Sir Terry Pratchett of Ankh-Morpork will become the first novelist ever to give prestigous Dimbleby Lecture on 1 February 2010.
This will be the 34th lecture held in honour of the veteran broadcaster Richard Dimbleby who died in 1965. The first novelist to give the lecture, Pratchett will be giving a speech entitled Shaking Hands With Death, in which he will explore how modern society – confronted with an increasingly older population, many of whom will suffer from incurable illnesses – will need to redefine how it deals with death.
Jay Hunt, Controller of BBC One, says: "I'm absolutely delighted that one of our most popular and best-loved authors has agreed to give this lecture. Sir Terry Pratchett has spoken with great bravery and honesty about his battle with Alzheimer's and I look forward to an intelligent and thought-provoking speech."
Other previous Richard Dimbleby lecturers include the Prince of Wales, Bill Clinton, Dame Stella Rimington and Dr Rowan Williams.
