Short stories by the late fantasy author Terry Pratchett are set to be published later this year after previously being seen under a pseudonym in a newspaper.
The 20 tales are all works that were not originally attributed to the writer, who died aged 66 in 2015. They were instead published in the 1970s and 1980s, mostly under the pseudonym Patrick Kearns, and had not been attributed to Pratchett until now.
A Stroke of the Pen: The Lost Stories, the collection, will be published on October 5 by Pratchett’s long-time publisher Transworld.
Pratchett is well-loved for his 41 interconnected Discworld novels published between 1983 and 2015. He died from complications of Alzheimer’s disease and is survived by his wife Lyn and daughter Rhianna, who is also a writer.
Transworld said Larry Finlay and Charlotte Trumble, assistant editor, acquired world rights in a six-figure deal from Jon Wood at RCW, on behalf of the Pratchett Estate.
A statement read: “One of the longer stories, The Quest for the Keys, had been framed on Pratchett fan Chris Lawrence’s wall for [more than] 40 years.
“When he alerted the Pratchett Estate to its existence, the rest of the stories were unearthed by fans Pat and Jan Harkin, who went through decades’ worth of old newspapers to rediscover the lost treasures.”
It added: “Whilst none of the stories are set in the Discworld, they hint at the world Sir Terry would go on to create in his hugely successful, bestselling series, containing his trademark wit, satirical intelligence, and fantastic imagination.”
Readers can expect to meet characters ranging from cavemen to gnomes, wizards to ghosts, and read about time travel tourism, the haunting of council offices, and a visitor from another planet.
Transworld has said this will be the final offering from Pratchett, who wanted his unfinished works to be destroyed upon his death. However, with these stories being unearthed and Pratchett telling friends there may be treasures elsewhere, fans may not give up hope just yet.
Publisher Colin Smythe said: “For all the years I was Terry’s publisher and then agent he never ever gave me any help in finding his shorter writings — but as he wrote in his dedication to me in Dragons at Crumbling Castle, there were stories he had carefully hidden away. Just how true these words were, I had no idea.”
Pratchett fan Chris Lawrence added: “The Quest for the Keys resonated with me as a 15-year-old, which is why I made the effort to collect each part. I treasured and kept them safe for over 35 years.
“Having survived numerous house moves, little did I know of their importance. Following contact with Colin Smythe, I realised just how significant they were.”
