We are pleased (delighted, ecstatic) to announce that one further lost story by Terry Pratchett has been found.
A Stroke of the Pen: The Lost Stories, published in 2023, collected 20 rediscovered tales from when Terry wrote under a pseudonym back in the 1970s and 1980s. It was, at the time, believed to be the last stories of his. But, we were wrong.
One final published tale has been found, that was missed from this collection: Arnold, the Bominable Snowman, which brings us to some more news.
This new story will appear in the paperback edition of A Stroke of the Pen, which will publish in September 2024. Furthermore, the story itself will be published online – for free – by Penguin Books, so that those who bought the hardback do not miss out on this tale. More information on the paperback edition, and where to read the story online, will be made available at a later date.
Finally, to celebrate this unexpected turn of events, Penguin Books are running a contest for your illustration to be printed in this new edition of A Stroke of the Pen, asking readers to submit a black and white drawing of what you think Arnold, the Bominable Snowman looks like. There are two age groups: Children (age 4-15); and Adult (16+). Full details, terms and prizes can be found at Penguin’s Terry Pratchett Books website.
The description – a preview from the story – to work from reads: “Once upon a time there was a snowman. He wasn’t an abominable one, like the ones that grunt and sneeze up on distant Tibetan mountains, but quite English and completely bominable…”
Rob Wilkins, Manager of the Terry Pratchett Estate: “I remember being en route to Taunton Literary Festival to talk about the A Stroke of the Pen and how there would definitely, never, ever be any more new Terry Pratchett stories, then receiving the call that there had been one final discovery. I previously said that Terry would be tickled to see the prior found stories celebrated in one volume; I think he’d be just as tickled to know that he has surprised us yet again, and that we have been given one further look into his work before he became the Terry Pratchett we know and love.”
Rose Green, Commissioning Editor at Doubleday Books: “Bominable snowmen, like their abominable cousins, are famously hard to find, so it seems only fitting that this final story eluded us until now. We’re delighted to be able to unite this lost short story with its companions and to share it with fans.”