Terry Pratchett (by sarah)
Finially after living in Chelt for over two years we got to go to the Litrature festivial - first year we had no way of getting there and no one to look after jean and I was still shaky on the crutches, last year we just didnt have any spare cash to spend on the ticketsbut this year we got to go!
And yesturday we say Terry Pratchett being interviewed by some woman from a litrature programme on the radio. He was quiet frankly brilliant - I didnt expect that, I thought he would just be an oldish man being interviewed but he was sooooooo funny and he feely does have my dads scense of humour 🙂 He is also quick witted and sounds like Mr Hedgehog when he was telling me bed time stories! (ok well dads good at accents and there used to be a hedgehog and badger and pigeon and fruit bat etc.... who would tell me stories and stuff).
Anyway I was glad to here that he is writing something other than a discworld noval and said himself the same things me and Alaric had said about the novals becoming a bit samey but people wanting the familiarity etc... I think that it must be a great reflief to go and do something different that isnt tied in to all the previous stuff, reduce the pressure of whats expected etc...
What I was sad to hear though is that he had suffered a little stroke - he hadn't even known he said and the only difference he detected was that he can no longer tie a tie and that he has certian adverts stuck in his head - he then proceeded to lighten the mood again by singing some of the jingles! Again he can actually sing which was cool.
Today we are off to see Stephen Hawking and his duaghter which should be fun though Al has already been to various things with Hawking I havent so I'm really excited! Unfortunatly I hadn't noticed that Tom Reynolds was going to be doing a slot and therefore didnt factor him in which is a shame as we'd have quiet liked to have seen him - oh well :/
However me and Al have had everyone we tell about who we are seeing at the festivial laugh at us! I think that there is a certian expectation when you say you are going to the Cheltenham Litrature Festivial that it will be all arty and high brow. This angers me slightly as surely writing is about communication and if artistic - expression - the same people who would not dare be seen listerning to Pratchett as its not proper litrature will praise Shakespeare and the like, forgetting or ignoring the origins and history of the very subject they are being so 'knowledgable' about.
Sun 7th Oct 2007 8:47 am 
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By Lionel, Mon 15th Oct 2007 @ 1:46 pm
Glad you enjoyed the festival. i saw Terry P there long ago and he gave a good talk.
One time they had a special "scienceday" with some very interesting talks, but I think that has since spun off into a separate science festival. Quite apart from the actual talks, i liked the atmosphere with the bookselling tent, the flowers and all the extras.