After 12 months break from the novel idea TBOM: A tear in the tumbledown house, what does it look like now, with time and perspective?
Not too bad. I think that, as an idea, it has legs. 20 novels worth? That is a lot I agree. But I think it holds a multitude of stories and I already have the ending of book 20: W*** n**
Recently, the audio book for Terry Pratchett’s autobiography came out, read by his long term assistant Rob, who put the whole thing together. It was so sad… I haven’t slept properly since.
You see, it was my dad’s anniversary in the same week I was finishing the book. And, of course it brought back a lot of memories and grief, not just for my dad and the fact that his death, like that of so many normal people, goes completely unnoticed. But also for a truly excellent writer, who I often thought of as my writing dad.
There is a growing movement for a TP day, like bloomsday in Dublin. My dad will never get that, although the people of north Wexford will certainly try. Despite both men inspiring me in different ways.
Artistically, I wonder how many people count TP as their inspiration. He was mine. As a nine year old, barely able to read myself, due to what we would call dyslexia now, but what was called stupidity then, I found that magical place…. Greystones library. Turns out, something similar happened to TP when he was a kid. Obviously, he was a little bit more successful than I. 41 Discworld novels (there were plenty others too).
With the freedom only an eighties child could utilise, I spent the next few years, up to thirteen, or the year I realised girls existed, reading everything from remedial books to Stephen Donaldson. From Where’s Waldo to Commander Vimes I journeyed on through Pratchett, Feist, Donaldson, McCaffrey et al. And what a journey it was!
I remember telling my dad how much TP meant to me, when I was emigrating to Oz. “I don’t care about anything else,” I told him. “Just take care of my Terry Patchett collection. This collection consisted, not only of the Discworld novels, but Truckers, Diggers, Wings, the Johnny novels, Strata, the Carpet People and The Dark Side of the Sun.
The collection was put on a as high shelf in the shed where it wouldn’t be interfered with until my return.
Even when I was in Africa I asked my dad about the books.
“There’s a Pratchett fan here dad, but they don’t have the full collection like I do. It’s amazing eh?”
“About that Éanna, em, the dog ate some of your books, and we sold some of them at the summer fair. Alright then, take care now, god bless.”
Excuse me? The dog ate them? Insert joke about my homework.
So many questions.
My dad inspired me to learn a great lesson that day, which has stayed with me through many destroyed trinkets, lost computers and phones, robberies and carelessness. Things are great, but you will lose them all over time, just like people. However, the things you feel for those people and things, and the memories they leave you with can never be taken away.
There you go.
P.S. This Substack is my website now. So have a look.
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