The first Terry Pratchett book I ever read was Only You Can Save Mankind, in that distinct black cover. It was in the old, long-vanished Fantamania bookstore in Johannesburg, South Africa’s first and only dedicated SF/F shop, which was a wonderland for geeks in the early 1990s. It was a hardback, so I couldn’t actually afford it, and took to reading a few pages at a time standing up in the shop every visit, before I finally broke down and got it (I still have it here now).

When I moved to London in 1998, it was the height of Pratchett’s career. He was releasing two books a year, and his signing events had three hour long queues that used to snake around the old Forbidden Planet and all the way down New Oxford Street. So of course I went.

(As an aside: the two writers I would automatically buy in hardcover back then were Pratchett and Ian M. Banks – both of whom seem to be feeding into the giant new space opera novel I’m currently writing. Which, at a distance of over twenty-five years, feels strange!).

The first Pratchett book I bought in London was The Last Continent, which had just come out (listed below), and this was followed by books both new and, if I could find them, old (at some point I had first editions of Eric and Equal Rites in first edition, and others, but most of these went elsewhere around 2008).

I can’t say I ever knew Pratchett, though I ran into him a couple of times, and went to many of his signings. The books below are sort of a snapshot in time, those heady first few years in London going to book signings, meeting authors, eventually starting to write myself. These are remarkably well-preserved, in lovely condition, all inscribed to me by Pratchett around publication time, and a couple come with bits of ephemera (listed) within their pages.

It’s time for them to find a new home, though, and find someone new to  enjoy them on the shelf. With that in mind, then:

Terry Pratchett Book List

All are inscribed first editions signed by Pratchett (with one, only signed, exception). To make life easier, all prices include P&P. Query at booksale @ lavietidhar.co.uk in first instance.

The Last Continent. Doubleday, 1998. Inscribed “To Lavie / No worries, mate!”, with “Kingdom of Lancre / Admit one” stamp. In protective mylar jacket. Come with a promotional bookmark advertising Pratchett’s next signing event at Forbidden Planet. £120

Carpe Jugulum. Doubleday,1998. Inscribed “To Lavie / Blood will out!”, with “Kingdom of Lancre / Admit one” stamp. Comes with: 2x tickets to the Carpe Jugulum play at the Riverside Studios (Hammersmith); 1 x postcard advertising the play; and 1 x programme. £120.

The Thief of Time. Doubleday 2001. Inscribed “To Lavie / Deja fu!”. £120

The Truth. Doubleday, 2000. Inscribed “To Lavie / It’s all true!”. £120

The Fifth Elephant. Doubleday, 1999. Inscribed “To Lavie / What goeth around cometh around…”, with “Kingdom of Lancre / Admit one” stamp. £120

Small Gods. Gollancz, 1992. Inscribed “To Lavie / The turtle moves!”. The last of my Josh Kirby era titles.  £200.

The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents. Doubleday, 2001. Inscribed “To Lavie / with cheese!”, Quite rare. £160.

Johnny and the Bomb. Transworld, 1996. Inscribed “To Lavie / Duck!”. £100

The Last Hero (Illustrated by Paul Kidby). Gollancz, 2001. Oversized hardcover. Inscribed “To Lavie / The song continues!”, with a doodle of a scythe accompanied by “Boo!”. £150

The Science of Discworld (Terry Pratchett, with Ian Stewart and Jack Cohen)

The Science of Discworld. Ebury Press, 1999. Inscribed “To Lavie / It’s true and it spins!” – signed by Pratchett, Stewart and Cohen. Comes with a Forbidden Planet flyer advertising the signing event. £130

The Science of Discworld II: The Globe. Ebury Press, 2002. Inscribed “To Lavie / It goes around again!” – signed by Pratchett, Stewart and Cohen. £130

Misc

Terry Pratchett’s Discworld II: Missing Presumed…!?. by Paul Kidd. Boxtree 1996. Large format, square paperback. An “official strategy guide” for the game. Inscribed by Pratchett: “To Lavie / Squeeze the bridle!” – at least, that’s what I think it says, I never saw the game. Did anyone play it? A bit of a weird item, this, but I don’t see a signed copy anywhere online. £60

Terry Pratchett: Guilty of Literature, ed Butler, James and Mendlesohn. The Science Fiction Foundation, 2000. Signed but not inscribed by Pratchett. Rare like this. £60

Other

Good Omens. Inscribed first edition… ask me if interested.