Prize-winning Pratchett takes a swipe at Lord of the Rings

Terry Pratchett has picked up the most prestigious award in children's literature.

He has won the Carnegie Medal in the UK for his book, The Amazing Maurice And His Educated Rodents.

But he could not resist a swipe at fellow fantasy author JRR Tolkien as he accepted the award.

Discussing his winning novel, Pratchett said: "Far more beguiling than the idea that evil can be destroyed by throwing a piece of expensive jewellery into a volcano is the possibility that evil can be defused by talking.

Pratchett, 54, also said people should not fall into the trap of thinking that the Harry Potter novels were the be all and end all of fantasy writing.

"Fantasy is more than wizards. For instance, this book is about rats that are intelligent. But it is also about the even more fantastic idea that humans are capable of intelligence as well," he said.

He told the audience at the British Library in central London: "As a genre it has become quite respectable in recent years. At least, it can demonstrably make lots and lots and lots of money, which passes for respectable these days. When you can buy a plastic Gandalf with kung-fu grip and rocket launcher, you know fantasy has broken through."

The Amazing Maurice is a reworking of the Pied Piper fable and is set in Discworld, the fantasy universe which is also the setting for his adult works. It is the third time Pratchett had been nominated for the Carnegie Medal and he said he was amazed to have won.

Pratchett was picked from a short-list of seven authors nominated by librarians across the UK.