The Magic of Terry Pratchett

By Marc Burrows

The Magic Of Terry Pratchett is the first full biography of Sir Terry Pratchett ever written. Sir Terry was Britain’s best-selling living author*, and before his death in 2015 had sold more than 85 million copies of his books worldwide. Best known for the Discworld series, his work has been translated into 37 languages, and performed as plays on every continent in the world, including Antarctica.

Journalist, comedian and Pratchett fan Marc Burrows delves into the back story of one of UK’s most enduring and beloved authors, from his childhood in the Chiltern Hills, to his time as a journalist, and the journey that would take him – via more than sixty best-selling books – to an OBE, a knighthood and national treasure status.

The Magic Of Terry Pratchett is the result of painstaking archival research alongside interviews with friends and contemporaries who knew the real man under the famous black hat, helping to piece together the full story of one of British literature’s most remarkable and beloved figures for the very first time.

* Now disqualified on both counts.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pen and Sword
• Release date: Jul 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781526765512

Marc Burrows

Marc Burrows is a music critic, author and occasional comedian. His biography The Magic of Terry Pratchett won the 2021 Locus Award for Best Non-Fiction, and he writes regularly for The Guardian, Observer, Quietus and Hey U Guys about music, film and pop culture. He plays bass in the cult Victorian punk band The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing, and lives in North London with his wife, the poet and author Nicoletta Wylde and a small black cat called Princess. He also has two tropical fish, who he suspects might be psychopaths.

Reviews for The Magic of Terry Pratchett

[zoes_human · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A suitable and moving tribute to a man who brought so many of us joy. #GNUTerryPratchett

[paulmorriss · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Marc comes across as a great fan of Terry's, yet isn't by any means oblivious to his less than positive aspects. The research is really detailed, and he's obviously put a lot of effort into trying to track down the truth behind some of the true stories that Terry told (well he his a story teller). He manages to give a flavour of many of the books Terry wrote so if you're not familiar with all of Terry's work you can pick and choose where to begin. There will in time be a biography from Terry's "representative on earth", Rob, but I don't think it's worth waiting for that one - you might as well get this one.