The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents

Story
Rats are intelligent, especially when they’ve eaten magical rubbish and joined forces with a clever cat called Maurice to relieve a town of its rat plague - and most of its money.

Why we chose it

The Amazing Maurice was Terry Pratchett’s 28^th Discworld novel but his first for children and won the prestigious Carnegie Medal. Pratchett said this was much harder to write than any of his previous books. A funny and mischievous twist on the traditional tale of the Pied Piper, this is a delightful introduction to Discworld and a celebration of the power of story. Pratchett was photographed as ‘Just William’ for the Story Museum’s 26 Characters exhibition in 2014.

Where it came from

Terry Pratchett credits his education to Beaconsfield Public Library. He left school at 17 to become a journalist and wrote stories for children under the name Uncle Jim. His first book, with his own illustrations, was published in 1971, and in 1983 he began his now famous Discworld series with a comic fantasy called The Colour of Magic. Since then Pratchett has written over 50 books, as well as plays, screenplays, short stories and non-fiction. His books have sold more than 80 million copies in 38 languages, been adapted for stage and screen and continue to inspire a devoted following. In 2009 he was knighted for services to literature.

Where it went next

In 2019 it was announced that The Amazing Maurice is being adapted into an animated film, the first animation of any of Pratchett’s stories.

Associated stories

Pratchett set 41 of his novels in Discworld. Among these the stories featuring trainee witch Tiffany Aching – such as The Wee Free Men and A Hat Full of Sky – are especially popular with younger readers. Teenagers are recommended to start the series with Mort, Guards! Guards! or Small Gods. Younger readers also enjoy Pratchett’s Nome and Johnny Maxwell trilogies.

In the museum

See the photograph of Terry Pratchett dressed as Just William for our 26 Characters exhibition. The 26 Characters photographs are on display in the theatre lobby.