WOSSNAME

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
January 2018 (Volume 21, Issue 1, 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 Technomancers: Jason Parlevliet, Archchancellor Neil, DJ Helpful
Book Reviews: Annie Mac, Drusilla D'Afanguin, Your Name Here
Puzzle Editor: Tiff (still out there somewhere)
Bard in Residence: Weird Alice Lancrevic
Emergency Staff: Steven D'Aprano, Jason Parlevliet
World Membership Director: Steven D'Aprano (in his copious spare time)

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INDEX:

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02 EDITOR'S LETTER
03) ODDS AND SODS
04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
05) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
09) CLOSE

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"Reading a Discworld novel is like coming home."
   – blogger Jo Writes Stuff, speaking for us all

"Vimes put his knuckles on the table and leaned forward. 'You see, sir,' he said, 'I can't help but think that over there in Klatch a bunch of idiots are doing the same thing. They're saying to the Seriph, "It's time to sort out those devils in Ankh-Morpork, offendi". And when a lot of people are running around with weapons and talking daft stuff about war, accidents happen. Have you ever been in a pub when everyone goes armed? Oh, things are a little polite at first, I'll grant you, and then some twerp drinks out of the wrong mug or picks up someone else's change by mistake, and five minutes later you're picking noses out of the beer nuts – "
   – Sam Vimes confides his concerns to Lord Vetinari in Jingo (p.24, Gollancz 1988 hardcover edition)

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

Happy New Year (which may or may not be the Year of the Justifiably Defensive Lobster, depending on your point of Discworld view) to all our readers around the multiverse!

One of the things I have always loved best about the works of legendary British science fiction writer John Wyndham was that his novels managed to be at once "period" and timeless; that is to say, the stories were set in a specific era and very much descriptive of that era, yet they never seemed dated. The Day of the Triffids, The Midwich Cuckoos, the wry Trouble with Lichen, his marvellously magical YA novels Chocky and The Chrysalids... all of these have a freshness that never stales, a vitality that never fades, and a timeliness to their explorations of human reactions to extraordinary events. I encountered Wyndham's work as a very young child, and have occasionally re-read them over the years. My most recent re-read was The Chrysalids, and I have to say that although it was first published over fifty years ago, its depiction of a world where ignorance and superstition reign and where "the Other" is demonised have an especially visceral feel against the background of events and social trends in the here and now. I believe Wyndham's novels will be read and admired in another fifty years' time, not only for their wordcraft but also for their relevance.

If you've not read any Wyndham, I recommend you give his novels a try. But I'm not only talking about the works of John Wyndham here: I'm talking about the works of Terry Pratchett. Specifically about the Johnny Maxwell trilogy. I've said it before and I'm saying it again: much as I love the Discworld series, I believe that in the distant future, Sir Pterry will be best known for Nation, Dodger, and the Johnny series, and for the reasons I've stated in the previous paragraph. The Johnny Maxwell books – Only You Can Save Mankind, Johnny and the Dead, and Johnny and the Bomb – are quintessentially Nineties in their social and political settings, but like Wyndham's novels, the essence of them never ages.

I mention the Johnny Maxwell books because the trilogy is being reissued for a new generation, with illustrations by the whimsical (and quite Pratchettesque, really) Mark Beech, who's illustrated other recent Pratchett children's/YA re-releases (see item 3.2). Again, if you missed out on the Johnny books when they were first published, 2018 is a good time to start collecting them!

I decided to bring back the Around the Blogosphere section in this current issue – and I'm glad I did, not least because otherwise I would never have come across a blog review that describes the startpoint of Mort as "the story of Death as he goes through a mid-eternity crisis"... pure genius, that.

Now then... on with the show!

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) ODDS AND SODS

First, a reminder: the Good Omens six-episode radio play is still available for listening on BBC Radio Four for a few more days. If you've never caught it before, it's well worth a listen! Go here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04knt4h/episodes/guide


3.1 TERRY PRATCHETT: HISWORLD ROUNDUP

An update on the Salisbury Museum's Terry Pratchett: HisWorld exhibition, which has now wrapped up. Here be Heritage Management degree student Joanna Arnott's experience as a museum elf, um, contributor to the exhibit:

"I am a part time student at Bath Spa University studying for an MA in Heritage Management, which I began in September 2016 after a 25 year career as a primary school teacher and adviser. I had heard about the excellent outreach work that the learning department at Salisbury Museum were doing and felt that this would be really useful for me to learn about. Along with Owain Hughes (the Salisbury Museum Learning Officer) and the learning volunteers, I visited several schools to help with the Mini Museum project. Each school was different in the way they approached the project and I helped children to make a variety of objects for their own school museum, everything from Roman sandals to a desert island... I was also asked to design a trail for young children for the Terry Pratchett exhibition. I devised a trail where the children have to tear a hole in their trail to look through, and then have to hunt for the bronze Nac Mac Feagles [sic] which are hidden in the museum galleries. I also helped Joyce Paesen (the Salisbury Museum Exhibitions Officer) set the exhibition up which was a very exciting experience especially when the BBC arrived to film..."

https://salisburymuseum.wordpress.com/2018/01/18/exciting-and-interesting-by-joanna-arnott/

...and here be exhibit volunteer Alan Crooks on his part in the proceedings:

"A wonderful camaraderie has developed among the Gallery Staff, and we are looking forward to meeting together again in the not too distant future... There were several quite cryptic exhibits in the exhibition, the most emotive one being the encoded 'embuggerance' in Gallery 3. I liked to think that the reason for encoding this rude word was to avoid young children quizzing their parents as to its meaning. However, that theory was exploded when extra signage was placed right outside the café, pointing out the direction to the 'Embuggerance'! It is astonishing how many people failed to notice this encoding. When asked whether they had noticed the significance of the letters in different font, some would reply, 'Oh yes; they were the letters Terry couldn't see very well'... I had already attended several shifts before I noticed another two further subtleties. One of these is that Gaspode the Wonder Dog, on the Interactive DiscWorld Massif says 'Woof', when clicked. This was despite a massive clue in the second line down of the legend, which says, It looked up slowly and said 'Woof!'. Having noticed this, I was disappointed that The Librarian doesn't say 'Ook'! The other subtlety came to my attention late one afternoon when I was alone in Gallery 2, and wondered why I could hear birds twittering. It came, of course, from Terry's office, where other sounds included sheep bleating and the cat purring. Several people asked, incidentally, where the cat slept now that Terry's desk was in the Museum..."

https://salisburymuseum.wordpress.com/2018/01/18/the-final-week-by-volunteer-alan-crooks/

...and Owain Hughes, of the Museum's staff, reports on Sir Baldrick's (sorry – with all respect to Sir Tony, I can never think of him any other way – Ed.) visit to the exhibition:

"Tony's links with the writer go back a long way. At an early encounter, Terry was to congratulate Tony on some comedy programmes he had written for Radio Bristol. In subsequent years Tony was to create the audio versions of Terry's books and played a role, the store manager, in the 2006 film version of Terry's 'Hogfather'. The same year, Tony appeared in Tony Robinson: Me and My Mum, a documentary surrounding his decision to find a nursing home for his mother, and the difficulty he had doing so. In the intervening years he has become a supporter of Alzheimer's research and charities, which, of course would have been a bond between the two men, as Terry began to suffer himself. When Terry was invited to do the Dimbleby lecture in 2010 he was already struggling with the illness, and while he introduced the lecture, it was Tony who read Terry's words. It was about death, our attitudes to it and about assisted death. The audience here were very moved when Tony read an abridged version of the lecture at this talk. As indeed visitors have been moved by this aspect of the museum's exhibition..."

https://salisburymuseum.wordpress.com/2017/12/19/old-friends/

...and finally, a link to a YouTube video about the Pratchett Lego project!

"Have you ever viewed the museum via YouTube? Try it. Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LnJ6ynyadg for the latest video of exciting things going on (the Lego), then have a look at some more by using your search engine and typing in YouTube Salisbury Museum."

https://salisburymuseum.wordpress.com/2018/01/02/sir-terry-youtube-and-lego/

3.2 HEEEEERE'S JOHNNY!

If you've never had the joy of reading the Johnny Maxwell novels, you've a new opportunity to get right. The trilogy is due to be reissued for a new generation! From Charlotte Eyre in The Bookseller:

"Sir Terry Pratchett's Johnny Maxwell trilogy is set to be reissued with new illustrations by Mark Beech. Corgi, an imprint of Penguin Random House, will next month re-release the first book in Only You Can Save Mankind, aimed at primary school readers, is about a boy called Johnny who suddenly finds himself the leader of an alien race. It was first published in 1992 and has since sold more than 330,000 copies globally, according to PRH. The new edition will be released on 22nd February (p/b, £6.99) with drawings by Beech, who has illustrated other Pratchett books like Dragons at Crumbling Castle: And Other Tales. Beech will also illustrate the second and third book in the Johnny Maxwell series – Johnny and the Dead and Johnny and the Bomb – due for release in June 2018 and August 2018 respectively."

https://www.thebookseller.com/news/prh-reissue-pratchett-johnny-maxwell-novel-708831

3.3 AT LEAST THE THIEVES SHOWED GOOD TASTE

It looks like, despite Sir Pterry's best efforts to sign as many of his books as possible, the value of his signature is still going up...

"Police are hunting burglars who broke into a bookshop and stole a haul of rare and valuable titles, including a first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone that is worth around £40,000. Other books taken from the store in Thetford include a set of four Winnie the Pooh first editions and a signed first edition of Terry Pratchett's Colour of Magic, Norfolk Police said... Pc Gideon Weigelt-Holmes said: 'These books are very rare and in some cases unique and not the sort of thing you see every day. I am urging people, especially book dealers or those working in specialist book shops, to be vigilant in case they are offered for sale.' Other books taken during the break-in include a hardcover first edition of The Hobbit from 1937, worth around £7,000 and a paperback copy of Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time from 1983 with a thumbprint signature by the author...."

https://www.expressandstar.com/news/uk-news/2018/01/17/burglars-steal-40000-harry-potter-book-in-shop-raid/

3.4 THE BEST LITTLE PUB IN ANKH-MORP-, ER, LONDON

You may remember a feature or two here about London's own Broken Drum, a micropub. Now it looks like the Drum is going from strength to strength! From Jim Palmer in the News Shopper:

"The Society for the Preservation of Beers in the Wood named The Broken Drum in Westwood Lane the winner for 2018. A former nail bar, the micropub opened in 2015 and is named after an inn in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels. Members of the SPBW in Greater London were invited to nominated their favourite London boozers, which were then visited by a panel of judges. The SPBW said The Broken Drum impressed with quality of the traditional draught beers, the friendly and efficient service and the fact that it is a genuine 'community' pub..."

http://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/15867106.A_Blackfen_micropub_has_been_named_London_Pub_of_the_Year/

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04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

4.1 PLAYS IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY 2018

* MASKERADE IN READING (JANUARY)

The Progress Theatre's production of Maskerade is in its final days – see reviews in section 4.3!

When: now through 27th January 2018
Venue: Progress Theatre, The Mount, Reading RG1 5HL
Time: 7.45pm all evening shows, 2.30pm matinees on 20th and 27th January
Tickets: £12 (£10 concessions), available from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/198723 – but get your order in fast: there are very few seats left for the remaining performances, and the Saturday matinee (27th January) is already sold out!

http://progresstheatre.co.uk/maskerade

* MEN AT ARMS IN BERKSHIRE (FEBRUARY)

The Cranbourne Amateur Dramatic Society (CADS) will present their production of Men at Arms in February!

"The Ankh-Morpork City Night Watch find their services are once more needed to tackle a threat to their city. A threat at least as deadly as a 60-foot dragon, but mechanical and heartless to boot. It kills without compunction. It is the first gun on the Discworld. The original Watch – Captain Vimes, Sergeant Colon, Corporal Carrot and Corporal Nobbs – are joined by some new recruits, selected to reflect the city's ethnic make-up – Lance-constables Cuddy, Detritus, and Angua. In a city, where Assassins are clowning about and Fools are dying, the Watch must keep control of themselves as much as its citizens."

When: 15th, 16th and 17th February 2018
Venue: St Peter's Church Hall, Hatchet Lane, Cranbourne, Winkfield, Berks SL4 2EG
Time: 7.45pm all evening shows, with a 2.30pm matinee on the 17th
Tickets: £9, available from the Box Office (phone 01344 886456) or by printing and posting a facsimile of the Booking Form below.

A rather adorable promotional video can be seen here (just remember to ignore the October performance dates at the end):
https://youtu.be/Dx_ndpHGevw

www.cadsact.org.uk/shows/

* MONSTROUS REGIMENT IN GEORGIA USA (FEBRUARY)

Gainesville Theatre Alliance's 2017-2018 season will feature their production of Monstrous Regiment in a "February Festival of Theatre". "GTA is a nationally acclaimed collaboration of the University of North Georgia, Brenau University, theatre professionals and the northeast Georgia community that has yielded state and national awards."

When: 16th–24th February 2018
Venue: UNG-Gainesville's Ed Cabell Theatre, 3820 Mundy Mill Road, Oakwood, GA
Time: 7:30pm evening shows on the 16th, 18th, 20th-24th, and 2:30pm matinees on the 17th & 24th
Tickets: $18-20 for adults, $16-18 for seniors and $12-14 for students, depending on seat location, available from www.gainesvilleTHEATREalliance.org or by phoning the Box Office at 678 717 3624. NOTE: by early August, 97 percent of the GTA performances were sold out. "Theater-goers may purchase tickets to one show or all five. They also may build their own custom ticket package, earning discounts for two shows or more."

http://blog.ung.edu/gta/performances/index/
http://blog.ung.edu/gta/performances/tickets/

* MASKERADE IN YORK (FEBRUARY)

We Are Theatre's next Discworld play will be the Stephen Briggs adaptation of Maskerade!

When: 26th–28th Feb 2018
Venue: The Black Swan, Peasholme Green, York, YO1 7PR
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £10, bookable by phoning 07521 364107 (note that there is only limited seating available)

http://www.wearetheatre.co.uk/upcoming-productions.html

4.2 PLAYS LATER IN 2018

* WYRD SISTERS IN IFIELD, WEST SUSSEX (MARCH)

The Ifield Barn Theatre Society are gearing up for their production of Wyrd Sisters in March.

When: 7th–10th March 2018
Venue: Ifield Barn Theatre, Ifield Street, Crawley, W Sussex RH110NN
Time: 8pm all evening shows, plus a 3pm matinee on 10th March
Tickets: £10 (£8 for members and children), available from http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ifieldbarntheatre

http://www.ifieldbarn.co.uk/coming-soon.html

* WYRD SISTERS IN BENDIGO, FOURECKS (APRIL)

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

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

About Tribe: https://bendigotheatrecompany.org/tribe/

https://bendigotheatrecompany.org/

* GUARDS! GUARDS! IN CHORLEY (APRIL)

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

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

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

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

* MORT IN BIRKENHEAD (APRIL)

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

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

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

* GUARDS! GUARDS! IN PLYMOUTH (MAY)

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

When: 16th–18th May 2018
Venue: Tilt Theatre, Performing Arts, City College Plymouth, Plymouth
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: TBA

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

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

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

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

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

* GOING POSTAL IN BRISTOL (DECEMBER)

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

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

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

4.3 REVIEWS

* MASKERADE IN READING

By Kadija Taboada, for In Your Area:

"It was easy to forget that just 18 actors were playing almost double that with 35 characters needed to complete the cast, as the role changed so did my impression of who was under the costume. Newcomer Dan Bignell sang incredibly well, lending his voice to Ali Caroll in her role as Senor Basillico, as well as singing in his own role as Dr Undershaft, the chorus director at the Opera. Progress regular Liz Caroll was also highly engaging in her role as the witch Nanny Ogg, full of humour and an expressive face. I couldn't help but keep an ear out for her next laugh out loud joke, and I was entranced by the easy relationship between her and fellow witch Granny Weatherwax, played by Melanie Sherwood. The set worked brilliantly, with little to no changes made between scenes, each piece was multipurpose which allowed the comedy to keep its fast, quick-witted pace.

"One thing to mention though, for a play based on the secret goings-on inside an Opera House, the lack of singing did surprise me. In fact the main character who was continually praised throughout the show for their range of voice and operatic talent didn't sing at all. As a fan of musicals I wasn't expecting the vocal range one would expect at the actual opera, but a song or two would have been welcome. Despite this, the dramatic performances that accompanied lip-singing to tracks was quite funny to watch... The benefit of the small theatre in The Mount, Reading, Berkshire is the ability for the audience to feel really engaged no matter where they are seated. I would recommend the show for fans of Pratchett's Discworld series, as well as those who haven't had the opportunity to read any of his novels..."

https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/review-maskerade-at-progress-theatre/

Note: the article is accompanied by some excellent iconographs, credited to Aidan Moran. Well worth a look! – Ed.

...and by Susan Creed in the Henley Standard:

"An inventive set design makes us believe we are there, in the opera house, complete with ornate chandelier and plush boxes from which, at times, characters can observe what's supposedly going on below, on the opera stage. We are presented with a theatre within a theatre. The production has been staged with loving attention to detail by director Chris Moran. Sound engineer Stuart McCubbin has been busy providing opera clips, in conjunction with an opera consultant, Caroline Carragher, who offered advice and provided the singing voice of Agnes. Linda Bostock's costumes are eye-catching also, so Maskerade is a treat for the eyes and the ears.

"A confident cast with great comic talent drives the production forward with energy and gusto. Liz Carroll and Melanie Sherwood have the audience in their power as the funny and formidable witches. Amongst many other strong performances, I adored Trevor Dale as the 'luvvie' director Mr Salzella, Ben May as the beleaguered opera house proprietor and Rebecca Douglas in her great comic turn as the vain and flaky Christine. Dan Bignell deserves special mention as Dr Underschaft, not least because he sings so well. He also makes a very convincing catman, Greebo..."

http://www.henleystandard.co.uk/news/theatre/120805/high-fantasy-hits-the-high-notes-in-pratchett-s-comic-opera-romp.html

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05) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS

5.1 DISCWORLD.COM STUFF

Yes, it's pricey, but it's a thing of rare beauty and can't be bought anywhere except through Discworld.com and PaulKidby.com... it's the Deluxe Special Edition of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld Imaginarium!

"Featuring the very best of Paul Kidby’s Discworld illustrations, this definitive volume includes 40 pieces of never-before-seen art, 30 pieces that have only appeared in foreign editions, limited editions and Book Club editions, and 17 book cover illustrations since 2004 that have never been seen without cover text. The Special Edition is leather bound and features an alternative silver embossed cover design presented in a cloth covered clam-shell box. The book has a signature page with a new piece of artwork produced especially for this edition and an exclusive print is presented separately for framing. All copies are numbered, and signed by Paul Kidby."

The Discworld Imaginarium Deluxe Special Edition is priced at £100. For more information, and to order, go to:

https://discworld.com/products/the-discworld-imaginarium/

Then there's the Discworld 2018 Calendar, still good for over eleven more months!

"Terry Pratchett’s Discworld has long been synonymous with two names: Josh Kirby and Paul Kidby. This beautiful calendar brings together some of the most beautiful artwork from these two official Discworld artists."

The 2018 Discworld Calendar is priced at £15. For more information, and to order, go to:

https://discworld.com/products/diary-calendar/discworld-2018-calendar/

5.2 DISCWORLD EMPORIUM STUFF

First new Discworld stamps of the year! "Special delivery! Exciting new issues from Moist & co. at the Ankh-Morpork Post Office, and freshly printed releases from post offices all over the Discworld!" This new collection includes the Hogswatch 2017 Presentation Sheet, Thieves' Guild 4p Petty Theft stamp, Thieves' Guild 12p stamp, Clacks Mail $1 stamp, Lancre 3p and 6p stamps, Octarine Grass Country 2p stamp, and the Big Cabbage Half Penny. Prices range from £0.35 for individual stamps to £15 for a full sheet. Lovely stuff! For more information, and to order, go to:

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

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06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), will be meeting next from 7pm on Monday 5th February 2018 at the Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London, W2 1JQ. "We welcome anyone and everyone who enjoys Sir Terry's works, or quite likes them or wants to find out more. We have had many visitors from overseas who have enjoyed themselves and made new friends. The discussions do not only concern the works of Sir Terry Pratchett but wander and meander through other genres and authors and also leaping to TV and Film production. We also find time for a quiz."

Helen Nicholls reported on the first meetup of 2018: "So we met Monday night, a week behind schedule as I didn't think anyone would want to come on New Year's Day. Andrew and I told everyone about our visit to the Salisbury museum to see the Terry Pratchett exhibition, which closes later this month. After the exhibition, we stayed a night in Wincanton where we met up with the local Discworld fans. So, this was our second Discworld meet in as many days. Most of the evening was spent discussing movies and TV series. However, the highlight was definitely the quiz. I had previously told Sarah T. that rude questions were permitted (as the author of the "Love and Sex on the Discworld" and "Discworld Nude Scenes" quizzes, I couldn't really say no). The quiz was on sewing (and similar handicrafts) as well as "willies" and "boobies", both from a natural history perspective. I remembered that the barnacle has the largest penis in proportion to its body mass. It was on QI. However, Sarah was keen to caution us that this is only true of some barnacles. She also revealed that the penis museum in Iceland has acquired a human penis but had found it disappointing. It was interesting to watch the gentlemen's reaction to that factoid. I managed to rack up points by knowing the story of Hermaphroditus but Andrew, a former natural history curator, won by knowing more about willies and boobies than anyone else. Next month Marina will do a quiz on Good Omens. The next meeting is on Monday 5th February. We should be on first Mondays for the whole year as the Wincanton Spring event is in April. We discussed ideas for special events. We've got a couple of things planned but I am always willing to hear suggestions." (_https://www.facebook.com/groups/55107511411/permalink/10156387276206412/_)

The Drummers have also taken up doing the odd afternoon meetup. For more information, email BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk

*

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." Future events will include the Did You Bring a Beer Along meeting (celebrating 20 years of The Last Continent) in April 2018.

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

*

The Pratchett Partisans are a fan group who meet monthly at either Brisbane or Indooroopilly to "eat, drink and chat about all things Pratchett. We hold events such as Discworld dinners, games afternoons, Discworld photo scavenger hunts. We also attend opening night at Brisbane Arts Theatre's Discworld plays." The Partisans currently have about 200 members who meet at least twice a month, usually in Brisbane.

For more info about their next meetup, join up at https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au

*

The City of Small Gods is a group for fans in Adelaide and South Australia: "We have an established Terry Pratchett & Discworld fan group in Adelaide called The City of Small Gods, which is open to anyone who would like to come – you don't have to live in Adelaide or even South Australia, or even be a Discworld fan, but that's mostly where our events will be held, and we do like discussing Pratchett's works. Our (semi-) regular meetings are generally held on the last Thursday of the month at the Caledonian, 219 O'Connell St North Adelaide. We have dinner at 6.30pm followed by games until 9pm. The games are usually shorter games like Pairs, Sushi Go, or Tiny Epic Defenders, with the occasional Werewolf session, as these are the best sort of games that work in a pub setting. Every few months, we have a full day's worth of board games at La Scala Cafe, 169 Unley Rd, Unley in the function room starting at 10am. In addition, we will occasionally have other events to go and see plays by Unseen Theatre Company, book discussions, craft, chain maille or costuming workshops or other fun social activities."

The next CoSG events will be the Round World Events SA Annual General Meeting on 10th February, and the Monthly Dinner and Games at the Caledonian Hotel on Thursday, 22nd February.

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! We are also running the next Australian Discworld Convention, Nullus Anxietas VI – The Discworld Grand Tour – taking place in August 2017. You can find more out about it on this very website (_http://ausdwcon.org/_)! 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 1st February 2018 (probably) from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight. For more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) next meets on Friday 2nd February 2018 (probably) at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists, a Pratchett fangroup, has been meeting on a regular basis since 2005. The Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, to discuss "all things Pratchett" as well as having quizzes and raffles. Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum:

http://www.discworldstamps.co.uk/forum/

*

Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet next on Monday 5th February 2018 at 6.30pm in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney 2000. For more information, contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meet next on Monday 5th February 2018 (probably) from 5.30pm at Carpe Cafe, 526 Murray Street, Perth, Western Australia. For details follow Perth Drummers on Twitter @Perth_Drummers or join their Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>

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07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

Blogger Steve gives his impressions of the Discworld series:

"I think one of my older brothers had a Discworld book on a shelf. I have a vague memory of looking at the artwork on the cover repeatedly because it looked so interesting. I was probably 5 at the time. I was always 5 when I recall things from my childhood... Anyway, I got hooked on book 1 – The Color of Magic. There is so much charm and character and humor woven in these pages that it's a real joy to read. I've read some pretty dark stuff lately and this has been a real pick-me-up. And there are 41 books in the series! I'll be at this for a good long while. This is exactly the kind of series I want to get lost in... I don't know how to describe the humor, but it's the kind of witty banter that makes me giggle. I dig it. Many of the jokes poke fun at the standard fantasy tropes in a sort of breaking-the-fourth-wall kind of way. And every so often it gets delightfully metaphysical. I'm a short ways into Book 4 (Mort) at the moment and it's jam packed with puns. I can't get enough. If you're looking for a fun ride, a richly detailed world, characters with real personality, and cleverly written prose, check out The Color of Magic and see what you think. (I should also mention that I've been listening to the audio books narrated by Nigel Planer. Celia Imrie narrated Equal Rites. Both narrators are fantastic.)..."

https://yourturndad.com/2018/01/20/terry-pratchetts-discworld-is-hilarious/

Blogger jenniepea05 considers Good Omens:

"If you enjoy comedy with a bit of a serious side, Good Omens is a great choice! It combined the age-old Good vs. Evil fight a lighthearted carefree tone. Aziraphale and Crowley and #squadgoals [sic] and work together despite being enemies by nature. The Apocalypse was really built up throughout the whole book, and I have to say (small spoiler), my only complaint is the way that the ending fell flat. It's a fun and easy read with footnotes that add to the story in ways that made me smile with almost every line..."

https://jenniepea05.wordpress.com/2018/01/18/the-apocalypse-arrives-in-a-bentley-good-omens-review/

A short review of Hogfather from blogger theteaisalsocursed:

"I love the absolute crap out of this book. It's hilarious from start to finish, while also delving into the intricacies of Christmas and the pagan celebrations behind it. It's creepy and funny and emotional and just generally wonderful. I don't think I'll ever give it anything less than a five star rating, because I just love it so much."

https://theteaisalsocursed.wordpress.com/2018/01/15/weekly-wrap-up-11/

Blogger katyboo1 aka Making Them Readers (and her son, Oscar) return with a review of Monstrous Regiment:

"This is a deeply bleak and satirical look at both the effects and damage of war and pre-conceived ideas about gender. There are some laughs here, but they're bleak ones. Pratchett skewers his points home relentlessly in this novel, and you can really see the anger bubbling close to the surface here. I recall when I first read it, many years ago, that I didn't really like it much. I longed for the comfort of the softer, safer Discworld I was used to, and this was jarring and unfamiliar. Reading it again now, with my son, particularly at a time when gender issues are never far from the news, it had a completely different impact on me. I wanted to send it to everyone I know and force them to read it. I was surprised at how much Oscar enjoyed this. In fact, he told me it is his favourite book of the series so far..."

https://makingthemreaders.wordpress.com/2018/01/14/monstrous-regiment-by-terry-pratchett/

Blogger notablankpage enjoyed The Long Mars:

"The authors also describe various worlds in a way that made my head spin. I applaud the creativity and the way the new and sometimes plainly weird ideas were tied into the story. If you have ever read a book that introduced a bold, creative idea of a new species, new superpower or anything like that but described it in a way that made you want to scream in frustration, I can guarantee, this is not one of those books... The journeys are so different, yet slightly similar. Since is a story of exploration, every page is filled with new wonders and unseen landscapes. I strongly recommend reaching for this book at least for that reason and I feel that I cannot emphasize enough how good reading about the new discoveries felt. Aside from that, I was touched by another important concept in the book. It tackled an issue that I think is very important in the world today, in a classical science-fiction fashion. The issue, half-disguised behind the story, refers to how we react to things unknown and different. This covers other cultures, other ways of thinking, other biology… I think there are enough examples in the book to really take this under a microscope and try to figure out why we, as humans, think the way we do. I feel that the authors ask a lot of questions in the narrative and most of them are answered, but some are definitely left for the reader to think through..."

https://notablankpage.com/2018/01/14/equals-in-space/

Blogger Jo Writes Stuff tells us at length why she thinks everyone should read Pratchett:

"Hands down, the Discworld series is Sir Terry's best-known work. The name comes from the shape of the planet – it's a giant disc, supported by four elephants standing on the back of a giant turtle that swims through space. At forty-one books (not counting the supplementary texts), this can look like an intimidating series from the outside. But it's a series in quite a loose sense of the word. Most of the books can be read as standalone novels, and there are a few mini-series dealing with specific recurring characters... On the surface the set-ups for these novels don't look very different from other fantasy books. The basic elements are all there: wizards, witches, the long-lost heir to the throne, dragons, the undead, trolls, dwarves, goblins. I could go on. But what makes Discworld stand out amongst other fantasy series is the way in which these elements are treated. Pratchett took delight on turning clichés on their heads. In Discworld, witches aren't wicked: they're usually overworked midwives, healers and occasional guardians against the nastier elements of the supernatural, fuelled by sweet tea. The long-lost heir to the throne of Ankh-Morpork has no interest in reclaiming it; he's pretty happy with the way things are being run. Dwarfs aren't just gruff and bearded miners: they keep their gender secret from everyone but their families, and presenting themselves as openly female is a radical act that has led to deep divides in the dwarfish community. This is typical of Pratchett's treatment of fantasy clichés. He has a real knack for drawing out certain aspects of fantasy tropes and turning them on their heads, without losing their connection with the original. He does this for pretty much every fantasy race we see in the Discworld series, with the result that Pratchett's dwarfs, trolls, goblins and elves feel unique, distinct and fleshed-out. It's a real skill...

"The later books in the Discworld series are where Pratchett starts to establish himself as one of the greats. Having satirised a lot of explicitly fantasy clichés, Pratchett started to take aim at a much wider range of topics. He certainly hit his targets. He took on extreme nationalism in Jingo. He examined gender expectations and warfare in Monstrous Regiment. He picked apart the nature of death, belief, hysteria, good and evil and he did it all with tact and grace. This is reflected in the complexity of his characters. Sam Vimes – the leader of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch – was obviously inspired by the stereotype of the bitter, alcoholic detective often seen in noir fiction. Pratchett manages to subvert this cliche by exploring it to its fullest extent, going into detail about Vimes's experience as a recovering alcoholic and eventual teetotaller. This frank look at Vimes's alcohol addiction and his efforts to distance himself from it are what lifts him away from the stereotype, making him a much more believable character. And, of course, this is by no means limited to one character. Pratchett's female characters are, quite simply, brilliant. Monstrous Regiment is one of the best depictions of gender and warfare in fantasy fiction – its female characters are so tangibly real that I am always amazed they were written by a male writer. When he wrote Tiffany Aching, the young witch protagonist of his YA Discworld novels, Pratchett was made an honorary Brownie for writing such a realistic little girl as a protagonist. Incidentally, this was what earned him his 'Writer' and 'Booklover' badges..."

https://jowritesstuff.wordpress.com/2018/01/13/why-everyone-should-read-terry-pratchett/

Blogger Wickersham's Conscience offers a tribute to Sir Pterry:

"In the intensely tribal world of science fiction and fantasy, Pratchett was a rock star. There are still regular conventions of his fans in Australia, England and the United States. There are extensive websites that analyze his work. But Pratchett, with sales of tens of millions of books, reached well outside that tribe. His writing skills, intense humanity and gift for humor appealed to a lot of people. The Queen of England was a fan. Elizabeth II awarded him a knighthood; it was Sir Terry Pratchett, MBE, for Pratchett's 'services to literature'. Typically, in his self-deprecating way, Pratchett said he thought his principle service to literature was never claiming to have written any..."

https://wickershamsconscience.wordpress.com/2018/01/12/wcs-annual-tribute-to-his-favorite-author/

Blogger Amy was delighted with The Wee Free Men:

"Terry Pratchett's writing is wonderful and warm. It's incredibly witty and funny, especially the antics of the Nac Mac Feegle (or the Wee Free Men), and it has a charm that all of Terry Pratchett's books have woven into them... The characters are fun and really well written. The Wee Free Men are wonderfully large characters for such small creatures. They wear kilts and speak with Glaswegian accents which I loved. They're loyal, funny, and abrasive. They're always ready for a fight and they're always ready to fight for Tiffany, no matter how large their opponent is. Rob Anybody is their leader but my favourite Feegle in this book is No'-as-big-as-Medium-Sized-Jock-but-bigger-than-Wee-Jock Jock..."

https://warmdayswillnevercease.wordpress.com/2018/01/11/book-review-the-wee-free-men-by-terry-pratchett/

...and with A Hat Full of Sky:

"I loved the plot of this book. Tiffany, now 11-years-old, moves away from the chalk to learn how to become a witch... The Nac Mac Feegle are once again the highlight of this series as they're funny and they have such large personalities... Once again, Terry Pratchett's writing is wonderful. His humour shines through every word, especially when the Nac Mac Feegle claimed that 'pished' means tired instead of what it sounds like. It's a magical book with a genuine warmth to it. I just love Terry Pratchett's witty dialogue and immersive description..."

https://warmdayswillnevercease.wordpress.com/2018/01/12/book-review-a-hat-full-of-sky-by-terry-pratchett/

Blogger Literary Serenity's thoughts on Going Postal:

"Given my awe of Pratchett, I'm grateful to have an opportunity to review the first novel of his that I read: Going Postal, published in 2004. I should note now that Going Postal is one of the later Discworld works (the first being The Color of Magic). But Pratchett's Discworld series is such that most of his stories can stand on their own, without getting the reader lost. The jokes in are funny in the context provided, and don't require turning to earlier writings (which makes them readily accessible). What I have noticed, in helping to guide readers into any particular Discworld novel, is that Pratchett will often introduce new characters (if they are the focus of the narrative) first, and then ease them in among his already established cast of characters (often within the specific city location of Ankh-Morpork)... Going Postal is one of the best examples of Pratchett's ability to create a standalone Discworld, which scratches and teases at a much larger narrative to uncover...

"I've never tended to be a fan of narratives that revolve around characters who are known criminals, yet Moist was at once sympathetic. He clearly took a wrong turn in his life, but he never truly arrogant or cruel. At the post office, Moist has employees, but he soon goes out of his way to befriend them – first from a sense of survival, and then on a more genuine basis. In fact, Moist oftentimes comes across as someone confused, and gradually coming to terms with the impact his actions can have on the world around him; even though he is very much a showman. Of course, showman that Moist is, Pratchett includes a cast of quirk characters who are just as full of personality. The post office employees, Mr. Groat and Stanley are, respectively, a rugged but devoted older gentleman figure and an obsessive (and socially awkward) young man. There is also Adora Belle Dearheart, who heads the Golem Trust (which sees to the rights of the working golems in the city) and many times shines even brighter than any other character in the scenes that feature her. There is also Reacher Gilt, head of the Clacks, who turns more and more into a dark foil for Moist over the course of the proceedings. I should also mention that Lord Vetinari was a joy – and has remained a treat – in every scene he popped up in throughout the narrative, and his interactions with Moist speak volumes for his leadership abilities. He remains focused on making life better for the people under his care, and the city on the whole..."

https://literaryserenityblog.wordpress.com/2018/01/10/book-review-going-postal-by-terry-pratchett/

Blogger acallidryas reviews Mort:

"Mort is, well, not exactly a prequel but it does take place before the other books, with Rincewind of the first book making a brief appearance early in his wizarding career. It is certainly a stand alone book, however, that a person could pick up without fully knowing the world, although having a working knowledge of how exactly the whole thing works what with the world turtle and all does add a certain something. The only mild drawback I'd say is that, by making this a book anyone can drop in on, Pratchett does need to repeat some things. It's not so much a problem that he goes over the same information on the inner workings of Discworld, but he does seem to be overly found of a few phrases, such as how the light moves lazily on the Disc due to the magical field, that are used more than they need to be. But I suppose if one waits more than a week or so between reading his books it wouldn't be as much of a problem. And it's a bit hypocritical of me to complain about this when I was just criticizing a book for going too far in the other direction. And, honestly, what complaints I may have are minimal. Pratchett's skill at weaving a tale, his humor, and his deftness of dealing with what can be grim topics with wit and just a touch-hardly any, really, it doesn't get in the way at all-of compassion is on full display in this book. It's not everyone who can take a story about Death and turn it into a fun book that isn't either too dark or too kitschy or too much of trying to make it be a whole thing and making a statement..."

https://acallidryas.wordpress.com/2018/01/07/mort/

Blogger Bristol Bookworm had one wahoonie of a Pratchett epiphany:

"I have spent about 20 years telling people I don't like Pratchett's writing. Periodically I'd pick one up and give it a try, but it never quite chimed with me. Then a few people convinced me to give it another go, and I ran out of books with only my ereader on me, and spotted Mort (start of the death series) was immediately available. For everyone who over the years has shook their heads at me not liking Pratchett, I apologise. Mort was unputdownably brilliant. I now have Reaper Man on order at the library, only because I am too short on shelf space to buy every Discworld book right now (the long-planned library remodelling will be the subject of a later post)…"

https://bristolbookworm.wordpress.com/2017/12/29/mort-terry-pratchett/

Blogger CHRIS400AD salutes Night Watch:

"Nightwatch has been called one of Pratchett's darkest books, but that isn't necessarily true. The humour that make his books so unique is still there for all to see, and his vivid characters (particularly Reg Shoe, a soon to be zombie and freedom fighter clearly there to represent a left wing opinion in a right-wing Ankh Morpork) are still pride of place within the pages, making it just a special as the rest of the series. Yet what is also there is a distinct comment on society and human nature; that even when you fight for the right thing it is possible to lose. It also highlights the difference between soldiers and policemen; Vimes says that they are 'officers of the law, not soldiers of the government'; and that very much is the message at the heart of this book. The law belongs with the people, the government rule because the people say they should, the law shouldn't protect those in power but rather those without it. It's rather easy to dismiss Fantasy novels as 'not serious', for example in most book shops they are given their own section and not sold in the overwhelmingly large literature section. There has always been a distinction between fantasy and science-fiction and 'real' books. However, I think you'll agree that all of what Nightwatch has to offer is real, even if the setting is not..."

https://verybritishnerds.wordpress.com/2017/12/28/blast-from-the-past-nightwatch/

Blogger Maria H was pleased to discover The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner:

"The stories have a bit of variety of them. Some of them are about crime in a small 2 bicycle town. Some of them involve some form of time travel, or time unraveling in a way that takes you back a few generations. Others involve gnomes or people of even smaller stature. They are all interesting in subject matter... I've read and listened to a lot of the Discworld books, and now I have certain expectations of Pratchett's writing and style. Since these stories were written before Discworld, I don't think they quite lived up to his literary reputation. The subject matter is interesting, but they just aren't as funny as Pratchett usually is. The narrator has pretty smooth and deep voice and I found myself thinking several times that I would love to be tucked into bed right now and just close my eyes and listen until I fall asleep..."

https://contemplateandintimate.wordpress.com/2018/01/03/the-witch-vacuum-cleaner-terry-pratchett/

...and blogger Ashleigh Meikle reviews Father Christmas's Fake Beard:

"As the first Terry Pratchett I've read, Father Christmas's Fake Beard was a delightful one to start with. In a series of stories appearing together for the first time in the same collection, Father Christmas's Fake Beard gives the Christmas holiday a sense of whimsy and humour that differs from so many other Christmas stories we know and love. Within these stories, the treasured and much-loved Christmas icons have been used by Pratchett in new and inventive ways to create entertaining Christmas stories, from a story about Father Christmas's Fake Beard, told in a series of memos between the store he works at, him and those in charge, to a story about the Twelve Gifts of Christmas, based around the song, where a Prince finds a way to give a Princess twelve different gifts, and finally, a story about Father Christmas trying to find a job to do during the other months of the year he's not delivering gifts over Christmas. Aimed at children, these stories can be enjoyed by all ages, as each reader and age group will connect with these and the meanings will be different to everyone. Being able to see the hints and nods to traditional Christmas and other aspects within the stories was enjoyable..."

https://ashleighmeikle.com.au/2017/12/26/father-christmass-fake-beard-by-terry-pratchett/

Blogger Andrea Pawley relates her visit to Terry Pratchett: HisWorld:

"Halfway through my first attempt to read Monstrous Regiment in 2005, I wouldn't have been able to predict I'd make a special trip to Salisbury to see the Hisworld exhibit. I also wouldn't have been able to predict I'd have to think about whether Terry Pratchett had become my all-time favorite author... The exhibit included at least a hundred of Pratchett's personal items surrounded by many Paul Kidby and Josh Kirby Discworld paintings, Pratchett quotes-galore and a room-sized replica of Sir Terry's office. The author's signature black hat, leather jacket and skull-topped walking stick were on display as was the meteorite-infused sword he forged himself. His original Imperial 58 typewriter also got a place of honor in the museum. Unexpectedly, my favorite exhibit item from long before the first Discworld book was published. It was a November 24, 1967 letter from J.R.R. Tolkien. Apparently, few people at the time of the phenomenal success of Lord of the Rings were writing Tolkien that their favorite book of his was Smith of Wooton Major. Nineteen-year-old Pratchett had done just that, and Tolkien wrote back. History, indeed! I was surprised by how much tenderness defined the exhibit. That's a feeling I'm not accustomed to in a museum. But the people who put together Terry Pratchett: Hisworld actually knew the man..."

https://andreapawley.wordpress.com/2017/12/02/terry-pratchett-hisworld-at-the-salisbury-museum/

...and finally, blogger The Past Due Book Review returns with loads of love for Lords and Ladies:

"There is great tension in Lords and Ladies; when Magrat is being chased by elves, it is akin to a horror novel with suspense built in. Then a wonderful reversal occurs after Magrat sees a warrior queen's portrait and finds her armor (or armour). It is this realization (or realisation) that allows her to take up the mantle of queen since she learns that being a dainty figurehead isn't the only option... I was genuinely surprised by the way that Pratchett takes the idea of elves and turns them on their malevolent little heads. There is a shift in tone when the elves enter the fore and some high stakes come into play, which is what I have been waiting for in the witch books. Lords and Ladies maintains Pratchett's whimsical voice, but is able to delve into the dark when necessary without undoing the general themes and plot. I typically enjoy Pratchett's work, but this was one that soars above in its execution..."

https://thepastduereview.com/2017/12/20/lords-and-ladies-review/

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08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

Here, have a beautiful orangutan iconograph, taken in XXXX by Tony Gough, to start your year:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DSxkKRGU8AIXUv0.jpg:large

Paul Kidby, ready to say goodbye to the Terry Pratchett: HisWorld and Paul Kidby's Enchanted Realm exhibits, from his Twitter account:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DTLDtvjWkAAzsNI.jpg

...and here he is, making a shed:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DT5kv4_W0AAodG8.jpg

A Megapode and a Cunning Artificer, as tweeted by @MegapodeHunt:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DSyJlm4XcAEJzXA.jpg

An interesting warning notice, as posted by Sebastian Barwinek (@BarwinekFolk) on Twitter:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DTcixBXX4AACtLV.jpg

A certain famous witch-and-midwife has dropped in to the Ankh-Morpork Consulate! As posted by the Discworld Emporium:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DTmLe_xWAAELVjY.jpg

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09) CLOSE

...and that's it for January. Take care, 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) 2018 by Klatchian Foreign Legion

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
November 2017 (Volume 20, Issue 11, 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 Technomancers: Jason Parlevliet, Archchancellor Neil, DJ Helpful
Book Reviews: Annie Mac, Drusilla D'Afanguin, Your Name Here
Puzzle Editor: Tiff (still out there somewhere)
Bard in Residence: Weird Alice Lancrevic
Emergency Staff: Steven D'Aprano, Jason Parlevliet
World Membership Director: Steven D'Aprano (in his copious spare time)

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INDEX:

01) EDITOR'S LETTER
02) GOOD OMENS NEWS
03) ODDS AND SODS
04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
05) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
07) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
08) CLOSE

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01) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

As yet another beacon of the creative arts is extinguished by dementia – this time, Malcolm Young of AC/DC, one of the giants of modern rhythm guitar – it's worth remembering once again how much Sir Terry Pratchett did to advance the cause of research and acceptance of this monstrous illness. In a sensitively written piece in the Financial Times on the "coming out" of Alzheimer's, journalist Sarah Neville does just that:

"Pratchett was different. If illness is a foreign country to all but its reluctant inhabitants, the fantasy writer was the first to send back regular dispatches describing the scenery and topography of a hitherto uncharted condition. Through his speeches and interviews, we discovered that his particular form of the disease affected his ability to process visual information, but not his reasoning nor, crucially, his command of language: the prolific writer's final novel was published almost six months after he had died. Others have followed his example of openness, including Timothy West and Prunella Scales, veteran British actors who described their travels around Europe on canal boats in a weekly television series, despite Scales' advancing dementia. It was less a travelogue than a moving portrait of their long marriage, each episode carrying the subliminal – and in its own way subversive – message that mutual attraction and respect will outlast cognitive decline. For Pratchett, publicly describing his disease had a talismanic power. 'I remember when people died of "a long illness"; now we call cancer by its name, and as every wizard knows, once you have a thing's real name you have the first step to its taming,' he said... Language can have its own deterministic power, as Terry Pratchett noted in his 2008 speech. He said then: 'We are at war with cancer, and we use that vocabulary. We battle, we are brave, we survive. And we have a large armaments industry. For those of us with early-onset [dementia] in particular, it's more of a series of skirmishes.'As Alzheimer's continues to emerge from the shadows, it is time to move on from the skirmishing. We need a war..."

https://www.ft.com/content/37254a02-ced1-11e7-b781-794ce08b24dc

In case you only read online articles as plain text, it's worth noting that one of the photographs in this piece is of Terry Jones and his wife Anna Soderstrom, and it shines with joy and heartbreak: http://on.ft.com/2A3AzXQ

Now then...

– Annie Mac, Editor

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

02) GOOD OMENS NEWS

Casting updates: along with Adria Arjona (Anathema), Nina Sosanya (Sister Mary Loquacious), and Ned Dennehy and Ariyon Bakare (Hastur and Ligur), Josie Lawrence has been cast as Agnes Nutter; Reece Shearsmith as a certain Tudor-era playwright; Anna Maxwell Martin as Beelzebub; Mireille Enos as War; Lourdes Faberes as Pollution, Yusuf Gatewood as Famine... and Nicholas Parsons as the voice of the Creator (no, not Sir Pterry, the *other* one). Neil Gaiman has been quoted as saying he's "hoping that Death will be played by Death"...

...and some iconographs...

This is what extras look like when you have a budget... a couple of iconographs from the current Good Omens shoot, as tweeted by Neil Gaiman:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DKFykwVWkAE2xnc.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DKFyWKUWkAEE77B.jpg

...and an action replay of your Editor's two favourite demons:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DJ_mL4DWsAExChI.jpg

Crowley's hair! http://dailym.ai/2y1aWU0
...and his Bentley! http://dailym.ai/2iDWkn4

...and here be Newt Pulsifer (Jack Whitehall) in all his nerdy glory: http://dailym.ai/2zVT1Qh

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

03) ODDS AND SODS

The Terry Pratchett: HisWorld exhibit is rocking Salisbury – and parts much further away. From Spire FM in Salisbury:

"Since it opened in mid September over 10,000 people have visited Salisbury Museum to explore the life of the late Discworld writer. Some fans have come as far as America and Australia to get a glimpse into the Discworld author's life... The highlight for many fans, is without doubt, the replica of his office known as The Chapel. It features the actual desk Sir Terry wrote many of his novels at complete with coffee cup stains and even his spectacles. Such has been the popularity of the exhibition that Salisbury Museum has now extended its opening times to include Sundays..."

https://www.spirefm.co.uk/news/local-news/2424748/10000-pratchett-fans-visit-salisbury-for-exhibition/

*

Also rocking – Paul Kidby's greatest Discworld hits. Well, a fine selection of them at any rate. Here be a picture post in The Guardian, with comments on each image by the artist. Beautiful stuff:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/gallery/2017/nov/22/the-art-of-terry-pratchetts-discworld-in-pictures

*

It turns out there *is* some orangutan news too interesting to resist sharing: a new species of our favourite orange ape, the Tapanuli orangutan (Pongo tapanuliensis) has been discovered in Indonesia! "This is the first new species of great ape described since the bonobo from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1929. With fewer than 800 left in the wild, the Tapanuli orangutan is now one of the world's most endangered great ape species... the Tapanuli orangutan is in fact more closely related to the Bornean orangutan than it is to the Sumatran orangutans that live to its north, north of Lake Toba. The three orangutans—Bornean, Sumatran and Tapanuli—evolved from a common ancestor about 3.4 million years ago..." Read the entire press release, with photos of this lovely species, here: http://bit.ly/2zrM5ga

There is also a short video at https://twitter.com/Global_Wildlife/status/926118662758572032 about the current threat to these apes' environment.

*

There's a drive on to restore the Cosgrove Hall hand-puppets used in the making of their classic stop-motion animated shows, including Truckers:

"Sixty percent of the latex puppets, including characters from The Wind in the Willows, are 'at serious risk'. And 20% are past saving, according to Westley Wood, a former Cosgrove Hall employee who has rescued the treasure trove. Cosgrove Hall also made such classic shows as Danger Mouse, Count Duckula, Terry Pratchett's Truckers and Noddy's Toyland Adventures. But its characters were put into storage when the studio shut in 2009. Some of the better-preserved items of memorabilia are now going on display in an exhibition at the Waterside Arts Centre in Sale, Manchester. According to Wood, the hand-drawn acetate cells used to animate the likes of Danger Mouse and Count Duckula have lasted well. But the 3D puppets that were employed in stop-motion animations have deteriorated with age, with parts of the latex falling off some to expose the steel skeletons beneath... The archive has been awarded a £42,000 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, with contributions from Sale Waterside and Arts Council England taking the fund over £50,000. But that won't stretch to restoring the hundreds of items..."

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-41692864

*
The perspicacious Mark Hughes Cobb of the Tuscaloosa News returns with a plea to Team Good Omens:

"Who else trembles with something other than anticipation when they hear a favorite book is being interpreted into a movie or TV series? Thought so. Any attempt to list art that's been churned into gruel by Hollywood would fill far more than this newspaper... It's more likely a great movie derives from a bad or forgettable novel, because visual and aural magic can storm the castle, bypass logic and craft miracles in the mind... Some of filmdom's most-loved faces stem from pulp fiction: Tarzan, James Bond, Sherlock Holmes, Jason Bourne, Moses ... Kidding, kidding. Philip K. Dick's oeuvre became cinematic legend, because directors such as Spielberg and Ridley Scott saw potential in stories that became 'Blade Runner' and 'Minority Report'... Hope springs infernal from BBC2's mini-series adaptation of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's apocalypse-averted novel 'Good Omens,' as happy news continues to roll in, slapping pessimism silly. Or role in: The casting started with David Tennant (best of the modern-era 'Doctor Who' incarnations) as not-so-demonic Crowley, and Michael Sheen as mild but not to be messed with Aziraphale. And the rest are no slouches: Jon Hamm as the Archangel Gabriel, Michael McKean as twitchy witchfinder Shadwell and Miranda Richardson as Madame Tracy..."

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/news/20171102/mark-hughes-cobb-dont-botch-book-again

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

4.0 AUDITIONS

* WYRD SISTERS IN WEST SUSSEX

The Ifield Barn Theatre Society will be holding two open auditions for their March 2018 staging of Wyrd Sisters.

When: 11th and 18th December 2017
Venue: Ifield Barn Theatre, Ifield Street, Ifield, W Sussex RH11 0NN
Time: 8pm both days
Note: all cast members chosen must be available for all the performances (7th through 10th March), including a Saturday matinee.

Contact Janine Robins on 07747 662008

http://www.ifieldbarn.co.uk/auditions.html

4.1 PLAYS IN NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER

* MORT IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA (NOVEMBER/DECEMBER)

Roleystone Theatre, "a non-for-profit community group managed entirely by volunteers", are in the midst of their current production of Mort!

When: remaining shows are on 29th November and 1st and 2nd December 2017
Venue: Roleystone Theatre, 587 Brookton Hwy, Roleystone, Western Australia
Time: 8pm all shows
Tickets: $20 ($15 u-18's/Pensioners; 10 tickets bought receives an 11th free), which will be available for purchase via https://www.roleystonetheatre.com.au/web/Coming%20Attractions

https://www.roleystonetheatre.com.au/

* MORT IN LEICESTER (DECEMBER)

Leicester University Theatre will stage their production of Mort next month!

When: 6th-9th December 2017
Venue: Queen's Hall, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH
Time: doors open 7.30pm for all shows: "Audience are expected to have arrived by 7:20pm. If you have reserved but not paid for tickets, we reserve the right to reallocate tickets on a first come first served basis on the door if you do not arrive by this time. "
Tickets: £8 (members £4; concessions £5). To reserve tickets, go to http://bit.ly/2AdNiWa and fill in the relevant parts of the form

http://su-lutheatre.wixsite.com/lutheatre/productions
https://www.facebook.com/LUTheatre/

* LORDS AND LADIES IN NORWICH (DECEMBER)

The Youth Theatre Company will present their production of the Irana Brown adaptation of Lords and Ladies in December.

When: Thursday 14th – Saturday 16th December 2017
Venue: Theatre Royal, Theatre Street, Norwich NR2 1RL
Time: 7.30pm all shows (includes audio described performance on the 16th)
Tickets: £10 (jobseeker/over 60 £8.50) plus £1.20 per order for Postage and Packaging. To purchase tickets, go to http://bit.ly/2gemJKI and select your desired date.

https://secure.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk/Online/

4.2 PLAYS IN 2018

MORT IN STAFFORDSHIRE (JANUARY 2018)

The Tower Players return next year with a new Discworld production! Director Andy Moseley writes:

Having had only a brief cameo in 2012's Wyrd Sisters, Tower Players are putting everyone's favourite anthropomorphic personification front and centre in their new production of Mort. This is Tower Players' second outing to the second hand set of dimensions that is home to Discworld, following their highly commended staging of Wyrd Sisters in 2012.

Stephen Briggs' adaptation brings to life this humorous tale that tackles classic themes of unrequited young love, the nature of mortality and the impulsive, hormone driven disruption of the entire history of the future.

Book your tickets now for a great night in the company of Princesses, Wizards, hormonal teenagers and the most efficient short order cook ever to grace the kitchen of Harga's House of Ribs!

Tell your families. Tell your friends. Tell your enemies. Tell your colleagues. Tell the person sat next to you on the tube/train/bus. Tell your taxi driver. Tell random strangers in the street. Tell everyone!!

When: 11th-13th January 2018
Venue: Prince of Wales Centre, Church Street, Cannock, Staffs WS11 1DE
Time: TBA
Tickets: £12, available from the Box Office (01543 578 762) or online at https://boxoffice.wlct.org/event_description.aspx?eventid=655

If you have further enquiries, contact towerplayers@live.com

* MASKERADE IN READING (JANUARY 2018)

The Progress Theatre will be staging their production of Maskerade in January next year.

When: 18th–27th January 2018
Venue: Progress Theatre, The Mount, Reading RG1 5HL
Time: 7.45pm all evening shows, 2.30pm matinees on 20th and 27th January
Tickets: TBA

http://progresstheatre.co.uk/maskerade

* MEN AT ARMS IN BERKSHIRE *RESCHEDULED* (FEBRUARY 2018)

The Cranbourne Amateur Dramatic Society (CADS) have rescheduled their production of Men at Arms to February 2018:

"The Ankh-Morpork City Night Watch find their services are once more needed to tackle a threat to their city. A threat at least as deadly as a 60-foot dragon, but mechanical and heartless to boot. It kills without compunction. It is the first gun on the Discworld. The original Watch – Captain Vimes, Sergeant Colon, Corporal Carrot and Corporal Nobbs – are joined by some new recruits, selected to reflect the city's ethnic make-up – Lance-constables Cuddy, Detritus, and Angua. In a city, where Assassins are clowning about and Fools are dying, the Watch must keep control of themselves as much as its citizens."

When: 15th, 16th and 17th February 2018
Venue: St Peter's Church Hall, Hatchet Lane, Cranbourne, Winkfield, Berks SL4 2EG
Time: 7.45pm all evening shows, with a 2.30pm matinee on the 17th
Tickets: £9, available from the Box Office (phone 01344 886456) or by printing and posting a facsimile of the Booking Form below.

A rather adorable promotional video can be seen here (just remember to ignore the October performance dates at the end):
https://youtu.be/Dx_ndpHGevw

www.cadsact.org.uk/shows/

* MONSTROUS REGIMENT IN GEORGIA USA (FEBRUARY 2018)

Gainesville Theatre Alliance's 2017-2018 season will feature their production of Monstrous Regiment in a "February Festival of Theatre". "GTA is a nationally acclaimed collaboration of the University of North Georgia, Brenau University, theatre professionals and the northeast Georgia community that has yielded state and national awards."

When: 16th–24th February 2018
Venue: UNG-Gainesville's Ed Cabell Theatre, 3820 Mundy Mill Road, Oakwood, GA
Time: 7:30pm evening shows on the 16th, 18th, 20th-24th, and 2:30pm matinees on the 17th & 24th
Tickets: $18-20 for adults, $16-18 for seniors and $12-14 for students, depending on seat location, available from www.gainesvilleTHEATREalliance.org or by phoning the Box Office at 678 717 3624. NOTE: by early August, 97 percent of the GTA performances were sold out. "Theater-goers may purchase tickets to one show or all five. They also may build their own custom ticket package, earning discounts for two shows or more."

http://blog.ung.edu/gta/performances/index/
http://blog.ung.edu/gta/performances/tickets/

* MASKERADE IN YORK (FEBRUARY 2018)

We Are Theatre's next Discworld play will be the Stephen Briggs adaptation of Maskerade!

When: 26th–28th Feb 2018
Venue: The Black Swan, Peasholme Green, York, YO1 7PR
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £10, bookable by phoning 07521 364107 (note that there is only limited seating available)

http://www.wearetheatre.co.uk/upcoming-productions.html

* WYRD SISTERS IN IFIELD, WEST SUSSEX (MARCH 2018)

The Ifield Barn Theatre Society are gearing up for their production of Wyrd Sisters in March.

When: 7th–10th March 2018
Venue: Ifield Barn Theatre, Ifield Street, Crawley, W Sussex RH110NN
Time: 8pm all evening shows, plus a 3pm matinee on 10th March
Tickets: £10 (£8 for members and children), available from http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ifieldbarntheatre

http://www.ifieldbarn.co.uk/coming-soon.html

* GUARDS! GUARDS! IN CHORLEY (APRIL 2018)

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

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

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

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

* MORT IN BIRKENHEAD (APRIL 2018)

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

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

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

* GUARDS! GUARDS! IN PLYMOUTH (MAY 2018)

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

When: 16th–18th May 2018
Venue: Tilt Theatre, Performing Arts, City College Plymouth, Plymouth
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: TBA

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

* MEN AT ARMS IN BRISBANE, FOURECKS (OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2018)

It will be a bit of a wait, but the Brisbane Arts Centre's next Discworld production – Men at Arms – is already looking good! All props to Fourecks for keeping the Disc alive on stage:

"Men at Arms is the 15th novel in Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, a comic fantasy universe with over 80 million books sold worldwide. Aficionados and newcomers to the Disc will love this adaptation, brought to life by the expertise of our Pratchett team."

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

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

4.3 REVIEWS

* WYRD SISTERS IN ONTARIO, CANADA

By Robin Waples in the Sault Star:

"Director Richard Karhu does well with managing the technical aspects of the challenging piece, including a zillion scene changes, but he hasn't succeeded in bringing us the magic, which is so essential to this type of play. There is very little movement, the actors – with some exceptions - stand in a row and deliver lines in an uninspired fashion, dialogue with humour is understated, energy and pacing is lacking and, in general, there is no sense of playfulness... The witches are central to keeping us engaged, but there is surprisingly little effort here to make them interesting. Calista Jones, as young witch Magrat, does her best to lend her character some spunk, but Susanne Bugyra, as Granny Weatherwax, and Diana James, as Nanny Ogg, need to explore more ways to draw us in. Pirie Kaufman is a strong presence as the ghost of the dead King Verence and Craig Rooney is enjoyable as the not-so-foolish fool. Ron Bird has some entertaining moments as Duke Felmet – constantly washing his hands — and his duchess wife is played formidably by Taylor Emlaw. Sonya Ostrowski-Masotti, as Hwel, and a deliciously inventive Demon, and Harry Houston, as dim-witted Sergeant, deserve much credit for bringing life to the stage whenever they appear... The Bard barbs and the thespian jokes are welcome, but the theatre group needs to find the colour in the characters, the humour in the dialogue and the magic in the storytelling..."

http://www.saultstar.com/2017/10/25/technical-aspects-impressive-but-witches-hardly-entrance

* THE TRUTH IN ADELAIDE, FOURECKS

Reviewed in Stage Whispers by Kerry Cooper

Director Pamela Munt has assembled a large cast to bring its absurd mix of characters to life in Unseen Theatre Company's production... [Danny] Sag is amusing as the vampire hired to take photos for the paper; his work with flash is quite farcical. Nick Andrews and Paul Messenger play henchmen Mr Pin and Mr Tulip with hilarious results. Their oddball banter, complete with a speech impediment mixed in, equates to plenty of laughs throughout the play. Mr Slant (Pamela Munt), a zombie lawyer, is menacing as the criminal mastermind, but the misdeed is in danger of unravelling when the Lord's dog Wuffles goes missing. Aimee Ford is delightful as anonymous tipster Gaspode, the brains behind the mumbling beggar. The cast do an admirable job playing several roles throughout the play and each change in character is enhanced by well thought-out costumes. The multi-level set is practical and appealing, making use of established doors either side of the performing space. Whether or not you are a fan of Pratchett's work, you will be pleased with the results..."
http://www.stagewhispers.com.au/reviews/truthunseen

...and in The Advertiser by Ewart Shaw

"The arrival of 'fake news' and challenges to the freedom of the press make this Terry Pratchett story remarkable pertinent, and incidentally very funny... Unseen Theatre and founder Pamela Munt have developed a Bakehouse style of versatile performers, with many changes of costume, accent and beard, nipping out of many doorways. There's an energetic sense of improvisation carefully managed for maximum effect. Aimee Ford is Gaspode the talking dog. Hugh O'Connor and Natalie Haigh are William de Worde and Sacharissa Cripslock, accidental publishers of Ankh-Morpork newspaper The Truth, aided by Leighton Jones as Gunilla Goodmountain, dwarf engraver (I mean a dwarf who engraves, not someone who engraves dwarfs. Pratchett fans will understand the confusion). There's great support from the square jawed Mike Shaw as Commander Vimes, with Alicia Rabig as sidekick Angua, David Dyte as Lord de Worde and the man with amusingly shaped root vegetables and Ronald Carney as Drumknott. Danny Sag is outstanding as the vampire press photographer. There's a special mention for Nick Andrews and Paul Messenger as Mr Pin and Mr Tulip, a new firm of bad boys, and producer/director Munt reprises her role as the zombie lawyer Mr Slant. By law, the role of Vetinari can only be played by Philip Lineton, whose quiet authority is a still point in the chaos of the play..."

http://bit.ly/2gYtHEc

...and by Barry Lenny (or possibly Christine Pyman) in Broadway World:

"Mixed in with the concept of population gullibility and manipulation, is the story of the political machinations of special interest groups, and their employment of the epitome of amoral lawyers, Mr. Slant (Pamela Munt), and subsequent outsourcing to hired criminals, Mr. Pin and Mr. Tulip, played by Nick Andrews and Paul Messenger, respectively. This leads into a bit of a whodunit scenario, allowing the glory of the Ankh-Morpork Watch to add to the mayhem. This adaptation, by Stephen Briggs, directed by Pamela Munt, showcased perfectly the talents of the Unseen Theatre actors and stage management. Munt, herself, is perfect as the literally dry as death zombie lawyer, Mr. Slant. From her rolling, dry, crackling voice, to her green skin, she shows the deviousness of the Law, as we all suspect it of actually being. O'Connor's, de Worde, encapsulates the struggles of a wealthy and well brought up young man finding his way, and passion, in the world, against the traditional and very differing views of his family. As someone who is on stage for the majority of the time, he managed to completely have the audience's sympathy for his character... The humour of this story is reliant on many things, and this cast got all of them spot on, from absolute exact timing, intonation, stage direction to something that cannot be pinned down, but comes down to projection of energy of loveable, real, characters... Unseen Theatre Company just keeps on getting better, with its latest offering, The Truth, being the best yet."

http://bit.ly/2A4v4WD

* MORT IN ERITH

By Helen Elisabeth Macdonald aka Girloutside

"Martin Gilby gives a superb performance as Death, taking the character literally in his stride as he glides about the stage, white-faced and sunken-eyed on stilts, swathed in a black cloak, his voice amplified with an eerie, booming effect. He is an absolute sight and sound to behold and his creation is clearly not only a product of the director's vision and his own spot-on interpretation, but a brilliant team effort by Wardrobe (Elizabeth Foster), Props (Sue Newman), Sound (Steve Nash) and Lights (Simon Dinsmore, Adam Davis and Hazel Watts). Mark Fromings as Mort is equally triumphant, bringing the character to life and delighting the audience from the off with his ginger wig and the affable, easy demeanour he brings to all of his roles to make acting look far too easy. Someone remarked it was as though he had stepped straight from the pages of the book. Rebecca Liquorish as Death's daughter, Ysabell, who also becomes Mort's unlikely love interest, also puts in a strong performance as do Roger Butler as Albert, Kate Richardson as Princess Keli and Anthony Denford as Cutwell. They are supported by an excellent ensemble, who not only play five or six roles each but, along with a hard-working backstage crew, act as 'scene-setters', manoeuvring flats to effect a whopping twenty-five seamless changes. Special mention must go to Suzanne Whitnall's spectacular interactive door knocker and Jane Ghost-Cavanagh's insalubrious lady of the night who takes Death's experience of mortal life to another level. Terri McCann's staging is simple, yet effective, interspersed with special light, sound and multimedia effects to create a version of Discworld that visibly delighted the audience. I must say, as a Pratchett novice, I found the story a little difficult to follow at times, but this did not detract from my enjoyment..."

http://girloutside.co.uk/2017/10/16/mort-erith-playhouse-october-2017/

* DODGER IN BIRMINGHAM

...given four stars by Roger Clarke on Behind the Arras:

"Add all the other characters from minor German princes, ladies of the night and Jewish tailors and watchmakers and the play has a population of 56, which rivals audience numbers in the intimate confines of the studio, so directors Roy Palmer and Daniel Robert Beaton have brought it down to a more manageable (a relative term) cast of 25 with plenty of doubling, trebling, and, in one case, quintupling up... we have Esther Roden doing a fine job as Jewish craftsman Solomon Cohen, Dodger's kindly mentor, with a gentle accent and laboured walk, and Jack Heath changing accents and clothes at the drop of a topper, as Disraeli, a dodgy German Prince and the benevolent Mayhew, while Richard Scott weighs in as both engineer Balzalgette and the unfortunate Sweeney Todd, here suffering from battlefield induced PTSD rather than his more usual involvement as a supplier in the pie production business. Daniel Robert Beaton plays Mr Charlie, Dickens to you and me, with the air of a man with his finger on the pulse, making notes for future novels as he goes along, and making it a family affair, his sister Emily Beaton does a fine job as Dodger, giving us a streetwise tosher... like all the doubled-up parts, apart from physical similarities, which are hard to disguise without extensive make up and costume changes, the actors managed to give their different characters different personalities, making the cast look bigger than it is. The whole production is enhanced by excellent period costumes..."

http://bit.ly/2hwyhXd

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

05) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS

5.1 DISCWORLD.COM NEWS

Some Hogswatch gift suggestions...

* The Discworld Imaginarium!

"Paul Kidby was Sir Terry Pratchett's artist of choice. He provided the illustrations for THE LAST HERO, designed the covers for the Discworld novels since 2002 and is the author of the bestseller THE ART OF THE DISCWORLD and TERRY PRATCHETT'S DISCWORLD COLOURING BOOK. Now, he has collected the very best of his Discworld illustrations in this definitive volume, including 40 pieces of never-before-seen art, 30 pieces that have only appeared in foreign editions, limited editions and Book Club editions, and 17 book cover illustrations since 2004 that have never been seen without cover text."

The Discworld Imaginarium is priced at £35. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://discworld.com/products/bookloversday/terry-pratchetts-discworld-imaginarium/

* The Little Blue Book!

"Launched to celebrate the new exhibition at Salisbury Museum, Terry Pratchett: HisWorld, this collectable book features an introduction by exhibition curator Richard Henry and a guide to some of the Discworld's most memorable characters, all illustrated by Paul Kidby. Text is by Stephen Briggs. An extremely limited print run, this book is available embossed from Discworld.com while stocks last."

The Little Blue Book is priced at £20 plus shipping. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://discworld.com/products/collectables/little-blue-book/

* Tiffany Aching Pendants!

"These beautiful pendants are based on Paul Kidby's illustrations taken from the Tiffany series. We also have the beautiful Tiffany pendant consisting of a clear blue stone, golden bee and a tiny silver shepherd's crown."

For more information, and to order, go to:
https://discworld.com/products/hare-pendants/tiffanys-hare-pendant-silver/
https://discworld.com/products/hare-pendants/tiffanys-hare-pendant/ (gold)
https://discworld.com/products/jewellery-discworld-merchandise/tiffanys-white-horse-pendant/
https://discworld.com/products/characters/tiffanys-necklace/

* Discworld Keyrings

"These Discworld keyrings are the perfect stocking filler... They may prove very helpful in preventing even the most professional of thieves from liberating keys from your pockets…"

Available keyrings are The Luggage, Great A'Tuin, the A-M City Watch, Feeglespotting, Blind Io, Mr Fluffy (Greebo) and Reaperman (Death), and all are priced at £6.99 except for the City Watch keyring (£7.99) and the limited edition Blind Ion keyring (a godly £9.99). For more information, and to order, go to: https://discworld.com/products/keyrings

* Tote Bags!

"Forget the stocking, these totes are perfect to stuff with Discworld goodies. We have three designs to choose from - Death, the Unseen University Crest or one of the last few remaining Terry Memorial totes, printed on 100% cotton material. Each bag measures 34cm wide x 41cm high and can be carried by hand or conveniently slung over the shoulder."

Each tote bag is priced at £8. For more information, and to order, go to: https://discworld.com/products/tote-bags/

* Bookmarks!

A selection of gorgeous 3D bookmarks priced at only £1 each!

https://discworld.com/products/critters/bee-more-terry/
https://discworld.com/products/critters/feegle-sheep/
https://discworld.com/products/critters/hedgehog-can-never-buggered/

* Temporary tattoos!

A brilliant idea at party time! "Unlike a real tattoo, this is guaranteed not to hurt your body or your bank account! Simply rub on with water. Lasts 1 – 5 days, skin safe and non-toxic."

Each temporary tattoo is priced at £2.25. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://discworld.com/products/new/rob-anybody-temporary-tattoo/
https://discworld.com/products/new/great-atuin-temporary-tattoo/
https://discworld.com/products/new/city-watch-crest-temporary-tattoo/

Time left for Christmas orders...
UK: 14 days
Europe, USA, Canada: 10 days
Rest of Roundworld: 4 days

5.2 PAUL KIDBY.COM NEWS

"New limited edition Discworld prints are now available from my website, including my portrait of the much missed Sir Terry."

Prices start at £40. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://shop.paulkidby.com/prints/

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06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), will be meeting next from 7pm on Monday 4th December 2017 (Drummers Christmas party) at the Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London, W2 1JQ. "We welcome anyone and everyone who enjoys Sir Terry's works, or quite likes them or wants to find out more. We have had many visitors from overseas who have enjoyed themselves and made new friends. The discussions do not only concern the works of Sir Terry Pratchett but wander and meander through other genres and authors and also leaping to TV and Film production. We also find time for a quiz."

The Drummers have also taken up doing the odd afternoon meetup. For more information, go to http://brokendrummers.org/ or email BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk

*

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." Future events will include the Did You Bring a Beer Along meeting (celebrating 20 years of The Last Continent) in April 2018.

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. The games are usually shorter games like Pairs, Sushi Go, or Tiny Epic Defenders, with the occasional Werewolf session, as these are the best sort of games that work in a pub setting. Every few months, we have a full day's worth of board games at La Scala Cafe, 169 Unley Rd, Unley in the function room starting at 10am. In addition, we will occasionally have other events to go and see plays by Unseen Theatre Company, book discussions, craft, chain maille or costuming workshops or other fun social activities."

The next CoSG events will be the Monthly Dinner and Games at the Caledonian Hotel on 30th November, and the City of Small Gods End of Year Picnic in Tusmore Park on 3rd December.

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! We are also running the next Australian Discworld Convention, Nullus Anxietas VI – The Discworld Grand Tour – taking place in August 2017. You can find more out about it on this very website (_http://ausdwcon.org/_)! 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 7th December 2017 (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 1st December 2017 (probably) at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists, a Pratchett fangroup, has been meeting on a regular basis since 2005. 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 4th December 2017 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, meets next on Monday 4th December 2017 (probably) from 5.30pm at Carpe Cafe, 526 Murray Street, Perth, Western Australia. For details follow Perth Drummers on Twitter @Perth_Drummers or join their Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>

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07) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

The stunning "Ankh-Morpork Post Office" wall at the Salisbury Museum's Terry Pratchett: HisWorld exhibit, photographed by Richard Henry:
http://bit.ly/2AzdRZ3

A few iconographs from Hall Green Theatre's recent production of Dodger (see item 4.3):
http://www.behindthearras.com/reviewsam/2017/reviewsAMJul-Sept2017/dodger1.jpg (Dodger and Solomon)
http://www.behindthearras.com/reviewsam/2017/reviewsAMJul-Sept2017/dodger2.jpg (Dodger and Charlie)
http://www.behindthearras.com/reviewsam/2017/reviewsAMJul-Sept2017/dodger3.jpg (Dodger and Simplicity)

Leighton Jones and Hugh O'Connor – with an actual physical copy of the Ankh-Morpork Times! – in Unseen Theatre's 2017 production of The Truth:
http://bit.ly/2z3Rs2r

Some cast photos from the current production of Mort in Western Australia's Roleystone Theatre (see item 4.1):
Mort and Death: http://bit.ly/2k0BYJ6
Cutwell and Keli: http://bit.ly/2A9NpSM
Death and Ysabell: http://bit.ly/2zAV0wE

The well-attended Broken Drummers November 2017 meeting in London:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DN-YcXyWsAEAyFY.jpg

The Royal Librarian gets a banananana!
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DN-5W1vX4AEjQry.jpg

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08) CLOSE

For what it's worth, the rather pricey Little Blue Book (see item 5.1) is a thing of beauty, and I'm glad I bought a copy of it.

Take care, and we'll see you next month...

– Annie Mac


ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The End. If you have any questions or requests, write: wossname-owner (at) pearwood (dot) info

Copyright (c) 2017 by Klatchian Foreign Legion

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
September 2017 (Volume 20, Issue 9, 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 Technomancers: Jason Parlevliet, Archchancellor Neil, DJ Helpful
Book Reviews: Annie Mac, Drusilla D'Afanguin, Your Name Here
Puzzle Editor: Tiff (still out there somewhere)
Bard in Residence: Weird Alice Lancrevic
Emergency Staff: Steven D'Aprano, Jason Parlevliet
World Membership Director: Steven D'Aprano (in his copious spare time)

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

INDEX:

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) ODDS AND SODS
04) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
09) CLOSE

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"People have fallen in love with an angel and a demon in a book by Terry Pratchett and me, and they have been excited and nervous to see how they would appear on screen – and I was probably the most nervous and excited of all. This is a first look. Michael Sheen is the best and finest of bookseller angels, David Tennant the coolest and most delightful of demons. Together they are one hell of a double act (or do I mean one made in Heaven?)"
– Neil Gaiman, at the start of filming for Good Omens

"We were left with the author's final, perhaps greatest, creative statement: that there should be no room in this world for substandard art."
– journalist Peter Robinson in The Guardian, agreeing with Sir Pterry's wish that no lesser talents can ever finish what he ran out of time to finish himself

"It's so important to me. To give people a chance to see all this from Terry's world collected in one place is delightful."
– Rob Wilkins, commenting on the Terry Pratchett: HisWorld exhibit

"Having been to the Salisbury Museum today, I'm convinced it's a place Terry Pratchett wrote into existence."
– tweeted by journalist Tristram Fane Saunders @TATFS

" It's one of those books I think should be compulsory reading in schools. Sod Lord of the Flies or Animal Farm. This is the one."
– blogger katyboo1's verdict on TAMAHER

"Charity Auction at @nadwcon raised over $15,000 for Alzheimer's Foundation of America and LOFT. Thank you everyone who bid or donated!"
– Discworld auctioneer Pat Harkin, on Twitter

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

Wotcha Readers! I hope your September has been better than mine (don't arsk), but at least we've all reached the end of it together.

I'll start off with an abject apology and a recommendation. Both of these are to do with a recently-ish published book, Discworld and Philosophy (Open Court/Carus, ed. Nicolas Michaud), the existence of which was brought to my attention a few weeks ago when I received an email from Jeremy Pierce, one of the authors. Mr Pierce send me a PDF of the book, and soon afterwards I managed to get my hands on a proper dead-tree copy... which I then failed to read and review. Yes, there were reasons (again, don't arsk), but that doesn't change the fact that I promised to review it for the August issue and here it is an entire month later and still no review (hence abject apology). However... having now read – and generally enjoyed! – Discworld and Philosophy, I can wholeheartedly recommend it to you, O Readers. But there's no review in this month's issue, because we've now run out of September and the text isn't ready yet. Given that I dedicated 3,000 words to my largely positive review of an earlier book in a similar vein (Philosophy and Terry Pratchett), and that Discworld and Philosophy is in my opinion the better book of the two, a review of it deserves no less attention and depth. So I shall finish said review and send it as a separate special in the next few days (no, really). And I hope Mr Pierce, who's a longtime Wossname reader and who wrote two of the best essays in the book (again, no, really; no crawling was involved in the making of that last statement, because it's quite simply true) is at least somewhat mollified by this...

In this issue you'll find exciting Good Omens news, reviews of the Salisbury Museum's now-open Terry Pratchett: HisWorld exhibit, information about lots of forthcoming Discworld plays (how wonderful that the number of these productions continue to increase!), and a lot more. Be warned – the articles about the museum exhibit may bring a tear or two. For me, the most heartbreaking image of those reproduced there is by The Author himself. It's his sketch of a clock falling apart, done by him as the PCA began to tighten its hold: http://bit.ly/2wfpMJs

As mentioned in the previous issue, the wondrous and not at all monstrous Monstrous Productions drama group has now graced the Cardiff stage for the last time. Their final production, Guards! Guards!, was a sellout every night of its run and raised more than £4,000 for a centre for Alzheimer's sufferers. Monstrous' founder Amy said, "We've had a fantastic 5 years but now I'm off to study my doctorate and have twins due in February so running a theatre company too was just a bit much!" Wossname wishes Amy and all the cast(s) and crew(s) of Monstrous Productions the very best of fortune in whatever they turn their hands to next.

Right, on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) ODDS AND SODS

3.0 GOOD OMENS NEWS

As you may know by now, the Good Omens telly miniseries has already begun filming (and will be continuing for the next six months in London, Oxfordshire and South Africa) under the watchful eyes of co-author Neil Gaiman and director/executive producer Douglas Mackinnon. From the BBC Media Centre:

"Confirmed to be joining Sheen and Tennant in the cast are Adria Arjona (Anathema Device), Nina Sosanya (Sister Mary Loquacious), Jack Whitehall (Newt), Michael McKean (Shadwell), Miranda Richardson (Madame Tracy), Ned Dennehy (Hastur) and Ariyon Bakare (Ligur)..."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2017/good-omens-first-look

...and there is more casting news now, about The Them and their parents:

"Twelve-year-old Sam Taylor Buck will play Adam Young, the reluctant antichrist, with Daniel Mays, from Line Of Duty, and Sian Brooke, who plays Sian in Doctor Foster, as his parents Arthur and Deirdre... Amma Ris as Pepper, Ilam Galkoff as Brian and Alfie Taylor as Wensleydale..."

http://www.chortle.co.uk/other-news/2017/09/22/37952/more_cast_announced_for_good_omens

Meanwhile, here be Neil Gaiman and Rob Wilkins in conversation about Good Omens at NADWCon 2017: https://vimeo.com/232085561/90799791f4

[Editor's note: the video is 30 minutes long. The page also includes download links.]

...and down in Fourecks, there's Good Omens: the Musical...

"Good Omens The Musical has been in development for some time and is preparing a workshop phase. Before we head into the rehearsal room, we will present this unique opportunity for an audience to participate in an often-mysterious process by presenting a reading of the current draft of the script and songs for this exciting new piece. Good Omens has been assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body. Ticket sales contribute entirely to the expense of mounting this presentation."

Good Omens The Musical features music, lyrics and musical direction by Vicki Larnach, book by Jim Hare and Jay James-Moody, and will be directed by Jay James-Moody.

When: Monday 13th November 2017
Venue: York Theatre, Corner of City Rd & Cleveland St, Chippendale NSW
Time: 6:30pm (duration of show is 120 minutes, including interval)
Tickets: $38 (online purchase fee $4.50, phone purchase fee $6.00). To book, go to https://boxoffice.seymourcentre.com/single/psDetail.aspx?psn=145517 or call 02 9351 7940. "Warning: this performance contains haze and adult themes. Recommended for ages 15+. Filming, recording and photography not permitted. Lockouts apply to latecomers."

https://www.seymourcentre.com/events/event/good-omens-the-musical/

For an article containing more details about the production, go to https://aussietheatre.com.au/news/good-omens-squabbalogic-future-aussie-music-theatre

3.1 "TERRY PRATCHETT: HISWORLD" NEWS

Reviews! Of a museum exhibit! O brave new (Disc)world...

On the BBC, by Jon Kay:

"Four men are struggling to squeeze a solid oak desk through the doors of Salisbury Museum. It's not a particularly attractive desk. It's heavy, it's rather battered and the leather top is stained with coffee rings. But this is where the magic happened. This was Sir Terry Pratchett's desk. Two years after the Discworld author's death, this exhibition gives his fans the first opportunity to see his belongings up close and understand his creative mind... Dozens of boxes filled with Sir Terry's personal possessions have been brought to the museum from the study of his Wiltshire home... The exhibition is every bit as eccentric as you would expect from a writer whose imagination ran wild over so many decades. The display cases are packed with Pratchett paraphernalia, much of which has never been seen by the public before... At times, it almost feels like Sir Terry is about to walk through the door...

"The attention to detail is remarkable. Carpenters and painters have recreated the fireplace and window from the office. Life-size photographs of his cluttered bookcases line the wall, making it feel just as claustrophobic as the real thing. Even the author's spectacles sit on the desk among his piles of papers. It is a surprising exhibition for a museum which typically displays local embroidery and the archaeology of Stonehenge. But Sir Terry was well-known and well-loved in this area of Wiltshire, living just eight miles from the cathedral city of Salisbury in the village of Broad Chalke..."

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-41267378

In The Telegraph, by Tristram Fane Saunders:

"Despite the optimism of a few prominent fans (most notably A S Byatt), no book set on a flat world carried through space by four elephants riding a giant turtle was ever likely to make the Man Booker shortlist. Two years on from his death, however, it's increasingly clear that the Discworld author was his generation's Dickens. An unashamedly popular writer, he used humour – often rather silly humour – to sweeten his satirical bite. His best novels were fuelled by a moral anger at hypocrisy, cruelty and small-mindedness, balanced by a warts-and-all love for human fallibility. 'I wanted to write, in effect, an antidote to fantasy,' he explains in the label to one exhibit; they're all written in Pratchett's own words, culled from decades of essays and interviews. It's a splendid alternative to the stilted prose we usually expect from museum placards. 'I thought, let's take a ridiculously, self-evidently foolish world, but then put people on it and make them as real as possible.' As E M Forster wrote of Dickens's one-dimensional caricatures, 'There may be more in flatness than the severer critics admit.' Even Pratchett's most cartoonish grotesques feel true to life. It's not hard to imagine Dickens's Bumble, Krook and Buzfuz rubbing shoulders with put-upon wizard Ponder Stibbons or the carbuncular Corporal Nobbs... [Paul Kidby's] map of the mountainous kingdom of Lancre may well give you vertigo. Like Pratchett's novels, Kidby's paintings (mostly acrylic on board) begin with a simple idea – usually spoofing a famous work – and through their technical ingenuity, wry detail and sharp eye for character elevate mere parody into something more... Kidby's paintings will be familiar to many from Pratchett's dust-jackets; the real surprises are the author's own previously unseen pictures. He was a witty cartoonist and a striking illustrator. In the most moving part of the exhibition, we see two sheets of paper side by side. To the left, a Aubrey Beardsley-esque horseman Pratchett sketched in 1971. To the right, the formless scrawls he produced after the onset of what he called 'the Embuggerance'..."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/authors/meticulously-crafted-hisworld-shows-terry-pratchett-generations/

In The Guardian, by Steven Morris:

"The objects on display range from the cosy and nostalgic, such as Terry Pratchett's Blue Peter badge, to the grand: a gleaming sword infused with shards of meteorite created by the author himself to commemorate his own knighthood. Fans will, no doubt, love the vivid, original paintings of Pratchett's beloved Discworld characters and the chance, for the first time, to peek inside a detailed reconstruction of his study, nicknamed The Chapel. Newcomers to the life and times of the author, humanist and activist may be surprised at the anger that inspired and drove him in his writing and campaigning... The memorabilia is as eclectic as the author's writing, from his first typewriter – a manual Imperial 58 bought secondhand for £14 – to his trademark leather jacket and Louisiana fedora... A central idea of the exhibition is for Pratchett's life to be told in his own words. Published writings, interviews and scribblings were mined. There is fun, jollity – and rage..."

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/sep/15/terry-pratchett-exhibition-offers-peek-into-writers-own-world

...and there were "superfans" who travelled a long way from Fourecks to visit the exhibition on its opening:

"Shannan from Melbourne was one of the first people to visit the exclusive exhibition "Terry Pratchett; His World" when it opened on Saturday... Another family also travelled from Australia whilst one German fan told staff he had every addition of every book Sir Terry had written! More than 600 people visited on the opening day of the exhibition with many wearing costumes or a replica of Terry's famous black hat..."

http://bit.ly/2yMvAIf

3.2 A STEAMROLLER, AND THE END OF AN ERA

Those unfinished stories will remain unfinished...

@terryandrob posted on https://twitter.com/terryandrob/status/901028525200879616/photo/1: "About to fulfill my obligation to Terry"

And some of the many replies:

@Perdita_X_Nitt: And the little hard drive looked into the Blue Screen of Death's eyes and heard, in a resonant, deep voice, "CTRL, ALT, DELETE."

@bellinghwoman: He said back in the '90s that after his death, all trace of any works in progress should be destroyed. Rob is keeping the promise.

@teef2: Is the Death of hard drives a paperclip with a scythe?

@thisispoki: That's a very serious overreaction to "Please delete my browser history"!

@DWCGArchive: Should have put them in the firebox and melted them down completely and made them into a sword....

@telent_net: 'Tough shit, literary researchers of the future, try getting a proper job!' – pterry

Pat Harkin‏ @dwauctioneer: [Zooms in] let's see, that's 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0.....

@wolverinebruise: I raise a glass to Rob, Terry and the unknown stories.

@StuartVisick: Sometimes a promise is hard to keep, but if that's what Terry wanted we have to respect it. At least he will be forever in our hearts.

@sarkencullen: A very Terry way to do it. We are with you in spirit x

@joannasephine: Beautiful day for it - I hope you can enjoy a brandy in his honour afterwards

@DannyRosamond: Obligate away sir

@Parkeringshus: That is a serious crime and you know it, watch out for the Grags. drop it down a well so that someone can talk chicken to it in the future.

@buddy_trustlove: Carried out with style. Obligation well executed.

...and the official iconograph, by Rob Wilkins:

Before: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DIEYpkvXUAMOStU.jpg

After: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DIEgisCXYAAOwY6.jpg

In the Guardian:

"The unfinished books of Sir Terry Pratchett have been destroyed by a steamroller, following the late fantasy novelist's wishes. Pratchett's hard drive was crushed by a vintage John Fowler & Co steamroller named Lord Jericho at the Great Dorset Steam Fair, ahead of the opening of a new exhibition about the author's life and work... On Friday, Rob Wilkins, who manages the Pratchett estate, tweeted from an official Twitter account that he was 'about to fulfil my obligation to Terry' along with a picture of an intact computer hard drive – following up with a tweet that showed the hard drive in pieces. The symbolism of the moment, which captured something of Pratchett's unique sense of humour, was not lost on fans, who responded on Twitter with a wry melancholy, though some people expressed surprise that the author – who had previously discussed churning through computer hardware at a rapid rate – would have stored his unfinished work on an apparently older model of hard drive..."

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/aug/30/terry-pratchett-unfinished-novels-destroyed-streamroller

On the BBC news website:

"Richard Henry, curator of Salisbury Museum, said: 'The steamroller totally annihilated the stone blocks underneath but the hard drive survived better than expected so we put it in a stone crusher afterwards which I think probably finally did it in'. He said Pratchett did not want his unpublished works to be completed by someone else and released. He added: 'It's something you've got to follow, and it's really nice that they have followed his requests so specifically. It's surprisingly difficult to find somebody to run over a hard drive with a steamroller. I think a few people thought we were kidding when I first started putting out feelers to see if it was possible or not.' The pieces of the hard drive will go on display in the Terry Pratchett: His World Exhibition at the museum on 16 September."

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-dorset-41093066

...and some dissenting opinions...

From Anthony Caruana on the Fourecksian site Lifehacker:

"Famed author Terry Pratchett may have shuffled off this mortal coil a couple of years ago but he can still grab a headline. Last week, in keeping with his wishes, a hard drive containing his unfinished work was destroyed. But in true Pratchett fashion, rather than settling for the mundane and sterile world of using software to destroy the data, Pratchett's wish to have his hard drive run over by a steamroller was honoured. But was that the best way to destroy the data? To be sure, the use of a steamroller makes for a great sight gag. But in this day and age of cloud backups and online storage, we need to think beyond our own computers when destroying data..."

https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2017/09/was-terry-pratchetts-data-destruction-plan-the-best-way/

From Maddy Klein in the Indiana Daily Student:

"When dead artists leave their unfinished works as orphans, it is still best for these projects to reach the public somehow, however flawed or vulnerable they may be. Such will not be the fate of the body of unfinished work left behind by Terry Pratchett... I don't know about you, but if I loved Terry Pratchett's writing, I would much rather read whatever it was he had been working on than make some kind of sad pilgrimage to Salisbury and stare longingly at mangled computer guts. I actually have not read anything of Pratchett's, but that is entirely beside the point, which is that art belongs as much to an audience as it does to the artist. Spare me the witty objections involving copyright and intellectual property. This is about the separate life that art takes on when it reaches the public. Whether brought out through different lenses of critical theory or through the idiosyncrasies of individual perspectives, literature's greatest strength is the very quality that causes many people outside the humanities to dismiss it — there is no one right way to interpret a text..."

http://www.idsnews.com/article/2017/09/column-art-does-not-belong-solely-to-artists

...and from Robert Johnston in GQ Magazine:

"But is it such a bad thing when new authors pick up the baton when well-loved novelists pass away? If it hadn't been for JRR Tolkien's son Christopher editing his father's notes and fragments of ideas we would never had had the posthumous work The Silmarillion – and arguably Peter Jackson would have struggled to stretch The Hobbit over three films. Anthony Horowitz, the creator of Foyle's War, has done follow-on books in the Sherlock Holmes oeuvre as well as a James Bond novel – Trigger Mortis – published in 2015. And EF Benson's celebrated six-part series of Mapp And Lucia novels have been added to by at least two other writers – Tom Holt and Guy Fraser-Sampson. The latter actually slotted the first of his novels Major Benjy between Benson's third and fourth. In Dune, published in 1965, Frank Herbert wrote what is widely considered to be one of the greatest sci-fi novels of all time along with its five sequels until he died in 1986. In 1999 his son Brian along with collaborator Kevin J Anderson published the first of 15 (and counting) prequels and sequels. It has to be said that father Frank must have left a whole lot of notes. Even the classics aren't immune – the late, great crime writer PD James wrote a sequel (her last novel) to Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice entitled Death Comes To Pemberley in 2011 – though she did describe it as a pastiche. Many of the above works are more or less successful, but what they share is that not one of them diminishes the originals..."

http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/why-we-hope-terry-pratchetts-discworld-will-live-on

3.3 A NEW PRATCHETT SCHOLAR

"Fascinated by Sir Terry Pratchett's own concept of 'small gods', Bachelor of Arts (English and Psychology) graduate, Freyja Stokes has been awarded one of the $100,000 scholarships established at UniSA in his name. Begun in 2015, the perpetual scholarship is awarded by the University of South Australia every two years and supports a student to undertake a Masters by research at UniSA's Hawke's Research Institute, covering stipend, travel and accommodation expenses as well as research costs. Stokes is the second recipient. Using her Graduate Diploma in Education, Stokes has worked as a teacher in non-English speaking classrooms in both Japan and Vietnam with a great passion for expanding her own knowledge, and where possible, passing that excitement on to her students. Stokes says Pratchett was a massive part of her childhood and conducting research informed by Sir Terry's works is a great thrill. 'I used to raid my dad's bookshelves and many of Pratchett's books would migrate to my room,' Stokes says. 'I grew up surrounded by his Discworld stories and it's amazing that other people think my idea, flowing from Sir Terry's small gods, is interesting enough to offer me this research scholarship opportunity'..."

http://bit.ly/2xJAVmn

3.4 REMINDER: LAST HERO-INSPIRED DANCE TOUR

The James Wilton dance company will be presenting their unique dance work "Last Man Standing" at various venues in the UK south-west in October and November:

"Last Man Standing draws from the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice, as well as The Last Hero by Terry Pratchett. The work is about living for the moment, about appreciating every second and enjoying life while it lasts. Flying bodies, last minute catches and an energy you can feel as well as see, Last Man Standing is dance driven by unparalleled energy and athleticism, performed by world class dancers; an international award winning work by rising star, James Wilton. His work draws on martial arts, break dancing and capoeira to create raw, earthy and ground-breaking performance. All of this propelled by a trademark soundtrack of heavy rock, ambient music and textured soundscapes. Audiences will see dancers fly through the air and land quite literally at their feet. They will experience every drop of sweat, every gasp for air and every finger twitch."

7th October: Drimpton Village Hall, Chard Road, Dorset DT8 3RF
https://artsreach.co.uk/ (Buy Tickets link not available yet)

9th October: Exeter Northcott Theatre, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QB, 7.30pm
Tickets: £14 (£12 concessions, £9 for school groups of 10+ plus one FREE teacher ticket for every 10 students booked, £5 student standby. Groups of 10 get 11th ticket FREE. To book, go to https://exeternorthcott.co.uk/calendar/last-man-standing/

20th October: The Brewhouse Theatre & Arts Centre, Coal Orchard, Taunton, Somerset TA1 1JL, 7.30pm
Tickets: standard from £14, student from £10. To book, go to https://ticketsource.co.uk/booking/date/372656

21st October: Trowbridge Town Hall, Market Street, Trowbridge, BA14 8EQl, 8.30pm
Tickets: £5 plus booking fee. To book, go to https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/boxoffice/select/tDniVoFPPIiT

1st November: The Bay Theatre, Weymouth College, Cranford Avenue, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 7LQ
No times and tickets information available yet

30th November: Pavillion Dance South West, Westover Road , Bournemouth BH1 2BU, 7.30pm
Tickets: £12 (£10 concessions, £8 groups of 10+, £6 under-26). To book, go to http://www.pdsw.org.uk/event/book-now/LMS1/Performances
http://www.pdsw.org.uk/what-s-on/live-performance/last-man-standing-by-james-wilton-dance/

http://www.jameswiltondance.org.uk/performances

3.5 IN PRAISE OF PRATCHETT HEROINES

By Vikas Datta in Business Standard:

"Trawling the uproarious TV tropes site, I happened to come to Big Damn Heroes – about characters coming to save the damsel in distress in a big, awesome manner. Interest in it earned me a look of intense disapproval from a feministic colleague sitting in close proximity, despite explaining to her that these were now likely to comprise Action Girls, substantially or wholly. Gender double standards have been as prevalent in literature as in society with different roles for each sex as per assumptions of what men or women should or can do – and not do. And while the world has changed, all authors may not have kept pace. Even paradigm shifts that subvert the assumptions these double standards are based on can themselves be a double standard. Say it is a Big Damn Heroine instead, but this works on the principle that it is unusual. So perhaps my colleague's gaze of disapproval did have a justification. But you have to start somewhere and it is heartening that the blurring of these distinctions, and outright substitutions, are coming in book series targetted at children and young adult readers (many adults enjoy them too)... remarkable women protagonists are found in the older and more sprawling Discworld saga – over 40 books – of prolific British author Sir Terry Pratchett. For those not familiar with the series, they started out as parodies of heroic fantasies, but then went to get inspired by a range of popular literature, mythology and folklore, films and even historical and contemporary events and cultural manifestations to draw satirical parallels with our world's political, social and cultural trends...

"One-woman adventure whirlwind Conina appeared in Sourcery, one of the earliest in the series... Debuting in Men at Arms and appearing in any installment featuring the City Watch, the police of Discworld's largest city Ankh-Morpork, Delphine Angua von Uberwald became the force's first werewolf... granddaughter of Discworld's personification of death, the young but white-haired (with one black streak) Susan Sto Helit, has inherited certain of his abilities: she can 'walk through walls and live outside time and be a little bit immortal', and from her mortal parents, learnt to always be sensible and keep her head in a crisis... With a nose for news and a mind that thinks in headlines, and an ability to ask penetrating questions and find people, usually young men, who tell her what is happening, attractive and buxom Sacharissa Cripslock... in Going Postal, Making Money and Raising Steam, committed businesswoman Adora Belle Dearheart does not live up to her name, being no-nonsense and never far from anger, though always considerate to her employees..."

http://bit.ly/2x6UvID

3.6 WHAT A (HUMAN) LIBRARIAN LOOKS LIKE)

I suspect a certain orange-furred bibliocustodian would wear Scott Nicholson's t-shirt... under his old bathrobe, of course:

http://bit.ly/2rPm32s (second photo down)

By the way, this Guardian feature accompanies a delightfully-titled piece – "Blood, bookworms, bosoms and bottoms: the secret life of libraries" – about the wonders of books and libraries. Well worth a read!

http://bit.ly/2xmB4sp

3.7 WHAT'S IN A (DISCWORLD) NAME?

Martyna Gibka, PhD is engaged in a project called "Terry Pratchett: A Literary Onomastician":

"A reader who enters Ankh-Morpork meets a plethora of inspiring characters' proper names. The author in whose mind this city has its origins has been awarded a great number of literary awards, honorary doctorates and a knighthood. However, the onomasticon of his novels has attracted little attention of onomasticians. Now, Sir Terry is no longer with us in person. Let this first international project on literary onomastics (not dissimilar to Gaspode) be also a tribute to one of the most highly onomastically aware author of our times..."

The project aims to be a "comprehensive analysis of functions of characters' proper names in a series of novels (not an intuitive one, but one actually based on a scientific method) and in chosen translations of this series" and means to construct a database "enabling further research on methods of preserving the functions in question in literary translation – thus, the creation of a new onomastic discipline: literary translation onomastics."

Ms Gibka says the project is open to all comers: "Everybody who would like to do academic research on characters' proper names in the City Watch series. You may, but you do not have to have an academic degree. What you absolutely must have is the will to spend some of your time working (I will not lie to you, working a lot) on the translation of the series into your (preferably) native tongue. If you do not have enough time to work with me on the translation of the whole series, please find another person to share the work with." She intends to share the results globally at "international onomastic conferences. At Terry Pratchett fans' meetings. At international conferences/symposia of literary translators. In widely-known scientific journals."

If you're interested in contributing, contact Ms Gibka at martyna@gibka.pl

http://www.gibka.pl/pratchett.html

3.8 ORANGUTAN NEWS

A unique albino orangutan, five-year-old Alba, may be getting her own private home:

"Having rescued her from captivity earlier this year, conservationists now want to create a huge 'forest island' reserve for her so that she can live in peace. The Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation hopes to raise $80,000 to get the project up and running. Its plan is to home Alba, whose name means 'white' in Latin, and three other orangutans in a huge 5-hectare (12-acre) reserve in central Kalimantan, Borneo, Associated Press reports. It will be surrounded by a moat and monitored to protect her from poachers... Alba's all-white pigmentation makes her a particularly easy and desirable target for poachers. It also means she has other health problems, such as issues with her vision and susceptibility to skin cancer. These problems make it nearly impossible for her to be returned to the wild..."

http://bit.ly/2fmVQ74

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04) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS

4.1 AUSDWCON 2017 ROUND-UP CONTINUED

"It's the first convention I've ever been to, and I loved it. Mostly because of the people, and also the range of interesting activities, and those two things are the reason I've already bought a supporting ticket to the next one." To see this and a series of other quotes from the attendees, go to http://ausdwcon.org/convention/quotes2017/

Photographer "Steamkittens" took a fabulous set of professional-quality iconographs of the Maskeraders. Go look! http://bit.ly/2xoJiSX (Facebook page but does not require login). For a more casual look at the AusDWcon attendees having fun, go to https://www.flickr.com/groups/ausdwcon2017/pool/

"The secret is out... Nullus Anxietas VII will indeed be happening in 2019! This time, it's back to Melbourne, where the Australian Discworld Conventions all started 10 years ago. If you're super keen to make sure you get a spot at the next amazing convention, you can buy your supporting membership RIGHT NOW! More information about Nullus Anxietas VII will be revealed in a few months' time, so make sure you're subscribed to the mailing list to hear the news first! Thank you all, and farewell!"

To buy a Supporting Membership: https://ausdwcon.org/supporting2019/

To join the mailing list: https://ausdwcon.org/about/mailing-list/

http://ausdwcon.org/
https://twitter.com/ausdwcon

4.2 REMINDER: THE FIRST ANNUAL DISCWORLD DAY: A ONE-DAY EVENT IN SOUTH AFRICA

Looks like it will be as fun as a fun thing! "We invite you to discover the streets of Ankh-Morpork, the greatest city of the Discworld. A folklorique network of old lanes, squares and alleys for your walking pleasure. Wherre exitement and trolls lurke arounde everry corner and much may be heard the traditional street cries of old time also the laughing visages of the denuizens as they goe about their business private. All guilds are welcome, so if you fancy yourself as an artificer, a seamstress, an assassin or a clown, you'll be sure to be in good company along The Street of Cunning Artificers. Dogs and unruly luggages to be kept on leashes at all times."

When: 4th November 2017
Venue: The Moors Castle, 638 Larsens Road, 1739 Muldersdrift, Gauteng, South Africa
Time: 11.00 to 22.00
Tickets: R60.00. A limited number of tickets are available online http://qkt.io/DiscworldDay2017 or at the gate at a price of R80.00. Under-12s are free

https://www.facebook.com/events/320926284986740/

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05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

5.1 PLAYS IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER

* WYRD SISTERS IN WEST YORKSHIRE (SEPTEMBER)

The Todmorden Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society (T.A.O.D.S.) will be presenting an unusual Discworld experience – Vince Foxall's BBC radio play of Wyrd Sisters, performed live – at the end of September. "As with previous productions, this Hippodrome Foyer Play is based on an original radio script dramatized by Vince Foxall for BBC Radio 4 and will be performed script-in-hand with live sound effects and a large cast of players old and new. Featuring strolling minstrels, fools, ghosts, murderers and diverse alarums!"

When: tonight (30th September 2017)
Venue: Hippodrome Theatre, 83 Halifax Road, Todmorden OL14 5BB
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: £6, available online from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/todhip

http://www.todhip.org/wyrd-sisters

* DODGER IN BIRMINGHAM (SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER)

The Hall Green Little Theatre, a volunteer theatre group that has been going since 1950, are currently staging their production of Dodger! "Dodger is a scavenger living in Dickensian London. Everyone who is nobody knows him. Anyone who is anybody doesn't. But when he rescues a young girl, suddenly everybody wants to know him. And Dodger's tale of skulduggery and even darker deeds begins!"

When: currently through 7th October 2017
Venue: Hall Green Little Theatre Studio, Pemberley Road, Acocks Green, Birmingham B27 7RY (box office 0121 245 4455)
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £8 plus a £2.50 booking fee. To book online, go to http://www.hglt.co.uk/dodger.htm and click on the green Book Now tab to select your desired date.

http://www.hglt.co.uk/

* LORDS AND LADIES IN BRISBANE (SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER)

Brisbane Arts Theatre will be presenting their next Discworld play, Lords and Ladies – adapted by Irana brown – in September: "Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg – the witches of Lancre – are the Discworld's only hope of rescue when elves threaten to take control with their hypnotic 'glamour'. Standing stones, wizards, Morris men, rude mechanicals, country lore and ancient magic all combine in this adaptation of one of Sir Terry's finest. With a full supporting cast of dwarves, wizards, trolls and one orangutan, the hilarious Lords and Ladies delivers an abundance of hey-nonny-nonny and blood all over the place."

When: currently – 21st October 2017
Venue: Brisbane Arts Theatre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane, QLD 4000
Time: 7.30pm Thursdays, 8.00pm Fridays & Saturdays, 6.30pm Sundays
Tickets: Adults $34, Concession $28, Group 10+ $27, Student Rush $15 (10 mins before curtain), available online at http://bit.ly/2tjucfQ "Subscribers can redeem season tickets for this show. There are no refunds or exchanges once tickets have been purchased."

http://www.artstheatre.com.au/show/lordsandladies

* MORT IN READING (OCTOBER)

Twyford and Ruscombe Theatre Group will present their production of Mort, "an off beat tale of bacon, eggs and destiny", in October.

"Terry Pratchett's Discworld will once more be gracing the stage at Loddon Hall. We are putting on a production of Mort, which will involve a large cast, plenty of dramatic moments and a lot of laughs."

When: 5th–7th October 2017
Venue: Loddon Hall, Loddon Hall Road, Twyford, Reading, Berkshire, RG10 9JA
Time: 8pm all shows
Tickets: £7, £8, £9 and £10, available online at http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/171598

http://www.twyrusdrama.org.uk

* WYRD SISTERS IN WINSLOW (OCTOBER)

Winslow Players, "a small but perfectly formed amateur dramatic company based in the market town of Winslow", will be opening their 50th anniversary season with their production of Wyrd Sisters! "It's all there – a wicked duke and duchess, the ghost of the murdered king, dim soldiers, strolling players, a land in peril; and who stands between the Kingdom and destruction? Three witches!"

When: 5th–7th October 2017
Venue: Winslow Public Hall, Elmfields Gate, Winslow, Bucks MK18 3JG
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £6 on 5th October, £8 on 6th and 7th October, available from Divine Diva Fancy Dress, 76 High Street, Winslow (01296 712728 during office hours) or by emailing tickets@winslowplayers.co.uk or by using the form on the Contact Us page (_http://www.winslowplayers.co.uk/Contact-Us.html_). "Your tickets will be provisionally booked until payment is received in full (either by bacs* or cheque). If you would like your tickets posted to you, you will need to enclose a stamped addressed envelope, otherwise they will be available for you to collect on the door at your selected performance."

http://www.winslowplayers.co.uk/

* MORT IN KENT (OCTOBER)

The Erith Playhouse are staging their production of Mort in October.

When: 9th–14th October 2017
Venue: Erith Playhouse, 38–40 High Street, Erith, Kent DA8 1QY
Time: 8pm all shows
Tickets: £10, available from the Box Office on 01322 350345 or by filling out the form on the webpage (_http://www.playhouse.org.uk/show/mort/_). "Tickets can be posted to you or held at the Box Office for collection prior to the performance."

http://www.playhouse.org.uk/next-seasons-shows/

* WYRD SISTERS IN RHYL, LLAMEDOS (OCTOBER)

Rhyl Liberty Players will be staging their production of Wyrd Sisters in October: "RLP is an award-winning Amateur Dramatics Society based in Rhyl, North Wales. The society has existed for over 70 years and is still going strong today. We have members of all ages who usually put on two fantastic productions a year. We also take part in drama festivals and community events."

When: 25th–28th October 2017
Venue: The Little Theatre, 2 Vale Rd, Rhyl LL18 1AA
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £9 plus a booking fee of 7.5 per cent (concessions £8.50 plus same booking fee). To purchase, go to https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/venue/FEMDJL and click on your desired date.

http://www.libertyplayers.co.uk/Wyrd_Sisters.htm
http://rhyllittletheatre.co.uk/whats-on/whats-coming-soon/

* MEN AT ARMS IN BERKSHIRE (OCTOBER)

The Cranbourne Amateur Dramatic Society (CADS) will be staging Men At Arms, directed by Simon Heffer, as their autumn production: "The Ankh-Morpork City Night Watch find their services are once more needed to tackle a threat to their city. A threat at least as deadly as a 60-foot dragon, but mechanical and heartless to boot. It kills without compunction. It is the first gun on the Discworld. The original Watch – Captain Vimes, Sergeant Colon, Corporal Carrot and Corporal Nobbs – are joined by some new recruits, selected to reflect the city's ethnic make-up – Lance-constables Cuddy, Detritus, and Angua. In a city, where Assassins are clowning about and Fools are dying, the Watch must keep control of themselves as much as its citizens."

A rather adorable promotional video can be seen here: https://youtu.be/Dx_ndpHGevw (Looks like it's going to be great fun! – Ed.)

When: 26th, 27th and 28th October 2017
Venue: St Peter's Hall, Hatchet Lane, Cranbourne, Winkfield, Berks. SL4 2EG
Time: 7.45pm all evening shows, with a 2.30pm matinee on the 28th
Tickets: £9, available from 25th September (details to follow)

http://www.cadsact.org.uk/shows/

* THE TRUTH IN ADELAIDE, FOURECKS (OCTOBER/NOVEMBER)

Unseen Theatre's next production will be a revisiting of The Truth – updated for the Age of Fake News, we hope!

When: 27th and 28th October, 1st–4th and 8th–11th November 2017
Venue: Bakehouse Theatre, 255 Angas St. Adelaide, South Australia
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: $22 ($18 concessions/Fringe members/groups of 6+); previews $15, available via http://bakehousetheatre.com or at the door on performance nights

http://unseen.com.au/

5.2 PLAYS LATER IN 2017

* WYRD SISTERS IN HERTFORDSHIRE (NOVEMBER)

The Water Lane Theatre Company, a "local amateur dramatics company from Bishop's Stortford in Hertfordshire, performing a range of dramatic theatre, from Shakespeare to children's plays – and everything in between!", will be staging their production of Wyrd Sisters in November.

When: 9th–11th November 2017
Venue: the Charis Centre, Water Lane, Bishop's Stortford CM23 2JZ
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £9 plus a 10 per cent booking fee. To purchase, go to https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/waterlane and click on your desired date.

http://waterlanetheatrecompany.co.uk/
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4VkXEkjg5dOTFZTRDRybW9LdHc/view

* THE TRUTH IN BASILDON (NOVEMBER)

The Thalian Theatre Group's next Discworld production will be The Truth: "William de Worde is the accidental editor of the Discworld's first newspaper. Now he must cope with the traditional perils of a journalist's life – people who want him dead, a recovering vampire with a suicidal fascination for flash photography and a man who keeps begging him to publish pictures of his humorously shaped potatoes. William just wants to get at the Truth, unfortunately everyone wants to get at William... this will be the Thalian's 12th Pratchett production."

When: 9th–11th November 2017
Venue: Mirren Studio, Towngate Theatre, Basildon, Essex SS14 1DL
Time: 8pm all shows
Tickets: £11 (concessions £9), plus a booking fee of £1 per ticket, capped at £10. "A ticket must be purchased for every child regardless of age." To purchase online, go to http://www.towngatetheatre.co.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4718 and click the BOOK TICKETS ONLINE tab (under the event poster image), or ring 01268 465 465

http://thaliantheatregroup.wixsite.com/thalian/about

* MORT IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA (NOVEMBER/DECEMBER)

Roleystone Theatre, "a non-for-profit community group managed entirely by volunteers", will stage their production of Mort in November and December.

When: 24th, 25th and 29th November and 1st and 2nd December 2017
Venue: Roleystone Theatre, 587 Brookton Hwy, Roleystone, Western Australia
Time: 8pm all shows
Tickets: $20 ($15 u-18's/Pensioners; 10 tickets bought receives an 11th free), which will be available for purchase via https://www.roleystonetheatre.com.au/web/Coming%20Attractions

https://www.roleystonetheatre.com.au/

* LORDS AND LADIES IN NORWICH (DECEMBER)

The Youth Theatre Company will present their production of the Irana Brown adaptation of Lords and Ladies in December.

When: Thursday 14th – Saturday 16th December 2017
Venue: Theatre Royal, Theatre Street, Norwich NR2 1RL
Time: 7.30pm all shows (includes audio described performance on the 16th)
Tickets: £10 (jobseeker/over 60 £8.50) plus £1.20 per order for Postage and Packaging. To purchase tickets, go to http://bit.ly/2gemJKI and select your desired date.

https://secure.theatreroyalnorwich.co.uk/Online/

* RAISING STEAM IN ABINGDON: A POSTPONEMENT

The Studio Theatre Club have slightly updated their announcement: "Don't tell anyone yet (this is just between you and us), it's still a long way off (2018!), we've only just had the formal permission for a new play and Stephen's still writing it, but he thinks it's about time he tackled another of the novels, and the third in the Moist von Lipwig Trilogy might just be the right one. It's been on his to-do list for a while...he thinks he owes it to Terry... Tickets are not yet on sale. News here when they are!" – but still no news beyond that...

http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/discworld

5.3 PLAYS IN 2018

* MASKERADE IN READING (JANUARY 2018)

The Progress Theatre will be staging their production of Maskerade in January next year. But first, don't forget to check the auditions page, above...

When: 18th–27th January 2018
Venue: Progress Theatre, The Mount, Reading RG1 5HL
Time: 7.45pm all evening shows, 2.30pm matinees on 20th and 27th January
Tickets: TBA

http://progresstheatre.co.uk/maskerade

* MONSTROUS REGIMENT IN GEORGIA USA (FEBRUARY 2018)

Gainesville Theatre Alliance's 2017-2018 season will feature their production of Monstrous Regiment in a "February Festival of Theatre". "GTA is a nationally acclaimed collaboration of the University of North Georgia, Brenau University, theatre professionals and the northeast Georgia community that has yielded state and national awards."

When: 16th–24th February 2018
Venue: UNG-Gainesville's Ed Cabell Theatre, 3820 Mundy Mill Road, Oakwood, GA
Time: 7:30pm evening shows on the 16th, 18th, 20th-24th, and 2:30pm matinees on the 17th & 24th
Tickets: $18-20 for adults, $16-18 for seniors and $12-14 for students, depending on seat location, available from www.gainesvilleTHEATREalliance.org or by phoning the Box Office at 678 717 3624. NOTE: by early August, 97 percent of the GTA performances were sold out. "Theater-goers may purchase tickets to one show or all five. They also may build their own custom ticket package, earning discounts for two shows or more."

http://blog.ung.edu/gta/performances/index/
http://blog.ung.edu/gta/performances/tickets/

* MASKERADE IN YORK (FEBRUARY 2018)

We Are Theatre's next Discworld play will be the Stephen Briggs adaptation of Maskerade!

When: 26th–28th Feb 2018
Venue: The Black Swan, Peasholme Green, York, YO1 7PR
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £10, bookable by phoning 07521 364107 (note that there is only limited seating available)

http://www.wearetheatre.co.uk/upcoming-productions.html

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06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS: UPDATES AND REMINDERS

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), will be meeting next from 7pm on Monday 6th October 2017 at the Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London, W2 1JQ. "We welcome anyone and everyone who enjoys Sir Terry's works, or quite likes them or wants to find out more. We have had many visitors from overseas who have enjoyed themselves and made new friends. The discussions do not only concern the works of Sir Terry Pratchett but wander and meander through other genres and authors and also leaping to TV and Film production. We also find time for a quiz."

The Drummers have also taken up doing the odd afternoon meetup. For more information, go to http://brokendrummers.org/ or email BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk

*

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." Future events will include the Hogswatch Express meet (24th-26th November 2017) and the Did You Bring a Beer Along meeting (celebrating 20 years of The Last Continent) in April 2018.

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. The games are usually shorter games like Pairs, Sushi Go, or Tiny Epic Defenders, with the occasional Werewolf session, as these are the best sort of games that work in a pub setting. Every few months, we have a full day's worth of board games at La Scala Cafe, 169 Unley Rd, Unley in the function room starting at 10am. In addition, we will occasionally have other events to go and see plays by Unseen Theatre Company, book discussions, craft, chain maille or costuming workshops or other fun social activities."

The next CoSG event will be a Board Games Day on 8th October.

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! We are also running the next Australian Discworld Convention, Nullus Anxietas VI – The Discworld Grand Tour – taking place in August 2017. You can find more out about it on this very website (_http://ausdwcon.org/_)! 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 2nd October 2017 (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 3rd October 2017 (probably) at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists, a Pratchett fangroup, has been meeting on a regular basis since 2005. 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 6th October 2017 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, meets next on Monday 6th October 2017 (probably) from 5.30pm at Carpe Cafe, 526 Murray Street, Perth, Western Australia. For details follow Perth Drummers on Twitter @Perth_Drummers or join their Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>

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07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

Blogger Dan Ladle has Terry Pratchett: HisWorld envy (and who could blame him):

"If you are anywhere in about 1,000 miles of Salisbury then you should get down there. For those of us more geographically isolated (like me, in Fourecks), unless you are heading to England before the 13th of January 2018, then you're going to miss it. Thankfully my parents still live thereabouts and my Mum kindly offered to become stunt-Dan for the day last Saturday. She and my Dad visited the museum, saw all the exhibits and, most importantly, picked up a load of bits and pieces, including the exclusive Little Blue Book, which my Mum got signed by Rob Wilkins and Paul Kidby. She has kindly offered to post these to me and I gratefully accepted, then talked to her for almost an hour about all the wonderful things they saw at the Museum. I feel lucky to have parents who understand my weird fascination with all things Pratchett and who were willing to go out of their way (about 35 miles out of their way) to pander to their fourth son's unusual predilection..."

https://clacksheader.wordpress.com/2017/09/19/my-world-and-hisworld/

Blogger anglonerd is back and giving props to Nation

"I won't disagree with the reviewers who say that this may be Pratchett's best book. The way in which he creates and uses characters is typical Pratchett. Also, the personification of Death – not that Death is the same in this book. It's a god named Locaha who Mau manages to dodge twice. One thing that really resonates with me is when Pratchett describes how a thread connected Mau to how his future was supposed to go. Sometimes people have two threads, seeing themselves in one future and another. For Mau, when the wave destroyed his village, he lost the thread. He couldn't imagine what was in store for him. In the author note, Pratchett warns that this is a book that should make you think. I wouldn't be surprised if people felt threatened by this book, but that's the way people are. Pratchett was a humanist, but he doesn't preach atheism here. While Mau is very angry and defies his gods, Pratchett is not his characters. He wants people to ask questions, but he's not telling you what to believe..."

https://anglonerd.wordpress.com/2017/09/15/nation/

Blogger fantasyst95 returns with a good review of Men at Arms:

"I admire how Pratchett manages to drop in important themes within the utterly whimsical, comical and outrageous world that is the Discworld. Race is a topic that comes up throughout the book. Dwarves and trolls hate each other. Why? At some battle a long long time ago each side accused the other of foul play. Well, that's how it started. In today's society, dwarves and trolls hate each other because their ancestors have successfully hated each other for centuries. Why break tradition? Not only is race challenged as a topical issue, governmental corruption also features massively. Ankh-Morpork is a corrupt city through and through. Home to the Assassin's Guild, the Thieves Guild and even the Alchemist's Guild, to mention but a few names, the city thrives on money... I'm sure like many other readers out there, I read to escape from reality for a little while. I read to forget about those bills I have to pay and to forget I have to get up and go to work in the morning… and that's okay. I get that escapism from books. For me, it makes a goddamn fantastic author if they can achieve this and still highlight issues within our society without smacking you in the face with it..."

https://readersonline.blog/2017/09/12/review-men-at-arms-terry-pratchett/

...as does blogger Ashley:

"The pacing was perfect, so I never found myself skimming or became bored. There was just the right amount of detail. I never wanted to put the book down. As far as predictability goes, I couldn't figure out who did it, though I did figure out what the weapon was right away. I found myself thoroughly enjoying the mystery and suspense... the world building was astounding! In this novel, we are introduced to several new species that inhabit this world including werewolves, dwarves, trolls, and the undead. We also get to explore more of the Guilds within the city including the Assassin's and Fool's Guilds. Learning more about some of the Guilds was one of the highlights of the novel. Additionally, we travel below the city and learn more about how the city was built and re-built and kind of how it functions, which was all fascinating... Cuddy and Detritus, I think, change the most throughout the book as they learn to understand one another and forgo their differences. Carrot also changes quite a bit and becomes more of a leader while Vimes is away even though Colon is technically in charge. Colon also does a great job stepping up and filling the role as acting Captain for awhile. None of the Watch seem to be as clueless as they used to and I think they are starting to appreciate their roles..."

http://bit.ly/2xM3hw5

Blogger katyboo1 aka Making Them Readers returns to sing the praises of The Amazing Maurice:

"On first reading I found this a strange choice for a children's book. The Amazing Maurice may have more than echoes of the Pied Piper fable. It may also be influenced by Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh, but it is a very dark tale. It's about the human in animals, and the animal in humans. It has moments of savagery and genuine fear and tension that many of the previous Discworld novels lack. Just as I assume that children's librarians are smarter, I found this was the point where I realised that Pratchett knew children were smarter than your average adult, too. There is no pandering to young minds here. There is direct, straight talking, fierceness and no compromise whatsoever and it makes the book worthy of the Carnegie and every other prize you might care to mention..."

http://bit.ly/2jGzhLR

Blogger parabatibooks' rave review of the Good Omens radio play as an audiobook:

"I do believe this is as close to a perfect media transference as there is possible. What description is lost due to the audio format, it is made up for with the emotion in the characters voices. The cast suited the characters very well, and the bloopers were extremely funny! I was so glad to be able to find the radio show on Audible as well as the standard book audio... The best bits of the book still shone through in the radio drama with all the characters and their interactions remaining true to the original. I absolutely loved it, and am now feeling the urge to read the book again!"

http://bit.ly/2xMfxgp

Blogger Annemieke aka A Dance With Books is also back, this time with her review of The Shepherd's Crown:

"As the afterword says, there is a beginning, a middle and an end. But Pratchett wasn't quite finished with this book when he left us. The afterword explains to us his writing ways was to write scenes, combine them and continue to add scenes to weave a whole story, and then editing quite a few times. Especially the first few chapters felt more like drafts in places. Even so that doesn't take away that the start of this book still gave an emotional punch. It is weird considering that we lose someone at the start of this book and knowing he isn't here anymore. It almost feels like he knew this would be his last. Having said that, this book is not just about death. But also about life. About Tiffany continuing to find her way as a Witch, dealing with expectations as people expect her to fill some rather large shoes. About being able to admit that you can't do everything on your own. That sometimes you need a little help. That doesn't make you less strong. About sometimes putting yourself out there to be able to become the person that you want to be, even if it might hurt. There is so much to love in this book. Familiar characters that come back to make us smile. The cat You who seems to be a bit of a stalker. But also new additions like George and his goat, and the discovery of a calm-weaver. All in all I do think this story is a fitting and wonderful end to Tiffany Aching's story for now. Everyone who needed to be there was there.

http://bit.ly/2hbDh6h

...and blogger Erik Shinker aka The Past Due Book Review returns with his overview of the Pratchett oeuvre:

"What sets Pratchett's writing apart from other authors in the genre is not only the amount of satire and references, but how they are employed. Pratchett takes a genre that can easily become formulaic and injects humor (or humour) and sarcasm into it; thereby creating a refreshing version of fantasy. His books don't try to imitate in a negative way or seek to mock past works in the genre; they instead point out illogical tropes and ridiculousness in a way that says 'let's all laugh at how silly this is.' I mean, the man laid out in his will that all of the unfinished stories on his hard drive were to be destroyed by a steamroller. I cannot recommend the Discworld novels to everyone who enjoys fantasy because I think a lot of 'serious' fantasy readers(whatever that means) would believe his poking fun comes from ill-intent; but if you enjoy reading fantasy, and don't mind when funny things are pointed out and are there for you to laugh at, then I highly suggest you give them a try. There are very few who have read Pratchett's work and been disappointed, and this is part of why he remains a vastly influential and beloved figure within not only the fantasy genre, but contemporary literature as a whole..."

http://bit.ly/2wDrbF9

...and his review of Wyrd Sisters:

"Granny Weatherwax really shines as a character in this book; she is a force of nature and affects the world around her. She is a fantastic example of a female character with agency, though she isn't without her faults. These small chinks in her otherwise admirable personage humanize (or…humanise..?) her (think of the people who talk in a theater or during a movie; Granny would be one of them). Wyrd Sisters take the promise of Equal Rites and fulfills it thoroughly. We see more of Granny Weatherwax, how she interacts with other witches, how the theater can be as magical as magic itself, and the references are on point throughout. Wyrd Sisters is one of the first Discworld novels to really set Pratchett apart from other fantasy authors; though his goofiness and humor (or humour) are in each book, he is well into his stride with this sixth entry in the series..."

https://thepastduebookreview.com/2017/09/20/wyrd-sisters-review/

Blogger Eloise aka To Whom Lit May Concern met The Colour of Magic and was enchanted:

"It seems that a common trait among my friends is recommending me good books. Despite my initial difficulty, I binged the entire book in two sittings, and fell in love. 'The Colour of Magic' takes you on a fast-paced adventure, lead by the wizard drop-out Rincewind and the Discworld's first ever tourist, the ever optimistic Twoflower. In a world filled with danger at every corner, how exactly they survive more than a page is an absolute mystery. What I think I love about the book, more than anything else, is the writing style. It simply give off the impression that Pratchett was writing just to enjoy himself, and did not care about sticking to what may have been deemed 'ideal' for the fantasy genre. This indulgent writing is what makes his personality shine through, with wit and humour jam-packed into every sentence: I mean, who else could think of quotes like 'Being Ymor's right-hand man was like being gently flogged to death with scented bootlaces'? I found myself shouting, laughing and gasping out loud at the pure ingenious madness I was reading. Everything, from descriptions to sentence structure, and even the cut-away passages not featuring our two main characters, had a purpose, and added to the experience in one way or another. Beautifully crafted, though sometimes a bit much: I did have to reread several passages to fully understand every joke he was adding in..."

https://towhomlitmayconcern.wordpress.com/2017/09/05/the-colour-of-magic/

Blogger Waistcoats, Gin and Words' latest review addresses Sourcery:

"It is getting to the point where Pratchett is a necessary staple for travelling, it's a necessary break between heavy books or anything that takes itself a little too seriously. Sourcery, is a great read and one of the more enjoyable Discworld novels I've read so far. This one follows Rincewind and tells of the dangers of what happens when a wizard is squared. This is certainly not my favourite Pratchett, but it is an enjoyable ride with some silly humour. Some find it the weaker out of Rincewind's three novels so far, but actually I found it had gained a little more depth and traction because of the novels it follows. The wizards of the Discworld aren't my favourite, but they are fun and a little silly and have their own quirks that can only be Pratchett through and through..."

https://waistcoatsginandwords.wordpress.com/2017/09/22/77-sourcery/

Blogger gorjessina17 was pleasantly surprised by The Long Earth:

"I really like the main character, Joshua. He's a bit of an oddball, but he seems so normal in comparison to the type of characters you usually get who are tasked with 'saving the world'. No real brooding or whining about how his life has turned out, Joshua is more of a live-in-the-moment kind of person. But he's also not the type to throw that in your face or act recklessly... I also really like the character of Lobsang. A sentient digital being, he's always insisting that he's human, but you can tell he's still trying to figure out exactly what 'being human' means... One of the things I ended up enjoying the most about the book, though, is actually something I think might put a lot of people off – the pacing. This book is SLOW. It makes sense in context; exploring hundreds of thousands of alternate Earths would take quite some time. And since this book is the lead in to a full series, the authors have the space to take as long as they want. The book also meanders a bit, throwing in seemingly random chapters that introduce new characters and explain how stepping has changed their lives. But none of the information we are given is completely useless; everything has a purpose. I like books that allow themselves to tell the story at their own pace..."

https://gorjessina17.wordpress.com/2017/09/29/book-review-the-long-earth/

...and finally, blogger Jonathan Feinstein, usually a big Pratchett fan, was less than impressed with The Long Cosmos audiobook:

"At last, the conclusion of 'The Long Earth' series. Way back, at the start of the series, there was an article on how to make a device called a 'Stepper' using a simple circuit and a potato... it turns out there are a lot of people who don't need those potatoes. So many, in fact I had expected that eventually it would be discovered the potato circuit was just a crutch, a placebo, if you will, that allows people to step when they don't think they can. Well, apparently not. As each book in the series progresses the Long Earth and the way it works gets more and more complex, which is odd, since in a world that is, for all purposes, infinite, a lot of the added complexity was far from necessary, so along with threats of various sorts from 'Joker' worlds, gaps in Earth's actual existence, creature of the far realities and so forth. We have travel to other planets where it turns out that any world that has or has had sentient life also has alternative realities (which implies that those that do not have only one reality) and apparently the various realities of the other Long Worlds have nothing to do with each other… until this final book in which they are described as a skein in which each of the Long World necklaces interlink in some places. It's an interesting notion, but like many interesting notions it is not enough to hold the story together by itself..."

http://bit.ly/2xjpHU6

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08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

Crowley and Aziraphale, to the life!
http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/corporate2/images/width/live/p0/5g/fk/p05gfk9c.jpg/624

"Adam Young" and his parents (see item ):
http://bit.ly/2wNDjUh

...and a delicious teaser image from the second day of filming, as tweeted by Neil Gaiman:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DKLU6-7XUAEzTbA.jpg

Some excellent iconographs of the Terry Pratchett: HisWorld exhibit, as tweeted by Stephen Briggs:
https://twitter.com/StephenPBriggs/status/911644106224541697

Paul Kidby standing in front of one of the gorgeous large graphic panels being installed at the Salisbury Museum's Terry Pratchett: HisWorld exhibit:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DIzU52YW4AAzh9F.jpg:large

...and posing serious-faced in front of two of his most recent works, a rendering of the Mona Ogg, er, Lisa and a beautiful design for a proposed Sir Pterry statue:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DKFu0ylW4AAuNTQ.jpg

...and here is Mr Kidby's "sculpt of the Morpork Owl and Ankh for the #Discworld postbox, cast in bronze and polished up a treat" (tweeted quote by @PaulKidby, iconograph by Kismet Photography):
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DJw43bNW4AEgF2O.jpg

...and his bronze sculpt of Rob Anybody Mac Feegle, a work in progress (as indeed the Big Man himself is):
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DIpaQQOXkAIEkbv.jpg

Sir Pterry's office, recreated for the HisWorld exhibit. Iconograph tweeted by Discworld Emporium:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DJsxsMRWAAAeVrg.jpg

...and a close-up of his typewriter, with an appropriate message:
http://bit.ly/2wn7O8g

The cast of Monifieth Theatre's recent production of Wyrd Sisters:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DIyOpg5W4AAhKh1.jpg

Another "before and after" of the hard drive and the steamroller:
https://edge.alluremedia.com.au/m/l/2017/09/terry-pratchett-harddrive-steamroller.jpg

NADWcon 2017 Guest of Honour Esther Friesner in her Feeglemancy tent:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DJR21PEXcAAMNsf.jpg

A fine assembly of Maskeraders from last month's AusDWcon:
http://bit.ly/2fkMPvg

A great photo of Michelle Dockery as Susan Sto Helit in the telefilm of Hogfather:
http://bit.ly/2wA3hNZ

Australian Pratchett fan Shannan, who travelled all the way to Salisbury from Melbourne to attend the opening of the Terry Pratchett: HisWorld exhibition, shows her Paul Kidby-inspired tattoo sleeve to the artist himself:
https://cml.sad.ukrd.com/image/609267-500x375.jpg

...and finally, a selection of photos from Monstrous Theatre's final production:
http://eskarina54.tumblr.com/post/164635954683/some-pics-of-our-last-ever-production-terry

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09) CLOSE

A few more odds and sods to wind up...

There's a well-written, longish post by blogger teacher2poet on the subject of recommending Discworld novels to newbies. I didn't include it in the Around the Blogosphere section because it's not easily reduced to an extract or two, but it's well worth a read nonetheless:

https://bartopia.wordpress.com/2017/09/28/recommended-reading-terry-pratchett/

The RSPCA has issued a warning about keeping African pygmy hedgehogs being kept as pets. Apparently they can be you-know-what, so to speak: "The animal charity said the exotic creatures required a 'considerable commitment'. It added they 'would need a large temperature-controlled enclosure to mimic where they come from.' RSPCA senior scientific officer Nicola White said: 'It is difficult to adequately meet the animal's needs in a household environment'. The warning comes after one of the hedgehogs was found abandoned in a small hamster carrier at a station on the London Underground. The hedgehog, now named Paddington, was rescued on 11 August by Jill Sanders, an animal collection officer..."

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-41097140

Here be a BBC web-exclusive video of "Nomadic Kazakh's[sic] from western Mongolia, islanders from the Solomon Islands and animal herders from Ethiopia" reactions when they were shown news footage of Morris dancers: http://bbc.in/2wpAWHH

And that's the lot for September. Take care, 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) 2017 by Klatchian Foreign Legion

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
July 2017 (Volume 20, Issue 7, 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 Technomancers: Jason Parlevliet, Archchancellor Neil, DJ Helpful
Book Reviews: Annie Mac, Drusilla D'Afanguin, Your Name Here
Puzzle Editor: Tiff (still out there somewhere)
Bard in Residence: Weird Alice Lancrevic
Emergency Staff: Steven D'Aprano, Jason Parlevliet
World Membership Director: Steven D'Aprano (in his copious spare time)

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

INDEX:

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) ODDS AND SODS
04) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
08) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
09) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
10) CLOSE

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"It's going to be a Happy Hogswatch! A new collection of 10 never-published stories by Sir T for the young & not-so young."
– tweeted by @terryandrob on 11th July 2017

"…if your Mickey Mouse ears fall off, that nice Mr. Disney is not unduly perturbed. If someone buys a Discworld t-shirt and the colours run in the wash, I am the person who gets the email.”
– Terry Pratchett, Science Fiction Book Club interview 1996, as quoted on the Discworld Emporium website

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

A shortish issue this month (owing to your Editor being knocked over by a case of bronchitis muscular enough to have come straight from the eighteenth century disguised as consumption... remember, it's the depths of winter down here in Fourecks), but not lacking in interesting content. I'm going to press Send now and take to my bed with a supply of leeches and lace hankies. On with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) ODDS AND SODS

3.1 NEW PRATCHETT STORIES COLLECTION

There's a new collection of fourteen "new" stories, to be published just in time for Hogswatch! Well, actually well and truly ahead of Hogswatch. Father Christmas's Fake Beard offers another collection of Pteenaged Pterry's delightfully wonky children's stories, following on from Dragons at Crumbling Castle and The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner and once again illustrated by Mark Beech. The release date is either the 17th of August, or an unspecified date in October, depending on which social media or commercial enterprise page you're reading... but at any rate, it's coming out soon! See item 8.1 for more details!

3.2 REMINDER: "CAPTURE THE CASTLE" FEATURING PAUL KIDBY

The Southampton City Art Gallery's Capture the Castle exhibition, currently running, is meant to be "the first ever large-scale art exhibition on the subject of British castles", but a certain otherworldly castle – Unseen University's Tower of Art, by Paul Kidby – is featured as well...

When: through to 2nd September 2017
Venue: Southampton City Art Gallery, Commercial Road, Southampton SO14 7LP – 5 minutes' walk from Southampton Central Station – phone: 023 8083 3007 (option 3)
Time: Monday to Friday: 10am-3pm, Saturday: 10am–5pm (closed on Sundays)
Tickets: free admission to all exhibitions

https://www.southamptoncityartgallery.com/whats-on/capture-the-castle/

3.3 ASK THEM ABOUT STAMPS!

Roundworld's legendary, iconic and (possibly in)famous Ankh-Morpork Consulate – aka the Discworld Emporium – is, of course, the original only source of official Discworld stamps. On their website, Bernard "the Cunning Artificer" Pearson tells the history of Discworld stamps. Here be some extracts, but do go read the entire piece (link below)!

"Discworld Stamps began in 2003 while Terry was writing Going Postal. As part of his writing process, Terry's would revel in the opportunity to indulge boyhood fascinations with his subjects in the name of research. Being a stamp collector as a lad, philately was no exception and with our assistance he fully acquainted himself with the history of the Post Office and postage stamp manufacture in the Victorian era... The very first stamps off the press were perforated by Terry at Bath Postal Museum on a Victorian machine that we restored with the help of the author himself and a set of shiny new perforating pins! Terry became a patron of the museum and the Emporium consequently houses an array of postal paraphernalia that brings Going Postal to life...

"Since their inception in the book, our range has grown to encompass an ever-changing selection from post offices all over Discworld, illustrating a myriad of Terry Pratchett's characters and creations with contributions by guest artists including Paul Kidby, Joe McLaren, David Wyatt and Peter Dennis. Some of our older designs even make a guest appearance in Sky 1's television adaptation. We produce all manner of postal ephemera, from single stamps and whole sheets, to commemorative artefacts, lucky dip envelopes and first day covers. All our stamps are traditionally printed by our very own Mr Spools on authentic gummed stamp paper & perforated by hand. Like real stamps, designs come and go but thanks to a thriving secondary market older issues can be tracked down or traded on popular auction sites..."

https://www.discworldemporium.com/content/9-the-history-of-discworld-stamps

...and for a shufti at all the latest Discworld stamps, go to https://www.discworldemporium.com/39-new-stamps

3.4 ALZHEIMER'S NEWS

A promising report:

"Abnormal deposits that build up in the brain during Alzheimer's have been pictured in unprecedented detail by UK scientists. The team at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology says its findings 'open up a whole new era' in neurodegenerative disease. Their work should make it easier to design drugs to stop brain cells dying. The researchers used brain tissue from a 74-year-old woman who died after having Alzheimer's disease. The form of dementia leads to tangles of a protein called tau spreading throughout the brain. The more tau tangles there are, the worse the symptoms tend to be. Doctors have known this has happened for decades but what has been missing is a detailed understanding of what the tangles look like. The team took advantage of the "resolution revolution" in microscopy to take thousands of highly detailed images of the tau inside the woman's brain tissues... this could be one of the most important recent discoveries in tackling dementia. Attempts to develop a drug to slow the pace of dementia have been met by repeated failure. But it is hard to come up with a drug when you do not know the precise chemical structure of what you are targeting.

"Dr Sjors Scheres, one of the researchers, told the BBC News website: 'It's like shooting in the dark – you can still hit something but you are much more likely to hit if you know what the structure is. We are excited – it opens up a whole new era in this field, it really does.' The structure of tau, published in the journal Nature, is the first to be determined in such detail. Fellow researcher Dr Michel Goedert told the BBC: "This is a big step forward as far as tau goes but it is bigger than that. This is the first time anybody has determined the high-resolution structure [from human brain samples] for any of these diseases. The next step is to use this information to study the mechanisms of neurodegeneration'..."

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-40493868

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04) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS

4.1 THE FIRST ANNUAL DISCWORLD DAY: A ONE-DAY EVENT IN SOUTH AFRICA

Looks like it will be as fun as a fun thing! "We invite you to discover the streets of Ankh-Morpork, the greatest city of the Discworld. A folklorique network of old lanes, squares and alleys for your walking pleasure. Wherre exitement and trolls lurke arounde everry corner and much may be heard the traditional street cries of old time also the laughing visages of the denuizens as they goe about their business private. All guilds are welcome, so if you fancy yourself as an artificer, a seamstress, an assassin or a clown, you'll be sure to be in good company along The Street of Cunning Artificers. Dogs and unruly luggages to be kept on leashes at all times."

Features include the following (the original text – note spelling! – was too adorable to abridge or summarise):

An Ankmorpork Adventure: Seek! Hustle! Build! Conjur! Enter as a single person or with a team of wizzards, complete the tasks as laid out for you by the Patrician.

Fabricati diem, pvnc: test your mettale and train with the City Watch, they are recuiting!

The presence of beer always greases the rungs of the evolutionary ladder so make sure your Inn-sewer-ants-polly-seas are up to date and join us in The Mended Drum. Expect a test of wits, much revelry and many barbarians.

The Discworld Dress Up will happen in Pseudopolis Yard. Embody your favourite character and be victorious. Win Thynngs.

The great Wizards of the Unseen University invite you to engage in battles of Cripple Mr Onion, Thud! and the likes. Can you beat the brightest of the Discworld?

Burnt crunchy bits, dwarf bread, rat onna stick and other local delicacies can be found between Harga's House of Ribs and the Curry Gardens, so weary travellers and brave explorers will not have holes in their tummies. Keep an eye out for Cut-me-own-Throat Dibbler.

The Muntab Moving Pictures House invites those of a sloth-ier disposition to rest their weary rears upstairs in the Patrician's Castle, munch on banged grains and be enveloped in the screenings of Sir Terry Pratchett's visual fantastical-ness.

Garstairs Stables offers the usual range of equestrian services to the sons and daughters of gentlefolk.

When: 4th November 2017
Venue: The Moors Castle, 638 Larsens Road, 1739 Muldersdrift, Gauteng, South Africa
Time: 11.00 to 22.00
Tickets: R60.00. A limited number of tickets are available online http://qkt.io/DiscworldDay2017 or at the gate at a price of R80.00. Under-12s are free

https://www.facebook.com/events/320926284986740/

4.2 DWCON 2018 NEWS

Short but sweet:

"Membership sales are now open, but we are almost full! You will now be sent an email if and when you can pay for your membership. Find out more about membership prices and types..."

https://2018.dwcon.org/membership/
https://2018.dwcon.org/membership/overview

"An update (and gentle reminder) about hotel bookings for the Convention:

"Those of you who have booked your Memberships will naturally be thinking about your accommodation. We will begin allocating rooms in the Convention Hotel, Chesford Grange, and our partner hotel, Woodland Grange soon. If you do want to stay in either of them, please make sure you update your details on our website by Monday. You can also book camping at the Convention Hotel."

https://2018.dwcon.org

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05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

5.0 AUDITIONS

The Progress Theatre will be auditioning for the cast of their forthcoming January 2018 production of Maskerade (see item 5.3 below). The auditions will be held on Sunday 17th September at 2pm or Wednesday 20th September at 7.30pm at Progress Theatre, The Mount, Reading RG1 5HL. "Auditions are open to all,but if cast you will need to join Progress Theatre.

"If you have any questions or would like to be considered but can't make the audition dates please contact director Chris Moran on 07729 501350 or at chris.moran@me.com or assistant director Jordan Emmett on 07932 976693 or at jdemmett27@hotmail.co.uk prior to the auditions."

http://progresstheatre.co.uk/auditions-maskerade

5.1 PLAYS IN JULY, AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER

* WYRD SISTERS IN DERBY (JULY)

The Marlowe Players, an amateur company who have been staging plays for nearly 70 years, take a crack at Wyrd Sisters next week!

On the subject of Terry Pratchett, Wyrd Sisters director Rick Law says: "As someone who reads a fair few fantasy novels, I've never found a series that takes itself less seriously than the Discworld books, much to their credit. A lot of that comes from the narrator's voice, and that is Terry's voice. I challenge anyone to read his work without being reduced to a giggling mess at some point while your co-workers/people around you on public transport/your pets looks at you like you've gone mad."

When: 25th–29th July 2017
Venue: Darley Abbey Village Hall, Abbey Yard (off New Road), Darley Abbey, Derby DE22 1DS
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £7, available from the Box Office (phone 07961 607372) or online by filling in the web form at http://www.marlowe-players.co.uk/book-tickets/

"Please note that we do not have numbered seating at Darley Abbey but we will do our best to accommodate those with special needs if you advise us accordingly."

http://www.marlowe-players.co.uk/

* WYRD SISTERS AT THE EDINBURGH FRINGE... (AUGUST)

Return of the Hat! After their successes with Eric and Mort at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the Duck in a Hat theatre company will be back at with their production of Wyrd Sisters in August.

When: 14th-19th August and 21st-27th August 2017
Venue: Paradise in Augustines, (Venue 152) 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EL
Time: 6.25pm all shows; running time is 90 minutes
Tickets: £9.50 (concession £8.50), available from https://edinburghfestival.list.co.uk/event/775570-terry-pratchetts-wyrd-sisters/ or ring the Box Office on 0131 510 0022

http://duckinahat.weebly.com/

* GUARDS! GUARDS! IN CARDIFF (AUGUST)

The next exciting Discworld play presented by Monstrous Productions will be Guards! Guards!

When: 16th–19th August 2017
Venue: The Gate Arts Theatre, Keppoch St, Cardiff CF24 3JW
Time: 7.30pm (2.30pm matinee on the 19th)
Tickets: £8 (£6 concessions), available online from https://t.co/vJToGp8O5P

http://monstrousptc.com/
https://twitter.com/MonstrousPTC/
https://www.facebook.com/MonstrousProductionsTheatreCompany/

* WYRD SISTERS IN THE LAND OF FEEGLES (AUGUST/SEPTEMBER)

Monifieth Amateur Dramatics (MAD) will be staging their production of Wyrd Sisters, directed by Steven Armstrong, in August: "Stephen Briggs has been involved in amateur dramatics for over 25 years and he assures us that the play can be staged without needing the budget of Industrial Light and Magic. Not only that, but the cast should still be able to be in the pub by 10 o'clock!"

When: 24th-26th August and 31st August-2nd September 2017
Venue: Monifieth Theatre, 72 High Street, Monifieth, Angus DD5 2AE
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £9 (£6 concessions), available from Troups Pharmacy, Monifieth; Yorkshire Building Society, Broughty Ferry; and The Bay Diner/Grill, Monifieth. Ring 01382 480043 for details. Tickets are also available online at http://www.monifieththeatre.co.uk/tickets and at https://www.tickettailor.com/all-tickets/13094/1940/

http://www.monifieththeatre.co.uk/whatson

* WYRD SISTERS IN WEST YORKSHIRE (SEPTEMBER)

The Todmorden Amateur Operatic and Dramatic Society (T.A.O.D.S.) will be presenting an unusual Discworld experience – Vince Foxall's BBC radio play of Wyrd Sisters, performed live – at the end of September. "As with previous productions, this Hippodrome Foyer Play is based on an original radio script dramatized by Vince Foxall for BBC Radio 4 and will be performed script-in-hand with live sound effects and a large cast of players old and new. Featuring strolling minstrels, fools, ghosts, murderers and diverse alarums!"

When: 29th and 30th September 2017
Venue: Hippodrome Theatre, 83 Halifax Road, Todmorden OL14 5BB
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £6, available online from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/todhip

http://www.todhip.org/wyrd-sisters

* LORDS AND LADIES IN BRISBANE (SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER)

Brisbane Arts Theatre will be presenting their next Discworld play, Lords and Ladies – adapted by Irana brown – in September: "Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg – the witches of Lancre – are the Discworld's only hope of rescue when elves threaten to take control with their hypnotic 'glamour'. Standing stones, wizards, Morris men, rude mechanicals, country lore and ancient magic all combine in this adaptation of one of Sir Terry's finest. With a full supporting cast of dwarves, wizards, trolls and one orangutan, the hilarious Lords and Ladies delivers an abundance of hey-nonny-nonny and blood all over the place."

When: 16th September – 21st October 2017
Venue: Brisbane Arts Theatre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane, QLD 4000
Time: 7.30pm Thursdays, 8.00pm Fridays & Saturdays, 6.30pm Sundays
Tickets: Adults $34, Concession $28, Group 10+ $27, Student Rush $15 (10 mins before curtain), available online at http://bit.ly/2tjucfQ "Subscribers can redeem season tickets for this show. There are no refunds or exchanges once tickets have been purchased."

http://www.artstheatre.com.au/show/lordsandladies

5.2 PLAYS LATER IN 2017

* MORT IN READING (OCTOBER)

Twyford and Ruscombe Theatre Group will present their production of Mort, "an off beat tale of bacon, eggs and destiny", in October.

"Terry Pratchett's Discworld will once more be gracing the stage at Loddon Hall. We are putting on a production of Mort, which will involve a large cast, plenty of dramatic moments and a lot of laughs."

When: 5th–7th October 2017
Venue: Loddon Hall, Loddon Hall Road, Twyford, Reading, Berkshire, RG10 9JA
Time: 8pm all shows
Tickets: £7, £8, £9 and £10, available online at http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/171598

http://www.twyrusdrama.org.uk

* MORT IN KENT (OCTOBER)

The Erith Playhouse are staging their production of Mort in October.

When: 9th–14th October 2017
Venue: Erith Playhouse, 38–40 High Street, Erith, Kent DA8 1QY
Time: 8pm all shows
Tickets: £10, available from the Box Office on 01322 350345 or by filling out the form on the webpage (_http://www.playhouse.org.uk/show/mort/_). "Tickets can be posted to you or held at the Box Office for collection prior to the performance."

http://www.playhouse.org.uk/next-seasons-shows/

* RAISING STEAM IN ABINGDON: A POSTPONEMENT

The Studio Theatre Club have slightly updated their announcement: "Don't tell anyone yet (this is just between you and us), it's still a long way off (2018!), we've only just had the formal permission for a new play and Stephen's still writing it, but he thinks it's about time he tackled another of the novels, and the third in the Moist von Lipwig Trilogy might just be the right one. It's been on his to-do list for a while...he thinks he owes it to Terry... Tickets are not yet on sale. News here when they are!"

http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/discworld

5.3 PLAYS IN 2018

* MASKERADE IN READING (JANUARY 2018)

The Progress Theatre will be staging their production of Maskerade in January next year. But first, don't forget to check the auditions page,. above...'

When: 18th–27th January 2018
Venue: Progress Theatre, The Mount, Reading RG1 5HL
Time: 7.45pm all evening shows, 2.30pm matinees on 20th and 27th January
Tickets: TBA

http://progresstheatre.co.uk/maskerade

* MONSTROUS REGIMENT IN GEORGIA USA (FEBRUARY 2018)

Gainesville Theatre Alliance's 2017-2018 season will feature their production of Monstrous Regiment in a "February Festival of Theatre". "GTA is a nationally acclaimed collaboration of the University of North Georgia, Brenau University, theatre professionals and the northeast Georgia community that has yielded state and national awards."

When: 16th–24th February 2018
Venue: UNG-Gainesville's Ed Cabell Theatre, 3820 Mundy Mill Road, Oakwood, GA
Time: 7:30pm evening shows on the 16th, 18th, 20th-24th, and 2:30pm matinees on the 17th & 24th
Tickets: $18-20 for adults, $16-18 for seniors and $12-14 for students, depending on seat location, available from 1st July 1 online at www.gainesvilleTHEATREalliance.org or by phoning the Box Office at 678 717 3624.

http://blog.ung.edu/gta/performances/index/
http://blog.ung.edu/gta/performances/tickets/

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06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS: UPDATES AND REMINDERS

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), will be meeting next on Monday 7th August 2017 at the Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London, W2 1JQ. "We welcome anyone and everyone who enjoys Sir Terry's works, or quite likes them or wants to find out more. We have had many visitors from overseas who have enjoyed themselves and made new friends. The discussions do not only concern the works of Sir Terry Pratchett but wander and meander through other genres and authors and also leaping to TV and Film production. We also find time for a quiz."

The Drummers have also taken up doing the odd afternoon meetup; the next one will take place on 27th August. Meanwhile, here be last month's report by Helen Nicholls:

"We met nearly two weeks ago. There is no reason for the late report beyond the fact that I just didn't get round to it. When I arrived, Charles gave me a Zelda wolf amibo as a birthday present, which was very nice of him. Charles told us of his attempts to embrace his Scottish heritage when Mahrie came in, making the meeting more Scottish. Later Rak arrived, making it very Scottish indeed. I recall a discussion on ancient Rome, the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem and subsequent construction of the Colosseum from the proceeds. We also talked about Roman emperors and the suicides of Roman dignitaries that were really a polite form of execution (not that the death of Petronius could really be described as polite - Google it if you want the gory details). Never forget that this is a cultured group. Phil showed off cute pictures of his new kittens, Mort and Midnight, which caused an unbelievable chorus of cutesy noises from Andrew, Alex G. and Taz. Alex said that he loves to see pictures of cute animals and children. The others were very dismissive of the idea that children are cute. This reminded me of a Dara O'Brien routine where he asks what is wrong with us that we find the young of other species more appealing than our own. Jessica arrived in time to do her quiz on detective fiction. This was won by Mahrie, who will be doing the next quiz."

For more information, go to http://brokendrummers.org/ or email BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk

*

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." Future events will include the Hogswatch Express meet (24th-26th November 2017) and the Did You Bring a Beer Along meeting (celebrating 20 years of The Last Continent) in April 2018.

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. The games are usually shorter games like Pairs, Sushi Go, or Tiny Epic Defenders, with the occasional Werewolf session, as these are the best sort of games that work in a pub setting. Every few months, we have a full day's worth of board games at La Scala Cafe, 169 Unley Rd, Unley in the function room starting at 10am. In addition, we will occasionally have other events to go and see plays by Unseen Theatre Company, book discussions, craft, chain maille or costuming workshops or other fun social activities."

The next CoSG event will be the Monthly Social Meet at the Caledonian Hotel on 27th July.

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! We are also running the next Australian Discworld Convention, Nullus Anxietas VI – The Discworld Grand Tour – taking place in August 2017. You can find more out about it on this very website (_http://ausdwcon.org/_)! 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 3rd August 2017 (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 4th August 2017 (probably) at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists, a Pratchett fangroup, has been meeting on a regular basis since 2005. 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 7th August 2017 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, meets next on Monday 7th August 2017 (probably) from 5.30pm at Carpe Cafe, 526 Murray Street, Perth, Western Australia. For details follow Perth Drummers on Twitter @Perth_Drummers or join their Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

Blogger Navigating Neverland's introduction to Discworld comes via Guards! Guards!:

"The pacing of the book was fantastic! There weren't any parts in which the story dragged because even in parts that may have been uninteresting in another book, this one did it right by combining humor with fantastic characters. I was always interested in what was going on. The only part that caused trouble was at the beginning when we are just thrown into the story and, having never read Pratchett, I was trying to get used to his writing... The plot of the book was all-around entertaining, hilarious, and just down right enjoyable. This is the first book I have read in the series and, in my opinion, the world-building was terrific. I loved having my first experience being inside the city of Ankh-Morpork and learning all about its inner workings. It doesn't seem like a city I would enjoy living in, that's for sure..."

https://navigatingneverland.org/2017/07/11/guards-guards-discworld-8-city-watch-1-by-terry-pratchett/

Blogger Michael Beyer reviews Raising Steam:

Terry Pratchett is always a good choice if you like laughs, thrills, and satire. Raising Steam does not disappoint. It uses familiar characters like Moist Von Lipwig from Going Postal and Commander Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork city watch along with new characters like the engineer Dick Simnel and the goblin Of The Twilight The Darkness (Yes, they like you to use the whole name)... The usual mix of plot complications and themes of science versus magic are thrown about like fireballs to keep the story interesting, and one dark and foggy night aboard the train on a rickety bridge with the deposed king of the dwarves on board headed back to his kingdom sums up the sheer magic of Terry Pratchett's gift for story-telling..."

https://catchafallingstarbook.net/2017/07/12/raising-steam-a-book-by-terry-pratchett/

Blogger okelay's thoughts on the Long Earth series:

"There isn't exactly one plot. It's more of a worldbuilding exercise and exploration, some stories get a lot of time, others little... This could be either positive or negative depending on the reader. Personally I liked seeing what was going on in all the different places of the Earth and would like to see more of that. Like what's stepwise Chile like? Underwater? Destroyed by vulcanos,earthquakes,tsunamis?, are there worlds where the Andes are not there and what does that do to the climate? What kind of life lives here? There's a lot to explore. I've also seen several reviews of people thinking the plot is too meandering. It's entirely possible, but I don't see that as a negative thing. It is fairly slow plot-wise, there's no thrill or urgency. Which is nice, cause there's no hurry to finish the book,no omg whats gonna happen, you're not racing to the end so you can sit back and enjoy the journey... [the books] are not particularly funny and prose doesn't feel Pratchett-like at all which makes me think that maybe he came up with the ideas and Baxter did the actual writing..."

https://okelay.wordpress.com/2017/07/06/book-review-the-long-earth-series/#more-1616

Blogger Ivy Torrejos loved The Last Hero:

"Seeing it on the shelves of a bookstore, I was drawn by its wonderful pages full of illustrations (it's like a childrens book) and it's a twist on a familiar theme (Conan the Barbarian?!). I read the synopsis at the back and was intrigued by the storyline. I bought the book and it became one of my favorite... I have read The Last Hero many times since I bought it. I always wanted to experience the adventure and funny moments. It helps cheer me up everytime I find myself in a lag..."

https://wearestockfile.wordpress.com/2017/07/04/stockfile-book-reviewthe-last-hero-a-discworld-fable/

Blogger The Past Due Book Review is back to give five out of five to Good Omens:

"Good Omens may seem a simple parody at first but it posits the theory that people, when left to their own devices, will be good or choose to carry on rather than chuck it and start over. Adam grows up under the influence of neither Good or Evil, but humanity. Pratchett and Gaiman weave a story that is entertaining, complex, and hilarious; their voices and writing prowess are so similar, and complementary, that I have a hard time picking out who wrote which parts despite having read multiple works by both authors. Filled with references to pop culture, the Bible, and literature, Good Omens is a treasure trove for those with sharp eyes that enjoy little Easter Eggs. I have three copies of this book; a dog-eared copy that I lend to other people, a nice (as in quality, not accuracy) hard cover I received as a Christmas gift, and this copy that I found in a Half Priced Books. If you are searching for a book that lands its jokes at with impeccable timing while delivering a message that could save us all, look no further."

https://thepastduebookreview.com/2017/06/28/good-omens-review/#more-5860

Blogger fantasyst95's review of Small Gods:

"I have found through reading Pratchett's books that they often have some underlying message, often by parodying life and our everyday struggles or alternatively, other literature; Equal Rites addresses the issue of gender equality, Wyrd Sisters parodies the three witches in Shakespeare's Macbeth and Moving Pictures is a humorous take on Hollywood and the power of media. Small Gods I think is no exception... Corruption in the church is also an issue which is brought up, as the local population with the help of Om attempt to depose Vorbis, the head of the Quisition with whacky schemes of a million-to-one-chance odds, so it just has to work… right?! Well, nothing ever goes exactly to plan, but the Discworld population are adaptable if nothing else. This book has some real laugh-out-loud moments, and although I wouldn't say it was in my top favourites of Pratchett's Discworld novels, it still holds its own..."

https://readersonline.blog/2017/06/25/review-small-gods-terry-pratchett/

Blogger Making Them Readers is back with another mother-and-child review, this time of The Fifth Elephant:

Oscar loved it because the Watch stories are his favourite, particularly any scenes that involve Nobby Nobbs, and I loved it because it really hammers home the point that by this time, Pratchett had gone way beyond the traditional limits of fantasy and is writing in a much more philosophical vein about all the foibles of being human. This is particularly underscored in his handling of the Uberwald class system, and the things about the dwarves that Vimes discovers. It foreshadows his material about goblins in the very last books he wrote.

There are the usual comic touches, but The Fifth Elephant is so much darker than the early works and, to my mind more multi faceted, showing the different layers of understanding and discovery that Pratchett was exploring. Whether a child reader will pick this up or not is largely irrelevant as the stories bear reading over and over again, and as my delight in rediscovering this attests, will last a lifetime of re-examination.

https://makingthemreaders.wordpress.com/2017/07/19/the-fifth-elephant-by-terry-pratchett/


Blogger Jamesbee also highly recommends The Fifth Elephant:

"The novel is takes place largely in Uberwald where dwarves, vampires, werewolves and Igors all live together in uneasy harmony. Pratchett uses this to make some interesting points on race relations and traditions. Drawing parallels between the Discworld and our own is not difficult, and is relevant even to this day. As usual, he hides his rather vicious deconstruction of society behind comedy. The plot is intricate and engaging, with a number of clues and mysteries to solve. All the characters you would hope show up show up and grow and evolve. The novel hums along nicely with each chapter pushing the towards to the conclusion. Overall the Fifth Elephant had all of the elements that lend the Discworld novels its charms without having some of the pitfalls that sometimes show up. The novel was well plotted, charming, and in many parts, hilarious. I would fully recommend this novel to any fantasy lover, even someone who hasn't read much or any of Terry Pratchett's novels before."

https://jamesreads.blog/2017/07/17/the-fifth-elephant-no-spoilers/

Blogger Rustling of Pages finds gloom worth loving in Feet of Clay:

"I had a bit of trouble finding into the story because I had never before read a City Watch Book and had to get to know the characters first. Next time it will be decidedly easier (hopefully). However, each more or less important character has their own backstory, doubts, feelings and thoughts. They are well-rounded characters who you just have to like immediately. The only one who annoyed me whenever he was on the page was Nobby for being … Nobby. The plot follows different strands, even into people's personal lives and leaves you wondering how they might fit together. At times it was difficult to tell what was even going on with all those deviations and digressions and in the end some things had nothing to do with the plot at all but I didn't mind. With Ankh-Morpork being shrouded in mist during the night the setting immediately became darker and more mysterious. Shadows lurking in the mist, murders being committed. This added a nice clammy and creepy touch to the story... Pratchett has a lovely writing style. Shorter sentences and devoid of lengthy descriptions. There is a lot of dry humour and playing on words which I absolutely love!

https://rustlingofpages.wordpress.com/2017/07/16/feet-of-clay/

Cultured Vultures blogger Nat Wassell is getting near to the end of her epic re-read of the Discworld novels. Here are her thoughts on Snuff:

"I am inclined to say that whilst I agree it is not the strongest Watch novel, as a finale to their story, it is a very good one. Sir Terry did not know that this was going to be the last Watch novel of course; I seem to remember several sources at the time of his death talking about how the one after 'The Shepherd's Crown' was going to be a Watch story, and as he did not know, most of the characters aside from Sam are probably neglected a little bit. Detritus and Angua, for example, have very little to do here, which is a shame for his last appearance. The focus is on Sam, for the most part, because he has been forced out of town on a holiday. Of course, the odds of Samuel Vimes actually enjoying a holiday are slim to none... 'Snuff' does such a great job of finishing off Sam Vimes' story because it is the perfect example of character growth and change. When we first met him back in 'Guards! Guards!' he was a drunken police captain who was in charge of a force of three people, including himself. He was reluctant to even take on a dwarf, let alone a troll. Now he is a duke, a happily married father, in charge of a metropolitan Watch; dwarves, trolls, gargoyles, vampires, werewolves, golems and a Feegle rub shoulders with humans, and everyone is much happier for it... I've talked a bit about how Vetinari, Vimes and Sybil, Archchancellor Ridcully, William de Worde and Moist Von Lipwig are changing the face of Ankh-Morpork, and it is encouraging to think that the future of the city, and indeed the Disc, lies firmly in the hands of youngsters like Young Sam and Tiffany Aching..."

https://culturedvultures.com/snuff-2011-discworld/

...and finally, on new fansite We Atent Ded, Spanish blogger Carlos Ors Bravo writes about his love for the Pratchett oeuvre and its effects on him:

"It isn't easy for me to talk (or, as is the case, write) about Sir Terry Pratchett. Not ever since he died. Although, if you were to talk to my close family, they'd say that Pratchett is the only person I talk about (if you don't take into account Neil Gaiman, Jeff Bridges, the Coen brothers and, on occasion, Tim Curry). But that's not what I meant. Even though I talk about STP quite often, I still feel a sting in my heart every time I mention him or quote him (which is very, very often). But before I talk about him, let's travel back in time. Seven, eight or, maybe, nine years. I'm not quite sure about it. Anyway, let's go to Arte 9 – a comic-book store that's one of Madrid's nerd culture staples. Let's go to the franchise they have by Manuel Becerra, where I spent many (maybe too many) afternoons as a teen... I went into that dark comic-book store, clutching what little money I had, and leaning by the door was a huge piece of cardboard with a book glued to it. The book was Equal Rites and, by it, the editor had said something or other about Pratchett. I don't remember what it was, but I'm sure it didn't do him justice. I'm positive. Two days after buying it, I'd already read it and was doing a short presentation on the bespectacled, bearded, man on the back-cover. I wasn't an expert, but I knew enough to convince people to read his books... thanks to the many books I've read ever since I picked up Equal Rites all those years ago, I've confirmed all my suspicions which, in retrospect, are fairly obvious: Pratchett was incredibly well-read (obvious, I know, but still…). He disassembled everything and satirized it in the process. Many other things. His culture lead me not only to writing, but to reading and buying other books (Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, for example) and, also, to improving myself as a person..."

https://weatentded.wordpress.com/2017/07/16/terry-pratchetts-obe-art-and-a-writers-adolescence/

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08) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS

8.1. DISCWORLD EMPORIUM NEWS

* A new book of stories!

"Terry Pratchett presents Christmas with a difference! Forget the tinsel and turkey, gifts and games, and indulge in abominable snowmen, explosive mince pies, a Santa Claus who ends up arrested for burglary, and a partridge in a pear tree! Enjoy a festive frolic with ten early short stories written by Terry for the Bucks Free Press in his days as a journalist – Father Christmas's fake beard will have you chortling, giggling and possibly crying into your Christmas pudding!"

Priced at £12.99, Father Christmas's Fake Beard will ship on the 17th of August 2017 and can be pre-ordered via the link below. Also, a deluxe slipcover edition, priced at £25 and due for release on 5th November 2017, is available to pre-order (see second link below). Both editions promise to ship on the day of release. For more information, and to pre-order, go to:

https://www.discworldemporium.com/younger-readers-books/388-father-christmas-s-fake-beard-pre-order
https://www.discworldemporium.com/younger-readers-books/389-father-christmas-s-fake-beard-deluxe-edition-pre-order

* A found treasure trove of copies of The Witches!

"Long out of print and much in demand, we've rescued copies of this Discworld board game from distant lands and wrestled them out of the grasp of creatures from the Dungeon Dimensions to get them back on our shelves! DON'T MISS OUT!!

"Most problems can be solved with a little headology, but sometimes a witch must resort to magic - use caution however, as a little too much can cause an inexperienced witch to turn 'Black Aliss'. Play as Tiffany Aching, Dimity Hubbub, Annagramma Hawkin or Petulia Gristle and travel around the kingdom of Lancre. This beautiful game is illustrated by Discworld artist Peter Dennis and features 55 illustrated cards and a map of the witches' homeland. The second Discworld board game from Treefrog can be played by up to four participants, but can also be enjoyed as a solo adventure!"

The Witches is priced at £55. For more information, and to order, go to:

https://www.discworldemporium.com/games-activities/386-the-witches-a-discworld-board-game

8.2 PAUL KIDBY'S DISCWORLD MASSIF PRINTS

The stunning Discworld Massif, aka the Disc's biggest iconograph-selfie, was recently featured in art magazine ImagineFX – a timely reminder that prints of Mr Kidby's wonderful piece make great Hogswatch gifts for Pratchett fans...

"This is a unique collectors print featuring 77 favourite characters from the realms of Terry Pratchett's Discworld. Each print is hand signed and numbered and the edition is limited to only 2000 copies worldwide. Prints will be despatched rolled in tissue in a postal tube. Price includes Postage and Packaging for UK Deliveries."

The Discworld Massif is priced at £50 (plus shipping, for buyers outside the UK). For more information, and to order, go to:

http://shop.paulkidby.com/discworld-massif-print/

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09) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

A quick couple for you...

The "blocking-in" stage of Paul Kidby's latest Nac Mac Feegle sculpt:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DFQQpJ5XgAAxxN2.jpg

A nicely funky Nanny Ogg preparing to do the Rite of Ashk'Ente, from the Maldon Drama Group's recent production of Wyrd Sisters:
http://bit.ly/2uITt45

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10) CLOSE

And that's the lot for July and back to bed for me. Take care, and we'll see you next month!

– Annie Mac

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The End. If you have any questions or requests, write: wossname-owner (at) pearwood (dot) info

Copyright (c) 2017 by Klatchian Foreign Legion

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
May 2017 (Volume 20, Issue 5, 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 Technomancers: Jason Parlevliet, Archchancellor Neil, DJ Helpful
Book Reviews: Annie Mac, Drusilla D'Afanguin, Your Name Here
Puzzle Editor: Tiff (still out there somewhere)
Bard in Residence: Weird Alice Lancrevic
Emergency Staff: Steven D'Aprano, Jason Parlevliet
World Membership Director: Steven D'Aprano (in his copious spare time)

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

INDEX:

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) ODDS AND SODS
04) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
07) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
08) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
09) ROUNDWORLD TALES
10) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
11) CLOSE

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"It is through Terry's work that we have brought together a group of wonderful volunteers and donated over £23k to dementia charities."
– Monstrous Productions, on Twitter, 12th March 2017

"Don't put your trust in revolutions. They always come around again. That's why they're called revolutions. People die, and nothing changes."
– Night Watch

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

Putting this issue out a bit early, as a reminder that the Glorious 25th of May is almost upon us!

The 25th of May – Lilac Day – was first celebrated in 2008. 2017 marks the ninth Lilac Day. Have you got your boiled egg ready? From the Anyday Guide: "The Glorious Twenty-Fifth of May, also referred to as Wear the Lilac Day, is an annual celebration observed by fans of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. Lately it has also become an impromptu Alzheimer's disease awareness day... The Glorious Twenty-Fifth of May is a remembrance day in the fictional Discworld that commemorates the People's Revolution, which put an end to Lord Winter's reign. On May 25, the survivors wear a spring of lilac and gather at the cemetery to honor those who fell during the Revolution. The Revolution is described in the novel Night Watch. The fictional celebration was adopted by fans of Terry Pratchett's works, who began to wear springs of lilac on May 25 to commemorate his writing. In 2007, Pratchett announced that he had Alzheimer's disease. His fans began the campaign Match It For Pratchett to raise awareness of Alzheimer's. Fans are encouraged to wear lilac in support of Pratchett and make donations to Alzheimer's research funds."

https://anydayguide.com/calendar/2026

And here we have the L-space wikipage about the Wearing of the Lilac:

"Each year, on the 25th of May, a group of survivors of the uprising gathers at Small Gods' Cemetery to honor the casualties with lilacs and, affectionately, one hard-boiled egg (from Madam Roberta Meserole). The seven killed were mostly Watchmen from Treacle Mine Road : John Keel, Cecil Clapman, Horace Nancyball, Billy Wiglet, Dai Dickins, Ned Coates, and, temporarily, Reg Shoe – he will lie in his grave for a time during that day, and then leave. The 25th of May is also memorialized, among those who survive, by the wearing of lilac on that date. Persons known to wear it include Sam Vimes, Fred Colon, Nobby Nobbs, Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler, and, improbably, Havelock Vetinari (he, at the time a young assassin, has kept his and his aristocratic aunt Lady Roberta Meserole's, not-insignificant involvement in the affair entirely secret). The date is not publicly known as it was one of those revolutions where everybody likes to pretend in the aftermath that it never happened, with many new Watchmen uncertain of its relevance to the point that one new recruit tried wearing lilac only to be sharply criticised by Fred Colon. Vetinari once speculated about erecting a statue in memory of the soldiers, but Vimes rejected the idea, stating that the dead men would not want to be immortalised and inspire others to be heroes after they were betrayed for going beyond the call of duty, requesting that the men be simply left in peace."

https://wiki.lspace.org/mediawiki/Glorious_Revolution

...and here be a fine collage/collection on Pinterest, on the subject of Pratchett wisdom in general and Lilac Day in particular:
https://au.pinterest.com/elpha1/glorious-25th-may-wear-the-lilac/

And for those of you who can manage an online donation, Alzheimer's Research UK is continuing the work Sir Terry promoted, and the Glorious 25th is a good excuse for giving: https://donate.alzheimersresearchuk.org/publicnew

Right, on with the show!

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) ODDS AND SODS

3.1 THE TERRY PRATCHETT OWL PARLIAMENT OPENING

From the Clanfield Post:

"Birdworld celebrated what would have been Sir Terry Pratchett's 69th Birthday with the official opening of its new exhibit, the Terry Pratchett Owl Parliament with the assistance of Discworld dignitaries, Rob Wilkins and Stephen Briggs. The beautifully crafted exhibit at the wildlife centre south of Farnham has been created in collaboration with the World Owl Trust (WOT) and has been named in honour of the award-winning author, Sir Terry Pratchett due to his well-known love of wildlife and in particular, all species of owl... The Owl Parliament has been created both as a satellite of the WOT's collection and to recognise Sir Terry's passion for these mysterious birds of prey... To celebrate the day, visitors attended the opening ceremony in their finest Discworld-themed costume before Rob Wilkins cut the red ribbon and christened the Owl Parliament with a bottle of champagne. After the ceremony Discworld auctioneer Dr Pat Harkin led a prize-packed auction which featured prizes ranging from rare signed books, Paul Kidby artwork and the star prize of feeding Birdworld's African penguins alongside Rob Wilkins. As a result of the auction and raffle, the day raised more than £1,400 for the Birdworld Conservation Fund which will in turn be donated to the World Owl Trust to support the work it does on both a national and international scale. Pratchett fans were also treated to a special question and answer session with Rob and Stephen which included personal book signings and photos as a reminder of the day..."

http://bit.ly/2r4UFgJ

For more information about the Terry Pratchett Owl Parliament, go to www.birdworld.co.uk

3.2 LONG EARTH SERIES CONTEST

From Penguin Books : "Are you ready to step from the Discworld into the Long Earth? Now that the series is complete, we're giving our newsletter subscribers [a chance] to win the full set."

To enter, just go to http://bit.ly/2q5eEba and enter your name and email address. There doesn't appear to be a closing date set, so presumably the opportunity is still open!

3.3 TEN LIFE LESSONS FROM TERRY PRATCHETT

Also from Penguin Books, a good collection of examples of Sir Pterry's "stealth philosophy" and general superb understanding of human nature:

"Tiffany Aching, Witch of the Chalk, taught us how to see beyond what is in front of us, and how to be brave… The friendly face of Death taught us that death in itself is nothing to fear… Granny Weatherwax taught us to treat others with respect, dignity and decency... Rincewind taught us that sandals make the best getaway shoes, and that prejudice is not a helpful approach to life… Moist Von Lipvig, a natural born criminal, a fraudster by vocation, an habitual liar and saviour of the postal service, taught us that the leopard can change his shorts… Esk taught us when not to know your place, and when to break the rules... Vetinari taught us that the only time politics is ever simple is when it's tyranny… Captain Carrot taught us that being simple is not the same as being stupid, and to light a candle in the dark…
Samuel Vimes taught us not to tolerate injustice, and that, while candles are all well and good, sometimes it's better to light a flamethrower than curse the darkness… Susan Sto Helit taught us that words have power, that stories are important and that we want a schoolteacher around when the apocalypse comes…"

https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/features/2017/apr/life-lessons-from-terry-pratchett-discworld/

3.4 GREEBO, IS THAT YOU?

Paul Kidby tweeted a link to a rather familiar-sounding cat:

Pet adoption agency Cats of Melbourne, located in Melbourne, Australia, posted a darkly hilarious memo about Mr. Biggles (also known as Lord Bigglesworth) on its website this week, practically daring a future owner to take him in. Founder and group co-ordinator Gina Brett wrote the ad, describing the shiny black cat as 'an utter utter utter bastard' who throws tantrums and does not like to be thwarted. 'Mr. Biggles is a despot and dictator, he will let you know he is not happy, which is often because things are often just not up to his high standards,' the memo reads. 'Mr Biggles likes his cuddles on his terms, and will sit in your lap when he decides it's time. If the stroking is not up to his standards, he will nip you... Mr. Biggles is currently sunning himself in my backyard and eyeballing the chickens with a view to murder,' Brett told HuffPost. 'This morning he played with the dog (and didn't draw blood, I'm impressed) and savaged my brother who tried to cuddle him (I warned him but he didn't listen).' While Mr. Biggles' profile is the most shared one Brett has posted since founding the agency in October of last year, the dictatorial feline with a heart of gold has not yet been adopted..."

http://bit.ly/2rqc2bF

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

04) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS

AUSDWCON NEWS

Charity Auction
Sponsored by Dymocks Adelaide

"It is a fine and grand tradition of all Discworld Conventions to have an auction of collectables and memorabilia to raise money for charity. The Charity Auction will be held on Sunday 6th August, and you'll want to be there to bid for some rare and highly sought after items, generously donated by our sponsors, guests and community. In addition, there is also a Silent Auction – that is, rather than the auction being live and being presided over by auctioneers, you simply just write your name, membership number and bid down on a sheet of paper."

Some of the items: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C_QQGGlUwAErtM-.png

Donating Items

"We already have quite a lot of really great items to auction, but if you have something you would like to donate to the auction, please contact us to let us know what it is! However, please keep in mind that anything donated needs to appeal to fans, so it should be unique or rare or have high value as a collectable. The more valuable, the more money will be able to raise for our charities!"

Our Charities

Alzheimer's Australia SA
https://sa.fightdementia.org.au/

Aboriginal Literacy Foundation
http://www.aboriginalliteracyfoundation.org/

https://ausdwcon.org/convention/events/charity-auction/

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

5.1 PLAYS IN JUNE

* WYRD SISTERS IN MILTON, FOURECKS (JUNE)

Milton Follies are bringing Wyrd Sisters to the stage in June.

When: 9th-18th June 2017
Venue: Milton Theatre, 69 Princes Highway, Milton, New South Wales (phone 02 4454 3636)
Time: evening shows (9th, 16th) 8pm, Saturday matinees (10th, 17th) 4pm, Sunday matinees (11th, 18th) 2pm
Tickets: $25 (children, concessions and group tickets $20), available online now from Ticketbooth at https://events.ticketbooth.com.au/event/wyrd-sisters and from the 24th of April at Splatters at https://splatters.com.au/

https://miltonfollies.org/portfolio/wyrd-sisters/
http://www.miltontheatre.com.au/

* WYRD SISTERS IN YORK (JUNE)

After their successful run of Mort last year, We Are Theatre are gearing up for another Discworld production. This time it's Wyrd Sisters!

When: Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st June 2017
Venue: Joseph Rowntree Theatre, Haxby Road, York
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £10.00 – £12.00, already available online at https://www.josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk/eventids/923 or by ringing the Joseph Rowntree Theatre Box Office on 01904 50 1935

https://www.josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk/performers/we-are-theatre.php

5.2 PLAYS LATER IN 2017

* GUARDS! GUARDS! IN CARDIFF (AUGUST)

The next exciting Discworld play presented by Monstrous Productions will be Guards! Guards!

When: 16th–19th August 2017
Venue: The Gate Arts Theatre, Keppoch St, Cardiff CF24 3JW
Time: 7.30pm (2.30pm matinee on the 19th)
Tickets: £8 (£6 concessions), available online from https://t.co/vJToGp8O5P

http://monstrousptc.com/
https://twitter.com/MonstrousPTC/
https://www.facebook.com/MonstrousProductionsTheatreCompany/

* WYRD SISTERS IN THE LAND OF FEEGLES (AUGUST/SEPTEMBER)

Monifieth Amateur Dramatics (MAD) will be staging their production of Wyrd Sisters, directed by Steven Armstrong, in August: "Stephen Briggs has been involved in amateur dramatics for over 25 years and he assures us that the play can be staged without needing the budget of Industrial Light and Magic. Not only that, but the cast should still be able to be in the pub by 10 o'clock!"

When: 24th-26th August and 31st August-2nd September 2017
Venue: Monifieth Theatre, 72 High Street, Monifieth, Angus DD5 2AE
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £9 (£6 concessions), available from Troups Pharmacy, Monifieth; Yorkshire Building Society, Broughty Ferry; and The Bay Diner/Grill, Monifieth. Ring 01382 480043 for details. Tickets are also available online at http://www.monifieththeatre.co.uk/tickets

http://www.monifieththeatre.co.uk/whatson

* LORDS AND LADIES IN BRISBANE (SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER)

Brisbane Arts Theatre will be presenting their next Discworld play, Lords and Ladies – adapted by Irana brown – next September!

"Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg – the witches of Lancre – are the Discworld's only hope of rescue when elves threaten to take control with their hypnotic 'glamour'. Standing stones, wizards, Morris men, rude mechanicals, country lore and ancient magic all combine in this adaptation of one of Sir Terry's finest. With a full supporting cast of dwarves, wizards, trolls and one orangutan, the hilarious Lords and Ladies delivers an abundance of hey-nonny-nonny and blood all over the place."

When: 16th September – 21st October 2017
Venue: Brisbane Arts Theatre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane, QLD 4000
Time: 7.30pm Thursdays, 8.00pm Fridays & Saturdays, 6.30pm Sundays
Tickets: Adults $34, Concession $28, Group 10+ $27, Student Rush $15 (10 mins before curtain), available online at
http://sa2.seatadvisor.com/sabo/servlets/TicketRequest?&presenter=AUBAT&event=LANDL

"Subscribers can redeem season tickets for this show. There are no refunds or exchanges once tickets have been purchased."

http://www.artstheatre.com.au/show/lordsandladies

* MORT IN READING (OCTOBER)

Twyford and Ruscombe Theatre Group will present their production of Mort, "an off beat tale of bacon, eggs and destiny", in October!

"Terry Pratchett's Discworld will once more be gracing the stage at Loddon Hall. We are putting on a production of Mort, which will involve a large cast, plenty of dramatic moments and a lot of laughs."

When: 5th–7th October 2017
Venue: Loddon Hall, Loddon Hall Road, Twyford, Reading, Berkshire, RG10 9JA
Time: 8pm all shows
Tickets: £7, £8, £9 and £10, available online at http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/171598

http://www.twyrusdrama.org.uk

* RAISING STEAM IN ABINGDON! (NOVEMBER)

A little birdie (possibly an owl) at the Studio Theatre Club says: "Don't tell anyone yet (this is just between you and us), it's still a long way off (November 2017!), we've only just had the formal permission for a new play and Stephen's still writing it, but he thinks it's about time he tackled another of the novels, and the third in the Moist von Lipwig Trilogy might just be the right one. It's been on his to-do list for a while...he thinks he owes it to Terry..."

When: 22nd–25th November 2017
Venue: the Unicorn Theatre, 18 Thames St, Abingdon OX14 3HZ
Time: 7:30pm all evening shows, Saturday 25th matinee 2:30pm
Tickets: £10 (Wednesday 22nd, Thursday 23rd); £11 (Friday 24th, Saturday 25th). "Tickets are not yet on sale. News here when they are!"

http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/discworld

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06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS: UPDATES AND REMINDERS

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), still claims on their website to be meeting next on Monday 30th November 1999, but it's more more likely to be on Monday 5th June at the Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London, W2 1JQ. "We welcome anyone and everyone who enjoys Sir Terry's works, or quite likes them or wants to find out more. We have had many visitors from overseas who have enjoyed themselves and made new friends. The discussions do not only concern the works of Sir Terry Pratchett but wander and meander through other genres and authors and also leaping to TV and Film production. We also find time for a quiz."

For more information, go to http://brokendrummers.org/ or email BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk

*

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." [Editor's note: this is an active group. If you use Facebook, it may be worth joining!]

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. The games are usually shorter games like Pairs, Sushi Go, or Tiny Epic Defenders, with the occasional Werewolf session, as these are the best sort of games that work in a pub setting. Every few months, we have a full day's worth of board games at La Scala Cafe, 169 Unley Rd, Unley in the function room starting at 10am. In addition, we will occasionally have other events to go and see plays by Unseen Theatre Company, book discussions, craft, chain maille or costuming workshops or other fun social activities."

The next CoSG event will be the Monthly Social Meet at the Caledonian Hotel on 25th May (yes, the glorious 25th). For more info, go to www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 1st June 2017 (probably) from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight. For more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) next meets on Friday 2nd June 2017 (probably) at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists, a Pratchett fangroup, has been meeting on a regular basis since 2005. The Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, to discuss "all things Pratchett" as well as having quizzes and raffles. Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum:

http://www.discworldstamps.co.uk/forum/

*

Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet next on Monday 5th June 2017 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, meets next on Monday 5th June 2017 (probably) from 5.30pm at Carpe Cafe, 526 Murray Street, Perth, Western Australia. For details follow Perth Drummers on Twitter @Perth_Drummers or join their Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

07) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS

7.1 DISCWORLD EMPORIUM NEWS

* Hedgehog Song Book Bag

"Folk it right up with the Hedgehog Song... Book Bag! Carry your Discworld books & belongings in style with our charming yet brimming-with-innuendo canvas tote, ideal for animal lovers and hags alike! Featuring Lancre's most notorious folk song and favourite tavern ditty of banjo-wielding witch Nanny Ogg, this sturdy shopper is bags of fun! Features long handles for carrying over the shoulder, crafted in 10oz eco-friendly canvas. Measures 48 x 38cm, with handles 63cm in length (stitch-to-stitch)."

Each Hedgehog Song Book Bag is priced at £9.50. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/accessories/375-the-hedgehog-song-book-bag

* Death of Rats figurine

"Incarnated in the page[sic] of Reaper Man, the Death of Rats is a recurring favourite character throughout Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. How could we resist adding a little 'SQUEAK' to our range of figurines?! Sculpted by the artist behind our A'Tuin and Luggage pieces, Rich Kingston, Terry Pratchett's pint-sized usher of souls is produced in a glorious antique bronze finish, hand cast and finished by our team of local craftsmen. The Death of Rats (& other small rodents) will stand proudly yet mischievously on your bookshelf and safeguard your Discworld collection for generations to come! The Death of Rats stands approx. 185mm high and features our makers' mark inset on the base with scythe included separately for safe delivery! The Death of Rats is crafted in the highest quality bronze resin, filled and coated with real micro-fine powdered bronze. As with all precious bronze sculptures, it will need no particular extra care other than the occasional dust but will benefit from a gentle wax polish once a year or two to retain his cheeky glint."

Each Death of Rats figurine is priced at £45. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/home-hearth/372-the-death-of-rats-figurine

Follow our adventures in making Discworld magic on our blog! Our first post is a behind the scenes 'squeak'-peek into the making of the Grim Squeaker! https://www.discworldemporium.com/blog/creating-the-death-of-rats-n1

* The Turtle Moves sticker

At long last, Terry Pratchett's symbol of 'Terryvangelism' is available as a sticker for your bumpers and belongings! Created for us by Terry Pratchett himself, The Turtle Moves emblem was designed as his own version of those little fishes belonging to followers of a certain faith. Produced in a chrome mirror-finish on a peelable backing, this tough vinyl sticker is long lasting indoors and outdoors and can be applied to cars, windows, tablets, laptops, grandmothers, walls, magical guitars & more! Sticker measures 100 x 98 mm, sticker & backing measures 120 x 108mm. In the interests of faff-limitation, this is not a reverse-application window sticker simply peel & place directly onto any flat surface. This sticker features a strong weather-resistant adhesive that has been designed to be easily removed without residue (care only needs to be taken with un-lacquered painted surfaces such as painted wood).

The Turtle Moves sticker is priced at £3.50. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/stickers/376-the-turtle-moves-sticker

* Glorious 25th Tea Towel

"Wave the flag, or at least do the dishes, in the name of the Glorious Revolution with this %100 cotton tea towel. Created in the style of a banner from the barricades, each towel is emblazoned with the People's Republic manifesto screen printed in lilac onto 100% natural cotton. It's almost too lovely to dry the dishes with, so why not hang it as a flag of defiance in your abode to commemorate this most poignant date in the Discworld calendar."

The Glorious 25th Tea Towel is priced at £6.95. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/homeware/193-glorious-25th-may-tea-towel

http://www.discworldemporium.com/

7.2 DISCWORLD.COM NEWS

* The Little Black Book

"To mark the first anniversary of Terry's memorial, we have decided to offer fans the chance to own one of the few remaining copies of ‘The Little Black Book', a folio produced specifically to commemorate the wonderful event, held at the Barbican Theatre in London on April 14th 2016. With contributions from Rob Wilkins, Neil Gaiman and Rhianna Pratchett, it also includes Terry's A Little Advice For Life – read on the night by Sir Tony Robinson. This wonderful little volume offers an insight into the hearts and minds of Terry's closest friends and family. The numbers are very limited and all proceeds will go to one of Terry's favourite charities – RICE (_http://www.rice.org.uk/_) – an internationally renowned dementia research and treatment centre located in Bath. Please note: this item is limited to one per household."

Each Little Black Book is priced at £50. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://discworld.com/products/collectables/little-black-book/

* The Dragons Tea Towel

"Artfully illustrated by Paul Kidby, this tea towel [http://discworld.com/products/gimlets-kitchen/dragons-tea-towel/] brings to life the collected observations of Leonard of Quirm on the dragons of Discworld, featuring annotations and carefully drawn studies of dragons and their anatomy. Printed in the UK on 100% cotton, this is sure to add some flare to the drying up!"

Each Dragons Tea Towel is priced at £6.95. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://discworld.com/products/gimlets-kitchen/dragons-tea-towel/

* The Discworld Map Tea towel

"Hot on the heels of our new dragon tea towel follows our Discworld Map tea towel, showing off a vast expanse of the Disc, as seen in The Last Hero. Chart your next journey across the disc whilst you finish the dishes – but remember – here be monsters..."

Each Discworld Map Tea Towel is priced at £7.95. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://discworld.com/products/gimlets-kitchen/discworld-map-tea-towel/

* The Turtle Moves T-shirts

"De Chelonian Mobile! Show those non-believers exactly what you think with our navy blue, 100% cotton 'The Turtle Moves' T-Shirt."

Each Turtle Moves t-shirt is priced from £18.00 – £22.00 depending on size. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://discworld.com/products/bags-clothing/the-turtle-moves/

Also... "You asked, we listened! Two of our most popular shirts, the City Watch and the Unseen University Crest T-Shirts are now both available in ladies' fit in sizes from Small to 2XL in addition to standard fit sizes – a better fit for the Anguas and the Esks!"
http://discworld.com/products/ladies-fit-crest/

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08) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

Blogger Kibbin's interesting take on The Colour of Magic:

"The book reads a little less like a fantasy take on modern day and more like a fun parody of classic fantasy and to stress, when I say classic fantasy I mean less 'War of the Rings' and more Arnold Schwarzenegger in a loin cloth... it's the character of Twoflower who drives the story forward leaving Rincewind like a player character stuck on a level where he has to babysit a clueless npc who is just as likely to walk off a cliff as follow him through a doorway. It's interesting to see how little he has changed from the first entry, possibly why he got fewer and fewer appearances as the series went on until he was a background character and little else. Though part of me thinks that would be what he wanted all along. Twoflower himself however plays somewhat like a bumbling version of Captain America from '1602'... For those who skipped these early books to dive into the 'good stuff' you will find that Ankh Morpork isn't that different from the one you know... You could argue that while the early books are an exaggeration of fantasy literature that the Discworld books became an exaggeration of themselves..."

https://kibbinscodex.wordpress.com/2017/05/17/what-is-the-colour-of-magic/

On blog The Unread Tome, sarahgoestobilbork's thoughts on Small Gods:

"I've seen a couple of movies based on Terry Pratchett's books, and each time I was blinded by the fantastic kaleidoscope of disparate pieces brought together: flashes of colors and references to our world, mushed together and shaped into something at once recognizable and completely, radically different – not to mention wickedly sly. I recently got around to actually reading one of his books, Small Gods, and it was just as good as the movies had been. It's quite hard to find one aspect of the book to talk about – the collage of pieces moving together absolutely defies that. Instead, I'm going to talk about the whole SPLAT of what I enjoyed and what I thought about, organized into severely diaphanous categories. It probably won't spoil the book for you, as there is a great joy in uncovering the great scattering that is Pratchett's ideas... I love the idea that, like trees falling in forests, history is not history unless it is observed. Like how light is either a particle or a wave depending on how it is observed, like a cat is both alive or dead until it is observed, so too is history. If your mind is blown already, keep it that way. Philosophers are described as generally useless and pedantic (in and out of this book). When the main character, Brutha, asks his god, Om, what philosophers are good for, when 99 out of 100 ideas stink like a skunk on ice, Om replies, 'Because the 100th idea is generally a humdinger'. The bulk of the book is about religion – as much as it can be about anything – and is what I spent the majority of my time thinking about... I have known a few people – thankfully not many – who have had religion not out of belief, but out of habit or fear; to see it so clearly defined in this setting was jarring and deeply enlightening. For all that this story is a work of comic genius, it is also a serious indictment of a certain kind of authoritarian religion and of the kind of government that rises up around that system. It goes to show how careful we have to be about who we give power – and how we give it to them. If this keeps you up at night, I'll keep you company..."

https://theunreadtome.wordpress.com/2017/05/13/indignant-turtles/

Blogger Casandara goes "around the Disc in 41 books":

"It's hard for me to explain how much the Discworld means to me. I was a teenager when I first discovered the books. A lonely, depressed, nerdy teenager who wanted nothing more than to disappear and whose chosen method for this was books. My first Discworld book was The Hogfather... Susan and Death, and the idea that justice is a lie we have to believe in, and in between this all jokes. Marvellous, side splittingly funny jokes about computers and the Oh God of Hangovers. I was confused, I was entertained, I wanted more. And so over the years I read all the Discworld novels. In no particular order, other than the one in which I could get my hands on them. And they gave me strength, they taught me to believe in myself, to do what is right and to forgive humans for being fundamentally human. They got me through years of depression. I read them when I was down and nothing else could cheer me up. I read them when I needed strength. I read them when I just wanted to laugh. And now, for the first time in all these years, I'm going to read them in order. I don't yet know what I'll encounter, I plan to post again when I finish. Perhaps in between I'll write reams on all the characters, the themes, things I've only just realised. Perhaps I'll write nothing and just chuckle and cry to myself..."

https://casandara.wordpress.com/2017/05/13/around-the-disc-in-41-books/

Dutch blogger Annemieke aka A Dance With Books gives Wintersmith 5/5 stars:

"I love how this is a story where Tiffany has to fix her own mistake. She gets scolded, but they still help her to a degree. Tiffany remains headstrong, doing things her own way. Yet she also wants to learn. Like in the previous book she is still vulnerable to insecurity. That did not completely disappear how that would not disappear with us, despite getting over some insecurities in that book... I liked how some of the characters from A Hat Full of Sky, mainly the other young witches, were seen, though sometimes shortly. Mostly I was surprised with the addition of Annagramma again as she was a bit negative towards Tiffany. She grows into the role she has to play, despite being too stubborn to initially want to listen to Tiffany and her friends. I liked seeing that and I actually kind of starting to like her a bit at the ending. But of course there are other familiar characters. The Wee Free Men play their part again. Like with Annagramma they are making their development throughout these books. Though in their case this has to do with reading which I quite enjoy seeming them do. Reading another book with written out dialect after this reminds me again how smartly Pratchett writes their speech out..."

https://adancewithbooks.wordpress.com/2017/05/12/book-review-wintersmith/

Blogger Jaime Pond aka Anglonerd on Monstrous Regiment:

"Pratchett keeps the reader grounded in Polly's point of view even while satirizing the cruel reality of war. Borogravia doesn't care enough about their troops to give them proper food and armor. The soldiers begin to wonder if they wouldn't be in better hands with the enemy than with their lieutenant, but this rag-tag team quickly gains fame from a passing newspaperman who publicizes the underdog army who won't drop arms despite having lost the war... You don't need any prior knowledge of Pratchett's Discworld series to fall in love with Monstrous Regiment. This is one of Discworld's few stand alone novels. All of the characters are new, save cameos from William de Worde and some of the watchmen, including the ever-popular Commander Vimes. Not familiar with Discworld? It's a witty, satirical series set in a fantastical world on a flat planet on the back of four elephants standing on a space turtle. Monstrous Regiment is a great introduction to the series because Discworld doesn't need to be read in order, and some would argue, shouldn't be. Readers might need to read the book a second time to keep track of all the characters, what with the human soldiers having names like Tonker, Shufti, Lofty, and Wozzer. But hey, why not get it on audio this time around? Stephen Briggs does an unmatched Vimes and brings each character to life, giving them their own unique voices."

https://anglonerd.wordpress.com/2017/05/05/monstrous-regiment/

Blogger Kathy aka Much Ado About Novels' praise for Pratchett:

"I've read just under ten books by Pratchett, but I have plenty more left to read, including nine in my owned TBR list. His prose is witty, concise, and incredibly funny, but his stories are emotionally nuanced and deeply moving, and he tackles subjects such as the afterlife, and grief with incredible skill and beauty. His representation of Death is my favourite within fiction, and I actually quoted Reaper Man at my father's funeral..."

https://muchadoaboutnovels.com/2017/04/27/the-5-authors-i-want-to-read-more-of/

Blogger Luke Farnish compares various formats of The Colour of Magic/The Light Fantastic:

"The first important point to make is that none of the versions change anything particularly drastic from each other. A few more difficult to illustrate sections, and some minor details, had to be lost for the adaptation from novel to graphic novel, and the film version misses out some of the scenes altogether, but the main story remains the same throughout. Again, this makes a comparison between formats easier. Each version has something going for it. The film version (like all of The Mob's work) has a number of stars including David Jason as Rincewind, Sean Astin as Twoflower, Tim Curry, Christopher Lee and Jeremy Irons, to name some and some impressive visuals for a low budget film. The book though has far more detail and can take you right to the limit of what can be imagined, to places that simply would not work on a screen. The graphic novel is a wonderful mixture of the two, having both the fantastical quality of the book, but giving visual prompts as well. To rank formats is no easy task and I would refer to the above for what you would want from a story. I would, however, say this. If you are new to Pratchett, start here. The Discworld books are designed so they can be read in almost any order, but this really is a good place to start. Equally, if you are interested in graphic novels, I highly recommend this one as it is an excellent example of the genre. But, as for ranking the three formats, I would place the book first, followed by the film version and then the Graphic novel..."

https://thebroaduea.com/2017/04/26/books-vs-films-terry-pratchett-part-1/

Blogger Ryan's review of Sourcery:

"As I've praised Pratchett for before, he's established a rather distinct idea of what magic is as a physical property in this fictional universe. It leaves you with a decent understanding of it that feels unique to this world, while at the same time it's still a little veiled in mystery. It's like that feeling you get when you understand the meaning of a word, but when someone asks you to define it aloud you find yourself at a loss for words... Pratchett is a skilled writer, so I did have a good time reading it. His wordplay and comedic style are as strong as ever, things just felt rather typical for the type of misadventures Rincewind gets up to. It is after the matter with the hat gets resolved and he must decide what to do next that things get much more interesting. The highest point in this book for me was unusually in the climax and conclusion, rather than the lead up, leaving things on a rather poignant tone. The situation does not get nicely wrapped up without consequences. The climax also has a sequence where I laughed harder than I ever have while reading Discworld novel by far. I don't know if Pratchett intended the same humour in it I saw, but it tickled me in such a way that I had to put the book down for about five minutes..."

https://musewithmeblog.wordpress.com/2017/04/25/book-review-sourcery-by-terry-pratchett/

Erik Shinker aka The Past Due Book Review is back with his thoughts on Interesting Times, including a fun "recommended or not" section at the bottom:

"Fraught with peril, politeness, and parody, Interesting Times continues the story of Rincewind; a man who seeks boredom in lieu of his naturally exciting life. Much of Interesting Times alludes back to the first two books of the Discworld series. The stage is set with Fate and Luck, two of Discworld's gods, playing a game (as was first mentioned in The Color (or Colour) of Magic). Fate never loses but Luck is tricky and challenges him, choosing none other than her favorite (or favourite) pawn... Interesting Times is filled with references to feudal Japan and ancient China. The people of the Agatean continent live in a state of forced isolationism; they believe everything outside their continent to be inhabited by ghost-vampires and refusing to believe otherwise because there was no one brave or curious enough to find out if it was true (until Twoflower, that is). The Red Army is also reminiscent of the Terracotta warriors that guard the tomb of the first emperor of China. Interesting Times takes the goofiness of Pratchett's humor and the wit necessary to craft a story that is not only entertaining, but one of the better works of fantasy I have ever read. The jokes are quick and serve the plot, rather than the reverse, and the story sets up the next book of Rincewind's adventures nicely..."

https://thepastduebookreview.com/2017/04/19/interesting-times-review/

...and The Idle Woman is back with her thoughts on Witches Abroad:

"I always enjoy the three witches, who have such wonderfully complementary characters and whose conversations fizz with authenticity. Nanny Ogg is a particular favourite – I'm sure we all know someone like her – and I was pleased to see brief reappearances of the Hedgehog Song and A Wizard's Staff Has A Knob On The End. Magrat is, as ever, gently misguided and has given up some of her earth-motherliness in favour of the martial arts of the mystic east (having decided quite firmly that marrying the king, as seemed to be an option at the end of Wyrd Sisters, isn't her thing). And Granny Weatherwax is, as ever, far sharper than anyone around her and powerful in a vast elemental way that goes quite beyond the capabilities of her two coven-mates. But this book isn't just a delight for the main faces. There's a strong cast of secondary characters, of whom the two most striking must be the dwarf Casanunda (the Disc's greatest liar and second-greatest lover), for whom a stepladder is never far away; and, of course, Greebo. Greebo in human form is just a sheer delight – Pratchett has a ball with imagining how this scarred tomcat would translate to man-form... his is vintage Pratchett: a closely-focused story, cheerfully undermining traditional themes, with just the right number of cameos and allusions to spice the story, which barrels along at a fine pace..."

https://theidlewoman.net/2017/04/16/witches-abroad-terry-pratchett/

Blogger Ian Simpson aka The Forgotten Geek tests the Pratchett waters with Mort:

"The plot of Mort isn't particularly ground-breaking and most will know of it anyway... I thought it would be a familiar romp with some cutting insight into society. Comic novels are rare. Good ones rarer still. Genre-wise, I've read all of Douglas Adams oeuvre many times over, most of the early work of Robert Rankin (and some of the later), all of Jasper Fforde and the occasional random Tom Holt. Which I've enjoyed to varying degrees. So I did get the familiarity – the running gags, the knowing one-liners, anachronistic or out-of-context metaphors and of course the winks and conversations with the reader. Even footnotes. Love a bit of metafiction, me. What I also got was a fun (but not laugh-out-loud) fantasy genre romp. What I would call the perfect morning train read. Not too taxing to quickly get into at 7.15 on a Tuesday morning, and that means I'm the only commuter smiling. The things about the novel I liked the most wasn't the characters, although they were fun, and Death of course being the funnest, and it wasn't the plot. The descriptions of Discworld and how it works comes close. But… It was the sentences combined with Pratchett's wonderfully crafted wordplay that I enjoyed the most..."

https://theforgottengeek.wordpress.com/2017/05/07/on-reading-terry-pratchett-mort/

Blogger Georgia aka Deer Reeder reviews Wyrd Sisters:

"A reason why Terry Pratchett is up there in my top authors list (I would write it down if I wasn't constantly changing my mind!) is because his imagination is superb and the way he captures and wrestles it down into writing is just magical. No other author I know would literally personify a storm to that of an actor's life waiting for its big break. Don't get me wrong here for I am not meaning he compares the look of the storm to that of an actor at an audition. No, what he cleverly does is write in a third person narrative of the storm as if it was an actor, saying how it had played as an extra next to huge storms but had never got its break in the weather to show its true talent. It is these small witty details that make this book, and many others, such a joy to read..."

https://deerreeder.wordpress.com/2017/05/11/wyrd-sisters/

..and last, Nat Wassell on Cultured Vultures, this time deconstructing Unseen Academicals:

"As a story, I can't say that 'Unseen Academicals' is one of the best, but it has moments of greatness. I didn't really remember the story and only knew it was about football because of the front cover. It is about football, of course, but it is also one of the Ankh-Morpork 'species acceptance stories' and it is a Romeo and Juliet parody too. The 'species acceptance stories' could have been getting stale by now and a more critical eye might argue that they are, but I think Sir Terry gets away with it because none of the stories are only about that. Nutt, the little orc who defies any stereotype of his species, is the main character for sure, but this story is as much about the star crossed lovers Trev and Juliet and the irrepressible pie maestro Glenda as it is him. They're an endearing group, very young and wide-eyed, and they hold the whole thing together very well... The magic of 'Unseen Academicals', for me, is the way in which Pratchett has managed to distil the feeling of being at a match and put it into words. There's a moment where Glenda insists that football is 'not about the football', that 'It's the sharing. It's being part of the crowd. It's chanting together.' Nutt puts it more finely still, saying 'It is the lonely soul trying to reach out to the shared soul of all humanity, and possibly much further.' Now, I am the first to say that sometimes football can be overrated, and it is never worth some of the drama that happens alongside it, but being in a crowd, all supporting the same thing, is a feeling that is hard to describe, or has been until now. For me, football has never been about football and thanks to this book, I can explain that better now..."

https://culturedvultures.com/unseen-academicals-2009-discworld-discussions/

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09) ROUNDWORLD TALES: THE (EVEN MORE) REAL LESHP

We know about the Graham Island (Ferdinandea), the island that comes and goes, but sailor Hakan Larsson's actually watched one being born! Here, from his blogpost:

"After five miles we noticed brown, somewhat grainy streaks in the water. First we thought that it might be an old oil dumping. Some ship cleaning its tanks. But the streak became larger and more frequent after a while, and there were rocklike brownish things the size of a fist floating in the sea. And the water were strangely green and 'lagoon like' too. Eventually it became more and more clear to us that it had to be pumice from a volcanic eruption. And then we sailed into a vast, many miles wide, belt of densely packed pumice... We were so fascinated and busy taking pictures that we plowed a couple of hundred meter into this surreal floating stone field before we realized that we had to turn back. Just as we came out of the stone field and entered reasonably normal water we noticed that there came no cooling water from the engine. Not surprising, really. After cleaning the water filter the Yanmar diesel started again. Thank God! Without wind we would have been stuck in a sea of stone if the motor had failed... There are two active volcanoes south of Late island, adjacent to Metis shoal and Home reef. Since we didn't know which one had erupted, the extent of the eruption and it was getting dark the we decided to anchor in Vaiutukakau bay outside Vava'u for the night...

"A couple of hours ago we identified the active volcano as the one close to Home reef, and we are on our way there now to take a closer look. We are two miles from it and we can see the volcano clearly. One mile in diameter and with four peaks and a central crater smoking with steam and once in a while an outburst high in the sky with lava and ashes. I think were the first ones out here so perhaps we could claim the island and name them..."

http://yacht-maiken.blogspot.com.au/2006/08/whales-and-volcanoes.html

The original photos are at http://yacht-maiken.blogspot.com.au/2006/08/stone-sea-and-volcano.html

The Snopes article has larger photos: http://www.snopes.com/photos/natural/maiken.asp

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10) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

Monstrous Productions' adorable Errol for their latest offering (see item 5.2):
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C_zsrUZXkAAOsSz.jpg

The Josh Kirby Estate channels Winston Churchill:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C-wZ3OIXkAEvpHZ.jpg

Stephen Briggs and friend, at the Terry Pratchett Owl Parliament opening:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C-gxxpwXkAIXzRN.jpg

...and Rob Wilkins and friend, ditto:
http://bit.ly/2qDscxa

Terry (or possibly Terri, they said) Pratchett, a lovely Humboldt Penguin chick hatched at Birdworld on their Terry Pratchett Day:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C-gu6e6XcAERXeQ.jpg

The Goddess Narrativia, at the Ankh-Morpork Consulate in Wincanton:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C-gxxpwXkAIXzRN.jpg

A fine sign at the Owl Parliament: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C-gdC7nXsAE9ibg.jpg

The cast of Carlton Theatre Group's production of Wyrd Sisters this month in Wimbledon:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C_x53EAXkAAkS07.jpg:large

...and a perfect Nanny Ogg at the recent Oz Comic Con in Adelaide:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C8XXYwwVoAA3YX4.jpg

..and most appropriate for the month of May, a beautiful Glorious Revolution poster by yoodi-djxor3, courtesy of Flynn the Cat:
http://bit.ly/2pXIimG

...and lastly, when worlds collide:
http://bit.ly/2qDz2Tv

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11) CLOSE

Before I forget, an embarrassed correction: somehow in last month's Close I typed "Don't forget to start gathering your violets for the Glorious 25th" when I meant lilacs. LILACS! D'oh!

Anyway, that's the lot for May. Take care, and we'll see you in June!

– Annie Mac

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The End. If you have any questions or requests, write: wossname-owner (at) pearwood (dot) info

Copyright (c) 2017 by Klatchian Foreign Legion

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
March 2017 (Volume 20, 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 Technomancers: Jason Parlevliet, Archchancellor Neil, DJ Helpful
Book Reviews: Annie Mac, Drusilla D'Afanguin, Your Name Here
Puzzle Editor: Tiff (still out there somewhere)
Bard in Residence: Weird Alice Lancrevic
Emergency Staff: Steven D'Aprano, Jason Parlevliet
World Membership Director: Steven D'Aprano (in his copious spare time)

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INDEX:

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) ODDS AND SODS
04) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
07) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
08) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
09) DISCWORLD GAMES NEWS
10) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
11) CLOSE

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"Irreverence, humanity, courage and exuberance are qualities that the book trade (and the society it reflects) will need bucketloads of in the months to come. Be More Terry should be mounted in flashing neon cathodes on every author, agent, bookseller and publisher's wall."
– Molly Flatt, on The Bookseller

"It's a really special thing. It's hard not to be excited. It will be the biggest exhibition that the museum's ever done... The reaction has been incredible and we've seen on Twitter how people have been booking flights from America and all over the world to come to see it. Some seem to be basing their holidays around it."
– Richard Henry, curator of the forthcoming Terry Pratchett: HisWorld museum exhibit in Salisbury

"I spent a lot of time in the library reading and I was always reading library books up trees. It's wonderful to see his legacy continuing long after his death. The ripples he left in the world – one of the quotes from his book was 'a man is not dead while his name is still spoken', and it feels like he's very much alive and present in the world."
– Rhianna Pratchett, at the unveiling of the Sir Terry Pratchett plaque

"There was a small part of me that wanted the world to be a place where, despite planning officers and EU directives and policemen, a stone *might* dance. And somewhere there, I think, is the instinct for folklore. There should be a place where a stone dances."
– Terry Pratchett, in his introduction to The Folklore of Discworld

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

Statues and blue plaques and owls, oh my! There's news a-plenty in this issue, so even though our favourite author left us two years ago this month, his life and works continue to cause ripples in the world – as well they should.

During an episode of illness last week, one of the books I re-read was Nation. Although I've lost count of how many times I've re-read it since I first received my review copy nine years ago, I find that on every re-read another jewel of wordcraft or comedy or philosophy leaps out at me in a new way. And I still, every time, find myself in tears by the end, moved by the beauty and rightness of the story. We're told that The Author considered Nation to be his finest work, and as much as I love the Discworld series, I have to agree with him on this. Oh, and if you've read Nation already, its Wikipedia page (_https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nation_(novel)_) remains worth a read; I don't know who wrote the Themes section, but it is a fine essay in itself. And if you haven't read Nation, please do!

Right, on with the show!

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) ODDS AND SODS

3.1 PTERRY PLAQUE NEWS

It's more black than blue from the look of it (appropriate!), but it *is* halfway up a wall...

From the official Buckinghamshire website:

"A plaque honouring Sir Terry Pratchett has been unveiled at Beaconsfield Library, where the late author once worked. The plaque, which was commissioned by Beaconsfield Town Council, was unveiled by Sir Terry's daughter Rhianna and Business Manager Rob Wilkins, alongside Mayor Patrick Hogan... In his Who's Who entry, Sir Terry credits the library with his 'education'. In 2013 during a talk at the library, he told his fans he owed a great deal of his success to the time spent there during his youth. He donated all proceeds from the event to the library. Councillor Philip Bastiman, Chairman of the Open Spaces Committee at Beaconsfield Town Council, said: 'It is only right that there is a permanent celebration of Sir Terry in the town where he was born, and what better place than at the library which first sparked his amazing imagination. The town council is proud to have commissioned this plaque commemorating one of Beaconsfield's most famous sons.' Sir Terry's daughter Rhianna said: 'Dad was born in Beaconsfield, but Terry Pratchett the author was born at Beaconsfield Library. This was the place Dad got his education, where he indulged his love of reading. This feels like the perfect tribute to him.' The plaque is located on the outside of the library, near the entrance. Several Pratchett fans travelled to the event from as far away as Leeds and Swansea, with some dressed as their favourite characters..."

https://www.buckscc.gov.uk/news/plaque-unveiled-at-library-celebrating-sir-terry-pratchett/

From the Bucks Free Press

"A commemorative plaque, unveiled by Sir Terry's daughter Rhianna, now sits proudly outside the library where the fantasy writer was a Saturday boy and returned to give talks. Ms Pratchett, who is an award-winning scriptwriter, story designer and narrative paramedic, spoke to the Bucks Free Press about the honour, saying it was 'wonderful' to see her dad commemorated at the library where '*the* Terry Pratchett was born'. She said: 'He's always loved libraries, and librarians, a lot so it's very, very fitting. It feels like even more significant than having it, say, in the house that he was born in. This is where he got his education, where the ideas, the interest in the world and the love of reading took off.' Born in Beaconsfield and educated at John Hampden Grammar School in High Wycombe, Sir Terry went on to become a reporter at the Free Press before going on to make a name for himself as an author. In his speech, Rob Wilkins, MD of the Pratchett Estate, thanked the people of Beaconsfield for the Terry Pratchett 'we all knew and loved' because 'this is where all the seeds of all of those stories began'..."

[NOTE: includes a video of the unveiling, plus a gallery of 39 iconographs]

http://bit.ly/2lZtqhz

3.2 ...AND OFFICIAL PRATCHETT BUST NEWS

Here be a gorgeous 45-second video, posted by Paul Kidby himself, of the process of finishing his fantastic bust of Sir Pterry. Watch for a quick appearance by Rob Wilkins at the twentieth second, as a temporary artist's assistant. Video will play automatically, and you don't even have to be signed in to Twitter to watch it:

https://twitter.com/PaulKidby/status/841935476831461377

3.3 ...AND STATUE NEWS

From the BBC:

"A bronze bust of Sir Terry Pratchett has been unveiled ahead of plans to install a 7ft (2.1m) statue of the author in Salisbury, Wiltshire. It was created by Paul Kidby, who illustrated Sir Terry's Discworld novels, before his death in 2015. The statue of the author, who lived locally, is due to be erected in the marketplace or Elizabeth Gardens. Mr Kidby said getting his expression right so 'he's not unhappy' but 'not smiling too much' was the hardest part. Plans for a larger than life-sized bronze statue of the author were backed by the city council following an online campaign for a permanent 'tribute to Sir Terry' in the city. Mr Kidby said it had been 'scary' creating a tribute to Sir Terry that his fans and family would 'be pleased with'. 'You don't want it to be too stuffy or too haughty – you want it to be quite human and, I suppose, approachable and people to be drawn to it,' he said. 'But the feedback's been positive and Terry's family are happy with what I've done so that's wonderful.' The next stage is to make a small maquette or model of the author, with the possible addition of a few 'hidden' extras. 'It would be nice to make it as intriguing as possible, so if you haven't read any of Terry's books it makes you want to know more,' said Mr Kidby. 'And it would be lovely just to sneak a few of his characters in - maybe in his pocket.'..."

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-39229886

...and an interesting take on the statue on Gizmodo:

"This mighty metal warlord is a cracking likeness of author Sir Terry Pratchett, one that'll eventually be stuck atop a statue of the man that's planned for his home town of Salisbury in Wiltshire. It's been created by multidisciplinary art creator Paul Kidby, who illustrated Pratchett's Discworld series, so presumably has a good feel for the texture of the man's beard, the sparkle in his eyes and angle of hat..."

http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2017/03/terry-pratchett-gets-the-bronze-god-treatment/

3.4 REVIEWS: TERRY PRATCHETT: BACK IN BLACK

In The Bookseller, a perspicacious piece with the emphasis on Sir Pterry as a publishing entity, by Molly Flatt:

"It was a funny, insightful and hugely moving programme, not least because it acted as a reminder (for me, at least) of just what a prescient pioneer Sir Terry was – and how much he still has to teach us about being a great writer and publisher (and human) now. Perhaps most obvious is Pratchett's disregard for the literary establishment. His novels refused to conform to the binary either/or thinking of the traditional publishing world. From his very first book, 1971's The Carpet People, Pratchett drew derision by daring to write fantasy that was for, and about, ordinary people, rather than an academic Oxford elite. But he didn't just redefine a genre. He insisted that writing that was imaginative, intelligent and formally experimental (see his footnotes, his avoidance of chapters, the Unquoted Small Caps Dialogue he coined for Death) could also be unashamedly populist, stuffed with page-turning plots and cheap jokes. It's an idea that still challenges sneering critics today..."

http://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook/be-more-terry-490666

On Livemint, Raja Sen's combination review and reminiscence:

"I can't quote much of what Terry Pratchett said to us at the University of Warwick many winters ago, save for that lovely line he used to illustrate how fiendishly simple it is to find a starting point – even when what you're doing is as complicated as creating an entire imaginary universe. The audience was rapt as this man – one I hadn't then read, but who wore a captivatingly majestic hat – elaborated on world-building, many a lethal line delivered with a straight face. We strained to hear him over our own giggles. Later, I bought him a beer and he made me a dragon... Pratchett, through his 41 Discworld novels, created a world of singular, unprecedented detail. A flat disc set on the backs of four elephants carried through space on the back of a humongous turtle, the Discworld has it all – footballers and film-makers, academics and politicians, supermodels and simian librarians. Back In Black provides insight into the mind of this stupendously imaginative writer and his creations. Kaye, imitating Pratchett's whistle-y voice, speaks about being an only child, about being savagely jeered at by his headmaster, and – his eyes a-twinkle – about the first time he read Kenneth Grahame's The Wind In The Willows... Pratchett believed in parity between his characters, which is why his is a strongly feminist and free world. This jaw-dropping inclusivity makes it fitting that – apart from a couple of friends and collaborators like Neil Gaiman, with whom he wrote the marvellous Good Omens – most of the people talking in the film are fans..."

http://bit.ly/2nYvUBu

3.5 MORE ON THE SALISBURY MUSEUM EXHIBIT

From The Bookseller:

"Richard Henry is organizing Terry Pratchett: His World at the Salisbury Museum in Wiltshire, with the help of the author's estate and his artist of choice, Paul Kidby, whose many designs will feature on display. The exhibition will also include artwork by Pratchett, creator of the Discworld fantasy series, and personal items which have never previously been on public display... Henry, an archaeologist, revealed: “Exhibitions are normally organised by pitching an idea but, fittingly for Terry, this kicked off with a sword...'

"The curator is delighted to be displaying the writer's important personal items. He said: 'We have things like his hat, sword, and stick accompanied by information all in his own words. There will also be a variety of badges and medals including his Carnegie medal...'"

http://tinyurl.com/hv86ca3

3.6 A PRATCHETT PARLIAMENT OF OWLS!

UK farm/sanctuary Birdworld has a very special new exhibit:

"Beautiful birds of prey with a fantasy twist... Birdworld proudly presents its brand new exhibit, The Terry Pratchett Owl Parliament. The impressive new display has been named in honour of the brilliant author, Sir Terry Pratchett due to his well-known love of wildlife and in particular, all species of owl. Created in collaboration with the World Owl Trust, the beautifully crafted satellite exhibit will aim to educate and raise awareness of these amazing birds. To recognise Sir Terry's passion for these rather mysterious birds of prey, many of the charming elements within this exhibit have been carefully designed to incorporate his fantasy novels of Discworld. Visitors familiar with the popular Discworld novels, will be able to easily recognise a number of the references but with the unique stylising of these aviaries, everyone exploring the exhibition will be drawn into the mythical and wonderful world of Sir Terry Pratchett."

The Parliament includes a range of different owl species, including Boobooks – otherwise known as... wait for it... Moreporks!

Birdworld is located at Holt Pound, Farnham, Surrey GU10 4LD and is open every day from 10am to 6pm (4.30pm during winter hours), with last admissions one hour before closing. "As well as caring for and breeding as many species as possible at the park, Birdworld operates a conservation fund set up to support local and international conservation initiatives. We regularly donate money and assist various wildlife charities by sending our staff to pass on their expertise in animal care."

http://birdworld.co.uk/owls/

https://twitter.com/BirdworldSurrey

3.7 DISCWORLD MAKES A BUCKET LIST

In The Independent's "Indy 100" section, a fascinating feature on "35 books that will change how you see the world". This list includes Small Gods (and also Lord of the Rings, along with works by Dante, Shakespeare, St-Exupery, Angelou, Tolstoy, Mandela...):

"3. Small Gods, Terry Pratchett Difficult to pick just one novel in the canon of the late, great Pratchett, but this entry from the beloved Discworld series lampooning religion in society is probably the most important, as well as one of the funniest..."

https://www.indy100.com/article/35-books-that-will-change-how-you-see-the-world-7402486

3.8 ESSAY ON PRATCHETT, WEALTH AND SATISFACTION

By Charles Chu on Medium:

"Terry Pratchett was a millionaire many times over. But after his Discworld books became an international phenomenon, life didn't change for Pratchett — he just kept writing funny stories. I like guys like Pratchett. There's something about them, the frugal rich. Warren Buffett lives in the same Omaha house he bought in 1968. Mark Zuckerberg got married in his backyard. I look up to these people. But, for the longest time, I couldn't figure out why. I found a clue while reading A Slip of the Keyboard — a collection of Terry Pratchett's non-fiction writings. In it, he labels two types of wealth... Take away riches from a wise man, and he still has all that is his. And that, my friends, is the difference. While the horizontally wealthy own their riches, the vertically wealthy are owned by them..."

http://bit.ly/2n8TN8Z

3.9 MORE ABOUT MORRIS

A follow-up to January's piece on the Chelmsford Morris side looking for new Jason Oggs and Bestiality Carters (item 3.3). Long, interesting piece with plenty of photographs and a bit of a nod to a certain famous dance involving sticks and buckets:

"Last month the BBC told how a long-standing Morris group feared a dearth of 'fit, mildly eccentric men' would force its troupe to fold. Luckily men recognised themselves as both fit and quirky and helped avert a crisis. But what is the appeal of Morris dancing? Yes, Morris troupes put on the occasional display during the cold dark months of winter, but its seasonal home is the summer. Winter is the 'indoor season', a time for perfecting routines wearing informal attire, away from public view. Given the 'eccentric' tag was applied to members by the club's own bagman Celia Kemp, you might be expecting a cast of Willy Wonka types. You'd be wrong. Almost...

"Morris men wear matching uniforms for public performances. Their individuality is expressed through their headwear. 'It is the hats where our personalities come out,' says Mr Fitzgerald, who said he got into Morris following a martial break up. 'I have always been interested in folk music and had seen Morris dancing. Years later, my marriage broke and I looked at joining a Morris team and I found Chelmsford was very friendly.' His own hat bears a healthy bloom of flowers, badges, beer mats and pheasant feathers which, he says, tell the story of places danced and beers enjoyed...

"Morris-related injuries are not uncommon. I met members with shin injuries, sore hands and joint replacements. Peter Kemp, who returned to the world of Morris after many years in sword dancing, had a hip replacement just over a decade ago..."

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-essex-39065775

3.10 ORANGUTAN ESCAPE ARTIST

Here be the story of Fu Manchu the orangutan. Is he using the stacks in L-space to help his escapes, we wonder:

"There are many clever animals, but when it comes to escaping, no creature is more ingenious than the orangutan. Fu Manchu, a late resident of the Omaha Zoo, frequently would be found lounging in the trees outside his exhibit when zoo employees arrived in the morning. Fu's James Bond-esque escape plots are the stuff of legend, and showcase the depth of the animal's foresight and imagination. High-tech surveillance was the only way that zookeepers were able to keep up. Long after zoo employees had left for the night, Fu would climb into the air vents connected to his enclosure and follow them to a dry moat surrounding the orangutan exhibit. Inside the moat was a locked door that employees often used. The clever ape would pull out a small piece of metal wiring that he kept hidden under his cheek throughout the day, and proceed to pick the door's lock! How Fu Manchu learned to pick locks remains a mystery. But it's the ape's cunning planning skills, demonstrated by his ability to keep they wiry tool hidden from zoo employees all day, that show the depth of an orangutan's intelligence..."

http://bit.ly/1MuxBLM

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04) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS

4.1 NULLUS ANXIETAS NEWS

We are now SOLD OUT! Yes, that's right! Only mere hours after announcing our guests, we are completely *SOLD OUT* of convention tickets! However, do not despair!

* If you already have a Supporting Membership, don't worry – your place is still guaranteed. You just need to upgrade before you can attend.
* If you really really want to come to the convention, please join the waiting list – and we will contact you if someone has to sell their ticket.

http://ausdwcon.org/shop/tickets/supporting-membership-upgrades/
http://ausdwcon.org/shop/waiting-list/

If you already have a ticket or a supporting membership but can no longer attend the convention, please have a read of the On-Sale of Tickets Policy: http://ausdwcon.org/convention/membership/on-sale-of-tickets-policy/

If you are lucky enough to have a convention ticket, don't forget that there are still places available at the Gala Dinner and the Winery Tour . Unfortunately the Gourmet Tour is already booked out, but you can also join the waiting list for that as well!

http://ausdwcon.org/convention/events/gala-dinner/
http://ausdwcon.org/shop/product/wine-tour-ticket/
http://ausdwcon.org/shop/waiting-list/

Guess who's coming to Discworld? Welcoming our very special guests!

*Attending the convention in person will be...*

Stephen Briggs
Stephen and Terry played together on Discworld for 25 years and had a lot of fun along the way. Stephen has collaborated with Terry on the many editions of the Discworld Companion, several diaries and maps, and a cook book. Stephen also took on the unabridged audio books and has recorded more than thirty of them, winning several industry awards that he's secretly very pleased with. It's plays, though, that got him into Discworld, and he's adapted, and published, around twenty Pratchett playscripts, which have been staged in more than 22 countries.

Daniel Knight
Daniel became a filmmaker because Terry Pratchett wasn't embarrassed by the idea of him adapting and directing a short film from his Discworld story /Troll Bridge/. Assuming Terry must have grossly overestimated his ability, Daniel then spent the next fourteen years studiously dedicated to the craft lest anyone learn of the ruse. This has apparently resulted in a career, awards, and a very confused balding man wondering what happened to his dreams of becoming a royal magician. Some of his other shorts include such monsters as /Blood on the Game Dice/ (if you've ever played a pen and paper RPG), /Undead Ted/ (which has more than a little Reg Shoe in it), and /Run Rincewind Run!/ if you've never been to an Australian Discworld Convention before. All can be watched on the internet if you ask it nicely.

Professor David Lloyd
Professor David Lloyd is Archchancellor... sorry, Vice-Chancellor of the University of South Australia. He has the honour of being the only person to award Terry not only two honorary doctorates but also a professorship. While Dean of Research at Trinity College Dublin, David invited Sir Terry to receive an honorary doctorate and later asked Sir Terry back to Trinity College again to be a visiting Professor in Creative Writing in the School of English, which he only agreed to because of the special hat involved. Later still, Terry's second honorary doctorate presented by David came from UniSA, and this one involved a hat with corks.

Martin Pearson
Martin has entertained attendees at all of the Australian Discworld Conventions since 2007 with his wonderful renditions of Discworld and Roundworld folk songs. His versions of "The Hedgehog Song" and "A Wizard's Staff Has A Knob on the End" are particularly known for their rowdy audience participation.

And virtually appearing...

Given that being girt by sea makes Fourecks particularly difficult (not to mention expensive) to get to, the following wonderful guests will not be present physically but will be able to chat with us via the wonders of the magical Omniscope.

Professor Ian Stewart
Ian Stewart was born in 1945, educated at Cambridge (MA) and Warwick (PhD). He has five honorary doctorates (Open University, Westminster, Louvain, Kingston, and Brighton) and is Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at Warwick University. He has published over 100 books (mostly about mathematics) including the bestselling series /The Science of Discworld I, II, III, and IV/ with Terry Pratchett and Jack Cohen.

Ray Friesen
Ray Friesen is a cartoonist and graphic designer living in California, USA. He met Terry Pratchett and Rob Wilkins at the 2009 North American Discworld convention, and was hired to draw cartoons for them a week later. After creating the Dweenicon Discworld character cartoon icons, Discworld Playing Cards, and the Death of Rats/Librarian plushies, Ray finally weaseled his way into illustrating a full Discworld comic book - 2015's Small Gods Graphic Novel Adaptation, a thrill and an honor.

The Discworld Emporium – Bernard and Isobel Pearson, Reb Voyce and Ian Mitchell
Bernard and his wife Isobel founded Discworld Emporium in Wincanton, Somerset, UK in 2000 under the patronage of Sir Terry himself. Bernard has now left the running of the Emporium to Ian and Reb while he loiters in his shed playing with lumps of wax. To this day, the Emporium continues to produce a wide range of Discworld inspired collectables, sculptures, art, wearables and sundries, using the original artwork of both Bernard and Ian. Uncle Bernard refused to make the trip out to Fourecks as he fears his pipe is too great of a fire danger in our tinderbox of a country. And Ian and Reb need to stay home to feed the cats.

http://ausdwcon.org/blog/sold-out/

4.2 NADWCON 2017 NEWS

"Hear ye! Hear ye! The North American Discworld Convention 2017 Official Opening Ceremony shall be at 5pm on Friday September 1st. The Official Closing Ceremony shall be at 4-6pm on Monday September 4th. Convention programming will start on the morning of Friday September 1st. Don't forget to book your hotel and flights! We don't want you to miss out!"

NADWCon 2017 will be held at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel. Membership for the Convention is US$99.

"Membership to the North American Discworld Convention is what you buy instead of a ticket, and entitles you to entry to all events at the Convention (except the Gala Banquet, which is paid for separately). You can buy your membership here, and upon payment you'll be added to the membership list and receive an email confirming your membership number. When you arrive at the Convention itself, you'll need to go to our Registration Desk to collect your badge, event programme and member pack."

Membership Types:

Adult ($99) - An attending ticket for ages 18+*
**Youth ($49) - An attending ticket for ages 6 - 17* at the time of the convention
**Child ($1) - An attending ticket for ages 0 - 5* at the time of the convention
Supporting ($33) - A non-attending ticket

*Age restrictions applicable from first day of the convention - September 1st, 2017.

For more information, and to purchase, go to:
https://nadwcon2017.org/signup/2017-adult-membership.html

https://nadwcon2017.org/

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05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

5.1 PLAYS IN MARCH, APRIL AND MAY

* MORT IN SASKATCHEWAN (MARCH)

The Theatre Students' Association of Regina University are presenting their production of Mort this week! "Mort is a fun and fantastic adaption of Terry Pratchett's fourth Discworld novel. Directed by Theatre Department alumni Landon Walliser, this hilarious comic fantasy is based on the first of the Death stories in the Discworld canon. Death comes to us all, and when he came to Mort he offered him a job. After being assured that being dead was not compulsory, Mort accepted. However, he soon found that his humanity did not mix easily with the responsibilities of being Death's apprentice. Terry Pratchett's hilarious fourth Discworld story establishes once and for all that Death really is a laughing matter."

When: 28th–31st March 2017
Venue: Shu-Box Theatre, Riddell Centre, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0A2
Times: 7.30pm
Tickets: CA$10.00. To purchase online, go to https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/terry-pratchetts-mort-tickets-32022540280 and select date, then press the Tickets button

http://www.uregina.ca/finearts

* WYRD SISTERS IN FOURECKS (MARCH/APRIL)

CHATS Productions are staging their production of Wyrd Sisters this week!

When: 29th March–1st April 2017
Venue: Jetty Theatre, 337 Harbour Drive, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales 2450
Time: all evening shows 8pm, 1st April matinee 2pm
Tickets: $25, Concessions $22, U-21 $20, Groups 10+ $20, also 29th March $20, available online at http://bit.ly/2n8VjnZ or via the Box Office (02 6652 8088, open Tuesday through to Friday 12 noon to 4pm)

http://jettytheatre.com/wyrd-sisters/

* DODGER IN PORTSMOUTH (MARCH/APRIL)

The HMS Collingwood RSC (Random Salad Company) are back with another Terry Pratchett play! This time around it's the Stephen Briggs adaptation of Dodger. Definitely not to be missed!

When: 29th, 30th and 31st March and 1st April 2017
Venue: Millennium Hall, HMS Collingwood, Newgate Lane, Fareham, Hampshire PO14 1AS
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £6, available from the Box office (phone 07502 037922)

* WYRD SISTERS IN KENT (APRIL)

The University of Kent Players will stage their production of Wyrd Sisters in April, in aid of the Orangutan Foundation:

"Follow Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick, our three witches, as they attempt to stop the destruction of their kingdom from the wicked Duke and Duchess. Expect ghosts, spells and a whole lot of fun as Pratchett's reworking of Shakespeare's Macbeth is brought to life."

When: 6th, 7th and 8th April 2017
Venue: Gulbenkian Arts Centre, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent CT2 7NB (phone for information 01227 769075)
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £10 (assorted concessions £8), available online from http://www.thegulbenkian.co.uk/events.html

https://www.facebook.com/uokplayers/

* MASKERADE IN BERKSHIRE (MAY)

The Newbury Dramatic Society will stage their production of Maskerade, directed by John Hicks (possibly with the help of a skull ring?), in May: "In the Ankh Morpork Opera House, a strangely familiar evil mastermind in a mask and evening dress is lurking in the shadows. He lures innocent young sopranos to their destiny, commits occasional murder, and sends little notes full of maniacal laughter and exclamation marks. Opera can do that to a man. But Granny Weatherwax, the Discworld's most famous witch, is in the audience and she doesn't hold with that sort of thing... and the show must go on!"

When: 17th–20th May 2017
Venue: Watermill Theatre, Bagnor, Newbury, Berkshire RG20 8AE
Time: 7.30pm Wednesday to Friday, 6.30pm Saturday
Tickets: £12.50 (£12 concessions), available online at https://www.watermill.org.uk/maskerade#dates-ttab or ring the Box Office on 01635 46044

https://www.watermill.org.uk/maskerade

5.2 PLAYS LATER IN 2017

* WYRD SISTERS IN YORK (JUNE)

After their successful run of Mort last year, We Are Theatre are gearing up for another Discworld production. This time it's Wyrd Sisters!

When: Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st June 2017
Venue: Joseph Rowntree Theatre, Haxby Road, York
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £10.00 – £12.00, already available online at https://www.josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk/eventids/923 or by ringing the Joseph Rowntree Theatre Box Office on 01904 50 1935

https://www.josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk/performers/we-are-theatre.php

* LORDS AND LADIES IN BRISBANE (SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER)

Brisbane Arts Theatre will be presenting their next Discworld play, Lords and Ladies – adapted by Irana brown – next September!

"Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg – the witches of Lancre – are the Discworld's only hope of rescue when elves threaten to take control with their hypnotic 'glamour'. Standing stones, wizards, Morris men, rude mechanicals, country lore and ancient magic all combine in this adaptation of one of Sir Terry's finest. With a full supporting cast of dwarves, wizards, trolls and one orangutan, the hilarious Lords and Ladies delivers an abundance of hey-nonny-nonny and blood all over the place."

When: 16th September – 21st October 2017
Venue: Brisbane Arts Theatre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane, QLD 4000
Time: 7.30pm Thursdays, 8.00pm Fridays & Saturdays, 6.30pm Sundays
Tickets: Adults $34, Concession $28, Group 10+ $27, Student Rush $15 (10 mins before curtain), available online at
http://sa2.seatadvisor.com/sabo/servlets/TicketRequest?&presenter=AUBAT&event=LANDL

"Subscribers can redeem season tickets for this show. There are no refunds or exchanges once tickets have been purchased."

http://www.artstheatre.com.au/show/lordsandladies

5.3 REVIEWS

* CARPE JUGULUM IN NOTTINGHAM

By Alan Geary in the Nottingham Post:

"Pratchett's sharp and witty text is well handled by a huge cast. Especially at the start, poor articulation is a problem; but voice projection is fine. Acting standards are generally high, in some cases more than high. Maddy Stevens gives a highly spirited performance as Nanny Ogg. And Sam Howitt as Vlad, with his misgiving about his father's evil plans, and his soft spot for Nanny Ogg, is excellent. Sophie Boettge's Count is first-rate. Her control of voice, facial expression and bodily gesture are absolutely right for a tricky part. And Adelaide Marshall, as Granny Weatherwax, is also outstanding. Her speech with the light shining out of the anvil on to her face is a high-point of the play. Lighting design, crucial in this production, is especially good..."

http://bit.ly/2o7AB8K

By Kev Castle on Theatre Reviews:

"Foreknowledge of the series, or indeed 'Carpe Jugulum' itself, is definitely not necessary for this play to be enjoyed. I am living proof of this fact as I'd no prior knowledge of Pratchett's intricate Discworld series. Having never really ventured into Pratchett World, after tonight, I think I've been converted. The Nottingham Lace Market theatre production is performed by their Youth Group and directed by Roger Watson, who is a massive Pratchett fan.Rosina Reading, Sophie Owen and Jemma-Dawn Froggitt were Assistant Directors... The set is magnificent. Designed by Cris Brawn. There are about 33 scene changes which are handled by the ensemble with incredible ease. The set is almost comic-book/ cartoon-like in its' appearance and adds to the fun element of the play. The costumes likewise bring the whole atmosphere together. Max Bromley in the wardrobe department has really gone to town with them... A cast of 22 were smoothly stage managed, along with the props and everything else by one man, Jon Watson. This is a young group and delivering comedy isn't easy for a lot of actors, of any age, especially after lengthy rehearsals, the laughs can seem a bit flat to the actors. If this was the case it didn't come across, although a loot of Pratchett's lines are delivered dead pan, which made it even funnier..."

kevcastletheatrereviews.blogspot.com

* TAMAHER IN CARDIFF

By twin bloggers CL Raven:

"Maurice was played fantastically by Matthew Hitchman. Being owners of 5 cats (12 in our lifetime) we can say that his was a very realistic portrayal of a cat. Becca Smithers, who played Malicia did a great job of being an overenthusiastic know-it-all. All of the actors played their parts brilliantly and it was nice seeing new faces as well as the regular cast. There wasn't a single bad performance and the actors' enjoyment of their roles really shows.

"The set and props were the most ambitious yet, with shed walls for the rat catchers' hut and a white screen with shadow puppets for the fighting ring. Clever lighting was used to represent a man hole cover in the sewers. There was also a brilliant use of red lighting and a scary voice recording for the King Rat to show it in Maurice and the rats' minds. It added a chilling element to what was otherwise, a very funny play. There was also an excellently choreographed fight scene between Maurice and several of King Rat's minions, which resulted in the deaths of Maurice and Dangerous Beans. But Maurice behaves very un-cat like when he trades one of his lives for Dangerous Beans's and both are returned to life... We've never read Maurice so had no idea what to expect. We loved it, and now we need to read the book..."

https://clraven.wordpress.com/2017/03/08/the-amazing-maurice/

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06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS: UPDATES AND REMINDERS

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), still claims on their website to be meeting next on Monday 30th November 1999, but it's more more likely to be on Monday 3rd April at the Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London, W2 1JQ.

For more information, go to http://brokendrummers.org/ or email BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk

*

Canberra, Australia'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." [Editor's note: this is an active group. If you use Facebook, it may be worth joining!]

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. The games are usually shorter games like Pairs, Sushi Go, or Tiny Epic Defenders, with the occasional Werewolf session, as these are the best sort of games that work in a pub setting. Every few months, we have a full day's worth of board games at La Scala Cafe, 169 Unley Rd, Unley in the function room starting at 10am. In addition, we will occasionally have other events to go and see plays by Unseen Theatre Company, book discussions, craft, chain maille or costuming workshops or other fun social activities."

The next CoSG event will be the Monthly Dinner and Games at the Caledonian Hotel on 30th March. For more info, go to www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 6th April 2017 (probably) from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight. For more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) next meets on Friday 7th April 2017 (probably) at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists, a Pratchett fangroup, has been meeting on a regular basis since 2005. The Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, to discuss "all things Pratchett" as well as having quizzes and raffles. Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum:

http://www.discworldstamps.co.uk/forum/

*

Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet next on Monday 3rd April 2017 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, meets next on Monday 3rd April 2017 (probably) from 5.30pm at Carpe Cafe, 526 Murray Street, Perth, Western Australia. For details follow Perth Drummers on Twitter @Perth_Drummers or join their Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>

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07) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS

7.1 JOSH KIRBY ART PRINTS NEWS

From the official Josh Kirby estate website:

"We are excited to announce that we have chosen the first four Limited Edition prints that will become available for purchase! It's only fitting that we include Rincewind, Death and the Witches, so the obvious choices for us to start with are the first four books. It's been years since Josh Kirby's iconic Discworld art has been offered as a print so we're taking this opportunity to create and offer fine art prints unlike any that have ever been available before. As you may realize, the process of accurately reproducing Josh's art is critical to his legacy. The detail, depth and colour of the print can make or break the impact the art will have when framed and on display. Josh was often disappointed when he saw the final copy of a book or print that had compromised the composition or colours. Our goal was to create something Josh would have been very proud of, and we feel we have succeeded. The quality is outstanding! Each print will be numbered and include a certificate of authenticity from the estate. Stay tuned for more information!"

The four books are, of course, The Colour of Magic, The Light Fantastic, Equal Rites and Mort.

http://www.joshkirbyart.com/news/discworldprints

http://www.joshkirbyart.com/


7.2 DISCWORLD EMPORIUM NEWS

* Tiffany's Hare necklace

"The Hare Through Flame Necklace has returned! Our tribute to Tiffany Aching and the spirit of the hare from the pages of I shall Wear Midnight is the perfect present for any Big Wee Hag. Crafted in precious silver in Birmingham's historic Jewellery Quarter especially for the Discworld Emporium!"

Each Hare Necklace is priced at £55. For more information, and to order, go to:

https://www.discworldemporium.com/jewellery/175-hare-through-flame-necklace

* Thud! the game

"The original Discworld boardgame is back! With historical treatise written especially for the game by Terry Pratchett, a heavyweight cloth board and 41 bone-finish pieces parodying the 'Lewis' Viking chess set, Thud is based on the age-old dwarfish game Hnaflbaflsniflwhifltafl (or its ancient Roundworld Scandinavian equivalent Hnefatafl)!"

Each Thud set is priced at £35. For more information, and to order, go to:

https://www.discworldemporium.com/games-activities/229-thud

* Some "sinister restocks"

"The Summoning Dark Necklace is available once again. Our tribute to Vimes and his affinity with the demon of darkness is crafted in sterling silver, for when only the finest supernatural symbol will do!"

Each Summoning Dark Necklace is priced at £35. For more information, and to order, go to:

https://www.discworldemporium.com/jewellery/172-summoning-dark-necklace

"Ominously, the Summoning Dark Keyfob is also back, a robust dwarfish artefact with Guarding Dark symbol on the reverse...just in case you need to control your dark side!"

Each Summoning Dark Keyfob is priced at £10. For more information, and to order, go to:

https://www.discworldemporium.com/home-hearth/179-summoning-dark-keyfob

http://www.discworldemporium.com/


7.3 DISCWORLD.COM NEWS

* The Terry Silhouette Pin

"Commissioned to celebrate the life and work of Sir Terry Pratchett, this beautiful pin of the Terry Pratchett silhouette is finished in black and silver. It measures 20mm across and is presented in a collectable gift box. Please note: Due to the fine clasp on the reverse of this pin, it may be unsuitable for fastening to thick fabric." [Translation: you can't pin it through motorcycle leathers – Ed.]

Each Terry Silhouette Pin is priced at £8. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://discworld.com/products/collectables/terry-silhouette-pin/

* New Phone Covers

"When we introduced our range of phone covers last year, they were an immediate success. However, we've not rested on our laurels and can now introduce a fantastic new case design. There's new artwork too and we're finally supporting Samsung devices!"

Editor's pick: the Great A'Tuin phone case. "Crafted from a hard, scratch-resistant plastic, this high-quality phone case is sublimation printed and will fit snugly around your phone and is available to fit a range of models."

Each Great A'Tuin phone case is priced at £20. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://discworld.com/products/phone-covers/

* The Map 'n' Monsters Mug

"Despite being cruel and unusual, we don't think geography is a mug's game. This new addition to our popular mug range features Paul Kidby's map from The Last Hero reproduced in beautiful detail, and includes your recommended daily portion of sea monsters."

Each Map 'n' Monsters Mug is priced at £8. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://discworld.com/products/discworld-merchandise/map-n-monsters-mug/

* New Wee Free Men editions

"The first Tiffany Aching novel, The Wee Free Men, is to be re-issued in two beautiful new editions; a hardcover gift edition featuring a new Paul Kidby illustration and a new paperback edition with artwork by Laura Ellen Anderson. Both volumes are available for pre-order now and will hit shelves on the 27th of April."

Editor's pick: The Wee Free Men – Gift Edition. "There's a monster in the river, a headless horsemen in the drive. And now Granny Aching has gone, there's only young Tiffany Aching left to guard the boundaries. It's her land. Her duty. But it's amazing how useful a horde of unruly pictsies can be... Exclusively embossed with Terry's signature and sealed with his coat of arms."

The Wee Free Men Gift Edition hardcover is priced at £14. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://discworld.com/products/books/wee-free-men-gift-edition/

* New Stickers

"Our glossy Anthill Inside stickers have long been one of our most popular products. We're sticking with the idea and introducing a domed City Watch sticker and a Sunshine Sanctuary design to show off your civic pride and/or generous side."

Editor's pick: the City Watch sticker. "A self-adhesive domed sticker bearing the City Watch crest. Ideal for sticking onto computers, notebooks and policemen."

The stickers are priced from £1.50 to £3.50, depending on size and design. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://discworld.com/products/stickers/

* Terry's Memorial Pin

"Commissioned for the Terry Pratchett Memorial, to celebrate Terry's life and work, this pin features a sprig of lilac, a symbol of Discworld remembrance immortalised in Night Watch. Measuring 30mm high, this pin spells out Terry's name in golden detailing."

Each Memorial Pin is priced at £8. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://discworld.com/products/collectables/terry-s-memorial-pin/

Also coming soon, new trading cards and tea towels:

"Series Four of our popular trading cards are on their way and will once again be randomly included with orders. For completists, the whole pack will be available to purchase on the website along with previous sets, whilst stocks last."

"We're delighted to shortly be introducing two new tea towels designs, featuring insights on dragons by Leonard of Quirm, and the Geography of the Disc, as observed by UU's Egregious Professor of Cruel and Unusual Geography (with a little help from Paul Kidby)."

http://discworld.com/

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08) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

On Geek Dad blogger Mariana Ruiz compares a scientist's and a-scientist-a-mathematician-and-a-Pratchett's writings on evolution:

"Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari took me completely by surprise: the author is so full of data and interprets it in such a way that every three or four pages leave you thinking: Are we really just hunter-gatherers that are trapped in a new, technological and crammed world? Was it really that bad, exchanging foraging for cultivating grains? Where are we heading? And, of course: Are we unhappier now than 15,000 years ago?... I love his writing style, completely persuasive and affirming, but I don't necessarily agree with him. His arguments resemble those of three of my favorite authors, so I wanted to compare some of his arguments with theirs. I'm talking about Terry Pratchett, Ian Stewart, and Jack Cohen, and their book series: The Science of Discworld.

"The series feature lots of interesting questions, and they combine scientific data with unforgettable dialogues related to the Discworld Universe; besides, their research is really well-funded. The Science of Discworld II: The Globe was published in 2002, and specifically deals with our ability to tell stories. They even isolate a fictional element called “narrativium” to better explain our ability to shape stories where in fact there isn't any. This is a chaotic Universe, but the human mind cannot cope with its randomness. We are constantly seeking patterns and forming stories, and the authors agree in saying that our name should not be Homo Sapiens (Wise Man), and that we might be better described as Pan Narrans (Storytelling Chimpanzee)... And as for Harari's argument, that all gods, laws, and beliefs should be fitted inside the same bag, the next book in the Science of Discworld series talks about the same thing, using Darwin's decision to write his book: On the Origin of Species as an example of how ideas and conceptions change gradually over time... The difference between this series and the first book is the way Pratchett, Stewart, and Cohen introduce a plot and have fun with some fictional characters in the process..."

https://geekdad.com/2017/03/stack-overflow-human-evolution/

Blogger Takanoir found Interesting Times quite, well, interesting:

"I'd like to give a shout-out to my amazing friend Sarah for recommending this to me, or rather, sending me a copy, and letting me know this was her favorite book. I'm truly grateful. This book is hilarious and magical... The title is actually inspired by a curse mentioned throughout the novel... I personally would love to be bewitched by this particular curse, which is why I find the main character so interesting and hilarious. Rincewind, our main character, wants to live an uninteresting life. An uninteresting life means lower risk of dying. And that's a very nice proposal to a coward like Rincewind... The writing style reminds me quite a lot of “Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams. It's definitely unique, and sometimes quite random and absurd in an extremely comical way... It's these kind of random detours that really make this book. There's genius amidst all the madness. And the further you go along, the more interesting the main plot becomes..."

http://bit.ly/2nYzawA

Blogger Gamobo has mixed feelings about Mort:

"From what I understand, most of the Disc World novels can be read independently, since the order of the novels are dubious in terms of preferred reading order. Mort centres on one of the recurring (and most popular) characters in the entire series, Death himself. Unfortunately, while the plot and characters have a strong foundation, the novel fails to capitalize on its promises, and instead uses arbitrary plot fluff to tie everything up... The biggest problem is the ending. While the set-up was great, everything is resolved on a whim. The whole reality-convergence is resolved in an instant and off-page; we are told what happens, and even if it were shown, it would've been boring and anti-climatic. The second major conflict, that of Mort unwillingly becoming Death (which causes him to lose his personality and conscience), is also solved in an instant, with Death deciding that perhaps fishing and being a fry-cook wasn't that great after all. This part really sucked, because the author does a good (and comical) job convincing us that Death actually enjoyed the normal life... This is where Terry Pratchett shines. A true master of the genre, Pratchett will effortlessly convince you that the Grim Reaper is a guy who enjoys fishing, cooking, and petting kittens. He's also able to convey characters efficiently and in a short amount of time, so that you'll end up sympathizing with or hate their guts, but will just as quickly be surprised by them. The source of the author's magic is simply that he can make you laugh. Throughout the charming and fantastical narrative the author use humour to ground his narrative, because if you can laugh at it, you can believe in it... I don't want to “disrecommend” it, nor do I think it's a must-read. For fantasy fans there's a lot of great stuff in here, but the fantasy isn't the focus. This is a story about a funny situation, with some philosophy on life and death thrown in, which is something you've probably never read before. I guess I would recommend it if you are willing to try something different, and looking for a good laugh..."

https://gamobo.wordpress.com/2017/03/21/mort/

Blogger The Written Word considers two portrayals of anthropomorphic Death. One of them is Pratchett's:

"In some ways, Pratchett's version of Death reflects the professional and unadorned demeanor one might associate with a modern-day, businesslike interpretation of Hades. Practicality is central to his identity. He does not care about right or wrong; he has deadlines (no pun intended) to meet... Perpetually level-headed, because his mind is uncluttered with human emotion, Death has an outlook that is quite removed from the madness of living beings. Even so, I can't help but love his attempts to become human, or at least to study humanity like a scientist outside of a rat's cage. He admires us. He has a clear case of curiosity, he observes, he even tries a new job or two–but, ultimately, he is a figure outside of space and time. Though Death does make meaningful discoveries, he must remain an outsider, at least to some degree... Because of his more direct dealings with inhabitants of the Discworld, I believe that this incarnation of Death is far more relatable..."

http://bit.ly/2n7BXyQ

Blogger The Idle Woman is back with a review of Moving Pictures:

"I increasingly feel that Discworld is at its best when taking regular characters or settings and putting them through the mangler. Now, to some extent we do have that here: Dibbler, Detritus and the wizards of Unseen University are recurring characters (and this is the book in which we welcome the University's new Archchancellor, Mustrum Ridcully, who becomes a bit of a favourite of mine throughout the series). But the focus of the book is on a group of new characters, predominantly on Victor and Ginger, the stars of the new 'clicks' business. We've never seen them before and we'll never seen them again. It feels as if Discworld is being twisted to fit an idea, rather than an idea being twisted to fit Discworld, and I think that's why it doesn't work so well. You may well point out that Pyramids was also set in an unfamiliar part of the world, with characters who are one-offs for that particular book, and yet I enjoyed that more. I can't explain why, but it just felt more successful – perhaps because it featured a sequence of ideas seen through Discworld's idiosyncratic lens rather than, like the present book, riffing on a single idea for the whole story. Furthermore, I can't shake off the feeling that Moving Pictures takes itself a bit too seriously. That's not to say there aren't very funny moments, but there are also parts where the story seems to be trying too hard, either to be grand and epic, or to nudge in yet another joke based on classic Hollywood cinema..."

https://theidlewoman.net/2017/03/07/moving-pictures-terry-pratchett/

Blogger Katyboo1 posts another Discworld re-read with her son. This time it's The Last Continent, and the two of them didn't exactly agree:

"This is the first time I've revisited it, and I still believe it is a low point in the series. It seems too much of a joke, and almost like a return to the Colour of Magic in some ways. Everything is a bit obvious, a bit too funny and the finesse that starts with Small Gods seems lacking in development here. I confess that it was lovely to see the Librarian get such a juicy role in this book and his shape shifting scenes were the thing that saved this for me. Having said that, Oscar really enjoyed it. He always loves anything with Rincewind and the Luggage in, and he was delighted to see them return here, roaming through the continent of XXXX, a thinly veiled Australia, which heaves with jokes about kangaroos and sheep and Mad Max type figures and which he found rip roaringly funny. He was sad that it finished. I wasn't..."

http://bit.ly/2nqZbDa

Blogger inkandcelluloid was very taken with Going Postal:

"Going Postal is much closer to the satirical pole than other of the novels from this series I have read. It's not so much about silly situations and having a witty narrator, but much more about social satire targeting bureaucracy, corporate takeovers, workplace exploitation, and, to a lesser degree, collectors, hackers and charlatans. Some people make it look like if you like one Discworld novel, you're going to like them all, but I've found them to be quite different from one another, and I have only read a few. So it's a good idea to do some reading around if you're new to the series. Though it's not meant to be a purely funny book, it's quite enjoyable..."

https://inkandcelluloid.com/2017/03/05/going-postal-terry-pratchett-2004/

Blogger Electra Nanou has posted about a recorded Pratchett interview from November 2000 at the Arthur Miller Centre International Literary Festival (UEA):

"To describe this interview between Professor Christopher Bigsby and Terry Pratchett, the author of the Discworld novels, as amusing would be an understatement. Having passed away two years ago, almost to the day, every reminder of this man's sheer character is precious. Contained within the video recording is more than a discussion on Pratchett's life and literary accomplishments or his favourite Discworld characters or even the difference between children's fiction and fantasy. It is one more testament to his wit and flair, as well as a tutorial on how to politely dominate an interview. And how to introduce potentially controversial topics with a smile. Perhaps, sheer naughtiness factored into certain small omissions in the transcript, available in Writers in Conversation: Volume 5 by Christopher Bigsby... The crowd that attended the Terry Pratchett Memorial in April 2016, made up of children and adults alike, was proof of how important a fresh and humorous look can be to something as simple as a literary genre..."

"The University of East Anglia Literary Festival Archive www.uea.ac.uk/bacw/litfest – visit the Archive to view the recording in full."

http://bit.ly/2n8NDlJ

Another interview – this one, posted by blogger Flora, is an action replay, namely a 2012 Pratchett-and-Baxter interview posted on Goodreads:

"Pratchett and Baxter chatted with Goodreads about the future of science fiction and the “very real” possibility of making contact with aliens.

"Goodreads: The science fiction premise at the heart of The Long Earth impacts the entire world population. Can one of you briefly explain the concept of quantum earths?

"Stephen Baxter: Over to you, Terry!

"Terry Pratchett: [laughs] You're the bloke who knows about quantum. I'm the bloke who knows about faeries.

"SB: [The quantum earths idea] is what Terry started with in the early outlines of chapters. It's the opening up of the “Long Earth.” It's a bit like the dream of the old west, the endless frontier, because the other worlds are like ours but without humans, and they go on forever as far as we can see, one after the other after the other. It's an expansion on the frontier and how that shapes our humanity..."

http://bit.ly/2nr8T8L

This is too much fun to not feature – Vacuous Wastrel, a blogger often mentioned here, devotes a very, very long blogpost to musing on said Wossname mentions, "Why My Reviews Are An Alternative Truth" It goes on... and on... and on, but the Vacuous One does make some valid points here and there in the avalanche of text:

"I don't really obsess over my blog stats that much – after all, I don't have enough visitors to sustain statistical interest. But I do pop in now and then to see what's been going on, and to pick up now and then perhaps an interesting site that might have linked to me. One passing link in an io9 article two years ago continues to drive hits; in recent weeks it seems I've become a case study of some kind, as some small school somewhere seems to be directing students to my blog, although sadly I can't see which review in particular they might be reading... But I also happened to spot a more interesting source of visitors: from a Terry Pratchett fanzine. I'm flattered, it goes without saying, that anybody would link to my reviews, particularly fellow Pratchett fans! Yet the tone of their remarks was not, shall we say, entirely crafted so as to flatter. I'm used to that – I'm an inherently annoying person, I'm aware. On this occasion, however, what struck me was not so much their disdain as their apparent confusion..."

https://vacuouswastrel.wordpress.com/2017/02/28/or-why-my-reviews-are-an-alternative-truth/

And then we have a real gobsmacker of a dis of the entire Discworld oeuvre from one Robert Nielsen. Your Editor isn't at all sure what to make of this, having read several of this blogger's posts on other subjects and found them well-reasoned; but the "Are the Discworld Books Overrated?" post is not well-reasoned, as Nielsen give incendiary-to-some opinions without providing much in the way of backing up his conclusions, e.g. "Whatever you say about Pratchett's writing skills, there's no denying that his endings are terrible... They're usually a rushed mess with a half-baked solution covering the gap. Or characters just act inconsistently and undermine most of what happened in the book" and "A major failing of Pratchett is his writing of women who are some of his weakest characters." But if you wish to give your blood pressure a boost, feel free to read the entire post:

https://whistlinginthewind.org/2017/03/24/are-the-discworld-books-overrated/

...and finally, blogger mindhowyougo's moving tribute "To The Ladies of the Discworld (In Celebration, In Memoriam)":

"The Discworld has been a part of my life since I was ten, first introduced to me through the subseries following young witch Tiffany Aching, and to this day the series remains the greatest influence on me, both creatively and on a personal level. Unlike many successful male authors, Pratchett understands the relevance of and what makes a realistic, strong female character, and this is evident throughout the many women we see in the Tiffany series – all unique, all three-dimensional... So, this is a tribute not only to the tragic death of a wonderful author, but the lives of each of the female characters who deserve to be celebrated on International Women's Day, if only for the impact they've had on my life. Each of them taught a young, impressionable girl something different about what a woman can be, and to them I am eternally grateful."

Here be an abridged list of her rather wonderful choices:

"Granny Weatherwax taught me the value of respect, the power in the way people think... Nanny Ogg taught me the power of people – you can have as much power, magical or otherwise, as you want, but it is never more valuable than knowing how people work, and how to make them feel, and feel at home... Miss Perspicacia Tick taught me that there's nothing wrong with being a smart-arse, even if people might not always like you for it... Jeannie, Kelda of the Chalk Hill Clan, taught me that wives and mothers and leaders and wise women are not mutually exclusive categories... Granny Aching taught me that quiet does not always mean shy, or weak, or stupid... Miss Level taught me that there is always more to people than you first understand... Annagramma taught me that arrogance always comes from something – maybe insecurity, maybe the way they've been taught... Petulia Gristle taught me that there's nothing wrong with being plain... Miss Treason taught me that there's nothing wrong with being dramatic... Letitia Keepsake taught me that traditional femininity is not weakness... Mrs Proust taught me that there's always value in the ability to laugh at yourself... Eskarina Smith taught me that even if it has never been done before, you can always be the first... Amber Petty taught me that abuse survivors deserve support and respect, that they should be helped, not shunned... Nightshade taught me that there are reasons why people act the way they do – perhaps insecurity, or the way they've been taught – and people deserve a chance to redeem themselves... But out of all of them, Tiffany Aching has taught me the most..."

http://bit.ly/2omyAEX

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09) DISCWORLD GAMES NEWS

Here be a review of Clacks, by Iain on The Gaming Review:

"Not having read any Terry Pratchett books I'm not familiar with the Discworld bit and bobs, but it's not entirely necessary anyway – the key is how the Clacks system works, and how you'll be using it... Before forming a letter on the board your little meeple guy needs to be in the right place, which costs stress points, and each Jacquard has a stress cost too. It's a good dynamic in the game which forces you to priorities your strategies a little. Also helping or hindering you along the way are the fault cards, which let you carry out certain effects on you, your opponents or the board as a whole. Such effects include only allowing a player to use a single Jacquard on their turn, or turning the entire board of lights on or off. They can turn a potentially game-winning move into a total mess, which is great when you mess up someone else's turn, but heart-breaking if it happens to you. And that's one of the fun things about Clacks – you get almost just as much luck out of screwing things up for others as you do from aiming to form your own letters. Some won't like the game being so harsh and cut-throat as that, but it's the nature of the competitive game and personally I really enjoyed the annoyance I caused other players from time to time..."

"The one complaint though I'd have about Clacks (which, as you can probably tell I enjoyed a lot) was the components. The cards are nice, there's a cool felt bag to put the Jacquards in, and the wooden tiles feel great when you're handling them, but they don't come pre-stickered. That's not a problem by itself, but the stickers are almost exactly the same size as the tiles, making them a massive git to get on accurately. There are a few spare stickers, but some more thought could have been made to the sizing, and the fact it took me nearly an hour to unpack and prepare the game wasn't idea when we wanted to try it out straight away! If you've got this, get it read before you plan on giving it a go, you won't regret it! So Clacks is a very entertaining game which despite having been around for a fair while is still a relevant and fun experience..."

http://www.thegamingreview.com/10191/2017/02/27/board-game-review-clacks/

Editor's note: if you don't own a copy of Clacks, the game is still in stock:

http://www.backspindlegames.com/clacks/

The excellent lads at Backspindle also have some new games coming out soon. One of these is MourneQuest:

"The game will be our first miniatures game and will be packed with characters from the book and of course lots of the mythical creatures and nightmares... An ancient wall encircles the centre of the Kingdom, a wall that has held strong for centuries, but now the evil it was built to imprison has a plan to escape. The Nightmares — the deepest fears from the darkest corners of Irish Legend — are being called from their slumber. From the four corners of the Kingdom they come. Their one aim: to tear down the wall and set the Old Ones' WarDog free... We are hoping to launch MourneQuest on Kickstarter within the next two months."

Sounds interesting, and worth a shufti after all Backspindle has done to promote Discworld through their "Guards! Guards!" and "Clacks" games!

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/219783/mournequest

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10) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

The Kidby Pratchett bust, now bronzed:
http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/660/cpsprodpb/6DE5/production/_95133182_dsc_0100.jpg

The Kidby, the Wilkins and the bronzed and patinated Pratchett bust:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C6352qlWcAA64CJ.jpg

Some iconographs of the Pterry Plaque unveiling, as posted by the NADWCon gang on Twitter:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C6UrW2MUoAICBXf.jpg

Stephen Briggs tweeted his dramatic pose with a certain bust:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5ckxzBWUAArv4k.jpg

The Josh Kirby tribute picture for DWCon 2016:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C5cuperWcAgHc3t.jpg

Paul Kidby tweeted his picture of Rob Anybody learning to read, for World Book Day:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C57ar4gXEAA34dI.jpg:large

The Terry Pratchett Owl Parliament entrance! Note the UU sign on the right:
http://birdworld.co.uk/management/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/owlslide1.jpg

...and a close-up of the gorgeously carved Seal of Ankh-Morpork at Birdworld:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C6tQKKdW0AAl4oc.jpg

Pterry and the Pig – a joy-filled photo of The Author with "Snuff", his living Wodehouse Prize award, as republished in the Back in Black review on Livemint (item 3.4, above):
http://bit.ly/2n7EiKd

Fantastic picture by fantasy artist and former Discworld crafts-maker Anne Stokes. Liessa Wyrmbidder, anyone?:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C6aTFGoXEAA3u3-.jpg

(about Ms Stokes: _http://www.annestokes.com/page10.html_)

Postcards from the Ogg – NADWCon 2017's rendering of an imagined Nanny Ogg postcard from her travels in Witches Abroad. She went down to the crossroads:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C6AX_PQU8AAJHVt.jpg

...and just for fun – Argentinian software developer Christian Maioli tweeted a photo that surely must appear on some of Ponders Hex printouts:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/C7cy6_LWkAEDNS5.jpg

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11) CLOSE

And that's the lot for March. Don't forget to take an occasional look at the Wossname blog (_http://wossname.dreamwidth.org_) – it's more than just a mirror site for our monthly issues. Since Wossname usually comes out only once a month, any time-sensitive items (such as Pratchett plays performed in a particular month by companies who might not have given several weeks or months' notice beforehand, or announcements of new releases or new projects) go up on the blog with a "newsflash" tag.

Take care, and we'll see you next month!

– Annie Mac


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Copyright (c) 2017 by Klatchian Foreign Legion