Fantasy novelist Sir Terry Pratchett dies aged 66 after battle with Alzheimer's

 
Terry Pratchett (Picture: Getty)
Rachel Blundy13 March 2015

Acclaimed fantasy novelist Sir Terry Pratchett has died aged 66.

The author, who had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease, died at home with his family around him today, his publicist said.

During his career, he sold more than 85million books around the world and was the UK's best-selling author of the 1990s.

He even once held the dubious honour as the most shop-lifted author in Britain.

His first novel, The Carpet People, was published in 1971. He went on to produce the Discworld series, publishing its first volume, The Colour of Magic, in 1983.

His last Discworld novel was released last summer, before his health deteriorated.

When he received his knighthood at Buckingham Palace in 2009, he said multimillion-pound banker bonuses should be spent helping to treat dementia patients.

Terry Pratchett

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In a statement today, Larry Finlay, managing director of Transworld Publishers, hailed him as one of the world's "brightest and sharpest minds".

He said: "I was deeply saddened to learn that Sir Terry Pratchett has died. The world has lost one of its brightest, sharpest minds.

"In over 70 books, Terry enriched the planet like few before him. As all who read him know, Discworld was his vehicle to satirize this world: he did so brilliantly, with great skill, enormous humour and constant invention."

He continued: "Terry faced his Alzheimer's disease (an 'embuggerance', as he called it) publicly and bravely. Over the last few years, it was his writing that sustained him. His legacy will endure for decades to come.

"My sympathies go out to Terry's wife Lyn, their daughter Rhianna, to his close friend Rob Wilkins, and to all closest to him."

Further tributes were paid to the author after the news of his death was announced on Twitter this afternoon.

Broadcaster Simon Mayo wrote: "So sad to hear of Terry Pratchett's death. What a mind. What a writer."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">AT LAST, SIR TERRY, WE MUST WALK TOGETHER.— Terry Pratchett (@terryandrob) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/terryandrob/status/576036599047258112" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-84241-https://twitter.com/terryandrob/status/576036599047258112" data-vars-event-id="c23">March 12, 2015</a>

Novelist Tony Parsons said: "Rest well, Terry Pratchett who died with his cats on his bed and his loved ones by his side. A great life, a brave death, inspirational man."

Writer Molly Crabapple tweeted: "Terry Pratchett's writing on death, both in his fiction, and, after his diagnosis, in his essays, meant so very much to me. Rest in power."

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">Terry took Death’s arm and followed him through the doors and on to the black desert under the endless night.— Terry Pratchett (@terryandrob) <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/terryandrob/status/576036726046646272" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-84241-https://twitter.com/terryandrob/status/576036726046646272" data-vars-event-id="c23">March 12, 2015</a>

A series of messages were this afternoon posted on Sir Terry's Twitter account, which is partly managed by his former assistant Rob Wilkins.

The tweets said: "AT LAST, SIR TERRY, WE MUST WALK TOGETHER.

"Terry took Death’s arm and followed him through the doors and on to the black desert under the endless night.

"The End."

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