If you've read Night Watch, you know what wearing the lilac is about. If not...according to the book, no one who needs to have it explained to them has the right to wear the lilac, but we'll make an exception in the interests of raising money. Better yet, buy the book and contribute more to Pratchett's coffers, and then you'll know about the brave (sort of) revolutionaries (well, guys who happened to be there) who fought for freedom (or just getting the bad guys out of their neighborhood), and wore a sprig of lilac on May 25.

If you don't care for silly book allusions, you can donate directly to match Terry's amount. I bought 4 lilacs, and I'm not sure what to do with them. I'll be at an sf convention on May 25. I guess I'll hand them out when anyone asks me why I'm wearing one.

In the decay of my favorite author, I'm grieving not only for him and feeling sorry for myself, but grieving my father's long, slow death. If you've every lost a loved one by Swiss cheese degrees, I hope you'll toss a dollar into the pot. And say a prayer.

For more information, visit the BBC site for all things Pratchett.

• Readers will be glad to know that although he no longer drives and can't figure out how to pull his shirt over his head, his writing is going fine, and he expects at least 3-4 more books. At this time he expects to attend the first U. S. Discworld convention in September 2009.