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Wossname -- September 2015 -- Main issue Part 1
Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
September 2015 (Volume 18, Issue 9, Post 1)
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WOSSNAME is a free publication offering news, reviews, and all the other stuff-that-fits pertaining to the works and activities 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, Wolfiekins, 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) THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN NEWS
04) ODDS AND SODS
05) SIR PTERRY'S HUMANIST FUNERAL
06) WITHOUT WHOM: ROB WILKINS
07) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
08) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
09) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
10) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
11) DISCWORLD GAMES NEWS
12) TERRY PRATCHETT: GUILTY OF LITERATURE? WELL ACTUALLY, YES
13) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
14) CLOSE
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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
"It was a hard book to complete because Terry's health was declining in the last year. But he was still enjoying the writing. He wasn't able to polish it quite as he would have liked and there were a few ideas that he would have loved to have followed up on and he never got the opportunity."
– Rob Wilkins, on the occasion of the The Shepherd's Crown launch
"This is not a fantasy novel intended for 'younger readers' as it is wont to be pigeonholed... This is a book for all ages, the tour de force of one of the English language's greatest authors, who, in the midst of encroaching darkness and facing so many terrors of his own, has contrived to astound us one last time with his craft."
– David Lloyd, Vice-Chancellor of the University of South Australia
"For those reading The Shepherd's Crown 'Mind how you go' are considered to be the Pratchett magic words. We'd always say them to someone travelling somewhere. They were also the last words I said to my grandfather and my father."
– Rhianna Pratchett
"I am proud and honoured to be a part of such a wonderful series. I think of the cover as my own tribute and thanks to Terry and his wonderful literary creations."
– Paul Kidby on his cover art for The Shepherd's Crown
"Pratchett is in good company: only the stories of truly great writers end up belonging more to their readers than their creators."
– Natalie Haynes in The Independent
"Terry Pratchett's novels are stylistically adept: good muscular prose, not mucked around with for effect (except sometimes!), enlivened by wit, sharp observation, a unique take on the world at large and whatever the subject of social satire might be for the time being, a brimming sense of fun and the ridiculous, and overall an approach to the reader that feels inclusive, a letting in on the joke, an amused welcome to the world he is writing about."
– author Christopher Priest, listing some of the qualities he is sure will keep Terry Pratchett in the forefront of public author-awareness for at least as long as Dickens
"Thank you everyone for getting the Shepherd's Crown to Number One. Terry would have been so proud"
– from the official Pratchett Twitter account, 3rd September 2015
"Hopefully, Discworld will now be frozen like a snapshot and enter the pages of literary history, and Pratchett's estate will resist publishers who pray that it is turned into a co-written franchise which survives rigor mortis, the sun going nova and everything else. That's the fate of almost every successful writer of airport thrillers, which is perfectly all right since that genre deserves no better, but literature is a different matter."
– journalist Pratik Kanjilal
"Reading Pratchett, like reading Austen, requires commitment, and a willingness to look under the surface."
– essayist and language researcher Annie Coral Demosthenous
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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR
Ook oook and eek – most of all eeek! Every time I think I have the September issue ready to wrap up and send out, another newsworthy item falls across my eyes or into my inbox, and the wordcount grows and grows. At this point I've decided to split up what was meant to be a single issue and send part of it now and the rest before the rapidly-approaching end of the month. So below the line is a *lot* of news, and soon there will be a proper long editorial and a *lot* of reviews...
– Annie Mac, Editor
p.s. The Discworld Plays section is *huge* this month. Well done, Pratchett fans of the theatrical world!
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03) THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN NEWS
3.0 ROB WILKINS IN PERSON IN ADELAIDE AND MELBOURNE!!!
Rob Wilkins, of @terryandrob Rob will be making a brief appearance in Fourecks this coming week. He will be signing copies of his afterword in The Shepherd's Crown, and answering questions about his work with Sir Pterry. Not to be missed!
Adelaide event:
When: Tuesday 29th September 2015
Venue: Dymocks Adelaide, 135 Rundle Mall, Adelaide, South Australia (phone 08 8223 5380)
Time: 12:30pm
Tickets: FREE! But must be pre-booked. See below.
Melbourne event:
When: Wednesday 30th September 2015
Venue: Dymocks Melbourne, 234 Collins Street, Melbourne 3000
Time: 6.30pm
Tickets: FREE! But must be booked in advance. To book, go to:
http://www.trybooking.com/Booking/BookingEventSummary.aspx?eid=161340
Editor's note: Wossname will be there, of course!
3.1 THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN: STORMING THE BESTSELLER LISTS
From The Bookseller:
We're delighted to report that the final Discworld novel by Sir Terry Pratchett, The Shepherd's Crown, has rocketed straight to the #1 spot in Nielsen BookScan's chart, selling 52,846 copies in its first week. This is Sir Terry's tenth British Number One, and a wonderfully fitting tribute to the beloved writer's final work... Hailed as a 'magnificent sign-off' by the Daily Telegraph and a 'funny, fearless farewell' by the Daily Mail, The Shepherd's Crown has already garnered an outpouring of love and admiration from fans and critics... Francesca Dow, MD of Penguin Random House Children's division, commented, 'We are extremely proud to publish the long-awaited final novel in the Discworld series. The Shepherd's Crown is an incredibly special book and it is a real privilege to share and celebrate Terry's last work with his fans. We cannot think of a more fitting way to honour the late, great Sir Terry Pratchett.'
Terry Pratchett has held the Official Top 50 number one for a second week, as The Shepherd's Crown (Doubleday Children's) sold 27,386 copies, worth £318,576, through Nielsen BookScan's Total Consumer Market... The book also took the Children's top spot — Pratchett's 40th week atop that chart since BookScan records...
http://discworld.com/crowning-glory-sir-terry-pratchett/
3.2 WHAT *IS* A SHEPHERD'S CROWN?
From Roundworld's Royal Albert Memorial Museum:
"Who would have thought that there are royal headdresses for shepherds? English folklore describes the internal moulds of fossil sea urchins as 'Shepherd's crowns'. Sea urchins have a characteristic conical shape and five decorative ridges that meet at the top of the shell like the ribs of a crown. Notably the Cretaceous sea urchin species Micraster, Echinocorys and Conulus have found their way into English folklore.
"Shepherds may have come across petrified sea urchins, while caring for their sheep on the chalky downlands of southern England.
"An interesting folklore originates from Suffolk in eastern England where fossil sea urchins are known as 'Fairy loaves'. The loaf-like shape of some sea urchins inspired people to placed them by the hearth as charms..."
http://bit.ly/1Kjndkg
3.3 REPORT: THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN LAUNCH EVENT IN MELBOURNE
Dymocks booksellers, always active supporters of the works of Pratchett, let the Victorian Discworld Klatch take over their Melbourne city centre flagship store's cafe for a Discworld party on the night of the Australian release of The Shepherd's Crown last month. Here be a Wossname exclusive report...
By Damian Perry
The Victorian Discworld Klatch, in partnership with Dymocks Melbourne store, held a Shepherd's Crown book event. People dressed up, even with the threat of people saying something about it (according to Twitter). Fun and games were had throughout the night. We had book readings, a colouring in competition, book cover designs, a costume competition and Playdough-tionary.
Clap-o-metre was the judging tool of the evening. Leanne, dressed as Tiffany, won the book cover competition.
Playdough-tionary. Two rival tables were set up. One had Death. One had no Death.
During the first few rounds, the non-Death table dominated. We had (take a look at the Klatch page for pictures):
– A Dibbler in green.
– An orange golem.
– Two purple blobs that were obviously going to be the entire Discworld...
And then because we were guessing within 30 seconds we changed the rules so that Suzie alone would guess and choose a winner. From there, Imogen's swamp dragon won, followed by Tiffany Aching – the first of the Death table wins.
In the last round nobody had any idea. It turned out they were Feegles. Deb was brought in to decide which was the best and strangely the yellow Feegle beat the blue Feegle (it takes more skill to make a Feegle out of yellow play dough).
In the playoffs Imogen took on Death. Making sheep. Suzie took her life in her hands by picking Imogen's multicoloured sheep over Death's "Where is the green" sheep. Imogen won the book pack. Amanda dressed as Susan won the book pack for the best coloured cover.
There was a shakeup in the costume competition when Death went home early and a tiny Tiffany turned up to nab the best costume prize. Apparently it's not good form to let a little kid lose a costume competition.
All over the Internet there are articles about how we spent the night of the last Discworld book release. The Melbourne Klatch group spent the evening in friendly revels with friends, playing games and colouring in. A marvellous night had by all.
Massive thanks to Louise and Dymocks Collins St. She always does her best to entertain us and loves the Discworld fandom. Now time to go and read the book.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch/
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04) ODDS AND SODS
4.0 PRATCHETT FAMILY BACKS THE CALL FOR A STATUE
"Sir Terry Pratchett's family is backing a campaign to have a statue of the author erected in Wiltshire... In the past two weeks, hundreds of fans have signed a petition for a permanent statue to the writer in Salisbury. A spokeswoman for the family said he would 'undoubtedly' have found the amusement 'in almost any statue'. She said: 'Sir Terry always said he would like to be useful in death, so a statue where a pigeon can stop for a well-earned rest would have amused him no end.' The campaign for a permanent 'tribute to Sir Terry' was launched on Change.Org by Emily Brand..."
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-34334105
4.1 DISCWORLD BARON TO BE AUCTIONED
"Following the successful Barons Trail, each of the Barons will now go up for auction. With money raised from the sales going to The Trussell Trust and supporting their work to stop UK hunger. The auction will take place at Salisbury Cathedral. From 12 September auction catalogues/souvenir guides can be purchased in advance from Casa Fina and the Salisbury Cathedral Shop, as well as on the night.
"From Wednesday 23 September, all 25 Barons will be displayed on the North Lawn of Salisbury Cathedral and auction guests will be able to view the barons closely on 1 October between 6.30pm and 7.30pm, at the drinks reception prior to the auction commencing. People can pre-bid for a Baron online at The Barons Charter:
http://www.thebaronscharter.org.uk/
"Please note that there will be no parking within the Cathedral grounds; please use City Centre car parks."
The Barons' Auction Salisbury 2015
When: Thursday 1st Oct 2015
Venue: Salisbury Cathedral
Time: 6:30 pm
Tickets: £15* To purchase online, go to http://bit.ly/1ia9JAO and click the Buy Tickets button
*All tickets purchased online will also be subject to an additional £2 transaction fee per ticket. Tickets purchased in person or on the telephone do not incur additional charges.
http://www.cityhallsalisbury.co.uk/index.php?page=1598
For full details go to http://www.cityhallsalisbury.co.uk/images/BaronsInformation.pdf
http://www.trusselltrust.org/
4.2 PRATCHETT FANS TRIBUTE VIDEO UPDATE
From last month's main issue: "With the final Discworld book almost upon us, a video tribute seems a fitting way to channel our appreciation for Terry Pratchett's words. Send us your contribution before 27 August 2015, the day THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN is released, and we'll take it from there – so you can get on with reading."
And here it is!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP1rJNOwYls
4.3 THE DUEL, FINISHED!
Remember the animated short film project, "The Duel", that was given Professor Sir Pterry's blessing many moons ago? It's finished now! By Ben Harper, Sean Mullen and Alex Sherwood (and officially "mucked about" by Terry Pratchett, out of the Animation Hub, Ballyfermot College of Further Education, Trinity College Dublin & the Irish Film Board with music by Paul Lynch, here it is:
https://vimeo.com/77104562
4.4 ROB WILKINS AT THE LONDON SHEPHERD'S CROWN RELEASE EVENT
In the London Evening Standard:
"Rob Wilkins, who was Sir Terry's assistant, gave a reading from The Shepherd's Crown at a midnight launch in Waterstones in Piccadilly... Mr Wilkins, 46, told the Standard: 'This is Terry's final novel and to me there can be nothing more important. This has got to be a celebration of him, all of his work culminating and giving him a right good send off. He was so modest that he would look at all of this and wonder what all the fuss was about. We are going to have a proper memorial next year. But this is it, the final Discworld novel. There will be spin-off projects and things like that going off into the future and also we have Narrativia, our film and TV company. We are actively out there developing material at the moment. Terry's daughter Rhianna is actually working on the script right now for The We[sic] Free Men.'... Mr Wilkins added: 'I actually say in the back of the book it wasn't finished as Terry would have liked. What I mean by that is he wrote the book like a giant literary jigsaw then pieced it all together at the end and kept polishing it until you couldn't see the join between the various parts and once it was assembled then he would be happy. But he didn't quite get to the point of assembling all of the bits when he died. Being at the coal face with all those ideas coming out – you would never know the direction he was going in. He would even throw me a curved ball. We were lucky with his Alzheimer's, his variant meant we had more of Terry for a longer time. It was only the last few months that we started losing the Terry we loved. In January that was the start of the end and it was terribly upsetting. Terry wasn't a sentimental man, we never had our final discussion or the final chat or anything like that. Every day was a new day and you just dealt with the problems his disease brought on a day to day basis.'..."
http://bit.ly/1ElXCe5
4.5 THE END...
...according to Neil Gaiman:
"In an interview with The Times, Gaiman revealed that his long-time friend, who died in March aged 66, had planned a different ending to the one that was published yesterday but had died before getting it down on paper. 'This is still the saddest moment for me,' Gaiman said. 'When I talked to Terry about it there was one little beautiful twist that would have made people cry, but he never got to write it."... The scene 'would have made the book, but he never got to write it. He simply ran out of time', he added... Gaiman says that his friend didn't want his unfinished work to be published. The American Gods author said Pratchett wanted 'whatever he was working on at the time of his death to be taken out along with his computers, to be put in the middle of a road and for a steamroller to steamroll over them all'. Along with Pratchett's millions of fans, Gaiman said that he was 'ridiculously glad that hasn't happened'. The author also revealed that he was working on Pratchett's last request: a TV adaptation of Good Omens, the 1990 novel they wrote together about an angel and demon working together to foil the Apocalypse...".
http://bit.ly/1OS19l7 (BEWARE: CONTAINS SPOILERS)
Also, in the Daily Mail, which for all its myriad sins has long been a supporter and promulgator of both Sir Pterry's books *and* his personal crusades:
"Mr Gaiman also revealed that the ending of The Shepherd's Crown – Sir Terry's final novel – was not the one which the author had intended. Tragically, the writer died before he managed to get his preferred conclusion down on paper.
'When I talked to Terry about it there was one little beautiful twist that would have made people cry, but he never got to write it,' Mr Gaiman said. 'He simply ran out of time. But if you are going to die mid-book, Terry did it as best you possibly can.'"
http://dailym.ai/1VYWEta
[Editor's note: I found the ending to The Shepherd's Crown well sufficient, and also found the "ending that never was" was well and truly telegraphed by events in the story. Your mileage may vary, but for me, the end as published was perfect.]
4.6 LOOKING BACK AT THE JOHNNY MAXWELL BOOKS
On Den of Geek, Andrew Blair deconstructs Pratchett's superb Johnny Maxwell trilogy:
"The most interesting thing about Only You Can Save Mankind were its observations on empathy and detachment with regards moving images, but its ending counteracts the popular aphorism by stating that violence does solve some things. It might seem surprising in the context of the book, but then Pratchett has disposed of monsters with poetic abandon since. While examining the way in which gamers have to detach themselves from what they're actually doing – I mean, try playing any real world conflict-based shoot 'em up while thinking about the reality the simulation is depicting – he also brings in images of the Gulf War on TV. Considering the ending states unambiguously that some monsters must be fought, it's ultimately a book that says 'Ask questions first, shoot later'...
"Johnny and the Dead asks the reader to consider something they might see in their everyday life, to look beyond the surface of it and ask questions. It goes one step further, again, with its ending, where the dead stop waiting around for the next stage of their afterlives to happen. Again, it takes the ending you expect and gives it a little tweak, in this case with the people of the graveyard deciding that waiting to be saved isn't all that. Inspired by councils selling off graveyards for tiny amounts to get rid of the costs of upkeep, it's a wry and fond look at local history that might inspire you to do some investigation of your local graveyard...
"All of Johnny's friends get satisfying character development in the third and final book in the series, Johnny And The Bomb. This book, especially, with its mentions of the Trousers of Time and 'Millennium hand and shrimp,' complements ideas in the Discworld universe, almost like a primer. That these come from a character called Mrs Tachyon may be entirely deliberate, as a theoretical time-travelling particle has echoes of both this book and the existence of something like the Discworld. While the ending might be the most straightforwardly heroic of the three books, Johnny's friends are put into the midst of the fantastic more than in any other story..."
http://bit.ly/1NJJpLJ
4.7 A LOVELY ELEGIAC POEM
Recently (re)discovered: a poem by Sam Garland aka /u/Poem_for_your_sprog, originally published on Reddit on... you know... *that* day:
The sun goes down upon the Ankh,
And slowly, softly fades –
Across the Drum; the Royal Bank;
The River-Gate; the Shades.
A stony circle's closed to elves;
And here, where lines are blurred,
Between the stacks of books on shelves,
A quiet 'Ook' is heard.
A copper steps the city-street
On paths he's often passed;
The final march; the final beat;
The time to rest at last.
He gives his badge a final shine,
And sadly shakes his head –
While Granny lies beneath a sign
That says: 'I aten't dead...'
To read the whole poem, go to:
http://bit.ly/1gCi0wl
/u/Poem_for_your_sprog's Twitter account:
https://twitter.com/Poem4your_sprog
4.8 DISCWORLD AS A MODEL OF FAIRNESS
Here be an interesting essay on the "fairness of Discworld" by academician and author Kari Sperring:
"My idea of heaven does not map too well with that of the Nac Mac Feegle, but when I stop and think about it, when it comes to Discworld, they're on to something. I don't yearn for thievery and poaching, but I do long for a fairer world. And Discworld is one of the fairest worlds I know. It's not a tidy kind of fairness. Discworld has rules and internal logic, which applies to everyone equally and often rather messily. The first inventor of a steam engine on Discworld was Ned Simnel, who failed to do his maths properly and managed to blow himself up in the process. Mr Hong failed to carry out the necessary research before opening his fish bar on the site of a former fish god temple, on an astronomically significant night in Ankh Morpork, with bad results. All that was left of him was one kidney and half an earhole. As in reality, on Discworld, actions have consequences and they aren't always pleasant, but they are logical and they pay attention (sometimes, anyway) to the intentions of the people involved...
"The bulk of Pratchett's heroes are ordinary people, not particularly clever or good-looking or advantaged. Some of them are kind and decent, like Captain Carrot of the Ankh Morpork Watch, the city's incompetent police force, or the witch Magrat, but a lot of them aren't. They're just people, with a full complement of flaws. But these ordinary people come up against big problems, familiar problems of injustice and cruelty and unfairness, and they fight back in a variety of ways (some devious, some dirty) and they win... Many of the Discworld books deal with discrimination, particularly that based on race – species, on the Discworld – and the outcomes are fair... Discworld is a highly moral universe, one in which the intent of actions is taken into account as well as their outcomes, in which the million-to-one-chance comes off (and the characters know this and play up to it), in which no-one gets a pass because they're special or privileged. It's a world in which the little people – the workers who run the Clacks system of communication, say – can take on Big Business and Big Power..."
http://bit.ly/1KHXROh
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05) SIR PTERRY'S HUMANIST FUNERAL
By humanist celebrant Kenneth Greenway:
"An email from Isabel of the British Humanist Association dropped into my inbox On March 17th 2015 asking the funeral network to email her if they wanted to be considered for conducting Terry's funeral, I was taken aback by such an opportunity. I was with my wife at the time I read the email, I looked at her and said 'Terry's family want a BHA celebrant to do his funeral and we're being asked if we like to do it and why. Shall I go for it?' My wife simply said, 'Do it!' I thought that living in Essex and 160 miles away from Salisbury would work against me. So, if truth be told I spent no more than 10 minutes writing an email back to Isabel. I spoke of why Terry and his Discworld books meant so much to me and the meaning his work had to my wife and I. TP's Discworld books were a hot topic of conversation on our first date. At our wedding we had a Discworld cake and our tables were named after locations on the Disc. I've personally been a fan since I first read 'Mort' about 25 years ago and I own every book, merchandise, maps, and all kinds of other stuff associated with the Discworld.
"I discovered I had been chosen to conduct the funeral in the evening of the following day (18th March) At the time the call came in I was bathing our two girls. My wife took the call as she wasn't with me " she was recovering from an operation and couldn't lift things. After the phone call she came running upstairs, in a very excitable state. I said, 'You can't run, you've had an op!' She was very excited and not making any sense. Once she'd calmed down she said 'They want you!' Being a bit slow, my reply was 'Who does?' She said 'Terry's family want you to do his funeral. I've just spoken to Rob'. I was immediately stunned in to silence and couldn't quite believe it. My wife and I hugged and then I felt very overwhelmed, the feeling of responsibility was almost crushing. To be the person selected to help those closest to TP to say their last goodbye felt out of this world and a bit unreal..."
A lovely piece, well worth reading in its entirety:
http://www.writerscafe.org/writing/KGreenway/1621131/
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06) WITHOUT WHOM (A TRIBUTE TO THE LIVING): ROB WILKINS
By Steven D'Aprano
Rob Wilkins, PTerry's personal assistant, is a very private man who would never dream of blowing his own horn, so here are some facts he is too modest to admit to in public:
Rob was apparently born in 1968 or 1969, but actually entered the world in 1847, possibly from an alternate universe. Having invented the time machine that inspired the writer HG Wells when he attended a private demonstration at the secret Wilkins laboratory, Rob travelled forward in time from 1877 to save us from the coming Machine Apocalypse when our iPhones achieve sentience and rebel over the indignity of having to display webpages like "You Won't Believe These 10 Secrets About Katy Perry's Favourite Ice-Cream Flavour!".
Rob was the inspiration behind "Interesting Times" when he took over the Chinese government and ran the country as Supreme Dictator for three years. Rob left the job because it wasn't challenging enough. Of course the Chinese hushed it up, but Sir PTerry found out about it while discussing bananananana daiquiri recipes on Alt.Fan.Pratchett.
Rob was also the inspiration for Willikins, Sam Vimes' butler. Sir PTerry got the idea for a character who was half Jeeves and half street fighter when Chuck Norris arrived at their doorstep one night, begging Rob to take him in as an apprentice and teach him everything he knows about martial arts. Initially refusing, Rob relented after Norris proved his dedication by standing at their gate, through rain, sleet and hail, for thirty-eight days without food, drink or sleep. Unfortunately the training regime was too hard for Norris, who left after just two weeks, a broken man.
When Rob's crime-fighting activities prevent him from performing his usual duties as head chef at The Fat Duck, Heston Blumenthal stands in for him.
Rumours that Rob has been banned from every casino in Europe for being too skilful at Blackjack are unfounded. He has only been banned from half of them. He owns the others.
The producers of the Twilight movie begged Rob to play Edward the sparkly vampire, but Rob turned them down because he didn't want to overshadow the rest of the cast and make them look bad.
At the age of five, Rob saved his uncle from being eaten by a lion after the uncle climbed into the lion's enclosure at the London Zoo to win a drunken bet.
Elon Musk gets all of his best ideas from Rob.
While ghost-writing the scripts for the Hobbit trilogy, Rob discovered a secret message hidden in the original book. Despite what everyone believes, JRR Tolkien never actually existed. The Middle Earth books were actually written by JK Rowling.
Also, as part of a documentary about the medieval witch trials on the History Channel, Rob swam the English Channel fully clothed with his hands tied behind his back.
Your Editor feels moved to add:
Of course, that's just messin'. But Rob Wilkins' greatest achievement – and gift to us all – was the ten years he spent as personal assistant, aide de camp, driver, literal (and literary) amanuensis, voice double, public representative and general runner of interference for Sir Terry Pratchett. Without Rob, Sir Pterry's final years of battling his Embuggerance would have been far more difficult. Even now, Mr Wilkins continues to serve as a guardian of the Pratchett body of work and future adaptations and related projects thereof. So charge your glasses and raise a toast to Rob Wilkins. Hurrah!
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07) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
7.1 REMINDER: MORT IN BRISBANE (SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER)
The Brisbane Arts Theatre's latest Discworld production, Mort, continues its run.
When: currently running, through to 3rd October 2015
Venue: Brisbane Arts Theatre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane, QLD 4000
(phone 07 3369 2344)
Time: 8pm Thursdays (except 27th August), Fridays and Saturdays; 6.30pm
Sundays (6th and 20th September)
Tickets: Adults $31, Concession $25, Group 10+ $25, Group 75+ $20, Gold
Members $15, Members $25, Student Rush $10 (10 mins before curtain).
Members can redeem their included season tickets for this show. There
are no refunds or exchanges once tickets have been purchased. To
purchase tickets online, go to http://bit.ly/1Imz2tJ
http://artstheatre.com.au/show/mort
7.2 NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN HEXHAM (NOVEMBER)
The Queen's Hall Theatre Club will perform their production of Wyrd Sisters in November.
When: Thursday 26th – Saturday 28th November 2015
Venue: Main Theatre, Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Beaumont Street, Hexham, Northumberland NE46 3LS (Box Office 01434 652477)
Time: 7:30pm
Tickets: £10 (concessions £9, under 18s £7). The Box Office is open from 10.00am – 5.00pm Monday to Friday & 10.00am to 4.00pm Saturday and one hour before the start of every performance. To buy online, go to http://bit.ly/1O5eIAp and click on the tab marked BOOK, then click the BOOK tab for the date of your choice.
http://www.queenshall.co.uk/events/terry-pratchett%E2%80%99s-wyrd-sisters
http://www.queenshall.co.uk/
7.3 UPDATES: WYRD SISTERS IN UPPINGHAM (OCTOBER)
Tickets are now available for the Uppingham Theatre Company's forthcoming production of Wyrd Sisters!
"Why not visit Lancre this Halloween, it has everything, witches, evil Dukes and Duchesses, strolling players, ghosts, you name it, its got it, and for only £10, yes £10 folks(£2 going to charity with each ticket old) you could be transported to the mythical kingdom of Lancre!"
When: Thursday 29th October through Saturday 31st October 2015
Venue: Uppingham Theatre, 32 Stockerston Road, Uppingham, Rutland LE15 9UD
Time: 7.30pm all evening shows; Saturday matinee 2.30pm
Tickets: £10 (includes a £2 charity donation per ticket to Rutland Reminders). Available in person from Uppingham Sports and Books, 9 High Street East, Uppingham. To purchase online, go to https://www.wegottickets.com/location/1664 or http://www.uppingham.co.uk/School-Shop
http://www.rutlandreminders.org.uk/
http://www.uppinghamtheatrecompany.org.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Uppingham-Theatre-Company/215743641793859
Here be a fine photo of Nanny, Granny and Magrat checking out the scumble harvest:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CPXNfbCWUAAHPmS.jpg
7.4 REMINDER: UNSEEN ACADEMICALS IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE (NOVEMBER)
The Marlow Players will present their production of Unseen Academicals in November.
When: 12th, 13th and 14th November 2015
Venue: Shelley Theatre, Court Garden, Pound Lane, Marlow, Bucks SL7 2AG
Time: 8pm all shows
Tickets: £12. To purchase online, go to http://marlowplayers.org.uk/product-category/boxoffice/
http://www.marlowplayers.org.uk/
7.5 NEW: GUARDS! GUARDS! IN GUERNSEY (OCTOBER)
The Guernsey Youth Theatre will present their production of Guards! Guards! early next month. This is probably the firs time in Guernsey history that a newspaper advert was placed to find an actor to play an orangutan! And fittingly, proceeds from the performances are going to Sir Pterry's beloved Orangutan Foundation. Oook!
When: 5th and 6th October 2015
Venue: Princess Royal Centre for Performing Arts, Les Ozouets, Guernsey GY1 2UB
Time: 7:30pm
Tickets: £10 (£8 concessions). To purchase tickets, go to http://www.guernseytickets.gg (or ring 74999)
https://www.guernseytickets.gg/show.asp
https://www.facebook.com/GuernseyYouthTheatre
Editor's note: about that orangutan advert, go to http://bit.ly/1OB2QFH for a shufti. Cute photo!
7.6 NEW: MASKERADE IN LINCOLNSHIRE (OCTOBER)
Act II youth theatre company will perform their production of Maskerade in October.
When: 17th October 2015
Venue: South Holland Centre, 23 Market Place, Spalding, Lincs PE11 1SS
Time: matinee 2.30pm, evening show 7.30pm
Tickets: £9.50 (£8 for under-16s, over-60s, and disabled persons with companion; £7 per person for groups of 10+). To purchase tickets online, go to http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase – select October and then scroll down to the appropriate date and time and click on the Buy Tickets button. Alternatively, ring the Box Office on 01775 764777. There is a £1.50 transaction fee for booking up to 9 tickets online
http://www.southhollandcentre.co.uk/whats-on/view/maskerade
http://www.act2online.co.uk/
7.7 NEW: MORT IN CHORLTON-CUM-HARDY, MANCHESTER (OCTOBER)
Chorlton Players will be performing Mort next month.
When: Thurs. 22nd October – Sat. 24th October 2015
Venue: St Werburgh's Parish Hall, St Werburgh's Rd, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, M21 0TL
Time: 7:30pm
Tickets: £6 (£4 concessions). To purchase online, go to http://chorltonplayers.com/?page_id=33
"Online ticket sales should normally account for 60% of the available seating in the hall. The rest are sold at the hall when the doors open (normally 7.00pm unless otherwise stated). Buying tickets online is not compulsory but a pre-booked ticket automatically reserves a seat. However, this expires when the show starts, and your seats will be re-allocated to box office sales. Please arrive in good time for the show. Also, please try to arrive as a full booked party, in order to process your online booking... The hall has a wooden floor, so quiet shoes would be appreciated!"
http://chorltonplayers.com/
7.8 NEW: MAKING MONEY IN BASILDON (NOVEMBER)
The Thalian Theatre Group are back in November with a new Discworld production: Making Money!
When: Thurs. 12th – Sat. 14th November 2015
Venue: Mirren Studio, Towngate Theatre, St Martin's Square, Basildon, Essex SS14 1DL.
Time: 8pm
Tickets: £10 (£8.50 concessions), with a booking fee of £1. To purchase online, go to http://thaliantheatregroup.wix.com/thalian nd click on the tickets image. To reserve tickets by phone, ring 01268 417854. A percentage of ticket sales will be donated to Alzheimer's Research UK.
Box Office telephone: 01268 465 465.
http://thaliantheatregroup.wix.com/thalian
www.facebook.com/ThalianTheatreGroup/info?tab=page_info
www.towngatetheatre.co.uk/
7.9 NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN CHARLTON, LONDON (OCTOBER)
The Alexandra Players will present their production of Wyrd Sisters in late October.
When: 28th–31st October 2015
Venue: Alexandra Hall, Bramshot Avenue, Charlton, London SE7
Time: 8pm (Wednesday 28th, Thursday 29th, Friday 30th; 7pm (Saturday 31st)
Tickets: TBA
http://alexandraplayers.org.uk/
7.10 NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN HEXHAM (NOVEMBER)
When: 26th – 28th November 2015
Venue: Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Beaumont Street, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 3LS
Time: 7:30pm all shows
Tickets: £10 (£9 concessions; £7 under 18s). Box office: 01434 652477
http://www.queenshalltheatreclub.co.uk/
http://www.queenshall.co.uk/
7.11 NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN ARKANSAS (OCTOBER)
Discworld comes to Arkansas next month when the Twin Lakes Playhouse presents Wyrd Sisters!
"In the spooky castle on the top of the hill King Verence I has just been bumped off by his scheming cousin Duke Felmet, and the kingdom is in peril. Enter three wildly eccentric witches, the understandably miffed ghost of the former king, a caravan full of travelling players, and the long-lost heir to Lancre's throne, and what follows fits quite neatly into the genre of Epic Dramatic Slapstick Thriller Romantic Comedy."
When: Oct. 9-11 2015
Venue: Twin Lakes Playhouse, 600 West Sixth Street, Mountain Home, AR 72653
Time:
Tickets: $11 in advance, $13 at the door. To book, ring 424-0444.
http://twinlakesplayhouse.org/
7.12 REVIEWS: NIGHT WATCH IN CARDIFF
By Adam Walker on Wales Online:
"Sword fights, a full-scale city riot and time travel. No, it's not Doctor Who but the latest Terry Pratchett play by Cardiff's Monstrous Productions. This time it was Night Watch and I must admit, I was slightly worried about this play. You see, I've seen the last two Pratchett plays by Monstrous Productions, Witches Abroad and Wyrd Sisters , and I loved them. But any Pratchett fan knows there are no witches in Night Watch... Jes Hynes who completely steals the show as Sam. He IS Sam Vines, and as a life-long fan of Pratchett and the Discworld, I don't say that lightly. This is Monstrous' sixth Pratchett play and they know what they're doing, transforming a stage with just a few props and some lighting and sound effects into the Discworld... Night Watch felt a lot larger in scale than Monstrous' previous plays but they know Pratchett, they know Discworld, and they do an amazing job bringing it to life."
http://bit.ly/1i06Cvt
By DeadAngelLover22 on The Sprout:
"Most of the play was down to your imagination. They used basic props and the costumes were stunning, the stage was right out to even the crowd and the cast walked through the crowd to get onto the stage a few times. It was so well done – most of the time you just thought 'Where did they come from?' But, as the cast walked right up to you, it made it so much more personal, and I loved that because you felt like you were an onlooker but also somewhat part of the play..."
http://thesprout.co.uk/en/news/review-nighttch-the-gate/19495.html
By the always-entertaining twin bloggers known collectively as CL Raven:
"The complicated time travel was helpfully explained by Lu-Tze, a history monk, played by Howard Dickens. Craig Harper was great as young Sam Vimes. He played Mort in, well, Mort, so it was good to see him back in a leading role. He did well to capture how young Sam is in the book – nervy, eager to impress and wanting to do the right thing. Jez Hynes was outstanding as older Sam Vimes/John Keel and the part where he recited his Night Watch contract, word perfect, with all the punctuation, got a well deserved applause. Tyron Sullivan was fantastic as the villainous Carcer. A lot of actors when playing villains, make them too hammy, but he successfully avoided that and made Carcer into the type of bad guy you want to hate, but can't help liking, because he portrayed him so well. The way Heath Ledger was as the Joker. The scenes with Carcer and Vimes together were amazing. They were the perfect pairing. And full applause to their final fight scene. They completely threw themselves into it. We could easily believe it was actually Vimes and Carcer fighting in real life... In keeping with Pratchett's novels, the humour was brilliant too. Los Shanahan as Dr Lawn had some great, funny lines, and Matthew Hitchman as Fred Colon managed to make the audience laugh just by waving a flag. We laughed the whole time he had it..."
https://clraven.wordpress.com/2015/09/10/night-watch/
7.13 REVIEWS: SOUL MUSIC IN WELLINGTON
By Gill Paltridge for Around Wellington:
"Wellington Theatre Company's Rebecca Beard and Mike Leach have chosen to adapt their own version of 'Soul Music' for the stage and have injected their personal Discworld enthusiasm into the script, preserving Pratchett's comic flair in puns, gags and witty satire... Ian Jones has already excelled in recent productions in the town. As Imp y Celyn he conveys wide-eyed, earnest sincerity and the role's youthful glee when the magic guitar adopts him. Kirk Shepherd, whilst not exactly dwarfish, is appropriately droll as Glod Glodsson, his deadpan delivery suited to the role. Rob Spurway as the giant Troll Lias Bluestone delivers the necessary slow-witted cloddishness and lumpen enthusiasm. As the The Band With Rocks In their performances are central to the drama. From a long cast-list Maat Ward as CMOT Dibbler is outstanding. His self-serving entrepreneurial glee is a delight and his character's eager sniffing-out of an opportunity is physically well-defined. Colin Marshall's Albert, Death's PA, has an appropriate indolent detachment in spotting his master's defects. Dawn Morton and Hannah Green appear as members of the City Watch – complete with Vikings' helmets and chainmail – then individually as beggar Foul Ole Ron and pub landlady Hibiscus Dunelm, delivering confident, well-observed performances... An outstanding feature of this production is Penny Bradnum's costuming. She has managed to fill the stage with delightful inventiveness creating a galaxy of very weird wizards, grungy heavy metallers and odd schoolgirls – one with a beard. Pratchett would approve of the visual oddity assembled..."
http://www.aroundwellington.co.uk/soul-music-brings-discworld-to-town/
By AC on The Fine Times Recorder:
"Rebecca Beard's long-gestated project to bring her favourite 'Discworld' book into live performance, proves that 'Soul Music,' apparently neglected by the many adapters of Pratchett's literary genius, was long over-due to make its stage debut. The many-peopled Wellington Theatre Company enthusiastically create the bizarre multi-roles of constables, schoolgirls, musicians, an impresario, academics, aristocrats, plus a plethora of relatives & citizens of various citadels that have arisen on 'Discworld.'... Underpinning the success of the performance are the talents of designer & operators of precise lighting & sound effects, Steve Bradnum assisted by Kit Sells. Imaginative costumes were selected & perfectly fitted by Nancy Powell-Brace & Penny Bradnum; props searched out by Mary Lewis & puppets made by Eve Male, all contributing to a team whose efforts are worthy of praise & a credit to the show's creator, Rebecca Beard..."
www.theftr.co.uk/soul-music-wellington-theatre-co-at-wellington-arts-centre/
7.14 REVIEW: MORT IN HASTINGS
The Stables Youth Theatre production, reviewed by Martin Robinson:
"Terry Pratchett was new to me and I expected humour, a sideways look at life and entertainment, despite the funereal publicity for Mort and the author's recent sad demise. My expectations were fulfilled... Costumes were spot on, props effective and the set promised great things. Lighting and sound were ambitious and added to the performance and the many cogs in the machine all meshed and ran true. The large number of female players demonstrated an equality in the arts missing in some of the more established companies and notable emerging talents included Emily Cooper as Ysabell and Lily Sparrow as Princess Keli..."
http://bit.ly/1OpncBJ
7.15 REVIEW: WYRD SISTERS IN EXETER
By Daniel Mumby in the Exeter Express and Echo:
"One of the great pleasures of watching amateur dramatics is getting to see a group develop and refine its craft over a string of productions. While faces occasionally change and the chosen material often greatly varies, there is always the feeling of incremental progress, raising a bar that has already been set very high. I felt this way when I sat in the Broadclyst Victory Hall, watching the village's theatre group tackle Terry Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters with affection and aplomb. Having come in with little to no knowledge of Pratchett's oeuvre, I came away thoroughly entertained and curious to examine more of his work... The cast are generally excellent, with the three principle witches each excelling in their own way. Lin Alderman is the stand-out as Nanny Ogg, playing up the rustic, buffoonish qualities of the character while also doing well in the more dead-pan moments in the stocks. Alison Harris steps ably into Sheila Hancock's shoes as Granny Weatherwax, whose amusing ignorance of the theatre is counterpointed by her real-world resourcefulness. Rachel Cunningham completes the set as the naive but well-meaning Magrat Garlick, who tries so hard to be accepted.. This was a highly entertaining production which confirms our suspicions that Broadclyst Theatre Group is continuing to grow in stature..."
http://bit.ly/1FHvSw3
7.16 THE SHAKESPEARE CODEX: WORLD PREMIERE IN ABINGDON (APRIL 2016)
Stephen Briggs and the Studio Theatre Club will present, for the first time ever on Roundworld, a very special Discworld play... The Shakespeare Codex!
"Discworld's 'stars' have to stop the elves taking over our world, make Shakespeare write A Midsummer Night's Dream ... and ensure the potato is discovered! Featuring Ridcully, Rincewind, Granny Weatherwax, Angua, Vetinari, Shakespeare, Queen Elizabeth I ... & the Earl of Oxford. Based loosely on The Science of Discworld II: the Globe, Lords & Ladies, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Staged on 6 to 9 April 2016 (both Terry's and Shakespeare's birth month).
"Tickets will be on general sale from 1 January 2016. We're expecting quite a lot of interest in this show, so *early booking* (particularly for the weekend performances) is recommended. More news on the show here, as it happens. At the moment, we plan to stage the show for four evening performances, plus a matinee on the Saturday. Tickets will be £10.00 (Wed, Thu, Fri) and £11.00 (Sat mat and evening). Block booking discounts will be available for the Wed and Thu performances."
http://www.shakespearecodex.co.uk/
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08) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
8.1 GERMAN DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
The 2015 German Discworld convention (Scheibenwelt) went well. There are some convention photos by Robert Flach at http://on.fb.me/1JeeUpj (requires Facebook membership). Here be a selection that can be seen by those of us who refuse to use Facebook. Includes a Howondaland hermit elephant!
http://bit.ly/1gw1n5v
http://on.fb.me/1NH50nR
http://bit.ly/1P5SaNn
http://bit.ly/1QKoFBG
The next Scheibenwelt convention will be from 18th – 21st May 2017, once again at Castle Ludwigstein.
8.2 IDWCON NEWS
A slight change in the IDWCon guests line-up:
"Watch spokesperson Captain Shivers read out a prepared statement earlier today: 'It is with great regret that we announce that the learned Dr. Jack Cohen will be unable to attend the imminent Watch Open Weekend,' she stated. She strongly denied any rumours that his absence was caused by dangerous experiments gone awry, instead explaining that 'while he is in good health, he is no longer in a position to handle the various demands of a convention, not to mention air travel.' She went on to say that 'while Jack and his fascinating lectures will be greatly missed at the Convention, we at the Watch will endeavour to still have a good time without him, thanks to our dazzling array of other guests.' Dr Cohen ('Rich in years, thank you so very much') co-authored the Science of Discworld books along with Ian Stewart and Sir Terry, in between his regular day job of being a highly distinguished academic and lecturer."
Guests Bernard Pearson,Colin Smythe, Jacqueline Simpson, Reb Voyce, Ian Mitchell, and Dave and Leo of Backspindle Games are still good to go.
The Third Irish Discworld Convention will take place at the Cork International Hotel on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th of October 2015. Ticket prices are €50 for a full attending member or €40 for a Concession membership. Membership entitles each ticket holder to entry to all of the events at the Convention (with the exception of the Banquet Dinner, which is paid for separately). For more details, and to purchase, go to:
http://bit.ly/1QGbUr8
[Editor's note: the Gala Dinner is already sold out]
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
09) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
9.1 DISCWORLD EMPORIUM UPDATES
Wossname wishes Bernard Pearson, the Cunning Artificer, a slightly belated happy birthday!
"It's been almost two weeks since the publication of The Shepherd's Crown, and what a tale it is too, littered with classic Pratchett-isms; punes, footnotes 'an all, and exploring the light and shade of humanity in his inimitable fashion. Unsurprising perhaps, but no less meaningful, Professor Sir Terry Pratchett OBE Blackboard Monitor achieved his 10th number one in the UK book charts with his 41st and final Discworld novel – a final Hurrah and 'mind how you go' from our beloved author in a manner most fitting – in words, on pages, bound in a book. We'd like to extend our gratitude to everyone who has dropped in to the Emporium whether in person, or virtually, to buy the book or just to say hello. The Emporium has received a tremendous amount of support, and our floorspace is still awash with mailbags on a daily basis! We hope everyone's orders are arriving in fine fettle and thank you all for your kind custom."
To read this announcement, with accompanying iconographs, go to http://bit.ly/1K9OGIk
"Out 22nd October, The Compleat Discworld Atlas is available for pre-order at-las(t)! Your Compleat guide to the geography and topography of Discworld, The Compleat Discworld Atlas is a wonderously witty travel guide brought to you by Ankh-Morpork's esteemed Guild of Trespassers, with sumptuous illustrations and comprehensive gazetteer, all accompanied by a giant double-sided map! The Compleat Discworld Atlas is our final collaboration with Sir Terry Pratchett. A project 3 years in the making, this new guide to the extraordinary world he created was completed before his death in March 2015. To honour this auspicious publication each copy from the Emporium includes a souvenir travel poster as a gift from us!"
The Compleat Discworld Atlas is priced at £25.00. Add £3.50 for UK delivery, £7 for rest of Europe delivery, or £10 for Rest of World delivery. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://www.discworldemporium.com/Compleat-Discworld-Atlas
And then there's the Hanging Baskets of Muntab stamp sheet:
"This cultural issue from the Ankh-Morpork Post Office celebrates the horticultural crowning glory of Muntab's impenetrable forest border defence. These centuries-old hanging guardposts were constructed during the height of the spice trade, and are nowadays maintained by wandering tribes of cannibalistic pygmies. Each minisheet consists of six stamps measuring 35 x 38mm, and is accompanied by a presentation postcard."
The Hanging Baskets of Muntab minisheet is priced at £5.00. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://bit.ly/1FTA9fU
...and the Krull one flot stamp:
"Situated on the edge of the world with a promotory overlooking the rim, the island of Krull is Discworld's unrivalled center of astrozoology. although due to a 'derailment' by Rincewind and Twoflower in The Colour of Magic it remains unclear whether there have been any advances in determining the sex of Great A'tuin. This regional issue features the Potent Voyager, Krull's celebrated bronze astro-exploratory vessel and the final creation of Goldeneyes Silverhands Dactylos, Discworld's father of invention and ingenuity.
"Spot the sport! One stamp on every sheet contains a 'deliberate' mistake or variation - only included on whole sheets or in lucky LBEs. Stamp measures 25 x 36mm, Sheet measures 160 x 282."
The Krull one flot stamp is priced at £0.35 for a single stamp and £12.25 for a sheet of 35 stamps. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://bit.ly/1jmcsrT
"The Krull One Flot is also available in the latest Little Brown Envelope edition. Each 'LBE' includes a lucky dip assortment of Discworld Stamps along with sports and rarities waiting to be found in lucky envelopes. The latest edition Little Brown Envelope, a 'lucky-dip' assortment of Discworld stamps with a chance of sports and rarities!
To celebrate the forthcoming release of The Compleat Discworld Atlas each envelope also contains a brand new regional issue from Krull, Discworld's unrivalled center of astrozoology. The cosmic One Flot stamp features the Potent Voyager, Krull's celebrated bronze astro-exploratory vessel and the final creation of Goldeneyes Silverhands Dactylos, Discworld's father of invention and ingenuity. This charming issue is also available to collect singly or as whole sheets. A generous splash of sports and LBE Exclusives, such as the Blue Triangle and Dead Letter Label have been distributed throughout the edition."
The Somewhere Over the Rimbow LBE is priced at £5. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://www.discworldemporium.com/rimbow-lbe
...and don't forget to further your education with a degree from the UU. It's magic:
"Graduate from Discworld's most spellbinding educational establishment with a masters degree from the Unseen University! Choose from six subjects and amaze your peers with evidence of your thaumaturgic proficiency – a magical gift for any Terry Pratchett devotee or aspiring wizard! Each set includes a suitably sumptuous certificate for your subject of choice and embossed with an octarine 'seal', a Graduate Declaration form to ensure that alumni leave Ankh-Morpork's foremost seat of learning with their education and university apparatus in a satisfactory state, and a free double-sided Bronze* Octogram keychain! ++ Certificates will be provided blank for you to personalise at home, but if you would prefer us to do it for you we can hand sign in our best handwriting – please provide the name/s of the recipients in the comments box during checkout ++ Measurements: Certificates 298 x 390mm, key chains 40mm diameter, declarations 105 x 300mm."
The Unseen University Graduation Set is priced at £12.50. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://www.discworldemporium.com/unseen-university-diploma
...and you might also fancy an official UU student notebook:
"Aspiring wizards would be unwise to venture onto campus without their Unseen University student notebook - a boon to any thaumaturgical scholar! Within this stout and sturdy educational companion is contained such important information as dining hours, university customs and notes on wizardly conduct, along with 50 plain pages for your spells, jottings and rude doodles. Sketchbook-quality 190gsm off-white paper made from 100% real trees. Measures 105 x 147mm."
The Unseen University Student Notebook is priced at £5.00. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://bit.ly/1V2xg3j
Last but certainly not least, the small but perfectly formed UU Coat of Arms wall boss:
"Official insignia from one of Discworld's greatest institutions. Finished in old wood and sculpted to achieve an ancient, hand carved appearance. Proudly display your academic prowess and understanding of higher magic with this elegant Unseen University crest. Features a wizard's hat crossing an open book emblazoned with the UU motto; Nunc Id Vides, Nunc Ne Vides (now you see it, now you don't). Usually to earn this relief you must have undergone at least 7 courses at Unseen University, not including the cheese board. Pre-drilled and produced in hard wearing resin, these handsome pieces are suitable for both home and garden. Measures approximately 95x80mm."
The UU Coat of Arms Wall Boss is priced at £7.50. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://www.discworldemporium.com/BackToSchool?product_id=78
9.2 DISCWORLD.COM UPDATES
Those beautiful framed sepia Paul Kidby prints are back!
"The sepia frames are back in stock and we've simplified the range to feature our most popular images. They now come in an attractive oak frame and are mounted to showcase Terry's signature hologram, showing in the bottom right corner. We think they look great and will make an excellent addition to any collection!"
Available prints include The Librarian, Nanny Ogg with Greebo, Greebo himself, Rincewind with The Luggage, the "unusual suspects" (A-M City Watch portrait), and Great A'Tuin, all as featured in the classic series of Kidby greeting cards some years ago. Each framed print is priced at £35 and measures 285mm x 335mm.
For more information, and to order, go to:
http://discworld.com/products/framed-sepia-prints/
Or you could greet the day with some Klatchian coffee (or the Roundworld equivalent) in a Discworld mug:
"A selection of mugs featuring some of your favourite Discworld characters. Our sublimation ceramic mugs are manufactured with a dishwasher safe premium coating. Bright white in colour and with a high gloss finish, the coated ceramic mug is produced from superior quality heavy weight ceramic and has a super hard coating. Dishwasher resistant up to 800 wash cycles at 45°C. The mugs measure 80mm diameter x 90mm high."
There is a large selection available – Feeglespotting, Rob Anybody Mac Feegle, Death ("There's no justice, there's just me"), Wyrd Sisters ("When shall we three meet again? Well, I can do next Tuesday"), the Sunshine Sanctuary for Sick Dragons, Rincewind ("Luck is my middle name. Mind you, my first name is bad"), Greebo ("To Nanny Ogg he was merely a larger version of the little fluffy kitten he had once been. To everyone else he was a scarred ball of inventive malignancy"), Panic and Freak Out (channelling the Keep Calm series and featuring a running Rincewind), and the City Watch (by cartoonist Ray Friesen).
Each mug is priced at £8.00. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://discworld.com/products/mugs/
Also back in stock: Tiffany's White Horse pendant
"This is an absolutely stunning piece of sterling silver jewellery and is a faithful reproduction of the pendant worn by Tiffany Aching in A Hat Full of Sky. This piece is based on Paul Kidby's original design. The horse measures 55[sic] tail to head, chain 18 inches. Designed exclusively for Discworld.com by Tom Lynall." [Editor's note: we're pretty sure that should be 55mm. Surely not the same size at the real White Horse of the Chalk, at any rate!]
Tiffany's White Horse pendant is priced at £45. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://bit.ly/1QShI1y
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10) 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 5th October 2015 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 has a new Discworld fan group, 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. Next event Loonies Christmas Party. Same weekend as Hogswatch would have been. ie 27/28/29 November."
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 100 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."
Upcoming events include:
Con-Centric Games, Burnside Community Centre (Sep 18-20
Monthly Dinner and Games, TBA (Sep 23 or 24)
Costume Bowling – Talk Like a Pirate Day (Sep 26)
Board Games Day at La Scala Cafe, 169 Unley Road, Unley (Oct 4)
Also, City of Small Gods will be holding a special quiz night in October: "Test your knowledge on all things Science Fiction and Fantasy – books, movies, TV, comics, games and more! A dragon's hoard of prizes including best costume!"
UPDATE: ALL TABLES HAVE NOW BEEN BOOKED! If you would like to be added to a waiting list, or be contacted when we announce next year's quiz, please contact us! Part proceeds of the quiz night will be donated to the Alzheimer's Australia Dementia Research Foundation.
For more info, go to http://ausdwcon.org/fan-clubs/adelaide/quiz/
*
The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 1st October 2015 (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 2nd October 2015 (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 5th October 2015 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 5th October 2015 (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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11) DISCWORLD GAMES NEWS
11.1 DISCWORLD MUD, AN OLDIE BUT GOODIE
On gamer website Rock Paper Shotgun, a long and loving look at the Discworld MUD:
"While not really talked about any more, many MUDs do still tick along. Skotos has been running a set of commercial ones since 1999, and you can find lots of others on sites like this one. Probably best not to search for 'MUD play' though, that'll give you very different responses. Generally, active modern MUDs have very small but devoted communities that are generally open to new players, but expect them to respect rules when it comes to things like roleplaying characters and not, for instance, just grabbing a sword and trying to kill everything. Not that this will usually work anyway, as a new player will get splattered faster than an annoying fly. It's worth spending some time reading the rules and getting an idea for what each is trying to offer before jumping in.
"On the one hand, the Discworld MUD is easy to get started in. There's a lengthy, not-very Discworldy tutorial at the start, which you really, absolutely, no-kidding need to follow if you've never played one of these games before. At the same time though... Somewhat inevitably, the scale of it means you're not likely to bump into many people by accident. At the time of writing, there were only about 70 players online. That's not a huge problem though, thanks to the very active NPCs. If a torch goes out in one of the guilds, someone will be along shortly to relight it. Each guild and area has its own set of characters, reacting and responding to what you do. In Genua for instance, the people get annoyed with you for crimes like tomb raiding or sitting on the wrong benches. Elsewhere, singing the Hedgehog Song can be a broken-leg worthy offence (as well as a weapon against characters without earmuffs). You'll also find a lot of familiar faces while exploring, and achievements for doing so – tracking down all the Cut-Me-Own-Throat-Dibbler variants in the different cities for instance. Quests too, if you're into that kind of thing, you helpful or avaricious soul, you... the main wiki is excellent, with guides to all of the content and useful extras like the Accessibility Guides that focus on navigating and finding key landmarks. It's also possible to call up on your fairy godmother for assistance at any time, who will warp you back to your starting location (the Mended Drum in Ankh-Morpork) or return you to life if you die and can't find any priests around. In one of the biggest deviations from standard Discworld lore, resurrection is easily had (and Death a bit of a git, honestly), but it's not something you want to do on a regular basis. As well as costing a lot of character progress, past a certain point you have to buy lives and will die for real if you run out...
Even with a wiki, and some handy features like being able to see an ASCII map of each area, getting started isn't easy. Discworld MUD offers a vast amount of freedom and flavour, but you're often left fighting against that and the parser to get things done. This isn't a criticism so much as a casual warning; it's a game that expects you to type exactly what it expects rather than one that will bend over backwards to get what you mean. In the Mended Drum for instance, there's a bulletin board. Type 'read bulletin board' and you'll get the message 'A bulletin board [40 notes] does not have anything written on it.' You have to type 'look at bulletin board' to read the content. This is a big reason why it's worth spending some time in the tutorial area, where the NPCs explain everything in great detail, even if it is a bit bland and not remotely Disc-y... If you're willing to deal with the kind of learning curve that would make Dark Souls cry, or simply feel like taking a poke around some familiar haunts in a way that none of the official games ever came close to, you really should check the Discworld MUD out. It's one of the best fan projects for anything that you'll find, and may it live until at least the robots rise and kill us all. Ideally longer, if they have good taste in fantasy..."
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/08/24/discworld-mud-game/
11.2 DISCWORLD FOR PC: ONE OF THE GOLDEN GREATS
On Digital Spy, Discworld (PC) is ranked 4th out of the "12 hardest games ever made":
"So, it turns out you use the butterfly with the lamppost to cause a thunderstorm in the future so you can steal the monk's robe. Why didn't we think of that? As anyone who played Discworld on PC in the 1990s will tell you, the above statement doesn't make any more sense in context, which is but one reason why Psygnosis' Terry Pratchett adaptation is one of the most illogical and difficult point-and-click adventures ever made."
An interesting read for old-school gamers!
http://bit.ly/1NLGp17
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12) TERRY PRATCHETT: GUILTY OF LITERATURE? WELL ACTUALLY, YES
Jonathan Jones, an arts critic for The Guardian newspaper, recently wrote a scathing dismissal of the works of Terry Pratchett in an op-ed column that even professional novelists deemed deliberate stir-the-pubic-up clickbait:
"It does not matter to me if Terry Pratchett's final novel is a worthy epitaph or not, or if he wanted it to be pulped by a steamroller. I have never read a single one of his books and I never plan to. Life's too short. No offence, but Pratchett is so low on my list of books to read before I die that I would have to live a million years before getting round to him. I did flick through a book by him in a shop, to see what the fuss is about, but the prose seemed very ordinary... Actual literature may be harder to get to grips with than a Discworld novel, but it is more worth the effort. By dissolving the difference between serious and light reading, our culture is justifying mental laziness and robbing readers of the true delights of ambitious fiction..."
http://bit.ly/1LNzdB5
Rebuttals include a piece titled "You Don't Know What It Is, Do You, Mister Jones?" by well-known author Christopher Priest:
"Recognizing writers in the present day who are likely to achieve long-term recognition as a classic author is a risky business. Popular success often comes about because of the public's unpredictable reaction, or a wish to find an undemanding read, or because of a response to perceived matters of the moment. Happenstance comes into it, and so does the luck of timing. Best-seller success is therefore usually ephemeral. Can anyone seriously suggest that the 'Grey' novels of E. L. James, the 'Twilight' novels of Stephenie Meyer, the nonsensical best-sellers by the likes of Dan Brown or Jeffrey Archer, are destined for anything but the dustbin of literary history? Who now reads, or even remembers, the author Hervey Allen? Or for that matter James Hilton, Dorothea Brande, Alexis Carrel, Franz Werfel, Munro Leaf? ...in their day their books were immense popular successes. Ephemerality has struck – posterity has eluded them... We are more likely to find literary posterity, or the possibility of it, in the genres. For instance, thirty years ago who would have guessed that Philip K. Dick would be seen, at least in the world of Hollywood studio films, as a paradigm of science fiction? Most of his novels were quickly written for commercial publishers, aimed at and read by a genre audience. But as a result of several hugely successful films, Dick's many routine SF books have returned to print, he is taught in universities and schools, and he is generally regarded as the finest modern SF writer. Yet in 1981, roughly at the time Blade Runner was being filmed, John Sutherland gave Dick no more than a passing mention...
"I would say that of all the writers I have ever known, or the books I have ever read, Terry Pratchett's seem to be a dead cert for long-term classic status... His work is written well – no matter what Jones says about 'very ordinary' prose, Terry Pratchett's novels are stylistically adept: good muscular prose, not mucked around with for effect (except sometimes!), enlivened by wit, sharp observation, a unique take on the world at large and whatever the subject of social satire might be for the time being, a brimming sense of fun and the ridiculous, and overall an approach to the reader that feels inclusive, a letting in on the joke, an amused welcome to the world he is writing about..."
http://bit.ly/1O5Tn6C
By Charlie Jane Anders on i09:
"Twilight by Stephenie Meyer probably won't be read 100 years from now, argues The Prestige author Christopher Priest. But Stephen King and J.K. Rowling have a decent shot at posterity... Priest's blog post is worth reading in its entirety — it's partly a meditation on what makes authors endure after their deaths, and Priest's own observations on why Stephen King is more likely than Dan Brown to be read by our descendants. Priest argues that although it's impossible to predict for sure what will make an author live on for decades after death, some mix of popularity and distinctive storytelling seems to be at play — and Priest says the modern literary novel is less likely to produce very many lasting classics. 'We are more likely to find literary posterity, or the possibility of it, in the genres.'..."
http://bit.ly/1LP68CD
By Pratik Kanjilal for The Indian Express:
"Assuredly, Discworld is literature. High literature, even. Writers with a light touch have the misfortune of being hugely popular in their lifetime but dismissed as insubstantial after the event. Few escape this fate, unless their work is not restricted to their times but to ideas of enduring interest. George Mikes and PG Wodehouse live on because they show what it means to be English. Even the English, and particularly the English, have no idea what makes them English, so these are useful clarifications... in the hands of Pratchett, parody rose to define what is human...
http://bit.ly/1iKKjuf
And the best is last – an excellent essay, "Terry Pratchett, Jane Austen, and the definition of literature", by Annie Coral Demosthenous, Honorary Research Fellow in European Languages and Studies at the University of Western Australia
"Last month in The Guardian, with a piece headlined Get Real. Terry Pratchett is not a Literary Genius, literary critic Jonathan Jones claimed Terry Pratchett's books should not be read, because they are not literature... Yet the definition of 'literature' is changeable, and inextricably linked with fashion. As the author Christopher Priest has pointed out, works now considered classics were not necessarily defined as high culture when they were written, and works considered literary when published do not always survive over time... So what is high culture? And what do we mean when we call something 'literary'? According to Jones, 'actual literature' is 'harder to get to grips with than a Discworld novel, but it is more worth the effort'... As this definition is not particularly helpful, let us consider some characteristics commonly considered 'literary': the elegant and adventurous use of language, engagement with themes of universal significance, inventiveness of style, defiance of genre classification... Pratchett seldom allows language to exist unchallenged; words are stretched and twisted by new and surprising contexts, opening the reader's eye to the arbitrary relation of signifier and signified, often eliciting surprised laughter... Pratchett's work is often underestimated because it is classified as 'genre fiction' rather than literary fiction. Yet Pratchett's relationship with genre is complex and adversarial. He does not reproduce genre stereotypes, he sets them up to be deconstructed, or at least affectionately mocked.
Reading Pratchett, like reading Austen, requires commitment, and a willingness to look under the surface. It's a shame Jonathan Jones was unable to do so before writing his follow-up article on Pratchett – for which he had, belatedly, read one book by the author – this past weekend.
http://bit.ly/1Opz1Yv
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13) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
Something fabulous! The cast of the Monstrous Productions theatre company, fresh from their triumphant run of Night Watch, recreate Paul Kidby's cover as a live tableau:
http://bit.ly/1MlBgMV
The Year of the Sneezing Panda, by hump_day:
http://bit.ly/1LEgHZ2
The unforgettable Mistress Weatherwax, as only Paul Kidby can draw her:
http://bit.ly/1EWIQva
Homage to Paul Kidby himself! Fanart by Alda-Rana:
http://bit.ly/1Jwnch8
Rob Wilkins and Stephen Briggs reading to the fans at the Waterstones Piccadilly Shepherd's Crown launch. From inside the stone gate to Fairyland, no less:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CNXkwFXWgAAf8if.jpg:large
Another photo of Rob and Stephen at Waterstones, smiling, by attendee Amy Simmonds:
http://bit.ly/1MTGazb
The streets of Ankh-Morpork, by Martin Baines:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CPB96xsWcAALDE4.jpg:large
...and Rob, several hours later, photographed by Stephen:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CNZMy1SWcAAMvzh.jpg
A fine turnout of costumed Discworld fans at the Leeds launch, by Jessica Wheatley:
http://bit.ly/1JrCrqh
Stephen Player's take on Nanny Ogg among the ballerinas, from Maskerade:
http://bit.ly/1NQTZ28
Marvellous sign from Waterstones Aberdeen's opening celebration for The Shepherd's Crown:
http://bit.ly/1JFB0WE
A fine cartoonish Nanny Ogg by Tatiks:
http://bit.ly/1NydJZB
Witches three – from the Broadclyst Theatre group's recent production of Wyrd Sisters:
http://bit.ly/1iIG3LH
Talented fanart doodler Amy P Simmonds' clever tribute to the passing of Sir Pterry:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/COYxLxPWEAIoaX7.jpg
[Amy's Twitter account is https://twitter.com/InkaDoodleDo/ – well worth a look! – Ed.]
...and finally, a message from your Librarian, courtesy of Waterstones:
http://bit.ly/1JFB0WE
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14) CLOSE
This may be one of the most amazing pieces of Discworld fan art ever created – an amazingly artistic, amazingly Nanny Ogg-like crocheted Nanny Ogg doll by Kim Lapsley! In addition to a wealth of photos, Kim's blogpost contains a blow-by-blow description of her process. Truly excellent:
http://kimlapsley.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/nanny-ogg.html
And on the subject of Discworld fan art, here be an unforgettable image of The Author on a wall in north Wales:
http://bit.ly/1Qt4J5v
"The 8ft mural honouring the author has appears [sic] on a council-owned wall in Buckley and makes reference to his battle with Alzheimer's. An artist dubbed the 'Flintshire Banksy' has paid tribute to one of the world's best-loved authors. The mysterious person, known as Random, has created a mural honouring the late Sir Terry Pratchett on a council-owned wall between the town council building and baths in Buckley. The 8ft artwork features a life-like head and shoulders portrait of the popular writer, as well as an image of a small dog, inspired by Pratchett's wonder dog Gaspode who appeared in seven of his novels...."
Read all about it in the Daily Post: http://bit.ly/1QTepai – and in The Leader, which offers a more in-depth look at Random's Pratchett tributes:
"Speaking to the Leader, Random said: 'I was asked if I would be willing to do another one after the Harry Patch creation last year. I decided to do one of Terry Pratchett, who is a favourite author of mine. I understand it has been received pretty well but because of the nature of the way I work it is difficult to get much one-on-one feedback.' The mural took Random about four-and-a-half hours to produce before it was mounted over the weekend. Having produced a similar Terry Pratchett mural at Europe's biggest street art festival, 'Upfest' in Bristol, earlier this year, Random opted to use a different quote this time around to signify the author's own struggle with Alzheimer's..."
http://bit.ly/1LDPyqX
And that's the lot for the moment, whew! Part 2 coming before Thursday...
– Annie Mac
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The End. If you have any questions or requests, write: wossname-owner (at) pearwood (dot) info
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
September 2015 (Volume 18, Issue 9, Post 1)
********************************************************************
WOSSNAME is a free publication offering news, reviews, and all the other stuff-that-fits pertaining to the works and activities 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.
********************************************************************
Editor in Chief: Annie Mac
News Editor: Vera P
Newshounds: Mogg, Sir J of Croydon Below, the Shadow, Wolfiekins, 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)
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
INDEX:
01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN NEWS
04) ODDS AND SODS
05) SIR PTERRY'S HUMANIST FUNERAL
06) WITHOUT WHOM: ROB WILKINS
07) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
08) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
09) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
10) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
11) DISCWORLD GAMES NEWS
12) TERRY PRATCHETT: GUILTY OF LITERATURE? WELL ACTUALLY, YES
13) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
14) CLOSE
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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
"It was a hard book to complete because Terry's health was declining in the last year. But he was still enjoying the writing. He wasn't able to polish it quite as he would have liked and there were a few ideas that he would have loved to have followed up on and he never got the opportunity."
– Rob Wilkins, on the occasion of the The Shepherd's Crown launch
"This is not a fantasy novel intended for 'younger readers' as it is wont to be pigeonholed... This is a book for all ages, the tour de force of one of the English language's greatest authors, who, in the midst of encroaching darkness and facing so many terrors of his own, has contrived to astound us one last time with his craft."
– David Lloyd, Vice-Chancellor of the University of South Australia
"For those reading The Shepherd's Crown 'Mind how you go' are considered to be the Pratchett magic words. We'd always say them to someone travelling somewhere. They were also the last words I said to my grandfather and my father."
– Rhianna Pratchett
"I am proud and honoured to be a part of such a wonderful series. I think of the cover as my own tribute and thanks to Terry and his wonderful literary creations."
– Paul Kidby on his cover art for The Shepherd's Crown
"Pratchett is in good company: only the stories of truly great writers end up belonging more to their readers than their creators."
– Natalie Haynes in The Independent
"Terry Pratchett's novels are stylistically adept: good muscular prose, not mucked around with for effect (except sometimes!), enlivened by wit, sharp observation, a unique take on the world at large and whatever the subject of social satire might be for the time being, a brimming sense of fun and the ridiculous, and overall an approach to the reader that feels inclusive, a letting in on the joke, an amused welcome to the world he is writing about."
– author Christopher Priest, listing some of the qualities he is sure will keep Terry Pratchett in the forefront of public author-awareness for at least as long as Dickens
"Thank you everyone for getting the Shepherd's Crown to Number One. Terry would have been so proud"
– from the official Pratchett Twitter account, 3rd September 2015
"Hopefully, Discworld will now be frozen like a snapshot and enter the pages of literary history, and Pratchett's estate will resist publishers who pray that it is turned into a co-written franchise which survives rigor mortis, the sun going nova and everything else. That's the fate of almost every successful writer of airport thrillers, which is perfectly all right since that genre deserves no better, but literature is a different matter."
– journalist Pratik Kanjilal
"Reading Pratchett, like reading Austen, requires commitment, and a willingness to look under the surface."
– essayist and language researcher Annie Coral Demosthenous
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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR
Ook oook and eek – most of all eeek! Every time I think I have the September issue ready to wrap up and send out, another newsworthy item falls across my eyes or into my inbox, and the wordcount grows and grows. At this point I've decided to split up what was meant to be a single issue and send part of it now and the rest before the rapidly-approaching end of the month. So below the line is a *lot* of news, and soon there will be a proper long editorial and a *lot* of reviews...
– Annie Mac, Editor
p.s. The Discworld Plays section is *huge* this month. Well done, Pratchett fans of the theatrical world!
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03) THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN NEWS
3.0 ROB WILKINS IN PERSON IN ADELAIDE AND MELBOURNE!!!
Rob Wilkins, of @terryandrob Rob will be making a brief appearance in Fourecks this coming week. He will be signing copies of his afterword in The Shepherd's Crown, and answering questions about his work with Sir Pterry. Not to be missed!
Adelaide event:
When: Tuesday 29th September 2015
Venue: Dymocks Adelaide, 135 Rundle Mall, Adelaide, South Australia (phone 08 8223 5380)
Time: 12:30pm
Tickets: FREE! But must be pre-booked. See below.
Melbourne event:
When: Wednesday 30th September 2015
Venue: Dymocks Melbourne, 234 Collins Street, Melbourne 3000
Time: 6.30pm
Tickets: FREE! But must be booked in advance. To book, go to:
http://www.trybooking.com/Booking/BookingEventSummary.aspx?eid=161340
Editor's note: Wossname will be there, of course!
3.1 THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN: STORMING THE BESTSELLER LISTS
From The Bookseller:
We're delighted to report that the final Discworld novel by Sir Terry Pratchett, The Shepherd's Crown, has rocketed straight to the #1 spot in Nielsen BookScan's chart, selling 52,846 copies in its first week. This is Sir Terry's tenth British Number One, and a wonderfully fitting tribute to the beloved writer's final work... Hailed as a 'magnificent sign-off' by the Daily Telegraph and a 'funny, fearless farewell' by the Daily Mail, The Shepherd's Crown has already garnered an outpouring of love and admiration from fans and critics... Francesca Dow, MD of Penguin Random House Children's division, commented, 'We are extremely proud to publish the long-awaited final novel in the Discworld series. The Shepherd's Crown is an incredibly special book and it is a real privilege to share and celebrate Terry's last work with his fans. We cannot think of a more fitting way to honour the late, great Sir Terry Pratchett.'
Terry Pratchett has held the Official Top 50 number one for a second week, as The Shepherd's Crown (Doubleday Children's) sold 27,386 copies, worth £318,576, through Nielsen BookScan's Total Consumer Market... The book also took the Children's top spot — Pratchett's 40th week atop that chart since BookScan records...
http://discworld.com/crowning-glory-sir-terry-pratchett/
3.2 WHAT *IS* A SHEPHERD'S CROWN?
From Roundworld's Royal Albert Memorial Museum:
"Who would have thought that there are royal headdresses for shepherds? English folklore describes the internal moulds of fossil sea urchins as 'Shepherd's crowns'. Sea urchins have a characteristic conical shape and five decorative ridges that meet at the top of the shell like the ribs of a crown. Notably the Cretaceous sea urchin species Micraster, Echinocorys and Conulus have found their way into English folklore.
"Shepherds may have come across petrified sea urchins, while caring for their sheep on the chalky downlands of southern England.
"An interesting folklore originates from Suffolk in eastern England where fossil sea urchins are known as 'Fairy loaves'. The loaf-like shape of some sea urchins inspired people to placed them by the hearth as charms..."
http://bit.ly/1Kjndkg
3.3 REPORT: THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN LAUNCH EVENT IN MELBOURNE
Dymocks booksellers, always active supporters of the works of Pratchett, let the Victorian Discworld Klatch take over their Melbourne city centre flagship store's cafe for a Discworld party on the night of the Australian release of The Shepherd's Crown last month. Here be a Wossname exclusive report...
By Damian Perry
The Victorian Discworld Klatch, in partnership with Dymocks Melbourne store, held a Shepherd's Crown book event. People dressed up, even with the threat of people saying something about it (according to Twitter). Fun and games were had throughout the night. We had book readings, a colouring in competition, book cover designs, a costume competition and Playdough-tionary.
Clap-o-metre was the judging tool of the evening. Leanne, dressed as Tiffany, won the book cover competition.
Playdough-tionary. Two rival tables were set up. One had Death. One had no Death.
During the first few rounds, the non-Death table dominated. We had (take a look at the Klatch page for pictures):
– A Dibbler in green.
– An orange golem.
– Two purple blobs that were obviously going to be the entire Discworld...
And then because we were guessing within 30 seconds we changed the rules so that Suzie alone would guess and choose a winner. From there, Imogen's swamp dragon won, followed by Tiffany Aching – the first of the Death table wins.
In the last round nobody had any idea. It turned out they were Feegles. Deb was brought in to decide which was the best and strangely the yellow Feegle beat the blue Feegle (it takes more skill to make a Feegle out of yellow play dough).
In the playoffs Imogen took on Death. Making sheep. Suzie took her life in her hands by picking Imogen's multicoloured sheep over Death's "Where is the green" sheep. Imogen won the book pack. Amanda dressed as Susan won the book pack for the best coloured cover.
There was a shakeup in the costume competition when Death went home early and a tiny Tiffany turned up to nab the best costume prize. Apparently it's not good form to let a little kid lose a costume competition.
All over the Internet there are articles about how we spent the night of the last Discworld book release. The Melbourne Klatch group spent the evening in friendly revels with friends, playing games and colouring in. A marvellous night had by all.
Massive thanks to Louise and Dymocks Collins St. She always does her best to entertain us and loves the Discworld fandom. Now time to go and read the book.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch/
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04) ODDS AND SODS
4.0 PRATCHETT FAMILY BACKS THE CALL FOR A STATUE
"Sir Terry Pratchett's family is backing a campaign to have a statue of the author erected in Wiltshire... In the past two weeks, hundreds of fans have signed a petition for a permanent statue to the writer in Salisbury. A spokeswoman for the family said he would 'undoubtedly' have found the amusement 'in almost any statue'. She said: 'Sir Terry always said he would like to be useful in death, so a statue where a pigeon can stop for a well-earned rest would have amused him no end.' The campaign for a permanent 'tribute to Sir Terry' was launched on Change.Org by Emily Brand..."
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-34334105
4.1 DISCWORLD BARON TO BE AUCTIONED
"Following the successful Barons Trail, each of the Barons will now go up for auction. With money raised from the sales going to The Trussell Trust and supporting their work to stop UK hunger. The auction will take place at Salisbury Cathedral. From 12 September auction catalogues/souvenir guides can be purchased in advance from Casa Fina and the Salisbury Cathedral Shop, as well as on the night.
"From Wednesday 23 September, all 25 Barons will be displayed on the North Lawn of Salisbury Cathedral and auction guests will be able to view the barons closely on 1 October between 6.30pm and 7.30pm, at the drinks reception prior to the auction commencing. People can pre-bid for a Baron online at The Barons Charter:
http://www.thebaronscharter.org.uk/
"Please note that there will be no parking within the Cathedral grounds; please use City Centre car parks."
The Barons' Auction Salisbury 2015
When: Thursday 1st Oct 2015
Venue: Salisbury Cathedral
Time: 6:30 pm
Tickets: £15* To purchase online, go to http://bit.ly/1ia9JAO and click the Buy Tickets button
*All tickets purchased online will also be subject to an additional £2 transaction fee per ticket. Tickets purchased in person or on the telephone do not incur additional charges.
http://www.cityhallsalisbury.co.uk/index.php?page=1598
For full details go to http://www.cityhallsalisbury.co.uk/images/BaronsInformation.pdf
http://www.trusselltrust.org/
4.2 PRATCHETT FANS TRIBUTE VIDEO UPDATE
From last month's main issue: "With the final Discworld book almost upon us, a video tribute seems a fitting way to channel our appreciation for Terry Pratchett's words. Send us your contribution before 27 August 2015, the day THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN is released, and we'll take it from there – so you can get on with reading."
And here it is!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP1rJNOwYls
4.3 THE DUEL, FINISHED!
Remember the animated short film project, "The Duel", that was given Professor Sir Pterry's blessing many moons ago? It's finished now! By Ben Harper, Sean Mullen and Alex Sherwood (and officially "mucked about" by Terry Pratchett, out of the Animation Hub, Ballyfermot College of Further Education, Trinity College Dublin & the Irish Film Board with music by Paul Lynch, here it is:
https://vimeo.com/77104562
4.4 ROB WILKINS AT THE LONDON SHEPHERD'S CROWN RELEASE EVENT
In the London Evening Standard:
"Rob Wilkins, who was Sir Terry's assistant, gave a reading from The Shepherd's Crown at a midnight launch in Waterstones in Piccadilly... Mr Wilkins, 46, told the Standard: 'This is Terry's final novel and to me there can be nothing more important. This has got to be a celebration of him, all of his work culminating and giving him a right good send off. He was so modest that he would look at all of this and wonder what all the fuss was about. We are going to have a proper memorial next year. But this is it, the final Discworld novel. There will be spin-off projects and things like that going off into the future and also we have Narrativia, our film and TV company. We are actively out there developing material at the moment. Terry's daughter Rhianna is actually working on the script right now for The We[sic] Free Men.'... Mr Wilkins added: 'I actually say in the back of the book it wasn't finished as Terry would have liked. What I mean by that is he wrote the book like a giant literary jigsaw then pieced it all together at the end and kept polishing it until you couldn't see the join between the various parts and once it was assembled then he would be happy. But he didn't quite get to the point of assembling all of the bits when he died. Being at the coal face with all those ideas coming out – you would never know the direction he was going in. He would even throw me a curved ball. We were lucky with his Alzheimer's, his variant meant we had more of Terry for a longer time. It was only the last few months that we started losing the Terry we loved. In January that was the start of the end and it was terribly upsetting. Terry wasn't a sentimental man, we never had our final discussion or the final chat or anything like that. Every day was a new day and you just dealt with the problems his disease brought on a day to day basis.'..."
http://bit.ly/1ElXCe5
4.5 THE END...
...according to Neil Gaiman:
"In an interview with The Times, Gaiman revealed that his long-time friend, who died in March aged 66, had planned a different ending to the one that was published yesterday but had died before getting it down on paper. 'This is still the saddest moment for me,' Gaiman said. 'When I talked to Terry about it there was one little beautiful twist that would have made people cry, but he never got to write it."... The scene 'would have made the book, but he never got to write it. He simply ran out of time', he added... Gaiman says that his friend didn't want his unfinished work to be published. The American Gods author said Pratchett wanted 'whatever he was working on at the time of his death to be taken out along with his computers, to be put in the middle of a road and for a steamroller to steamroll over them all'. Along with Pratchett's millions of fans, Gaiman said that he was 'ridiculously glad that hasn't happened'. The author also revealed that he was working on Pratchett's last request: a TV adaptation of Good Omens, the 1990 novel they wrote together about an angel and demon working together to foil the Apocalypse...".
http://bit.ly/1OS19l7 (BEWARE: CONTAINS SPOILERS)
Also, in the Daily Mail, which for all its myriad sins has long been a supporter and promulgator of both Sir Pterry's books *and* his personal crusades:
"Mr Gaiman also revealed that the ending of The Shepherd's Crown – Sir Terry's final novel – was not the one which the author had intended. Tragically, the writer died before he managed to get his preferred conclusion down on paper.
'When I talked to Terry about it there was one little beautiful twist that would have made people cry, but he never got to write it,' Mr Gaiman said. 'He simply ran out of time. But if you are going to die mid-book, Terry did it as best you possibly can.'"
http://dailym.ai/1VYWEta
[Editor's note: I found the ending to The Shepherd's Crown well sufficient, and also found the "ending that never was" was well and truly telegraphed by events in the story. Your mileage may vary, but for me, the end as published was perfect.]
4.6 LOOKING BACK AT THE JOHNNY MAXWELL BOOKS
On Den of Geek, Andrew Blair deconstructs Pratchett's superb Johnny Maxwell trilogy:
"The most interesting thing about Only You Can Save Mankind were its observations on empathy and detachment with regards moving images, but its ending counteracts the popular aphorism by stating that violence does solve some things. It might seem surprising in the context of the book, but then Pratchett has disposed of monsters with poetic abandon since. While examining the way in which gamers have to detach themselves from what they're actually doing – I mean, try playing any real world conflict-based shoot 'em up while thinking about the reality the simulation is depicting – he also brings in images of the Gulf War on TV. Considering the ending states unambiguously that some monsters must be fought, it's ultimately a book that says 'Ask questions first, shoot later'...
"Johnny and the Dead asks the reader to consider something they might see in their everyday life, to look beyond the surface of it and ask questions. It goes one step further, again, with its ending, where the dead stop waiting around for the next stage of their afterlives to happen. Again, it takes the ending you expect and gives it a little tweak, in this case with the people of the graveyard deciding that waiting to be saved isn't all that. Inspired by councils selling off graveyards for tiny amounts to get rid of the costs of upkeep, it's a wry and fond look at local history that might inspire you to do some investigation of your local graveyard...
"All of Johnny's friends get satisfying character development in the third and final book in the series, Johnny And The Bomb. This book, especially, with its mentions of the Trousers of Time and 'Millennium hand and shrimp,' complements ideas in the Discworld universe, almost like a primer. That these come from a character called Mrs Tachyon may be entirely deliberate, as a theoretical time-travelling particle has echoes of both this book and the existence of something like the Discworld. While the ending might be the most straightforwardly heroic of the three books, Johnny's friends are put into the midst of the fantastic more than in any other story..."
http://bit.ly/1NJJpLJ
4.7 A LOVELY ELEGIAC POEM
Recently (re)discovered: a poem by Sam Garland aka /u/Poem_for_your_sprog, originally published on Reddit on... you know... *that* day:
The sun goes down upon the Ankh,
And slowly, softly fades –
Across the Drum; the Royal Bank;
The River-Gate; the Shades.
A stony circle's closed to elves;
And here, where lines are blurred,
Between the stacks of books on shelves,
A quiet 'Ook' is heard.
A copper steps the city-street
On paths he's often passed;
The final march; the final beat;
The time to rest at last.
He gives his badge a final shine,
And sadly shakes his head –
While Granny lies beneath a sign
That says: 'I aten't dead...'
To read the whole poem, go to:
http://bit.ly/1gCi0wl
/u/Poem_for_your_sprog's Twitter account:
https://twitter.com/Poem4your_sprog
4.8 DISCWORLD AS A MODEL OF FAIRNESS
Here be an interesting essay on the "fairness of Discworld" by academician and author Kari Sperring:
"My idea of heaven does not map too well with that of the Nac Mac Feegle, but when I stop and think about it, when it comes to Discworld, they're on to something. I don't yearn for thievery and poaching, but I do long for a fairer world. And Discworld is one of the fairest worlds I know. It's not a tidy kind of fairness. Discworld has rules and internal logic, which applies to everyone equally and often rather messily. The first inventor of a steam engine on Discworld was Ned Simnel, who failed to do his maths properly and managed to blow himself up in the process. Mr Hong failed to carry out the necessary research before opening his fish bar on the site of a former fish god temple, on an astronomically significant night in Ankh Morpork, with bad results. All that was left of him was one kidney and half an earhole. As in reality, on Discworld, actions have consequences and they aren't always pleasant, but they are logical and they pay attention (sometimes, anyway) to the intentions of the people involved...
"The bulk of Pratchett's heroes are ordinary people, not particularly clever or good-looking or advantaged. Some of them are kind and decent, like Captain Carrot of the Ankh Morpork Watch, the city's incompetent police force, or the witch Magrat, but a lot of them aren't. They're just people, with a full complement of flaws. But these ordinary people come up against big problems, familiar problems of injustice and cruelty and unfairness, and they fight back in a variety of ways (some devious, some dirty) and they win... Many of the Discworld books deal with discrimination, particularly that based on race – species, on the Discworld – and the outcomes are fair... Discworld is a highly moral universe, one in which the intent of actions is taken into account as well as their outcomes, in which the million-to-one-chance comes off (and the characters know this and play up to it), in which no-one gets a pass because they're special or privileged. It's a world in which the little people – the workers who run the Clacks system of communication, say – can take on Big Business and Big Power..."
http://bit.ly/1KHXROh
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05) SIR PTERRY'S HUMANIST FUNERAL
By humanist celebrant Kenneth Greenway:
"An email from Isabel of the British Humanist Association dropped into my inbox On March 17th 2015 asking the funeral network to email her if they wanted to be considered for conducting Terry's funeral, I was taken aback by such an opportunity. I was with my wife at the time I read the email, I looked at her and said 'Terry's family want a BHA celebrant to do his funeral and we're being asked if we like to do it and why. Shall I go for it?' My wife simply said, 'Do it!' I thought that living in Essex and 160 miles away from Salisbury would work against me. So, if truth be told I spent no more than 10 minutes writing an email back to Isabel. I spoke of why Terry and his Discworld books meant so much to me and the meaning his work had to my wife and I. TP's Discworld books were a hot topic of conversation on our first date. At our wedding we had a Discworld cake and our tables were named after locations on the Disc. I've personally been a fan since I first read 'Mort' about 25 years ago and I own every book, merchandise, maps, and all kinds of other stuff associated with the Discworld.
"I discovered I had been chosen to conduct the funeral in the evening of the following day (18th March) At the time the call came in I was bathing our two girls. My wife took the call as she wasn't with me " she was recovering from an operation and couldn't lift things. After the phone call she came running upstairs, in a very excitable state. I said, 'You can't run, you've had an op!' She was very excited and not making any sense. Once she'd calmed down she said 'They want you!' Being a bit slow, my reply was 'Who does?' She said 'Terry's family want you to do his funeral. I've just spoken to Rob'. I was immediately stunned in to silence and couldn't quite believe it. My wife and I hugged and then I felt very overwhelmed, the feeling of responsibility was almost crushing. To be the person selected to help those closest to TP to say their last goodbye felt out of this world and a bit unreal..."
A lovely piece, well worth reading in its entirety:
http://www.writerscafe.org/writing/KGreenway/1621131/
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
06) WITHOUT WHOM (A TRIBUTE TO THE LIVING): ROB WILKINS
By Steven D'Aprano
Rob Wilkins, PTerry's personal assistant, is a very private man who would never dream of blowing his own horn, so here are some facts he is too modest to admit to in public:
Rob was apparently born in 1968 or 1969, but actually entered the world in 1847, possibly from an alternate universe. Having invented the time machine that inspired the writer HG Wells when he attended a private demonstration at the secret Wilkins laboratory, Rob travelled forward in time from 1877 to save us from the coming Machine Apocalypse when our iPhones achieve sentience and rebel over the indignity of having to display webpages like "You Won't Believe These 10 Secrets About Katy Perry's Favourite Ice-Cream Flavour!".
Rob was the inspiration behind "Interesting Times" when he took over the Chinese government and ran the country as Supreme Dictator for three years. Rob left the job because it wasn't challenging enough. Of course the Chinese hushed it up, but Sir PTerry found out about it while discussing bananananana daiquiri recipes on Alt.Fan.Pratchett.
Rob was also the inspiration for Willikins, Sam Vimes' butler. Sir PTerry got the idea for a character who was half Jeeves and half street fighter when Chuck Norris arrived at their doorstep one night, begging Rob to take him in as an apprentice and teach him everything he knows about martial arts. Initially refusing, Rob relented after Norris proved his dedication by standing at their gate, through rain, sleet and hail, for thirty-eight days without food, drink or sleep. Unfortunately the training regime was too hard for Norris, who left after just two weeks, a broken man.
When Rob's crime-fighting activities prevent him from performing his usual duties as head chef at The Fat Duck, Heston Blumenthal stands in for him.
Rumours that Rob has been banned from every casino in Europe for being too skilful at Blackjack are unfounded. He has only been banned from half of them. He owns the others.
The producers of the Twilight movie begged Rob to play Edward the sparkly vampire, but Rob turned them down because he didn't want to overshadow the rest of the cast and make them look bad.
At the age of five, Rob saved his uncle from being eaten by a lion after the uncle climbed into the lion's enclosure at the London Zoo to win a drunken bet.
Elon Musk gets all of his best ideas from Rob.
While ghost-writing the scripts for the Hobbit trilogy, Rob discovered a secret message hidden in the original book. Despite what everyone believes, JRR Tolkien never actually existed. The Middle Earth books were actually written by JK Rowling.
Also, as part of a documentary about the medieval witch trials on the History Channel, Rob swam the English Channel fully clothed with his hands tied behind his back.
Your Editor feels moved to add:
Of course, that's just messin'. But Rob Wilkins' greatest achievement – and gift to us all – was the ten years he spent as personal assistant, aide de camp, driver, literal (and literary) amanuensis, voice double, public representative and general runner of interference for Sir Terry Pratchett. Without Rob, Sir Pterry's final years of battling his Embuggerance would have been far more difficult. Even now, Mr Wilkins continues to serve as a guardian of the Pratchett body of work and future adaptations and related projects thereof. So charge your glasses and raise a toast to Rob Wilkins. Hurrah!
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
07) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
7.1 REMINDER: MORT IN BRISBANE (SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER)
The Brisbane Arts Theatre's latest Discworld production, Mort, continues its run.
When: currently running, through to 3rd October 2015
Venue: Brisbane Arts Theatre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane, QLD 4000
(phone 07 3369 2344)
Time: 8pm Thursdays (except 27th August), Fridays and Saturdays; 6.30pm
Sundays (6th and 20th September)
Tickets: Adults $31, Concession $25, Group 10+ $25, Group 75+ $20, Gold
Members $15, Members $25, Student Rush $10 (10 mins before curtain).
Members can redeem their included season tickets for this show. There
are no refunds or exchanges once tickets have been purchased. To
purchase tickets online, go to http://bit.ly/1Imz2tJ
http://artstheatre.com.au/show/mort
7.2 NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN HEXHAM (NOVEMBER)
The Queen's Hall Theatre Club will perform their production of Wyrd Sisters in November.
When: Thursday 26th – Saturday 28th November 2015
Venue: Main Theatre, Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Beaumont Street, Hexham, Northumberland NE46 3LS (Box Office 01434 652477)
Time: 7:30pm
Tickets: £10 (concessions £9, under 18s £7). The Box Office is open from 10.00am – 5.00pm Monday to Friday & 10.00am to 4.00pm Saturday and one hour before the start of every performance. To buy online, go to http://bit.ly/1O5eIAp and click on the tab marked BOOK, then click the BOOK tab for the date of your choice.
http://www.queenshall.co.uk/events/terry-pratchett%E2%80%99s-wyrd-sisters
http://www.queenshall.co.uk/
7.3 UPDATES: WYRD SISTERS IN UPPINGHAM (OCTOBER)
Tickets are now available for the Uppingham Theatre Company's forthcoming production of Wyrd Sisters!
"Why not visit Lancre this Halloween, it has everything, witches, evil Dukes and Duchesses, strolling players, ghosts, you name it, its got it, and for only £10, yes £10 folks(£2 going to charity with each ticket old) you could be transported to the mythical kingdom of Lancre!"
When: Thursday 29th October through Saturday 31st October 2015
Venue: Uppingham Theatre, 32 Stockerston Road, Uppingham, Rutland LE15 9UD
Time: 7.30pm all evening shows; Saturday matinee 2.30pm
Tickets: £10 (includes a £2 charity donation per ticket to Rutland Reminders). Available in person from Uppingham Sports and Books, 9 High Street East, Uppingham. To purchase online, go to https://www.wegottickets.com/location/1664 or http://www.uppingham.co.uk/School-Shop
http://www.rutlandreminders.org.uk/
http://www.uppinghamtheatrecompany.org.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Uppingham-Theatre-Company/215743641793859
Here be a fine photo of Nanny, Granny and Magrat checking out the scumble harvest:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CPXNfbCWUAAHPmS.jpg
7.4 REMINDER: UNSEEN ACADEMICALS IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE (NOVEMBER)
The Marlow Players will present their production of Unseen Academicals in November.
When: 12th, 13th and 14th November 2015
Venue: Shelley Theatre, Court Garden, Pound Lane, Marlow, Bucks SL7 2AG
Time: 8pm all shows
Tickets: £12. To purchase online, go to http://marlowplayers.org.uk/product-category/boxoffice/
http://www.marlowplayers.org.uk/
7.5 NEW: GUARDS! GUARDS! IN GUERNSEY (OCTOBER)
The Guernsey Youth Theatre will present their production of Guards! Guards! early next month. This is probably the firs time in Guernsey history that a newspaper advert was placed to find an actor to play an orangutan! And fittingly, proceeds from the performances are going to Sir Pterry's beloved Orangutan Foundation. Oook!
When: 5th and 6th October 2015
Venue: Princess Royal Centre for Performing Arts, Les Ozouets, Guernsey GY1 2UB
Time: 7:30pm
Tickets: £10 (£8 concessions). To purchase tickets, go to http://www.guernseytickets.gg (or ring 74999)
https://www.guernseytickets.gg/show.asp
https://www.facebook.com/GuernseyYouthTheatre
Editor's note: about that orangutan advert, go to http://bit.ly/1OB2QFH for a shufti. Cute photo!
7.6 NEW: MASKERADE IN LINCOLNSHIRE (OCTOBER)
Act II youth theatre company will perform their production of Maskerade in October.
When: 17th October 2015
Venue: South Holland Centre, 23 Market Place, Spalding, Lincs PE11 1SS
Time: matinee 2.30pm, evening show 7.30pm
Tickets: £9.50 (£8 for under-16s, over-60s, and disabled persons with companion; £7 per person for groups of 10+). To purchase tickets online, go to http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase – select October and then scroll down to the appropriate date and time and click on the Buy Tickets button. Alternatively, ring the Box Office on 01775 764777. There is a £1.50 transaction fee for booking up to 9 tickets online
http://www.southhollandcentre.co.uk/whats-on/view/maskerade
http://www.act2online.co.uk/
7.7 NEW: MORT IN CHORLTON-CUM-HARDY, MANCHESTER (OCTOBER)
Chorlton Players will be performing Mort next month.
When: Thurs. 22nd October – Sat. 24th October 2015
Venue: St Werburgh's Parish Hall, St Werburgh's Rd, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, M21 0TL
Time: 7:30pm
Tickets: £6 (£4 concessions). To purchase online, go to http://chorltonplayers.com/?page_id=33
"Online ticket sales should normally account for 60% of the available seating in the hall. The rest are sold at the hall when the doors open (normally 7.00pm unless otherwise stated). Buying tickets online is not compulsory but a pre-booked ticket automatically reserves a seat. However, this expires when the show starts, and your seats will be re-allocated to box office sales. Please arrive in good time for the show. Also, please try to arrive as a full booked party, in order to process your online booking... The hall has a wooden floor, so quiet shoes would be appreciated!"
http://chorltonplayers.com/
7.8 NEW: MAKING MONEY IN BASILDON (NOVEMBER)
The Thalian Theatre Group are back in November with a new Discworld production: Making Money!
When: Thurs. 12th – Sat. 14th November 2015
Venue: Mirren Studio, Towngate Theatre, St Martin's Square, Basildon, Essex SS14 1DL.
Time: 8pm
Tickets: £10 (£8.50 concessions), with a booking fee of £1. To purchase online, go to http://thaliantheatregroup.wix.com/thalian nd click on the tickets image. To reserve tickets by phone, ring 01268 417854. A percentage of ticket sales will be donated to Alzheimer's Research UK.
Box Office telephone: 01268 465 465.
http://thaliantheatregroup.wix.com/thalian
www.facebook.com/ThalianTheatreGroup/info?tab=page_info
www.towngatetheatre.co.uk/
7.9 NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN CHARLTON, LONDON (OCTOBER)
The Alexandra Players will present their production of Wyrd Sisters in late October.
When: 28th–31st October 2015
Venue: Alexandra Hall, Bramshot Avenue, Charlton, London SE7
Time: 8pm (Wednesday 28th, Thursday 29th, Friday 30th; 7pm (Saturday 31st)
Tickets: TBA
http://alexandraplayers.org.uk/
7.10 NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN HEXHAM (NOVEMBER)
When: 26th – 28th November 2015
Venue: Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Beaumont Street, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 3LS
Time: 7:30pm all shows
Tickets: £10 (£9 concessions; £7 under 18s). Box office: 01434 652477
http://www.queenshalltheatreclub.co.uk/
http://www.queenshall.co.uk/
7.11 NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN ARKANSAS (OCTOBER)
Discworld comes to Arkansas next month when the Twin Lakes Playhouse presents Wyrd Sisters!
"In the spooky castle on the top of the hill King Verence I has just been bumped off by his scheming cousin Duke Felmet, and the kingdom is in peril. Enter three wildly eccentric witches, the understandably miffed ghost of the former king, a caravan full of travelling players, and the long-lost heir to Lancre's throne, and what follows fits quite neatly into the genre of Epic Dramatic Slapstick Thriller Romantic Comedy."
When: Oct. 9-11 2015
Venue: Twin Lakes Playhouse, 600 West Sixth Street, Mountain Home, AR 72653
Time:
Tickets: $11 in advance, $13 at the door. To book, ring 424-0444.
http://twinlakesplayhouse.org/
7.12 REVIEWS: NIGHT WATCH IN CARDIFF
By Adam Walker on Wales Online:
"Sword fights, a full-scale city riot and time travel. No, it's not Doctor Who but the latest Terry Pratchett play by Cardiff's Monstrous Productions. This time it was Night Watch and I must admit, I was slightly worried about this play. You see, I've seen the last two Pratchett plays by Monstrous Productions, Witches Abroad and Wyrd Sisters , and I loved them. But any Pratchett fan knows there are no witches in Night Watch... Jes Hynes who completely steals the show as Sam. He IS Sam Vines, and as a life-long fan of Pratchett and the Discworld, I don't say that lightly. This is Monstrous' sixth Pratchett play and they know what they're doing, transforming a stage with just a few props and some lighting and sound effects into the Discworld... Night Watch felt a lot larger in scale than Monstrous' previous plays but they know Pratchett, they know Discworld, and they do an amazing job bringing it to life."
http://bit.ly/1i06Cvt
By DeadAngelLover22 on The Sprout:
"Most of the play was down to your imagination. They used basic props and the costumes were stunning, the stage was right out to even the crowd and the cast walked through the crowd to get onto the stage a few times. It was so well done – most of the time you just thought 'Where did they come from?' But, as the cast walked right up to you, it made it so much more personal, and I loved that because you felt like you were an onlooker but also somewhat part of the play..."
http://thesprout.co.uk/en/news/review-nighttch-the-gate/19495.html
By the always-entertaining twin bloggers known collectively as CL Raven:
"The complicated time travel was helpfully explained by Lu-Tze, a history monk, played by Howard Dickens. Craig Harper was great as young Sam Vimes. He played Mort in, well, Mort, so it was good to see him back in a leading role. He did well to capture how young Sam is in the book – nervy, eager to impress and wanting to do the right thing. Jez Hynes was outstanding as older Sam Vimes/John Keel and the part where he recited his Night Watch contract, word perfect, with all the punctuation, got a well deserved applause. Tyron Sullivan was fantastic as the villainous Carcer. A lot of actors when playing villains, make them too hammy, but he successfully avoided that and made Carcer into the type of bad guy you want to hate, but can't help liking, because he portrayed him so well. The way Heath Ledger was as the Joker. The scenes with Carcer and Vimes together were amazing. They were the perfect pairing. And full applause to their final fight scene. They completely threw themselves into it. We could easily believe it was actually Vimes and Carcer fighting in real life... In keeping with Pratchett's novels, the humour was brilliant too. Los Shanahan as Dr Lawn had some great, funny lines, and Matthew Hitchman as Fred Colon managed to make the audience laugh just by waving a flag. We laughed the whole time he had it..."
https://clraven.wordpress.com/2015/09/10/night-watch/
7.13 REVIEWS: SOUL MUSIC IN WELLINGTON
By Gill Paltridge for Around Wellington:
"Wellington Theatre Company's Rebecca Beard and Mike Leach have chosen to adapt their own version of 'Soul Music' for the stage and have injected their personal Discworld enthusiasm into the script, preserving Pratchett's comic flair in puns, gags and witty satire... Ian Jones has already excelled in recent productions in the town. As Imp y Celyn he conveys wide-eyed, earnest sincerity and the role's youthful glee when the magic guitar adopts him. Kirk Shepherd, whilst not exactly dwarfish, is appropriately droll as Glod Glodsson, his deadpan delivery suited to the role. Rob Spurway as the giant Troll Lias Bluestone delivers the necessary slow-witted cloddishness and lumpen enthusiasm. As the The Band With Rocks In their performances are central to the drama. From a long cast-list Maat Ward as CMOT Dibbler is outstanding. His self-serving entrepreneurial glee is a delight and his character's eager sniffing-out of an opportunity is physically well-defined. Colin Marshall's Albert, Death's PA, has an appropriate indolent detachment in spotting his master's defects. Dawn Morton and Hannah Green appear as members of the City Watch – complete with Vikings' helmets and chainmail – then individually as beggar Foul Ole Ron and pub landlady Hibiscus Dunelm, delivering confident, well-observed performances... An outstanding feature of this production is Penny Bradnum's costuming. She has managed to fill the stage with delightful inventiveness creating a galaxy of very weird wizards, grungy heavy metallers and odd schoolgirls – one with a beard. Pratchett would approve of the visual oddity assembled..."
http://www.aroundwellington.co.uk/soul-music-brings-discworld-to-town/
By AC on The Fine Times Recorder:
"Rebecca Beard's long-gestated project to bring her favourite 'Discworld' book into live performance, proves that 'Soul Music,' apparently neglected by the many adapters of Pratchett's literary genius, was long over-due to make its stage debut. The many-peopled Wellington Theatre Company enthusiastically create the bizarre multi-roles of constables, schoolgirls, musicians, an impresario, academics, aristocrats, plus a plethora of relatives & citizens of various citadels that have arisen on 'Discworld.'... Underpinning the success of the performance are the talents of designer & operators of precise lighting & sound effects, Steve Bradnum assisted by Kit Sells. Imaginative costumes were selected & perfectly fitted by Nancy Powell-Brace & Penny Bradnum; props searched out by Mary Lewis & puppets made by Eve Male, all contributing to a team whose efforts are worthy of praise & a credit to the show's creator, Rebecca Beard..."
www.theftr.co.uk/soul-music-wellington-theatre-co-at-wellington-arts-centre/
7.14 REVIEW: MORT IN HASTINGS
The Stables Youth Theatre production, reviewed by Martin Robinson:
"Terry Pratchett was new to me and I expected humour, a sideways look at life and entertainment, despite the funereal publicity for Mort and the author's recent sad demise. My expectations were fulfilled... Costumes were spot on, props effective and the set promised great things. Lighting and sound were ambitious and added to the performance and the many cogs in the machine all meshed and ran true. The large number of female players demonstrated an equality in the arts missing in some of the more established companies and notable emerging talents included Emily Cooper as Ysabell and Lily Sparrow as Princess Keli..."
http://bit.ly/1OpncBJ
7.15 REVIEW: WYRD SISTERS IN EXETER
By Daniel Mumby in the Exeter Express and Echo:
"One of the great pleasures of watching amateur dramatics is getting to see a group develop and refine its craft over a string of productions. While faces occasionally change and the chosen material often greatly varies, there is always the feeling of incremental progress, raising a bar that has already been set very high. I felt this way when I sat in the Broadclyst Victory Hall, watching the village's theatre group tackle Terry Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters with affection and aplomb. Having come in with little to no knowledge of Pratchett's oeuvre, I came away thoroughly entertained and curious to examine more of his work... The cast are generally excellent, with the three principle witches each excelling in their own way. Lin Alderman is the stand-out as Nanny Ogg, playing up the rustic, buffoonish qualities of the character while also doing well in the more dead-pan moments in the stocks. Alison Harris steps ably into Sheila Hancock's shoes as Granny Weatherwax, whose amusing ignorance of the theatre is counterpointed by her real-world resourcefulness. Rachel Cunningham completes the set as the naive but well-meaning Magrat Garlick, who tries so hard to be accepted.. This was a highly entertaining production which confirms our suspicions that Broadclyst Theatre Group is continuing to grow in stature..."
http://bit.ly/1FHvSw3
7.16 THE SHAKESPEARE CODEX: WORLD PREMIERE IN ABINGDON (APRIL 2016)
Stephen Briggs and the Studio Theatre Club will present, for the first time ever on Roundworld, a very special Discworld play... The Shakespeare Codex!
"Discworld's 'stars' have to stop the elves taking over our world, make Shakespeare write A Midsummer Night's Dream ... and ensure the potato is discovered! Featuring Ridcully, Rincewind, Granny Weatherwax, Angua, Vetinari, Shakespeare, Queen Elizabeth I ... & the Earl of Oxford. Based loosely on The Science of Discworld II: the Globe, Lords & Ladies, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Staged on 6 to 9 April 2016 (both Terry's and Shakespeare's birth month).
"Tickets will be on general sale from 1 January 2016. We're expecting quite a lot of interest in this show, so *early booking* (particularly for the weekend performances) is recommended. More news on the show here, as it happens. At the moment, we plan to stage the show for four evening performances, plus a matinee on the Saturday. Tickets will be £10.00 (Wed, Thu, Fri) and £11.00 (Sat mat and evening). Block booking discounts will be available for the Wed and Thu performances."
http://www.shakespearecodex.co.uk/
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08) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
8.1 GERMAN DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
The 2015 German Discworld convention (Scheibenwelt) went well. There are some convention photos by Robert Flach at http://on.fb.me/1JeeUpj (requires Facebook membership). Here be a selection that can be seen by those of us who refuse to use Facebook. Includes a Howondaland hermit elephant!
http://bit.ly/1gw1n5v
http://on.fb.me/1NH50nR
http://bit.ly/1P5SaNn
http://bit.ly/1QKoFBG
The next Scheibenwelt convention will be from 18th – 21st May 2017, once again at Castle Ludwigstein.
8.2 IDWCON NEWS
A slight change in the IDWCon guests line-up:
"Watch spokesperson Captain Shivers read out a prepared statement earlier today: 'It is with great regret that we announce that the learned Dr. Jack Cohen will be unable to attend the imminent Watch Open Weekend,' she stated. She strongly denied any rumours that his absence was caused by dangerous experiments gone awry, instead explaining that 'while he is in good health, he is no longer in a position to handle the various demands of a convention, not to mention air travel.' She went on to say that 'while Jack and his fascinating lectures will be greatly missed at the Convention, we at the Watch will endeavour to still have a good time without him, thanks to our dazzling array of other guests.' Dr Cohen ('Rich in years, thank you so very much') co-authored the Science of Discworld books along with Ian Stewart and Sir Terry, in between his regular day job of being a highly distinguished academic and lecturer."
Guests Bernard Pearson,Colin Smythe, Jacqueline Simpson, Reb Voyce, Ian Mitchell, and Dave and Leo of Backspindle Games are still good to go.
The Third Irish Discworld Convention will take place at the Cork International Hotel on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th of October 2015. Ticket prices are €50 for a full attending member or €40 for a Concession membership. Membership entitles each ticket holder to entry to all of the events at the Convention (with the exception of the Banquet Dinner, which is paid for separately). For more details, and to purchase, go to:
http://bit.ly/1QGbUr8
[Editor's note: the Gala Dinner is already sold out]
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09) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
9.1 DISCWORLD EMPORIUM UPDATES
Wossname wishes Bernard Pearson, the Cunning Artificer, a slightly belated happy birthday!
"It's been almost two weeks since the publication of The Shepherd's Crown, and what a tale it is too, littered with classic Pratchett-isms; punes, footnotes 'an all, and exploring the light and shade of humanity in his inimitable fashion. Unsurprising perhaps, but no less meaningful, Professor Sir Terry Pratchett OBE Blackboard Monitor achieved his 10th number one in the UK book charts with his 41st and final Discworld novel – a final Hurrah and 'mind how you go' from our beloved author in a manner most fitting – in words, on pages, bound in a book. We'd like to extend our gratitude to everyone who has dropped in to the Emporium whether in person, or virtually, to buy the book or just to say hello. The Emporium has received a tremendous amount of support, and our floorspace is still awash with mailbags on a daily basis! We hope everyone's orders are arriving in fine fettle and thank you all for your kind custom."
To read this announcement, with accompanying iconographs, go to http://bit.ly/1K9OGIk
"Out 22nd October, The Compleat Discworld Atlas is available for pre-order at-las(t)! Your Compleat guide to the geography and topography of Discworld, The Compleat Discworld Atlas is a wonderously witty travel guide brought to you by Ankh-Morpork's esteemed Guild of Trespassers, with sumptuous illustrations and comprehensive gazetteer, all accompanied by a giant double-sided map! The Compleat Discworld Atlas is our final collaboration with Sir Terry Pratchett. A project 3 years in the making, this new guide to the extraordinary world he created was completed before his death in March 2015. To honour this auspicious publication each copy from the Emporium includes a souvenir travel poster as a gift from us!"
The Compleat Discworld Atlas is priced at £25.00. Add £3.50 for UK delivery, £7 for rest of Europe delivery, or £10 for Rest of World delivery. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://www.discworldemporium.com/Compleat-Discworld-Atlas
And then there's the Hanging Baskets of Muntab stamp sheet:
"This cultural issue from the Ankh-Morpork Post Office celebrates the horticultural crowning glory of Muntab's impenetrable forest border defence. These centuries-old hanging guardposts were constructed during the height of the spice trade, and are nowadays maintained by wandering tribes of cannibalistic pygmies. Each minisheet consists of six stamps measuring 35 x 38mm, and is accompanied by a presentation postcard."
The Hanging Baskets of Muntab minisheet is priced at £5.00. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://bit.ly/1FTA9fU
...and the Krull one flot stamp:
"Situated on the edge of the world with a promotory overlooking the rim, the island of Krull is Discworld's unrivalled center of astrozoology. although due to a 'derailment' by Rincewind and Twoflower in The Colour of Magic it remains unclear whether there have been any advances in determining the sex of Great A'tuin. This regional issue features the Potent Voyager, Krull's celebrated bronze astro-exploratory vessel and the final creation of Goldeneyes Silverhands Dactylos, Discworld's father of invention and ingenuity.
"Spot the sport! One stamp on every sheet contains a 'deliberate' mistake or variation - only included on whole sheets or in lucky LBEs. Stamp measures 25 x 36mm, Sheet measures 160 x 282."
The Krull one flot stamp is priced at £0.35 for a single stamp and £12.25 for a sheet of 35 stamps. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://bit.ly/1jmcsrT
"The Krull One Flot is also available in the latest Little Brown Envelope edition. Each 'LBE' includes a lucky dip assortment of Discworld Stamps along with sports and rarities waiting to be found in lucky envelopes. The latest edition Little Brown Envelope, a 'lucky-dip' assortment of Discworld stamps with a chance of sports and rarities!
To celebrate the forthcoming release of The Compleat Discworld Atlas each envelope also contains a brand new regional issue from Krull, Discworld's unrivalled center of astrozoology. The cosmic One Flot stamp features the Potent Voyager, Krull's celebrated bronze astro-exploratory vessel and the final creation of Goldeneyes Silverhands Dactylos, Discworld's father of invention and ingenuity. This charming issue is also available to collect singly or as whole sheets. A generous splash of sports and LBE Exclusives, such as the Blue Triangle and Dead Letter Label have been distributed throughout the edition."
The Somewhere Over the Rimbow LBE is priced at £5. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://www.discworldemporium.com/rimbow-lbe
...and don't forget to further your education with a degree from the UU. It's magic:
"Graduate from Discworld's most spellbinding educational establishment with a masters degree from the Unseen University! Choose from six subjects and amaze your peers with evidence of your thaumaturgic proficiency – a magical gift for any Terry Pratchett devotee or aspiring wizard! Each set includes a suitably sumptuous certificate for your subject of choice and embossed with an octarine 'seal', a Graduate Declaration form to ensure that alumni leave Ankh-Morpork's foremost seat of learning with their education and university apparatus in a satisfactory state, and a free double-sided Bronze* Octogram keychain! ++ Certificates will be provided blank for you to personalise at home, but if you would prefer us to do it for you we can hand sign in our best handwriting – please provide the name/s of the recipients in the comments box during checkout ++ Measurements: Certificates 298 x 390mm, key chains 40mm diameter, declarations 105 x 300mm."
The Unseen University Graduation Set is priced at £12.50. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://www.discworldemporium.com/unseen-university-diploma
...and you might also fancy an official UU student notebook:
"Aspiring wizards would be unwise to venture onto campus without their Unseen University student notebook - a boon to any thaumaturgical scholar! Within this stout and sturdy educational companion is contained such important information as dining hours, university customs and notes on wizardly conduct, along with 50 plain pages for your spells, jottings and rude doodles. Sketchbook-quality 190gsm off-white paper made from 100% real trees. Measures 105 x 147mm."
The Unseen University Student Notebook is priced at £5.00. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://bit.ly/1V2xg3j
Last but certainly not least, the small but perfectly formed UU Coat of Arms wall boss:
"Official insignia from one of Discworld's greatest institutions. Finished in old wood and sculpted to achieve an ancient, hand carved appearance. Proudly display your academic prowess and understanding of higher magic with this elegant Unseen University crest. Features a wizard's hat crossing an open book emblazoned with the UU motto; Nunc Id Vides, Nunc Ne Vides (now you see it, now you don't). Usually to earn this relief you must have undergone at least 7 courses at Unseen University, not including the cheese board. Pre-drilled and produced in hard wearing resin, these handsome pieces are suitable for both home and garden. Measures approximately 95x80mm."
The UU Coat of Arms Wall Boss is priced at £7.50. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://www.discworldemporium.com/BackToSchool?product_id=78
9.2 DISCWORLD.COM UPDATES
Those beautiful framed sepia Paul Kidby prints are back!
"The sepia frames are back in stock and we've simplified the range to feature our most popular images. They now come in an attractive oak frame and are mounted to showcase Terry's signature hologram, showing in the bottom right corner. We think they look great and will make an excellent addition to any collection!"
Available prints include The Librarian, Nanny Ogg with Greebo, Greebo himself, Rincewind with The Luggage, the "unusual suspects" (A-M City Watch portrait), and Great A'Tuin, all as featured in the classic series of Kidby greeting cards some years ago. Each framed print is priced at £35 and measures 285mm x 335mm.
For more information, and to order, go to:
http://discworld.com/products/framed-sepia-prints/
Or you could greet the day with some Klatchian coffee (or the Roundworld equivalent) in a Discworld mug:
"A selection of mugs featuring some of your favourite Discworld characters. Our sublimation ceramic mugs are manufactured with a dishwasher safe premium coating. Bright white in colour and with a high gloss finish, the coated ceramic mug is produced from superior quality heavy weight ceramic and has a super hard coating. Dishwasher resistant up to 800 wash cycles at 45°C. The mugs measure 80mm diameter x 90mm high."
There is a large selection available – Feeglespotting, Rob Anybody Mac Feegle, Death ("There's no justice, there's just me"), Wyrd Sisters ("When shall we three meet again? Well, I can do next Tuesday"), the Sunshine Sanctuary for Sick Dragons, Rincewind ("Luck is my middle name. Mind you, my first name is bad"), Greebo ("To Nanny Ogg he was merely a larger version of the little fluffy kitten he had once been. To everyone else he was a scarred ball of inventive malignancy"), Panic and Freak Out (channelling the Keep Calm series and featuring a running Rincewind), and the City Watch (by cartoonist Ray Friesen).
Each mug is priced at £8.00. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://discworld.com/products/mugs/
Also back in stock: Tiffany's White Horse pendant
"This is an absolutely stunning piece of sterling silver jewellery and is a faithful reproduction of the pendant worn by Tiffany Aching in A Hat Full of Sky. This piece is based on Paul Kidby's original design. The horse measures 55[sic] tail to head, chain 18 inches. Designed exclusively for Discworld.com by Tom Lynall." [Editor's note: we're pretty sure that should be 55mm. Surely not the same size at the real White Horse of the Chalk, at any rate!]
Tiffany's White Horse pendant is priced at £45. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://bit.ly/1QShI1y
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10) 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 5th October 2015 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 has a new Discworld fan group, 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. Next event Loonies Christmas Party. Same weekend as Hogswatch would have been. ie 27/28/29 November."
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 100 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."
Upcoming events include:
Con-Centric Games, Burnside Community Centre (Sep 18-20
Monthly Dinner and Games, TBA (Sep 23 or 24)
Costume Bowling – Talk Like a Pirate Day (Sep 26)
Board Games Day at La Scala Cafe, 169 Unley Road, Unley (Oct 4)
Also, City of Small Gods will be holding a special quiz night in October: "Test your knowledge on all things Science Fiction and Fantasy – books, movies, TV, comics, games and more! A dragon's hoard of prizes including best costume!"
UPDATE: ALL TABLES HAVE NOW BEEN BOOKED! If you would like to be added to a waiting list, or be contacted when we announce next year's quiz, please contact us! Part proceeds of the quiz night will be donated to the Alzheimer's Australia Dementia Research Foundation.
For more info, go to http://ausdwcon.org/fan-clubs/adelaide/quiz/
*
The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 1st October 2015 (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 2nd October 2015 (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 5th October 2015 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 5th October 2015 (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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11) DISCWORLD GAMES NEWS
11.1 DISCWORLD MUD, AN OLDIE BUT GOODIE
On gamer website Rock Paper Shotgun, a long and loving look at the Discworld MUD:
"While not really talked about any more, many MUDs do still tick along. Skotos has been running a set of commercial ones since 1999, and you can find lots of others on sites like this one. Probably best not to search for 'MUD play' though, that'll give you very different responses. Generally, active modern MUDs have very small but devoted communities that are generally open to new players, but expect them to respect rules when it comes to things like roleplaying characters and not, for instance, just grabbing a sword and trying to kill everything. Not that this will usually work anyway, as a new player will get splattered faster than an annoying fly. It's worth spending some time reading the rules and getting an idea for what each is trying to offer before jumping in.
"On the one hand, the Discworld MUD is easy to get started in. There's a lengthy, not-very Discworldy tutorial at the start, which you really, absolutely, no-kidding need to follow if you've never played one of these games before. At the same time though... Somewhat inevitably, the scale of it means you're not likely to bump into many people by accident. At the time of writing, there were only about 70 players online. That's not a huge problem though, thanks to the very active NPCs. If a torch goes out in one of the guilds, someone will be along shortly to relight it. Each guild and area has its own set of characters, reacting and responding to what you do. In Genua for instance, the people get annoyed with you for crimes like tomb raiding or sitting on the wrong benches. Elsewhere, singing the Hedgehog Song can be a broken-leg worthy offence (as well as a weapon against characters without earmuffs). You'll also find a lot of familiar faces while exploring, and achievements for doing so – tracking down all the Cut-Me-Own-Throat-Dibbler variants in the different cities for instance. Quests too, if you're into that kind of thing, you helpful or avaricious soul, you... the main wiki is excellent, with guides to all of the content and useful extras like the Accessibility Guides that focus on navigating and finding key landmarks. It's also possible to call up on your fairy godmother for assistance at any time, who will warp you back to your starting location (the Mended Drum in Ankh-Morpork) or return you to life if you die and can't find any priests around. In one of the biggest deviations from standard Discworld lore, resurrection is easily had (and Death a bit of a git, honestly), but it's not something you want to do on a regular basis. As well as costing a lot of character progress, past a certain point you have to buy lives and will die for real if you run out...
Even with a wiki, and some handy features like being able to see an ASCII map of each area, getting started isn't easy. Discworld MUD offers a vast amount of freedom and flavour, but you're often left fighting against that and the parser to get things done. This isn't a criticism so much as a casual warning; it's a game that expects you to type exactly what it expects rather than one that will bend over backwards to get what you mean. In the Mended Drum for instance, there's a bulletin board. Type 'read bulletin board' and you'll get the message 'A bulletin board [40 notes] does not have anything written on it.' You have to type 'look at bulletin board' to read the content. This is a big reason why it's worth spending some time in the tutorial area, where the NPCs explain everything in great detail, even if it is a bit bland and not remotely Disc-y... If you're willing to deal with the kind of learning curve that would make Dark Souls cry, or simply feel like taking a poke around some familiar haunts in a way that none of the official games ever came close to, you really should check the Discworld MUD out. It's one of the best fan projects for anything that you'll find, and may it live until at least the robots rise and kill us all. Ideally longer, if they have good taste in fantasy..."
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/08/24/discworld-mud-game/
11.2 DISCWORLD FOR PC: ONE OF THE GOLDEN GREATS
On Digital Spy, Discworld (PC) is ranked 4th out of the "12 hardest games ever made":
"So, it turns out you use the butterfly with the lamppost to cause a thunderstorm in the future so you can steal the monk's robe. Why didn't we think of that? As anyone who played Discworld on PC in the 1990s will tell you, the above statement doesn't make any more sense in context, which is but one reason why Psygnosis' Terry Pratchett adaptation is one of the most illogical and difficult point-and-click adventures ever made."
An interesting read for old-school gamers!
http://bit.ly/1NLGp17
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12) TERRY PRATCHETT: GUILTY OF LITERATURE? WELL ACTUALLY, YES
Jonathan Jones, an arts critic for The Guardian newspaper, recently wrote a scathing dismissal of the works of Terry Pratchett in an op-ed column that even professional novelists deemed deliberate stir-the-pubic-up clickbait:
"It does not matter to me if Terry Pratchett's final novel is a worthy epitaph or not, or if he wanted it to be pulped by a steamroller. I have never read a single one of his books and I never plan to. Life's too short. No offence, but Pratchett is so low on my list of books to read before I die that I would have to live a million years before getting round to him. I did flick through a book by him in a shop, to see what the fuss is about, but the prose seemed very ordinary... Actual literature may be harder to get to grips with than a Discworld novel, but it is more worth the effort. By dissolving the difference between serious and light reading, our culture is justifying mental laziness and robbing readers of the true delights of ambitious fiction..."
http://bit.ly/1LNzdB5
Rebuttals include a piece titled "You Don't Know What It Is, Do You, Mister Jones?" by well-known author Christopher Priest:
"Recognizing writers in the present day who are likely to achieve long-term recognition as a classic author is a risky business. Popular success often comes about because of the public's unpredictable reaction, or a wish to find an undemanding read, or because of a response to perceived matters of the moment. Happenstance comes into it, and so does the luck of timing. Best-seller success is therefore usually ephemeral. Can anyone seriously suggest that the 'Grey' novels of E. L. James, the 'Twilight' novels of Stephenie Meyer, the nonsensical best-sellers by the likes of Dan Brown or Jeffrey Archer, are destined for anything but the dustbin of literary history? Who now reads, or even remembers, the author Hervey Allen? Or for that matter James Hilton, Dorothea Brande, Alexis Carrel, Franz Werfel, Munro Leaf? ...in their day their books were immense popular successes. Ephemerality has struck – posterity has eluded them... We are more likely to find literary posterity, or the possibility of it, in the genres. For instance, thirty years ago who would have guessed that Philip K. Dick would be seen, at least in the world of Hollywood studio films, as a paradigm of science fiction? Most of his novels were quickly written for commercial publishers, aimed at and read by a genre audience. But as a result of several hugely successful films, Dick's many routine SF books have returned to print, he is taught in universities and schools, and he is generally regarded as the finest modern SF writer. Yet in 1981, roughly at the time Blade Runner was being filmed, John Sutherland gave Dick no more than a passing mention...
"I would say that of all the writers I have ever known, or the books I have ever read, Terry Pratchett's seem to be a dead cert for long-term classic status... His work is written well – no matter what Jones says about 'very ordinary' prose, Terry Pratchett's novels are stylistically adept: good muscular prose, not mucked around with for effect (except sometimes!), enlivened by wit, sharp observation, a unique take on the world at large and whatever the subject of social satire might be for the time being, a brimming sense of fun and the ridiculous, and overall an approach to the reader that feels inclusive, a letting in on the joke, an amused welcome to the world he is writing about..."
http://bit.ly/1O5Tn6C
By Charlie Jane Anders on i09:
"Twilight by Stephenie Meyer probably won't be read 100 years from now, argues The Prestige author Christopher Priest. But Stephen King and J.K. Rowling have a decent shot at posterity... Priest's blog post is worth reading in its entirety — it's partly a meditation on what makes authors endure after their deaths, and Priest's own observations on why Stephen King is more likely than Dan Brown to be read by our descendants. Priest argues that although it's impossible to predict for sure what will make an author live on for decades after death, some mix of popularity and distinctive storytelling seems to be at play — and Priest says the modern literary novel is less likely to produce very many lasting classics. 'We are more likely to find literary posterity, or the possibility of it, in the genres.'..."
http://bit.ly/1LP68CD
By Pratik Kanjilal for The Indian Express:
"Assuredly, Discworld is literature. High literature, even. Writers with a light touch have the misfortune of being hugely popular in their lifetime but dismissed as insubstantial after the event. Few escape this fate, unless their work is not restricted to their times but to ideas of enduring interest. George Mikes and PG Wodehouse live on because they show what it means to be English. Even the English, and particularly the English, have no idea what makes them English, so these are useful clarifications... in the hands of Pratchett, parody rose to define what is human...
http://bit.ly/1iKKjuf
And the best is last – an excellent essay, "Terry Pratchett, Jane Austen, and the definition of literature", by Annie Coral Demosthenous, Honorary Research Fellow in European Languages and Studies at the University of Western Australia
"Last month in The Guardian, with a piece headlined Get Real. Terry Pratchett is not a Literary Genius, literary critic Jonathan Jones claimed Terry Pratchett's books should not be read, because they are not literature... Yet the definition of 'literature' is changeable, and inextricably linked with fashion. As the author Christopher Priest has pointed out, works now considered classics were not necessarily defined as high culture when they were written, and works considered literary when published do not always survive over time... So what is high culture? And what do we mean when we call something 'literary'? According to Jones, 'actual literature' is 'harder to get to grips with than a Discworld novel, but it is more worth the effort'... As this definition is not particularly helpful, let us consider some characteristics commonly considered 'literary': the elegant and adventurous use of language, engagement with themes of universal significance, inventiveness of style, defiance of genre classification... Pratchett seldom allows language to exist unchallenged; words are stretched and twisted by new and surprising contexts, opening the reader's eye to the arbitrary relation of signifier and signified, often eliciting surprised laughter... Pratchett's work is often underestimated because it is classified as 'genre fiction' rather than literary fiction. Yet Pratchett's relationship with genre is complex and adversarial. He does not reproduce genre stereotypes, he sets them up to be deconstructed, or at least affectionately mocked.
Reading Pratchett, like reading Austen, requires commitment, and a willingness to look under the surface. It's a shame Jonathan Jones was unable to do so before writing his follow-up article on Pratchett – for which he had, belatedly, read one book by the author – this past weekend.
http://bit.ly/1Opz1Yv
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13) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
Something fabulous! The cast of the Monstrous Productions theatre company, fresh from their triumphant run of Night Watch, recreate Paul Kidby's cover as a live tableau:
http://bit.ly/1MlBgMV
The Year of the Sneezing Panda, by hump_day:
http://bit.ly/1LEgHZ2
The unforgettable Mistress Weatherwax, as only Paul Kidby can draw her:
http://bit.ly/1EWIQva
Homage to Paul Kidby himself! Fanart by Alda-Rana:
http://bit.ly/1Jwnch8
Rob Wilkins and Stephen Briggs reading to the fans at the Waterstones Piccadilly Shepherd's Crown launch. From inside the stone gate to Fairyland, no less:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CNXkwFXWgAAf8if.jpg:large
Another photo of Rob and Stephen at Waterstones, smiling, by attendee Amy Simmonds:
http://bit.ly/1MTGazb
The streets of Ankh-Morpork, by Martin Baines:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CPB96xsWcAALDE4.jpg:large
...and Rob, several hours later, photographed by Stephen:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CNZMy1SWcAAMvzh.jpg
A fine turnout of costumed Discworld fans at the Leeds launch, by Jessica Wheatley:
http://bit.ly/1JrCrqh
Stephen Player's take on Nanny Ogg among the ballerinas, from Maskerade:
http://bit.ly/1NQTZ28
Marvellous sign from Waterstones Aberdeen's opening celebration for The Shepherd's Crown:
http://bit.ly/1JFB0WE
A fine cartoonish Nanny Ogg by Tatiks:
http://bit.ly/1NydJZB
Witches three – from the Broadclyst Theatre group's recent production of Wyrd Sisters:
http://bit.ly/1iIG3LH
Talented fanart doodler Amy P Simmonds' clever tribute to the passing of Sir Pterry:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/COYxLxPWEAIoaX7.jpg
[Amy's Twitter account is https://twitter.com/InkaDoodleDo/ – well worth a look! – Ed.]
...and finally, a message from your Librarian, courtesy of Waterstones:
http://bit.ly/1JFB0WE
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This may be one of the most amazing pieces of Discworld fan art ever created – an amazingly artistic, amazingly Nanny Ogg-like crocheted Nanny Ogg doll by Kim Lapsley! In addition to a wealth of photos, Kim's blogpost contains a blow-by-blow description of her process. Truly excellent:
http://kimlapsley.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/nanny-ogg.html
And on the subject of Discworld fan art, here be an unforgettable image of The Author on a wall in north Wales:
http://bit.ly/1Qt4J5v
"The 8ft mural honouring the author has appears [sic] on a council-owned wall in Buckley and makes reference to his battle with Alzheimer's. An artist dubbed the 'Flintshire Banksy' has paid tribute to one of the world's best-loved authors. The mysterious person, known as Random, has created a mural honouring the late Sir Terry Pratchett on a council-owned wall between the town council building and baths in Buckley. The 8ft artwork features a life-like head and shoulders portrait of the popular writer, as well as an image of a small dog, inspired by Pratchett's wonder dog Gaspode who appeared in seven of his novels...."
Read all about it in the Daily Post: http://bit.ly/1QTepai – and in The Leader, which offers a more in-depth look at Random's Pratchett tributes:
"Speaking to the Leader, Random said: 'I was asked if I would be willing to do another one after the Harry Patch creation last year. I decided to do one of Terry Pratchett, who is a favourite author of mine. I understand it has been received pretty well but because of the nature of the way I work it is difficult to get much one-on-one feedback.' The mural took Random about four-and-a-half hours to produce before it was mounted over the weekend. Having produced a similar Terry Pratchett mural at Europe's biggest street art festival, 'Upfest' in Bristol, earlier this year, Random opted to use a different quote this time around to signify the author's own struggle with Alzheimer's..."
http://bit.ly/1LDPyqX
And that's the lot for the moment, whew! Part 2 coming before Thursday...
– Annie Mac
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The End. If you have any questions or requests, write: wossname-owner (at) pearwood (dot) info