Virus forces Pratchett to miss signing

Published on Wednesday 22 October 2003 01:00

BEST-SELLING fantasy author Terry Pratchett was forced to cancel a book signing in Edinburgh today, after coming down with a virus.

He was due to appear at Ottakars in George Street at 1pm today.

But he had to cancel the event, and everything else on his schedule for the next week, after catching a "nasty bug".

Prue Jeffreys, the authors publicist at UK publishers Transworld, said he had no choice but to call off a week of dates on the tour.

"He has got a virus and is under doctors orders not to leave his home," she said. "He’ll be OK in the long run, but it is just that kind of virus where he needs to stay in bed and rest. We have cancelled every event for the next week and then we’ll see how he is.

"To the best of my knowledge this is the first time in nearly 20 years he has missed a signing."

The appearance at Ottakars was the latest leg of a UK tour to publicise his new book Monstrous Regiment, the most recent installment in the popular Discworld series.

A spokeswoman for the store said the cancellation was "a shame".