Not sure if anyone else heard yet: PTerry is on the Queen’s New Year Honours list as a Knight, for services to literature. Well done Terry.
Brilliant! About time his contribution to literature was officially recognised! (Sorry, Sir Pterry if you're appalled at being once more accused of literature, but I'm afraid there's no getting away from it, in spite of the huge fun your books also provide!) :biggrin:
I can't resist it - I have to be the first one to use his line from Wyrd Sisters - a knighthood will keep his ears warm in bed! But seriously, folks - a well-deserved honour - I have read that various librarians and teachers have said that Sir PTerry has got kids into reading more than any other author - this has got to be a good thing! So congratulations to Sir PTerry, The Marthter, Supreme God of the Discworld (and probably the Patrician in disguise, (or possibly Sam Vimes - the senior one, not the one with difficulties in cow-location))
That's great news, here's the full story from the BBC: BBC NEWS | UK | England | Wiltshire | Fantasy author Pratchett knighted Fantasy author Pratchett knighted Sir Terry said he was "gobsmackingly amazed" at his knighthood Author Terry Pratchett has been knighted in the New Year Honours list. Pratchett, 60, who lives near Salisbury in Wiltshire, has sold more than 55 million books worldwide and his works have been translated into 33 languages. Pratchett started his career on a local newspaper and published his first novel, The Carpet People, in 1971. He is best known for his Discworld comic fantasy novels. Last December he announced he had been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's disease. He has since campaigned to raise awareness of the disease and improve research funding. Discworld is a parallel universe supported on the back of four elephants that stand on the shell of a giant turtle. "There are times when the phrase 'Absolutely, totally, gobsmackingly, mindbogglingly amazed' just doesn't cover it, but I find that in the Queen's New Year Honours list I am now a knight, for services to literature," Sir Terry said. Four people in Wiltshire have been appointed OBE in the Queen's New Year Honours list. They are: • Christine Kent of Salisbury • Professor Andrew Pettigrew for services to local and national higher education • Dr Randal William Richards of Marlborough for services to science Six people have been appointed MBE in the New Year Honours list. They are: • Meg Atkinson of Swindon for services to the Soldiers' and Airmen's Scripture Reader Association • Alan Kells of Codford-St-Peter for public and voluntary service • John Aves of Salisbury for services to people with disabilities • John Hansford of Malmesbury for services to science • Councillor Thomas James of Trowbridge for services to local government in Wiltshire • Michael Norton of Malmesbury for services to the water industry and to international trade
Yea... Great news (also gave me proverbial kick up the rear - didn't realize so much time had passed since I've been online :redface
I don't think a kick up the rear is quite the right treatment for your current condition (unless something has happened since your last post - or I could check with my nephew the doctor - not that one - this one has no TARDIS) but just think - if it's a boy, you could call him Terry - possibly the first of the name called by a fan after Sir PTerry got his knighthood (and I've already done the joke about keeping his ears warm in bed!)
That's great! As an American, I don't set a lot of store in titles, but I know to citizens of the UK, it's a huge honor. Very well deserved in this case as well. Now if the Queen would only declare some section of land in the country to be named Ankh-Morpork and make him the Duke...
That's a nice idea, but have you thought of the technical difficulties of polluting a river so much that you can't actually sink in it and the fish explode when exposed to fresh water? Besides, the screams of outraged ecological fanatics would deafen everyone!
If anyone wants to see Terry being knighted. ( The sound quality is really rubbish though, I had to turn the volume right up and concentrate) BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Novelist Pratchett becomes a Sir
Now that Terry is a knight it seems that they are recruiting for his regiment. If anyone on facebook is interested. Sir Terry's Monstrous Regiment | Facebook
In fact, I was in the middle of a translation the other day and was quite pleased with myself for being able to smuggle in the phrase "monstrous regiment". Although I will probably be the only one to notice...
I found out around the time TP got knighted (and good on him) that my boss, "The Prof", was awarded the Order of Australia a few years back which is the Australian equivalent to a knighthood for being responsible for making a good few percent of Australia's mineral export possible.
