Royal Mail today revealed images of a set of eight Special Stamps being issued to celebrate Terry Pratchett’s globally popular, fantasy Discworld series, and the 40th anniverary of the first book in the series, The Colour of Magic.
The stamps include characters Rincewind, The Librarian, Granny Weatherwax, Sam Vimes, and Great A’Tuin, as well as specially commissioned artworks of Death and Mort, Tiffany Aching and Moist von Lipwig by Terry Pratchett’s illustrator of choice, Paul Kidby.
Sir Terry Pratchett, OBE (1948–2015) is regarded as one of the UK’s greatest fantasy writers. His defining work is the Discworld series, which spans 41 novels that have been translated into over 40 languages, with more than a hundred million copies sold worldwide.
Discworld is a flat, circular planet revolving on the shoulders of four giant elephants who stand atop a vast star turtle called the Great A’Tuin. This turtle is 10,000 miles long and of the species Chelys galactica. Its shell is scarred with meteor craters, and its eyes are as big as seas.
David Gold, Director of External Affairs and Policy said: “These striking stamps will be loved by generations both young and old. Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels remain as popular as ever and it is fitting that in the 40th anniversary year of The Colour of Magic, we celebrate with a set of stamps that honour the work of an iconic and globally admired writer.”
Royal Mail worked closely with Terry Pratchett’s estate, as well as Paul Kidby, who has been illustrating Discworld for 30 years.
Paul began working with Terry Pratchett in 1993 and has designed the Discworld book jackets since 2002. He has illustrated many Discworld publications including The Art of Discworld, best-selling The Last Hero and the 2017 publication Terry Pratchett’s Discworld Imaginarium. In 2019 he illustrated ‘Good Omens’ written by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.
Illustrator, Paul Kidby said: “It has been a huge honour to illustrate this set of stamps to commemorate 40 years of Discworld. I am delighted to finally be able to tell people about it as it has been a big secret to keep! It’s a wonderful celebration of Terry’s ongoing legacy and continued popularity.”
The stamps are available to pre-order from today (3 August) at www.royalmail.com/discworld, by telephone on 03457 641 641 and at 7,000 Post Office branches across the UK. A Presentation Pack including all eight stamps in the set is priced at £13.50. The stamps go on general sale on 10 August.
Stamp by Stamp
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RINCEWIND
Rincewind the failed wizard is now the Egregious Professor of Cruel and Unusual Geography at the Unseen University. He has a natural ability with languages and is usually seen running away.
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MOIST VON LIPWIG
Moist von Lipwig was a con artist who, when caught, was given the option of sudden death or becoming Postmaster General. He took the job, transformed the postal service and was given a splendid golden postman’s hat.
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THE LIBRARIAN
The Librarian is an immensely strong orangutan. A former wizard, he was transformed by a strong wave of magic and found that this made it much easier to get around the multidimensional Unseen University Library.
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GRANNY WEATHERWAX
Granny Weatherwax is the most powerful witch on Discworld and uses magic only as the last resort. Usually she relies on ‘headology’ and common – and even uncommon – sense.
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SAM VIMES
Sam Vimes once patrolled the streets of Ankh-Morpork as a lowly copper. He is now Commander of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch, but he still likes to walk the beat when he can.
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DEATH AND MORT
Death is a black-robed skeleton who usually carries a scythe. He has become frustrated with the unfair inevitability of death, but it is a job only he can do. Death takes on Mort, a gangly young man, as his apprentice.
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TIFFANY ACHING
Tiffany Aching is a young witch who grew up in a farming family in an area called the Chalk. She was just nine years old when her talent in magic was discovered. She is also an excellent cheesemaker.
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GREAT A’TUIN
The Great A’Tuin is a vast star turtle, which moves through the universe propelled by its massive flippers, avoiding meteors and other hazards. The Great A’Tuin carries the spinning disc of Discworld.
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About Royal Mail Special Stamps
For more than 50 years Royal Mail’s Special Stamp programme has commemorated anniversaries and celebrated events relevant to UK heritage and life. Today, there are an estimated 60 million* stamp collectors worldwide.
About International Distributions Services plc
International Distributions Services plc is the parent company of Royal Mail Group Limited, the leading provider of postal and delivery services in the UK and the UK’s designated universal postal service provider. UK Parcels, International and Letters (“UKPIL”) comprises the company’s UK and international parcels and letters delivery businesses operating under the “Royal Mail” and “Parcelforce Worldwide” brands. Through the Royal Mail Core Network, the company delivers a one-price-goes-anywhere service on a range of parcels and letters products. Royal Mail has the capability to deliver to around 31 million addresses in the UK, six days a week (excluding UK public holidays). Parcelforce Worldwide operates a separate UK network which collects and delivers express parcels. International Distributions Services plc also owns General Logistics Systems (GLS) which operates one of the largest ground-based, deferred parcel delivery networks in Europe.