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| Pratchett has Alzheimer's disease | Pratchett has Alzheimer's disease |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Author Terry Pratchett is suffering from a rare form of early Alzheimer's disease, it has been revealed. | Author Terry Pratchett is suffering from a rare form of early Alzheimer's disease, it has been revealed. |
| He said in a statement that with forthcoming conventions and the need to inform his publishers it would have been "unfair to withhold the news". | He said in a statement that with forthcoming conventions and the need to inform his publishers it would have been "unfair to withhold the news". |
| Discworld author Pratchett has sold more than 55 million books worldwide. | Discworld author Pratchett has sold more than 55 million books worldwide. |
| The writer, 59, who gave the news on the website of Discworld artist Paul Kidby, said the condition was behind a "phantom stroke" earlier this year. | |
| 'Mild optimism' | |
| He said: "I would have liked to keep this one quiet for a little while, but because of upcoming conventions and of course the need to keep my publishers informed, it seems to me unfair to withhold the news. | |
| "I have been diagnosed with a very rare form of early onset Alzheimer's, which lay behind this year's 'phantom stroke'." | |
| He added: "We are taking it fairly philosophically down here and possibly with a mild optimism. | |
| The author said work was continuing on his latest book, Unseen Academicals. | |
| 'More books' | |
| "All other things being equal, I expect to meet most current and, as far as possible, future commitments but will discuss things with the various organisers," he said. | |
| "Frankly, I would prefer it if people kept things cheerful, because I think there's time for at least a few more books yet." | |
| He told fans the statement should be interpreted as "I am not dead". | |
| "I will, of course, be dead at some future point, as will everybody else," he said. | |
| "For me, this may be further off than you think. It's too soon to tell. | |
| "I know it's a very human thing to say 'is there anything I can do', but in this case I would only entertain offers from very high-end experts in brain chemistry." | |
| Pratchett was made an OBE in 1998 for services to British literature. |