Terry Pratchett joins up with a leading folklorist to reveal the legends, myths and customs of Discworld, with helpful hints from Planet Earth.

One of the most interesting and critically underrated novelists we have ... The Folklore of Discworld - co-authored with the eminent folklorist Jacqueline Simpson - emphasises his irreverence and drollery. The Times Pratchett is, like Mark Twain, or Jonathan Swift, not just a great writer but also an original thinker ... funny, exciting, lighthearted and, like all the best comedy, very serious. Guardian Simpson provides depth to the real-world analogues of the Discworold characters, and the text becomes a neatly integrated discussion of folklore, belief systems and the like in both worlds...well written and will raise a smile...a fine Hogswatch present. Fortean Times

Terry Pratchett is the acclaimed creator of the bestselling Discworld series, the latest of which is Making Money. He was knighted for services to literature in 2009. Dr Jacqueline Simpson is a long-standing member and office-holder on the committee of the Folklore Society. Her publications include British Dragons, Folklore of Sussex, Scandinavian Folktales, and (with Jennifer Westwood) The Lore of the Land: A Guide to England's Legends.