News Archive
New Books News!
21-Mar-2005 - Just in from Colin Smythe:

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From the latest Transworld catalogue,  

THUD!

Koom Valley? That was where the trolls ambushed the dwarves, or the dwarves ambushed the trolls. It was far away. It was a long time ago.    

But if he doesn't solve the murder of just one dwarf, Commander Sam Vimes of Ankh-Morpork City Watch is going to see the battle fought again, right outside his office.    

With his beloved Watch crumbling around him and war-drums sounding, he must unravel every clue, outwit every assassin and brave any darkness to find the solution. And darkness is following him.

ISBN 0-385-60867-5     1 October 2005  

 

WHERE'S MY COW?

A Discworld picture book. Illustrated by Melvin Grant

At six o'clock every day, without fail, with no excuses, Sam Vimes must go home to read Where's My Cow?, with all the right farmyard noises, to his little boy. There are some things you have to do. It is the most loved and chewed book in the world.

    But his father wonders why it is full of moo-cows and baa-lambs when Young Sam will only ever see them cooked on a plate. He can think of a more useful book for a boy who lives in a city.

    So Sam Vimes starts adapting the story. A story with streets, not fields. A book with rogues and villains. A book about the place where he'll grow up.

ISBN 0-385 60937-X  1 October 2005

   

A HAT FULL OF SKY has been included in the 2005 New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age list.

New Pratchett Covers revealed!
21-Feb-2005 - You may wish to have a quick look at , where you can see the cover artwork for the books 'Thud!' and 'The Science of Discworld 3'

The Thud cover is clearly based on the Gaming edition of the Thud set as produced by Bernard 'Cunning Artificer' Pearson. Even in the long life of Discworld Merchandise, this appears to be the first time that the Merchandise was produced LONG before the book was due for release!

If you don't already have a Thud set, then nows the time to get yourself one, as it's sure to become THE thing for all Discworld fans to own on the release of the Book. You wan't to make sure you've had time to develop some strategies! Have a look in the Miscellaneous section of our own Discworld store at where the Thud sets are ready and waiting for you.

Snippets...
10-Jan-2005 - News just in from Colin Smythe:

The BBC's radio adaptation of MORT, produced by Claire Grove, is being rebroadcast by Radio 4, starting on Tuesday 25th January at 23.00 GMT, continuing at the same time on February 1st, 8th and 15th.  



  Some news on translations:  

Finland. Karisto are taking licences for MEN AT ARMS and SOUL MUSIC  

Norway: Tiden Norsk are taking LORDS AND LADIES  

France: L'Atalante have just published Patrick Couton's translation of THE AMAZING MAURICE  

Germany: Piper will be publishing ERIC in both illustrated and unillustrated formats, as well as issuing The Science of Discworld 2 and 3  

Russia: Eksmo will be publishing THE UNADULTERATED CAT. (It was last published in Russian in 1994, jointly by Vagrius (Moscow) and Belvagrius (Minsk)

Praise and Awards!
08-Jul-2004 - The estimated audience for Terry's radio satellite tour for HarperCollins in America on 25 May was very nearly 4 million.  

Gollancz have licensed Interesting times, Maskerade, Feet of Clay and Hogfather to Varrak in Estonia, and Lords and Ladies to Karisto in Finland  

Vuzev/Arhont-V have acquired Bulgarian licences for Night Watch, Monstrous Regiment and Nanny Ogg's Cook Book from Transworld  


The Wee Free Men has won the Locus Award for Best Young Adult Novel of 2003: here's HarperCollin's announcement -

Terry Pratchett's THE WEE FREE MEN wins Locus Award for Best Young Adult Novel

The Locus Awards are presented to winners of Locus Magazine's annual readers' poll, which was established in the early 1970s.  Over the decades the Locus Awards have often drawn more voters than the Hugo and Nebula awards combined. In recent years Locus Awards are presented at an annual banquet, and unlike any other award, explicitly honor publishers of winning works with certificates.

With over 35 million books sold, Terry Pratchett is an international publishing superstar whose work appeals to a broad spectrum of readers.  The Wee Free Men is a riveting adventure that is equal parts suspense and humor.  Armed with only a frying pan, young witch-to-be Tiffany Aching goes on a quest to save her kidnapped younger brother aided by the rowdy Nac Mac Feegle, a clan of sheep-stealing, sword-wielding, six-inch-high blue men.

PRAISE FOR THE WEE FREE MEN

'A lovely romp for Pratchett fans of all ages.' Locus Magazine

'With its wry wit, this is good solid storytelling.' The New York Times

'An enthralling and rewarding read.' Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)

'A funny and thought-provoking fantasy.'“ School Library Journal (Starred Review)

'Terry brings skill, talent, and commitment to his children's books, creating rich, thought-provoking stories that, like the true classics of children's literature, resonate with readers of all ages,' says Anne Hoppe, US editor of Pratchett's works for young readers.  'That he does all of this and makes you laugh so hard you fall out of your chair is a tribute to his unique genius. It\s thrilling to see his extraordinary work for young readers honored by Locus Magazine,' she continues.

Announced in the July issue of Locus Magazine, which is currently on newsstands, the awards will officially be presented at a ceremony at Worldcon in Boston, on September 3, 2004.

One of the world's best-selling novelists, Terry Pratchett is known for his brilliantly funny Discworld series.  In 2002, he was awarded Britain's Carnegie Medal for The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents.  His other books for children include The Bromeliad Trilogy and A Hat Full of Sky, the sequel to The Wee Free Men.  Mr. Pratchett lives in the English chalk country.

Noreascon Four
23-Jun-2004 - Many of you are probably aware that Terry Pratchett is the Guest of Honour at the upcoming Worldcon 'Noreascon Four'. More information on the event can be found at http://www.noreascon.org/

Well, it's traditional for the Noreascon to publish a book to commemorate their guest of honour, and this time is no different. From a list of his various Short Stories, Articles, Book Introductions etc, Terry has chosen a selection to appear in a volume called 'Once more* with footnotes'. While not a Complete set of every 'non-book' Terry has written, it appears to cover quite a lot of ground.

It's not yet publshed (the Noreascon isn't until September), but it can be seen at: http://www.nesfa.org/press/Books/Pratchett.html. We believe this book will be available for general purchase after this time, but will bring you more information as soon as we know.

Literally... News
13-Jun-2004 - News in from Colin Smythe -

I'm delighted to say that on 16 July Terry receives his fourth honorary doctorate - a LittD from the University of Bristol.

Stephen Briggs featured among the 2004 Audie Award winners, in the Science Fiction category, as reader of Monstrous Regiment, published in the USA by Harper Audio and in Britain by Isis. The Audies are the annual awards handed out by the (American) Audio Publishers Association, so this award went to Harper Audio.

L'Atalante have signed contract for French editions of The Fifth Elephant and The Truth Noesis in Romania are buying Sourcery Borgens in Denmark are buying Mort and Sourcery Pocket Books in France are buying mass market paperback rights in Interesting Times and Maskerade

Proszynski in Poland have just published Feet of Clay, and Terry has just returned from a four day signing which had it been twice as long would not have satisfied Polish fans. They had to be turned away from the shops in their hundreds as there were too many wanting their books signed. At t one time he was signing 20 books a minute; the only way to leave two of the shops to catch the last train was with the help of a column of security guards!

Hatful of signings...
14-Apr-2004 - News of these whistle stop 'Hatful of Sky' signings is just in from Colin Smythe :

Friday 30th April   
1.00pm            Borders, Birmingham
6.00pm            Waterstones, Stratford on Avon
 

Saturday 1st May   
12.00noon       Same Day Books, Windsor
4.45pm            Foyles, Charing Cross Road, London


Tuesday 4th May   
12.30pm          Methvens, Worthing
4.45pm            W.H.Smith, Brighton
 

Wednesday 5th May          
12.45pm          Waterstones, Winchester
5.00pm            Ottakars, Portsmouth

Pratchetts Bits on Display!
04-Apr-2004 - News in from Colin Smythe -

As it was becoming too large and bulky for me to keep at home, about two years ago I gave my main collection of Terry Pratchett's books (in about 30 languages), together with publicity and merchandise material to the University of London Library in Malet Street, where it is known by the rather cumbersome title of "The Colin Smythe Terry Pratchett Archive", and continues to grow as I add new publications, etc. to it.

One of the librarians, Margaret Blackburn, has been cataloguing the archive (on a part-time basis) for the past 18 months, and the Library has now put on display a 'taster' preview of some of the material from the collection. This Pratchett Preview will be open to the public until 5 June 2004.

Mrs Blackburn has so far catalogued nearly eleven hundred of the books in the collection, and has also started work on the models, alcoholic beverages, audio and video material, games (computer and otherwise), t-shirts, jewellery, jigsaws and other Pratchettiana.

Information on how to get to the display in the Senate House, the catalogue and some pictures can be found at the following address http://www.ull.ac.uk/exhibitions/pratchett/exhibition.shtml. Clicking on the images leads to relevant pictures.

I hope a much larger exhibition will be shown in the Library's main display area next year.

Colin