I’m so thrilled to be announcing this!

Sir Terry Pratchett OBE has sent me a signed book for the 7 Wonders in 7 Days Charity Auction and Tweetup on Thursday!

Sir Terry Pratchett has sold over 65 million books worldwide and is best known for his popular and long-running Discworld series of comic fantasy novels.

As he says in this 5 minute video interview on the BBC in February, he is very proud of his children’s stories, one of which is A Hat Full of Sky.

I wrote to Sir Terry’s agent requesting a signed book for the auction and am still blown over by the fact that he sent one!

I have right next to me a copy of A Hat Full of Sky with Sir Terry Pratchett’s signature on the title page reserved for the lucky person who bids for it at the charity auction at The Living Room, Deansgate, Manchester on Thursday!

For quite a while, I’ve wanted to write about why I’m supporting the 7 charities I have picked.

Alzheimer’s Research Trust was the first charity I picked because the 7 Wonders in 7 Days trip was inspired by my grandmother’s death aged 83 from complications arising from Alzheimer’s Disease.

You can read more about how a TV programme featuring a man caring for his elderly wife suffering from the disease set me off on this incredible journey.

When researching Alzheimer charities I was surprised and saddened to read that Sir Terry had been diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2007.  You can watch his public announcement on the BBC here.  You can also read it here.   Sir Terry Pratchett is patron of Alzheimer’s Research Trust.

I’ve long been an admirer of his work; I’ve never forgotten reading the line about “writing being the most fun thing a person can do on their own with their clothes on” {paraphrased} from the Acknowledgements page in a friend’s copy of one of the Discworld novels.

Discovering that he was patron of the only charity dedicated to researching a cure for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias swung it my way.  I had been considering supporting the Alzheimer’s Society.

I am eternally grateful to Sir Terry Pratchett for his kindness in donating a signed book to the 7 Wonders in 7 Days charity auction and will keep praying for him and his family.  I have some experience of what they are going through.

If you can or do, please do pray for them too.

I’ve just updated our press release and social media news release to include this incredible news, so please share as much as you can!

Don’t forget that we’ve also got incredible music from award-winning cellist Peter Gregson at the Charity Auction and Tweetup.   Get your tickets before they get snapped up by Terry Pratchett fans!

Your comments, queries and thoughts welcome as always.  Share in the comments.

Image credit:  DailyMail.co.uk