Discworld

Discworld is not your everyday planet. It’s completely flat and propped up by four huge elephants standing on the back of a giant turtle, swimming through space.

When Discworld’s first-ever tourist arrives on this unique land – an insurance salesman with luggage that runs on its own legs – the failed wizard Rincewind becomes his guide. Together they set off for the edge of the planet, encountering many a mythical creature along the way.

The Disc itself is approximately 10,000 miles wide, giving plenty of opportunity for author Sir Terry Pratchett to explore the themes of religion, fundamentalism and inner-city tension that underpin the 40-plus titles in the Discworld series.

Recognised as one of the best (and most prolific) authors ever to have come out of the UK, Pratchett's absurdist comedy was born out of frustration with the fantasy novels being published at the time. With many authors in the 70s and 80s trying to mimic the success of The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings, he began writing parodies that quickly became more popular than those they were poking fun at.

Narrators of the series include Nigel Planer and Tony Robinson, who many listeners will recognise from some of TV's greatest comedies. They're joined by Stephen Briggs, a co-conspirator of Pratchett's who has been heavily involved in many of Discworld's adaptations into different mediums including graphic novels, fan movies, radio dramas, stage shows and TV dramas.

Terry Pratchett was knighted for his services to literature in 2009. The next year he received the World Fantasy Award for Life Achievement. The Discworld series has also won numerous awards and in 2019 the BBC named it one of the 100 most influential novels.

More than 80 million Discworld books have been sold around the world in 37 languages.

Please note: Some of the audio is a vintage recording. The audio quality may not be up to modern day standards.