Terry Pratchett
I got the chance to meet Terry Pratchett several imes over the years. Mostly it was book signings at bookshops, because I could never pass those up when it was Sir Terry. he's actually the first author I ever did that for--the launch of The Fifth Elephant while I was living in Bristol. I'd never queued up to meet an author and get a book signed until that day, and I remember my parents looking gobsmacked that I'd done it because I was usually too shy.
The time that stands out, for me, was around ten years ago. I can't remember what the occasion was, although I suspect it might have been an anniversary for the library. I grew up a few miles from Beaconsfield, which was Sir Terry's birthplace, and that's the only reason this particular thing happened for me.
(I KNOW. I grew up just down the road from one of my favourites. How lucky am I?)
I grew up in my local library, much like Sir Terry grew up in his. My librarians knew me, had been a part of my life for as long as I could remember, and it's quite possible one of them actually handed Wyrd Sisters to me back when I was fifteen and struggling with Macbeth for GCSE English. So, they knew how many Pratchett books I'd read. How much I loved and admired his work.
When Beaconsfield Library arranged to have an evening event where he'd talk, answer questions, and sign books, my librarians knew how much I'd love it. They told me about it as soon as I walked into the library and made sure I got two tickets, which was important because Beaconsfield is a tiny library so space was pretty limited and the tickets went in an instant because they only cost 5GBP. I took my Dad, because I'd recently got him started on Sir Terry's books and I thought he'd like to hear the man speak.
There were less than a hundred of us. Probably closer to fifty. All crammed on uncomfortable chairs in the tiny non-fiction section, listening to Sir Terry speak and read and answer questions about everything. I can credit him for finally convincing my Dad that The Princess Bride was worth watching (it's now one of his favourites), and the way he talked about libraries was how I felt about libraries, too. His joy and love for this tiny, slightly shabby library shone through and I could easily imagine little Sir Terry curled in a corner with a book for hours on end, just like I'd done in my own little shabby library five miles away.
Meeting an author who spoke to you on so many levels, and in different ways at different times in your life, is something you never forget. That evening in a tiny local library, listening to Sir Terry speak about so many things I care about, will always stay with me.
Sleep well, sir. You avoided the rush, but we'll miss you dearly.
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The time that stands out, for me, was around ten years ago. I can't remember what the occasion was, although I suspect it might have been an anniversary for the library. I grew up a few miles from Beaconsfield, which was Sir Terry's birthplace, and that's the only reason this particular thing happened for me.
(I KNOW. I grew up just down the road from one of my favourites. How lucky am I?)
I grew up in my local library, much like Sir Terry grew up in his. My librarians knew me, had been a part of my life for as long as I could remember, and it's quite possible one of them actually handed Wyrd Sisters to me back when I was fifteen and struggling with Macbeth for GCSE English. So, they knew how many Pratchett books I'd read. How much I loved and admired his work.
When Beaconsfield Library arranged to have an evening event where he'd talk, answer questions, and sign books, my librarians knew how much I'd love it. They told me about it as soon as I walked into the library and made sure I got two tickets, which was important because Beaconsfield is a tiny library so space was pretty limited and the tickets went in an instant because they only cost 5GBP. I took my Dad, because I'd recently got him started on Sir Terry's books and I thought he'd like to hear the man speak.
There were less than a hundred of us. Probably closer to fifty. All crammed on uncomfortable chairs in the tiny non-fiction section, listening to Sir Terry speak and read and answer questions about everything. I can credit him for finally convincing my Dad that The Princess Bride was worth watching (it's now one of his favourites), and the way he talked about libraries was how I felt about libraries, too. His joy and love for this tiny, slightly shabby library shone through and I could easily imagine little Sir Terry curled in a corner with a book for hours on end, just like I'd done in my own little shabby library five miles away.
Meeting an author who spoke to you on so many levels, and in different ways at different times in your life, is something you never forget. That evening in a tiny local library, listening to Sir Terry speak about so many things I care about, will always stay with me.
Sleep well, sir. You avoided the rush, but we'll miss you dearly.
This entry was originally posted at http://selenay.dreamwidth.org/528602.html. There are currently
babbles on the entry on Dreamwidth. Leave comments at http://selenay.dreamwidth.org/528602.html?mode=reply