This just in—beloved Discworld author Terry Pratchett was knighted in the 2009 New Year Honors! Sounds terribly British, what ho. I hope that’s an actual scroll, dripping with ribbons and seals, if only to allow Pratchett to make a good pun. According to The Independent, which also has a very dapper picture, Pratchett says, “I’m glad a genre writer had got a knighthood, but stunned that it was me.”
Sir Terry Pratchett is the only fantasy writer I could find who has been named a Knight of the British Empire—anyone know more? Arthur C. Clarke preferred spaceships to witches and J.R.R. Tolkien was only a Commander of the British Empire, so he couldn’t be called “Sir.” (A mercy, perhaps. “Sir J.R.R.”?) At any rate, congratulations and continued best wishes to Sir Terry! Not a bad way to start the new year.
