LONDON, England (CNN) -- Olympians, business leaders, designers and the lead singer of an iconic rock band are among those receiving New Year's honors from Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, the Cabinet Office announced Wednesday.
Author Terry Pratchett, 60, receives the highest honor of a knighthood. Pratchett, best known for his popular Discworld series of comic fantasy novels, told CNN affiliate ITN he is "a bit embarrassed but quite pleased" to receive the honor for his services to literature.
"I never set out to write literature, but I suppose it's a nice catch-all term," he told ITN. "I have had a lot of fun over the past 25 years. I have written a lot of books and I have sold an awful lot."
The author joked that he will only use his new title of "Sir Terry" on letterhead if he is "writing to the magistrates," but he said it could help him campaign for better funding for Alzheimer's research. Pratchett announced a year ago that he suffers from the disease.
Pratchett said he continues to write, but the process has become slow.
#270