Wossname -- August 2018 -- main issue
Aug. 24th, 2018 04:55 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wossnameWossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
August 2018 (Volume 21, Issue 8, Post 1)
********************************************************************
WOSSNAME is a free publication offering news, reviews, and all the other stuff-that-fits pertaining to the works of Sir Terry Pratchett. Originally founded by the late, great Joe Schaumburger for members of the worldwide Klatchian Foreign Legion and its affiliates, including the North American Discworld Society and other continental groups, Wossname is now for Discworld and Pratchett fans everywhere in Roundworld.
********************************************************************
Editor in Chief: Annie Mac
News Editor: Vera P
Newshounds: Mogg, Sir J of Croydon Below, the Shadow, Mss C, Alison not Aliss
Staff Writers: Asti, Pitt the Elder, Evil Steven Dread, Mrs Wynn-Jones
Staff Technomancer: Jason Parlevliet
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) ODDS AND SODS
04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
05) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
06) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
07) ROUNDWORLD TALES: THE CHALK
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
09) CLOSE
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
"It has been really exciting selecting some of my favourite paintings for the Discworld & Beyond exhibition. Visitors will be able to see many of their favourite Discworld illustrations up close and personal and celebrate the wonderful legacy of a great author who has inspired so many, including me!"
– Paul Kidby, on his travelling Discworld and Beyond exhibition
"...the way Sir Terry chose to notify people of his death in 2015 was the extraordinary tweet 'AT LAST, SIR TERRY, WE MUST WALK TOGETHER'. Of the thousands of comments this tweet received, one of the earliest was by an account in the name of the 'Death of Rats' (aka The Grim Squeaker) which went 'Squeak, squeak, squeak'. For reasons known only to themselves, Microsoft offers the option to 'translate this tweet' – sadly the link doesn’t work. But I think we know what he was trying to say."
– blogger Reading Bug makes a point about multiversal communication
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR
The Master inspires! Leonie Holmes, a composer and music educator in the Land of Fog (New Zealand, of course) has been nominated for a major award for her composition "Dance of the Wintersmith": "The nominated work, Dance of the Wintersmith for violin and piano, was inspired by Terry Pratchett’s book of the same name and was written for Andrew Beer and Sarah Watkins. 'I’m really delighted that "Dance of the Wintersmith" has been nominated for the SOUNZ Contemporary Award. I was gifted with fantastic performers, who commissioned the work and then played it with such integrity. I’m also delighted that the comparatively intimate canvas of a duo has been recognised in this way, and has managed to communicate and touch listeners.' ... The SOUNZ Contemporary Award, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, recognises New Zealand compositions demonstrating outstanding levels of creativity and inspiration and has been presented in collaboration with APRA AMCOS NZ since 1998..." (_http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1808/S00252/2018-sounz-contemporary-award-finalists.htm_) The winner will be at the 2018 APRA Silver Scroll Awards in Auckland on 4th October. Wossname is pulling for you, Ms Holmes!
Have you ever heard of tsundoku, "the art of buying books and never reading them" – which, it turns out, is not at all the same as buying books only for the purpose of displaying them? (Apparently this happens in real life. No, I don't understand it either.). Hands up, any of you who have yet to read The Shepherd's Crown: "Prof Andrew Gerstle teaches pre-modern Japanese texts at the University of London. He explained to the BBC the term might be older than you think – it can be found in print as early as 1879, meaning it was likely in use before that. The word 'doku' can be used as a verb to mean 'reading'. According to Prof Gerstle, the 'tsun' in 'tsundoku' originates in 'tsumu' – a word meaning 'to pile up'. So when put together, 'tsundoku' has the meaning of buying reading material and piling it up. 'The phrase "tsundoku sensei" appears in text from 1879 according to the writer Mori Senzo,' Prof Gerstle explained. 'Which is likely to be satirical, about a teacher who has lots of books but doesn't read them.' While this might sound like tsundoku is being used as an insult, Prof Gerstle said the word does not carry any stigma in Japan... " (_https://www.bbc.com/news/world-44981013_)
Peculiar Productions, who are taking up the Discworld plays-producing baton in Cardiff from the marvellous but now defunct Monstrous Productions, are staging their debut production – The Truth – this coming weekend (see item 4.1 below). If you'd like to know more about the company and the cast, go to https://peculiarproductions.co.uk/tag/the-truth/ – and Wossname wishes the "Peculiars" every success with *all* their productions to come.
And now, on with the show...
– Annie Mac, Editor
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
03) ODDS AND SODS
3.1 UPDATE: DISCWORLD AND BEYOND EXHIBIT
After Paul Kidby's Discworld and Beyond exhibit closes in Maidstone, it will move on to the Chapel Gallery in Ormskirk and then to the North Hertfordshire Museum. See the details below!
Currently...
When: now through 2nd September 2018
Venue: the Maidstone Museum, St. Faith's Street, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1LH
Time: Tuesday–Saturday 10am–5pm, Sunday 12pm–4pm
Tickets: £4 for adults, £2 for children and £10 per family ticket, available online at https://museum.maidstone.gov.uk/whats-on/events/paul-kidby-discworld-beyond/
https://museum.maidstone.gov.uk/
Next...
When: exact dates TBC
Venue: Chapel Gallery, St Helens Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39 4QR (phone 01695 571 328, email chapel.gallery@westlancs.gov.uk)
Time: 10am–4.30pm Tuesdays–Saturdays (closed Monday, Sunday & all Bank Holidays)
Tickets: free admission; there is also disabled access.
https://www.paulkidby.com/event/discworld-beyond-5/
...and after that...
When: 15th December 2018–February 2019 (finishing date TBC)
Venue: North Hertfordshire Museum, Via Town Hall, Brand Street, Hitchin SG5 1JE (phone 01462 474554)
Times and Tickets info TBA
http://www.northhertsmuseum.org/contact-us/
"For further details contact Emma Mackinnon, Exhibitions & Collections Officer at St Barbe Museum, Lymington.
Emma.Mackinnon@stbarbe-museum.org.uk"
https://www.paulkidby.com/events/#upcoming-events
...and here be an article about the exhibit, by Charlie Harman for Kent Online:
"Visitors young and old will be wowed as Paul Kidby, best-known for his work on the Discworld novels, brings his magical masterpieces to Maidstone. His art bridges surrealism with a near-photographic quality, allowing walking luggage, dragons and even little blue men to not only be believable but to jump off the canvas... With a diverse range of media on show, fans of the Discworld series will particularly delight in concept designs for the series' more recent titles. Personal recollections from the artist – who designed the legendary fantasy author's cover from 2002 until his death from Alzheimer's three years ago – are sometimes sad but always fascinating insights into their joint creative process. The exhibition has everyone's favourite figures from the fictional universe, with Death, Cohen the Barbarian and a host of witches and wizards flooding the museum with colour and character. Included in the works are paintings from Kidby's own creation Charmed Realm, which focuses on British folklore with ethereal faeries and rambunctious gnomes. Though less well-known compared to Pratchett's world, they perfectly communicate Kidby's iconic style and are just as eye-catching. A large section highlights his work on the Tiffany Aching series, including the original drawing for the Wee Free Men front cover. Known for his incredible detail throughout grand pieces, his Discworld Massif piece is both the largest and most nostalgic painting on display. Kidby included 77 Pratchettian personages within one frame, and fans who know the supporting cast well could spend hours just combing through the one picture..."
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/whats-on/news/step-into-a-discworld-here-in-kent-187842/
3.2 PRATCHETT AND TOLKIEN: APPROACHES TO FANTASY
An interesting piece about the differences between the fantasy worlds of Pratchett and Tolkien, by smallgodsman Rowan Williams in New Statesman:
"Tolkien and Pratchett seem to stand at opposite ends of a literary spectrum; although Pratchett described Tolkien as being like Mount Fuji in Japanese prints, a ubiquitous background presence in all later 'fantasy' writing, Middle Earth and Discworld are radically different creations. Pratchett's Discworld is funny, deflationary, bursting with self-consciousness and ironic ingenuity, stuffed full of puns, wordplays and parodies; Tolkien’s Middle Earth is intensely serious, and its verbal ingenuity is bound up with the monumental labours of its creator in shaping not only a set of actual languages but a linguistic history and historical geography for most of them and their speakers. You could sum up the difference by saying that Pratchett is knowing – but for Tolkien, 'knowingness' would unmake his whole project. As he made clear, part of his ambition was to provide something like a mythology for England; and mythologies cannot be knowing in this way, conscious of their literary pedigree. A myth is not a fantasy and Tolkien would certainly not have seen himself as writing 'fantasy novels'..."
https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/books/2018/08/master-his-universe-warnings-jrr-tolkien-s-novels
3.3 DISCWORLD MERCH CORNER
* From the Discworld Emporium
Death's Study jigsaw puzzle!
This one's positively Death-ly! Not to mention moderately fiendish... "Cower, brief mortals, and take on the challenge of our exclusive 1000 piece Discworld Jigsaw puzzle -- it'll be the DEATH of you! See the Reaper Man's inner sanctum come to 'life' before your eyes in an astonishing illustration full of hidden details alluding to Terry Pratchett's endearing Grim Reaper! Even Grim Reapers needs a place to call home, and his private study is a place for the Reaper Man to contemplate matters of life and DEATH! Created in collaboration with illustrator David Wyatt, this Fiendishly Difficult Discworld jigsaw puzzle is full of wonderful details from Terry Pratchett's Death novels, including souvenirs from his adventures in the mortal realm. You'll spot a cast of fellow characters including Binky, Quoth and the Death of Rats, along with family portraits, familiar lifetimers and evidence of his fondness for fine Klatchian cuisine. And possibly a cat or two. Guaranteed to keep you dying from boredom during holidays and Hogswatch, this puzzle may be a skull-scratcher, but we promise it won't send you to an early grave! Each puzzle includes a fold out poster to make it easier to complete, and is presented in a splendid illustrated book box as befitting the shelves of the Ultimate Reality!"
Each Death's Study jigsaw puzzle measures 70 x 50cm (the puzzle box measures 20.5 x 25.6 x 6.3cm) and is priced at £19.50. For more information, and to order, go to https://www.discworldemporium.com/games-toys/491-death-s-study-jigsaw-puzzle
Also, an informative blog post about the creation of the Death's Study jigsaw puzzle (includes various concept sketches, and a time-lapse video near the bottom of the page):
"Last year the Emporium gang spent three months in the Unseen University Library – walking among its labyrinthine shelves, ducking the zip and sizzle of errant magic, breathing in the warm and bookish air – to bring you our vision of Discworld’s premier seat of magical learning. Those who chose to own this image, as either the fiendishly difficult 1,000 piece puzzle or pain-free art print, will hopefully realise how much care and attention went into creating this illustration. If the devil is in the detail, then there’s surely a special circle of hell reserved for David Wyatt, the esteemed author of this incredible image. We were thrilled by the response (and by the creative nature of some of the death-threats from the less-experienced puzzlers among you), thus, we’re very excited to reveal the next piece in our range of meticulously-intricate-illustrations-of-some-of-Discworld's-most-iconic-settings-with-lots-of-lovely-details-from-the-books! (catchy title, eh?). This time, we've been stalking the halls of Death’s domain. After all, even anthropomorphic personifications need a place to call their own. In Death’s house, his study provides sanctuary for the Reaper Man to reflect on life, the universe and fine Klatchian curries. But what does Death's study look like? For that matter, what does it feel like?... how do you draw a room belonging to an eternal, all-knowing, all-seeing entity… and more importantly, where does one put the sodding cat?..."
https://www.discworldemporium.com/blog/illustrating-death-s-study-n6
* From Discworld.com
Discworld temporary tattoos!
That's right, you don't have to be an unhygienically tattooed Feegle to wear the Discworld on your skin! Here be three temporary tattoos, based on the iconic artwork of Paul Kidby: "Simply rub on with water. Lasts 1–5 days, skin safe and non-toxic." You can choose from three designs – Rob Anybody Mac Feegle ("Quicker than covering yourself in blue paint, and ever so slightly less conspicuous, this Rob Anybody temporary tattoo will look great on you, even if you’re 'Wee'!"), the City Watch crest, or Great A'Tuin, each priced at £2.25, or order a pack of all three for £6:
Rob Anybody: https://discworld.com/products/temporary-tattoos/rob-anybody-temporary-tattoo/
City Watch crest: https://discworld.com/products/temporary-tattoos/city-watch-crest-temporary-tattoo/
Great A'Tuin: https://discworld.com/products/temporary-tattoos/great-atuin-temporary-tattoo/
Pack of three: https://discworld.com/products/temporary-tattoos/temporary-tattoo-3-pack/
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
Editor's note: as Wossname normally only comes out once every month, do check the Wossname blog for information on plays that might fall between issue dates! Go to https://wossname.dreamwidth.org/ for interim updates.
4.1 PLAYS IN AUGUST
* MORT IN WANGARATTA, FOURECKS (AUGUST)
Wangaratta Players Inc are presenting their production of Mort this week!
When: remaining shows 24th–26th August 2018
Venue: The Studio Door, 4D Evans Street, Wangaratta, VIC 3677
Time: evening shows (24th, 25th) 7.30pm; matinee (26th) 2pm
Tickets: AU$30, available from https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=388592
https://www.facebook.com/Wangaratta-Players-Inc-181916281835284/
* THE TRUTH IN CARDIFF (AUGUST)
Peculiar Productions' first Discworld play, currently running in Llamedos, is The Truth! "Peculiar Productions is a Cardiff-based multimedia production company. We aim to produce two large shows or projects a year, and we try to make one of those an adaptation of a work by beloved British fantasy-comedy author Sir Terry Pratchett. All our members are volunteers, and the proceeds of these large projects are donated to a chosen charity, which we announce alongside each production or project."
When: now through 25th August 2018
Venue: The Gate Arts Centre, Keppoch Street, Roath, Cardiff CF24 3JW
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £9 (£7 concessions; £1.25 processing fee applies if paying online or via Paypal), already available online at https://peculiarproductions.co.uk/tickets/ or by cheque or bank transfer via email: info@peculiarproductions.co.uk. If using Paypal (_https://www.paypal.com/uk/signin_), payment should be made to info@peculiarproductions.co.uk – and "please ensure that you tell us which performance you are booking for by adding a note." Credit card and Paypal payments can also be made to http://peculiar_productions.fikket.com/
Proceeds from this debut production go to Cardiff Mind. If you're interested in helping out on stage or behind the arras for future productions, or would just like to know more about the Peculiar Productions team, go to https://peculiarproductions.co.uk/about/
4.2 PLAYS LATER IN 2018
* ERIC IN ADELAIDE (OCTOBER)
Unseen Theatre's ever-ongoing Discworld season (now in its 19th year, and rightly so!) returns in October with Eric! "An hilarious romp through space, time, history and the torture chambers of Hell. Eric has been described as 'the Discworld's only demonology hacker', but all he really wants is three wishes. That sounds simple enough, right? No, this is not your favourite fairytale from your childhood. Far from it. Well, maybe not that far……..just as far as the Discworld where demons, wizards, hell-hounds, hostile travel accessories, and more demons, thinly disguised as public servants with a penchant for excessive amounts of stationery and memos, are real..."
When: 5th–6th, 10th–13th and 18th–20th October 2018. Preview night is 5th October; opening night is 6th October.
Venue: the Bakehouse Theatre, 255 Angas Street, Adelaide, South Australia
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: $22 Adult, $18 Concession, $16 Groups of 6+ (also Previews and Fringe Members), available from https://www.trybooking.com/413146 ("Members of the Media – please book your tickets for Opening Night with the usual code")
http://unseen.com.au/
* MEN AT ARMS IN BRISBANE, FOURECKS (OCTOBER/NOVEMBER)
It will be a bit of a wait, but the Brisbane Arts Centre's next Discworld production – Men at Arms – is already looking good! All props to Fourecks for keeping the Disc alive on stage: "Men at Arms is the 15th novel in Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, a comic fantasy universe with over 80 million books sold worldwide. Aficionados and newcomers to the Disc will love this adaptation, brought to life by the expertise of our Pratchett team."
When: 6th October through 3rd November 2018
Venue: Brisbane Arts Centre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Petrie Terrace (yes, the suburb and the road share a name), Brisbane, Queensland 4000
Time: 7.30pm Thursdays, 8pm Fridays and Saturdays, 6.30pm Sundays. "Doors close 5 minutes prior to performance. Late entry is not permitted."
Tickets: AU$34 ($28 concession or groups of 10 or more), available now online at http://bit.ly/2zHKO5a – and there will be Student Rush tickets priced at $15, available from the box office 15 minutes prior to curtain on the dates.
https://www.artstheatre.com.au/menatarms
* HOGFATHER IN ABINGDON (NOVEMBER)
The Studio Theatre Club's next Discworld production will be Hogfather! – or as they say it, "another of our world Premiere Terry Pratchett shows, dramatised by Terry's friend, Stephen Briggs". This is a change from the previously announced staging of The Science of Discworld: Judgement Day.
When: 14th–17th November 2018
Venue: the Unicorn Theatre, Medieval Abbey Buildings, Checker Walk, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3JB
Time: 7.30pm all evening shows; 2.30pm matinee on Saturday 17th November
Tickets: £12, available online from 1st August by post (see _http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/ordering-tickets_) or online via http://www.wegottickets.com/StudioTheatre (note that there is a 10% booking charge). "If you're booking for one of the weekend performances (Friday or Saturday evening, Saturday matinee), please give a second and third choice, as these performances are expected to sell out really quickly. Orders by mail received before the box office opens will be left unopened until 1 August."
http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/whats-next
* GOING POSTAL IN BRISTOL (DECEMBER)
The Kelvin Players will be staging Going Postal in December 2018. Keep an eye on their website: "Moist von Lipwig was a con artist, a fraud and a man faced with a life choice: be hanged, or put Ankh-Morpork's ailing postal service back on its feet. It was a tough decision. With the help of a golem who has been at the bottom of hole in the ground for over two hundred years, a pin fanatic and Junior Postman Groat, he's got to see that the mail gets through. In taking on the evil chairman of the Grand Trunk Semaphore Company, and a midnight killer, he's also got to stay alive. Getting a date with Adora Bell Dearheart would be nice, too. In the mad world of the mail, can a criminal succeed where honest men have failed and died? Perhaps there's a shot at redemption for man who's prepared to push the envelope..."
When: 5th–8th and 12th–15th December 2018
Venue: Kelvin Studio, 253B Gloucester Road, Bishopston, Bristol BS7 8NY
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: TBA
http://www.kelvinplayers.co.uk/coming-soon
4.3 REVIEWS
* LORDS AND LADIES IN READING
By Sandra Carter in the Bucks Free Press:
"The plot was convoluted, the characters weird to those unfamiliar with the Discworld scene (my husband understood far more, being a fan of the books, while the guy sitting next to him had read all the books multiple times). But the cast performed all the whacky goings on at Lancre with such huge enthusiasm and evident delight that the audience was soon drawn into the wonderful world of wizards and elves, a gorilla librarian and coven of witches and rude mechanicals. Young and old were word perfect, slick with fast-paced action, energetic in bringing the story to life. The costumes and live music were excellent... Director Sarah Golding managed the large cast of 26 brilliantly, drawing the best out of each one. Rachel Manley portrayed a lovely queen-to-be for Kieran McPhillips's funny king, while her maid (Pippa Dadd) raised smiles throughout. The two old witches, Helen Sharman and Diane Alexander, created lots of humour, while the band of artisans led by Tom Curtis as blacksmith were hilarious. It's amazing what talent our local am-dram groups possess and the quality of enjoyable entertainment they put on..."
http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/16397755.review-terry-pratchett-masterpiece-brought-to-life/
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
05) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
The Sir Terry Pratchett Book Club at Waterstones Leeds meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 6pm in the Cafe W coffee shop (in Waterstones), to discuss a Pratchett book. "Everyone is welcome, even if you have not read the book. There is no need to register – just come along."
The next meeting of the Sir Terry Pratchett Book Club will be on Tuesday 4th September at 6pm at Waterstones, 93-97 Albion Street, Leeds LS1 5JS. (phone 0113 244 4588). The September book under discussion will be Lords and Ladies.
*
The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), will be meeting a week earlier than usual, on Monday 3rd September from 7pm at the Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London, W2 1JQ. "We welcome anyone and everyone who enjoys Sir Terry's works, or quite likes them or wants to find out more. We have had many visitors from overseas who have enjoyed themselves and made new friends. The discussions do not only concern the works of Sir Terry Pratchett but wander and meander through other genres and authors and also leaping to TV and Film production. We also find time for a quiz."
The Drummers have a wonderfully entertaining August-which-took-place-in-July meet report, in a new style:
"Between holidays, day-trips, horrendous commutes and commuters, imaginary trains, real trains that Public Transport staff refuse to admit exist, train loos without any toilet paper, cycle races shutting down most of central London, the culture shock of the recently returned to London after several years living in For’n Parts and the complete absence/failure of air-con on Public Transport in 30+ degree heat, it was clear from very early on that everyone had valiantly fought their own battles with Cruel and Unusual Geography in recent days and the Public Transport that erratically attempted to cross it. Hence the inaugural faculty meeting of The Broken Drummers’ Department of Cruel and Unusual Geography was convened. Some sort of shared trauma support seemed to be in order... We were further disturbed by the appearance of Professor Evans’ alleged veggie-burger, which didn’t actually contain a veggie-burger, but instead appeared to contain the squashed head of Cthulhu in an alarmingly bright pink bap. The Monkey Puzzle clearly have a new chef, who could well benefit from some Dried Frog Pills. In order to recover from the trauma of our respective journeys, public transport designed by B.S. Johnson and inexplicably coloured baps, we gave up on ordering alcohol by the glass and switched to ordering by the jug. Large jugs of Pimms to be precise, which went down very well indeed. Professor Taylor was moved to comment that she was glad that Professor Evans, who was doing the pouring at the time, had such a lovely pair of jugs..."
To read the entire report in its beautiful new document form – definitely worth it! – go to https://bit.ly/2w2XwrD [NB: You have to be signed in to Facebook to see it. Thanks to Mss CS for the info – Ed.]
For more information, email BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/55107511411/permalink/10156634038566412/
*
Canberra, Australia's Discworld fan group is Drumknott's Irregulars: "The group is open to all, people from interstate and overseas are welcome, and our events will not be heavily themed. Come along to dinner for a chat and good company. We welcome people from all fandoms (and none) and we would love to see you at one of our events, even if you're just passing through. Please contact us via Facebook (_https://www.facebook.com/groups/824987924250161/_) or Google Groups (_https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars_) or join us at our next event."
*
For Facebook users in Fourecks: The Victorian Discworld Klatch is "a social group for fans of Discworld and Terry Pratchett... run by a dedicated team who meet monthly and organise events monthly." "If you'd like to join our events please ask to join the Klatch."
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch
*
"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)" is a public Facebook meeting group: "This group, by request of Jo in Bear will continue to be used for future unofficial (not run by the Emporium) fan Gatherings in Wincanton. Look here for information."
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. We also attend opening night at Brisbane Arts Theatre's Discworld plays." The Partisans currently have about 200 members who meet at least twice a month, usually in Brisbane.
For more info about their next meetup, join up at https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au
*
The City of Small Gods is a group for fans in Adelaide and South Australia: "We have an established Terry Pratchett & Discworld fan group in Adelaide called The City of Small Gods, which is open to anyone who would like to come – you don't have to live in Adelaide or even South Australia, or even be a Discworld fan, but that's mostly where our events will be held, and we do like discussing Pratchett's works. Our (semi-) regular meetings are generally held on the last Thursday of the month at the Caledonian, 219 O'Connell St North Adelaide. We have dinner at 6.30pm followed by games until 9pm. The games are usually shorter games like Pairs, Sushi Go, or Tiny Epic Defenders, with the occasional Werewolf session, as these are the best sort of games that work in a pub setting. Every few months, we have a full day's worth of board games at La Scala Cafe, 169 Unley Rd, Unley in the function room starting at 10am. In addition, we will occasionally have other events to go and see plays by Unseen Theatre Company, book discussions, craft, chain maille or costuming workshops or other fun social activities."
The next CoSG events will be the Monthly Dinner at Seven Stars Hotel, 187 Angas Street, Adelaide (08) 8223 6879/(08) 8224 0003.
The CoSG also have another identity. Here's the skinny:
Round World Events SA Inc is a not-for-profit incorporated association whose aim is to run fun social Pratchett-themed events for people in South Australia. Our first major event was the Unseen University Convivium held in July 2012. We have also run three successful and booked out Science Fiction and Fantasy themed quiz nights named Quiz Long And Prosper, in 2013, 2014 and 2015! The association will run some events under the City of Small Gods banner, but you do not have to be a Round World Events SA member to be part of City of Small Gods. However, we are always on the look out for new members for Round World Events SA to help us organise future events! Membership is $20 a year (for Adelaide locals) or $5 a year (for those not quite so close) and has the following benefits:
A shiny membership certificate all of your very own
Discounted entry price to some of the events we run
A warm, fuzzy feeling deep down in your chest (no, not quite that deep)
For more information, or to join as a member, please email RoundWorldEventsSA@gmail.com
www.cityofsmallgods.org.au
*
The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 6th September (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 7th September (possibly) at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"
*
The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists, a Pratchett fangroup, has been meeting on a regular basis since 2005. The Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, to discuss "all things Pratchett" as well as having quizzes and raffles. Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum:
http://www.discworldstamps.co.uk/forum/
*
Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet next on Monday 3rd September (possibly) at 6.30pm in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney 2000. For more information, contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk
*
The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meet next on Monday 3rd September (possibly) from 5.30pm at Carpe Cafe, 526 Murray Street, Perth, Western Australia. For details follow Perth Drummers on Twitter @Perth_Drummers or join their Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
06) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
Blogger Filip Magnus considers Small Gods:
"Some of the Pratchett books I most appreciate start ever-so-slow, only to explode in a storm of brilliant humour, ideas worth contemplation, and so much more. Moving Pictures was one such book, and Small Gods is another. Regardless of the time it took me to get into it, once I did, I devoured it with reckless abandon. My favourite part of the book has to be the bit in Ephebe, where thousands of toga-wearing, wine-drinking philosophers have a lark on each other’s expense, argue, even come to blows. I showed my uncle (a philosophy professor) a good few pages about the philosophers’ stance on gods, and we shared a good laugh, too! I have to bow down to Sir Terry once again. His sharp skewering of organised religion was both thought-provoking and funny to no end. And Even as my smile fades, the ideas take root, and they flourish..."
https://filip-magnus-writes.blog/2018/08/15/small-gods-a-discworld-review/
Blogger Lit Alley muses on Good Omens:
"I enjoy reading Good Omens, written by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, about the end of the world. I would say 'enjoyed' but I have read it in the past and plan to read it again in the future. It is a funny book, I particularly enjoy the thought of the demon Crowley admonishing his house plants with the threat of hell in order to make them grow but it is also deadly serious in parts, demonstrating an excellent understanding of human nature. I do have some problems with the book, however, notably with the pop-culture references, characters and the climax. My first problem is more of a personal one. I do not like pop culture references. I think they’re very tacky, can date a book and even hamper it from aging well. They also take me out of an otherwise skilfully created narrative and drop me right back in the real world. There aren't a lot of them in Good Omens but there are enough that I noticed them and found them distracting. The novel would be vastly improved with the removal of the Star Wars references... In Good Omens Crowley and Aziraphale are my favourite characters but they seem to disappear around the middle of the book and reappear at the end. This is where my problems with the characters start. I feel there are just too many of them who aren’t quite fleshed out well enough or have enough of an impact on the plot to justify their existence in the story. This is especially glaring in a novel by Pratchett and Gaiman and my attention wavers a bit at these points..."
https://litalley.wordpress.com/2018/08/14/good-omens-a-review/
Blogger Thomas Ricken35's Pratchett-inspired "laws of the library" is interesting:
"In tribute to Alberto Manguel and the late, great Terry Pratchett, here is my humorous attempt to do something a bit scientific and funny, hopefully at the same time. Ladies, gentlemen and book lovers, I give you the Laws of Thermodynamics – Rewritten for Libraries
B = The Number of Books Currently Owned
S = The Number of Shelves Available in Which to House Them
The First Law of Book Thermodynamics – In all cases, B is greater than S (B >S)
The Second Law of Book Thermodynamics – In an isolated system (houses and libraries), S always tends towards zero
The Third Law of Book Thermodynamics – S probably can’t be increased without damaging the building
The Fourth Law of Book Thermodynamics – B can reach zero, but why on earth would you want it to?
There is also a rumoured Fifth Law of Book Thermodynamics which is:
‘S is greater than B (S > B) if, and only if, the reader enters the next life, or as it is sometimes known, the Great Celestial Library in the Sky (GCLITS)..."
https://listfulofhorrors.wordpress.com/2018/08/14/the-laws-of-the-library/
Blogger Jessica A. at the Danville Public Library recommends Guards! Guards! for Pratchett newbies:
"Pratchett’s Discworld series can be split into various sub-series, which is why every single Discworld fan will have a different opinion on where new readers should start the series. As the first book featuring the City Watch, Guards! Guards! is often cited as a good starting point. Here we meet Captain Vimes of the Night Watch for the first time, begrudgingly trying to become sober so he can solve this ruddy dragon problem, because no one, not even a dragon, goes and destroys half the City and gets away with it. The rest of the Night Watch is made up of two rank and file men and one new recruit: a six and a half foot tall dwarf (he was adopted by dwarves) who takes thing very seriously and very literally. Vimes consults the indomitable Lady Sybil Ramkin who raises swamp dragons. If you enjoy tales of dragons and heirs to the throne, detective stories, political intrigue, or humorous fantasy, then you will find something to enjoy in this book..."
https://danvillelibrary.wordpress.com/2018/08/07/book-review-guards-guards-by-terry-pratchett/
Blogger Madame Writer's spoilery review of Hogfather:
"The plot makes no sense, many questions are left unanswered, and no one is sure who is who or what is what. But that, of course, is the brilliance of Pratchett. I loved this book, both for the unique humor and the intriguing world... The characters are, by far, the best part of this book. Susan is understandable, grounded, and yet quirky. I like her mostly because she brings sense to the nonsensical world. She is logical while also open-minded to understanding the magical side of Discworld. In fact, I think she is my favorite protagonist is the Discworld series (at least, of the books I’ve read). Not only is she Death’s granddaughter, giving her ties to the mystical parts of the world, but she is also trying to live a normal life as a nanny to two ordinary children, giving us a glimpse into the more human elements of the world. In a sense, she is a go-between for us, the readers. Death himself is a personal favorite character of mine, and he is especially hilarious in this book. Most of the books only feature a rare glimpse of him, but in this one he is much more front and center. .."
https://madamewriterblog.com/2018/08/06/book-review-the-hogfather-by-terry-pratchett/
Here's one well worth an action replay – blogger Simon Hackett's excellent and iconograph-laden remembrance of Sir Pterry receiving his honorary degree from the University of South Australia:
"I was fortunate to be a member of a group that visited Sir Terry Pratchett at his home, to present him with his tenth honorary doctorate (and his first from Australia). The degree, from the University of South Australia (UniSA), was bestowed by the Vice-Chancellor and President of UniSA, Professor David Lloyd. He was accompanied by Nigel Relph (UniSA Deputy Vice-Chancellor, International and Advancement). Also present today was friend (and fellow EV enthusiast) Robert Llewellyn. Sir Terry finds it harder to travel long distances these days, so David and Nigel clocked up the air miles instead, bringing the degree ceremony to him. The award ceremony was recorded, along with an oration from Sir Terry (delivered in conjunction with his business manager, Rob Wilkins). Those recordings will be played at the UniSA graduate ceremony that will be held later this year. Sir Terry’s home is full of wonderful books and artefacts. It feels, appropriately, like a little corner of Discworld..."
https://simonhackett.com/2014/05/28/doctor-sir-terry-pratchett
Blogger Reading Bug's review of Mort:
"One of the things readers of the Discworld novels know is that Sir Terry was a bit of a philosopher. He had important insights into the way the world works, and shared them with us through the medium of humour. ‘Mort’ includes plenty of examples of this, because there are few more serious or profound issues to meditate on than death itself (or indeed, Death himself)... Sir Terry’s insights range across all of life’s big issues, and most of the small ones... Pratchett’s 'and they all lived happily ever after' endings can sometimes feel a bit forced, but the resolution to this clash is well managed, and well, they all live happily ever after. If Death can’t adjust reality just a tweak to make matters right, then who can? The old universe (in which the Princess dies) becomes a wedding present which will expand into another universe once the current one dies. Which I thought was rather neat..."
https://readingbug2016.wordpress.com/2018/07/26/mort-by-terry-pratchett-1987/
...and of Equal Rites:
"‘Equal Rites’ is different in kind. It introduces the extraordinary, imperious Granny Weatherwax –‘I’m not a lady, I’m a witch’. This is going to sound like hyperbole, but if Terry Pratchett had not written about any other character his place in the pantheon of great writers would have been secured by his portrait of Granny Weatherwax. She is funny and kind and clever and wise and respected and seems almost a real person. Pratchett’s theory of magic – that a large part of it is in the head of the person on whom the magic is being performed – ‘headology’ – is cleverer than any system of runes mana or potions you find in other fantasy series... The ending of the novel is one of its weaker features – there is never any real sense of peril or doubt that Esk and Simon will escape unharmed from the Dungeon Dimensions – but who reads Pratchett novels for their plot..."
https://readingbug2016.wordpress.com/2018/07/23/equal-rites-by-terry-pratchett-1987/
Blogger Pages Below the Vaulted Sky is participating in the Pratchett readathon (as mentioned last month in this section) and has started at the beginning of the Discworld series:
"There are two things I learned from reading this book: 1) I can see why people say that the first couple of books in the series can be skipped. 2) I liked the film adaption (part one, at least) better than the book. Yes, go ahead and pelt me with all your rotten vegetables, but at least the movie had the charm of Sean Astin and a powerhouse cast of Jeremy Irons, Tim Curry, and Christopher Lee... But here’s the thing: there’s something oddly comforting about how underwhelming this book is. It shows that even legends like Terry Pratchett have to start from somewhere. They all have their rough foundation from which they have to improve on, because people aren’t born from the womb oozing genius talent–it’s a product of a lot of hard work and a willingness to learn. ..."
https://pagesbelowvaultedsky.wordpress.com/2018/07/23/review-the-colour-of-magic-discworld-1-the-readathon-commences/
Blogger Didi Oviatt, also doing the Pratchett readathon, had a very different – and awestruck! – reaction to tCoM. In fact, I would say that she *gets* it as most of us who started way back at the beginning of its publishing history did, without any later works to hold it up to:
"This book is so utterly unique that it’s borderline genius… but in a wonky way. I’m almost embarrassed to admit that it’s taken my entire 33 years of life to actually get started on reading the late legendary Terry Pratchett. When I agreed to jump into a Discworld review a month group, I was secretly excited to have an excuse to read such a HUGE series. I think that’s why I’ve always put it off, because honestly who has the time for the kind of commitment? Being the ‘blame it on someone else’ type of human I am… I saw this very excuse as an opportunity. I’m also excited that you don’t necessarily need to read all of the Discworld books in order either, so that if I need to skip a month I totally can... From cover to cover the story is lighthearted fun, and the humor is fresh. The setting is most definitely one of a find. It’s like this medley of typical fantasy references that have been blended and flipped into far fetched places and random events. There’s magic, awkwardness, fun chaos, witty banter, and even close calls that leave your head spinning. I’m so excited to keep on a trucking along with the Discworld series! I’ve heard that the books only get better and better which has my curiosity running in circles!
https://didioviatt.wordpress.com/2018/07/23/read-a-thon-terry-pratchett-review-1-the-color-magic-discworld-book-1/
...and readathon instigator The Bookworm Drinketh is of an opinion in between:
"This book is so nostalgic to me! Sadly, I almost rated it a 3.5 though just because it’s only the first novel.. but that world building!! No one can build a world as intricate as Sir Terry Pratchett. He came up with EVERYTHING! The lay of the land from what the world is built on (The Great Turtle A’Tuin and a Disc held up by 4 Elephants), the Directions (Hubward, Rimward, Turnwise and Widdershins), and the way the seasons work… I’ll let you figure that one out yourselves…. mind. Blown. I think that I probably love this book more having read the whole series before in my life and, going back, seeing how much foreshadowing and build up there is for the rest of the series (anyone who DIDN’T like this book, remember that it gets SO MUCH BETTER! This is just the prequel to so much.)..."
https://thebookwormdrinketh.com/2018/07/23/terry-pratchett-read-a-thon-book-1-the-colour-of-magic/
Blogger Clyde Umney returns with a delighted discovery (that he had never read Witches Abroad):
"Witches Abroad was the 12th Discworld book, which means that coming to it late means going back to a Discworld where the Watch is still a bit of a joke, where Tiffany Aching has yet to emerge, and where so many of the social changes with regard to the less human creatures of the Disc had yet to occur. What it also meant was returning to a time when Terry Pratchett wasn’t quite using the series to explore profound truths like he would later. (It would hit that landmark in a big way in the next book, Small Gods.) That’s not to say that Pratchett had nothing to say here; Witches Abroad is fascinated by the power of stories in our lives, from urban legends to fairy tales, and how we so often use the power of stories to override sense and logic, throwing our lives and passion after a plot line that always works on paper. That’s rich fare, and if Pratchett would revisit it to some degree more effectively and powerfully in Hogfather, that doesn’t detract from the great ideas he’s tossing around here. But none of that really has any impact on just how much fun reading Witches Abroad is... And as always, it’s written in classic Pratchett style, with nary a sentence passing without a joke, a great aside, or a clever bit of phrasing. And why play a scene normally when you can pack the book with silliness, including what it’s like when animals become people, the divide between magic and just messing with people’s heads, a few surprisingly racy double entendres, and what it means to be 'foreign'..."
https://clydeumney.wordpress.com/2018/07/24/witches-abroad-by-terry-pratchett/
Blogger Talking About Games on Raising Steam:
"First and foremost, Pratchett has a unique way with words. He can tell a story by switching which character he is following at any paragraph. Provided you get through his frequent wordplay, he writes well enough to limit confusion, even through the narrator switching who he is following. His writing uses lots of humorous elements. These include puns, rhyming, alliteration, funny sounding words, unique character names, and pretty much any sort of wordplay that tickles his fancy. There are some real gems of the sort in his books. Even so, some of the wordplay does fall a little flat from time to time, but it is rarely disruptive as he uses it throughout the books I have read... Even though the book can be funny, there is a fair amount of insight concerning the creation of locomotion, social changes, and yes even racial relations. Since this book takes place in a medieval fantasy world, race is handled metaphorically by humans, dwarfs, goblins, trolls, and the occasional gnome. I am also surprised at how well Pratchett describes how trains work and impact the world around it. In a lot of ways, it feels like I traveled back in time to see how people reacted to seeing a train for the first time. I could even see the thought process of how Moist figured out what kind of help needed to be hired so a train system could work in a realistic fashion. It is clear that Terry Pratchett did his homework..."
https://talkingaboutgames.blog/2018/07/17/book-review-raising-steam-by-terry-pratchett/
Blogger Casandra aka Queen of Backlogs considers Cheery Littlebottom's feminism:
"It took me a long time to understand Cheery’s insistence on expressing her femininity. Why, I thought, take that risk? It didn’t help that her first attempts at expressing it are the butt of the joke. While the characters never explicitly ridicule her for it, it’s clear from the text that they *think* she looks ridiculous and are just being nice by not laughing in her face. But such is the strength of Cheery’s conviction that she keeps going and as she finds her own style the jokes disappear. It’s important to note that while the narration might have laughed at her, the fact remains that her colleagues didn’t. They consistently take her side, they lend her lipsticks, they give her pointers, most of all they give her the space to find herself. With their support Cheery becomes one of the front runners of the Dwarfish feminist movement. Slowly more feminine dwarfs show themselves, though they still face conservative opposition. Many moderate dwarfs consider them radicals, rocking the boat too much, pushing for too much too quickly. The further they push, the harsher the opposition grows. Nothing like people trying to claim a space for themselves to really bring out the bigots. The Fifth Elephant, Thud! and Raising Steam all have plots revolving around conservative dwarfs attempting to stage a coup against their more progressive government. With the acceptance of female dwarfs becoming one of the big fighting points after the Low King welcomes the openly feminine Cheery at the end of The Fifth Elephant. While it’s satisfying to see these alt-right dwarfs be defeated time and again, even though in a depressingly realistic way they never truly disappear, what really resonated with me was Cheery’s personal journey... I’ve progressed a lot in my understanding of feminism since I first read these novels. Re-reading all of the Discworld novels in order last year, I was struck by a difference between this fight for women’s rights and the one so often portrayed in media. Many empowering tales of women focus on women breaking into male spaces. If there’s one token chick in an all male action team, you can bet that she’s Not Like The Other Girls. The female dwarfs on the other hand are already fully present in male spaces. Their fight is to be allowed to express femininity..."
https://casandara.wordpress.com/2018/07/22/the-radical-femininity-of-cheery-littlebottom/
...as does blogger The Mad Scientist's Lab:
"Terry Pratchett’s Discworld universe is a kooky, mischievous place known for its love of wackiness and word-play. Beneath this layer lies a witty political commentary. From folklore to religion to activism to gender, Pratchett leaves no stone unturned, parodying each of these popular elements of society and many more to the delight of his readers. In Feet of Clay, his commentary on gender, amongst many other topics, is particularly visible. Even better, it makes itself known through an exploration of supernatural gender in the guise of Corporal Cheri Littlebottom... Because the way that dwarves present their gender is uniform, all dwarves are assumed to be male. Here, we see Butler and Wittig’s argument that 'to be "sexed" is always a way of becoming particular and relative, and males within this system participate in the form of the universal person.' (Butler, 154) In order to mark herself as a gendered being, Cheri has to distance herself from the anonymity of masculinity, Cheri embodies that way in which the female gender is invented as an alternate from the male, rather than some sort of innate truth..."
https://themadscientistslab.wordpress.com/2018/07/22/feet-of-clay-masks-of-paint-monstrous-gender-part-ii/
And finally... I try to include less than enthusiastic reviews here – not always just the adoring ones – but sometimes one comes across a blog reviewer whose thought processes are so disconnected from any reasonable reality that mocking them feels like the right thing to do. So let me say here that blogger Reading Rampant is an idiot. Worse yet, it appears to be a generally articulate and educated idiot (worst kind, in my opinion). But as this particular idiot appears to be one of the only readers in the entire multiverse who passionately dislikes Good Omens for reasons other than some sort of fundamentalist religion left-ear staring – and calls it a "Mary Sue book", proving that it has no idea what the term Mary Sue means – I'm including this review. Oh, and for the record, I forced myself to read many of its other reviews, in case this one was a bizarre one-off. It's not; among other brain-breakers, it complains that the Patrick Melrose novels (a thinly disguised personal memoir of addiction, in case any of you weren't familiar with it) are lacking in plot! Dearie dearie me:
"All you need to know about this book is said in the afterward[sic] by Terry Pratchett: '…one day [Neil] sent me about six pages of a short story and said he didn’t know how it continued, and I didn’t either, and about a year later I took it out of the drawer and did see what happened next, even if I couldn’t see how it all ended yet, and we wrote it together and that was Good Omens.' Good Omens started out as a short story. It has a really, really cool concept and…well that’s about it. A good concept is all you need for a short story. For a novel, you need considerably more in the way of character relationships and sub-plots to keep the story from stagnating. Yes, this book has them, but nothing unexpected happens. Reading the first chapter, I could tell how the book was going to turn out, and I was entirely right. That’s about the worst thing that can be said about a book..."
https://readingrampant.wordpress.com/2018/08/02/good-omens-by-neil-gaiman-and-terry-pratchett/
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
07) ROUNDWORLD TALES: CHALK... AND *THE* CHALK
Chalk is a commonplace mineral, yet it is found in very few places on Roundworld.
Composed mainly of calcite, an ionic salt best known as calcium carbonate (CaCO3), chalk was formed from the shells of microscopic plankton (coccoliths) that drift to the sea floor to become a sub-oceanic ooze, which in its turn becomes compressed over the course of more than ninety million years – in other words, land under wave! Small amounts of soil and clay get mixed in, but the most notable "contaminant" in chalk is, yes, flint... perfect for the growing of a witch. And some of that flint gathered around echinoids (sea urchins), which during the long millennia silicified – exchanged each of their component molecules for one of the surrounding flint – to form... yes, shepherd's crowns (you won't be surprised to learn that The Author did his homework). As continents shifted and mountain ranges grew, some of the chalk layers, with their close-held treasures, rose above sea level and formed – yes, downlands, like The Chalk.
Chalk is more resistant to weathering (erosion) but eventually it does erode, giving birth to typical downland features: the rolling hills and gentle valleys of Tiffany
aching's steading. And when the downs meet the sea, the exposed chalk becomes a dazzlingly white cliffscape. Everyone knows of the White Cliffs of Dover, but take a look at these cliffs in Germany (_https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/Kreidefelsen_Ruegen.jpg/800px-Kreidefelsen_Ruegen.jpg_) and Denmark (_https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/M%C3%B8ns_Klint_7.jpg/800px-M%C3%B8ns_Klint_7.jpg_) – rather a familiar look!
The Chalk Group is the name geologists give to the vast chalk deposits beneath southern England and parts of France, Germany and Denmark, which are all part of the same "stratigraphic unit" that was laid down during the late Cretaceous era. This vast bed of chalk encompasses landmarks including the White Cliffs of Dover, the Champagne region of France, Jasmund National Park in Germany and Møns Klint in Denmark. Some of the world's highest chalk cliffs can be found at Jasmund National Park – the Königsstuhl (King's Chair) is 118 metres high and Møns Klint measures 120 metres from cliff-tops to the sea; also, the surrounding area includes one of the highest points in Denmark, the 143-metre Aborrebjerg. Although there are other chalk deposits around Roundworld, such as the Austin Chalk in the Gulf Coast region of the United States, most of the world's chalk cliffs are found in Britain and mainland Europe, and downland is rather quintessentially English (or Discworldian).
Some chalk facts: chalk is used for making lime, cement, and fertiliser. Whiting, a form of finely ground, purified chalk, is used as a filler, extender, or pigment in ceramics, putty, cosmetics, crayons, plastics, rubber, paper, paints, and linoleum. The top countries known for exporting chalk are France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, China, Spain, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Australia – and finally, in tenth place, the UK.
A note for any blackboard monitors out there: blackboard chalk was originally made of mineral chalk, but in modern times it's more likely to be made of gypsum (calcium sulphate) because gypsum-based blackboard chalk costs less to produce; coloured chalks, like the ones we use to draw on pavements are almost always made of gypsum, while proper calcium-based chalk is now sold as "dustless chalk". So when we consider where the young Sam Vimes grew up (in Cockbill Street, one of the poorest area of Ankh-Morpork), the chances are overwhelming that the chalk he erased every day was *not* the same stuff Tiffany's homeland is made of!
Sources: various Wikipedia pages
https://www.britannica.com/science/chalk
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/top-10-chalk-exporting-countries.html
http://all-geo.org/erratics/2011/05/chalk-is-weird/
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
A perfect Malicia Grim, from Riverwalk Theatre's recent production of TAMAHER:
https://bit.ly/2NWmr6J
...and the TAMAHER cast:
https://bit.ly/2AjVoQF
A preview iconograph from Unseen Theatre's forthcoming production of Eric:
http://unseen.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/IMG_1580-cropped1200.jpg
Paul Kidby's new masterpiece, for the cover of the Terry Pratchett: HisWorld exhibition companion book:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DjwfWvqXoAA8G31.jpg
...and one of my favourite photos of Sir Pterry. By Simon Hackett, this was taken when The Author received his University of South Australia degree. Note the dignified robes and the corks-trimmed academician's hat: https://simonhackett.com/img_1680/
An exquisite photo for World Orangutan Day, from Melbourne Zoo:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dk6i16qX4AA8vP5.jpg
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
09) CLOSE
There was a World Orangutan Day very recently – although every day needs to be one such, for the sake of this threatened species of Librarians! – and Jane Goodall, better known for her amazing work with chimpanzees, wrote an orangutan-centric piece: http://news.janegoodall.org/2016/08/19/orangutans-humans-forest-losing-forest/
And that's it for August. Take care, and we'll see you next month!
– Annie Mac
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The End. If you have any questions or requests, write: wossname-owner (at) pearwood (dot) info
Copyright (c) 2018 by Klatchian Foreign Legion
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
August 2018 (Volume 21, Issue 8, Post 1)
********************************************************************
WOSSNAME is a free publication offering news, reviews, and all the other stuff-that-fits pertaining to the works of Sir Terry Pratchett. Originally founded by the late, great Joe Schaumburger for members of the worldwide Klatchian Foreign Legion and its affiliates, including the North American Discworld Society and other continental groups, Wossname is now for Discworld and Pratchett fans everywhere in Roundworld.
********************************************************************
Editor in Chief: Annie Mac
News Editor: Vera P
Newshounds: Mogg, Sir J of Croydon Below, the Shadow, Mss C, Alison not Aliss
Staff Writers: Asti, Pitt the Elder, Evil Steven Dread, Mrs Wynn-Jones
Staff Technomancer: Jason Parlevliet
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) ODDS AND SODS
04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
05) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
06) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
07) ROUNDWORLD TALES: THE CHALK
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
09) CLOSE
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
"It has been really exciting selecting some of my favourite paintings for the Discworld & Beyond exhibition. Visitors will be able to see many of their favourite Discworld illustrations up close and personal and celebrate the wonderful legacy of a great author who has inspired so many, including me!"
– Paul Kidby, on his travelling Discworld and Beyond exhibition
"...the way Sir Terry chose to notify people of his death in 2015 was the extraordinary tweet 'AT LAST, SIR TERRY, WE MUST WALK TOGETHER'. Of the thousands of comments this tweet received, one of the earliest was by an account in the name of the 'Death of Rats' (aka The Grim Squeaker) which went 'Squeak, squeak, squeak'. For reasons known only to themselves, Microsoft offers the option to 'translate this tweet' – sadly the link doesn’t work. But I think we know what he was trying to say."
– blogger Reading Bug makes a point about multiversal communication
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR
The Master inspires! Leonie Holmes, a composer and music educator in the Land of Fog (New Zealand, of course) has been nominated for a major award for her composition "Dance of the Wintersmith": "The nominated work, Dance of the Wintersmith for violin and piano, was inspired by Terry Pratchett’s book of the same name and was written for Andrew Beer and Sarah Watkins. 'I’m really delighted that "Dance of the Wintersmith" has been nominated for the SOUNZ Contemporary Award. I was gifted with fantastic performers, who commissioned the work and then played it with such integrity. I’m also delighted that the comparatively intimate canvas of a duo has been recognised in this way, and has managed to communicate and touch listeners.' ... The SOUNZ Contemporary Award, celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, recognises New Zealand compositions demonstrating outstanding levels of creativity and inspiration and has been presented in collaboration with APRA AMCOS NZ since 1998..." (_http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1808/S00252/2018-sounz-contemporary-award-finalists.htm_) The winner will be at the 2018 APRA Silver Scroll Awards in Auckland on 4th October. Wossname is pulling for you, Ms Holmes!
Have you ever heard of tsundoku, "the art of buying books and never reading them" – which, it turns out, is not at all the same as buying books only for the purpose of displaying them? (Apparently this happens in real life. No, I don't understand it either.). Hands up, any of you who have yet to read The Shepherd's Crown: "Prof Andrew Gerstle teaches pre-modern Japanese texts at the University of London. He explained to the BBC the term might be older than you think – it can be found in print as early as 1879, meaning it was likely in use before that. The word 'doku' can be used as a verb to mean 'reading'. According to Prof Gerstle, the 'tsun' in 'tsundoku' originates in 'tsumu' – a word meaning 'to pile up'. So when put together, 'tsundoku' has the meaning of buying reading material and piling it up. 'The phrase "tsundoku sensei" appears in text from 1879 according to the writer Mori Senzo,' Prof Gerstle explained. 'Which is likely to be satirical, about a teacher who has lots of books but doesn't read them.' While this might sound like tsundoku is being used as an insult, Prof Gerstle said the word does not carry any stigma in Japan... " (_https://www.bbc.com/news/world-44981013_)
Peculiar Productions, who are taking up the Discworld plays-producing baton in Cardiff from the marvellous but now defunct Monstrous Productions, are staging their debut production – The Truth – this coming weekend (see item 4.1 below). If you'd like to know more about the company and the cast, go to https://peculiarproductions.co.uk/tag/the-truth/ – and Wossname wishes the "Peculiars" every success with *all* their productions to come.
And now, on with the show...
– Annie Mac, Editor
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
03) ODDS AND SODS
3.1 UPDATE: DISCWORLD AND BEYOND EXHIBIT
After Paul Kidby's Discworld and Beyond exhibit closes in Maidstone, it will move on to the Chapel Gallery in Ormskirk and then to the North Hertfordshire Museum. See the details below!
Currently...
When: now through 2nd September 2018
Venue: the Maidstone Museum, St. Faith's Street, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1LH
Time: Tuesday–Saturday 10am–5pm, Sunday 12pm–4pm
Tickets: £4 for adults, £2 for children and £10 per family ticket, available online at https://museum.maidstone.gov.uk/whats-on/events/paul-kidby-discworld-beyond/
https://museum.maidstone.gov.uk/
Next...
When: exact dates TBC
Venue: Chapel Gallery, St Helens Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39 4QR (phone 01695 571 328, email chapel.gallery@westlancs.gov.uk)
Time: 10am–4.30pm Tuesdays–Saturdays (closed Monday, Sunday & all Bank Holidays)
Tickets: free admission; there is also disabled access.
https://www.paulkidby.com/event/discworld-beyond-5/
...and after that...
When: 15th December 2018–February 2019 (finishing date TBC)
Venue: North Hertfordshire Museum, Via Town Hall, Brand Street, Hitchin SG5 1JE (phone 01462 474554)
Times and Tickets info TBA
http://www.northhertsmuseum.org/contact-us/
"For further details contact Emma Mackinnon, Exhibitions & Collections Officer at St Barbe Museum, Lymington.
Emma.Mackinnon@stbarbe-museum.org.uk"
https://www.paulkidby.com/events/#upcoming-events
...and here be an article about the exhibit, by Charlie Harman for Kent Online:
"Visitors young and old will be wowed as Paul Kidby, best-known for his work on the Discworld novels, brings his magical masterpieces to Maidstone. His art bridges surrealism with a near-photographic quality, allowing walking luggage, dragons and even little blue men to not only be believable but to jump off the canvas... With a diverse range of media on show, fans of the Discworld series will particularly delight in concept designs for the series' more recent titles. Personal recollections from the artist – who designed the legendary fantasy author's cover from 2002 until his death from Alzheimer's three years ago – are sometimes sad but always fascinating insights into their joint creative process. The exhibition has everyone's favourite figures from the fictional universe, with Death, Cohen the Barbarian and a host of witches and wizards flooding the museum with colour and character. Included in the works are paintings from Kidby's own creation Charmed Realm, which focuses on British folklore with ethereal faeries and rambunctious gnomes. Though less well-known compared to Pratchett's world, they perfectly communicate Kidby's iconic style and are just as eye-catching. A large section highlights his work on the Tiffany Aching series, including the original drawing for the Wee Free Men front cover. Known for his incredible detail throughout grand pieces, his Discworld Massif piece is both the largest and most nostalgic painting on display. Kidby included 77 Pratchettian personages within one frame, and fans who know the supporting cast well could spend hours just combing through the one picture..."
https://www.kentonline.co.uk/whats-on/news/step-into-a-discworld-here-in-kent-187842/
3.2 PRATCHETT AND TOLKIEN: APPROACHES TO FANTASY
An interesting piece about the differences between the fantasy worlds of Pratchett and Tolkien, by smallgodsman Rowan Williams in New Statesman:
"Tolkien and Pratchett seem to stand at opposite ends of a literary spectrum; although Pratchett described Tolkien as being like Mount Fuji in Japanese prints, a ubiquitous background presence in all later 'fantasy' writing, Middle Earth and Discworld are radically different creations. Pratchett's Discworld is funny, deflationary, bursting with self-consciousness and ironic ingenuity, stuffed full of puns, wordplays and parodies; Tolkien’s Middle Earth is intensely serious, and its verbal ingenuity is bound up with the monumental labours of its creator in shaping not only a set of actual languages but a linguistic history and historical geography for most of them and their speakers. You could sum up the difference by saying that Pratchett is knowing – but for Tolkien, 'knowingness' would unmake his whole project. As he made clear, part of his ambition was to provide something like a mythology for England; and mythologies cannot be knowing in this way, conscious of their literary pedigree. A myth is not a fantasy and Tolkien would certainly not have seen himself as writing 'fantasy novels'..."
https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/books/2018/08/master-his-universe-warnings-jrr-tolkien-s-novels
3.3 DISCWORLD MERCH CORNER
* From the Discworld Emporium
Death's Study jigsaw puzzle!
This one's positively Death-ly! Not to mention moderately fiendish... "Cower, brief mortals, and take on the challenge of our exclusive 1000 piece Discworld Jigsaw puzzle -- it'll be the DEATH of you! See the Reaper Man's inner sanctum come to 'life' before your eyes in an astonishing illustration full of hidden details alluding to Terry Pratchett's endearing Grim Reaper! Even Grim Reapers needs a place to call home, and his private study is a place for the Reaper Man to contemplate matters of life and DEATH! Created in collaboration with illustrator David Wyatt, this Fiendishly Difficult Discworld jigsaw puzzle is full of wonderful details from Terry Pratchett's Death novels, including souvenirs from his adventures in the mortal realm. You'll spot a cast of fellow characters including Binky, Quoth and the Death of Rats, along with family portraits, familiar lifetimers and evidence of his fondness for fine Klatchian cuisine. And possibly a cat or two. Guaranteed to keep you dying from boredom during holidays and Hogswatch, this puzzle may be a skull-scratcher, but we promise it won't send you to an early grave! Each puzzle includes a fold out poster to make it easier to complete, and is presented in a splendid illustrated book box as befitting the shelves of the Ultimate Reality!"
Each Death's Study jigsaw puzzle measures 70 x 50cm (the puzzle box measures 20.5 x 25.6 x 6.3cm) and is priced at £19.50. For more information, and to order, go to https://www.discworldemporium.com/games-toys/491-death-s-study-jigsaw-puzzle
Also, an informative blog post about the creation of the Death's Study jigsaw puzzle (includes various concept sketches, and a time-lapse video near the bottom of the page):
"Last year the Emporium gang spent three months in the Unseen University Library – walking among its labyrinthine shelves, ducking the zip and sizzle of errant magic, breathing in the warm and bookish air – to bring you our vision of Discworld’s premier seat of magical learning. Those who chose to own this image, as either the fiendishly difficult 1,000 piece puzzle or pain-free art print, will hopefully realise how much care and attention went into creating this illustration. If the devil is in the detail, then there’s surely a special circle of hell reserved for David Wyatt, the esteemed author of this incredible image. We were thrilled by the response (and by the creative nature of some of the death-threats from the less-experienced puzzlers among you), thus, we’re very excited to reveal the next piece in our range of meticulously-intricate-illustrations-of-some-of-Discworld's-most-iconic-settings-with-lots-of-lovely-details-from-the-books! (catchy title, eh?). This time, we've been stalking the halls of Death’s domain. After all, even anthropomorphic personifications need a place to call their own. In Death’s house, his study provides sanctuary for the Reaper Man to reflect on life, the universe and fine Klatchian curries. But what does Death's study look like? For that matter, what does it feel like?... how do you draw a room belonging to an eternal, all-knowing, all-seeing entity… and more importantly, where does one put the sodding cat?..."
https://www.discworldemporium.com/blog/illustrating-death-s-study-n6
* From Discworld.com
Discworld temporary tattoos!
That's right, you don't have to be an unhygienically tattooed Feegle to wear the Discworld on your skin! Here be three temporary tattoos, based on the iconic artwork of Paul Kidby: "Simply rub on with water. Lasts 1–5 days, skin safe and non-toxic." You can choose from three designs – Rob Anybody Mac Feegle ("Quicker than covering yourself in blue paint, and ever so slightly less conspicuous, this Rob Anybody temporary tattoo will look great on you, even if you’re 'Wee'!"), the City Watch crest, or Great A'Tuin, each priced at £2.25, or order a pack of all three for £6:
Rob Anybody: https://discworld.com/products/temporary-tattoos/rob-anybody-temporary-tattoo/
City Watch crest: https://discworld.com/products/temporary-tattoos/city-watch-crest-temporary-tattoo/
Great A'Tuin: https://discworld.com/products/temporary-tattoos/great-atuin-temporary-tattoo/
Pack of three: https://discworld.com/products/temporary-tattoos/temporary-tattoo-3-pack/
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
Editor's note: as Wossname normally only comes out once every month, do check the Wossname blog for information on plays that might fall between issue dates! Go to https://wossname.dreamwidth.org/ for interim updates.
4.1 PLAYS IN AUGUST
* MORT IN WANGARATTA, FOURECKS (AUGUST)
Wangaratta Players Inc are presenting their production of Mort this week!
When: remaining shows 24th–26th August 2018
Venue: The Studio Door, 4D Evans Street, Wangaratta, VIC 3677
Time: evening shows (24th, 25th) 7.30pm; matinee (26th) 2pm
Tickets: AU$30, available from https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=388592
https://www.facebook.com/Wangaratta-Players-Inc-181916281835284/
* THE TRUTH IN CARDIFF (AUGUST)
Peculiar Productions' first Discworld play, currently running in Llamedos, is The Truth! "Peculiar Productions is a Cardiff-based multimedia production company. We aim to produce two large shows or projects a year, and we try to make one of those an adaptation of a work by beloved British fantasy-comedy author Sir Terry Pratchett. All our members are volunteers, and the proceeds of these large projects are donated to a chosen charity, which we announce alongside each production or project."
When: now through 25th August 2018
Venue: The Gate Arts Centre, Keppoch Street, Roath, Cardiff CF24 3JW
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £9 (£7 concessions; £1.25 processing fee applies if paying online or via Paypal), already available online at https://peculiarproductions.co.uk/tickets/ or by cheque or bank transfer via email: info@peculiarproductions.co.uk. If using Paypal (_https://www.paypal.com/uk/signin_), payment should be made to info@peculiarproductions.co.uk – and "please ensure that you tell us which performance you are booking for by adding a note." Credit card and Paypal payments can also be made to http://peculiar_productions.fikket.com/
Proceeds from this debut production go to Cardiff Mind. If you're interested in helping out on stage or behind the arras for future productions, or would just like to know more about the Peculiar Productions team, go to https://peculiarproductions.co.uk/about/
4.2 PLAYS LATER IN 2018
* ERIC IN ADELAIDE (OCTOBER)
Unseen Theatre's ever-ongoing Discworld season (now in its 19th year, and rightly so!) returns in October with Eric! "An hilarious romp through space, time, history and the torture chambers of Hell. Eric has been described as 'the Discworld's only demonology hacker', but all he really wants is three wishes. That sounds simple enough, right? No, this is not your favourite fairytale from your childhood. Far from it. Well, maybe not that far……..just as far as the Discworld where demons, wizards, hell-hounds, hostile travel accessories, and more demons, thinly disguised as public servants with a penchant for excessive amounts of stationery and memos, are real..."
When: 5th–6th, 10th–13th and 18th–20th October 2018. Preview night is 5th October; opening night is 6th October.
Venue: the Bakehouse Theatre, 255 Angas Street, Adelaide, South Australia
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: $22 Adult, $18 Concession, $16 Groups of 6+ (also Previews and Fringe Members), available from https://www.trybooking.com/413146 ("Members of the Media – please book your tickets for Opening Night with the usual code")
http://unseen.com.au/
* MEN AT ARMS IN BRISBANE, FOURECKS (OCTOBER/NOVEMBER)
It will be a bit of a wait, but the Brisbane Arts Centre's next Discworld production – Men at Arms – is already looking good! All props to Fourecks for keeping the Disc alive on stage: "Men at Arms is the 15th novel in Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, a comic fantasy universe with over 80 million books sold worldwide. Aficionados and newcomers to the Disc will love this adaptation, brought to life by the expertise of our Pratchett team."
When: 6th October through 3rd November 2018
Venue: Brisbane Arts Centre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Petrie Terrace (yes, the suburb and the road share a name), Brisbane, Queensland 4000
Time: 7.30pm Thursdays, 8pm Fridays and Saturdays, 6.30pm Sundays. "Doors close 5 minutes prior to performance. Late entry is not permitted."
Tickets: AU$34 ($28 concession or groups of 10 or more), available now online at http://bit.ly/2zHKO5a – and there will be Student Rush tickets priced at $15, available from the box office 15 minutes prior to curtain on the dates.
https://www.artstheatre.com.au/menatarms
* HOGFATHER IN ABINGDON (NOVEMBER)
The Studio Theatre Club's next Discworld production will be Hogfather! – or as they say it, "another of our world Premiere Terry Pratchett shows, dramatised by Terry's friend, Stephen Briggs". This is a change from the previously announced staging of The Science of Discworld: Judgement Day.
When: 14th–17th November 2018
Venue: the Unicorn Theatre, Medieval Abbey Buildings, Checker Walk, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3JB
Time: 7.30pm all evening shows; 2.30pm matinee on Saturday 17th November
Tickets: £12, available online from 1st August by post (see _http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/ordering-tickets_) or online via http://www.wegottickets.com/StudioTheatre (note that there is a 10% booking charge). "If you're booking for one of the weekend performances (Friday or Saturday evening, Saturday matinee), please give a second and third choice, as these performances are expected to sell out really quickly. Orders by mail received before the box office opens will be left unopened until 1 August."
http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/whats-next
* GOING POSTAL IN BRISTOL (DECEMBER)
The Kelvin Players will be staging Going Postal in December 2018. Keep an eye on their website: "Moist von Lipwig was a con artist, a fraud and a man faced with a life choice: be hanged, or put Ankh-Morpork's ailing postal service back on its feet. It was a tough decision. With the help of a golem who has been at the bottom of hole in the ground for over two hundred years, a pin fanatic and Junior Postman Groat, he's got to see that the mail gets through. In taking on the evil chairman of the Grand Trunk Semaphore Company, and a midnight killer, he's also got to stay alive. Getting a date with Adora Bell Dearheart would be nice, too. In the mad world of the mail, can a criminal succeed where honest men have failed and died? Perhaps there's a shot at redemption for man who's prepared to push the envelope..."
When: 5th–8th and 12th–15th December 2018
Venue: Kelvin Studio, 253B Gloucester Road, Bishopston, Bristol BS7 8NY
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: TBA
http://www.kelvinplayers.co.uk/coming-soon
4.3 REVIEWS
* LORDS AND LADIES IN READING
By Sandra Carter in the Bucks Free Press:
"The plot was convoluted, the characters weird to those unfamiliar with the Discworld scene (my husband understood far more, being a fan of the books, while the guy sitting next to him had read all the books multiple times). But the cast performed all the whacky goings on at Lancre with such huge enthusiasm and evident delight that the audience was soon drawn into the wonderful world of wizards and elves, a gorilla librarian and coven of witches and rude mechanicals. Young and old were word perfect, slick with fast-paced action, energetic in bringing the story to life. The costumes and live music were excellent... Director Sarah Golding managed the large cast of 26 brilliantly, drawing the best out of each one. Rachel Manley portrayed a lovely queen-to-be for Kieran McPhillips's funny king, while her maid (Pippa Dadd) raised smiles throughout. The two old witches, Helen Sharman and Diane Alexander, created lots of humour, while the band of artisans led by Tom Curtis as blacksmith were hilarious. It's amazing what talent our local am-dram groups possess and the quality of enjoyable entertainment they put on..."
http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/16397755.review-terry-pratchett-masterpiece-brought-to-life/
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
05) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
The Sir Terry Pratchett Book Club at Waterstones Leeds meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 6pm in the Cafe W coffee shop (in Waterstones), to discuss a Pratchett book. "Everyone is welcome, even if you have not read the book. There is no need to register – just come along."
The next meeting of the Sir Terry Pratchett Book Club will be on Tuesday 4th September at 6pm at Waterstones, 93-97 Albion Street, Leeds LS1 5JS. (phone 0113 244 4588). The September book under discussion will be Lords and Ladies.
*
The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), will be meeting a week earlier than usual, on Monday 3rd September from 7pm at the Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London, W2 1JQ. "We welcome anyone and everyone who enjoys Sir Terry's works, or quite likes them or wants to find out more. We have had many visitors from overseas who have enjoyed themselves and made new friends. The discussions do not only concern the works of Sir Terry Pratchett but wander and meander through other genres and authors and also leaping to TV and Film production. We also find time for a quiz."
The Drummers have a wonderfully entertaining August-which-took-place-in-July meet report, in a new style:
"Between holidays, day-trips, horrendous commutes and commuters, imaginary trains, real trains that Public Transport staff refuse to admit exist, train loos without any toilet paper, cycle races shutting down most of central London, the culture shock of the recently returned to London after several years living in For’n Parts and the complete absence/failure of air-con on Public Transport in 30+ degree heat, it was clear from very early on that everyone had valiantly fought their own battles with Cruel and Unusual Geography in recent days and the Public Transport that erratically attempted to cross it. Hence the inaugural faculty meeting of The Broken Drummers’ Department of Cruel and Unusual Geography was convened. Some sort of shared trauma support seemed to be in order... We were further disturbed by the appearance of Professor Evans’ alleged veggie-burger, which didn’t actually contain a veggie-burger, but instead appeared to contain the squashed head of Cthulhu in an alarmingly bright pink bap. The Monkey Puzzle clearly have a new chef, who could well benefit from some Dried Frog Pills. In order to recover from the trauma of our respective journeys, public transport designed by B.S. Johnson and inexplicably coloured baps, we gave up on ordering alcohol by the glass and switched to ordering by the jug. Large jugs of Pimms to be precise, which went down very well indeed. Professor Taylor was moved to comment that she was glad that Professor Evans, who was doing the pouring at the time, had such a lovely pair of jugs..."
To read the entire report in its beautiful new document form – definitely worth it! – go to https://bit.ly/2w2XwrD [NB: You have to be signed in to Facebook to see it. Thanks to Mss CS for the info – Ed.]
For more information, email BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/55107511411/permalink/10156634038566412/
*
Canberra, Australia's Discworld fan group is Drumknott's Irregulars: "The group is open to all, people from interstate and overseas are welcome, and our events will not be heavily themed. Come along to dinner for a chat and good company. We welcome people from all fandoms (and none) and we would love to see you at one of our events, even if you're just passing through. Please contact us via Facebook (_https://www.facebook.com/groups/824987924250161/_) or Google Groups (_https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars_) or join us at our next event."
*
For Facebook users in Fourecks: The Victorian Discworld Klatch is "a social group for fans of Discworld and Terry Pratchett... run by a dedicated team who meet monthly and organise events monthly." "If you'd like to join our events please ask to join the Klatch."
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch
*
"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)" is a public Facebook meeting group: "This group, by request of Jo in Bear will continue to be used for future unofficial (not run by the Emporium) fan Gatherings in Wincanton. Look here for information."
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. We also attend opening night at Brisbane Arts Theatre's Discworld plays." The Partisans currently have about 200 members who meet at least twice a month, usually in Brisbane.
For more info about their next meetup, join up at https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au
*
The City of Small Gods is a group for fans in Adelaide and South Australia: "We have an established Terry Pratchett & Discworld fan group in Adelaide called The City of Small Gods, which is open to anyone who would like to come – you don't have to live in Adelaide or even South Australia, or even be a Discworld fan, but that's mostly where our events will be held, and we do like discussing Pratchett's works. Our (semi-) regular meetings are generally held on the last Thursday of the month at the Caledonian, 219 O'Connell St North Adelaide. We have dinner at 6.30pm followed by games until 9pm. The games are usually shorter games like Pairs, Sushi Go, or Tiny Epic Defenders, with the occasional Werewolf session, as these are the best sort of games that work in a pub setting. Every few months, we have a full day's worth of board games at La Scala Cafe, 169 Unley Rd, Unley in the function room starting at 10am. In addition, we will occasionally have other events to go and see plays by Unseen Theatre Company, book discussions, craft, chain maille or costuming workshops or other fun social activities."
The next CoSG events will be the Monthly Dinner at Seven Stars Hotel, 187 Angas Street, Adelaide (08) 8223 6879/(08) 8224 0003.
The CoSG also have another identity. Here's the skinny:
Round World Events SA Inc is a not-for-profit incorporated association whose aim is to run fun social Pratchett-themed events for people in South Australia. Our first major event was the Unseen University Convivium held in July 2012. We have also run three successful and booked out Science Fiction and Fantasy themed quiz nights named Quiz Long And Prosper, in 2013, 2014 and 2015! The association will run some events under the City of Small Gods banner, but you do not have to be a Round World Events SA member to be part of City of Small Gods. However, we are always on the look out for new members for Round World Events SA to help us organise future events! Membership is $20 a year (for Adelaide locals) or $5 a year (for those not quite so close) and has the following benefits:
A shiny membership certificate all of your very own
Discounted entry price to some of the events we run
A warm, fuzzy feeling deep down in your chest (no, not quite that deep)
For more information, or to join as a member, please email RoundWorldEventsSA@gmail.com
www.cityofsmallgods.org.au
*
The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 6th September (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 7th September (possibly) at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"
*
The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists, a Pratchett fangroup, has been meeting on a regular basis since 2005. The Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, to discuss "all things Pratchett" as well as having quizzes and raffles. Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum:
http://www.discworldstamps.co.uk/forum/
*
Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet next on Monday 3rd September (possibly) at 6.30pm in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney 2000. For more information, contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk
*
The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meet next on Monday 3rd September (possibly) from 5.30pm at Carpe Cafe, 526 Murray Street, Perth, Western Australia. For details follow Perth Drummers on Twitter @Perth_Drummers or join their Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
06) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
Blogger Filip Magnus considers Small Gods:
"Some of the Pratchett books I most appreciate start ever-so-slow, only to explode in a storm of brilliant humour, ideas worth contemplation, and so much more. Moving Pictures was one such book, and Small Gods is another. Regardless of the time it took me to get into it, once I did, I devoured it with reckless abandon. My favourite part of the book has to be the bit in Ephebe, where thousands of toga-wearing, wine-drinking philosophers have a lark on each other’s expense, argue, even come to blows. I showed my uncle (a philosophy professor) a good few pages about the philosophers’ stance on gods, and we shared a good laugh, too! I have to bow down to Sir Terry once again. His sharp skewering of organised religion was both thought-provoking and funny to no end. And Even as my smile fades, the ideas take root, and they flourish..."
https://filip-magnus-writes.blog/2018/08/15/small-gods-a-discworld-review/
Blogger Lit Alley muses on Good Omens:
"I enjoy reading Good Omens, written by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, about the end of the world. I would say 'enjoyed' but I have read it in the past and plan to read it again in the future. It is a funny book, I particularly enjoy the thought of the demon Crowley admonishing his house plants with the threat of hell in order to make them grow but it is also deadly serious in parts, demonstrating an excellent understanding of human nature. I do have some problems with the book, however, notably with the pop-culture references, characters and the climax. My first problem is more of a personal one. I do not like pop culture references. I think they’re very tacky, can date a book and even hamper it from aging well. They also take me out of an otherwise skilfully created narrative and drop me right back in the real world. There aren't a lot of them in Good Omens but there are enough that I noticed them and found them distracting. The novel would be vastly improved with the removal of the Star Wars references... In Good Omens Crowley and Aziraphale are my favourite characters but they seem to disappear around the middle of the book and reappear at the end. This is where my problems with the characters start. I feel there are just too many of them who aren’t quite fleshed out well enough or have enough of an impact on the plot to justify their existence in the story. This is especially glaring in a novel by Pratchett and Gaiman and my attention wavers a bit at these points..."
https://litalley.wordpress.com/2018/08/14/good-omens-a-review/
Blogger Thomas Ricken35's Pratchett-inspired "laws of the library" is interesting:
"In tribute to Alberto Manguel and the late, great Terry Pratchett, here is my humorous attempt to do something a bit scientific and funny, hopefully at the same time. Ladies, gentlemen and book lovers, I give you the Laws of Thermodynamics – Rewritten for Libraries
B = The Number of Books Currently Owned
S = The Number of Shelves Available in Which to House Them
The First Law of Book Thermodynamics – In all cases, B is greater than S (B >S)
The Second Law of Book Thermodynamics – In an isolated system (houses and libraries), S always tends towards zero
The Third Law of Book Thermodynamics – S probably can’t be increased without damaging the building
The Fourth Law of Book Thermodynamics – B can reach zero, but why on earth would you want it to?
There is also a rumoured Fifth Law of Book Thermodynamics which is:
‘S is greater than B (S > B) if, and only if, the reader enters the next life, or as it is sometimes known, the Great Celestial Library in the Sky (GCLITS)..."
https://listfulofhorrors.wordpress.com/2018/08/14/the-laws-of-the-library/
Blogger Jessica A. at the Danville Public Library recommends Guards! Guards! for Pratchett newbies:
"Pratchett’s Discworld series can be split into various sub-series, which is why every single Discworld fan will have a different opinion on where new readers should start the series. As the first book featuring the City Watch, Guards! Guards! is often cited as a good starting point. Here we meet Captain Vimes of the Night Watch for the first time, begrudgingly trying to become sober so he can solve this ruddy dragon problem, because no one, not even a dragon, goes and destroys half the City and gets away with it. The rest of the Night Watch is made up of two rank and file men and one new recruit: a six and a half foot tall dwarf (he was adopted by dwarves) who takes thing very seriously and very literally. Vimes consults the indomitable Lady Sybil Ramkin who raises swamp dragons. If you enjoy tales of dragons and heirs to the throne, detective stories, political intrigue, or humorous fantasy, then you will find something to enjoy in this book..."
https://danvillelibrary.wordpress.com/2018/08/07/book-review-guards-guards-by-terry-pratchett/
Blogger Madame Writer's spoilery review of Hogfather:
"The plot makes no sense, many questions are left unanswered, and no one is sure who is who or what is what. But that, of course, is the brilliance of Pratchett. I loved this book, both for the unique humor and the intriguing world... The characters are, by far, the best part of this book. Susan is understandable, grounded, and yet quirky. I like her mostly because she brings sense to the nonsensical world. She is logical while also open-minded to understanding the magical side of Discworld. In fact, I think she is my favorite protagonist is the Discworld series (at least, of the books I’ve read). Not only is she Death’s granddaughter, giving her ties to the mystical parts of the world, but she is also trying to live a normal life as a nanny to two ordinary children, giving us a glimpse into the more human elements of the world. In a sense, she is a go-between for us, the readers. Death himself is a personal favorite character of mine, and he is especially hilarious in this book. Most of the books only feature a rare glimpse of him, but in this one he is much more front and center. .."
https://madamewriterblog.com/2018/08/06/book-review-the-hogfather-by-terry-pratchett/
Here's one well worth an action replay – blogger Simon Hackett's excellent and iconograph-laden remembrance of Sir Pterry receiving his honorary degree from the University of South Australia:
"I was fortunate to be a member of a group that visited Sir Terry Pratchett at his home, to present him with his tenth honorary doctorate (and his first from Australia). The degree, from the University of South Australia (UniSA), was bestowed by the Vice-Chancellor and President of UniSA, Professor David Lloyd. He was accompanied by Nigel Relph (UniSA Deputy Vice-Chancellor, International and Advancement). Also present today was friend (and fellow EV enthusiast) Robert Llewellyn. Sir Terry finds it harder to travel long distances these days, so David and Nigel clocked up the air miles instead, bringing the degree ceremony to him. The award ceremony was recorded, along with an oration from Sir Terry (delivered in conjunction with his business manager, Rob Wilkins). Those recordings will be played at the UniSA graduate ceremony that will be held later this year. Sir Terry’s home is full of wonderful books and artefacts. It feels, appropriately, like a little corner of Discworld..."
https://simonhackett.com/2014/05/28/doctor-sir-terry-pratchett
Blogger Reading Bug's review of Mort:
"One of the things readers of the Discworld novels know is that Sir Terry was a bit of a philosopher. He had important insights into the way the world works, and shared them with us through the medium of humour. ‘Mort’ includes plenty of examples of this, because there are few more serious or profound issues to meditate on than death itself (or indeed, Death himself)... Sir Terry’s insights range across all of life’s big issues, and most of the small ones... Pratchett’s 'and they all lived happily ever after' endings can sometimes feel a bit forced, but the resolution to this clash is well managed, and well, they all live happily ever after. If Death can’t adjust reality just a tweak to make matters right, then who can? The old universe (in which the Princess dies) becomes a wedding present which will expand into another universe once the current one dies. Which I thought was rather neat..."
https://readingbug2016.wordpress.com/2018/07/26/mort-by-terry-pratchett-1987/
...and of Equal Rites:
"‘Equal Rites’ is different in kind. It introduces the extraordinary, imperious Granny Weatherwax –‘I’m not a lady, I’m a witch’. This is going to sound like hyperbole, but if Terry Pratchett had not written about any other character his place in the pantheon of great writers would have been secured by his portrait of Granny Weatherwax. She is funny and kind and clever and wise and respected and seems almost a real person. Pratchett’s theory of magic – that a large part of it is in the head of the person on whom the magic is being performed – ‘headology’ – is cleverer than any system of runes mana or potions you find in other fantasy series... The ending of the novel is one of its weaker features – there is never any real sense of peril or doubt that Esk and Simon will escape unharmed from the Dungeon Dimensions – but who reads Pratchett novels for their plot..."
https://readingbug2016.wordpress.com/2018/07/23/equal-rites-by-terry-pratchett-1987/
Blogger Pages Below the Vaulted Sky is participating in the Pratchett readathon (as mentioned last month in this section) and has started at the beginning of the Discworld series:
"There are two things I learned from reading this book: 1) I can see why people say that the first couple of books in the series can be skipped. 2) I liked the film adaption (part one, at least) better than the book. Yes, go ahead and pelt me with all your rotten vegetables, but at least the movie had the charm of Sean Astin and a powerhouse cast of Jeremy Irons, Tim Curry, and Christopher Lee... But here’s the thing: there’s something oddly comforting about how underwhelming this book is. It shows that even legends like Terry Pratchett have to start from somewhere. They all have their rough foundation from which they have to improve on, because people aren’t born from the womb oozing genius talent–it’s a product of a lot of hard work and a willingness to learn. ..."
https://pagesbelowvaultedsky.wordpress.com/2018/07/23/review-the-colour-of-magic-discworld-1-the-readathon-commences/
Blogger Didi Oviatt, also doing the Pratchett readathon, had a very different – and awestruck! – reaction to tCoM. In fact, I would say that she *gets* it as most of us who started way back at the beginning of its publishing history did, without any later works to hold it up to:
"This book is so utterly unique that it’s borderline genius… but in a wonky way. I’m almost embarrassed to admit that it’s taken my entire 33 years of life to actually get started on reading the late legendary Terry Pratchett. When I agreed to jump into a Discworld review a month group, I was secretly excited to have an excuse to read such a HUGE series. I think that’s why I’ve always put it off, because honestly who has the time for the kind of commitment? Being the ‘blame it on someone else’ type of human I am… I saw this very excuse as an opportunity. I’m also excited that you don’t necessarily need to read all of the Discworld books in order either, so that if I need to skip a month I totally can... From cover to cover the story is lighthearted fun, and the humor is fresh. The setting is most definitely one of a find. It’s like this medley of typical fantasy references that have been blended and flipped into far fetched places and random events. There’s magic, awkwardness, fun chaos, witty banter, and even close calls that leave your head spinning. I’m so excited to keep on a trucking along with the Discworld series! I’ve heard that the books only get better and better which has my curiosity running in circles!
https://didioviatt.wordpress.com/2018/07/23/read-a-thon-terry-pratchett-review-1-the-color-magic-discworld-book-1/
...and readathon instigator The Bookworm Drinketh is of an opinion in between:
"This book is so nostalgic to me! Sadly, I almost rated it a 3.5 though just because it’s only the first novel.. but that world building!! No one can build a world as intricate as Sir Terry Pratchett. He came up with EVERYTHING! The lay of the land from what the world is built on (The Great Turtle A’Tuin and a Disc held up by 4 Elephants), the Directions (Hubward, Rimward, Turnwise and Widdershins), and the way the seasons work… I’ll let you figure that one out yourselves…. mind. Blown. I think that I probably love this book more having read the whole series before in my life and, going back, seeing how much foreshadowing and build up there is for the rest of the series (anyone who DIDN’T like this book, remember that it gets SO MUCH BETTER! This is just the prequel to so much.)..."
https://thebookwormdrinketh.com/2018/07/23/terry-pratchett-read-a-thon-book-1-the-colour-of-magic/
Blogger Clyde Umney returns with a delighted discovery (that he had never read Witches Abroad):
"Witches Abroad was the 12th Discworld book, which means that coming to it late means going back to a Discworld where the Watch is still a bit of a joke, where Tiffany Aching has yet to emerge, and where so many of the social changes with regard to the less human creatures of the Disc had yet to occur. What it also meant was returning to a time when Terry Pratchett wasn’t quite using the series to explore profound truths like he would later. (It would hit that landmark in a big way in the next book, Small Gods.) That’s not to say that Pratchett had nothing to say here; Witches Abroad is fascinated by the power of stories in our lives, from urban legends to fairy tales, and how we so often use the power of stories to override sense and logic, throwing our lives and passion after a plot line that always works on paper. That’s rich fare, and if Pratchett would revisit it to some degree more effectively and powerfully in Hogfather, that doesn’t detract from the great ideas he’s tossing around here. But none of that really has any impact on just how much fun reading Witches Abroad is... And as always, it’s written in classic Pratchett style, with nary a sentence passing without a joke, a great aside, or a clever bit of phrasing. And why play a scene normally when you can pack the book with silliness, including what it’s like when animals become people, the divide between magic and just messing with people’s heads, a few surprisingly racy double entendres, and what it means to be 'foreign'..."
https://clydeumney.wordpress.com/2018/07/24/witches-abroad-by-terry-pratchett/
Blogger Talking About Games on Raising Steam:
"First and foremost, Pratchett has a unique way with words. He can tell a story by switching which character he is following at any paragraph. Provided you get through his frequent wordplay, he writes well enough to limit confusion, even through the narrator switching who he is following. His writing uses lots of humorous elements. These include puns, rhyming, alliteration, funny sounding words, unique character names, and pretty much any sort of wordplay that tickles his fancy. There are some real gems of the sort in his books. Even so, some of the wordplay does fall a little flat from time to time, but it is rarely disruptive as he uses it throughout the books I have read... Even though the book can be funny, there is a fair amount of insight concerning the creation of locomotion, social changes, and yes even racial relations. Since this book takes place in a medieval fantasy world, race is handled metaphorically by humans, dwarfs, goblins, trolls, and the occasional gnome. I am also surprised at how well Pratchett describes how trains work and impact the world around it. In a lot of ways, it feels like I traveled back in time to see how people reacted to seeing a train for the first time. I could even see the thought process of how Moist figured out what kind of help needed to be hired so a train system could work in a realistic fashion. It is clear that Terry Pratchett did his homework..."
https://talkingaboutgames.blog/2018/07/17/book-review-raising-steam-by-terry-pratchett/
Blogger Casandra aka Queen of Backlogs considers Cheery Littlebottom's feminism:
"It took me a long time to understand Cheery’s insistence on expressing her femininity. Why, I thought, take that risk? It didn’t help that her first attempts at expressing it are the butt of the joke. While the characters never explicitly ridicule her for it, it’s clear from the text that they *think* she looks ridiculous and are just being nice by not laughing in her face. But such is the strength of Cheery’s conviction that she keeps going and as she finds her own style the jokes disappear. It’s important to note that while the narration might have laughed at her, the fact remains that her colleagues didn’t. They consistently take her side, they lend her lipsticks, they give her pointers, most of all they give her the space to find herself. With their support Cheery becomes one of the front runners of the Dwarfish feminist movement. Slowly more feminine dwarfs show themselves, though they still face conservative opposition. Many moderate dwarfs consider them radicals, rocking the boat too much, pushing for too much too quickly. The further they push, the harsher the opposition grows. Nothing like people trying to claim a space for themselves to really bring out the bigots. The Fifth Elephant, Thud! and Raising Steam all have plots revolving around conservative dwarfs attempting to stage a coup against their more progressive government. With the acceptance of female dwarfs becoming one of the big fighting points after the Low King welcomes the openly feminine Cheery at the end of The Fifth Elephant. While it’s satisfying to see these alt-right dwarfs be defeated time and again, even though in a depressingly realistic way they never truly disappear, what really resonated with me was Cheery’s personal journey... I’ve progressed a lot in my understanding of feminism since I first read these novels. Re-reading all of the Discworld novels in order last year, I was struck by a difference between this fight for women’s rights and the one so often portrayed in media. Many empowering tales of women focus on women breaking into male spaces. If there’s one token chick in an all male action team, you can bet that she’s Not Like The Other Girls. The female dwarfs on the other hand are already fully present in male spaces. Their fight is to be allowed to express femininity..."
https://casandara.wordpress.com/2018/07/22/the-radical-femininity-of-cheery-littlebottom/
...as does blogger The Mad Scientist's Lab:
"Terry Pratchett’s Discworld universe is a kooky, mischievous place known for its love of wackiness and word-play. Beneath this layer lies a witty political commentary. From folklore to religion to activism to gender, Pratchett leaves no stone unturned, parodying each of these popular elements of society and many more to the delight of his readers. In Feet of Clay, his commentary on gender, amongst many other topics, is particularly visible. Even better, it makes itself known through an exploration of supernatural gender in the guise of Corporal Cheri Littlebottom... Because the way that dwarves present their gender is uniform, all dwarves are assumed to be male. Here, we see Butler and Wittig’s argument that 'to be "sexed" is always a way of becoming particular and relative, and males within this system participate in the form of the universal person.' (Butler, 154) In order to mark herself as a gendered being, Cheri has to distance herself from the anonymity of masculinity, Cheri embodies that way in which the female gender is invented as an alternate from the male, rather than some sort of innate truth..."
https://themadscientistslab.wordpress.com/2018/07/22/feet-of-clay-masks-of-paint-monstrous-gender-part-ii/
And finally... I try to include less than enthusiastic reviews here – not always just the adoring ones – but sometimes one comes across a blog reviewer whose thought processes are so disconnected from any reasonable reality that mocking them feels like the right thing to do. So let me say here that blogger Reading Rampant is an idiot. Worse yet, it appears to be a generally articulate and educated idiot (worst kind, in my opinion). But as this particular idiot appears to be one of the only readers in the entire multiverse who passionately dislikes Good Omens for reasons other than some sort of fundamentalist religion left-ear staring – and calls it a "Mary Sue book", proving that it has no idea what the term Mary Sue means – I'm including this review. Oh, and for the record, I forced myself to read many of its other reviews, in case this one was a bizarre one-off. It's not; among other brain-breakers, it complains that the Patrick Melrose novels (a thinly disguised personal memoir of addiction, in case any of you weren't familiar with it) are lacking in plot! Dearie dearie me:
"All you need to know about this book is said in the afterward[sic] by Terry Pratchett: '…one day [Neil] sent me about six pages of a short story and said he didn’t know how it continued, and I didn’t either, and about a year later I took it out of the drawer and did see what happened next, even if I couldn’t see how it all ended yet, and we wrote it together and that was Good Omens.' Good Omens started out as a short story. It has a really, really cool concept and…well that’s about it. A good concept is all you need for a short story. For a novel, you need considerably more in the way of character relationships and sub-plots to keep the story from stagnating. Yes, this book has them, but nothing unexpected happens. Reading the first chapter, I could tell how the book was going to turn out, and I was entirely right. That’s about the worst thing that can be said about a book..."
https://readingrampant.wordpress.com/2018/08/02/good-omens-by-neil-gaiman-and-terry-pratchett/
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
07) ROUNDWORLD TALES: CHALK... AND *THE* CHALK
Chalk is a commonplace mineral, yet it is found in very few places on Roundworld.
Composed mainly of calcite, an ionic salt best known as calcium carbonate (CaCO3), chalk was formed from the shells of microscopic plankton (coccoliths) that drift to the sea floor to become a sub-oceanic ooze, which in its turn becomes compressed over the course of more than ninety million years – in other words, land under wave! Small amounts of soil and clay get mixed in, but the most notable "contaminant" in chalk is, yes, flint... perfect for the growing of a witch. And some of that flint gathered around echinoids (sea urchins), which during the long millennia silicified – exchanged each of their component molecules for one of the surrounding flint – to form... yes, shepherd's crowns (you won't be surprised to learn that The Author did his homework). As continents shifted and mountain ranges grew, some of the chalk layers, with their close-held treasures, rose above sea level and formed – yes, downlands, like The Chalk.
Chalk is more resistant to weathering (erosion) but eventually it does erode, giving birth to typical downland features: the rolling hills and gentle valleys of Tiffany
aching's steading. And when the downs meet the sea, the exposed chalk becomes a dazzlingly white cliffscape. Everyone knows of the White Cliffs of Dover, but take a look at these cliffs in Germany (_https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/bf/Kreidefelsen_Ruegen.jpg/800px-Kreidefelsen_Ruegen.jpg_) and Denmark (_https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/M%C3%B8ns_Klint_7.jpg/800px-M%C3%B8ns_Klint_7.jpg_) – rather a familiar look!
The Chalk Group is the name geologists give to the vast chalk deposits beneath southern England and parts of France, Germany and Denmark, which are all part of the same "stratigraphic unit" that was laid down during the late Cretaceous era. This vast bed of chalk encompasses landmarks including the White Cliffs of Dover, the Champagne region of France, Jasmund National Park in Germany and Møns Klint in Denmark. Some of the world's highest chalk cliffs can be found at Jasmund National Park – the Königsstuhl (King's Chair) is 118 metres high and Møns Klint measures 120 metres from cliff-tops to the sea; also, the surrounding area includes one of the highest points in Denmark, the 143-metre Aborrebjerg. Although there are other chalk deposits around Roundworld, such as the Austin Chalk in the Gulf Coast region of the United States, most of the world's chalk cliffs are found in Britain and mainland Europe, and downland is rather quintessentially English (or Discworldian).
Some chalk facts: chalk is used for making lime, cement, and fertiliser. Whiting, a form of finely ground, purified chalk, is used as a filler, extender, or pigment in ceramics, putty, cosmetics, crayons, plastics, rubber, paper, paints, and linoleum. The top countries known for exporting chalk are France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, China, Spain, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Australia – and finally, in tenth place, the UK.
A note for any blackboard monitors out there: blackboard chalk was originally made of mineral chalk, but in modern times it's more likely to be made of gypsum (calcium sulphate) because gypsum-based blackboard chalk costs less to produce; coloured chalks, like the ones we use to draw on pavements are almost always made of gypsum, while proper calcium-based chalk is now sold as "dustless chalk". So when we consider where the young Sam Vimes grew up (in Cockbill Street, one of the poorest area of Ankh-Morpork), the chances are overwhelming that the chalk he erased every day was *not* the same stuff Tiffany's homeland is made of!
Sources: various Wikipedia pages
https://www.britannica.com/science/chalk
https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/top-10-chalk-exporting-countries.html
http://all-geo.org/erratics/2011/05/chalk-is-weird/
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
A perfect Malicia Grim, from Riverwalk Theatre's recent production of TAMAHER:
https://bit.ly/2NWmr6J
...and the TAMAHER cast:
https://bit.ly/2AjVoQF
A preview iconograph from Unseen Theatre's forthcoming production of Eric:
http://unseen.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/IMG_1580-cropped1200.jpg
Paul Kidby's new masterpiece, for the cover of the Terry Pratchett: HisWorld exhibition companion book:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DjwfWvqXoAA8G31.jpg
...and one of my favourite photos of Sir Pterry. By Simon Hackett, this was taken when The Author received his University of South Australia degree. Note the dignified robes and the corks-trimmed academician's hat: https://simonhackett.com/img_1680/
An exquisite photo for World Orangutan Day, from Melbourne Zoo:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dk6i16qX4AA8vP5.jpg
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
09) CLOSE
There was a World Orangutan Day very recently – although every day needs to be one such, for the sake of this threatened species of Librarians! – and Jane Goodall, better known for her amazing work with chimpanzees, wrote an orangutan-centric piece: http://news.janegoodall.org/2016/08/19/orangutans-humans-forest-losing-forest/
And that's it for August. Take care, and we'll see you next month!
– Annie Mac
ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The End. If you have any questions or requests, write: wossname-owner (at) pearwood (dot) info
Copyright (c) 2018 by Klatchian Foreign Legion
