Wossname -- March 2018 -- main issue

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
March 2018 (Volume 21, 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) ODDS AND SODS
04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
05) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
08) ROUNDWORLD TALES: MUCKY STUFF
09) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
10) CLOSE

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"Perhaps the answer lies in one of Adams’ descriptions of Earth from the original Hitchhiker’s: “This planet has – or rather had – a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much all of the time.” If British science fiction and fantasy can alleviate that at the same time as performing the basic requirements of the genre – to reflect modern life, to make us think and to be exciting – then I’d rather have one good old giggle than a dozen dour dystopias."
– Guardian journalist David Barnett has high hopes for Good Omens and The Watch

"I’d always been scornful of fantasy until I read my first Terry Pratchett novel."
– author Val McDermid, speaking to The Guardian

"Fans of my father want certain things and I am trying to look after that, but at the same time I am still trying to do what I want to do.”"
– Rhianna Pratchett, in an interview in Dubai, March 2018

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

The Soul Cake Duck is coming! Yes, it's that time of year again, when Spring peeps over the horizon (unless you live in Fourecks or other places at similar latitudes) and the chocolate flows free. I hope all our readers enjoy a good long holiday weekend and don't expire of chocolate-overdose like a certain former Auditor...

Agatean Whispers on the Clacks: in the rush to make content from the announcement about The Watch (see item 3.1), certain quarters forgot to fact-check, or indeed, to proofread. Witness this gem from Cinema Blend: "Amazon is also looking at developing Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash and Terry Pratchett's Ringworld as either films or series." (It's in the second paragraph at https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2316432/The-Dark-Tower-Series-Isnt-Dead-After-All if you want to see for yourself). This is particularly amusing, given that Ringworld author Larry Niven and Sir Pterry did know each other and were working on a collaborative outline for a novel. But no, the Disc hasn't suddenly gone ring-shaped!

Let's raise a thimble of scumble to the memory of Jan Kantůrek, the famous Czech translator, who has died recently, and note the iconograph of him with The Author in section 9 below. Along with his considerable body of translating work, Kantůrek had the distinction of translating books about two of literature's most famous barbarians – Conan and Cohen – and has a wikipage (_https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Kant%C5%AFrek_). Jan Kantůrek's ear for effectively translated humour was, I'm told, a large part of the reasons novels have sold over three-quarters of a million copies in the Czech Republic. Legend has it that Vlastimir Talas (owner of Talpress, the Czech Discworld publishing house) had asked him to find out which Czech translator would be best to translate Discworld, and after much research Kantůrek came to the conclusion that none would be up to the job of coping with the humour and puns. the publisher's reaction was, "Well, whether you know it or not, you've talked yourself into the job!" He will be much missed.

Now then... on with the show!

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) ODDS AND SODS

3.1 HERE COMES THE WATCH!

At last, some news about the long-promised "CSI: Ankh-Morpork" television series, aka The Watch. By now the rumours and more-then-rumours have already trickled out around the internet, but here is the earliest announcement as posted on Deadline:

"Terry Pratchett fans may want to stay close to a television screen over the next couple of years: his comedy fantasy book series Discworld has become his latest work to be snapped up for a small screen adaptation. BBC Studios is developing a six-part series based on the long-running epic novel series. I hear that Simon Allen, who has written series including Strike Back, The Musketeers and Sky’s forthcoming reboot of Das Boot, is writing the series, which has a working title of The Watch. BBC Studios is looking to set up the show as a returnable franchise. No broadcasters are currently attached but the production arm of the British public broadcaster, which is now free to sell to all third-party broadcasters, is eyeing the adaptation as a major international co-production. It is co-producing the series with Narrativia, the production company founded by Pratchett in 2012... The urban-set stories follow the clashes between the fantasy world and modern civilization and largely revolve around the growth of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch from a hopeless gang of three to a fully equipped police force. This force is run by Sam Vimes, a cynical, working-class street cop who battles dragons with other characters including werewolves, trolls and zombies. It would be perfect for a Pratchett-style CSI crime of the week procedural cop drama with supernatural elements..."

https://bit.ly/2F5A9Qt

And in the Radio Times:

"The Watch is likely to be set in the principal city of Ankh-Morpork and revolve around the growth of the City Watch from a “hopeless gang of three” to a serious police force run by Sam Vimes, the cynical, working-class street cop. The Ankh-Morpork City Watch are the focus of eight Discworld novels and a short story. With Discworld’s cast of werewolves, dragons, trolls and zombies, we can look forward to something quite visually spectacular. The series is being executive produced by BBC Studios’ Head of Drama Hilary Salmon, whose CV includes Luther and Silent Witness. And while it may be a BBC show, it could potentially become a major international co-production..."

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2018-03-02/terry-pratchett-discworld-tv-series-bbc-studios/

And on The Bookseller:

"Jon Wood, group publisher at Orion, commented on the news of their introduction to the small screen: 'We’re absolutely delighted to hear the news that Terry’s fantastic books are going to be adapted by the BBC. Following their wonderful work on Jonathan Strange, as well their fantastic roster of drama and comedy, we await this adaptation with huge excitement, as no doubt fans the world over do as well. There’s no writer quite like Terry – we are tremendously proud to publish him – and we’re certain this will result in a television programme quite like no other too.'..."

https://bit.ly/2CYFszi

3.2 TERRY PRATCHETT: HISWORLD AWARD NOMINATION

From Katy Griffin for the Salisbury Journal:

"Thousands of visitors flocked to see the Terry Pratchett: HisWorld exhibition at Salisbury Museum, which has been nominated in the Best Temporary or Touring Exhibition category in the Museum and Heritage Awards. The museum worked closely with the Estate of Sir Terry Pratchett and artist Paul Kidby, who illustrated many of the Discworld publications, to put the exhibition together. A spokesman for the museum said: 'Right from the moment the doors opened, it was clear that we had a hit on our hands. By the time the exhibition closed on January 14 this year, more than 21,000 people had come to see the exhibition, literally from all over the world. We are so very proud to have reached the shortlist.'... It is up against other entries including the National Trust for its Prejudice & Pride exhibition, the Science Museum in London for Robots: The 500-Year Quest to Make, Victoria and Albert Museum for You Say You Want a Revolution? The annual Museums and Heritage Awards, which are now in its 16th year, recognise projects of excellence, and innovative and ground-breaking initiatives from galleries and visitor attractions across the UK and overseas..."

http://bit.ly/2poamgS

3.3 ...AND HERE COMES THE SHED OF DOOM!

The Terry Pratchett: HisWorld exhibit may have come to its end, but the part of the exhibit that featured Sir Pterry's wonderful re-created office will be back! It's being prepared for the 2018 Chalke Valley History Festival. Another report by Katy Griffin in the Salisbury Journal:

"This summer there will be the new Live History Live programme – a series of some 50 events at the weekend... Also new for 2018, the festival will be celebrating its Chalke Valley History Heroes. There will be a series of talks about the antiquarian and historian, John Aubrey, photographer and designer Cecil Beaton, authors Terry Pratchett and William Golding, artist Henry Lamb and former Prime Minister Anthony Eden. There will be a recreation of Terry Pratchett’s extraordinary writing office in a new special exhibition called The Shed of Doom and, on the Sunday morning, courtesy of the Discworld Conjuror’s Guild, the Festival will be welcoming the fabulous and award-winning Time-Travelling Magicians Morgan & West..."

The 2018 Chalke Valley History Festival will take place from 25th June to 1st July this year. Tickets will be available from next month (April).

https://bit.ly/2pAm5sF

More on the festival, from Paul Kidby's own website:

The Chalke Valley History festival is held in Broad Chalke, a small village outside Salisbury in which Sir Terry Pratchett made his home for the past several decades. Founded in 2011, it brings in thousands of attendees each year. This year we are excited to announce that the Discworld will come home to the Chalke Valley. Following on the success of Terry Pratchett: HisWorld, the record-breaking exhibition at Salisbury Museum, the office of Sir Terry will be re-created at the History Festival, giving visitors the chance to see the inner-sanctum from where Sir Terry penned his best-selling novels... The most stunning part of this this installation will be the brand-new Shed of Doom. The creation of Discworld Dark Lord, Evil Harry Dread, this menacing monolith will tower over visitors. Standing a full 18 feet tall, this horticultural horror is precisely based upon drawings by Paul Kidby..."

https://www.paulkidby.com/event/discworld-at-the-chalke-valley-history-festival/

http://cvhf.org.uk

3.4 GOOD OMENS: READY FOR POST-PRODUCTION NOW

From the Radio Times, by Eleanor Bley Griffiths:

"The filming and production for Good Omens sounds just about as epic as the story itself – but now the last day of principal photography has arrived in Cape Town after 109 days, and showrunner Neil Gaiman has marked the occasion with a special message to cast and crew. 'Over a hundred days of shooting,' he writes, in a photograph of the call sheet shared by director Douglas Mackinnon. 'We've been frozen and broiled, sandstormed and snowed, dogbitten and burned down. We've not had any two days of shooting that were like any other two. Through it all we’ve persisted, telling a story about Peace vs War, about looking after this world because it’s the only one we have, about making the right choices. Thank you, all of you, from Terry Pratchett and from me.'..."

https://bit.ly/2pBun3E

3.5 PRATCHETT AND CHAUCER: BEST BUDS?

Over the past twelve years the Arizona State University English department in Tempe, Arizona has held a biennial Chaucer day. This year's event, the ASU Chaucer Celebration: Twenty-First-Century Chaucer, included include readings, viewings of early printed editions of Chaucer texts and a re-enactment of an updated version of “The Canterbury Tales” starring ASU students and faculty. YA author Kim Zarins, who participated in the readings, was asked , "If you had to compare Chaucer to a contemporary writer or artist, who would it be and why?", and answered, "Both [Chaucer and Pratchett] make you laugh out loud, plus both are razor-sharp satirists with a keen radar for hypocrisy in society. They both use stock characters who nonetheless become real people as muddled and contradictory as the rest of us, yet the stock element is still there, which makes me think there can be stock qualities to ourselves, but that doesn’t make us any less real. Chaucer and Pratchett are shockingly brilliant, yet down-to-earth enough (or down-to-Discworld enough) that they are always open to slapstick and cheesy puns, which I’m a sucker for. Both tickle your brain but then tug on your heart. I pay my deep respects to Pratchett and his character Death when I retell the Pardoner’s Tale, which I’d done on intuition without thinking about it further, and now I’m really glad I put the two authors together. They would have been great friends."

http://bit.ly/2HNUSJM

3.6 SMALL SCREEN DISCWORLD SO FAR: A RETROSPECTIVE

By Andrew Blair on Den of Geek:

"Starting with Hogfather in 2006 as part of the festive schedules, Vadim Jean and his team followed this with The Colour Of Magic (adapting the book of the same name and its follow up The Light Fantastic) in 2008, finishing with Going Postal in 2010. Plans were afoot for adaptations of Unseen Academicals and Sourcery but these never came to fruition. Which is a shame, as by the time of Going Postal the Mob had really got the hang of adapting Terry Pratchett books. They had begun with the 20th Discworld novel, Hogfather... The first person cast was Ian Richardson as the voice of Death. Richardson passed away shortly after the broadcast, and was replaced by Christopher Lee for The Colour Of Magic (Lee had previously voiced Death for Cosgrove Hall’s animations for Soul Music and Wyrd Sisters). Richardson and Marnix van den Broeke (wearing the costume) bring Death right out of the books. Both were inspired casting. Now, though, I’m about to get my curmudgeon on. There’s a sense of strain and tiredness to the finished productions... They feel very safe. You can understand why this might be reasonable for a Christmas broadcast, but both Hogfather and The Colour Of Magic feel like they’re focussed on whimsy at the expense of weight, character and darkness. Comedy is a key reason for Pratchett’s popularity, but it’s not the only colour he painted with...

"Where I think Going Postal has the edge is that it benefits from the enthusiasm and experience of the previous two adaptations, a great book to work with, and having more people come on board to tackle the script and directing job. All of a sudden, the characters seem more real, more rounded, and Suchet’s Reacher Gilt is a suitably nasty piece of work. There are tones other than ‘What larks’, some genuine pathos, and more lived-in feel to Ankh-Morpork. Getting it right three stories in isn’t exactly unheard of in television, and if these three had been a series you could see it being renewed..."

https://bit.ly/2pDSwFP

3.7 SOUTH AFRICA CELEBRATES: NOT QUITE A CONVENTION BUT MORE THAN AFTERNOON TEA

The second annual South African Discworld Day is coming up! "Join in a celebration of life on Sir Terry Pratchett's Birthday (28 April) by honoring his legacy and experiencing his Discworld.Discover the streets of Ankh-Morpork, the greatest city of the Discworld. A folklorique network of old lanes, squares and alleys for your walking pleasure. Wherre exitement and trolls lurke arounde everry corner and much may be heard the traditional street cries of old time also the laughing visages of the denuizens as they goe about their business private..."

There are mny activities planned. A limited number of tickets are available from https://www.quicket.co.za/events/40656-discworld-day-interesting-times-in-ankh-morpork/#/

Tickets are R70 online (see above), or R90 at the gate/on the day (under-12s have free entry). Parking costs R10 per car. "Dogs and unruly luggages to be kept on leashes at all times. Please note – there is a 1km dirt road to the venue but it is suitable for most cars."

Here be a map to the location: https://goo.gl/maps/TkgXqikT9k62

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04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

Editor's note: as Wossname normally only comes out once every month, do check the Wossname blog for information on plays that might fall between issue dates! Go to https://wossname.dreamwidth.org/ for interim updates.

4.1 PLAYS IN APRIL AND MAY

* WYRD SISTERS IN BENDIGO, FOURECKS (APRIL)

The Bendigo Theatre Company's Tribe Youth Theatre will stage their production of Wyrd Sisters in April!

When: 5th–8th April 2018
Venue: BTC Arts Shed, 15-17 Allingham Street, Golden Square, Bendigo, Victoria 3555
Time: 7pm all shows
Tickets: $22 (concessions $20; students $17; children under 12 $14; family ticket $57), available via http://bit.ly/2Clm4jH – choose your date from the drop-down menu.

https://bendigotheatrecompany.org/

* MONSTROUS REGIMENT IN ILLINOIS, USA (APRIL)

The Green Man Theatre Troupe will be staging their production of Monstrous Regiment in April. Good to see more and more American Discworld productions going on!

When: 13th April–29th April 2018, Fridays through Sundays
Venue: First United Methodist Church, 232 S.York Street, Elmhurst, IL 60126
Time: 7.30pm all evening shows, 2pm Sunday matinees
Tickets: $17 (students and seniors $15), available from the Box Office (630 464 2646)

http://www.greenmantheatre.org

* WYRD SISTERS IN HAMPSHIRE (APRIL)

The Headley Theatre Club will be presenting Wyrd Sisters in what looks to be a fun evening in April!

When: 13th–14th and 20th–21st April 2018
Venue: Headley Village Hall, Arford Road, Headley, Bordon, Hants GU35 8LJ
Time: 8pm all shows, but if you arrive at 7.30pm you'll be serenaded pre-show by the Mended Drum Folk Club!
Tickets: £8, available online at www.headley-village.com/drama olr from Ticketsource at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/headley-theatre-club or by ringing the Box Office on 01428 717358. NOTE: an additional £5 gets you fed by Porkers, Pies and Puddings

http://www.headley-village.com/drama

* WYRD SISTERS IN SOUTHAMPTON (APRIL)

The Maskers Theatre Company, "one of the South’s leading non-professional theatre groups", are also taking on Wyrd Sisters next month: "The Maskers has its own premises – a studio/workshop acquired and converted with lottery funding in 1994 - where equipment and wardrobe are stored and set construction takes place. Since then our activities, both technical and social, have flourished. Our performances are often reviewed as being of a professional standard; all of this is enhanced by the beautiful setting in which we are privileged to perform."

When: 17th–20th April 2018
Venue: Berry Theatre, Emsworth Road, Shirley, Southampton SO15 3LX
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £10–£12.50, available from http://www.theberrytheatre.co.uk/whats-on/spring-18/wyrd-sisters/ (scroll down and click on your desired date) or by phoning 023 8065 2333.

http://maskers.org.uk/productions/2018/WyrdSisters/show.php

* MORT IN YORKSHIRE (APRIL)

Skipton Players bring their production of Mort to the stage in April.

When: 17th–21st April 2018
Venue: Skipton Little Theatre, Clifford Street, Skipton, N Yorks BD23 2AD
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £10 (concessions £5), available online at http://www.skiptonlittletheatre.org.uk/book-online/ or through the Box Office by phoning 07527 141176

Website: http://www.skiptonlittletheatre.org.uk/

* WYRD SISTERS IN SWITZERLAND (APRIL/MAY)

Attention all Francophone Discworld fans! Theatre de la Cite de Fribourg will stage their production of Wyrd Sisters ("Trois soercieres") – adapted by Christophe Vaillot, Alain Le Coultre and Serge K. Keller from the Patrick Couton translation of Stephen Briggs' version – in April and May.

When: 19th–21st and 27th–28th April, 4th–5th and 10th–12th May 2018
Venue: Theatre de la Cite de Fribourg, Grandes-Rames 36, 1700 Fribourg, La Sarine, Switzerland
Time: 8pm all evening shows; 5.30pm matinees on 29th April and 6th May
Tickets: adults CHF 18, seniors and students CHF 13. There is also a students-only discount price of CHF10 on Thursdays. To reserve tickets, ring Fribourg Tourisme on +41 26 350 11 00 – tickets can then be collected at the theatre.

Note: there will be a celebration of Sir Pterry's 70th birthday after the final April show (28th, the day of his birth), and the public are welcome to attend.

http://www.tcf.ch

* JINGO IN DORSET (APRIL)

The Castle Players will present their production of Jingo in April "in celebration of what would have been Sir Terry Pratchett's 70th Birthday". A good choice!

When: 26th–28th April 2018
Venue: The Village Hall, High Street, Lytchett Matravers, Poole, Dorset BH16 6DD
Time: 7.45pm evening shows; Saturday matinee 2.30pm
Tickets: £10 (concessions £9), bookable by phone (07938 965434) or available from the Rose and Crown in Lytchett Matravers or online at https://www.castleplayers.com/tickets

https://www.castleplayers.com

* GUARDS! GUARDS! IN CHORLEY (APRIL)

CADOS (possibly once the Chorley and District Operatic Society?) will be staging Guards! Guards! in April: "This production marks what would have been Sir Terry's 70th birthday."

When: 23rd–28th April 2018
Venue: Chorley Little Theatre, Dole Lane, Chorley, Lancs PR7 2RL
Time: 7:30pm all shows
Tickets: 23rd, 24th, 25th £8; 26th, 27th, 28th £10, available online at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/208113 or in person at Malcom's Musicland 01257 264362 or Ebb & Flo Bookshop or when the Theatre Box Office is open for shows.

http://www.chorleylittletheatre.com/chorleytheatre/index.php/event/552-cados-play

Editor's note: the theatre itself is absolutely adorable! Look:
http://www.chorleylittletheatre.com/chorleytheatre/images/ChorleyLittleTheatre1.jpg

* MORT IN BIRKENHEAD (APRIL)

The Carlton Players will be staging Mort next April: "He gets board and lodging and free use of company horse, and doesn't even need time off for his grandmother's funeral..."

When: 24th–28th April 2018
Venue: The Little Theatre, Grange Rd West, Birkenhead CH41 4BY
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £8 (students and under-16s £6), available from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/venue/FEDIFI or by ringing the box office on 0151 647 6593

https://www.carltonlittletheatre.co.uk/the-carlton-players/2017-18-season/mort/

* THE FIFTH ELEPHANT IN ESSEX (APRIL/MAY)

Chelmsford Theatre Workshop is having a go at staging The Fifth Elephant, directed by Mark Preston. A good choice: "April 2018 will see groups from all over the UK perform plays to mark Terry Pratchett’s 70th birthday, and Chelmsford Theatre Workshop will be proud to contribute to this anniversary event."

When: 25th–28th April and 2nd–5th May 2018
Venue: Old Court Theatre, 233 Springfield Road, Chelmsford, Essex CM2 6JT
Time: 7.45pm all shows
Tickets: £10 (concessions £9), available from the Box Office by phoning 01245 606505

https://ctw.org.uk/season-2017-2018/

* GUARDS! GUARDS! IN PLYMOUTH (MAY)

City College Plymouth will be staging their production of Guards! Guards! in May 2018.

When: 16th–18th May 2018
Venue: Tilt Theatre, Performing Arts, City College Plymouth, Plymouth
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £5 (concessions £3), available online by going to http://bit.ly/2HZba37 and clicking on the desired date button.

https://allevents.in/plymouth/guards-guards-by-terry-pratchett/1943260799295027

* MORT IN READING (MAY)

Caversham Park Theatre will be staging their production of Mort in May – and they're promoting audience participation: "Dress Up for Discworld! Any Character, any performance, especially Saturday evening". Sounds good!

When: 17th–19th May 2018
Venue: Milestone Centre, Milestone Way Precinct, Caversham, Reading RG4 6PF
Time: 8pm (17th and 18th) and 7.30pm (19th)
Tickets: £7 plus an online booking fee, available from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/223486 or by ringing the Box Office on 01189 481 377

http://www.kelvinplayers.co.uk/

4.2 PLAYS LATER IN 2018

* WYRD SISTERS IN SHEFFIELD (JUNE/JULY)

The Company invite you to their production of Wyrd Sisters this June and July.

When: 13th–16th June and 11th July 2018
Venue: The University Drama Studio, Shearwood Road, Sheffield S10 2TD on 13th–16th June, and outdoors on Dore Village Green on 11th July
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £8.50 (concessions £5.5), available online at https://www.thecompanysheffield.co.uk/boxoffice/ or £9 (concessions £6) on the door.

https://www.thecompanysheffield.co.uk/productions/wyrdsisters/
https://www.thecompanysheffield.co.uk/aboutus/howtofind.php

* WYRD SISTERS IN SWANSEA (JULY)

The Pontlliw Players will present their production of Wyrd Sisters in July

When: 26th–28th July 2018
Venue: Pontlliw Village Hall, Carmel Rd, Pontlliw, Swansea SA4 9EX
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £7, available from the Box Office by phoning 01792 897833 or 07986 135341, or by emailing tickets@pvh_online.org.uk

http://www.pvh-online.org.uk/

* MEN AT ARMS IN BRISBANE, FOURECKS (OCTOBER/NOVEMBER)

It will be a bit of a wait, but the Brisbane Arts Centre's next Discworld production – Men at Arms – is already looking good! All props to Fourecks for keeping the Disc alive on stage: "Men at Arms is the 15th novel in Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, a comic fantasy universe with over 80 million books sold worldwide. Aficionados and newcomers to the Disc will love this adaptation, brought to life by the expertise of our Pratchett team."

When: 6th October through 3rd November 2018
Venue: Brisbane Arts Centre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Petrie Terrace (yes, the suburb and the road share a name), Brisbane, Queensland 4000
Time: 7.30pm Thursdays, 8.00pm Fridays and Saturdays, 6.30pm Sundays. "Doors close 5 minutes prior to performance. Late entry is not permitted."
Tickets: AU$34 ($28 concession or groups of 10 or more), available now online at http://bit.ly/2zHKO5a – and there will be Student Rush tickets priced at $15, available from the box office 15 minutes prior to curtain on the dates

https://www.artstheatre.com.au/menatarms

* THE SCIENCE OF DISCWORLD IV IN ABINGDON (NOVEMBER)

The Studio Theatre Club's next Discworld production will be Stephen Briggs' dramatisation of the fourth Science of Discworld novel, Judgement Day!

When: 14th–17th November 2018
Venue: the Unicorn Theatre, Medieval Abbey Buildings, Checker Walk, Abingdon,, Oxon OX14 3JB
Time: TBA
Tickets: TBA

http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/beyond-quality-street

* GOING POSTAL IN BRISTOL (DECEMBER)

The Kelvin Players will be staging Going Postal in December 2018. Keep an eye on their website: "Moist von Lipwig was a con artist, a fraud and a man faced with a life choice: be hanged, or put Ankh-Morpork's ailing postal service back on its feet. It was a tough decision. With the help of a golem who has been at the bottom of hole in the ground for over two hundred years, a pin fanatic and Junior Postman Groat, he's got to see that the mail gets through. In taking on the evil chairman of the Grand Trunk Semaphore Company, and a midnight killer, he's also got to stay alive. Getting a date with Adora Bell Dearheart would be nice, too. In the mad world of the mail, can a criminal succeed where honest men have failed and died? Perhaps there's a shot at redemption for man who's prepared to push the envelope..."

When: 5th–8th and 12th–15th December 2018
Venue: Kelvin Studios, 253B Gloucester Road, Bishopston, Bristol BS7 8NY
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: TBA

http://www.kelvinplayers.co.uk/coming-soon

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05) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS

5.1 DISCWORLD EMPORIUM UPDATES

* Stamps from the Queendom of Ptraci!

"The Djelibeybi 1 Talent postage stamp, and 5 Ptascp issue featuring the royal visage of Queen Ptraci, are available to collect as single stamps or in beautiful whole sheets... and in the latest Little Brown Envelope edition! Every envelope in this LBE edition contains both new issues, plus a random assortment of current Discworld Stamps with a chance of sports and rarities!"

https://www.discworldemporium.com/39-new-stamps

* The return of Discworld miniatures!

"These exquisitely detailed character busts from miniature sculpture experts Micro Art Studio have returned to the Emporium – now with even more DEATH! Created from the illustrations of Paul Kidby, these fantastic mini-figures stand between 12.5-13.5cm tall with an elegant metal-effect painted finish! Each bust is also available in an unpainted finish, so you can bring Death to life with a paintbrush and create your own Discworld masterpiece!"

https://www.discworldemporium.com/37-discworld-miniatures

* The Wilkins speaks!

"The largest festival of history in the UK lands in Broad Chalke, Wiltshire this summer. Of course the Chalke was also home to a certain Sir Terry Pratchett, renowned history buff and legendary writer of books. With such a festival in Terry's back garden, what could be more appropriate than the presence of his own shed! From designs by Paul Kidby, Evil Harry Dread's Shed of Doom will be built at this year's festival, through which visitors can enter a recreation of Terry's writing office. If you missed out on the Terry Pratchett: Hisworld Exhibition, it's another chance to visit your favourite author's place of work, and with talks by Rob Wilkins and Paul Kidby, it's sure to be a fitting celebration of the man in the hat in the glorious valley he called home!"

To win tickets to Rob Wilkins' Talk The Write Fantastic: Terry Pratchett, on Saturday 30th June, check back on the festival competition page:
https://cvhf.org.uk/competitions-heroes/

http://www.discworldemporium.com/

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06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), will be meeting next from 7pm on Monday 2nd April 2018 at the Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London, W2 1JQ. "We welcome anyone and everyone who enjoys Sir Terry's works, or quite likes them or wants to find out more. We have had many visitors from overseas who have enjoyed themselves and made new friends. The discussions do not only concern the works of Sir Terry Pratchett but wander and meander through other genres and authors and also leaping to TV and Film production. We also find time for a quiz."

Broken Drummers are also going to the Victoria and Albert Museum around two-ish next Monday (2nd April, also known this year as Easter Monday bank holiday) before the regular meetup at the Monkey Puzzle. For more information, email BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group (if you must) at https://www.facebook.com/groups/55107511411/permalink/10156634038566412/

From the Drummers' most recent meet report, by Helen Nicholls:

"Nine of us met on Monday, undeterred by the cold spell. Some of us had already been to the Nightwatchers event at the Tower of London a couple of weeks earlier. We had to walk around the Tower after dark with headphones pretending that we were being recruited into an intelligence agency. We initially had to make contact with a person in a red scarf by asking a question that included the word "midnight"? Marina was the one who did this but was told to go away until the rest of our party had arrived. She was later told off for not taking it seriously by the person who gave out the equipment... Edmund, a special constable in his spare time, did a quiz on the City Watch books. Surprisingly, he managed to avoid death threats despite having a lot of questions. I won and will do the next one. I did joke at one point about doing a quiz on the meeting reports to see who reads them. I was tempted as it could lead people to go through the old ones to swot up but I have decided that that would be mean..."

*

Canberra, Australia's Discworld fan group is 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 from 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."

*

For Facebook users in Fourecks: The Victorian Discworld Klatch is "a social group for fans of Discworld and Terry Pratchett... run by a dedicated team who meet monthly and organise events monthly." "If you'd like to join our events please ask to join the Klatch."

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

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"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)" is a public Facebook meeting group: "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." The Loonies' next event will be the Did You Bring a Beer Along weekend, celebrating 20 years of The Last Continent and what should have been Sir Pterry's 70th birthday, from 27th–29th April.

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

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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. 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: "We have an established Terry Pratchett & Discworld fan group in Adelaide called The City of Small Gods, which is open to anyone who would like to come – you don't have to live in Adelaide or even South Australia, or even be a Discworld fan, but that's mostly where our events will be held, and we do like discussing Pratchett's works. Our (semi-) regular meetings are generally held on the last Thursday of the month at the Caledonian, 219 O'Connell St North Adelaide. We have dinner at 6.30pm followed by games until 9pm. The games are usually shorter games like Pairs, Sushi Go, or Tiny Epic Defenders, with the occasional Werewolf session, as these are the best sort of games that work in a pub setting. 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. In addition, we will occasionally have other events to go and see plays by Unseen Theatre Company, book discussions, craft, chain maille or costuming workshops or other fun social activities."

The next CoSG events will be a celebration of Terry Pratchett's birthday on 28th April (details not yet finalised) and a Board Games Day at La Scala on 29th April.

The CoSG also have another identity. Here's the skinny:

Round World Events SA Inc is a not-for-profit incorporated association whose aim is to run fun social Pratchett-themed events for people in South Australia. Our first major event was the Unseen University Convivium held in July 2012. We have also run three successful and booked out Science Fiction and Fantasy themed quiz nights named Quiz Long And Prosper, in 2013, 2014 and 2015! The association will run some events under the City of Small Gods banner, but you do not have to be a Round World Events SA member to be part of City of Small Gods. However, we are always on the look out for new members for Round World Events SA to help us organise future events! Membership is $20 a year (for Adelaide locals) or $5 a year (for those not quite so close) and has the following benefits:

A shiny membership certificate all of your very own
Discounted entry price to some of the events we run
A warm, fuzzy feeling deep down in your chest (no, not quite that deep)
For more information, or to join as a member, please email RoundWorldEventsSA@gmail.com

www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 5th April 2018 (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 6th April 2018 (possibly) 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. 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 5th March 2018 at 6.30pm 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, meet next on Monday 2nd April 2018 (possibly) 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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07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

Blogger Retrovold's thoughts on A Slip of the Keyboard:

"Terry Pratchett was undoubtedly a genius in many things. Be it his ability to humor you beyond reason with his vast fantastical ideas or completely emotionally disarm you with his ability to get right to the point of being a human (or not) without you even excepting it. Those are one of the main reasons I’ve always loved his stories, they are done right, with everything a good story needs. They make you laugh hysterically, they make you adore Death but they also make you weep and nod in agreement. Terry Pratchett is simply a brilliant writer and world is much emptier without him. Even in his “autobiography” (it’s, not in the traditional sense of the word), he is utterly charming but also inspiring... Whichever story you choose, you learn a lot. Not only about Terry Pratchett as a person, but also about Terry Pratchett the writer. It is definitely a book for devoted fans, but I’d say, it is also a must-read for anyone who aspires or desires to write their own stories..."

https://retrovold.com/2018/02/28/a-slip-of-the-keyboard-fun-for-writers/

Blogger bookramblings142 celebrates – and quantifies – Pratchett's "Uncle Jim" children's stories:

"Now trying to find local newspapers from over 50 years ago is largely a fruitless task so the first time I saw some of these stories from Terry’s early days was on a website started by the Bucks Free Press in association with the Friends of High Wycombe Libraries in June 2010, which posted 2 of them and the first 4 parts of what would become Terry’s first novel The Carpet People. They indicated that they intended to make them all available before they were told to stop quite quickly after the site was started as Terry owned the copyright. The site never actually added any more work and was eventually taken down by the end of 2012. What they did have on the site though was a partially useful list that showed the first time Terry wrote as Uncle Jim was published on the 8th October 1965 and the last they listed was 20th December 1968, in total there were 167 parts listed making up 47 distinct stories... During Terry’s tenure as Uncle Jim a lot of the stories are centred on the fictional county of Gritshire, its county town of Blackbury with surrounding towns like East Slate and Umbridge (on the river Um) and the notorious Even Moor where strange things happen in the wild places. The characters gradually develop over the stories so you really feel that there is such a community where odd events occur almost every day and almost feel sorry for the largely incompetent county councillors who just seem to invite disaster with their every plan for improvement..."

https://bookramblings288957187.wordpress.com/2018/02/27/uncle-jim/

Blogger katyboo1 aka Making Them Readers, mother of young Discworld fan Oscar, gives more Tiffany thoughts, this time about A Hat Full of Sky:

"For me, A Hat Full of Sky is so special because it shows Pratchett’s commitment to his theories of what magic is in a non-magical world. It’s where everything he’s been hinting at gets spelled out for those at the back. It’s him, doubling down on what it means to be a witch and what magic really is, and what that means for those of us stuck on a round world where witches don’t exist any more, except that for Pratchett they very much do. It’s the most humane, passionate and angry of his books and every time I read it, or in this case, have it read to me by my son, it makes me cry. Oscar loved it too, almost certainly for different reasons. He’s an eleven year old boy. He’s got the joy I had of reading Pratchett the first time at a young age, and loving the story, and the funny bits, and then reading it again and again as he grows and seeing the layers, the cleverness, the wisdom and the complexity of the books that will make them endure long after other more ‘worthy’ tomes have fallen by the wayside..."

https://makingthemreaders.wordpress.com/2018/02/26/a-hat-full-of-sky-by-terry-pratchett/

Blogger Josh Mauthe aka Clyde Umney returns to hold forth on Only You Can Save Mankind:

"If that all sounds a bit darker than the usual Pratchett fare, well, it is. That’s not to say that some of Pratchett’s usual clever wordplay and light language doesn’t make its way in there, nor some clever dialogue. But in many ways, Only You Can Save Mankind feels like a very different book, one that’s more cynical and more uncertain as to where we’re going as a species. It’s a book set against the backdrop of Desert Storm, where the war has been turned into TV highlights and students complain that the war gets boring to watch unless there’s good action. That background helps to shine a light on the intent behind the main plot, in which Johnny finds himself drawn into a Galaga/Space Invaders-style video game to help the aliens survive, because they can handle no more slaughtering at the hands of humans who find war to only be an entertaining game... this is not Pratchett scolding video games; rather, this is undeniably (and sometimes too overtly) a book about media and war, and one clearly inspired by the war that’s playing out in the background of the novel..."

https://clydeumney.wordpress.com/2018/02/24/only-you-can-save-mankind-by-terry-pratchett/

Blogger Molo Writes recommends Jingo:

"Stereotypes are regularly presented, challenged, and debunked with Pratchett’s typical wit and frank humor. Jingo also explores the role of law enforcement in maintaining social stability and resolving conflicts while remaining objective and without abuses of power. Jingo is a great work of satirical fantasy, and though it’s twenty years old at this point, it remains relevant. I was only a couple of pages in when I realized the source of conflict and debate in Jingo is extremely applicable to current geopolitical posturing over the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. I’d recommend this for anyone looking for more satirical fantasy who doesn’t mind a long read (the book is about 440 pages) and anyone looking for a lighthearted primer on jingoism..."

https://molowrites.wordpress.com/2018/03/04/review-jingo/

Blogger Read Recently has mixed Tiffany feelings re I Shall Wear Midnight:

"For some reason, I’ve become less fond of the Tiffany Aching Saga as she aged and became an adult. Perhaps it’s because we already have the three (four) witches series and Pratchett only has so much to say with witch characters? Perhaps it’s just me. Anyway, this one has Tiffany facing off against a spirit called the Cunning Man, which inflames hatred of witches in the local people. There is a subplot involving the local baron getting married, and since Tiffany rescued him from the Elves when they were younger a lot of people assumed that they would grow up to be more than friends, and they didn’t. All things considered, it’s a good story and a fine example of its kind, but it feels to me like there’s nothing new here for Tiffany which, as you might recall, was my problem with The Shepherd’s Crown, the next Tiffany book and also the last Pratchett book ever. But still, it is a good book, and therefore recommended..."

https://readrecently.wordpress.com/2018/03/23/read-recently-april-2017-pratchett/

...whereas blogger MJ's take on ISWM has no Tiffany doubts at all:

"I’m very terrified of starting ‘The Shepherd’s Crown’ because I know that was the last novel Terry Pratchett wrote, and he was incredibly ill. Anyway, this book was fantastic – as usual... I hugely appreciated the dynamic between Tiffany and her father, he seems to be the only character (aside from the Feegles) who consistently believes in Tiffany’s abilities. It was nice to have a little familial relief between the attacks against Tiffany. It was so frustrating to be solidly on Tiff’s side and to see such unfair treatment aimed at her – but obviously that’s the point. The book does wind down pretty rapidly toward the end, presumably because Pratchett wasn’t sure if he would be able to write another novel. For example, Tiffany’s new love interest becomes integrated into her life very quickly at the end – time skips forward to see them happy together. But, I refuse to see that as a negative. The writing is spectacular, nothing can detract from that..."

https://miriammj.com/2018/03/22/i-shall-wear-midnight-terry-pratchett/

Another Clyde Umney blog, this one on a re-read of Good Omens after first encountering it a decade ago:

"Since then, I’ve come to know and deeply love the work of Terry Pratchett, and I’ve become more familiar with the work of Neil Gaiman (who, at the time I last read Good Omens, had only had a couple of novels published). That’s made it a perfect excuse to revisit the book, and see how it holds up as a work by two of my favorite writers. The answer: it holds up perfectly and then some, representing some wonderful union of the best of each author’s sensibilities, and creating something wonderful in the process... in typical Pratchett style, from the get-go, there are reversals and oddities, from the way that the Antichrist is raised by a family who doesn’t know what their child is and simply raises him normally to the way the book follows an angel and demon as they attempt to prevent all of this from happening. And through it all, Gaiman fleshes out the mythology and imagination of the piece, playing off of Pratchett’s wry social commentary and gleeful silliness. The result is, first of all, laugh-out-loud, consistently, constantly hilarious, from page one until the end...

"But what makes Good Omens great isn’t the sly parodies of The Omen or the wonderful silliness. No, what makes it great is what makes so many Pratchett (and Gaiman, to a different extent) books great: the way it uses the plot to get to something more meaningful and profound. What begins as a book about the end of the world becomes a study of human frailty (the demon Crowley’s thoughts about how human nature trumps anything he can ever come up with ring as true today as they did when the novel was first written), but also what makes life worth living. As with so many books by these two, the final confrontation doesn’t come down to an action sequence – it comes down to ideas, to optimism (or hope, perhaps) in the face of defeat and cynicism..."

https://clydeumney.wordpress.com/2018/03/20/good-omens-by-neil-gaiman-and-terry-pratchett/

Blogger Earth and Skye was well satisfied with The Light Fantastic:

"This story is every bit as entertaining and funny as the first one, and it finishes this small story arc off perfectly. Personally, my favourite line is “Rincewind said, grinning like a necrophiliac in a morgue”. (I may not have got the grammar in this quote perfect though). It kind of sums up the entire story perfectly. Wrong, funny and with great descriptives that I have never thought of using in my own writing… sometimes because it is just this side of wrong. I also love the long, rambling sentences. As someone who has read many science papers with these kinds of convoluted bits of wording, I normally find them frustrating. But, somehow Pratchett is able to make them fun, engaging and poetic in a way that no other author or writer I have come across is able to do. I really enjoyed Rincewind as the chief protagonist. He is completely inept, a total coward, and not quite capable of even being a real wizard. Yet, at the end of this tale, he is kind of able to find his own power and space..."

https://earthandskye.org/2018/03/21/the-light-fantastic-by-terry-pratchett/

Blogger The Shelf Wanderer's thoughts on Moving Pictures, being mainly a Lancre Witches and Moist von Lipwig fan:

"This novel is quintessentially Pratchett: it could stand alone quite happily if you haven’t read many, but if you ever find yourself in conversation about Pratchett, you may find yourself describing the features of this novel. This novel is one that really hits (what I’m going to call for this post) the Pratchett Swag. Pratchett Swag is all about distorting ideas or industries or poking fun at things and thoroughly doing a good job while making it funny or humorous or just a little plain weird. PS (yes I’m coining the term), seems to come and go for me, some novels feel really complete in their PS and others seem to drift a little from it. After reading a good handful I feel as if I’m getting the grasp on what PS really is. Moving Pictures is dripping with PS. But – it isn’t my favourite Discworld novel. I’m not sure what it is that makes a Discworld novel really tick for me but it’s a combination of PS and something else (but what that something else is I’m not sure)...

"I’m certain that there are film references that I didn’t clock in this novel, but the glaringly obvious I enjoyed. I enjoyed ‘laddie’ the handsome but stupid dog who always wants to please and rescue and be a good boy, while the scruffy, now-managing-an-actor-in-secret, intelligent Gaspode is thoroughly jealous. I think there is also a hint at King Kong in there or other classic monster-grabbing-love-interest-movies. Ginger and Victor have all the dumb luck but are enjoyable characters on and off screen. I wasn’t expecting Pratchett’s twist to be what it was, but will we see them again? I’m assuming not but who knows. Gaspode is a little of an unlikely hero in this novel, but the ending also seemed a little shoe horned and rushed after such a long build up of ‘Holy Wood’. I’d say it’s worth reading if you’re exploring Pratchett and there are very fun moments but it is not the novel I’d start with if you’re new to Pratchett..."

https://theshelfwanderer.wordpress.com/2018/03/20/86-moving-pictures/

Blogger Audra Edmonson has thought long and carefully about the Discworld series:

"Pratchett had a lot of time and space to develop his world and his characters. I’ll admit that his first books aren’t as meaningful or as well-written. You can see his style develop. You can see his characters grow. That’s part of what makes it so incredible... Pratchett was an atheist, and yet, somehow his books give me more faith, not less. He pokes fun at pantheons and pretty much every religion, showing the hypocrisy and contradictions, and yet…he still shows us that humans must have faith. We must. Otherwise we aren’t human. And despite our hypocrisy and contradictions and members of each religion who do awful, stupid things, there are still people in each place and faith that do amazing things. In the end, people are people, and that seems to be the point...

"Pratchett’s characters are usually the non-hero types; Sam Vimes, jaded copper and alcoholic, Tiffany Aching, too young and too stubborn for her own good, Rincewind, professional coward and wizard, Moist von Lipwig, conman and scumbag, and a host of other memorable, larger-and-smaller-than-life characters. They don’t believe in themselves. They have doubts. They’re up against things they’re not trained for, don’t have experience with, or are absolutely scared of, and time and again we see them overcome the odds. They aren’t incredible people. They are normal people who do amazing things. That’s what I love. I don’t like heroic types in books. Of course Hercules did amazing things, he’s Hercules. Give me your average Vimes who just does the job that’s in front of him and thereby saves the world from dragons. Give me your average Glenda who knows the ins and outs of a good pie and also shows the world how to love someone everyone hates. It’s in those times when people become noble. It’s in those times readers can be inspired to do great things, even in nongreat situations..."

https://audraedmonson.wordpress.com/2018/03/19/discworld-book-series-review/

Blogger Deborah O’Carroll aka The Page Dreamer gives Guards! Guards! a 5/5 rating:

"It’s hilarious and a mess and doesn’t take itself seriously, and is basically a fun rollick. It takes SO MANY fantasy tropes and turns them on their heads. It has footnotes. (And one of its footnotes had footnotes.) Any book that has as detailed a thing about libraries on page three as this one has is bound to be great. (Also, the librarian is an orangutan. Because it can.) The blurb (at least the one I read) seems to act like the book is about Carrot, but it’s really about Vimes. Captain Vimes is the LAST person you’d think of as a hero or even as Main Character material. He’s the most unlikely hero imaginable. But I surprised myself by realizing by the end that I absolutely loved him! He’s great... There are no chapters, just scene breaks, so it feels like a movie. This also makes it impossible to stop reading, which is awkward for those of us who need to remember to go sleep sometime..."

https://thepagedreamer.wordpress.com/2018/03/13/guards-guards-terry-pratchett/

Blogger Thomas H Brand's thoughts on A Blink of the Screen:

"I can never quite get my head around Terry Pratchett doing short fiction. I don’t know why, but for me he’s a long form writer. That’s not to say anything in this collection is bad, far from it. Possibly it's because he books usually have so many layers and meanings and shorter fiction doesn’t really have time for these. Pratchett himself says – in his notes – that he found short fictions hard to to, so maybe he thought the same thing. So reading A Blink of the Screen is enjoyable, yet slightly weird. We’re in that strange place where you’re defining each work as inferior to his full novels, but inferior Pratchett is still superior to most writers. I think, if I had to put my finger on it, the issue I have is all of them feel like rough ideas waiting to be developed. As if Pratchett was simply putting down an idea on paper, fleshing it out a little bit with the intention of coming back later. I couldn’t help feeling like there was more there somewhere... Pratchett was never an author lacking confidence, style, or ability. But reading through this collection is an interesting way for a fan of his work – which should of course be everyone – so gain a snapshot of how his writing developed."

https://thomashbrand.com/2018/03/10/review-a-blink-of-the-screen/

...and finally, blogger Jodie Portugal has some interesting observations about the Discworld series:

It was Mort, where I think the Discworld, fell into place, Death takes a holiday to explore humanity and leaves a human in his position without explaining the details. Then shows himself to be a massive hypocrite when the titular Mort screws it up. That’s the Discworld in a nutshell, trying to find order in organised chaos. Favourite stories, however, have to be the Ankh Morpork City Watch, I read this article years ago where Pterry intended in Guards! Guards! for Captain Carrot to be the lead. Please, he’s the decoy protagonist, the moment Samuel Vimes walked on, that was pretty much it. I love Carrot as a character, but in comparison to Vimes, Carrot stood no chance. Prince Valiant is standing opposite an alcoholic, jaded nihilist who loved and hates the city of Ankh Morpork and everyone in equal measures. Now that’s my type of character and the real audience surrogate. The fact that he ended the series the happiest henpecked husband, married to the wealthiest woman in the city, settled and a proud and contented father to young Sam. Perfect ending right there..."

https://jvoportugal.wordpress.com/2018/03/15/saying-goodbye-to-the-discworld/

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08) ROUNDWORLD TALES: A LOAD OF, ERM, PURE

If you've read Dodger (and if not, you certainly should!), or taken notice of how the infamous Harry King began his path to tycoonhood, you will have encountered references to "the pure" – a substance of great importance for a subset of the toshers who worked in Victorian London and other great cities, namely the animal droppings known in today's more euphemistic jargon as dog poo.

Dog faeces were an excellent medium for "purifying" leather, hence the name. When hand-rubbed (surely an awful job!) into raw leather, the hide became smoother, more pliable, and most importantly, more pleasant to the nose. Leather-bound books were especially popular in the nineteenth century – and while the smell of a leather-bound book is a delight to be savoured, an entire collection of poorly-prepared leather bindings would be quite the opposite. Also, in those days that preceded the discovery of plastics and other artificial materials, leather was a vital part of daily life, from personal products to industrial essentials.

The tanning of leather was a complicated process that started with salt-scrubbing, rinsing and a lime (or often, urine) soak to loosen the hairs. Then, after assiduous scraping, it was time to let the pure-finder's finest do its job. Lastly the leather would be subjected to a series of progressively stronger tannin baths, and where necessary, oiling or waxing to make the end product waterproof, an absolute necessity in a world where the only transport required harnesses and reins. In a pinch, pigeon droppings could be substituted for "the pure", but the result would be an inferior leather.

For nearly a century from the 1830s, pure-finding was a lucrative if less than fragrant (or perhaps overly fragrant) trade. Within twenty years, though, this trade had become so popular – pure-finders were at first young men, but soon women and children were competing for the profits from "brown gold" – that price competition made it difficult to thrive, and some of the older pure-finders complained at length about it to Henry Mayhew when he was collecting data for his sweeping survey of London's poor. The pure-finders also had to compete with street-cleaners in the better parts of the city, racing to snare their "goods" before their rivals cleared it away.

Because the driest, whitest "pure" was most prized by tanners, some pure-finders whose buckets came up a bit short would steal lime mortar from buildings and mix it with the droppings to make it look more worthy of top price. There were even songs about pure-finding, especially popular among the working classes. Today, the tanning of leather is a rather less haphazard (and stinkily romantic) affair – but if you're out walking with your dogs and carefully cleaning up after them, spare a thought for the pure-finders of long ago, who would have followed you with more of an eye for potential profit then for avoiding a fine!

Sources: Wikipedia, https://www.vettimes.co.uk – and of course, certain novels by Sir Terry Pratchett

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09) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

A selection of iconographs from Thorpe Players' recent production of Wyrd Sisters:
http://thorpe-players.squarespace.com/wyrd-sisters

Paul Kidby's exquisite portrait of Granny and Tiffany:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DXwkUjUWAAAUK5w.jpg

...and his depiction of the Shed of Doom! (see item 3.3 above):
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DZS5ksLXkAAXNSc.jpg and https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DZS5lMqX4AAEF3E.jpg

The Author and the translator – Sir Pterry and Czech Discworld translator Jan Kanturek, some years ago:
https://clacksheader.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/pratchett-and-kantc5afrek.png

Best-ever fan art of Granny Weatherwax, or an 1890 drawing of Virginia Woolf's mum by an artist called William Rothenstein? You decide, muhahaha:
http://bit.ly/2FQlHjf

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10) CLOSE

Penguin will be releasing a new edition of The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents – a book no home with young readers should be without! – on 26th April. The cover illustration, by Laura Ellen Andersen, is... well... your mileage may vary from mine, but what lies *behind* the cover is as wonderful as always.

About that Rhianna Pratchett interview quoted at the top of this issue – the link is https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/film/rhianna-pratchett-on-building-her-own-universe-1.716702 and contains some interesting bits...

And that's it for March. Take care, and we'll see you next month!

– Annie Mac


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