Terry Pratchett: Euthanasia is a 'very human thing'

Sir Terry Pratchett has reaffirmed his support for reform of euthanasia laws in the UK.

In an interview with the Guardian, the I Shall Wear Midnight author said that people who suffer from serious illnesses should have the option to end their own lives, as they do in places such as Switzerland and Oregon.

'I feel embarrassed that people from this country have to go, cap in hand, to die in Switzerland,' he explained, adding that he believes it is a 'very human thing' for people to consider ending their own life when their suffering becomes too great.

The writer, who has been outspoken in his support for euthanasia reform since he was diagnosed with a rare form of Alzheimer's disease, also claimed that he would have considered it his 'duty' to help his own father to die if it had been legal.

Pratchett is a patron of the pro-euthanasia charity Dignity in Dying, alongside celebrities such as author and comedienne Jo Brand, playwright Nell Dunn and biographer Sir Michael Holroyd.