The Life at the Core
'A Life with Footnotes' is the autobiography that Terry Pratchett started and his assistant Rob finished. Pratchett was born in 1948 to talented car mechanic Tom and ambitious secretary Eileen (great name), but his future as a bestselling writer was far from predictable. An active and inquisitive child, he was a reluctant reader who struggled to concentrate at school. When his headmaster decided that the six-year-old Terry was destined to fail the hallowed 11+ exam, his mother stepped in, determined that her only child should get every opportunity in life. Eileen worked hard to encourage and teach her son, even paying him 1p per page to read. Thanks to her endeavours, Pratchett passed his exam, but his passion for books and storytelling didn't fully emerge until a family friend gave him 'The Wind in the Willows'. This irreverent story of talking animals, adventure and grand theft auto clicked with him and before long he was reading everything he could lay his hands on. By his early teens, he was an avid science fiction fan and, at 15, his first published story appeared in Science Fantasy magazine (August 1963). From here onwards, Pratchett combined writing, fandom, life and work, leaving sixth form to become a journalist at various regional papers, then a Press Officer for the Central Electricity Generation Board. By the time Rob Wilkins joined Terry as his PA in 2000, he had been a full-time writer for nearly 15 years and Britain's bestselling author for a decade. Before his death from a rare form of Alzheimer's disease in 2015, Pratchett had added assisted suicide campaigner, documentary star and Knight of the Realm to that list. 'A Life with Footnotes' is the story of how a hard-working British writer became a one-man industry and perhaps the best-loved author of all time.
A Tale of Two Halves
It must be a strange and daunting task to take the notes and life of someone one you both admire and care about and attempt to turn it into a proper autobiography. There are so many possible pitfalls - that you may inadvertently make the story about 'you' or disappoint the family and fans that loved them too, just to name two - that I'm not sure I would take it on. Fortunately, Rob Wilkins isn't me, so readers have been blessed with a full and fascinating account of one of the best-loved writers of the past 50 years. Wilkins uses his life with Pratchett to frame the narrative, often starting with an anecdote and working backwards. It's an effective technique and helps us see how different experiences shaped the man and how his mischievous mind worked.
Inside The Chapel
I enjoyed the way that 'A Life with Footnotes' brought the Chapel (Pratchett's home writing room / office) and other locations alive. It felt like the curtain was being gently pulled aside and we were given just enough of a glimpse into the workings beyond. Because of it's non-linear structure, this book moves back and forth on themes, ranging from conventions to merchandising, adaptations to awards, getting published to actually sitting-down-and-getting-on-with-the-bloody-writing. Consequently, it works as both history and FAQ answers. It also remains resolutely professional. We get a picture of Terry's career with just enough of the personal to remind us that he's human (how he met his wife, the birth of his daughter, his greatest friendships, how grumpy he could be at times...) without it getting gossipy. No shocks or scandals here, other than the way panellists on BBC 2's Late Review talked about Pratchett's fans and work. I found that genuinely appalling and am glad the programme got cancelled.
Ripples
It's always a challenge when you know how a story ends. Terry Pratchett passed away in spring 2015 from Posterior Cortical Atrophy, a rare form of Alzheimer's disease. As Pratchett's illness takes hold, Wilkins comes to the fore in the narrative, giving the reader an insight into the terrible cruelty of this disease and how it chipped away at Terry Pratchett. Having learned more about him as a younger man and a writer in his prime, it just made the final chapters even more heart-breaking. But Terry kept on fighting. To the end, he was speaking out and campaigning and doing what he could with the time he had left to him. He was determined and bold, and above all loved and supported.
Overall
I loved 'Terry Pratchett: A Life with Footnotes'. It's an affectionate and engaging portrait of a popular writer by someone who knew him and his work better than most. Wilkins could be called the 'fans' fan', the appreciative reader who became the employee and ultimately the co-custodian of Discworld, but he's never sycophantic. This is a book from one admirer to all the others around the world, past, present and future. And I think that's where my interest in Terry Pratchett comes from. I'm friends with so many fans of his work that he feels like a presence in my life already, even though I've not read his books. His humour and ideas have touched so many people I respect that I suppose I wanted to understand why. It would probably have made more sense just to get on and read his books, but then I've got a bit of a TBR pile...
Speaking of which...
Now, what next?
'Terry Pratchett: A Life with Footnotes*' by Rob Wilkins was published in September 2022 by Doubleday, an imprint of Transworld and part of Penguin Random House. This post is based on the hardback edition, received free from the publisher. The publisher also kindly provided the book cover image.
*The Official Biography
