Editions

A Slip of the Keyboard

A Slip of the Keyboard

  • Collected Non-fiction

With a foreword by Neil Gaiman

Terry Pratchett has earned a place in the hearts of readers the world over with his bestselling Discworld series – but in recent years he has become equally well-known and respected as an outspoken campaigner for causes including Alzheimer’s research and animal rights. A Slip of the Keyboard brings together for the first time the finest examples of Pratchett’s non fiction writing, both serious and surreal: from musings on mushrooms to what it means to be a writer (and why banana daiquiris are so important); from memories of Granny Pratchett to speculation about Gandalf’s love life, and passionate defences of the causes dear to him.

With all the humour and humanity that have made his novels so enduringly popular, this collection brings Pratchett out from behind the scenes of the Discworld to speak for himself – man and boy, bibliophile and computer geek, champion of hats, orang-utans and Dignity in Dying.

Reviews

  • Seriously funny about the weirdness of the world and humorously serious about the NHS, assisted dying and his urgent personal campaign for more research into Alzheimer’s disease

    Times

  • A wonderful collection...[Pratchett] emerges as, yes, likeable but also complex and angry

    Independent

  • His life and legacy will always be cause for celebration

    Guardian

  • Bright, funny, insightful, warm...a man who truly knew how to enjoy life...and books

    George R.R. Martin

  • Wise and funny...my unlikely hero

    A.S. Byatt

More from this Author

View all View all
View all View all

About the Author

Terry Pratchett

Terry Pratchett was the acclaimed creator of the global bestselling Discworld series, the first of which, The Colour of Magic, was published in 1983. In all, he was the author of over fifty bestselling books. His novels have been widely adapted for stage and screen, and he was the winner of multiple prizes, including the Carnegie Medal, as well as being awarded a knighthood for services to literature. He died in March 2015. terrypratchett.co.uk

Terry Pratchett

Related articles

/content/dam/prh/articles/children/2019/april/DodgerQuiz-ArticleCard.jpg

Quizzes

What job would you have in Dodger’s Victorian London?

Victorian London; a mysterious metropolis blanketed in fog, made up of an eclectic mix of people playing the part that life has assigned them...
/content/dam/prh/articles/archive/children-archive/puffin/witchs-recipe-inline.png

Games & activities

Make some star-shaped biscuits from The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner

Get the party started with a batch of bewitching star cookies. Witches and wizards will hoover up these tasty star cookies inspired by The Witch’s Vacuum Cleaner by Terry Pratchett.
/content/dam/prh/articles/archive/children-archive/puffin/snippet_wee-free-men.png

Extracts

The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

Tiffany wants to be a witch when she grows up. A proper one, with a pointy hat. And flying, she’s always dreamed of flying (though it’s cold up there, you have to wear really thick pants, two layers). Read an extract from The Wee Free Men, the first book in the Tiffany Aching series by Terry Pratchett.

Our Use of Cookies

We use cookies on this site to enable certain parts of the site to function and to collect information about your use of the site so that we can improve our visitors’ experience.

For more on our cookies and changing your settings click here

Strictly Necessary

Strictly Necessary cookies enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You may disable these by changing your browser settings, but this may affect how the website functions. See More.

Analytics

Analytics cookies help us to improve our website by collecting and reporting information on how you use it. These cookies may be set by us or by third-party providers whose services we have added to our pages. See More.

Preferences & Features

Preference and Feature cookies allow our website to remember choices you make, such as your language preferences and any customisations you make to pages on our website during your visit. See More.

Targeting / Advertising

Targeting cookies are used to make advertising messages more relevant to you and your interests. They perform functions like preventing the same content from reappearing, ensuring ads are displayed and, in some cases, selecting content based on your interests. See More.