Wossname – August 2019 – main issue
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wossnameWossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
August 2019 (Volume 22, Issue 8, Post 1)
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WOSSNAME is a free publication offering news, reviews, and all the other stuff-that-fits pertaining to the works of Sir Terry Pratchett. Originally founded by the late, great Joe Schaumburger for members of the worldwide Klatchian Foreign Legion and its affiliates, including the North American Discworld Society and other continental groups, Wossname is now for Discworld and Pratchett fans everywhere in Roundworld.
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Editor in Chief: Annie Mac
News Editor: Vera P
Newshounds: Mogg, Sir J of Croydon Below, the Shadow, Mss C, Alison not Aliss
Staff Writers: Asti, Pitt the Elder, Evil Steven Dread, Mrs Wynn-Jones
Staff 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)
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INDEX:
01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) ODDS AND SODS
04) MORE GOOD OMENS BITS AND BOBS
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
07) ROUNDWORLD TALES
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
09) CLOSE
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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
"I wrote the theme, they came up to my room, and I had that horrible moment when you have to play it for them and hope they don’t hate it. Neil just turned around and said, “Well, that’s Good Omens,” and I remember saying, “I’m glad you like it, because I haven’t got a Plan B.” From that point on, we were just flying."
– Good Omens score composer David Arnold on how the marvellous theme tune came to be
"You know, it's when people who proclaim themselves as "white supremacists" turn off Good Omens after the first few minutes, and then come on Twitter to tell me off, that I think sometimes a negative review is a marvelous and heartwarming thing.
– Neil Gaiman, on Twitter
"I don’t know how anyone could come to any conclusion other than that Aziraphale and Crowley are nonbinary, asexual partners who have been together and falling in love for over 6,000 years."
– web journalist S E Fleener
"Adam decides that instead of being the Antichrist, hurting and controlling his friends, and destroying the planet, he just wants to be a normal kid. He wants to be soft and playful and love his dog. He wants to be himself, not some monstrous dictator his friends fear. So, he rejects his biological father, Satan, calling the father who raised him his true dad. It’s a beautifully feminist moment that says we control our own fates – and demonstrates that not everyone would rather have power than love."
– ibid
"I just learned that Good Omens is on thenytbestsellers_ paperback list. I wish Terry was still here. Good Omens had never made it onto the NYT list in 30 years, and he would have been happy and, I think, satisfied."
– Neil Gaiman, well chuffed and rightly so, on Twitter
"Just to be clear (since I'm asked this a lot) I am not working on The Watch TV series, and haven't been for many years. The show is under the creative control of BBC Studios."
– Rhianna Pratchett diplomatically points out a certain distance between herself and this series
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02) A LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR
The August issue is a wee bit late this month, owing to yet more medical hijinks at the Fortress of Wossname: pneumonia struck the Other Half (he's much better now), and my long, slow recovery from a feral case of Official Aussie Flu means I've not been able to concentrate for long on collating and editing Wossname news (this is also my apology for any slips or glitches in this issue). For those of you in the parts of Roundworld who are now edging into Autumn, may I recommend that you get flu shots? I didn't, and am rather regretting it now...
A few quick mentions: Good Omens nominated for three categories in the Emmys (sadly not for any of the cast and crew), and Stephen Briggs has announced on Twitter that he has "now sent the texts for my dramatizations of 'Hogfather', 'Lords & Ladies' and 'Terry Pratchett: the Shakespeare Codex', to the publishers. If all goes according to their plan, those may get published around December."
And now, on with the show!
– Annie Mac, Editor
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03) ODDS AND SODS
3.0 A CASTING FOR THE WATCH
An "exclusive" from Deadline.com:
"The Watch, BBC America’s eight-episode series based on Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, has cast its first main character. British actor Adam Hugill (Pennyworth) has landed one of the lead roles in the series, playing Carrot. Described as a 'punk rock thriller' inspired by the City Watch subset of Discworld novels, the character-driven series centers on Pratchett’s misfit cops as they fight to save a ramshackle city of normalized wrongness from both the past and future in a perilous quest..."
https://deadline.com/2019/08/the-watch-bbc-america-series-terry-pratchett-discworld-adam-hugill-cast-carrot-1202707717/
3.1a PRATCHETT HACKED IN DUBLIN
Exciting news from Trinity College Dublin:
"The Pratchett Project team at Trinity College Dublin is organising a hackathon to get fans of Terry Pratchett involved in the research they are doing. In this full-day event, you're invited to bring your laptop to Trinity to get to grips with some quantitative research on the publication history of Pratchett's work around the world. You don't need to be a Pratchett fan to come along. Anybody with an interest in digital humanities will enjoy this. The day will also feature interviews with some special guests who worked closely with Pratchett during his life, and you will have the chance to ask your questions too! Registration is free, but places are limited. So booking is a must. This event is going to be popular. So make sure you get your ticket early!"
When: Saturday 21st September 2019
Venue: Trinity Long Room Hub, College Green, Dublin 2
Time: 10am – 5pm
Tickets: free; to register for tickets, go to https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/terry-pratchett-hackathon-tickets-62640704032 and click on the green Register button
3.1b ...AND FOUND IN TRANSLATION
Another event at TCD in the same week!
"In celebration of the European Day of Languages, join us for an exploration of how comic fantasy author, Terry Pratchett's famous discworld novels are translated. This event, organised by EUNIC (European Union National Institutes for Culture) and Trinity Centre for Literary and Cultural Translation, and generously supported by ESSE (European Society for the Study of English), will focus on the plays on words that run throughout Pratchett's Discworld series. We will be joined by many of Pratchett's translators, to discuss how each one of them tackled the same challenges in their own languages. We are inviting Pratchett translators working in the following languages:
French (trans. Patrick Couton)
Hungarian (Anikó Sohár)
Polish (Piotr W. Cholewa)
Spanish (María Ferrer)
In this event, our discussion will focus on translating the comedy and plays on words found in Pyramids. Admittance is free, but booking a seat is a must."
When: Thursday, 26th September 2019
Venue: Examinations Hall, Trinity College Dublin
Time: 6pm – 7.30pm
Tickets: free; to register for tickets, go to https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/pratchett-translated-tickets-63435853345?aff=efbeventtix and click on the green Register button
3.2 TROLL BRIDGE IN FOURECKS... AND BEYOND
Snowgum Films' long-awaited film "Troll Bridge" is having its Adelaide premiere in September, presented by the City of Small Gods Terry Pratchett Fan Club: "See Terry Pratchett's Discworld brought to life on the big screen in this epic fan film lovingly created by Snowgum Films. This is your only opportunity to see Troll Bridge on the big screen in Adelaide, so don't miss out!" Also on the bill is "Run, Rincewind Run!", the now-legendary Discworld Convention fan film. Any profits from the screening will be donated to the Women's and Children's Hospital Foundation.
When: 21st September 2019
Venue: Mercury Cinema, 13 Morphett St, Adelaide, South Australia 5000
Time: 7:30pm
Tickets: $17 plus booking fee via Book Now button on https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?embed&eid=524929 or $20 at the door
Some other showings around Australia include Canberra Short Film Festival (15th September, details/booking at _https://www.csff.com.au/_), Oz Comic Con in Sydney (28th September, details/booking at _https://ozcomiccon.com/sydney/_), and Brisbane International Film Festival (13th October, details/booking at _https://biff.com.au/event/troll-bridge/_). There are also various international screenings; for more details, go to:
http://www.trollbridge.film/screenings
3.3 THE MERCH CORNER
Editor's note: I'm hoping to get the first item for Hogswatch, and already have the second one so I can recommend it wholeheartedly. The stamps are beautiful and elegantly presented, and the included receipt from the Thieves' Guild was a nice touch.
* The Mended Drum Jigsaw Puzzle
A definite must-have! In riotous colour, midway between Kidby and Kirby in style (and not quite like Player or Simonetti or McLaren but on a continuinuuinuum that contains all the great Discworld artists), David Wyatt's illustrations bring the Drum to wonderful life "Our Fiendishly Difficult Discworld Jigsaw puzzle packs as much punch as the clientele of Ankh-Morpork's notorious tavern, and contains more bits and pieces than the chunder on the cobbles – it’ll make you so drunk with puzzlement you may need a Klatchian coffee to sober up again afterwards! In our third Discworld puzzle illustrated by David Wyatt, you'll spot a host of familiar faces from Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, such as Sgt. Angua of the City Watch, Rincewind, the Luggage, Lu-Tze and the Librarian, amid a melting pot of the glod, the bad and the ugly of Ankh-Morpork - it really is a pub with personality! Each puzzle includes a fold out poster to assist your puzzling endeavours and is presented in a splendid illustrated ledger box that will look right at home on your bookshelves."
Each Mended Drum Jigsaw Puzzle is rated "mildly fiendish", measures approximately 70 x 50cm when completed (puzzle box measures 20.5 x 25.6 x 6.3cm), and is priced at £19.50 plus shipping. For more information and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/games-toys/556-the-mended-drum-jigsaw-puzzle
There is also an interesting blog entry about the process of creating this puzzle: "The Drum has been a fixture of Discworld since the very beginning, and although it’s undergone one or two notable… renovations… it remains the tavern of choice for the Glod, the bad and the ugly of Morporkian society. From The Colour of Magic, when the Broken Drum had to hire Detritus as a splatter (like a bouncer, but trolls use more force) to its last appearance in Going Postal when a group of seasoned brawlers are seen discussing the finer points of fight choreography, the Drum has withstood time and narrative, its characterful clientele and their exploits remain just as fervent. We wanted to cram in as many details and allusions as possible, spanning the depth and breadth of the Drum's illustrious history. With that in mind, should you choose to avail yourself of this piece, we challenge you to spot the following familiar faces and devilish details from Ankh-Morpork’s favourite pub... A Wizzard, CMOT Dibbler, Death, Cohen the Barbarian, Dotsie and Sadie the Agony Aunts, Sgt. Angua, The Librarian, The Dean, The Senior Wrangler, Adora Belle Dearheart, Foul Ole Ron, Lu-Tze the Sweeper Gaspode the Wonder Dog, The Luggage, Igor, Reg Shoe, The head of the Thieves' Guild, A certain author's black hat, A fool, An Assassin, A Vampire, Goblins, A Troll, Dwarfs, The Band With Rocks In poster, A Game of Thud, A Swamp Dragon, and advert for Vimes’ cigar of choice, An Iconograph, The Ankh-Morpork times, Someone who should ‘learn the words’, at least four Discworld beers..."
Do read the whole piece: https://www.discworldemporium.com/blog/illustrating-the-mended-drum-n8
* The Going Postal 15th Anniversary Minisheet
Another must-have, in living colour! "A limited edition minisheet of stamps featuring a stunning new portrait of The Creator himself, Sir Terry Pratchett, in celebration of fifteen flatelic years of Going Postal and Discworld Stamps! To mark such a milestone year we commissioned a very special portrait of Terry by stamp artist and master of technical illustration Brian Delf. Terry's noble profile features on this exquisite limited edition Anniversary Minisheet featuring fifteen 'Penny Pratchett' stamps in various birthday colourways. presented in a presentation cover featuring Terry's portrait embossed in silver. Traditionally printed on authentic gummed stamp paper & perforated by hand." And you want to be quick about ordering this one, as it's a limited edition of only 300!
Each Minisheet measures 77 x 157mm (presentation cover measures 90 x 170mm) and is priced at £15. For more information and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/discworld-stamps/577-discworld-stamps-anniversary-minisheet
3.4 DISCWORLD AND BEYOND IN NORTHERN IRELAND
Paul Kidby's Discworld & Beyond touring exhibition will be opening in Co. Antrim next month!
"The beautifully realised paintings and drawings feature many of Paul’s favourite characters including Rincewind, the Wee Free Men and, of course, Death along with a host of witches, wizards, dragons and trolls. It also reveals some of Paul’s own work from his Charmed Realm collection, a book created by Paul and his wife Vanessa of myth and faerie influenced by British folklore and landscapes. All his illustrations are marked by a staggering quality of draughtsmanship and effective use of colour; bright for the book covers and muted shades for his faerie paintings. The exhibition brings to life the quirky characters and trademark humour of Sir Terry’s books. Paul said, '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!'"
When: 6th September 2019–31st October 2019
Venue: Larne Museum & Arts Centre, 2 Victoria Road, Larne, County Antrim, BT40 1RN
Time: Monday through Friday, 10am–4.30pm. The Museum is also open on one Saturday per month – for more information, ring 028 28 262443 or email marian.kelso@midandeastantrim.gov.uk
Tickets: free entry
https://www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk/things-to-do/museums-arts/larne-museum-and-arts-centre
https://www.paulkidby.com/event/discworld-beyond-a-paul-kidby-retrospective/
Editor's note: the exhibition also includes a one-time free screening of Troll Bridge on Saturday 7th September at 3pm. For more details, go to https://www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk/events/screening-of-troll-bridge
3.5 WHEN STICKS AND BUCKETS ATTACK!
In the runner-up for Weird Link of the Month (see item 3.6 below), The Wild Hunt, a "Modern Pagan News & Commentary" site, described a London protest march... by Morris dancers! From Liz Williams:
"Furious Morris dancers are planning a march on Parliament this month in order to protest about a proposed Bank Holiday switch by the British government. Currently, the May bank holiday is the focus of a number of celebrations: political, seasonal and social. May 1st is Beltane, celebrated in a number of ways by Britain’s Pagans and others – it is the scene of festivities around the country – but it also coincides with International Workers’ Day. However, there is now a proposal to scrap this ‘early’ May holiday and replace it with one on the following Friday... This change has been met with dismay by groups around the country, who have already established festivities on the earlier date. Some of these are very extensive, such as the Sweeps Festival in Rochester. This is a big event: Morris dancers, folk-art and live music attract an estimated 150,000 people and generates £60 million for the local economy. The Morris sides, in particular, are not happy about the proposed alteration... Mel Barnett from Medway’s Wolf’s Head and Vixen dancers (a Morris side well known to pagans in the UK as they often appear at Beltane and Samhain events) says, 'We are passionate about Sweeps. It is the highlight of our calendar. This switch could be disastrous for us.'..."
https://wildhunt.org/2019/07/morris-dancers-march-on-uk-parliament.html
3.6 WEIRD LINK OF THE MONTH: PERCEIVING OCTARINE IN ROUNDWORLD
A fascinating piece about "the colour of magic in office design", by Mark Eltringham for Workplace Insight:
~In the Discworld series of novels, the author Terry Pratchett introduces us to the colour of magic. He calls it octarine, a sort of greenish purple, described as ‘the undisputed pigment of the imagination’. It’s all fanciful but, in fact, such unseeable colours exist for the human eye. They are seemingly invisible to us most of the time because of the limitations of our vision and not just because they exist outside of the usual visible spectrum. Compared to many other animals, the typical human eye is only capable of perceiving light across a narrow band of wavelengths of somewhere between 390 and 750 nanometers. That is why we cannot see in certain bands of the infrared and ultra-violet spectrum. Yet there are other colours that exist within this range but which we are usually physically unable to perceive for most of the time. These are what researchers call the forbidden colours, which we tend to describe in relation to other colours, although that does not do them justice because it suggests they are in some way comparable to the tones and colour mixes with which we are familiar..."
https://workplaceinsight.net/the-colour-of-magic-in-office-design/
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04) MORE GOOD OMENS BITS AND BOBS
4.1. GOOD OMENS SOUNDTRACK NOW AVAILABLE!
As you know well by now, your Editor flatly refuses to post any links to the company of a certain Evil Internet-based Villain of Commerce-related Global Domination, so here are some alternate sellers who can help you with your purchases...
On vinyl:
From Recordstore (UK): "Composer David Arnold’s soundtrack to the highly anticipated TV adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s 1990 comic fable makes its debut on vinyl. Amazon Prime's six episode mini-series follows the odd couple, angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and demon Crowley (David Tennant) in their quest to sabotage the end of the World, delivering a tongue in cheek adaptation of this powerful and funny story. From David Arnold, the award-winning composer of Sherlock and Casino Royale, comes a soundtrack that perfectly complements Good Omens’ drama and visual sensibilities. At times nostalgic and eerie but always varied, beautiful and full of excitement, this robust, yet funny music entity has become another character in the story. Here, Arnold has created a contemporary soundworld for heaven and hell. Tori Amos performs A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square as a closing song."
The Limited Edition Heavenly Blue & Hellish Red Double Vinyl package is priced at £23.99. To order, go to https://bit.ly/2zpB7pw
The vinyl set is also available from Norman Records, who say "Good Omens has that Stranger Things/Sabrina vibe to it where it’s kind of spooky and kind of campy at the same time, and Arnold’s compositions really add to the effect. Nice stuff with a hint of the Harry Potters about it. Silva Screen are the ones responsible for putting the music on wax." Priced at £24.49 with a shipping cost of £4.50, the link for purchase is https://bit.ly/342Y00j
On CD:
From Hello Merch (USA): "Following the odd couple, angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and demon Crowley (David Tennant) in their quest to sabotage the end of the World. Amazon Prime’s six episode miniseries delivers a tongue in cheek adaptation of this powerful and funny story. From the Award-winning composer of Sherlock and Casino Royale comes a soundtrack that perfectly complements the Good Omens’ drama and visual sensibilities. At times nostalgic and eerie but always varied, beautiful and full of excitement, this robust, yet funny music entity has become another character in the story. Here, Arnold has created a contemporary soundworld for heaven and hell."
The two-CD set includes all 62 tracks from the series and is priced at US$25. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.hellomerch.com/products/good-omens-soundtrack-cd
Also note that Silva Screen offer the entire soundtrack for streaming or download, if you don't want to wait for physical copies!
http://www.silvascreen.com/good-omens-soundtrack-now-available/
...and for those of you who prefer your theme music "DIY", here be a free download of the theme tune from beckyy on Musescore:
https://musescore.com/user/7649801/scores/5607410
4.2 REVIEWS
A review of the original novel, by Colin Steele in the Canberra Times:
"Good Omens, published in 1990, is a cult classic. It has sold over five million copies and is now an Amazon/ BBC television series scripted by Neil Gaiman, who wrote in 2006 that 'the book is a funny novel about the end of the world and how are all going to die'. But it is not just a great story. It is a book of Swiftian satire infused with an ultimate belief in the essential decency of human nature... The new hardback edition comes with 12 full-colour illustrations of the characters in the TV series and five black and white line drawings by long time Pratchett Illustrator Paul Kidby. Michael Sheen is the prudish, antiquarian bookseller angel, Aziraphale and David Tennant the cynical, yet softhearted, Bentley driving, demon Crowley... The satire and humour of Good Omens is as vibrant as ever, as indeed are issues like climate change... My signed copy of the first edition of Good Omens, with annotations by Pratchett and Gaiman, now resides in the rare book collection of the University of Sydney Library. It was interesting, in their separate Meet the Author events in Canberra, how they jousted over their role in the writing of Good Omens. Gaiman recounts, in the Foreword, bizarre happenings with fans at book signings, including one fan who had his arm signed and returned half an hour later to show the inflamed ink signature tattooed by a nearby parlour..."
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6280637/terry-pratchetts-good-omens-is-still-a-classic/
An articulate review of the Good Omens miniseries by blogger Theo Wolf:
"When it was announced earlier this year that the classic and “unfilmable” book was getting the television treatment it finally deserved, it seemed as big as TV news got... Michael Sheen and David Tennant shine as an angel and a demon on a comical campaign to keep the world from ending. Tennant’s portrayal of the demon Crowley, the sunglass-wearing angel who “did not so much Fall as Saunter Vaguely Downwards”, is absolutely superb. His performance is the perfect combination of swagger, eccentricity, and borderline drunkenness, which is reminiscent of Bill Nighy in Love Actually and, in my opinion, captured the character’s essence to a tee. Sheen too is wonderful, countering this bravado as the awkward and prudish angel Aziraphale. Both actors fully commit to their roles and it is hard to imagine better casting, not least because they gamely wear multiple silly costumes. The co-production between the BBC and Amazon also benefited from piquant performances by veteran actors. The great Bill Patterson is at his bemused best as the exasperated Mr. R. P. Tyler, and Derek Jacobi, no less, has a cameo as God’s Spokesman, Metatron (not to be confused with the leader of the Deceptions, an easy mistake to make if your name is Pepper Galadriel Moonchild). Michael McKean and Miranda Richardson are also supremely fun to watch as the aging witchfinder, Shadwell, and his accommodating landlady, Madame Tracy. Jon Hamm of Mad Men fame also nailed every fleeting moment he had as Aziraphale’s Armageddon-happy boss Gabriel. Although making only the occasional appearance, the show truly benefitted from his scenes. The third episode’s pre-credit scene, which showed the co-conspirators’ meetings through the ages, was quite possibly the show’s standout moment. The amusing sequence runs a stonking 30 minutes long and follows the pair from an early run-in as Noah is constructing his ark (where we learn why the unicorn no longer exist), through to a rendezvous during the French Revolution. It also treats viewers to the sight of Crowley hopping over consecrated ground to save his friend like a person walking barefoot on hot sand, this funny moment in their history was in many ways one of the most endearing of the show. The pre-credit scene also features three of the four League of Gentlemen (Jeremy Dyson was nowhere to be seen), which is never a bad thing... Good Omens proved to be a hugely enjoyable and imaginative premiere, which remained as true to Pratchett’s vision as I could have dared dream..."
https://theboar.org/2019/07/bbc-and-amazons-good-omens-review/
Good Omens as a feminist tract, by S E Fleenor on SyFywire:
"The satirical series has garnered intense reactions from audiences. In fact, according to USA Today, 15,000 people signed a petition to have the series canceled. (The petition has since been deleted.) Instead of addressing the actual platform for the series, Amazon, the petition was addressed to Netflix, which responded on Twitter, 'ok we promise not to make any more.' The people who signed the petition were upset by many things including what most of us would call representation in the series. After all, God is voiced by Frances McDormand – A WOMAN?!?! – and Adam and Eve are portrayed as the first humans would have been: as a Black couple. It is not surprising that trolls were infuriated by these concepts. One, in particular, took to Twitter to tell Gaiman off, not understanding how few f**** Gaiman gives.... Gaiman's works frequently feature feminist themes – which is not to say there aren’t also problematic elements – and seeing him make such a bold, progressive comment in response to vitriol only accentuates the series’ feminist lens. Besides, for every person who hates the series, there are many, many more who have loved it. It’s not hard to see why. The humor in the series is just the right mixture of absurd, insightful, and British. The storylines are varied and yet culminate in a tight, satisfying conclusion. The delightful and wicked commentary on the Christian apocalypse is by no means subtle, but by all means revelatory, if you will forgive the pun. Not least of all, Michael Sheen and David Tennant give truly fantastic performances, as does just about everyone in this star-studded series; notably, Sam Taylor Buck delivers an eleven-year-old Antichrist that is both terrifying and adorable.
"What’s really cool about the series is its persistent feminist and queer undertones, something desperately missing from the Christian apocalypse elsewhere. Fundamentally, the apocalypse imagined in Revelations and other Christian myths – and parodied in the series – is a patriarchal one. (Is there such thing as a feminist apocalypse? IDK, but Good Omens gets close.)... The most obviously queer and feminist aspects of the series are Aziraphale and Crowley and the relationship between them. Both characters embody paradoxes. Aziraphale is an angel who loves to eat and drink, who loves the carnality of humanity. Crowley is a demon who would like to keep his distance from mayhem ever since he got caught up in Lucifer’s rebellion. But, instead of being narrowly defined by the realities created for them, Aziraphale and Crowley engage in an act of forming themselves. They read, they appreciate music, they drink fine wines, and they scheme. Oh, do they scheme. Most importantly the two share a tender dandy love that is obviously queer, whether or not they would ascribe to any LGBTQ label. On top of that, considering that angels are not born, but created, and have no need of reproductive organs, it’s safe to say that they are nonbinary at least in a very literal sense (as is true to the novel), and perhaps socially and physically as well. For instance, Crowley seems as comfortable dressed as Crowley Poppins as he does Crowley Bowie. It doesn’t matter how femme or not his appearance is. It doesn’t matter if he’s wearing a skirt or sporting a wig. He’s always swaggering in his full gender-defying glory. At first, the queerness feels like subtext, like another time queer audiences have to read between the lines to see the love we so often wish for, but it’s hard to miss the genuine love and commitment between Aziraphale and Crowley. There’s an interaction so tender – and a line so potently delivered by Sheen that it will make your heart flutter and sink – that calling their love subtext feels impossible. Aziraphale has just provided Crowley with holy water so that if he decides he must, Crowley can end his existence. Aziraphale isn’t exactly happy about it, but he’d rather help Crowley than see him get hurt trying to steal holy water. An enthused Crowley offers Aziraphale a ride. 'Perhaps one day we could, I don’t know, go for a picnic. Dine at the Ritz,' Aziraphale says tentatively. 'Anywhere you want to go, I’ll take you,' Crowley replies. 'You go too fast for me, Crowley,' Aziraphale says before exiting the car. It’s a short exchange, but it is so tense, so emotionally-charged, so filled with love and hesitation and desire that I don’t know how anyone could come to any conclusion other than that Aziraphale and Crowley are nonbinary, asexual partners who have been together and falling in love for over 6,000 years. And, since Sheen and Tennant both came to similar conclusions (and Gaiman confirmed their love), I'm sticking to it..."
https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/good-omens-puts-a-feminist-and-queer-twist-on-the-apocalypse
Good Omens, the original book, reviewed in interview style on Brinkwire:
"Who is it aimed at? *When reading I often have a clue as to what group of people a book is more suited to right away, but with the intense almost inhuman nature of this book, I think it’s something that could be read by practically anyone.
"What did you enjoy most about it? *Out of the many reasons I loved Good Omens, If I had to choose my favourite part it would be how many unique and often unbelievable plot points it was able to make seem so effortlessly normal and easy to understand.
"What did you enjoy least? *When I adore a book as much as I now do this one, it’s near impossible to write this section of my review but if I could change one thing about Good Omens I could change, I felt like it was so fast-paced that I would have loved to be able to savour some of it more..."
https://en.brinkwire.com/news/young-adult-book-review-good-omens-by-terry-pratchett-and-neil-gaiman/
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05) 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.
5.1 DISCWORLD PLAYS
* MASKERADE IN BRISBANE (SEPTEMBER)
Brisbane Arts Theatre continue their justified love affair with Discworld plays with a new production of Maskerade!
When: 14th September–12th October 2019 (Thursdays through Sundays)
Venue: Brisbane Arts Theatre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Petrie Terrace, QLD 4000
Time: all Thursday shows 7.30pm, all Friday and Saturday shows 8pm, all Sunday shows 6.30pm
Tickets: $23–34, available online at https://bit.ly/2IOWLdw or via the box office (phone (07) 3369 2344)
https://www.artstheatre.com.au/maskerade
* MORT IN CANBERRA (ISH), FOURECKS (SEPTEMBER)
The Musical and Stage Performance students and the Live Production & Services students of Gungahlin College are staging their production of Mort in September!
"The students have found excitement and adventure as they explore the comic timing of this fun script, not to mention working out ways to help Death SPEAK IN A CAPITALISED TONE!"
When: 17th–21st September 2019
Venue: Gungahlin College Theatre, 23 Gozzard Street, Gungahlin, ACT
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: Adult $20, Concession $15, Family $55, available online via https://stagecenta.com/BkShowBooking.aspx?showid=5424
There will be a Dinner Show on Thursday 19th September, including a 3-course meal for $30/person (not including ticket price). "Please book your tickets... then email Adam Salter [at] mailto:adam..salter@ed.act.edu.au?subject=Dinner%20Show to book your seat at the table. Places are limited, so get in quick!"
https://stagecenta.com/showid/5424/ShowdetailsC.aspx
* THE FIFTH ELEPHANT IN SCUNTHORPE (OCTOBER)
Scunthorpe Little Theatre Club will stage their production of The Fifth Elephant in October!
"In Stephen Briggs’ brilliant adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s ‘The Fifth Elephant’, Commander Vimes is sent to wild, wintry Uberwald to establish trade links with the King of the Dwarfs, but ends up trying to stop an inter-species war. On his side, a talking dog, a reformed Vampyre and a self-made man. You can tell he’s self-made because the stitches still show. However, although Vimes may have arrived as Ankh-Morpork’s ambassador, he soon finds it’s not all golden chocolate balls. Before long he’s an escaped prisoner, out in the icy woods, wearing only the gloomy trousers of Uncle Vanya and being chased by a pack of fascist werewolves who don’t play by the rules."
When: 2nd-5th October 2019
Venue: Plowright Theatre, Laneham Street, Scunthorpe, Lincs DN15 6JP
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £11.90 plus £2.50 booking fee, available online via https://www.littletheatreclub.co.uk/#!/page_EVENTS -- or take advantage of a special "two tickets for £13.40" offer in the area: "Look out for our flyers around town and at the Plowright Theatre, there is a special booking form on the back. Please note this offer is only available direct from Scunthorpe Little Theatre Club, and not the Plowright Box Office."
https://www.littletheatreclub.co.uk/
* MASKERADE IN ELTHAM[1] (OCTOBER)
Eldorado Musical Productions will be staging their production of Maskerade in October!
When: 9th–12th October 2019
Venue: Bob Hope Theatre, Wythfield Road, Eltham SE9 5TG (box office phone 0208 850 3702)
Time: 7.45pm all evening shows; matinee at 2.30pm on the 12th
Tickets: £15 (£13 on opening night), not yet available but will be via https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/bob-hope-theatre and from the Box Office which is open Tuesdays through Saturdays 10am–1pm.
http://www.eldoradomusicalproductions.co.uk/maskerade/4594338795
[1] Note for Fourecksians: that's Eltham in Greater London, not the one in Melbourne – Ed.
* GOING POSTAL IN EMERALD, FOURECKS (OCTOBER)
The Gemco Players will present their production of Going Postal in October! "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: 11th–26th October 2019 (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only)
Venue: Gem Community Arts Centre, 19 Kilvington Drive, Emerald, VIC 3782
Time: all Friday and Saturday shows 8pm; Sunday matinees 2pm
Tickets: prices TBA. Tickets will be available online via https://www.trybooking.com/BAGWG from 9pm on 11th August
https://gemco-players.squarespace.com/whatson/2018/12/5/going-postal
* WITCHES ABROAD IN LISMORE, FOURECKS (OCTOBER)
The Lismore Theatre Company are taking on the Lancre not-really-a-coven in their production of Witches Abroad! "Three country witches find themselves reluctantly taking on the roles of collective Godmother to a kitchen maid in far-off Genua. But they have to stop her from marrying the Prince, and while they’re at it, end the tyranny of the girl’s Other Godmother. Of course, first they have to get to Genua, and that itself is an adventure…"
When: 11th–20th October 2019
Venue: Rochdale Theatre, 603 Ballina Rd, Goonellabah, New South Wales 2480
Time: 7.30pm all evening shows; 2pm matinee on Sunday 13th and Sunday 20th
Tickets: $23 adult, $17 concessions and Lismore Theatre Company members, available via https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=530195
https://www.lismoretheatrecompany.org.au/current-production
* JOHNNY AND THE DEAD IN LEEDS (NOVEMBER)
Leeds Children's Theatre will be presenting their production of Johnny and the Dead in November! "Sell the cemetery? Over their dead bodies ... Not many people can see the dead (not many would want to). Twelve-year-old Johnny Maxwell can. And he's got bad news for them: the council want to sell the cemetery as a building site, but they'd better watch out – the dead have learnt a thing or two from Johnny. They're not going to take it lying down ...especially since it's Halloween tomorrow. Besides, they're beginning to find that life is a lot more fun than it was when they were ... well ... alive. Particularly if they break a few
rules."
When: 6th–9th November 2019
Venue: Carriageworks Theatre main auditorium, Millennium Square, Leeds LS2 3AD
Time: all evening shows (Wednesday through Friday) 7pm, Saturday matinee 1pm and afternoon show 5.30pm
Tickets: adults £14.50, concessions £12.50, under-16s £10.50, family £46, available from the Box Office (phone 0113 376 0318; address Leeds Town Hall, The Headroom, LS1 3AD, open 10am–6pm Monday to Saturday), or by by email (boxoffice@leeds.gov.uk), or online via the theatre's website, although their calendar doesn't yet stretch to November: https://www.carriageworkstheatre.co.uk/plan-your-visit/how-to-book-tickets/
"The Box Office will charge a fee for postage if you wish to have your tickets mailed out. Family Tickets, restricted view seats and special offers are rarely sold online and should be purchased over the phone or in person."
www.leeds-childrens-theatre.co.uk
* GOING POSTAL IN ADELAIDE, FOURECKS
Unseen Theatre are back with a new Discworld production! This November, it's Going Postal: "Convicted con man and forger Moist von Lipwig is given a choice. The hangman's noose or get Ankh-Morpork's ancient post office up and running efficiently! It was a tough decision...Now the former criminal is up against really big problems. There's tons of undelivered mail. Ghosts are talking to him. One of the postmen is 18,000 years old. And you really wouldn't want to know what his new girlfriend can do with a shoe. To top it all off, shadowy characters don't want the mail moved. Instead, they want him dead... deader than all those dead letters. And here he'd thought that all he'd have to face was rain, snow, gloom of night, and the odd vicious dog or two."
When: 20th–30th November 2019
Venue: Bakehouse Main Theatre, 255 Angas Street, Adelaide, South Australia 5000
Time: 8pm all shows
Tickets: Adults $22, Conc $18, Fringe Benefits $16, Groups (6+) $16, Preview night (20th November) $16, all available soon
http://www.bakehousetheatre.com/shows/going-postal
5.2 REVIEWS
* MEN AT ARMS IN CARDIFF
By Melissa Compton for the Cardiff Times:
"Characterization was outstanding, with many character’s roles in the night beginning pre-show such as the crowd-pleasing clowns. The cast clearly loved the roles they played, excellent teamwork was also on display throughout the performance both during scenes and with changing sets... The performance was played out in scenes and narration which were indicated by the ringing of the bell, and a change in lighting. The introduction of the show’s principle characters at the beginning was very useful if you haven’t read the book. A raffle was held in the interval, which was led by the clowns and Dr Whiteface, with proceeds going to Nerve Tumours UK. There are a few character’s in the production that are villainised, the stern and authoritative Dr Whiteface is one of these as the head of the clown guild. The cast delivered emotional and passionate performances, especially Captain Vimes, from whom we see a range of emotions, ranging from worrying about retirement to protecting the one’s he cares about most..."
https://bit.ly/2L4zove
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), will next meet on Monday 2nd September at
7pm at The Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London W2 1JQ.
The Drummers' August meet report, as tweeted by Helen: "We had a smaller gathering Monday night. Some of us had been in Leeds the day before. After a long drive home, Andrew didn't feel like going out again but I came along as did Pete, who I had last seen less than 24 hours earlier. Chris had lovingly created a quiz so intricate that we decided to save it for next time. I did not want others to regret having missed it. We had some very historical discussions on the Wars of the Roses. Chris is extremely keen on Richard III. Somehow that led to the Horrible Histories movie and the signing of the Viking song (Literally!), the Four Georges song and the Evil Emperor Emperors song, all of which can be found on YouTube (also check out Norman Style). We further discussed the passing of Paul Darrow, which led us on to Terry's intense dislike of Blakes 7... also learned that Paul Darrow was in an adaptation of Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers. This is available on YouTube, I watched the whole thing Tuesday morning."
https://twitter.com/BrokenDrummers/status/1159196903231447043
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 a pub or restaurant in Adelaide. We have dinner at 6.30pm followed by games until 9pm. 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, apart from the Troll Bridge Adelaide premiere (see item 3.2 above), will be the Monthly Dinner ("with special visitors!") at the Seven Stars Hotel on the 26th of September, a discussion of Moving Pictures, at Kappy's Tea and Coffee on 5th October, a Board Games day on the 6th at La Scala Cafe, 169 Unley Rd, Unley in the function room (starting at 10am), and a new Quiz Long and Prosper event on the 19th at the Clarence Gardens Bowling Club. This last event starts at 7.30pm and requires booking; for more details, and to book, go to https://ausdwcon.org/fan-clubs/adelaide/quiz/
The CoSG also have another identity. Here's the skinny:
Round World Events SA Inc is a not-for-profit incorporated association whose aim is to run fun social Pratchett-themed events for people in South Australia. Our first major event was the Unseen University Convivium held in July 2012. We have also run three successful and booked out Science Fiction and Fantasy themed quiz nights named Quiz Long And Prosper, in 2013, 2014 and 2015! The association will run some events under the City of Small Gods banner, but you do not have to be a Round World Events SA member to be part of City of Small Gods. However, we are always on the look out for new members for Round World Events SA to help us organise future events! Membership is $20 a year (for Adelaide locals) or $5 a year (for those not quite so close) and has the following benefits:
A shiny membership certificate all of your very own
Discounted entry price to some of the events we run
A warm, fuzzy feeling deep down in your chest (no, not quite that deep)
For more information, or to join as a member, please email RoundWorldEventsSA@gmail.com
www.cityofsmallgods.org.au
*
The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 5th 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 6th 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 2nd 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 2nd September (possibly) at Old Shanghai, 123 James Street, Northbridge, Perth, Western Australia. For details join their Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
07) ROUNDWORLD TALES: THE REAL ERIC WHEELBRACE
All Discworld readers know of the (presumably) late Eric Wheelbrace, the celebrated (by hikers) and detested (by landowners) rambler and author of Walking in the Koom Valley and 100 Walks in the Ramtops, who would "never let unimportant things like hereditary land rights or troll armies stand in the way of his Right to Roam" and who finally disappeared during a Midsummer's Eve walk across Lancre's famous landmark-cum-interdimensional-gateway known as The Dancers. But did you know that Mr Wheelbrace was a caricature of an equally celebrated Roundworld rambler and author? Alfred Wainwright MBE (1907–1991) was a British fellwalker, guidebook author and illustrator whose Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells became the standard reference work to hundreds of the Lake District fells and whose Coast to Coast Walk guide, written from his copious notes, delineated a 192-mile-long footpath that is popular with fellwalkers to this day.
Alfred Wainwright was a dedicated walker even in early childhood, and had an interest in drawing and cartography that led to him making his own maps of England and his local area. In 1930 he went on a week's walking holiday in the Lake District and "fell in love" with the Fells. His Pictorial Guides have been in continuous publication since they were written and have sold more than two million copies. There are more up-to-date guides now by other authors, but Wainwright's guides are considered so iconic that the 214 fells described in the Pictorial Guides are now generally known as the Wainwrights.
When Wainwright died in 1991, his ashes were scattered over Innominate Tarn on Haystacks, his favourite fell. The Wainwright Society was founded in 2002 to promote Wainwright fellwalking traditions. A road bridge in Blackburn, his birthplace, was opened in 2008 and named the Wainwright Bridge in his honour. There is no evidence of his ever having found a gateway to the world of Elves on his walks.
Sources: Wikipedia and the L-space Discworld wiki
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
Angua and Gaspode, from Peculiar Productions' triumphant new production of Men at Arms:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ECq1YvMW4AAI-XX.jpg
Some Aziraphale "headshots" by fan artist Remoss:
https://twitter.com/Remosss1/status/1156269983745396736/photo/1
Some excellent furniture in a science fiction bookshop and cafe in Gothenburg, as tweeted by Nea87585592:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D-yK3_NWkAAFx9w.jpg
Scunthorpe Little Theatre rehearsing for their forthcoming production of The Fifth Elephant. "Detritus" and his Piecemaker looking quite promising:
https://bit.ly/2Z2RUt1
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
09) CLOSE
Rincewind made a visit to Iowa this month! The public library in Ames, Iowa, ran their third annual Pub Fiction pub crawl last Thursday: "While a group of approximately 150 people walking around while dressed in iconic costumes is typically reminiscent of Halloween, this event is strictly for people older than 21 years old and goes to support Ames Public Library. 'I think it’s a fun way for people to come together and celebrate books in a new, exciting and different way. Support the library, support local businesses and have some fun,' said Sheila Schofer, director of Ames Public Library... James Honzatko, dressed as Rincewind the Wizard from Terry Pratchett’s 'Discworld' novels, and Andrew Doyle, dressed as Gregor from Franz Kafka’s 'The Metamorphosis,' both of Ames, said they enjoy having the opportunity to support the library while also dressing up and having fun..." There are even iconographs! Read all about it here:
https://www.amestrib.com/news/20190822/pub-fiction-takes-over-downtown-ames
And that's it for August. Mind how you go, 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) 2019 by Wossname for the Klatchian Foreign Legion
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
August 2019 (Volume 22, 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) MORE GOOD OMENS BITS AND BOBS
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
07) ROUNDWORLD TALES
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
09) CLOSE
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
"I wrote the theme, they came up to my room, and I had that horrible moment when you have to play it for them and hope they don’t hate it. Neil just turned around and said, “Well, that’s Good Omens,” and I remember saying, “I’m glad you like it, because I haven’t got a Plan B.” From that point on, we were just flying."
– Good Omens score composer David Arnold on how the marvellous theme tune came to be
"You know, it's when people who proclaim themselves as "white supremacists" turn off Good Omens after the first few minutes, and then come on Twitter to tell me off, that I think sometimes a negative review is a marvelous and heartwarming thing.
– Neil Gaiman, on Twitter
"I don’t know how anyone could come to any conclusion other than that Aziraphale and Crowley are nonbinary, asexual partners who have been together and falling in love for over 6,000 years."
– web journalist S E Fleener
"Adam decides that instead of being the Antichrist, hurting and controlling his friends, and destroying the planet, he just wants to be a normal kid. He wants to be soft and playful and love his dog. He wants to be himself, not some monstrous dictator his friends fear. So, he rejects his biological father, Satan, calling the father who raised him his true dad. It’s a beautifully feminist moment that says we control our own fates – and demonstrates that not everyone would rather have power than love."
– ibid
"I just learned that Good Omens is on the
nytbestsellers_ paperback list. I wish Terry was still here. Good Omens had never made it onto the NYT list in 30 years, and he would have been happy and, I think, satisfied."– Neil Gaiman, well chuffed and rightly so, on Twitter
"Just to be clear (since I'm asked this a lot) I am not working on The Watch TV series, and haven't been for many years. The show is under the creative control of BBC Studios."
– Rhianna Pratchett diplomatically points out a certain distance between herself and this series
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
02) A LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR
The August issue is a wee bit late this month, owing to yet more medical hijinks at the Fortress of Wossname: pneumonia struck the Other Half (he's much better now), and my long, slow recovery from a feral case of Official Aussie Flu means I've not been able to concentrate for long on collating and editing Wossname news (this is also my apology for any slips or glitches in this issue). For those of you in the parts of Roundworld who are now edging into Autumn, may I recommend that you get flu shots? I didn't, and am rather regretting it now...
A few quick mentions: Good Omens nominated for three categories in the Emmys (sadly not for any of the cast and crew), and Stephen Briggs has announced on Twitter that he has "now sent the texts for my dramatizations of 'Hogfather', 'Lords & Ladies' and 'Terry Pratchett: the Shakespeare Codex', to the publishers. If all goes according to their plan, those may get published around December."
And now, on with the show!
– Annie Mac, Editor
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
03) ODDS AND SODS
3.0 A CASTING FOR THE WATCH
An "exclusive" from Deadline.com:
"The Watch, BBC America’s eight-episode series based on Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, has cast its first main character. British actor Adam Hugill (Pennyworth) has landed one of the lead roles in the series, playing Carrot. Described as a 'punk rock thriller' inspired by the City Watch subset of Discworld novels, the character-driven series centers on Pratchett’s misfit cops as they fight to save a ramshackle city of normalized wrongness from both the past and future in a perilous quest..."
https://deadline.com/2019/08/the-watch-bbc-america-series-terry-pratchett-discworld-adam-hugill-cast-carrot-1202707717/
3.1a PRATCHETT HACKED IN DUBLIN
Exciting news from Trinity College Dublin:
"The Pratchett Project team at Trinity College Dublin is organising a hackathon to get fans of Terry Pratchett involved in the research they are doing. In this full-day event, you're invited to bring your laptop to Trinity to get to grips with some quantitative research on the publication history of Pratchett's work around the world. You don't need to be a Pratchett fan to come along. Anybody with an interest in digital humanities will enjoy this. The day will also feature interviews with some special guests who worked closely with Pratchett during his life, and you will have the chance to ask your questions too! Registration is free, but places are limited. So booking is a must. This event is going to be popular. So make sure you get your ticket early!"
When: Saturday 21st September 2019
Venue: Trinity Long Room Hub, College Green, Dublin 2
Time: 10am – 5pm
Tickets: free; to register for tickets, go to https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/terry-pratchett-hackathon-tickets-62640704032 and click on the green Register button
3.1b ...AND FOUND IN TRANSLATION
Another event at TCD in the same week!
"In celebration of the European Day of Languages, join us for an exploration of how comic fantasy author, Terry Pratchett's famous discworld novels are translated. This event, organised by EUNIC (European Union National Institutes for Culture) and Trinity Centre for Literary and Cultural Translation, and generously supported by ESSE (European Society for the Study of English), will focus on the plays on words that run throughout Pratchett's Discworld series. We will be joined by many of Pratchett's translators, to discuss how each one of them tackled the same challenges in their own languages. We are inviting Pratchett translators working in the following languages:
French (trans. Patrick Couton)
Hungarian (Anikó Sohár)
Polish (Piotr W. Cholewa)
Spanish (María Ferrer)
In this event, our discussion will focus on translating the comedy and plays on words found in Pyramids. Admittance is free, but booking a seat is a must."
When: Thursday, 26th September 2019
Venue: Examinations Hall, Trinity College Dublin
Time: 6pm – 7.30pm
Tickets: free; to register for tickets, go to https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/pratchett-translated-tickets-63435853345?aff=efbeventtix and click on the green Register button
3.2 TROLL BRIDGE IN FOURECKS... AND BEYOND
Snowgum Films' long-awaited film "Troll Bridge" is having its Adelaide premiere in September, presented by the City of Small Gods Terry Pratchett Fan Club: "See Terry Pratchett's Discworld brought to life on the big screen in this epic fan film lovingly created by Snowgum Films. This is your only opportunity to see Troll Bridge on the big screen in Adelaide, so don't miss out!" Also on the bill is "Run, Rincewind Run!", the now-legendary Discworld Convention fan film. Any profits from the screening will be donated to the Women's and Children's Hospital Foundation.
When: 21st September 2019
Venue: Mercury Cinema, 13 Morphett St, Adelaide, South Australia 5000
Time: 7:30pm
Tickets: $17 plus booking fee via Book Now button on https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?embed&eid=524929 or $20 at the door
Some other showings around Australia include Canberra Short Film Festival (15th September, details/booking at _https://www.csff.com.au/_), Oz Comic Con in Sydney (28th September, details/booking at _https://ozcomiccon.com/sydney/_), and Brisbane International Film Festival (13th October, details/booking at _https://biff.com.au/event/troll-bridge/_). There are also various international screenings; for more details, go to:
http://www.trollbridge.film/screenings
3.3 THE MERCH CORNER
Editor's note: I'm hoping to get the first item for Hogswatch, and already have the second one so I can recommend it wholeheartedly. The stamps are beautiful and elegantly presented, and the included receipt from the Thieves' Guild was a nice touch.
* The Mended Drum Jigsaw Puzzle
A definite must-have! In riotous colour, midway between Kidby and Kirby in style (and not quite like Player or Simonetti or McLaren but on a continuinuuinuum that contains all the great Discworld artists), David Wyatt's illustrations bring the Drum to wonderful life "Our Fiendishly Difficult Discworld Jigsaw puzzle packs as much punch as the clientele of Ankh-Morpork's notorious tavern, and contains more bits and pieces than the chunder on the cobbles – it’ll make you so drunk with puzzlement you may need a Klatchian coffee to sober up again afterwards! In our third Discworld puzzle illustrated by David Wyatt, you'll spot a host of familiar faces from Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, such as Sgt. Angua of the City Watch, Rincewind, the Luggage, Lu-Tze and the Librarian, amid a melting pot of the glod, the bad and the ugly of Ankh-Morpork - it really is a pub with personality! Each puzzle includes a fold out poster to assist your puzzling endeavours and is presented in a splendid illustrated ledger box that will look right at home on your bookshelves."
Each Mended Drum Jigsaw Puzzle is rated "mildly fiendish", measures approximately 70 x 50cm when completed (puzzle box measures 20.5 x 25.6 x 6.3cm), and is priced at £19.50 plus shipping. For more information and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/games-toys/556-the-mended-drum-jigsaw-puzzle
There is also an interesting blog entry about the process of creating this puzzle: "The Drum has been a fixture of Discworld since the very beginning, and although it’s undergone one or two notable… renovations… it remains the tavern of choice for the Glod, the bad and the ugly of Morporkian society. From The Colour of Magic, when the Broken Drum had to hire Detritus as a splatter (like a bouncer, but trolls use more force) to its last appearance in Going Postal when a group of seasoned brawlers are seen discussing the finer points of fight choreography, the Drum has withstood time and narrative, its characterful clientele and their exploits remain just as fervent. We wanted to cram in as many details and allusions as possible, spanning the depth and breadth of the Drum's illustrious history. With that in mind, should you choose to avail yourself of this piece, we challenge you to spot the following familiar faces and devilish details from Ankh-Morpork’s favourite pub... A Wizzard, CMOT Dibbler, Death, Cohen the Barbarian, Dotsie and Sadie the Agony Aunts, Sgt. Angua, The Librarian, The Dean, The Senior Wrangler, Adora Belle Dearheart, Foul Ole Ron, Lu-Tze the Sweeper Gaspode the Wonder Dog, The Luggage, Igor, Reg Shoe, The head of the Thieves' Guild, A certain author's black hat, A fool, An Assassin, A Vampire, Goblins, A Troll, Dwarfs, The Band With Rocks In poster, A Game of Thud, A Swamp Dragon, and advert for Vimes’ cigar of choice, An Iconograph, The Ankh-Morpork times, Someone who should ‘learn the words’, at least four Discworld beers..."
Do read the whole piece: https://www.discworldemporium.com/blog/illustrating-the-mended-drum-n8
* The Going Postal 15th Anniversary Minisheet
Another must-have, in living colour! "A limited edition minisheet of stamps featuring a stunning new portrait of The Creator himself, Sir Terry Pratchett, in celebration of fifteen flatelic years of Going Postal and Discworld Stamps! To mark such a milestone year we commissioned a very special portrait of Terry by stamp artist and master of technical illustration Brian Delf. Terry's noble profile features on this exquisite limited edition Anniversary Minisheet featuring fifteen 'Penny Pratchett' stamps in various birthday colourways. presented in a presentation cover featuring Terry's portrait embossed in silver. Traditionally printed on authentic gummed stamp paper & perforated by hand." And you want to be quick about ordering this one, as it's a limited edition of only 300!
Each Minisheet measures 77 x 157mm (presentation cover measures 90 x 170mm) and is priced at £15. For more information and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/discworld-stamps/577-discworld-stamps-anniversary-minisheet
3.4 DISCWORLD AND BEYOND IN NORTHERN IRELAND
Paul Kidby's Discworld & Beyond touring exhibition will be opening in Co. Antrim next month!
"The beautifully realised paintings and drawings feature many of Paul’s favourite characters including Rincewind, the Wee Free Men and, of course, Death along with a host of witches, wizards, dragons and trolls. It also reveals some of Paul’s own work from his Charmed Realm collection, a book created by Paul and his wife Vanessa of myth and faerie influenced by British folklore and landscapes. All his illustrations are marked by a staggering quality of draughtsmanship and effective use of colour; bright for the book covers and muted shades for his faerie paintings. The exhibition brings to life the quirky characters and trademark humour of Sir Terry’s books. Paul said, '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!'"
When: 6th September 2019–31st October 2019
Venue: Larne Museum & Arts Centre, 2 Victoria Road, Larne, County Antrim, BT40 1RN
Time: Monday through Friday, 10am–4.30pm. The Museum is also open on one Saturday per month – for more information, ring 028 28 262443 or email marian.kelso@midandeastantrim.gov.uk
Tickets: free entry
https://www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk/things-to-do/museums-arts/larne-museum-and-arts-centre
https://www.paulkidby.com/event/discworld-beyond-a-paul-kidby-retrospective/
Editor's note: the exhibition also includes a one-time free screening of Troll Bridge on Saturday 7th September at 3pm. For more details, go to https://www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk/events/screening-of-troll-bridge
3.5 WHEN STICKS AND BUCKETS ATTACK!
In the runner-up for Weird Link of the Month (see item 3.6 below), The Wild Hunt, a "Modern Pagan News & Commentary" site, described a London protest march... by Morris dancers! From Liz Williams:
"Furious Morris dancers are planning a march on Parliament this month in order to protest about a proposed Bank Holiday switch by the British government. Currently, the May bank holiday is the focus of a number of celebrations: political, seasonal and social. May 1st is Beltane, celebrated in a number of ways by Britain’s Pagans and others – it is the scene of festivities around the country – but it also coincides with International Workers’ Day. However, there is now a proposal to scrap this ‘early’ May holiday and replace it with one on the following Friday... This change has been met with dismay by groups around the country, who have already established festivities on the earlier date. Some of these are very extensive, such as the Sweeps Festival in Rochester. This is a big event: Morris dancers, folk-art and live music attract an estimated 150,000 people and generates £60 million for the local economy. The Morris sides, in particular, are not happy about the proposed alteration... Mel Barnett from Medway’s Wolf’s Head and Vixen dancers (a Morris side well known to pagans in the UK as they often appear at Beltane and Samhain events) says, 'We are passionate about Sweeps. It is the highlight of our calendar. This switch could be disastrous for us.'..."
https://wildhunt.org/2019/07/morris-dancers-march-on-uk-parliament.html
3.6 WEIRD LINK OF THE MONTH: PERCEIVING OCTARINE IN ROUNDWORLD
A fascinating piece about "the colour of magic in office design", by Mark Eltringham for Workplace Insight:
~In the Discworld series of novels, the author Terry Pratchett introduces us to the colour of magic. He calls it octarine, a sort of greenish purple, described as ‘the undisputed pigment of the imagination’. It’s all fanciful but, in fact, such unseeable colours exist for the human eye. They are seemingly invisible to us most of the time because of the limitations of our vision and not just because they exist outside of the usual visible spectrum. Compared to many other animals, the typical human eye is only capable of perceiving light across a narrow band of wavelengths of somewhere between 390 and 750 nanometers. That is why we cannot see in certain bands of the infrared and ultra-violet spectrum. Yet there are other colours that exist within this range but which we are usually physically unable to perceive for most of the time. These are what researchers call the forbidden colours, which we tend to describe in relation to other colours, although that does not do them justice because it suggests they are in some way comparable to the tones and colour mixes with which we are familiar..."
https://workplaceinsight.net/the-colour-of-magic-in-office-design/
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04) MORE GOOD OMENS BITS AND BOBS
4.1. GOOD OMENS SOUNDTRACK NOW AVAILABLE!
As you know well by now, your Editor flatly refuses to post any links to the company of a certain Evil Internet-based Villain of Commerce-related Global Domination, so here are some alternate sellers who can help you with your purchases...
On vinyl:
From Recordstore (UK): "Composer David Arnold’s soundtrack to the highly anticipated TV adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s 1990 comic fable makes its debut on vinyl. Amazon Prime's six episode mini-series follows the odd couple, angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and demon Crowley (David Tennant) in their quest to sabotage the end of the World, delivering a tongue in cheek adaptation of this powerful and funny story. From David Arnold, the award-winning composer of Sherlock and Casino Royale, comes a soundtrack that perfectly complements Good Omens’ drama and visual sensibilities. At times nostalgic and eerie but always varied, beautiful and full of excitement, this robust, yet funny music entity has become another character in the story. Here, Arnold has created a contemporary soundworld for heaven and hell. Tori Amos performs A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square as a closing song."
The Limited Edition Heavenly Blue & Hellish Red Double Vinyl package is priced at £23.99. To order, go to https://bit.ly/2zpB7pw
The vinyl set is also available from Norman Records, who say "Good Omens has that Stranger Things/Sabrina vibe to it where it’s kind of spooky and kind of campy at the same time, and Arnold’s compositions really add to the effect. Nice stuff with a hint of the Harry Potters about it. Silva Screen are the ones responsible for putting the music on wax." Priced at £24.49 with a shipping cost of £4.50, the link for purchase is https://bit.ly/342Y00j
On CD:
From Hello Merch (USA): "Following the odd couple, angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and demon Crowley (David Tennant) in their quest to sabotage the end of the World. Amazon Prime’s six episode miniseries delivers a tongue in cheek adaptation of this powerful and funny story. From the Award-winning composer of Sherlock and Casino Royale comes a soundtrack that perfectly complements the Good Omens’ drama and visual sensibilities. At times nostalgic and eerie but always varied, beautiful and full of excitement, this robust, yet funny music entity has become another character in the story. Here, Arnold has created a contemporary soundworld for heaven and hell."
The two-CD set includes all 62 tracks from the series and is priced at US$25. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.hellomerch.com/products/good-omens-soundtrack-cd
Also note that Silva Screen offer the entire soundtrack for streaming or download, if you don't want to wait for physical copies!
http://www.silvascreen.com/good-omens-soundtrack-now-available/
...and for those of you who prefer your theme music "DIY", here be a free download of the theme tune from beckyy on Musescore:
https://musescore.com/user/7649801/scores/5607410
4.2 REVIEWS
A review of the original novel, by Colin Steele in the Canberra Times:
"Good Omens, published in 1990, is a cult classic. It has sold over five million copies and is now an Amazon/ BBC television series scripted by Neil Gaiman, who wrote in 2006 that 'the book is a funny novel about the end of the world and how are all going to die'. But it is not just a great story. It is a book of Swiftian satire infused with an ultimate belief in the essential decency of human nature... The new hardback edition comes with 12 full-colour illustrations of the characters in the TV series and five black and white line drawings by long time Pratchett Illustrator Paul Kidby. Michael Sheen is the prudish, antiquarian bookseller angel, Aziraphale and David Tennant the cynical, yet softhearted, Bentley driving, demon Crowley... The satire and humour of Good Omens is as vibrant as ever, as indeed are issues like climate change... My signed copy of the first edition of Good Omens, with annotations by Pratchett and Gaiman, now resides in the rare book collection of the University of Sydney Library. It was interesting, in their separate Meet the Author events in Canberra, how they jousted over their role in the writing of Good Omens. Gaiman recounts, in the Foreword, bizarre happenings with fans at book signings, including one fan who had his arm signed and returned half an hour later to show the inflamed ink signature tattooed by a nearby parlour..."
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6280637/terry-pratchetts-good-omens-is-still-a-classic/
An articulate review of the Good Omens miniseries by blogger Theo Wolf:
"When it was announced earlier this year that the classic and “unfilmable” book was getting the television treatment it finally deserved, it seemed as big as TV news got... Michael Sheen and David Tennant shine as an angel and a demon on a comical campaign to keep the world from ending. Tennant’s portrayal of the demon Crowley, the sunglass-wearing angel who “did not so much Fall as Saunter Vaguely Downwards”, is absolutely superb. His performance is the perfect combination of swagger, eccentricity, and borderline drunkenness, which is reminiscent of Bill Nighy in Love Actually and, in my opinion, captured the character’s essence to a tee. Sheen too is wonderful, countering this bravado as the awkward and prudish angel Aziraphale. Both actors fully commit to their roles and it is hard to imagine better casting, not least because they gamely wear multiple silly costumes. The co-production between the BBC and Amazon also benefited from piquant performances by veteran actors. The great Bill Patterson is at his bemused best as the exasperated Mr. R. P. Tyler, and Derek Jacobi, no less, has a cameo as God’s Spokesman, Metatron (not to be confused with the leader of the Deceptions, an easy mistake to make if your name is Pepper Galadriel Moonchild). Michael McKean and Miranda Richardson are also supremely fun to watch as the aging witchfinder, Shadwell, and his accommodating landlady, Madame Tracy. Jon Hamm of Mad Men fame also nailed every fleeting moment he had as Aziraphale’s Armageddon-happy boss Gabriel. Although making only the occasional appearance, the show truly benefitted from his scenes. The third episode’s pre-credit scene, which showed the co-conspirators’ meetings through the ages, was quite possibly the show’s standout moment. The amusing sequence runs a stonking 30 minutes long and follows the pair from an early run-in as Noah is constructing his ark (where we learn why the unicorn no longer exist), through to a rendezvous during the French Revolution. It also treats viewers to the sight of Crowley hopping over consecrated ground to save his friend like a person walking barefoot on hot sand, this funny moment in their history was in many ways one of the most endearing of the show. The pre-credit scene also features three of the four League of Gentlemen (Jeremy Dyson was nowhere to be seen), which is never a bad thing... Good Omens proved to be a hugely enjoyable and imaginative premiere, which remained as true to Pratchett’s vision as I could have dared dream..."
https://theboar.org/2019/07/bbc-and-amazons-good-omens-review/
Good Omens as a feminist tract, by S E Fleenor on SyFywire:
"The satirical series has garnered intense reactions from audiences. In fact, according to USA Today, 15,000 people signed a petition to have the series canceled. (The petition has since been deleted.) Instead of addressing the actual platform for the series, Amazon, the petition was addressed to Netflix, which responded on Twitter, 'ok we promise not to make any more.' The people who signed the petition were upset by many things including what most of us would call representation in the series. After all, God is voiced by Frances McDormand – A WOMAN?!?! – and Adam and Eve are portrayed as the first humans would have been: as a Black couple. It is not surprising that trolls were infuriated by these concepts. One, in particular, took to Twitter to tell Gaiman off, not understanding how few f**** Gaiman gives.... Gaiman's works frequently feature feminist themes – which is not to say there aren’t also problematic elements – and seeing him make such a bold, progressive comment in response to vitriol only accentuates the series’ feminist lens. Besides, for every person who hates the series, there are many, many more who have loved it. It’s not hard to see why. The humor in the series is just the right mixture of absurd, insightful, and British. The storylines are varied and yet culminate in a tight, satisfying conclusion. The delightful and wicked commentary on the Christian apocalypse is by no means subtle, but by all means revelatory, if you will forgive the pun. Not least of all, Michael Sheen and David Tennant give truly fantastic performances, as does just about everyone in this star-studded series; notably, Sam Taylor Buck delivers an eleven-year-old Antichrist that is both terrifying and adorable.
"What’s really cool about the series is its persistent feminist and queer undertones, something desperately missing from the Christian apocalypse elsewhere. Fundamentally, the apocalypse imagined in Revelations and other Christian myths – and parodied in the series – is a patriarchal one. (Is there such thing as a feminist apocalypse? IDK, but Good Omens gets close.)... The most obviously queer and feminist aspects of the series are Aziraphale and Crowley and the relationship between them. Both characters embody paradoxes. Aziraphale is an angel who loves to eat and drink, who loves the carnality of humanity. Crowley is a demon who would like to keep his distance from mayhem ever since he got caught up in Lucifer’s rebellion. But, instead of being narrowly defined by the realities created for them, Aziraphale and Crowley engage in an act of forming themselves. They read, they appreciate music, they drink fine wines, and they scheme. Oh, do they scheme. Most importantly the two share a tender dandy love that is obviously queer, whether or not they would ascribe to any LGBTQ label. On top of that, considering that angels are not born, but created, and have no need of reproductive organs, it’s safe to say that they are nonbinary at least in a very literal sense (as is true to the novel), and perhaps socially and physically as well. For instance, Crowley seems as comfortable dressed as Crowley Poppins as he does Crowley Bowie. It doesn’t matter how femme or not his appearance is. It doesn’t matter if he’s wearing a skirt or sporting a wig. He’s always swaggering in his full gender-defying glory. At first, the queerness feels like subtext, like another time queer audiences have to read between the lines to see the love we so often wish for, but it’s hard to miss the genuine love and commitment between Aziraphale and Crowley. There’s an interaction so tender – and a line so potently delivered by Sheen that it will make your heart flutter and sink – that calling their love subtext feels impossible. Aziraphale has just provided Crowley with holy water so that if he decides he must, Crowley can end his existence. Aziraphale isn’t exactly happy about it, but he’d rather help Crowley than see him get hurt trying to steal holy water. An enthused Crowley offers Aziraphale a ride. 'Perhaps one day we could, I don’t know, go for a picnic. Dine at the Ritz,' Aziraphale says tentatively. 'Anywhere you want to go, I’ll take you,' Crowley replies. 'You go too fast for me, Crowley,' Aziraphale says before exiting the car. It’s a short exchange, but it is so tense, so emotionally-charged, so filled with love and hesitation and desire that I don’t know how anyone could come to any conclusion other than that Aziraphale and Crowley are nonbinary, asexual partners who have been together and falling in love for over 6,000 years. And, since Sheen and Tennant both came to similar conclusions (and Gaiman confirmed their love), I'm sticking to it..."
https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/good-omens-puts-a-feminist-and-queer-twist-on-the-apocalypse
Good Omens, the original book, reviewed in interview style on Brinkwire:
"Who is it aimed at? *When reading I often have a clue as to what group of people a book is more suited to right away, but with the intense almost inhuman nature of this book, I think it’s something that could be read by practically anyone.
"What did you enjoy most about it? *Out of the many reasons I loved Good Omens, If I had to choose my favourite part it would be how many unique and often unbelievable plot points it was able to make seem so effortlessly normal and easy to understand.
"What did you enjoy least? *When I adore a book as much as I now do this one, it’s near impossible to write this section of my review but if I could change one thing about Good Omens I could change, I felt like it was so fast-paced that I would have loved to be able to savour some of it more..."
https://en.brinkwire.com/news/young-adult-book-review-good-omens-by-terry-pratchett-and-neil-gaiman/
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05) 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.
5.1 DISCWORLD PLAYS
* MASKERADE IN BRISBANE (SEPTEMBER)
Brisbane Arts Theatre continue their justified love affair with Discworld plays with a new production of Maskerade!
When: 14th September–12th October 2019 (Thursdays through Sundays)
Venue: Brisbane Arts Theatre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Petrie Terrace, QLD 4000
Time: all Thursday shows 7.30pm, all Friday and Saturday shows 8pm, all Sunday shows 6.30pm
Tickets: $23–34, available online at https://bit.ly/2IOWLdw or via the box office (phone (07) 3369 2344)
https://www.artstheatre.com.au/maskerade
* MORT IN CANBERRA (ISH), FOURECKS (SEPTEMBER)
The Musical and Stage Performance students and the Live Production & Services students of Gungahlin College are staging their production of Mort in September!
"The students have found excitement and adventure as they explore the comic timing of this fun script, not to mention working out ways to help Death SPEAK IN A CAPITALISED TONE!"
When: 17th–21st September 2019
Venue: Gungahlin College Theatre, 23 Gozzard Street, Gungahlin, ACT
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: Adult $20, Concession $15, Family $55, available online via https://stagecenta.com/BkShowBooking.aspx?showid=5424
There will be a Dinner Show on Thursday 19th September, including a 3-course meal for $30/person (not including ticket price). "Please book your tickets... then email Adam Salter [at] mailto:adam..salter@ed.act.edu.au?subject=Dinner%20Show to book your seat at the table. Places are limited, so get in quick!"
https://stagecenta.com/showid/5424/ShowdetailsC.aspx
* THE FIFTH ELEPHANT IN SCUNTHORPE (OCTOBER)
Scunthorpe Little Theatre Club will stage their production of The Fifth Elephant in October!
"In Stephen Briggs’ brilliant adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s ‘The Fifth Elephant’, Commander Vimes is sent to wild, wintry Uberwald to establish trade links with the King of the Dwarfs, but ends up trying to stop an inter-species war. On his side, a talking dog, a reformed Vampyre and a self-made man. You can tell he’s self-made because the stitches still show. However, although Vimes may have arrived as Ankh-Morpork’s ambassador, he soon finds it’s not all golden chocolate balls. Before long he’s an escaped prisoner, out in the icy woods, wearing only the gloomy trousers of Uncle Vanya and being chased by a pack of fascist werewolves who don’t play by the rules."
When: 2nd-5th October 2019
Venue: Plowright Theatre, Laneham Street, Scunthorpe, Lincs DN15 6JP
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £11.90 plus £2.50 booking fee, available online via https://www.littletheatreclub.co.uk/#!/page_EVENTS -- or take advantage of a special "two tickets for £13.40" offer in the area: "Look out for our flyers around town and at the Plowright Theatre, there is a special booking form on the back. Please note this offer is only available direct from Scunthorpe Little Theatre Club, and not the Plowright Box Office."
https://www.littletheatreclub.co.uk/
* MASKERADE IN ELTHAM[1] (OCTOBER)
Eldorado Musical Productions will be staging their production of Maskerade in October!
When: 9th–12th October 2019
Venue: Bob Hope Theatre, Wythfield Road, Eltham SE9 5TG (box office phone 0208 850 3702)
Time: 7.45pm all evening shows; matinee at 2.30pm on the 12th
Tickets: £15 (£13 on opening night), not yet available but will be via https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/bob-hope-theatre and from the Box Office which is open Tuesdays through Saturdays 10am–1pm.
http://www.eldoradomusicalproductions.co.uk/maskerade/4594338795
[1] Note for Fourecksians: that's Eltham in Greater London, not the one in Melbourne – Ed.
* GOING POSTAL IN EMERALD, FOURECKS (OCTOBER)
The Gemco Players will present their production of Going Postal in October! "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: 11th–26th October 2019 (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only)
Venue: Gem Community Arts Centre, 19 Kilvington Drive, Emerald, VIC 3782
Time: all Friday and Saturday shows 8pm; Sunday matinees 2pm
Tickets: prices TBA. Tickets will be available online via https://www.trybooking.com/BAGWG from 9pm on 11th August
https://gemco-players.squarespace.com/whatson/2018/12/5/going-postal
* WITCHES ABROAD IN LISMORE, FOURECKS (OCTOBER)
The Lismore Theatre Company are taking on the Lancre not-really-a-coven in their production of Witches Abroad! "Three country witches find themselves reluctantly taking on the roles of collective Godmother to a kitchen maid in far-off Genua. But they have to stop her from marrying the Prince, and while they’re at it, end the tyranny of the girl’s Other Godmother. Of course, first they have to get to Genua, and that itself is an adventure…"
When: 11th–20th October 2019
Venue: Rochdale Theatre, 603 Ballina Rd, Goonellabah, New South Wales 2480
Time: 7.30pm all evening shows; 2pm matinee on Sunday 13th and Sunday 20th
Tickets: $23 adult, $17 concessions and Lismore Theatre Company members, available via https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=530195
https://www.lismoretheatrecompany.org.au/current-production
* JOHNNY AND THE DEAD IN LEEDS (NOVEMBER)
Leeds Children's Theatre will be presenting their production of Johnny and the Dead in November! "Sell the cemetery? Over their dead bodies ... Not many people can see the dead (not many would want to). Twelve-year-old Johnny Maxwell can. And he's got bad news for them: the council want to sell the cemetery as a building site, but they'd better watch out – the dead have learnt a thing or two from Johnny. They're not going to take it lying down ...especially since it's Halloween tomorrow. Besides, they're beginning to find that life is a lot more fun than it was when they were ... well ... alive. Particularly if they break a few
rules."
When: 6th–9th November 2019
Venue: Carriageworks Theatre main auditorium, Millennium Square, Leeds LS2 3AD
Time: all evening shows (Wednesday through Friday) 7pm, Saturday matinee 1pm and afternoon show 5.30pm
Tickets: adults £14.50, concessions £12.50, under-16s £10.50, family £46, available from the Box Office (phone 0113 376 0318; address Leeds Town Hall, The Headroom, LS1 3AD, open 10am–6pm Monday to Saturday), or by by email (boxoffice@leeds.gov.uk), or online via the theatre's website, although their calendar doesn't yet stretch to November: https://www.carriageworkstheatre.co.uk/plan-your-visit/how-to-book-tickets/
"The Box Office will charge a fee for postage if you wish to have your tickets mailed out. Family Tickets, restricted view seats and special offers are rarely sold online and should be purchased over the phone or in person."
www.leeds-childrens-theatre.co.uk
* GOING POSTAL IN ADELAIDE, FOURECKS
Unseen Theatre are back with a new Discworld production! This November, it's Going Postal: "Convicted con man and forger Moist von Lipwig is given a choice. The hangman's noose or get Ankh-Morpork's ancient post office up and running efficiently! It was a tough decision...Now the former criminal is up against really big problems. There's tons of undelivered mail. Ghosts are talking to him. One of the postmen is 18,000 years old. And you really wouldn't want to know what his new girlfriend can do with a shoe. To top it all off, shadowy characters don't want the mail moved. Instead, they want him dead... deader than all those dead letters. And here he'd thought that all he'd have to face was rain, snow, gloom of night, and the odd vicious dog or two."
When: 20th–30th November 2019
Venue: Bakehouse Main Theatre, 255 Angas Street, Adelaide, South Australia 5000
Time: 8pm all shows
Tickets: Adults $22, Conc $18, Fringe Benefits $16, Groups (6+) $16, Preview night (20th November) $16, all available soon
http://www.bakehousetheatre.com/shows/going-postal
5.2 REVIEWS
* MEN AT ARMS IN CARDIFF
By Melissa Compton for the Cardiff Times:
"Characterization was outstanding, with many character’s roles in the night beginning pre-show such as the crowd-pleasing clowns. The cast clearly loved the roles they played, excellent teamwork was also on display throughout the performance both during scenes and with changing sets... The performance was played out in scenes and narration which were indicated by the ringing of the bell, and a change in lighting. The introduction of the show’s principle characters at the beginning was very useful if you haven’t read the book. A raffle was held in the interval, which was led by the clowns and Dr Whiteface, with proceeds going to Nerve Tumours UK. There are a few character’s in the production that are villainised, the stern and authoritative Dr Whiteface is one of these as the head of the clown guild. The cast delivered emotional and passionate performances, especially Captain Vimes, from whom we see a range of emotions, ranging from worrying about retirement to protecting the one’s he cares about most..."
https://bit.ly/2L4zove
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06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), will next meet on Monday 2nd September at
7pm at The Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London W2 1JQ.
The Drummers' August meet report, as tweeted by Helen: "We had a smaller gathering Monday night. Some of us had been in Leeds the day before. After a long drive home, Andrew didn't feel like going out again but I came along as did Pete, who I had last seen less than 24 hours earlier. Chris had lovingly created a quiz so intricate that we decided to save it for next time. I did not want others to regret having missed it. We had some very historical discussions on the Wars of the Roses. Chris is extremely keen on Richard III. Somehow that led to the Horrible Histories movie and the signing of the Viking song (Literally!), the Four Georges song and the Evil Emperor Emperors song, all of which can be found on YouTube (also check out Norman Style). We further discussed the passing of Paul Darrow, which led us on to Terry's intense dislike of Blakes 7... also learned that Paul Darrow was in an adaptation of Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers. This is available on YouTube, I watched the whole thing Tuesday morning."
https://twitter.com/BrokenDrummers/status/1159196903231447043
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/
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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."
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For Facebook users in Fourecks: The Victorian Discworld Klatch is "a social group for fans of Discworld and Terry Pratchett... run by a dedicated team who meet monthly and organise events monthly." "If you'd like to join our events please ask to join the Klatch."
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch
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"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)" is a public Facebook meeting group: "This group, by request of Jo in Bear will continue to be used for future unofficial (not run by the Emporium) fan Gatherings in Wincanton. Look here for information."
https://www.facebook.com/groups/373578522834654/
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The Pratchett Partisans are a fan group who meet monthly at either Brisbane or Indooroopilly to "eat, drink and chat about all things Pratchett. We hold events such as Discworld dinners, games afternoons, Discworld photo scavenger hunts. We also attend opening night at Brisbane Arts Theatre's Discworld plays." The Partisans currently have about 200 members who meet at least twice a month, usually in Brisbane.
For more info about their next meetup, join up at https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au
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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 a pub or restaurant in Adelaide. We have dinner at 6.30pm followed by games until 9pm. 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, apart from the Troll Bridge Adelaide premiere (see item 3.2 above), will be the Monthly Dinner ("with special visitors!") at the Seven Stars Hotel on the 26th of September, a discussion of Moving Pictures, at Kappy's Tea and Coffee on 5th October, a Board Games day on the 6th at La Scala Cafe, 169 Unley Rd, Unley in the function room (starting at 10am), and a new Quiz Long and Prosper event on the 19th at the Clarence Gardens Bowling Club. This last event starts at 7.30pm and requires booking; for more details, and to book, go to https://ausdwcon.org/fan-clubs/adelaide/quiz/
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
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The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 5th 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
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The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) next meets on Friday 6th September (possibly) at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"
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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/
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Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet next on Monday 2nd 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
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The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meet next on Monday 2nd September (possibly) at Old Shanghai, 123 James Street, Northbridge, Perth, Western Australia. For details join their Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>
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07) ROUNDWORLD TALES: THE REAL ERIC WHEELBRACE
All Discworld readers know of the (presumably) late Eric Wheelbrace, the celebrated (by hikers) and detested (by landowners) rambler and author of Walking in the Koom Valley and 100 Walks in the Ramtops, who would "never let unimportant things like hereditary land rights or troll armies stand in the way of his Right to Roam" and who finally disappeared during a Midsummer's Eve walk across Lancre's famous landmark-cum-interdimensional-gateway known as The Dancers. But did you know that Mr Wheelbrace was a caricature of an equally celebrated Roundworld rambler and author? Alfred Wainwright MBE (1907–1991) was a British fellwalker, guidebook author and illustrator whose Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells became the standard reference work to hundreds of the Lake District fells and whose Coast to Coast Walk guide, written from his copious notes, delineated a 192-mile-long footpath that is popular with fellwalkers to this day.
Alfred Wainwright was a dedicated walker even in early childhood, and had an interest in drawing and cartography that led to him making his own maps of England and his local area. In 1930 he went on a week's walking holiday in the Lake District and "fell in love" with the Fells. His Pictorial Guides have been in continuous publication since they were written and have sold more than two million copies. There are more up-to-date guides now by other authors, but Wainwright's guides are considered so iconic that the 214 fells described in the Pictorial Guides are now generally known as the Wainwrights.
When Wainwright died in 1991, his ashes were scattered over Innominate Tarn on Haystacks, his favourite fell. The Wainwright Society was founded in 2002 to promote Wainwright fellwalking traditions. A road bridge in Blackburn, his birthplace, was opened in 2008 and named the Wainwright Bridge in his honour. There is no evidence of his ever having found a gateway to the world of Elves on his walks.
Sources: Wikipedia and the L-space Discworld wiki
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08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
Angua and Gaspode, from Peculiar Productions' triumphant new production of Men at Arms:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ECq1YvMW4AAI-XX.jpg
Some Aziraphale "headshots" by fan artist Remoss:
https://twitter.com/Remosss1/status/1156269983745396736/photo/1
Some excellent furniture in a science fiction bookshop and cafe in Gothenburg, as tweeted by Nea87585592:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D-yK3_NWkAAFx9w.jpg
Scunthorpe Little Theatre rehearsing for their forthcoming production of The Fifth Elephant. "Detritus" and his Piecemaker looking quite promising:
https://bit.ly/2Z2RUt1
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09) CLOSE
Rincewind made a visit to Iowa this month! The public library in Ames, Iowa, ran their third annual Pub Fiction pub crawl last Thursday: "While a group of approximately 150 people walking around while dressed in iconic costumes is typically reminiscent of Halloween, this event is strictly for people older than 21 years old and goes to support Ames Public Library. 'I think it’s a fun way for people to come together and celebrate books in a new, exciting and different way. Support the library, support local businesses and have some fun,' said Sheila Schofer, director of Ames Public Library... James Honzatko, dressed as Rincewind the Wizard from Terry Pratchett’s 'Discworld' novels, and Andrew Doyle, dressed as Gregor from Franz Kafka’s 'The Metamorphosis,' both of Ames, said they enjoy having the opportunity to support the library while also dressing up and having fun..." There are even iconographs! Read all about it here:
https://www.amestrib.com/news/20190822/pub-fiction-takes-over-downtown-ames
And that's it for August. Mind how you go, and we'll see you next month!
– Annie Mac
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The End. If you have any questions or requests, write: wossname-owner (at) pearwood (dot) info
Copyright (c) 2019 by Wossname for the Klatchian Foreign Legion
