at the same time sarcastic and with a ruthless sense of humor." – i News “A stunning addition to all of Pratchett’s own books.” – SFX “It’s no surprise that what people love most about this book are the humorous slice-of-life stories, funny or dark, and sometimes both. It captures the spirit of Pratchett's writing, telling hard truths through enjoyable reading syllable and causing alternately rage, laughter and sadness.” - The Sydney Morning Herald "The use of primary sources very effectively conveys Pratchett's own views on many aspects of his life and career, and Wilkins's additions and careful fact-checking make the biography easy to read and very enjoyable." - The AU Review "Wilkins is a faithful and accurate documenter of Pratchett's life... Touching and sensitive." – Canberra Times