Terry Pratchett’s last Discworld novel goes on sale

SIX MONTHS after the death of the popular and prolific creator of Discworld, Sir Terry Pratchett, his last novel has been published.

The Shepherd’s Crown, the 41st novel in the series and the fifth to feature Tiffany Aching, went on sale in the UK and the Commonwealth on Wednesday (August 26) at midnight.

In the UK, devoted fans, many dressed as witches or wizards arrived for midnight openings at shops in London, Oxford and Newcastle. 

Sir Terry died at the age of 66 in March, eight years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease and it is said that he was determined to complete this novel even if he found it a difficult undertaking.

According to his friend, Rob Wilkins, who read an extract to a lucky 200 fans at Waterstones in Piccadilly: “He wasn’t able to polish it quite as he would have liked and there were a few ideas that he would have loved to have followed up on and he never got the opportunity.”

Apart from the books, Discworld devotees can also track down the three films broadcast by Sky and six radio series from the BBC, together with a whole range of merchandise.