Terry Pratchett wrote over 50 books during his writing career, winning numerous awards, and was made a knight. He was best known for his Discworld series, – a 41-part-long humorous fantasy and science fiction series that parodied social and political issues.
He was seen by many as a master of blending humour with fantasy, science fiction and even apocalyptical themes. But, in his 1997 interview with BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs he chose something a bit more grounded as the read of his life.
He first described life in the hypothetical island as a potential oasis, away from literary fame: “That’s fine by me. No telephone, no mail… I’m a fairly practical kind of person, so I’ll probably be grubbing for food and fishing in the lagoon”.
“I think for a writer, fame is something that happens on the outside. It doesn’t affect you very much because you’re always sitting down and things are taking place in the space behind your eyes. And the reviews and all the rest of it happen to somebody else, some kind of outer shell. So I don’t think I’ll miss that at all”, he added.
When asked about the book he would choose to have as his only reading option there, Pratchett humorously said: “There’s bound to be something with a title like Edible Plants of the South Seas”.
Indeed, Edible Plants of the South Seas is a 1956 piece by Emile Massal, that outlines the vegetation and biome found in the area.
“Now I know you disapprove but I’m a fairly practical person and I realise that behind every plant that we now eat there are all the unsung cavemen that proved that the other ones were poisonous”, the author added.
Online, his fans also report conversations with Pratchett over the years, in which he recommended the books of Carl Hiaasen, PG Wodehouse and Trove Jansson – arguably more conventionally entertaining reads.
He went on to choose another unconventional “item”, he would bring along when stranded: “Cheating, I know, but the Chrysler building from New York, built in 1930″.
“It’s a marvellous piece of gothic art deco with eagle’s heads and gargoyles and a summit which looks like some kind of Isoldo cinema. It’s just this marvellous silver creation. It’s the ultimate skyscraper”.
The songs Pratchett chose to make up his island playlist are Hector Berlioz’s ‘Dream of a witches sabbath (from Symphonie fantastique)’, Steeleye Span’s ‘Thomas The Rhymer’, Bernard Miles’ ‘The Race For The Rhinegold Stakes’, Mozart’s ‘Voi che sapete (from The Marriage of Figaro)’, ‘Bat Out Of Hell’ by Meat Loaf, ‘Great Southern Land’ by Icehouse and Vivaldi’s ’The Four Seasons Op 8’.