Wossname - March/April 2021 - main issue
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wossnameWossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
March/April 2021 (Volume 24, Issue 3, 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) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
07) DISCWORLD GAMES NEWS
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
09) CLOSE
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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
"You have to learn that grammar, punctuation and spelling are not things that only happen to other people."
– Sir Pterry, talking about how to become a writer (1996)
"That’s what the gods are! An answer that will do! Because there’s food to be caught and babies to be born and life to be lived and so there is no time for big, complicated, and worrying answers! Please give us a simple answer, so that we don’t have to think, because if we think, we might find answers that don’t fit the way we want the world to be."
– Mau, in Nation, figures out what makes humans tick
"We played Bat out of Hell at the end of Dad’s funeral (and I thoroughly recommend ending such things on an ‘up’ song) and he also chose it as one of his songs on Desert Island Discs. It has a special place in my heart. A big GNU for Jim Steinman."
– Pratchett the Younger notes the passing of one of Music With Rocks In's greatest lyricists
"I save about twenty drafts – that's ten meg of disc space – and the last one contains all the final alterations. Once it has been printed out and received by the publishers, there's a cry here of 'Tough shit, literary researchers of the future, try getting a proper job!' and the rest are wiped."
– Sir Pterry again, back in the days when he had world enough and time to chat with fans on Usenet
"Pratchett started his career in local papers, so he knows his amusingly shaped onions. He died in 2015, eight years after his diagnosis with a rare form of Alzheimer’s. 'An embuggerance,' he called it. It was like losing Gandalf."
– respect from Times journalist Laura Freeman
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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR
On the twenty-eight day of this month, one of Roundworld's{1} best-beloved authors was born. Your Editor is not in the habit of wishing a happy birthday to anyone who can no longer celebrate it{2}, and therefore neither is Wossname, but Wossname definitely and wholeheartedly wishes that all appreciators everywhere of the brilliant work and life of the late Professor Sir Terence David John Pratchett, OBE and Blackboard Monitor will raise a toast in love and respect, and celebrate the day of his birth by re-reading some favourite passages from Discworld or other Pratchett novels{3}. GNU Sir Terry. GNU forever.
A few bits and bobs (not to be confused with odds and sods – those are in part 3):
Don't forget that Troll Bridge is now available to view online. Yes, it's a fan film, but it's slick and classy and lovingly made and The Author himself did contribute to its making. Enjoy!
https://www.trollbridge.film/
A year on in the seemingly never-ending pandemic, Stephen Briggs celebrated by re-reading the first instalment of many he's read to Clacks listeners over the months. Another thing to enjoy...
https://bit.ly/2QXHvjU
Something Sir Terry would have approved of: Tasmania and Spain are the latest to legalise assisted dying
And speaking of notable birthdays, Wossname wishes a happy 50th to "Anthony J Crowley" aka the redoubtable (and suspiciously young-looking) David Tennant.
And now, on with the show...
– Annie Mac, Editor
{1} And certainly ours!
{2} As far as we know
{3} This happens regularly in my household anyway, but the 28th will be a special birthday-celebrating re-read
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03) ODDS AND SODS
3.1 THE CARPET PEOPLE TURNS 50
Hard to believe, isn't it? And more astonishing still to think that a number of then-young readers who fell in love with The Carpet People when it was first published will have passed that love on to their children – and soon, their grandchildren. It's such a lovely book that even if Sir Terry hadn't gone on to even greater heights, it would still be respected and loved as a children's literature great.
The audiobook of The Carpet People, as read by David Tennant especially for the occasion of its 50th birthday, is now available in the UK as a digital download or CD!
https://bit.ly/3ezAOgb
The official tweet!
"Introducing a very special edition of The Carpet People, Terry’s first published novel, written when he was just 17. Celebrating 50 years since its first publication, it will be available on 22 April, and is released alongside a new audiobook read by the wonderful David Tennant."
https://twitter.com/terryandrob/status/1377186283395579909
A loving Guardian piece by Alison Flood:
"'Terry would have loved knowing that David was going to do it,' said Rob Wilkins, Pratchett’s former assistant and friend who now manages the Pratchett estate. 'David was a Doctor Who that really mattered in the Pratchett household, so he would have been so thrilled.' Pratchett dreamed up The Carpet People as a teenager; a 1971 interview revealed that he was 'putting the world to rights … with a friend one evening when the friend got up to emphasise a point and started to pace across the room. "Don’t do that", said Terry suddenly, "You’ll disturb the carpet people." 'He was,' said Wilkins, 'writing early versions of The Carpet People in short stories when he was at school, so this goes way back. He was noodling around with ideas even then. He was thinking about this as a nano world. They’re much smaller than The Borrowers. They couldn’t wield needles as weapons; they would be ginormous to them. He was absolutely fascinated by a small, flat world.'... The Carpet People manuscript was picked up when he interviewed a local publisher, Peter Bander van Duren, and mentioned that he was working on a book. Van Duren’s co-director Colin Smythe took a look, and ended up becoming Pratchett’s first publisher, and later his agent. 'This was written by a 17-year-old, and seemed to me to be showing great promise of a brilliant, if not yet genius, mind – a kid at 17 who was writing so well must logically get better as he improved with experience,' said Smythe. 'His imagination was second to none.'..." [Amen to that! – Ed.]
https://bit.ly/3gR7e8P
[Editor's note: embedded part-way down the page is a two-minute extract from David Tennant's reading of The Carpet People]
3.2 PRATCHETT PROJECT TALKS AVAILABLE ONLINE!
Not even a worldwide pandemic could stop The Pratchett Project going ahead last year! The talks are now being released on YouTube. Check them out!
Space in Pratchett's Narrative Networks by Matthew Roughan:
https://youtu.be/mQ7HwMyjOPM
Political Idealism in the Discworld Novels by Ruchira Mandal:
https://youtu.be/FlBjXXa3v6A
The Big Wahoonie: Ankh-Morpork as Cross-Media Urban Imaginary by Helena Esser:
https://youtu.be/RUTwLO33zKA
The Wilkins speaks! Assisting Terry Pratchett, an interview with Rob Wilkins from the Pratchett Project Conference 2020:
https://youtu.be/Izh_EZ-mb8g
More to come...
https://twitter.com/PratchettProj
3.3 RESPECT FOR THE LITERARY POWER OF "THE TRUTH"
A takes-no-prisoners retrospective by journalist Laura Freeman, who calls it " a comic novel that rivals Evelyn Waugh", in The Times:
"Why, when Virginia Woolf is shelved above the breakfast table in my flat (you know, just in case, in pre-Covid days, someone lofty came to tea) is my Pratchett collection, all four shelves of it, relegated to a bookcase at the end of the children’s corridor at my parents’ house? I blame 'sci-fi'. Worse, that many-headed monster the 'sci-fi-fantasy-sword-and-sorcery' section. I wish bookshops wouldn’t do it. Pratchett said that he wrote the Discworld series as an antidote to the 'belike he will wax wroth' school of otherworldly fiction: the followers of the followers of the followers of Tolkien, the sub-sub-hobbits. Move Pratchett to modern humour, or simply put him in fiction. Pratchett has been compared to PG Wodehouse, Stephen Leacock and Douglas Adams, but for my money the Discworld books are more like many-charactered, many-chaptered Dickens. I sympathise with the reader who gets as far as the first page of The Colour of Magic, the first in the 41-strong Discworld series, published in 1983, and on meeting the star turtle Great A’Tuin swimming through the interstellar gulf with four elephants on its back, thinks: 'You lost me at turtle.' But they’re wrong. If you like Shakespeare, you’ll love Wyrd Sisters, Pratchett’s 1988 novel. If you like comparative mythology you’ll worship Pyramids. If you’re into gothic romanticism you’ll sink your teeth into Carpe Jugulum. I’m a hack, so I value The Truth..."
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/972fdb90-8cad-11eb-a1a3-928d43a3bbc1
3.4 TIFFANY ACHING AND ADOLESCENT ANGER
An long, interesting essay on angry young women in literature, featuring our favourite Chalk witch. By Dorothy Bennett on Tor.com:
"There are, of course, angry female villains, angry male heroes, and angry male villains of all ages, but I’ve discovered only a relatively few examples of angry young female heroines... I discovered Pratchett’s Discworld as an adult, but Tiffany Aching’s youthful anger still charmed me. (Tiffany is only nine in her first novel and sixteen in her last, but even at the beginning of her series, she is precocious enough to be grouped with the older Meg Murry.) Tiffany is introduced combatting a destructive magical force armed only with a frying pan and a strong sense of right and wrong. She thinks, 'I ought to be scared, but I’m just angry.' As the story progresses, another source of Tiffany’s anger comes to light – anger at her community. There was a harmless old woman cast out on suspicion of witchery, who died as a result. Tiffany boils at the remembrance, knowing that it was vile on two accounts: the woman wasn’t a witch, and more importantly, she didn’t have the means to protect herself. Tiffany recalls her Granny’s belief that 'someone has to speak up for them as has no voices.' In the final showdown with the malicious Fairy Queen, Tiffany consistently draws on her anger over the Queen’s injustices to galvanize herself into action. 'Ye have murrrder in yer eyes,' observes another character with admiration. Pratchett even goes so far as to note that Tiffany’s 'anger rose up, joyfully' – a delightful paradox... To Tiffany, Pratchett promises: you’re different and special and powerful, and you’ll always be this way—isn’t it glorious to be a witch? Tiffany does occasionally act out wrongly during her series of five books, and has to make amends to her community and her fellow witches. But, nowhere is her anger seen as invalid, only the way in which she handles her anger..."
https://www.tor.com/2021/04/21/the-power-of-adolescent-anger-lengles-meg-murry-and-pratchetts-tiffany-aching/
3.6 GASPODE IS A TOP DOG
...but we already knew that. Writing for Penguin Books, Indira Birnie ranks some famous literary canines and Gaspode is near the top!
"They say dogs are a man’s best friend – and when you look at the starring roles these canine companions play in literature, it feels like never a truer word has been spoken. Whether they appear as a protagonist’s faithful chum, are helping to solve fiendish mysteries or even act as a terrifying adversary, this species has inspired writers for centuries (even millennia, if you're counting the dogs found daubed on cave walls from the earliest period of human civilisation). With so many fictional hounds occupying the pages, narrowing down to a top ten feels almost impossible and so, of course, there are some notable omissions. But here we are, from the wonderful to the weep-inducing, this is our absolutely incontrovertible, definitive list of the top ten dogs in fiction. No arguments, please."
The list, in order from last to first, is Argos from The Odyssey, the dog from the Adrian Mole books, Bosun from Life After Life, Buck from Call of the Wild, Snowy Tintin, Lufra from Frederica, Bull's-eye from Oliver Twist, Gaspode, Hairy Maclary from the Hairy Maclary and Friends books, and in the number one spot, Snoopy.
Note: Ms Birnie says "no arguments, please" but also says "What did you think of our list, and which dogs would you want to add? Let us know by emailing us at editor@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk"
https://bit.ly/3gAhVfL
3.7 THE MERCH CORNER
* Discworld.com discount week!
Discworld.com is having a "spring clean!" There is a twenty per cent discount on notebooks, greetings cards, t-shirts & keyrings, valid until 4th May if you use the code SPRING21 at the checkout. Enjoy!
https://discworld.com/
* REMINDER: new Stephen Briggs Discworld scriptbooks
Attention amateur theatre companies! Now that there may be an eventual end in sight to the Covid-19 pandemic and it may be time to start planning the return of Discworld to the stage, note that three new official Discworld scriptbooks have been published this month: The Shakespeare Codex, Lords and Ladies, and Hogfather. All three are now available direct from the publisher (Bloomsbury). Each scriptbook is priced at £9.89 (paperback) or £8.79 (ebook). For more information, and to purchase, go to:
The Shakespeare Codex: https://bit.ly/3rD40YL
Lords and Ladies: https://bit.ly/3eoXfpT
Hogfather: https://bit.ly/3bzxPUE
3.8 MAGIC IN THE LIBRARY...
An absolute gem of a short video from the BBC archives of 1996, in which The Author is joined for a chat in his beloved Beaconsfield Library by telly producer Steve Hocking. What a joy to hear his voice and bask in his gentle humour across the gap of years! Two minutes and thirty-one seconds of sheer magic:
https://bit.ly/2QXCCHA
3.9 PRATCHETT BOOK CLUB UPDATES
On the website of publishers Tor, Emmet Asher-Perrin continues a Discworld discussion page. This month's instalments take us from part four of Guards! Guards! to the entirety of Good Omens (slipped in despite it not being Discworld).
Guards!Guards! part four:
"The discussion about having Colon use his special arrow to shoot the dragon in the 'voonerables' is, of course, a longform reference to many fantasy stories, but The Hobbit in particular. Which is mostly excellent because the idea of Colon as a suitable replacement for Bard the Bowman is hilarious. Honestly, most of the fun of the Watch stories comes from whenever most or all of the rank is hanging around and talking about how they’re going to handle a given situation, so this time on the roof is wonderfully done. I am beginning to realize that when I remembered this book, I always thought of Carrot as having more a central role in the action, however. Strange what your brain does in filling in the gaps of stories... I adore the confrontation between Vimes and Wonse because it is always treated this way, as though figuring out the mystery is the endgame because no one would ever have a plan once they knew they’d been discovered. Like being caught robs a villain of their adaptability and imbues the detective with a power of their own. Oh no, Detective Poirot is going to explain to us who the killer is, it’s all over now. When that is, of course, nonsense. If you’ve survived as long as Wonse has doing this sort of thing, you are at least somewhat prepared for the eventuality of being confronted..."
https://bit.ly/3c1mmNT
...and five:
"The whole ending sequence of this book is just perfectly written. The parody, the physical comedy, the cinematic quality to the entire thing. Picturing them all fast walking, then trotting, and full out running to the palace. Reading everyone their rights in the most useless manner possible. (Also, apparently there is historical precedent for arresting animals in our own world too? So, you know, Carrot is perfect.) Lord Vetinari appearing around every corner to hound Wonse. And then the greatest character death in any book I’ve ever read, made by a metaphor becoming a reality and dropping someone out a window. Also, my petty streak really appreciates the moments where Vimes gets the chance to tell Vetinari to shut up. And I love that they just ask for a solid pay bump and a kettle at their little hero ceremony while Vetinari looks on in shock. I’d have laughed like Vimes too..."
https://bit.ly/2PnHrty
...and Asher-Perrin now moves on to Good Omens. Editor's note: Not quoting extracts here because in my opinion this blogger's ever-present presentism is turned up to a painful degree in these analyses, but feel free to read them...
Part the first: https://bit.ly/3mjycGO
...and second: https://bit.ly/3dQghnb
...and third: https://bit.ly/3gDqrKJ
...and last: https://bit.ly/3xqE460
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04) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
4.1 AUSDWCON UPDATES
An announcement, with footnotes
The Convention Moves...
Memorandum
From: Lord Vetinari, The Oblong Office, Ankh-Morpork
Subject: The Australian Discworld Convention 2021 – 2nd to 4th July 2022 – 8th to 10th April, Sydney
The convention moves...
New dates, same theme, same venue...
happy hippos looking at calendar that says April 8,9,10 2022
Mark your calendars – tell your DisOrganiser – we have locked in new convention dates for Nullus Anxietas 7a – The Australian Discworld Convention: 8th to 10th April 2022. It may be delayed, but you can still look forward to a long weekend of Discworld related entertainment and education(1). Because the convention dates have changed, we have also moved the cut-off dates for the Early Bird tickets, the Not-So-Early-Bird tickets and the Gala Dinner.
Early Bird tickets will be available until 8th August 2021
Convention tickets and Gala Dinner tickets will be available until 13th March 2022
If you have already bought a ticket, and find to your utter dismay that you can no longer join us, then please contact our membership secretary via the Contact Us page with your membership number and they will organise a refund. This offer is open until 28th February 2021.
Same theme
Our convention theme remains the same, and we look forward to welcoming you to the bustling and exciting(2) metropolis of Ankh-Morpork, "Citie of One Thousand Surprises!"(3) Join us as we explore the winding streets from the Isle of Gods(4) to the Shades(5) to the Unseen University(6).
Same venue
The venue is still the Stamford Plaza Hotel in Sydney. The convention is taking over the whole conference area on the first floor - so that gives us one very large room and six smaller rooms suitable for workshops, discussions, Klatches(7) and dungeon (complete with scorpions(7a)). As a teaser, here is another iconograph of the venue – showing some of the pre-convention area and (very safe) chandelier.
1 This may include surprises.
2 Also very smelly and quite dangerous, but then no city is perfect!
3 Some of them are nice!
4 Where you may be mugged.
5 Where you will definitely be mugged.
6 Where you won't be mugged buy may not come out the same shape/colour/species.
7 A klatch is a chance for a dozen lucky people to meet with our guests for a more intimate conversation.
7a In case of mimes.
https://2022.ausdwcon.org/blog/2022dates/
...and an update, also with footnotes:
The Lost Con
As you hopefully know by now, sadly the Australian Discworld convention has been postponed until April next year. The theme remains Ankh-Morpork – Citie of One Thousand Surprises[1]!
Because April next year is such a long time away[2], we wanted to do something fun to celebrate our lost convention. Thanks to the magic of the Omniscope, this will be a virtual event running on Saturday 3rd July 2021 – named The Lost Con[3].
The theme will be catching up and having fun, because it has been such a long time since we last saw each other. We have sent our mascots, Keith and Roderick[4], on a quest to find some exciting events, genial guests and astounding activities for the day. More details will be posted on our website soon.
1 Some of them nice!
2 By then we may all be wearing silver foil jumpsuits and travelling in flying carriages.
3 Yes – you got us – it's a pun on "The Last Continent", which in turn was Terry's pun on "The Lost Continent" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
4 Keith and Roderick are of course the hippos from the Ankh-Morpork coat of arms – who you will have met in "Feet of Clay".
https://2022.ausdwcon.org/blog/raiders-of-the-lost-con/
This just in on the Nullus Anxietas Twitter account:
"Announcing the categories for The Lost Con* Maskerade! If you’re a prop producer, costume creator or first time fabricator we have a category for you!
More details coming soon!" The categories are Best Overall, Best Prop, Best costume Accessory, Best Presentation, Best Newbie, and Peoples[sic] Choice.
https://twitter.com/ausdwcon/status/1383223828751413250
4.2 IDWCON UPDATES
The upcoming Irish Discworld Convention has also been forced by circumstance to move online. Here be an FAQ. Some samples:
"Q. Why is the Convention being held online?
Due to the ongoing COVID19 pandemic, and after much deliberation, we have decided it is not safe or feasible to hold the Irish Discworld Convention in person in 2021. There are a number of factors that we have been considering very carefully for many months now, but it comes down to a few important details:
Safety: Although the vaccines are being rolled out very efficiently in some places like the UK, this is not the case here in Ireland. Vaccinations are happening frustratingly slowly. Furthermore, we are still not clear on the long-term efficiency for those at high-risk or against new strains. A Con that is not safe to attend is not an option.
Your pocket: If we go ahead and then have to cancel at short notice, we know that we cannot offer any refunds or help you out with travel/accommodation costs. This doesn't seem fair.
Our pocket: We have been handed the reins of IDWCon and we take this honour very seriously. We must ensure the financial security and longevity of the convention so that we can meet up when it is safe to do so.
We're not sure if you can get here: Cork airport recently announced they will close the airport for 2 weeks in the Autumn but have not stated when. Seriously – I think we have angered the gods!!!!!
Q. But I’m already vaccinated. Surely everyone will be vaccinated by then?
The vaccine rollout is not happening nearly as quickly as we would like in Ireland. Furthermore, even if you are vaccinated, we do not know how effective this will be and how it will work against future potential strains.
Q. But what if you only let vaccinated people attend?
In the future, there may be such things as ‘vaccination passports’ which may allow the enforcement of such an idea, but no such thing exists yet. Plus, we still don’t know what level of travel restrictions there will be on entering Ireland in October – even if you can prove you are vaccinated. Vaccinations also don’t last forever so you would need to be able to show a recent vaccine (recent may vary depending on the particular vaccine)
Q. But it’s March – aren’t you making this call too soon?
We have been considering an online format for some time now and have progressively seen it as increasingly inevitable. The recent announcement of the closure of Cork airport has made us make this decision now. Plus – we need lots of time to prepare this online event to the standards we expect!
Watch this space. We will update as things are finalised. Alternatively, please contact chair@idwcon.org for specific queries."
https://2021.idwcon.org/index.php?id_cms=51&controller=cms
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05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
* A WORD FROM THE UNSEEN THEATRE...
Dear Patrons,
You are probably wondering why you haven't heard from us for some time. This is because, despite our most well laid plans, basically COVID 19 has taken absolutely no notice of them at all!! When this embuggerance first descended on us we knew that we would probably be prevented from producing anything in 2020, but we had been hoping to do something in May this year. Unfortunately the "Year of the Beleaguered Badger" turns out to be aptly named not only for the Discworld but for ours. I mean we always knew that the Discworld held up a mirror to our own, right? – but did it really have to go this far???? Anyway we are hoping that the Badger and ourselves turn out to be less beleaguered in November. If that is the case then we hope to be bringing you one of our favourites – "Wyrd Sisters". It will run from November 15th to 27th.
Auditions will be in early August. Please keep these days free.
https://unseen.com.au/
* MURDER IN ANKH-MORPORK IN ABINGDON (NOVEMBER 2021)
At last! From the Studio Theatre website:
"16 November 2021 marks 50 years of Terry as a published author. By a delightful coincidence, the revised dates for our delayed Discworld play – MURDER IN ANKH-MORPORK – are the same week as that anniversary. 'The Carpet People' was published on 16 November 1971. And on 17-20 November 2021, we will be staging a celebration of Terry's work – featuring some of his best-loved characters – the Ankh-Morpork's City Watch. We are delighted that the show will be officially sponsored by Terry's Estate.
"We wanted to stage a play involving the Ankh-Morpork Night Watch. But we'd already staged all of Stephen Briggs' dramatizations [sic] featuring this noble group of guardians of justice. By coincidence, this year also marks the thirtieth anniversary of our first Pratchett play (and the first Pratchett dramatisation ever) – Wyrd Sisters. Stephen got special permission to put together an affectionate mash-up incorporating characters and bits from Guards! Guards! , Thud! and Feet of Clay, woven respectfully into the core plot of Men at Arms. All Terry."
When: 17th – 20th November 2021
Venue: Unicorn Theatre, Checker Walk, Abingdon OX14 3JB
Time: evening performances at 19.30, plus a 14.30 matinee on Saturday 20th November
Tickets: £12, available for purchase from 14th September – keep an eye here for details!
https://www.studiotheatreclub.com/murder-in-ankh-morpork
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06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
Remember, one day, possibly in the not too distant future, Discworld fans will be able to meet in the real Roundworld again. So keep this information handy! Also note there are a few updates below...
A new Fourecksian meeting group joins the gang: the Purdeigh Islanders, based in Hobart, Tasmania. "Purdeigh (or Purdee) Island lies hubwards of Fourecks. Roundworld islanders are fans of the great Sir Terry Pratchett resident in Tasmania, the island state of Australia."
The Purdeigh Islanders is a private group. To join in, go to their Facebook page and see if they'll have you!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/205967619882683/
*
The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group"
BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group at https://bit.ly/2YrPGW7
NOTE: the Drummers are still meeting occasionally via Zoom. Check out the above link for updates!
*
Drumknott's Irregulars
Facebook https://bit.ly/31FlSrq or Google Groups https:groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars or join us at our next event."
*
The Victorian Discworld Klatch
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch
*
"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/373578522834654/
*
The Pratchett Partisans
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au
*
The City of Small Gods
www.cityofsmallgods.org.au
"What are we doing while we're stuck at home due to COVID-19? Given that our normal social gatherings can't happen while everyone's under lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are instead trying to host regular activities and discussions online. Most of these will be done via our Discord Server – https://discord.gg/3RVzsyJ – which has several text chat channels and a few voice chat channels as well. We will still use our Facebook group – https://facebook.com/groups/cityofsmallgods – to coordinate scheduled events. When things get back to normal... (semi-) regular social 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.
"We'll try to keep this page up to date (no promises!) but always check emails on the mailing list or our Facebook Group for further details of these events."
*
The Broken Vectis Drummers
broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk
*
The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) meets at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn when social gatherings are possible.
*
The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum: http://www.discworldstamps.co.uk/forum/
*
Sydney now hosts two groups of fans who meet on a regular basis.
In the CBD, The Mended Drummers (Sydney) meet on the first Monday of each month at Albion Place Hotel from 6.00pm. Join the Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/downunderdrummers/ – for more information.
And over in the western suburbs of Sydney you can find the Western Drummers who meet on the third Tuesday of each month at the Nepean Rowers Club from 6pm. Join their Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/100376433635355/ – for more information.
All we do is chat over a few drinks, with subjects ranging far and wide, have a Discworld themed quiz and generally enjoy the company of fellow discworld fans. Sometimes we end up getting together for a Zombie Walk, table top games or Supanova - nothing formal, just a loose group of like minded people.
Editor's note: If either of these supersedes the Sydney Drummers, please let Wossname know! Still posting the original for now: Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder)
Contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk
*
The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers https://bit.ly/2EKSCqu – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
07) DISCWORLD GAMES NEWS
CLACKS IS BACK!!!
That is to say, it will be soon – and in a new, even better form. Your Editor has heard from Dave Brashaw of Backspindle Games that they have received licence from the Pratchett estate (nice one, Mr Wilkins!) to create a new "collector's edition" with a number of exclusive new features. The game will include miniatures of Moist von Lipwig on Boris, Clacks Towers, and a Deep Dwarf, as well as new playing cards and a new game called Goblin Glory, and the artwork is by the superb Guillermo Marsilla. Dave says that there is already a lot of interest and that "if Roundworldians are interested in it, they can ask to be added to our Collector's Clacks only mail list. Once we go to pre-order and let them all know, we'll be deleting that list. All they need to do is send an email to: backspindle@gmail.com and add their first name and surname.", so do drop them a line!
Also, The promo video is now available on YouTube at The Collector's Edition of Discworld Clacks boardgame:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYfR2Z8elM8
*
HEX GAMES RETROSPECTIVE
A retrospective by Jim Cullinane:
"Most people will also be aware that, aside from the books, there were several television adaptations created (Going Postal and Hogfather for example). Some people may even be aware that there were 1997 animated adaptations for Soul Music and Wyrd Sisters by Cosgrove Hall. But bottom of the list, and rarely even discussed are the three Discworld video games that blessed our computers and consoles in the mid to late 1990’s... After the literacy success of The Colour of Magic a video game was developed and released in 1986 by Piranha on multiple formats such as Commodore and Spectrum. The video game was a complete failure, having 'several twinkles short of a glitter', but thankfully it is rarely spoken of. But then we hear the wise words of Pratchett himself, 'if failure had no penalty success would not be a prize.'... Thankfully during the 1990’s Gregg Barnett managed to successfully persuade Sir Terry Pratchett an offering and design concept that would allow him the power to direct a large adventure game for CD-based computer systems. Instead of the initial adaptation of a singular novel, this would cover a vast degree of titles penned by the great author himself. Discworld was born. With a development team combination of Teeny Weeny Productions and Perfect 10 Productions, Gregg Barnett directed the game which would be published by Psygnosis in 1995. The game was released in MS-DOS, Macintosh and Sony PlayStation formats with a Sega Saturn version being released the following year – time would tell if they were cutting their own throats. Discworld, also known as Discworld: The Trouble with Dragons, was a commercial success in Europe with its plot and humour being praised...."
And plenty more here:
https://bit.ly/3aEM1e4
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08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
Crowley by da Quirm, as channelled by da Vinci, as channelled by Kidby (as it were): https://bit.ly/3exOCHT
A lovely piece of Good Omens fanart, by Ineffable Phoenix: https://bit.ly/2PpgO7i
https://bit.ly/2PpgO7i
AusDWCon's Raiders of the Lost Con logo: https://bit.ly/3efpkOL
The Chalk, as imagined by Paul Kidby. With Feegles, of course: https://bit.ly/2R6ABsU
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
09) CLOSE
Department of lost in translation: the telly series The Watch has now been released in South American and there are a number of reviews. Some of them contain comic gems (more comical, in Your Editor's opinion, than the subject of the reviews). A few here, with "overloaded and Brownish hooligan" a standout:
"‘The Guard’ is an impossible mix of clear and genuine British flavor that moves on the edge of the precipice of chaos and ridicule... ‘The guard’ is a dystopa[sic] lost in time and space. A medieval fantasy of a reality that doesn’t seem to make much sense, in one of those 'parallel' universe in which Douglas Adams’ Ford Prefect would feel at home. But above all ‘The Guard’ is an overloaded and brownish hooligan where everything is susceptible to being a joke and there is no need to take anything seriously. Something in general lines chaotic, capricious and anarchic towards which, on the other hand, you have to have some kind of vital affinity... A bizarre production, which embraces the ridiculous and lies down with the absurd..."
https://www.explica.co/criticism-the-guard-an-instinctive-response.html
Right then, that's it for now. Mind how you go, and we hope to 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) 2021 by Wossname for the Klatchian Foreign Legion
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
March/April 2021 (Volume 24, Issue 3, Post 1)
********************************************************************
WOSSNAME is a free publication offering news, reviews, and all the other stuff-that-fits pertaining to the works of Sir Terry Pratchett. Originally founded by the late, great Joe Schaumburger for members of the worldwide Klatchian Foreign Legion and its affiliates, including the North American Discworld Society and other continental groups, Wossname is now for Discworld and Pratchett fans everywhere in Roundworld.
********************************************************************
Editor in Chief: Annie Mac
News Editor: Vera P
Newshounds: Mogg, Sir J of Croydon Below, the Shadow, Mss C, Alison not Aliss
Staff Writers: Asti, Pitt the Elder, Evil Steven Dread, Mrs Wynn-Jones
Staff Technomancer: Jason Parlevliet
Book Reviews: Annie Mac, Drusilla D'Afanguin, Your Name Here
Puzzle Editor: Tiff (still out there somewhere)
Bard in Residence: Weird Alice Lancrevic
Emergency Staff: Steven D'Aprano, Jason Parlevliet
World Membership Director: Steven D'Aprano (in his copious spare time)
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
INDEX:
01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) ODDS AND SODS
04) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
07) DISCWORLD GAMES NEWS
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
09) CLOSE
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
"You have to learn that grammar, punctuation and spelling are not things that only happen to other people."
– Sir Pterry, talking about how to become a writer (1996)
"That’s what the gods are! An answer that will do! Because there’s food to be caught and babies to be born and life to be lived and so there is no time for big, complicated, and worrying answers! Please give us a simple answer, so that we don’t have to think, because if we think, we might find answers that don’t fit the way we want the world to be."
– Mau, in Nation, figures out what makes humans tick
"We played Bat out of Hell at the end of Dad’s funeral (and I thoroughly recommend ending such things on an ‘up’ song) and he also chose it as one of his songs on Desert Island Discs. It has a special place in my heart. A big GNU for Jim Steinman."
– Pratchett the Younger notes the passing of one of Music With Rocks In's greatest lyricists
"I save about twenty drafts – that's ten meg of disc space – and the last one contains all the final alterations. Once it has been printed out and received by the publishers, there's a cry here of 'Tough shit, literary researchers of the future, try getting a proper job!' and the rest are wiped."
– Sir Pterry again, back in the days when he had world enough and time to chat with fans on Usenet
"Pratchett started his career in local papers, so he knows his amusingly shaped onions. He died in 2015, eight years after his diagnosis with a rare form of Alzheimer’s. 'An embuggerance,' he called it. It was like losing Gandalf."
– respect from Times journalist Laura Freeman
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR
On the twenty-eight day of this month, one of Roundworld's{1} best-beloved authors was born. Your Editor is not in the habit of wishing a happy birthday to anyone who can no longer celebrate it{2}, and therefore neither is Wossname, but Wossname definitely and wholeheartedly wishes that all appreciators everywhere of the brilliant work and life of the late Professor Sir Terence David John Pratchett, OBE and Blackboard Monitor will raise a toast in love and respect, and celebrate the day of his birth by re-reading some favourite passages from Discworld or other Pratchett novels{3}. GNU Sir Terry. GNU forever.
A few bits and bobs (not to be confused with odds and sods – those are in part 3):
Don't forget that Troll Bridge is now available to view online. Yes, it's a fan film, but it's slick and classy and lovingly made and The Author himself did contribute to its making. Enjoy!
https://www.trollbridge.film/
A year on in the seemingly never-ending pandemic, Stephen Briggs celebrated by re-reading the first instalment of many he's read to Clacks listeners over the months. Another thing to enjoy...
https://bit.ly/2QXHvjU
Something Sir Terry would have approved of: Tasmania and Spain are the latest to legalise assisted dying
And speaking of notable birthdays, Wossname wishes a happy 50th to "Anthony J Crowley" aka the redoubtable (and suspiciously young-looking) David Tennant.
And now, on with the show...
– Annie Mac, Editor
{1} And certainly ours!
{2} As far as we know
{3} This happens regularly in my household anyway, but the 28th will be a special birthday-celebrating re-read
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
03) ODDS AND SODS
3.1 THE CARPET PEOPLE TURNS 50
Hard to believe, isn't it? And more astonishing still to think that a number of then-young readers who fell in love with The Carpet People when it was first published will have passed that love on to their children – and soon, their grandchildren. It's such a lovely book that even if Sir Terry hadn't gone on to even greater heights, it would still be respected and loved as a children's literature great.
The audiobook of The Carpet People, as read by David Tennant especially for the occasion of its 50th birthday, is now available in the UK as a digital download or CD!
https://bit.ly/3ezAOgb
The official tweet!
"Introducing a very special edition of The Carpet People, Terry’s first published novel, written when he was just 17. Celebrating 50 years since its first publication, it will be available on 22 April, and is released alongside a new audiobook read by the wonderful David Tennant."
https://twitter.com/terryandrob/status/1377186283395579909
A loving Guardian piece by Alison Flood:
"'Terry would have loved knowing that David was going to do it,' said Rob Wilkins, Pratchett’s former assistant and friend who now manages the Pratchett estate. 'David was a Doctor Who that really mattered in the Pratchett household, so he would have been so thrilled.' Pratchett dreamed up The Carpet People as a teenager; a 1971 interview revealed that he was 'putting the world to rights … with a friend one evening when the friend got up to emphasise a point and started to pace across the room. "Don’t do that", said Terry suddenly, "You’ll disturb the carpet people." 'He was,' said Wilkins, 'writing early versions of The Carpet People in short stories when he was at school, so this goes way back. He was noodling around with ideas even then. He was thinking about this as a nano world. They’re much smaller than The Borrowers. They couldn’t wield needles as weapons; they would be ginormous to them. He was absolutely fascinated by a small, flat world.'... The Carpet People manuscript was picked up when he interviewed a local publisher, Peter Bander van Duren, and mentioned that he was working on a book. Van Duren’s co-director Colin Smythe took a look, and ended up becoming Pratchett’s first publisher, and later his agent. 'This was written by a 17-year-old, and seemed to me to be showing great promise of a brilliant, if not yet genius, mind – a kid at 17 who was writing so well must logically get better as he improved with experience,' said Smythe. 'His imagination was second to none.'..." [Amen to that! – Ed.]
https://bit.ly/3gR7e8P
[Editor's note: embedded part-way down the page is a two-minute extract from David Tennant's reading of The Carpet People]
3.2 PRATCHETT PROJECT TALKS AVAILABLE ONLINE!
Not even a worldwide pandemic could stop The Pratchett Project going ahead last year! The talks are now being released on YouTube. Check them out!
Space in Pratchett's Narrative Networks by Matthew Roughan:
https://youtu.be/mQ7HwMyjOPM
Political Idealism in the Discworld Novels by Ruchira Mandal:
https://youtu.be/FlBjXXa3v6A
The Big Wahoonie: Ankh-Morpork as Cross-Media Urban Imaginary by Helena Esser:
https://youtu.be/RUTwLO33zKA
The Wilkins speaks! Assisting Terry Pratchett, an interview with Rob Wilkins from the Pratchett Project Conference 2020:
https://youtu.be/Izh_EZ-mb8g
More to come...
https://twitter.com/PratchettProj
3.3 RESPECT FOR THE LITERARY POWER OF "THE TRUTH"
A takes-no-prisoners retrospective by journalist Laura Freeman, who calls it " a comic novel that rivals Evelyn Waugh", in The Times:
"Why, when Virginia Woolf is shelved above the breakfast table in my flat (you know, just in case, in pre-Covid days, someone lofty came to tea) is my Pratchett collection, all four shelves of it, relegated to a bookcase at the end of the children’s corridor at my parents’ house? I blame 'sci-fi'. Worse, that many-headed monster the 'sci-fi-fantasy-sword-and-sorcery' section. I wish bookshops wouldn’t do it. Pratchett said that he wrote the Discworld series as an antidote to the 'belike he will wax wroth' school of otherworldly fiction: the followers of the followers of the followers of Tolkien, the sub-sub-hobbits. Move Pratchett to modern humour, or simply put him in fiction. Pratchett has been compared to PG Wodehouse, Stephen Leacock and Douglas Adams, but for my money the Discworld books are more like many-charactered, many-chaptered Dickens. I sympathise with the reader who gets as far as the first page of The Colour of Magic, the first in the 41-strong Discworld series, published in 1983, and on meeting the star turtle Great A’Tuin swimming through the interstellar gulf with four elephants on its back, thinks: 'You lost me at turtle.' But they’re wrong. If you like Shakespeare, you’ll love Wyrd Sisters, Pratchett’s 1988 novel. If you like comparative mythology you’ll worship Pyramids. If you’re into gothic romanticism you’ll sink your teeth into Carpe Jugulum. I’m a hack, so I value The Truth..."
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/972fdb90-8cad-11eb-a1a3-928d43a3bbc1
3.4 TIFFANY ACHING AND ADOLESCENT ANGER
An long, interesting essay on angry young women in literature, featuring our favourite Chalk witch. By Dorothy Bennett on Tor.com:
"There are, of course, angry female villains, angry male heroes, and angry male villains of all ages, but I’ve discovered only a relatively few examples of angry young female heroines... I discovered Pratchett’s Discworld as an adult, but Tiffany Aching’s youthful anger still charmed me. (Tiffany is only nine in her first novel and sixteen in her last, but even at the beginning of her series, she is precocious enough to be grouped with the older Meg Murry.) Tiffany is introduced combatting a destructive magical force armed only with a frying pan and a strong sense of right and wrong. She thinks, 'I ought to be scared, but I’m just angry.' As the story progresses, another source of Tiffany’s anger comes to light – anger at her community. There was a harmless old woman cast out on suspicion of witchery, who died as a result. Tiffany boils at the remembrance, knowing that it was vile on two accounts: the woman wasn’t a witch, and more importantly, she didn’t have the means to protect herself. Tiffany recalls her Granny’s belief that 'someone has to speak up for them as has no voices.' In the final showdown with the malicious Fairy Queen, Tiffany consistently draws on her anger over the Queen’s injustices to galvanize herself into action. 'Ye have murrrder in yer eyes,' observes another character with admiration. Pratchett even goes so far as to note that Tiffany’s 'anger rose up, joyfully' – a delightful paradox... To Tiffany, Pratchett promises: you’re different and special and powerful, and you’ll always be this way—isn’t it glorious to be a witch? Tiffany does occasionally act out wrongly during her series of five books, and has to make amends to her community and her fellow witches. But, nowhere is her anger seen as invalid, only the way in which she handles her anger..."
https://www.tor.com/2021/04/21/the-power-of-adolescent-anger-lengles-meg-murry-and-pratchetts-tiffany-aching/
3.6 GASPODE IS A TOP DOG
...but we already knew that. Writing for Penguin Books, Indira Birnie ranks some famous literary canines and Gaspode is near the top!
"They say dogs are a man’s best friend – and when you look at the starring roles these canine companions play in literature, it feels like never a truer word has been spoken. Whether they appear as a protagonist’s faithful chum, are helping to solve fiendish mysteries or even act as a terrifying adversary, this species has inspired writers for centuries (even millennia, if you're counting the dogs found daubed on cave walls from the earliest period of human civilisation). With so many fictional hounds occupying the pages, narrowing down to a top ten feels almost impossible and so, of course, there are some notable omissions. But here we are, from the wonderful to the weep-inducing, this is our absolutely incontrovertible, definitive list of the top ten dogs in fiction. No arguments, please."
The list, in order from last to first, is Argos from The Odyssey, the dog from the Adrian Mole books, Bosun from Life After Life, Buck from Call of the Wild, Snowy Tintin, Lufra from Frederica, Bull's-eye from Oliver Twist, Gaspode, Hairy Maclary from the Hairy Maclary and Friends books, and in the number one spot, Snoopy.
Note: Ms Birnie says "no arguments, please" but also says "What did you think of our list, and which dogs would you want to add? Let us know by emailing us at editor@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk"
https://bit.ly/3gAhVfL
3.7 THE MERCH CORNER
* Discworld.com discount week!
Discworld.com is having a "spring clean!" There is a twenty per cent discount on notebooks, greetings cards, t-shirts & keyrings, valid until 4th May if you use the code SPRING21 at the checkout. Enjoy!
https://discworld.com/
* REMINDER: new Stephen Briggs Discworld scriptbooks
Attention amateur theatre companies! Now that there may be an eventual end in sight to the Covid-19 pandemic and it may be time to start planning the return of Discworld to the stage, note that three new official Discworld scriptbooks have been published this month: The Shakespeare Codex, Lords and Ladies, and Hogfather. All three are now available direct from the publisher (Bloomsbury). Each scriptbook is priced at £9.89 (paperback) or £8.79 (ebook). For more information, and to purchase, go to:
The Shakespeare Codex: https://bit.ly/3rD40YL
Lords and Ladies: https://bit.ly/3eoXfpT
Hogfather: https://bit.ly/3bzxPUE
3.8 MAGIC IN THE LIBRARY...
An absolute gem of a short video from the BBC archives of 1996, in which The Author is joined for a chat in his beloved Beaconsfield Library by telly producer Steve Hocking. What a joy to hear his voice and bask in his gentle humour across the gap of years! Two minutes and thirty-one seconds of sheer magic:
https://bit.ly/2QXCCHA
3.9 PRATCHETT BOOK CLUB UPDATES
On the website of publishers Tor, Emmet Asher-Perrin continues a Discworld discussion page. This month's instalments take us from part four of Guards! Guards! to the entirety of Good Omens (slipped in despite it not being Discworld).
Guards!Guards! part four:
"The discussion about having Colon use his special arrow to shoot the dragon in the 'voonerables' is, of course, a longform reference to many fantasy stories, but The Hobbit in particular. Which is mostly excellent because the idea of Colon as a suitable replacement for Bard the Bowman is hilarious. Honestly, most of the fun of the Watch stories comes from whenever most or all of the rank is hanging around and talking about how they’re going to handle a given situation, so this time on the roof is wonderfully done. I am beginning to realize that when I remembered this book, I always thought of Carrot as having more a central role in the action, however. Strange what your brain does in filling in the gaps of stories... I adore the confrontation between Vimes and Wonse because it is always treated this way, as though figuring out the mystery is the endgame because no one would ever have a plan once they knew they’d been discovered. Like being caught robs a villain of their adaptability and imbues the detective with a power of their own. Oh no, Detective Poirot is going to explain to us who the killer is, it’s all over now. When that is, of course, nonsense. If you’ve survived as long as Wonse has doing this sort of thing, you are at least somewhat prepared for the eventuality of being confronted..."
https://bit.ly/3c1mmNT
...and five:
"The whole ending sequence of this book is just perfectly written. The parody, the physical comedy, the cinematic quality to the entire thing. Picturing them all fast walking, then trotting, and full out running to the palace. Reading everyone their rights in the most useless manner possible. (Also, apparently there is historical precedent for arresting animals in our own world too? So, you know, Carrot is perfect.) Lord Vetinari appearing around every corner to hound Wonse. And then the greatest character death in any book I’ve ever read, made by a metaphor becoming a reality and dropping someone out a window. Also, my petty streak really appreciates the moments where Vimes gets the chance to tell Vetinari to shut up. And I love that they just ask for a solid pay bump and a kettle at their little hero ceremony while Vetinari looks on in shock. I’d have laughed like Vimes too..."
https://bit.ly/2PnHrty
...and Asher-Perrin now moves on to Good Omens. Editor's note: Not quoting extracts here because in my opinion this blogger's ever-present presentism is turned up to a painful degree in these analyses, but feel free to read them...
Part the first: https://bit.ly/3mjycGO
...and second: https://bit.ly/3dQghnb
...and third: https://bit.ly/3gDqrKJ
...and last: https://bit.ly/3xqE460
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
04) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
4.1 AUSDWCON UPDATES
An announcement, with footnotes
The Convention Moves...
Memorandum
From: Lord Vetinari, The Oblong Office, Ankh-Morpork
Subject: The Australian Discworld Convention 2021 – 2nd to 4th July 2022 – 8th to 10th April, Sydney
The convention moves...
New dates, same theme, same venue...
happy hippos looking at calendar that says April 8,9,10 2022
Mark your calendars – tell your DisOrganiser – we have locked in new convention dates for Nullus Anxietas 7a – The Australian Discworld Convention: 8th to 10th April 2022. It may be delayed, but you can still look forward to a long weekend of Discworld related entertainment and education(1). Because the convention dates have changed, we have also moved the cut-off dates for the Early Bird tickets, the Not-So-Early-Bird tickets and the Gala Dinner.
Early Bird tickets will be available until 8th August 2021
Convention tickets and Gala Dinner tickets will be available until 13th March 2022
If you have already bought a ticket, and find to your utter dismay that you can no longer join us, then please contact our membership secretary via the Contact Us page with your membership number and they will organise a refund. This offer is open until 28th February 2021.
Same theme
Our convention theme remains the same, and we look forward to welcoming you to the bustling and exciting(2) metropolis of Ankh-Morpork, "Citie of One Thousand Surprises!"(3) Join us as we explore the winding streets from the Isle of Gods(4) to the Shades(5) to the Unseen University(6).
Same venue
The venue is still the Stamford Plaza Hotel in Sydney. The convention is taking over the whole conference area on the first floor - so that gives us one very large room and six smaller rooms suitable for workshops, discussions, Klatches(7) and dungeon (complete with scorpions(7a)). As a teaser, here is another iconograph of the venue – showing some of the pre-convention area and (very safe) chandelier.
1 This may include surprises.
2 Also very smelly and quite dangerous, but then no city is perfect!
3 Some of them are nice!
4 Where you may be mugged.
5 Where you will definitely be mugged.
6 Where you won't be mugged buy may not come out the same shape/colour/species.
7 A klatch is a chance for a dozen lucky people to meet with our guests for a more intimate conversation.
7a In case of mimes.
https://2022.ausdwcon.org/blog/2022dates/
...and an update, also with footnotes:
The Lost Con
As you hopefully know by now, sadly the Australian Discworld convention has been postponed until April next year. The theme remains Ankh-Morpork – Citie of One Thousand Surprises[1]!
Because April next year is such a long time away[2], we wanted to do something fun to celebrate our lost convention. Thanks to the magic of the Omniscope, this will be a virtual event running on Saturday 3rd July 2021 – named The Lost Con[3].
The theme will be catching up and having fun, because it has been such a long time since we last saw each other. We have sent our mascots, Keith and Roderick[4], on a quest to find some exciting events, genial guests and astounding activities for the day. More details will be posted on our website soon.
1 Some of them nice!
2 By then we may all be wearing silver foil jumpsuits and travelling in flying carriages.
3 Yes – you got us – it's a pun on "The Last Continent", which in turn was Terry's pun on "The Lost Continent" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
4 Keith and Roderick are of course the hippos from the Ankh-Morpork coat of arms – who you will have met in "Feet of Clay".
https://2022.ausdwcon.org/blog/raiders-of-the-lost-con/
This just in on the Nullus Anxietas Twitter account:
"Announcing the categories for The Lost Con* Maskerade! If you’re a prop producer, costume creator or first time fabricator we have a category for you!
More details coming soon!" The categories are Best Overall, Best Prop, Best costume Accessory, Best Presentation, Best Newbie, and Peoples[sic] Choice.
https://twitter.com/ausdwcon/status/1383223828751413250
4.2 IDWCON UPDATES
The upcoming Irish Discworld Convention has also been forced by circumstance to move online. Here be an FAQ. Some samples:
"Q. Why is the Convention being held online?
Due to the ongoing COVID19 pandemic, and after much deliberation, we have decided it is not safe or feasible to hold the Irish Discworld Convention in person in 2021. There are a number of factors that we have been considering very carefully for many months now, but it comes down to a few important details:
Safety: Although the vaccines are being rolled out very efficiently in some places like the UK, this is not the case here in Ireland. Vaccinations are happening frustratingly slowly. Furthermore, we are still not clear on the long-term efficiency for those at high-risk or against new strains. A Con that is not safe to attend is not an option.
Your pocket: If we go ahead and then have to cancel at short notice, we know that we cannot offer any refunds or help you out with travel/accommodation costs. This doesn't seem fair.
Our pocket: We have been handed the reins of IDWCon and we take this honour very seriously. We must ensure the financial security and longevity of the convention so that we can meet up when it is safe to do so.
We're not sure if you can get here: Cork airport recently announced they will close the airport for 2 weeks in the Autumn but have not stated when. Seriously – I think we have angered the gods!!!!!
Q. But I’m already vaccinated. Surely everyone will be vaccinated by then?
The vaccine rollout is not happening nearly as quickly as we would like in Ireland. Furthermore, even if you are vaccinated, we do not know how effective this will be and how it will work against future potential strains.
Q. But what if you only let vaccinated people attend?
In the future, there may be such things as ‘vaccination passports’ which may allow the enforcement of such an idea, but no such thing exists yet. Plus, we still don’t know what level of travel restrictions there will be on entering Ireland in October – even if you can prove you are vaccinated. Vaccinations also don’t last forever so you would need to be able to show a recent vaccine (recent may vary depending on the particular vaccine)
Q. But it’s March – aren’t you making this call too soon?
We have been considering an online format for some time now and have progressively seen it as increasingly inevitable. The recent announcement of the closure of Cork airport has made us make this decision now. Plus – we need lots of time to prepare this online event to the standards we expect!
Watch this space. We will update as things are finalised. Alternatively, please contact chair@idwcon.org for specific queries."
https://2021.idwcon.org/index.php?id_cms=51&controller=cms
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
* A WORD FROM THE UNSEEN THEATRE...
Dear Patrons,
You are probably wondering why you haven't heard from us for some time. This is because, despite our most well laid plans, basically COVID 19 has taken absolutely no notice of them at all!! When this embuggerance first descended on us we knew that we would probably be prevented from producing anything in 2020, but we had been hoping to do something in May this year. Unfortunately the "Year of the Beleaguered Badger" turns out to be aptly named not only for the Discworld but for ours. I mean we always knew that the Discworld held up a mirror to our own, right? – but did it really have to go this far???? Anyway we are hoping that the Badger and ourselves turn out to be less beleaguered in November. If that is the case then we hope to be bringing you one of our favourites – "Wyrd Sisters". It will run from November 15th to 27th.
Auditions will be in early August. Please keep these days free.
https://unseen.com.au/
* MURDER IN ANKH-MORPORK IN ABINGDON (NOVEMBER 2021)
At last! From the Studio Theatre website:
"16 November 2021 marks 50 years of Terry as a published author. By a delightful coincidence, the revised dates for our delayed Discworld play – MURDER IN ANKH-MORPORK – are the same week as that anniversary. 'The Carpet People' was published on 16 November 1971. And on 17-20 November 2021, we will be staging a celebration of Terry's work – featuring some of his best-loved characters – the Ankh-Morpork's City Watch. We are delighted that the show will be officially sponsored by Terry's Estate.
"We wanted to stage a play involving the Ankh-Morpork Night Watch. But we'd already staged all of Stephen Briggs' dramatizations [sic] featuring this noble group of guardians of justice. By coincidence, this year also marks the thirtieth anniversary of our first Pratchett play (and the first Pratchett dramatisation ever) – Wyrd Sisters. Stephen got special permission to put together an affectionate mash-up incorporating characters and bits from Guards! Guards! , Thud! and Feet of Clay, woven respectfully into the core plot of Men at Arms. All Terry."
When: 17th – 20th November 2021
Venue: Unicorn Theatre, Checker Walk, Abingdon OX14 3JB
Time: evening performances at 19.30, plus a 14.30 matinee on Saturday 20th November
Tickets: £12, available for purchase from 14th September – keep an eye here for details!
https://www.studiotheatreclub.com/murder-in-ankh-morpork
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06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
Remember, one day, possibly in the not too distant future, Discworld fans will be able to meet in the real Roundworld again. So keep this information handy! Also note there are a few updates below...
A new Fourecksian meeting group joins the gang: the Purdeigh Islanders, based in Hobart, Tasmania. "Purdeigh (or Purdee) Island lies hubwards of Fourecks. Roundworld islanders are fans of the great Sir Terry Pratchett resident in Tasmania, the island state of Australia."
The Purdeigh Islanders is a private group. To join in, go to their Facebook page and see if they'll have you!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/205967619882683/
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The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group"
BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group at https://bit.ly/2YrPGW7
NOTE: the Drummers are still meeting occasionally via Zoom. Check out the above link for updates!
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Drumknott's Irregulars
Facebook https://bit.ly/31FlSrq or Google Groups https:groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars or join us at our next event."
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The Victorian Discworld Klatch
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch
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"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/373578522834654/
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The Pratchett Partisans
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au
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The City of Small Gods
www.cityofsmallgods.org.au
"What are we doing while we're stuck at home due to COVID-19? Given that our normal social gatherings can't happen while everyone's under lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are instead trying to host regular activities and discussions online. Most of these will be done via our Discord Server – https://discord.gg/3RVzsyJ – which has several text chat channels and a few voice chat channels as well. We will still use our Facebook group – https://facebook.com/groups/cityofsmallgods – to coordinate scheduled events. When things get back to normal... (semi-) regular social 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.
"We'll try to keep this page up to date (no promises!) but always check emails on the mailing list or our Facebook Group for further details of these events."
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The Broken Vectis Drummers
broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk
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The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) meets at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn when social gatherings are possible.
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The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, 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 now hosts two groups of fans who meet on a regular basis.
In the CBD, The Mended Drummers (Sydney) meet on the first Monday of each month at Albion Place Hotel from 6.00pm. Join the Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/downunderdrummers/ – for more information.
And over in the western suburbs of Sydney you can find the Western Drummers who meet on the third Tuesday of each month at the Nepean Rowers Club from 6pm. Join their Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/100376433635355/ – for more information.
All we do is chat over a few drinks, with subjects ranging far and wide, have a Discworld themed quiz and generally enjoy the company of fellow discworld fans. Sometimes we end up getting together for a Zombie Walk, table top games or Supanova - nothing formal, just a loose group of like minded people.
Editor's note: If either of these supersedes the Sydney Drummers, please let Wossname know! Still posting the original for now: Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder)
Contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk
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The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers https://bit.ly/2EKSCqu – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>
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07) DISCWORLD GAMES NEWS
CLACKS IS BACK!!!
That is to say, it will be soon – and in a new, even better form. Your Editor has heard from Dave Brashaw of Backspindle Games that they have received licence from the Pratchett estate (nice one, Mr Wilkins!) to create a new "collector's edition" with a number of exclusive new features. The game will include miniatures of Moist von Lipwig on Boris, Clacks Towers, and a Deep Dwarf, as well as new playing cards and a new game called Goblin Glory, and the artwork is by the superb Guillermo Marsilla. Dave says that there is already a lot of interest and that "if Roundworldians are interested in it, they can ask to be added to our Collector's Clacks only mail list. Once we go to pre-order and let them all know, we'll be deleting that list. All they need to do is send an email to: backspindle@gmail.com and add their first name and surname.", so do drop them a line!
Also, The promo video is now available on YouTube at The Collector's Edition of Discworld Clacks boardgame:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYfR2Z8elM8
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HEX GAMES RETROSPECTIVE
A retrospective by Jim Cullinane:
"Most people will also be aware that, aside from the books, there were several television adaptations created (Going Postal and Hogfather for example). Some people may even be aware that there were 1997 animated adaptations for Soul Music and Wyrd Sisters by Cosgrove Hall. But bottom of the list, and rarely even discussed are the three Discworld video games that blessed our computers and consoles in the mid to late 1990’s... After the literacy success of The Colour of Magic a video game was developed and released in 1986 by Piranha on multiple formats such as Commodore and Spectrum. The video game was a complete failure, having 'several twinkles short of a glitter', but thankfully it is rarely spoken of. But then we hear the wise words of Pratchett himself, 'if failure had no penalty success would not be a prize.'... Thankfully during the 1990’s Gregg Barnett managed to successfully persuade Sir Terry Pratchett an offering and design concept that would allow him the power to direct a large adventure game for CD-based computer systems. Instead of the initial adaptation of a singular novel, this would cover a vast degree of titles penned by the great author himself. Discworld was born. With a development team combination of Teeny Weeny Productions and Perfect 10 Productions, Gregg Barnett directed the game which would be published by Psygnosis in 1995. The game was released in MS-DOS, Macintosh and Sony PlayStation formats with a Sega Saturn version being released the following year – time would tell if they were cutting their own throats. Discworld, also known as Discworld: The Trouble with Dragons, was a commercial success in Europe with its plot and humour being praised...."
And plenty more here:
https://bit.ly/3aEM1e4
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08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
Crowley by da Quirm, as channelled by da Vinci, as channelled by Kidby (as it were): https://bit.ly/3exOCHT
A lovely piece of Good Omens fanart, by Ineffable Phoenix: https://bit.ly/2PpgO7i
https://bit.ly/2PpgO7i
AusDWCon's Raiders of the Lost Con logo: https://bit.ly/3efpkOL
The Chalk, as imagined by Paul Kidby. With Feegles, of course: https://bit.ly/2R6ABsU
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09) CLOSE
Department of lost in translation: the telly series The Watch has now been released in South American and there are a number of reviews. Some of them contain comic gems (more comical, in Your Editor's opinion, than the subject of the reviews). A few here, with "overloaded and Brownish hooligan" a standout:
"‘The Guard’ is an impossible mix of clear and genuine British flavor that moves on the edge of the precipice of chaos and ridicule... ‘The guard’ is a dystopa[sic] lost in time and space. A medieval fantasy of a reality that doesn’t seem to make much sense, in one of those 'parallel' universe in which Douglas Adams’ Ford Prefect would feel at home. But above all ‘The Guard’ is an overloaded and brownish hooligan where everything is susceptible to being a joke and there is no need to take anything seriously. Something in general lines chaotic, capricious and anarchic towards which, on the other hand, you have to have some kind of vital affinity... A bizarre production, which embraces the ridiculous and lies down with the absurd..."
https://www.explica.co/criticism-the-guard-an-instinctive-response.html
Right then, that's it for now. Mind how you go, and we hope to 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) 2021 by Wossname for the Klatchian Foreign Legion
