Wossname -- March 2016 -- Main issue

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
March 2016 (Volume 19, Issue 3, Post 2)

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WOSSNAME is a free publication offering news, reviews, and all the other stuff-that-fits pertaining to the works of Sir Terry Pratchett. Originally founded by the late, great Joe Schaumburger for members of the worldwide Klatchian Foreign Legion and its affiliates, including the North American Discworld Society and other continental groups, Wossname is now for Discworld and Pratchett fans everywhere in Roundworld.
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Editor in Chief: Annie Mac
News Editor: Vera P
Newshounds: Mogg, Sir J of Croydon Below, the Shadow, Mss C, Alison not Aliss
Staff Writers: Asti, Pitt the Elder, Evil Steven Dread, Mrs Wynn-Jones
Staff Technomancers: Jason Parlevliet, Archchancellor Neil, DJ Helpful
Book Reviews: Annie Mac, Drusilla D'Afanguin, Your Name Here
Puzzle Editor: Tiff (still out there somewhere)
Bard in Residence: Weird Alice Lancrevic
Emergency Staff: Steven D'Aprano, Jason Parlevliet
World Membership Director: Steven D'Aprano (in his copious spare time)

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INDEX:

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) FORTHCOMING PUBLICATIONS
04) ODDS AND SODS
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
07) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
08) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
09) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
10) ROUNDWORLD TALES: SOUL CAKES
11) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
12) CLOSE

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"It's interesting that I Shall Wear Midnight (2010) was written by a man who was, at the time of writing, beginning a more serious struggle with Alzheimer's disease than his outward persona may have let on. The pacing, complexity and adventure of this story is exceptional, and I rank it among Terry's very best work. Reflecting on his own mortality and the role that Alzheimer's might play in his demise, Terry once told me, riffing on Spike Milligan, I don't mind dying, I'd just like to be there when it happens."
– David Lloyd

"These books have meant the world to me. They opened my eyes and broadened my mind and inspired my writing, and I have enjoyed reading every one of them, and I will enjoy reading every one of them again and again, all through my life. Because a man isn’t really dead as long as people speak his name, as long as people read his books, as long as the ripples keep spreading. And still the turtle moves."
– a blogger called AR

"Sir Terry Pratchett the frail human being has passed away. Terry Pratchett the author is immortal. He talks to thousands – perhaps millions – of people every day, in more countries than you or I could name in twenty minutes without an Atlas. He tells people that, hey, it’s not so bad. He makes people laugh. He makes people cry. He teaches people things they never knew they wanted to know. He takes people on mesmerising journeys through fantastical lands, lands that he created. He tells people that maybe – just maybe – they, too, can send heartwarming ripples across the world with nothing more than a human mind and a keyboard.
Terry Pratchett isn’t dead. He’s just reached the point where people have finally stopped asking him to sign things."
– Luke Kemp, on Reddit, June 2015

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

Spring is in the air! At least it is in the parts of the world that brought us Sir Terry Pratchett. Down here in the land of Fourecks, the days are ever longer and the rather mild season the Ecksians call winter is on its way. But wherever you are, this is a good time for remembering and praising the Works of Pratchett. Next month sees the official London remembrance event, but for all those millions of Pratchett fans who can't attend, we have our groaning bookshelves and our blogposts (there are some sweet memories in item 9, Around the Blogosphere).

April will also see another plentiful helping of Discworld theatre activity. It's heartwarming to see a continuing increase in the number of local theatre groups performing Discworld plays. Long may that continue.

As it's just been Easter weekend, this month's Roundworld Tales (item 10) is about soul cakes. Here's hoping the Soul Cake Duck brought you tasty treats...

And now, on with the show!

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) FORTHCOMING PUBLICATIONS

3.1 NEW SHORT STORY COLLECTION

After the rollicking success of Dragons at Crumbling Castle, here comes The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner!

From Charlotte Eyre in The Bookseller:

"Penguin Random House Children's will this summer publish a second collection of short stories from Terry Pratchett. The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner, like the first volume Dragon's at Crumbling Castle, features 14 stories written by Pratchett when he was a young man. The book will again be illustrated by Mark Beech. PRH Children's acquired the world rights from Colin Smythe of Colin Smythe Ltd... The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner will be published on 25th August in hardback, priced at £12.99. PRH will also release a collector's edition with bonus stories and a critical commentary to accompany each story, with price to be announced.

http://www.thebookseller.com/news/new-pratchett-short-story-collection-prh-323771

From Discworld.com:

"Penguin Random House Children's is delighted to announce a new collection of short stories by master storyteller, Sir Terry Pratchett, due to be published this August. The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner is the second collection of Pratchett's short stories, following on from the hugely successful first volume, Dragons at Crumbling Castle, which became a number 1 bestseller. Beautifully illustrated and brought to life by Mark Beech, these stories feature food fights and pirates, wizards and crooks and are sure to delight Pratchett fans worldwide. Written when he was just seventeen, The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner brings together fourteen of Pratchett's earliest stories. Each of the stories shows the seeds of ideas which Terry went onto develop in his later writing, making this a fascinating collection for his fans.

"Francesca Dow, Managing Director of Penguin Random House Children's commented: 'Dragons at Crumbling Castle engaged a new generation of Terry Pratchett fans, and we are delighted to be building on this success by publishing a second collection of Terry's fantastically funny stories. Once you've read Pratchett, you love Pratchett – and our mission is to inspire even more young readers with his wonderful stories.' Rob Wilkins, from the Estate of Sir Terry Pratchett, adds: 'Terry was thrilled by the warm response to Dragons, and it meant a lot to him that children were reading and loving these stories. The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner is just as silly and brilliant, and we can't wait to share this collection with readers young and old.'

"A separate collector's edition will also be published this August featuring bonus stories and a critical commentary to accompany each story."

http://discworld.com/press-release-terrys-new-book-announced/

3.2 WINGS COMPLETES THE TRILOGY

A new edition of Wings – final instalment in the Bromeliad Trilogy that includes Truckers and Diggers, featuring illustrations by Mark Beech, is coming soon! The release date as posted on Amazon is 7th April 2016. Waterstones have it for pre-order, priced at £6.99: http://bit.ly/21MSdT9 – and no, you won't get it any cheaper on Amazon.

By the way, Waterstones is currently offering Diggers, the second instalment, at £5.99:
https://www.waterstones.com/book/diggers/terry-pratchett/9780552573344

3.3 THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN IN PAPERBACK

The paperback edition of The Shepherd's Crown is set for a publication date of 2nd June, under the Corgi Children's imprint. Priced at £7.99 (Waterstones), it can be pre-ordered by going to http://bit.ly/1MJSXSf – or in Fourecks, at a price of $17.99, via https://www.bookdepository.com/Shepherds-Crown-Terry-Pratchett/9780552574471

3.4 THE LONG COSMOS PRE-ORDERS

The final instalment in the Long Earth series, The Long Cosmos, will be published in hardcover at the end of June (30th). Priced at £18.99, it can now be pre-ordered at Waterstones by going to http://bit.ly/1UUclCx

The Long Cosmos Slipcase Edition will be released on the same date (30th June) and is now available for pre-order, also in hardcover and priced at £35. For more information, and to pre-order, go to:
http://bit.ly/1TbSoXX

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04) ODDS AND SODS

4.1 A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO DISCWORLD

By the excellent David Lloyd, ArchChancell-, er, Vice Chancellor and President of the University of South Australia and a leading keeper of the Pratchett flame, an appreciation of and newbie guide to Discworld:

"Terry Pratchett once told me that he didn't actually recommend beginning your relationship with the Discworld through his first novel in the series, The Colour of Magic (1983). That's because hindsight is 20:20. When Terry wrote 'The First Discworld Novel' in 1983 he didn't know how big a phenomenon he was starting. Over the next 32 years, 40 more novels flowed, first from his keyboard and later from his speech recognition software, up until a year ago this Saturday, when Alzheimer's stole away one of the greatest contemporary English language writers.

"Back in 1983, Terry was working full-time and writing in his spare time. When he created the Discworld, Pratchett simply couldn't have foreseen how things would evolve. It was a strange, magical, flat world, populated by wizards, dwarfs and trolls, replete with dragons and barbarian heroes. In turn, this world was perched atop four enormous elephants, themselves standing atop a giant star-turtle swimming through the galactic void. Any reader beginning with 'book one' and thinking that they're embarking on a journey that will take them through 41 variations on that first theme is hugely mistaken. For one thing, the Discworld novels aren't, strictly speaking, a series. Certainly not in the sense of a story where plot continues to be told across multiple instalments...

"In his graduation address to the University of South Australia's Class of 2014, on receipt of his honorary doctorate from our institution, Terry noted, there is possibly more of me in Sir Samuel than in any other player on my pages. That's what makes the group of books that deals with the Watchmen of Ankh Morpork a must for anyone interested in Pratchett. Samuel Vimes, introduced as a drunken night-watchman in Guards! Guards! (1989), develops and grows in the course of our encounters with him across multiple books... Across ten Guards novels Pratchett explores prejudice and humanity with forays into nationalism, racism, bigotry and genocide. Big topics, subtly handled and with a thread of passion that leaps from the page. Whenever asked, I generally recommend that anyone stepping onto the Disc for their first time does so with Guards! Guards!..."

http://theconversation.com/a-beginners-guide-to-terry-pratchetts-discworld-55220

4.2 A NOTABLE POSTHUMOUS AWARD

From the SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America):

"The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) is pleased to announce that Sir Terry Pratchett (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) has been named the recipient of the Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award. Among the positive changes SFWA has made this year is renaming the Solstice Award to the Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award. We felt that doing so acknowledged the important role that Ms. Wilhelm has played not just in SFWA's history, but overall in the field of speculative fiction. This decision also brings the award's name more in line with the naming of other SFWA awards, such as the Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation, the Andre Norton Award for Outstanding Young Adult Science Fiction, and the Kevin O'Donnell Jr. Service to SFWA Award... Sir Terry joins the ranks of previous honorees, including Octavia E. Butler, James Tiptree, Jr., Tom Doherty, Carl Sagan, and Stanley Schmidt. In his long career, Sir Terry used humor and satire to entertain and educate, becoming one of the best-selling British authors of the twentieth century... The Nebula Awards will be presented during the annual SFWA Nebula Conference, which will run from May 12-15th and feature seminars and panel discussions on the craft and business of writing, SFWA's annual business meeting, and receptions..."

http://www.sfwa.org/2016/03/sir-terry-pratchett-receive-kate-wilhelm-solstice-award/

...and from Locus magazine:

"The Solstice award, created in 2008 and given at the discretion of the SFWA president with the majority approval of the Board of Directors, is for individuals, living or dead, who have had 'a significant impact on the science fiction or fantasy landscape, and is particularly intended for those who have consistently made a major, positive difference within the speculative fiction field.' Previous winners include Octavia E. Butler, Alice B. Sheldon (AKA James Tiptree, Jr.), Tom Doherty, Carl Sagan, Stanley Schmidt, Michael Whelan, Kate Wilhelm, Terri Windling, Donald A. Wollheim, and John Clute. Pratchett will be honored at the 2016 Nebula Awards Weekend, the 50th anniversary of the Awards, to be held May 12-15, 2016, at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago IL."

http://www.locusmag.com/News/2016/03/pratchett-receives-solstice-award/

4.3 THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN SHORTLISTED FOR BRITISH BOOK OF THE YEAR

In The Bookseller:

"The inaugural British Book Industry Awards' Book of the Year shortlists – covering Children's, Debut Fiction, Fiction and Non-fiction – showcase the 'glorious way that publishing continually shifts and reinvents itself', chair of judges Cathy Rentzenbrink has said... the lists consist of eight books in each of the four categories. The awards honour not just the author and illustrator of a title, but the entire team, from editor to publicity to sales, and all those in between. Among the books making the shortlist are Harper Lee's Go Set a Watchman (William Heinemann), Joe Wicks' Lean in 15 (Bluebird), and Terry Pratchett's The Shepherd's Crown (Doubleday Children's). One author, Matt Haig, has two books on the shortlists. Rentzenbrink, The Bookseller's contributing editor, said: 'The Book of the Year shortlists showcase the breadth and depth of British publishing and the glorious way that publishing continually shifts and reinvents itself as huge bestsellers come out of left field. In the lists, we have a YouTube star, a 92-year-old author/illustrator, there are books in translation... and who would have ever foreseen the Ladybird [Books for Grown-Ups series] effect? There is also serious history, significant literary endeavours and debut novels that hold all the promise of a fine future.' Judges for the Children's category are Booka Bookshop manager Carrie Morris; Waterstones head of books Melissa Cox; Book Trust's Gemma Malley; journalist Stuart Dredge; and author and The Reading Agency ambassador Bali Rai...."

The British Book Industry Awards take place on 9th May in London. For more information and to book, go to:
http://www.thebookseller.com/british-book-industry-awards

http://www.thebookseller.com/news/inaugural-books-year-shortlists-revealed-324288

4.4 NEIL GAIMAN ON HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH PRATCHETT

From The Bookseller:

"Gaiman's non-fiction title The View From the Cheap Seats will be published by Headline on 31st May and include writings, lectures and talks on passions that ignited him as a boy, youth and young man and which still 'burn within him today'. They include the lives of writers he admired and loved – Douglas Adams and his one time collaborator Terry Pratchett, along with genres and personalities, libraries, bookshops, films and comics... The View From the Cheap Seats will be published in hardback priced £20."

http://www.thebookseller.com/news/neil-gaiman-release-non-fiction-title-year-323407

4.5 ORANGUTAN POPULATION IMPROVES

In the Mirror Daily (USA):

"It seems that the Sumatran orangutans have a larger population than expected, but that doesn't mean that they are out of harm's way. Severe deforestation is threatening their natural environment, and the number of individuals is still declining rapidly. The latest nose count revealed that there are approximately 14,600 Sumatran orangutans on the island. It may sound that they have plenty of specimens, but the orangutans are native to the northern part of the Indonesian island, and they cannot be relocated... according to the researchers, if the current forest loss rate will continue, more than 4500 orangutan individuals will die by 2030. With this in mind, scientists are urging the local authorities to implement protection measures for the red-haired mammals.

"The complete nose count was conducted because the researchers need an accurate estimation of the size of the Sumatran orangutan population to plan conservation measures. In order to obtain a result as precise as possible, the team of scientists that participated in the nose count conducted various surveys. In the end, they counted over 3000 nests on a 300 kilometers territory. According to the calculation, this means that there are roughly 14.600 Sumatran orangutans in the Indonesian forests. The previous estimate was of 6600 individuals. This remarkable difference was not given by a spike in the number of the apes, but because last counts did not include certain areas like logged forests, some areas situated on the west side of Lake Toba and the red-haired mammals that lived at higher elevations..."

http://www.mirrordaily.com/sumatran-orangutans-population/27889/

4.6 ESSAY ON PRATCHETT AND HUMANISM

By Kannal Achutan in The Hindu:

"While many fantasy authors' works are anchored on the grand theme of good versus evil, Terry Pratchett's gift lies in spinning everyday struggles into literary gold... While the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Philip Pullman, J.K. Rowling and George R.R. Martin are anchored on the grand theme of good versus evil, Pratchett's gift lies in spinning everyday struggles into literary gold... The transformation of Sam Vimes from a rookie night policeman in Ankh-Morpork to Commander of the City Watch is similar to the growth of Pratchett's oeuvre. Vimes's motley group of policemen fight a magical dragon in the first Watch book Guards! Guards! and, by the last book Snuff, Vimes has made a strong case for the embracing of diversity, a familiar topic of today. Pratchett uses Vimes to take on heavy subjects: corruption in business and politics (Feet of Clay), land rights (Jingo), diplomacy and foreign policy (Fifth Elephant), and intolerance and war (Thud!). But far from becoming a superhero, Vimes becomes increasingly aware of his flaws. In Thud!,for example, Vimes struggles to be master of the 'Summoning Dark', a creature of dwarfish lore that is a metaphor for the policeman's desire for vengeance...Vimes is Discworld's greatest humanist just like the stellar humanist that Pratchett was in his fight for freedom of choice, his ethics classes for schools, and his support for critical thinking and scientific enquiry..."

http://bit.ly/1XWS9zm

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05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

5.0 LORDS AND LADIES IN SHREWSBURY (APRIL)

The Ruyton Amateur Theatrical Society aka RATS will be staging their production of Lords and Ladies next week!

When: 1st and 2nd April 2016
Venue: Village Hall, Church Street, Ruyton-XI-Towns, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY4 1LJ
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: £7 (£5 for over-60s and 16-and-unders), available on the door or in advance from Cafe Eleven on Church Street (phone 7976 024654) or the Box Office (phone 07950 838349). For further info, email Chrissie Niddrie-Davies: cnd998@hotmail.co.uk

5.1 GOOD OMENS IN HESSE, GERMANY (APRIL)

Having already successfully taken on Discworld productions including Wyrd Sisters, Monstrous Regiment and Eric, German theatre company Die Dramateure will present Ein Gutes Omen (Good Omens) next month!

When: 8th and 9th April 2016 (also on 16th April, see below)
Venue: Burgerhaus Bruchkobel, Jahnstrabe 3, 63486 Bruchkobel
Time: 1930
Tickets: €8,50 (€7 online) To purchase online, go to: http://www.dramateure.com/kontakt#vvk

There will be a further performance on 16th April at a different venue. For more information, go to:
http://kunstforum-seligenstadt.de/veranstaltung/ein-gutes-omen

http://www.dramateure.com/eingutesomen-2016

5.2 WYRD SISTERS IN HAMPSHIRE (APRIL)

The Worthy Players of the appropriately-named Kings Worthy*** will be staging their production of Wyrd Sisters next month! "This Worthy Players show also coincides with the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's passing. Funds will be raised through this production for Alzheimer's charity and the Orangutan Foundation, Terry Pratchett's preferred charities."

When: 15th, 16th, 22nd and 23rd April 2016
Venue: Jubilee Hall, London Road, Kings Worthy, Hants SO23
Time: 7.30pm all shows (doors open at 7pm)
Tickets: £7 (Adults) and £6 (Seniors, Children and Students), available from the box office (phone 07599 981922), by email to tickets@theworthyplayers.co.uk or online at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/122778 (there are no extra fees for online bookings)

http://www.theworthyplayers.co.uk/

*** One of The Worthies, in a catchment area also including Headbourne Worthy, Abbots Worthy and Martyr Worthy – names weird and wonderful enough to have come from the Disc itself...

5.3 REMINDER: THE SHAKESPEARE CODEX IS COMING! (APRIL)

The Studio Theatre Club, "the first, ever, anywhere in the world, to dramatise the works of Sir Terry Pratchett", will present the world premiere of The Shakespeare Codex by Stephen Briggs, the world's *premier* adapter of Discworld stories for the stage. If any of you haven't been following the pre-production announcements, The Shakespeare Codex is a mashup of The Science of Discworld II: the Globe, Lords & Ladies, and A Midsummer Night's Dream (the last one wasn't written by Terry Pratchett, of course), starring Ridcully, Rincewind, Granny Weatherwax, Angua, Vetinari, that Shakespeare feller, a noted 16th-century monarch – and noted Shakespeare impersonator, the Earl of Oxford.

When: 6th to 9th April 2016
Venue: Unicorn Theatre, Medieval Abbey Buildings, Checker Walk/Thames Street, Abingdon, OXON OX14 3HZ
Time: 7.30pm evening shows; Saturday matinee time not posted
Tickets: £10 (Wed./Thu.) and £11 (Friday and Saturday matinee). The Saturday evening show is already sold out. Tickets are sold via post, but phone and email requests can be made. For full information on ordering tickets, go to:
http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/ordering-tickets

http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/whats-next
http://www.shakespearecodex.co.uk/

5.4 REMINDER: LORDS AND LADIES IN HAMPSHIRE (APRIL)

The Collingwood RSC Theatre Club – the RS stands for Random Salad in this case – have been presenting various Discworld plays for over 18 year now. Now, following on from Wyrd Sisters in 2011 and Witches Abroad in 2014, they are completing the original Witches trilogy with their first production of Lords and Ladies!

When: 20th – 23rd April 2016
Venue: Millennium Hall, HMS Collingwood, Newgate Lane, Fareham, Hants PO14 1AS
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: can be booked at the box office (phone 07502 037922) or by emailing collingwoodrsc@sky.com

5.5 REMINDER: THE WEE FREE MEN IN ADELAIDE, FOURECKS (APRIL)

The Unseen Theatre gang bring on a new era of Discworld adaptations with The Wee Free Men, adapted and directed by Pamela Munt!

"In the first of a series of Discworld novels for young adults, we meet the young witch-to-be Tiffany Aching – a girl who reads the dictionary for fun – because no-one ever told her not to. With a trusty frying pan as her weapon, her grandmother's magic book (well actually its called 'Diseases of the Sheep') and the Wee Free Men by her side, Tiffany ventures into the realm of faerie land to rescue her very sticky, and not particularly likeable, baby brother. But, of course, all is not what it seems..."

When: Wed. 15th April to Sat. 30th April 2016; a Sunday 17th April matinee is to be confirmed
Venue: Bakehouse Theatre, 255 Angas St. Adelaide
Time: 7.30pm all evening shows; 2pm matinee
Tickets: Adults $22; Concession $18; Children $18; Groups (6+) $16; TREv $16; Families (2 A & 2ch.) $60. Al tickets for the Preview night (15th April) are $15. To book online, go to www.bakehousetheatre.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the door on the night, subject to availability. Box office opens 7pm.

http://bakehousetheatre.com/shows/wee-free-men

5.6 REMINDER: WYRD SISTERS IN READING (MAY)

Caversham Park Theatre will present their production of Wyrd Sisters in April!

"If you have never experienced the late Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld but wonder what you might have missed... Caversham Park Theatre is proud to stage Wyrd Sisters. We hope you will dip your toe into Sir Terry's Discworld and discover a whole new universe of thoughtful comedy."

When: 12th, 13th and 14th May 2016
Venue: Milestone Centre, Northbrook Rd, Caversham, Reading, RG4 6PF
Time: 8pm for 12th and 13th April, 7pm for 14th April
Tickets: £7.00, available by phone (01189 481 377) or online at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/118288
Book online at: www.cavparktheatre.org.uk or phone 0118-948-1377

5.7 REMINDER: LORDS AND LADIES IN SWITZERLAND (APRIL/MAY)

The Gay Beggars theatre group of the University of Basel will present their production of Lords and Ladies, adapted by Irana Brown, in May!

When: 22nd, 23rd, 25th, 27th and 29th April; 1st, 3rd, 6th and 7th May 2016
Venue: Cellar Theatre of the English Seminar, University of Basel, Nadelberg 6
Time: 8pm all shows, except 1st May which starts at 5pm
Tickets: CHF25 (students, apprentices, AHV, IV CHF15). There is a group discount for school classes of CHF10 per student; contact reservations@gay beggars.ch for groups of 10 or more.

Tickets can be reserved by emailing reservations@gaybeggars.ch. "Reserved tickets must be picked up at the evening box office (opens one hour before the show).'

http://www.gaybeggars.ch/

5.8 REMINDER: WYRD SISTERS IN SOMERSET (MAY)

The Minehead Dramatic Society will stage their production of Wyrd Sisters in May.

When: 13, 14 and 15th May 2016
Venue: Regal Theatre, 10-16 The Avenue, Minehead, Somerset, TA24 5AY (phone 01643 706430)
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: Adults £8.00, Friends £7.50, ES40's/Students £4.00. Online tickets can be purchased by logging in to http://bit.ly/21MET1d and clicking on the date of your choice. "Please note that tickets cannot be purchased, on-line, on the same day as the performance. Please call into the box office or telephone 01643 706430 (Monday to Saturday 10.00am to 3.00pm)"

http://regaltheatre.co.uk/
http://regaltheatre.co.uk/whatson/?pno=2

5.9 REMINDER: MORT IN HESSE, GERMANY (MAY)

The Helden Theatre will be staging their production of Gevatter Tod (that's the Deutsche title of Mort) in May 2016!

When: Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd May 2016
Venue: Theater Altes Hallenbad, Haagstrasse 29, 61169 Friedberg
Time: 7.30pm Saturday 21st, 3.30pm Sunday 22nd
Tickets: €10 concessions €8). To purchase online, go to http://bit.ly/1Rbt0MP and click on the Tickets button

http://heldentheater.de

5.10 REMINDER: MORT IN YORK (JULY)

We Are Theatre will be staging their production of Mort in July.

When: 21st and 22nd June 2016
Venue: Joseph Rowntree Theatre, Haxby Road, York YO31 8TA
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £10 (£8 concessions), available from the York Theatre Royal box office (phone 01904 623568). For group bookings, contact wearetheatre@googlemail.com or ring 07521 364107

www.wearetheatre.co.uk

5.11 REMINDER: : LORDS AND LADIES IN NEWCASTLE (JULY)

The People's Theatre, "the premier amateur theatre company in the North of England", will stage their production of Lords and Ladies, adapted by Irana Brown, in July. "We're no strangers to Discworld and this funny and fast-moving adaptation of (the much-missed) Sir Terry's fourteenth novel sees the welcome return of Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg to our stage. It promises to be lots of fun, so book early to avoid disappointment!"

When: 12th to 16th July 2016
Venue: People's Theatre, Stephenson Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 5QF. Phone: (0191) 275 9875
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £13.50 (£11 concessions). Box Office on 0191 265 5020 or email tickets.peoplestheatre@email.com. (Box Office is open weekdays 10.30am–1pm and Mon, Wed, Fri evenings 7.30–8.30pm). To book online, go to the inappropriately-named Intelligent Tickets, and be prepared to jump through a truly daft series of hoops:
http://www.intelligent-tickets.co.uk/index.php?th=pe

http://bit.ly/1lMl3Vj

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06) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS

6.1 AUSDWCON 2017!

"Ladies, Gentlemen, Dwarfs, Trolls, Vampires, Werewolves, Goblins, Feegles, sundry others and Nobby Nobbs - the Ankh-Morpork Tourism Board invites you to a journey of wonder, whimsy, and, er, wossname at Nullus Anxietas VI - The Discworld Grand Tour - The Australian Discworld Convention. The Discworld Grand Tour will be held on 4th-6th August 2017 at the Lakes Resort Hotel, Adelaide, South Australia. This convention will be a way to escape on a luxurious trip to the Discworld to enjoy three (or four) fabulous days of fun and frivolity with your fellow fans of the late, great Sir Terry Pratchett. Please read all about the upcoming convention and book your tickets (_https://ausdwcon.org/shop/tickets/_)!

"Let Rincewind tell you all about it: https://youtu.be/j80m1JdktQA

"When you buy a ticket to Nullus Anxietas VI, you are also purchasing membership to the convention - we want everyone to be involved in a fundamental way. You don't simply attend Nullus Anxietas, you absorb it, and it emanates from you. In a very real sense the convention just wouldn't be the same without you. We hope that you will join us to make Nullus Anxietas VI that much better!

"Buying a supporting membership ($40) helps to support running the convention, and also acts as a holding deposit for your place at the convention. However, it does not enable you to attend unless you choose to upgrade. Buy your supporting membership here: https://ausdwcon.org/shop/tickets/ "

Ticket prices range from $120 (Early Bird child ages 6-15) to $640 (full price full family membership). To pre-order, and for more information, go to:
https://ausdwcon.org/shop/tickets/

https://ausdwcon.org
https://twitter.com/ausdwcon

6.2 CABBAGECON 4!

"On 1 and 2 July 2017 the fourth Dutch Discworld Convention Cabbagecon 4 will happen at the hotel Carlton President in Utrecht. It will be an occasion for fans of Sir Terry Pratchett from the Netherlands and abroad to meet up again and have some fun. We hope to see you too!"

When: 1st and 2nd July 2017
Venue: Hotel Carlton President, Floraweg 25, 3542 DX Utrecht, NL
Theme: Ankh-Morpork Guild of Merchants
Tickets: €35 to €60. For more information, and to book, go to www.dutchdwcon.nl and click on your desired dates.

6.3 SCHEIBENWELT 2017!

"The lease for the castle of ludwig stone is signed! On 18.05.2017 you can arrive and celebrate with us!"

"The German Discworld Convention takes place every 2 years and is organized by the Ankh-Morpork e.V., the German Terry Pratchett Fan Club, for all ardent readers of the British author. Members of the Fan Club get a discount on the tickets. The club contributes the core organization team, the K.A.O.S.*, and many of its members volunteer for the creation of program items, decorating the castle or helping at the bar. In contrast to similar events which take place at the conference rooms of expensive hotels the German Discworld Convention takes place on the grounds of a German castle. In 2007 this was Castle Freusburg, 2009 and 2011 it was Castle Bilstein. In 2015 it is Castle Ludwigstein. The castles include youth hostels so guests of the German Discworld Convention can sleep at the castle and get catering there."

When: 18th-21st May 2017
Venue: Burg Ludwigstein, 37214 Witzenhausen, Hesse
Tickets: TBA

http://www.discworld-convention.de/

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07) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS: UPDATES AND REMINDERS

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), meets next on Monday 4th April 2016 at the Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London, W2 1JQ. For more information, go to http://brokendrummers.org/ or email BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk

*

Canberra, Australia's Discworld fan group is Drumknott's Irregulars: "We are a newly established Terry Pratchett & Discworld social group in Canberra called Drumknott's Irregulars. The group is open to all, people from interstate and overseas are welcome, and our events will not be heavily themed. Come along to dinner for a chat and good company. We welcome people all all fandoms (and none) and we would love to see you at one of our events, even if you're just passing through. Please contact us via Facebook (_https://www.facebook.com/groups/824987924250161/_) or Google Groups (_https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars_) or join us at our next event."

*

There is a new public Facebook meeting group, "The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)": "This group, by request of Jo in Bear will continue to be used for future unofficial (not run by the Emporium) fan Gatherings in Wincanton. Look here for information."

https://www.facebook.com/groups/373578522834654/

*

The Pratchett Partisans are a fan group who meet monthly at either Brisbane or Indooroopilly to "eat, drink and chat about all things Pratchett. We hold events such as Discworld dinners, games afternoons, Discworld photo scavenger hunts. Our recent 'Murder In Morpork' mystery party was a great night out. With 26 people attending, we had 24 suspects, our special guest – Vetinari, and one dead mime! It was a fun night of food and murder and we are planning another Murder in December so stay tuned. We also attend opening night at Brisbane Arts Theatre's Discworld plays." The Partisans currently have about 200 members who meet at least twice a month, usually in Brisbane.

For more info about their next meetup, join up at https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au

*

The City of Small Gods is a group for fans in Adelaide and South Australia. For more information on their upcoming activities, go to www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

"Every few months, we have a full day's worth of board games at La Scala Cafe, 169 Unley Rd, Unley in the function room starting at 10am."

For more info, go to http://ausdwcon.org/fan-clubs/adelaide/quiz/

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 7th April 2016 (probably) from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight. For more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) next meets on Friday 1st April 2016 (probably) at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists, a Pratchett fangroup, has been meeting on a regular basis since 2005 but is now looking to take in some new blood (presumably not in the non-reformed Uberwald manner). The Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, to discuss "all things Pratchett" as well as having quizzes and raffles. Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum:

http://www.discworldstamps.co.uk/forum/

*

Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet next on Monday 4th April 2016 at 6.30pm (probably) in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney,2000. For more information, contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meets next on Monday 4th April 2016 (probably) from 5.30pm at Carpe Cafe, 526 Murray Street, Perth, Western Australia. For details follow Perth Drummers on Twitter @Perth_Drummers or join their Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>

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08) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS

From the Discworld Emporium:

* The Flora and Fauna of Discworld art poster!

"Exclusive poster featuring some of your favourite Discworld plants and creatures from Terry Pratchett's Discworld, including the Curious Squid, Quantum Weather Butterfly, Counting Pine, Hermit Elephant and Swamp Dragon! With glorious illustrations by Vladimir Stankovic, this fantastical print is a tribute to some of the 'wilder' creations from the mind of Terry Pratchett - the flora and fauna that made the Discworld world just a little bit more, well, Discworld. Measures 80.5 x 50cm"

The Flora and Fauna of Discworld poster is priced at £15. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://www.discworldemporium.com/discworld-flora-and-fauna-poster

* The wonderful hard-boiled egg!

"Commemorate the Glorious 25th of May with Vimes and the Watch with this elegant inscribed hard-boiled egg - a fitting tribute to the boys of Treacle Mine Road. Each egg stands at 2 inches high, and is produced in an ivory finish and presented in a lilac cotton drawstring pouch."

The Hard-boiled Egg is priced at £5. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://www.discworldemporium.com/Hard%20Boiled%20Egg

* Tiffany's hare!

"To celebrate the release of I Shall Wear Midnight in 2010 we created the original Golden 'Hare Through Flame' Necklace, limited to an exclusive edition of only 200 worldwide. By popular demand our exclusive tribute to Tiffany's own necklace and the spirit of the hare is now available in precious solid silver - the perfect present for any 'Wee Hag'! Each necklace is strung on a generous length of chestnut brown cotton cord for easy adjustment. Approx. 36mm diameter, cord length (end to end) 78mm"

The Tiffany Hare pendant is priced at £55. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://www.discworldemporium.com/HareNecklace

* The Ankh-Morpork Doodle Map!

"Giant art print of the Big Wahoonie, based on the original ink sketch created for The Compleat Ankh-Morpork! Keep it stylish in black and white, or make a blot on the landscape with colouring pencil or pen. Shade in the Shades, adulterate the Ankh, add the hues of Hide Park and tones of the Tump, or a splash of the colour of magic... It's up to you! Printed on heavyweight art paper, measures 84cm x 59cm"

The Ankh-Morpork Doodle Map is priced at £12. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://www.discworldemporium.com/ankh-morpork-discworld-doodle-map

* More bronze Kidby Dragons to adopt!

"More little Swamp Dragons by Paul Kidby have freshly hatched and are ready for rehoming! Because you are such jolly good eggs, we're still giving you £10 off when you save three swampies - But remember, a dragon is for life, not just for Easter!"

The Swamp Dragons are priced at £30 per dragon or a special price offer of £80 for all three! For more information, and to order, go to:
http://www.discworldemporium.com/category/sunshine-sanctuary-adopt-a-dragon


From Discworld.com (formerly PJSM Prints):

* Pre-order The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner!

"The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner is the second collection of Pratchett's short stories, following on from the hugely successful first volume, Dragons at Crumbling Castle, which became a number 1 bestseller. Beautifully illustrated and brought to life by Mark Beech, these stories feature food fights and pirates, wizards and crooks and are sure to delight Pratchett fans worldwide. Written when he was just seventeen, The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner brings together fourteen of Pratchett's earliest stories. Each of the stories shows the seeds of ideas which Terry went onto develop in his later writing, making this a fascinating collection for his fans.

"Francesca Dow, Managing Director of Penguin Random House Children's commented: 'Dragons at Crumbling Castle engaged a new generation of Terry Pratchett fans, and we are delighted to be building on this success by publishing a second collection of Terry's fantastically funny stories. Once you've read Pratchett, you love Pratchett – and our mission is to inspire even more young readers with his wonderful stories.'

"Rob Wilkins, from the Estate of Sir Terry Pratchett, adds: 'Terry was thrilled by the warm response to Dragons, and it meant a lot to him that children were reading and loving these stories. The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner is just as silly and brilliant, and we can't wait to share this collection with readers young and old.'"

The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner is priced at £15 and is now available for pre-order. Go to http://discworld.com/products/books/the-witchs-vacuum-cleaner/ and click on the pre-order button!

* Clacks, the game!

"Using a semaphore system of shuttered lamps on top of high towers, the Grand Trunk Semaphore Company has revolutionised long distance communications on the Discworld. Their network of towers covers most of the Unnamed Continent, but now the old postal service is fighting back. Driven by the determination of newly 'volunteered' Post Master 'Moist Von Lipwig' the Ankh-Morpork Post Office has challenged the Clacks operators to a race from Ankh-Morpork to Genua. Play against your friends and claim the title of Fastest Clacks Operator on the line, or play together as a team to win the race across the Discworld and prove that Clacks is here to stay. In the box there is rules for 'player versus player', a 'co-operative race game' against the Post Office and a 'Children's introductory game'."

Clacks is priced at £30. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://discworld.com/products/games/clacks-a-discworld-board-game/

* Phone covers!

Wyrd Sisters, Death with kitten, or Sam Vimes with "loaded" swamp dragon

The Discworld phone covers are priced at £10 each. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://discworld.com/products/phone-covers/

* Unseen University diplomas!

Assassins' Guild graduate certificate:
"Celebrate your proficiency with a blade, penchant for dark clothing and membership in one of Ankh-Morpork's most powerful organisations. Recognised by the Assassins' Guild and signed by Lord Vetinari himself. The certificates were commissioned over twenty years ago as part of Stephen Briggs' CMOT Dibbler collection, making them not only rare, but a truly collectable part of Discworld history. These certificates were produced as part of the original run so we have limited availability."

Doctorate of Sweet Fanny Adams:
"The rather colourfully named 'doctorus adamus cum flabello dulci' (Doctor of Sweet Fanny Adams), is an hounourary qualification available from Unseen University to all those who are impressed by long names and was bestowed upon Prince Khufurah of Klatch in Jingo. The certificates were commissioned over twenty years ago as part of Stephen Briggs' CMOT Dibbler collection, making them not only rare, but a truly collectable part of Discworld history."

Bachelor of Fluencing Certificate:
"Display your aptitude for the fundamentals of magic, as recognised by Unseen University and signed by Archchancellor Ridcully and let everyone know you're a B.F. The certificates were commissioned over twenty years ago as part of Stephen Briggs' CMOT Dibbler collection, making them not only rare, but also a collectable part of Discworld history."

"These certificates were produced as part of the original run so we have limited availability."

The Unseen University certificates are priced at £7.50 each. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://discworld.com/products/certificates/

http://discworld.com/

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

09) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

From blogger Martin, a review of The Shepherd's Crown:

"I finished Terry Pratchett's last novel on Monday. I returned it to the library yesterday, but it still lingers for me. It would, though. I found, as I read the denouement, that I was growing somewhat weepy. This was largely down to the very comforting cyclical nature of both the novel itself, and the novel as part of the Tiffany Aching stories. Things returned to where they began, though we were (arguably) wiser for the experiences along the way. This was also largely down to the awareness that this was Pratchett's last novel. This is it. And, while I haven't read all that he's written, his writing has been such a big part of my reading habits that part of me is deeply saddened that there aren't going to be more. It made me grateful to be in a world where I can read his stories and re-read them as I desire. It reminded me what great writing can do to transcend the everyday and tap into something larger..."

http://bit.ly/1XVQg62

Blogger Drunken Dragon is deeply moved by Night Watch:

"With no competition by and far, this is the best Pratchett novel written in the City Watch subseries I've read so far. Funnily enough, it's also the instalment I've enjoyed the least, because of my personal exhaustion with the entire 'man goes back in history to change his past' schtick. Granted, Vimes doesn't so much go back to change as gain an all new perspective on the most formative moments of his life as a City Night Watch officer, but it's still not enough to beat that particular dead horse back to life. Another major reason for my personal reaction is because, very much unlike the City Watch novels up to this point, this isn't a story meant to entertain and delight readers, with a little light fun laced with poignant commentary. Pratchett's style has gradually shifted over the course of this subseries as he's matured as a writer, and in this novel we see the culmination of that change, with a novel containing about as much humor as your average Dark Web video. A tale in which Vimes not only considers the numerous directions his life could have taken at unknown, pivotal points, a poignant sense of serious retrospective consideration is threaded throughout the novel, applying not just to Vimes but to many of the older members of the Watch. For readers who've not only grown to expect a certain amount of humor and lightness being a major part of Pratchett's stuff, especially after being fed a steady dose of it in everything you've read by him so far, it can honestly feel like a disappointing read. But once those expectations are set aside? What Pratchett's written here, for me, is the possibly the peak of the entire subseries..."

http://bit.ly/25qxmKb

and from the same blogger, re The Fifth Elephant:

"I've been repeatedly told that as I read further into this particular Discworld sub series, and the series overall, I'll notice a decline in quality. Looking back on The Fifth Elephant, however, I'm beginning to wonder if the perceived 'decline in quality' is simply just Pratchett writing a different sort of story from those he's written before, as the case is with this particular novel. With very little attention paid to the comic aspect of his writing in this outing, we get a more serious look at Pratchett, with a story that is more plot-centric in nature than those in the past where cracking jokes and making light of situations was mostly the order of the day. That's not to say the humor aspect is abandoned, its simply a case of it going to the back burner. For readers picking up his books expecting dollops of humor per page as I was guilty of, I can see where the perceived decline in quality came from. If anything, I'd say this book is much better than the previous in the sub series, Jingo, was. Much more tightly plotted, Pratchett interweaves distinct plot threads from numerous characters into a tight, cohesive story that each bring different types of story into the fold – the political via Vimes, the emotional/personal via Carrot and Angua, and even the sociological via Fred Colon and the rest of the Watch. It's a tactic that lets him play with numerous themes – the correlation between incompetency and dictatorship (I'm currently living under one, so I'd wager I can see the signs clearer than most readers), liberalization versus tradition and culture, and the value of bipartisanship in politics. Needless to say, these are just the big ones – Pratchett is a thoughtful writer who incorporates more into his average book than most genre writers do in entire sagas, and attempting to parse everything in one reading is arguably a Sisyphean task..."

http://bit.ly/25qxmKb

A review of Eric live on stage by Monstrous Productions, from twin bloggers CL Raven:

"The play was hilarious. And just when thought it couldn't get better…they made Luggage! We admit, we did squeal and clap like overexcited sea lions when Luggage trundled on stage. We may have even declared 'Oh my god! Luggage!' and then Tweeted about it. Even better, Luggage chased people and ate them (complete with chomping sound effects), which was just perfect. Luggage was designed by Joe Davey and built by Tony Beard and Emma Paines. Tony also controlled it. As much as Luggage can be controlled... As always, the cast and crew were amazing. So much goes into every play. The make-up was brilliant and we loved the giant book in the background, with scenes fabulously painted on the pages. Nick Dunn was fantastic as Rincewind. Rincewind isn't usually popular among Pratchett fans but we've always loved him and Luggage. He was the first character we met when we started reading the Discworld novels. And it was strange to see a play where Nick didn't die! (He is an expert at dying). Though he did go to Hell, so that counts. And Loz Shanahan was superb as Lavaeolus, who would prefer to build large wooden horses and find tunnels than kill someone in battle. Neil Chappell played a sulky thirteen year old boy very convincingly! We particularly enjoyed the scenes set in Hell, which had lift music, voices over the tannoy system, and every torture was accompanied by a reading of health and safety regulations, complete with sub-clauses that ran into several volumes – that's more terrifying than pitchforks and hellfire.."

https://clraven.wordpress.com/2016/02/21/eric/

Something a bit different – a reading meetup group reviews Maskerade:

"Not all of us in the group had ever been drawn to read Terry Pratchett as he seems to write in such a specific way. However Kath, a very welcome newcomer to the group, made such a compelling case that we all voted this as the first book to kick off 2016. This novel forms part of the Discworld series, but also stands alone as quite separate to anything else he wrote. There are at least 3 layers to this book. He uses the sci-fi world to mirror our society and each book is a social commentary. We loved… – That it was a standalone book in a large series. – How he allows his characters to change to suit the particular novel in the series. – Kath's reading out of the chocolate sauce passage – Anne's mask which we all had the joy of wearing – How Judy J said it didn't make her laugh once, just before she burst into laughter re-reading one of his paragraphs..."

http://bit.ly/1oef4d6

Blogger 0wlmachine on Witches Abroad:

"After reading this book, I want to suggest that we allow a quirky pack of ladies like this run every story, because they are so damn good at it. Step aside, rice-cake princesses – the witches are abroad. Other powerhouse women in this book are Lilith, the antagonist, and Mrs. Gogol, the voodoo witch they meet when hunting Emberella. Both are packed with personality, agency, and energy. This could not be any less like a fairy tale. I'd also like to shout out to Greebo for being a hysterically funny feline. In Witches Abroad, Pratchett recognizes the danger of letting the story run the characters, and I could not agree more with this approach to storytelling. A man after my own heart, it would seem. He does this, of course, through Lilith. Her evil plan is to make fairy tales happen, and the cast of characters she chooses are forced to behave like puppets. From the heartbreaking animals-turned-human to poor Emberella, who has had as much an active part in this story as her traditional counterpart, nobody is driving their own actions but puppeteer Lilith and her magic mirrors. Enter the witches, Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg – women determined to do exactly what they want to do. Women who know exactly who and what they are, and have never even considered being ashamed of it. Women who, even while walking all over the younger Magrat, inspire her to become a more assertive version of herself..."

http://bit.ly/25qxGsr

Blogger Bookaccio reviews Raising Steam:

"I’m going to put it out there: it feels like an ending. Ankh-Morpork, the city away from which all roads lead, feels like it has some kind of resolution for the major players in it. Each of Vetinari, Moist, and Vimes are shown and own their own plot in the novel – there’s political intrigue, entrepreneurship and crime-fighting. Truthfully, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. Each of the individual plots orbit around the two main plots, which dovetail into one another. In the first half, there’s the invention of the railway on the Disc, and its introduction to the masses of that world; then there’s a political thriller plot that bubbles away in the background before coming to the fore in the second half... they dovetail nicely into one another, with the railway plot not disappearing entirely in the second half, but becoming background, gently chugging away†. Further, they are both necessary in order for the novel to have any semblance of resolution. I hate to say it, but a novel about building railways would not be terribly dramatic, per se. Though now that I’ve said it, that’s almost certainly what people said about the post office and banks… Were the novel to only have one of these plots, it would, in the first instance, be half the length, and secondly, be half as interesting. It is enjoyable to have these characters interact with one another, and see them having a role in one another’s lives.

"The writing, is of course, classic Pratchett. It is easy to read, flitting between characters as the plot develops, but this is clearly marked by the shift in tone. The protagonists are mostly likeable, while the antagonists are mostly unlikeable. Dialogue is fast-paced and funny, and serves to develop new and old characters alike. My only complaint would be, as mentioned previously, that there is this feeling of drawing things to a close – each of the characters could do with a little more time devoted to them, as there is a certain amount of rushing going on to get from scene to scene. Pacing then, would be the issue at hand, though given that Raising Steam is about building railways, it seem thematically appropriate. I found myself genuinely caring for Dick Simnel and then as she grew to be a character in and of herself, Iron Girder too. It is a testament to Pratchett’s style that he can make you care about what is fundamentally, a clever pile of iron..."

https://bookaccio.wordpress.com/2016/03/26/raising-steam-by-terry-pratchett/

Dutch blogger Jeroen's thoughts on Thief of Time:

"This is typical Pratchett, to drag by the ears all sorts of seemingly unrelated topics together, but it all sort of fits together well, like a Swiss watch... A highlight is the character Lu Tze, a History Monk. Never trust small bald wrinkly men and their wise sayings. We are given an extended storyline in his mountain monastery, which is an absolutely brilliant and genius creation by Pratchett. Igor (one of them) also plays a big role, and Pratchett takes the time to flesh out, as it were, the Igors and their existence a bit more. In the second half, the story bogs down a bit, and this is something that happens for me in every Pratchett book. I would be happier with them if 50 pages were cut out. In Thief of Time, Pratchett switches in the second half to a stronger focus on so-called Auditors, and most of the comedy about Lu Tze and Jeremy Clockson and Igor disappears. I didn’t think these parts were all that funny and Susan Sto Helit becomes a bit too stern and boring. Death himself also barely enters the book here. I was about to say that this is perhaps the best Discworld book of the series so far, but because of the second half it is more like “one of the better” ones..."

http://bit.ly/1oef8cR

Blogger firstmatebamba was unimpressed by The Long Earth:

"I've never read a Stephen Baxter book, but being a massive Terry Pratchett fan, I had high hopes for this novel, sadly these hopes were not met. While the actual story is a very interesting idea and the realities of a world where these things are possible are described pretty perfectly; surge in bank robberies, economies dying, countries going bankrupt ect, I felt that rest of the book was almost flat. The main story is interwoven with small tales of pioneers, bravely facing this new, unknown frontier, which read like a lovely history lesson, but get old fast. There was no character development, there was no discernible plot until about halfway through, and even then it didn’t really feel like it was going anywhere, just two people on a ship heading off into the unknown. Who knows what they will find! Answer: not a lot. A nice idea, written in an extremely smart and engaging way, interspersed with some lovely Pratchett-esq humour, that just fell a bit short of the hurdle. The whole book feels like its only purpose is to gear up for the rest of the series and it takes a good 200 pages to get there. The whole thing left me feeling a little disappointed..."

http://bit.ly/1SefI2q

Blogger Wyrd Smythe muses at length on the "my grandfather's axe" concept, with frequent references to Discworld. Well worth reading:

"[M]y favorite science fiction author, Terry Pratchett, tells the axe version in a Discworld story (The Fifth Elephant) that considers a sacred political object that is mysteriously stolen (from a locked room!) but later recovered. Or is it? It appears the recovered object is a copy. And it turns out that the one that was stolen was also a copy. Which makes perfect sense when you think about it. Even very large scones, even of dwarf bread, do not last for centuries. Of course it’s a copy. Had to be. But the role of the Scone of Stone, that never changes, the role endures! Which brings us to the idea of continuity. The Dwarf’s Scone of Stone, the Greek’s Ship of Theseus, the family axe, along with state roles like Presidents and Kings and Queens; these are continuous roles that are generally not fulfilled by the same continuous physical entity. The old phrase, “The King is dead! Long live the King!” (which confused the crap outta me when I was young) speaks to how kingship transfers from person to person. Terry Pratchett (I think in either Lords and Ladies or Carpe Jugulum) once said that kingship travels instantaneously — way faster than the speed of light! (Which isn’t really a challenge on Discworld where light moves leisurely — even sluggishly in the morning.)..."

http://logosconcarne.com/2016/03/19/my-grandfathers-axe/

From blogger Gavin R, a few thoughts about Dragons at Crumbling Castle:

"Reading to kids is a non-negotiable feature of good teaching in the primary and intermediate years. Choosing good material is the hard part. Not every children's writer is worth the effort. One criterium – apart from the fact that you need to enjoy them yourself – is quirkiness. You need something that will grab kids' attention and, hopefully, lead them to move on and explore further. Which leads me to the late Terry Pratchett. I wasn't aware that he'd written quite a number of books for children. Digging into Dragons at Crumbling Castle this weekend has been an enjoyable experience. Pratchett wrote these short stories as a young man in the 1960s, but they didn't see the light till 2014. They're a real find. Short stories can be polished off in a single reading. That's especially important for day relievers. Start something more substantial and you're likely to leave things unfinished and hanging..."

https://gullyheights.wordpress.com/2016/02/14/not-quite-discworld/

Blogger Juhi feels the love for A Hat Full of Sky:

"At the start of the story Tiffany is apprenticed to Miss Level whose chief skill, it appears to Tiffany, is her ability to co-exist in two bodies simultaneously. Miss Level’s idea of witchcraft is not Tiffany’s for it seems to her that all Miss Level does is tend to the sick and help out with the odds and ends about the village. Dissatisfied with the notion that “witchcraft is mostly about doing quite ordinary things,” restlessness skims along just underneath the surface of Tiffany’s life. What happens next cements my love for Terry Pratchett. Pratchett conceives of a foe whose vanquishing demands that Tiffany acknowledge the darkest of her thoughts and bring to light those parts of herself that she’d rather wish away. ALL of Tiffany is powerful, especially the parts that she would rather did not exist. It is only by making those parts visible that she can gain control over them, and begin to understand her enemy. It’s a clever, and deeply satisfying construct to watch unfold. This integration of a bit of philosophy, a bit of metaphysics into the plot is one of my favorite things about A Hat Full of Sky. It is something that Pratchett apparently excels at and that puts me in awe of the breadth of his imagination and the depth of his writing skills..."

http://bit.ly/22QzTuZ

Blogger AR reflects on the death, and Death, of Sir Pterry:

"This man’s death was, in many ways, a perfectly unremarkable event. Men die every day. Death (like taxes) is inevitable. This man was a man like any other man, and also unlike any other man, as all men are. But there was something different about this death. Because the man met by Death one year ago today was a creator. He invented with an incomparable and dynamic mind a world also both like and unlike any other. A world that traveled through space on the back of four elephants, themselves standing on the back of a giant turtle. And as they say, The Turtle Moves. This man was the Creator of the Discworld. And his death was an event keenly felt by those who never met him, but who felt they knew him at least a little through his books... It is strange to feel such an overwhelming attachment to a person who did not have the slightest awareness of my existence. While Terry Pratchett was incredibly central to my life, a figure who held my rapt attention and my adoration and respect, I was a faceless member of the many. He had no particular feelings towards me. He did not know that I, personally, exist. I do not doubt that he was aware of and appreciated his fans. But as an individual I was unknown to him. I never met him. It is one of the regrets that kept swimming up to the forefront of my mind when I heard news of his death, one of the thoughts that redoubled the tears I had perhaps no right and every right to cry. It was a loss I felt deeply, and still do..."

https://dearfuturepublisher.wordpress.com/2016/03/12/on-terry-pratchett/

From blogger Deborah Osborne, a paean to Monstrous Regiment:

"If a gun was put to my head, or, more to the point, a match to my library, and I had to chose my favourite Discworld book my brain would go straight to Monstrous Regiment. This is one of the books I think of as 'grown up’ books because this is where you can more clearly see the angry that Neil Gaiman talks about his article here. It does all of the things that I love most about the Discworld books so well. It takes an idea (in this instance heroine dressed as a boy) and pushes it so far to the extreme that before you realise it you’ve gone full circle and are looking back thinking that the insanity actually makes a great deal of sense... When you finish it you feel like you’ve been on an inner journey. Every time I come out of Monstrous Regiment I want to go and adjust my socks. It’s a book that shouts out that you have to be yourself no matter how hard it is, or how inconvenient it is for everybody else..."

http://bit.ly/1ZFubKs

...and finally, some musings on Tiffany Aching and on Pratchett in general from religious blogger Bobby Winters:

"In going through the these books, one can pick up on the idea that Pratchett's witches are doing the things we would like a pastor to do. They make rounds among the people of their region and give help to them that need it. This doesn't require much intelligence (though a lot of common sense) but it does require compassion. Pratchett's books are all comic fantasy, but every page breathes with the reality of human life. The people in his books whether witches, wizards, fairies, or other act and react with the logic and illogic of real human beings. The personalities rise off the page. I do a lot of my reading of Pratchett from audiobooks. They are well done enough that the reader will supply the accents of the various characters. The Nac Mac Feegles, for example, are done in a Scot's accent. They are such engaging personalities that the other characters will pulled into imitating their vocabulary from time to time... Pratchett described himself as a humanist. I seem to remember reading somewhere he was an agnostic. But his work, and the Tiffany Aching books in particular, do portray a value system that shares much in common with Christianity. Now one reason for that is reading is an interactive experience. Everything thing one reads is interpreted in the light of one's own experience; it can be a mirror as much as a lens. (Anyone who had ever written for the public and had his work commented on by a reader knows what I am saying is true.) Yet the other truth is that Christianity has been influencing British culture for nigh on to two thousand years. Pratchett being the honest and astute student of human nature picked it up and saw its value..."

http://www.morningsun.net/article/20160229/OPINION/160229869

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0) ROUNDWORLD TALES: SOUL CAKES

"Soul, Soul, a soul cake!
I pray thee, good missus, a soul cake!
One for Peter, two for Paul,
three for Him what made us all!"

In the Discworld universe, Soul Cake Day and the Soul Cake Duck seem somewhat analogous to Roundworld's Easter celebrations. But here in our non-turtle-carried world, the traditions of soul caking and soul cakes have always been associated with All Hallows Eve and All Souls' Day – Hallowmas – better known these days as Halloween. Once upon a time, inthe days when England was a Catholic country, singers would wander the roads and towns at this time singing folk ditties and begging for cakes in remembrance of the souls of the dead. These singers were known as soulers, and their songs were anything but fun: "Doubtless Shakespeare was familiar with the whining songs because Speed, in Two Gentlemen of Verona, observes tartly that one of the 'special marks' of a man in love is 'to speak puling, like a beggar at Hallowmas'." There was plenty of old-fashioned fun otherwise on All Hallows Eve, though. Children and adolescents would bob for apples, and young lovers would seek the names of their future spouses in the curling of apple peels and the hopping of roasting chestnuts. Pre-Christian traditions also held that All Hallows was the night when the ghoulies and ghosties roamed free:

"The Celts believed that, on the eve of the festival, the dead returned to walk the earth for a night and a day and with them came the spirits of evil, at their most potent. Fires blazed on every hilltop to purify the land, defeat the evil ones and encourage the wasting sun to revive. Ceremonial dancing, noisy games and harvest-end rituals took place around these fires with drinking of the herbal ales for which the Celts were renowned... these practices survived the advent of Christianity, in barely translated form at first, and only very gradually died out. The evil spirits became witches, and the bonfires burned them in effigy (for instance the Shandy Dann at Balmoral where, we are told, Queen Victoria much enjoyed the fun). A great number of divining rituals and games, often involving apples, nuts and fire, persisted; apples and nuts were the last-harvested fruits. Even the old herbal ale: survived as mulled ale or punch with roasted apples floating in it... The more significant pre-Christian practice of impersonating the dead and other spirits and by so doing protecting oneself and others from their spectral power also continued. Sometimes this was acted out by processions of young adults (later children) wearing or carrying grotesque masks and often headed by a youth carrying a horse's skull (as, for example, the Lair Bhan in co Cork, or the Hodening Horse in Cheshire). They went from door to door or visited friends and neighbours, collecting money for food. Before Christian times, such largesse had no doubt been given to feast the dead spirits in return for the promise of fertility and protection from evil provided by the visit. But in pre-Reformation Christian Europe, it provided candles and masses for the dead and snacks for the living."

Soul cakes and souling customs varied around the shires, but the baking of soul cakes was always a part of the festivities. These were given to the poor of the parish, sometimes accompanied by "soul papers" – written prayers for the dead. Some soul cakes were flat; others were more like buns than cakes.

The tradition of giving and eating soul cakes continues in some countries to this day, and is purported to be the origin of the American practice of trick-or-treating. An old 'soul-caking' play is still performed in Cheshire. The songs are sung as well, "but with little meaning now because the soul cakes once baked in great batches, as described by John Aubrey, are no longer made." The Halloween bread known as parkin may be the only surviving genuine "soul cake" now.

Sources:
http://catholiccuisine.blogspot.com.au/2011/10/soul-cakes-original-halloween-treat.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_cake

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11) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

Neve, a young Feegl-, um, Scots lass, as Tiffany Aching on World Book Day 2016:
http://bit.ly/1OX1XDb

From blogger Hubward Ho, an animated Clacks shutter to help us all keep Sir Pterry's name in the Overhead:
https://hubwardho.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/gnu-terry-pratchett.gif?w=748

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12 CLOSE

And that's the lot for March. Meanwhile, if you'd like to create your own "GNU Terry Pratchett" Clacks icon for use on your social network pages, this is the place to go:

http://www.gnuterrypratchett.com/genclacks.php

Take care, and we'll see you next month!

– Annie Mac


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