WOSSNAME

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
April 2016 (Volume 19, Issue 4, 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) THE TERRY PRATCHETT MEMORIAL IN LONDON
04) ODDS AND SODS
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD GAMES NEWS
07) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
08) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
09) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
10) ROUNDWORLD TALES: THE REAL WORLD OF POO
11) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
12) CLOSE

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"As the forest of the Indonesian Leuser Ecosystem continues to be cleared to meet demand for Palm Oil, the critically endangered Sumatran orangutan is being pushed to the brink of extinction. Here, at the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme's Orangutan Quarantine Center, rescued orangutans are rehabilitated so they can be released back into the wild. If we don't stop this rampant destruction, the Leuser Ecosystem and the Sumatran orangutans that call it home could be lost forever."
– Leonardo di Caprio

"Don't let elves and dwarves fool you. Fantasy is not divorced from our world. It's a lens through which we explore it."
– Rhianna Pratchett on Twitter, 6 April 2016

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

A packed issue this month, so I won't make it any longer by inflicting my wibblings on you. Instead, on with the show!

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) THE TERRY PRATCHETT MEMORIAL IN LONDON

Reminiscences of the evening from Bernard Pearson's blog:

"Terry Pratchett would have loved it... The memorial celebration started with the music of Thomas Tallis and finished with Eric Idle. It was opened by Larry Finlay the top honcho in Transworld and hosted by Rob who did the introductions like a professional, linking everything in seamlessly. The Patrician of Ankh-Morpork put in a brief appearance; Neil Gaiman and Tony Robinson read tributes and Rhianna spoke about growing up with her Dad. We had songs (including Wintersmith) from Maddy Prior and Steeleye Span and the fond memories of three of Terry's editors. I have no recollection of what Pat and I said but it must have been reasonably alright for the both of us to be invited back on stage later in the proceedings. We stood in line with several other folk who had been chosen by Terry to become members of the 'Venerable Order of the Honeybee'. We have been entrusted to hold Terry's vision for the future, each in our own way and each with our unique skills. Such an accolade would be enough in itself you would have thought. But Terry had planned even more –the gift of a gold bee pin –created with exquisite ingenuity by master goldsmith Tom Lynall. This is a true honour and a piece of jewellery that I will always cherish along with the memory of receiving it. And then Rob showed us the future: that this was not the end of the story but a beginning of something new. Terry's world and vision is being carried on in film and television... The Barbican memorial was not a wake it was a bloody great wave, not of goodbye but of friends across a divide. A divide that will be bridged by the things yet to come, set in motion by those who loved him..."

https://thecunningartificer.com/2016/04/28/thoughts-on-what-would-have-been-terrys-68th-birthday/

This from the North American Discworld Convention gang. It's a Facebook post but can be accessed by non-users:

"As we entered the auditorium, the first thing we saw was Sir Terry's sparkling silhouette filling the screen and his voice filtering through the speakers. Everyone had received a goodie bag on their seat. These included a bottle of 'Ankh' Water (anything that's passed through several pairs of kidneys has to be very pure indeed), a commemorative book entitled 'Terry Pratchett: from birth to death, a writer', a pin badge, a selection of photo postcards, a tin of dried frog pills and a thoughtful pack of tissues. As the choir filed onto the stage, the audience immediately fell silent. A picture of Lord Vetinari by Paul Kidby was accompanied by the Patrician's warning, that no photos or recordings were to be taken, on pain of death. And who in their right mind would argue with Lord Vetinari? The choir, the Epiphoni Consort, then gave us a beautiful rendition of Thomas Tallis' Spem in Alium... Stephen Briggs then took the stage as the Patrician to introduce Rob Wilkins, our host for the evening. Rob described how when he had asked Terry about what he would like for his memorial, Terry's response was "I'd want to be there". Terry also wanted to hit the right tone for the memorial, especially if he wasn't able to attend, and this basically meant some decent swearing, Monty Python style...

"Rhianna Pratchett, looking resplendent in red and carrying the sword that Terry had created himself upon his knighthood, proceeded to deliver the obituary she gave in December... Larry Finlay of Transworld Publishers gave a touching speech and an amusing account of Terry's star rating for bookshops that he had been to for signings. Apparently the star rating extended to hotels too. We were also to have the pleasure of Steeleye Span performing some of their hits from the Wintersmith album... Three of Terry's editors gave us their accounts and some favorite memories of Sir Terry. Philippa Dickinson recounted the times when she would ask him to change something and his sometimes stubborn reluctance to agree, while referring to her as a 'cantankerous cow!'. Jennifer Brehl said she would miss the somewhat random phone calls she would receive from him, to inform her of some new fact he had discovered or story thread he was working on and the way he would tease her for crying when they finally cracked the New York Times bestseller list – it's only a list Jen. Anne Hoppe spoke of Sir Terry's delight in hearing of children who had never picked up a book before picking one of his and how it inspired them to continue. The letters he received from these children who had gone on to become Professors of English, or writing novels of their own and how it was all about paying it forward, not awards. So even when the time came for him to drop the baton of fantasy writing, someone would always be there to catch it before it hit the ground...

"Rob told us of a day in October 2014 that he was away from the office and Terry took the opportunity to write letters to those he loved most, to be found after his death. Which they were on April 28th, Terry's birthday, in 2015. These letters included his father of the bride speech for Rhianna and a letter of advice for the wedding night. Rob read the letter he had received out to us. There were more tears as Sir Terry's words told us to appreciate each other and live life to the full, because life is short... Then came news of future projects, including the next in the Long Earth series, the Discworld coloring book, the Discworld Encyclopedia, Small Gods the graphic novel, and a biography written by Rob Wilkins himself. Adaptations that we have to look forward to include the Wee Free Men, screenplay by Rhianna Pratchett; Mort, screenplay by Terry Rossio; and the hotly anticipated Good Omens, screenplay by Neil Gaiman, who had previously refused to adapt it on numerous occasions as it was a collaboration and that's how they wanted to keep it. However, it was a last request of Sir Terry's for Neil to adapt the book, and this time he could not refuse - much to all the fans delight..."

https://www.facebook.com/Ausdwcon/posts/10150620402424970

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Sian Cain, in The Guardian:

"The evening was a celebration not only of Pratchett's life and work, but also of the people he brought together. Some Discworld fans spoke of travelling from the US and Australia. One recounted meeting her husband when she appeared in a Discworld play he was directing. The musicians and artists I spoke to, all choosing different elements of Pratchett's creative output that had, in turn, inspired their own... Sir Tony Robinson read Pratchett's Dimbleby lecture on Alzheimer's and assisted dying, while the author's daughter, Rhianna, read the obituary she wrote for the Observer. Dr Patrick Harkin, whose collection of Pratchett ephemera includes an onion pickled by the man himself, appeared alongside Discworld sculptor Bernard Pearson, as well as Pratchett's publisher, Larry Finlay, and agent, Colin Smythe. Neil Gaiman flew in from the States to read his introduction to Pratchett's 2014 non-fiction collection A Slip of the Keyboard, and found himself presented with his friend's trademark hat. Gaiman, looking a tad thunderstruck, placed it for a moment on his head, but quickly took it off again, saying: 'Oh, I don't dare.'

"Overall, the mood was fond. There was laughter at an early Pratchett quote about writing more Discworld novels, when the author was quite unaware of the fame and books that would follow ('I don't think I've exhausted all the possibilities in one book'). Friends and editors recalled his occasional cantankerousness, his delight at cracking America and his vigorous campaigning to change the law on assisted dying. Footage from an upcoming BBC documentary about Pratchett's life showed the author – a little thinner, but still blessed with the same humour – remembering his first impressions of The Wind in the Willows as a child: 'The moles and badgers go into each others' houses! They had hats! I thought: 'This is lies.'... fans were reassured that Pratchett's legacy is in safe hands; Wilkins insisted once more that the 10 unfinished novels sitting in Pratchett's archives would not be published or finished by another author. It was an evening that matched the deft tone of Pratchett's work – joyful silliness mixed with wry philosophy and honest, often humorous reflections on death. A night that began with a solemn choir accompanying a montage of bookcovers falling through an hourglass ended with a rousing version of Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, led via video message by Eric Idle. Pratchett may not have been there, but there is no doubt he would have enjoyed himself."

http://bit.ly/1TW9o4W

Katherine Cowdrey in The Bookseller:

A biography of Terry Pratchett written by his personal assistant Rob Wilkins, a graphic novel by Pratchett and a Discworld Encyclopedia were among the new publishing revealed at a memorial to celebrate the late author last night (14th April)... While Transworld has not released any more details on the projects, Wilkins revealed he would be writing the biography on stage at the end of the memorial and said that Small Gods, a graphic novel from Pratchett with new artwork by Ray Friesen, will also be released, to be published on 28th July under the Doubleday imprint. A 'Discworld encyclopaedia' is also in the pipeline. A host of adaptations were also revealed. Along with Gaiman writing Good Omens for the screen in a six-episode series, the book Mort is to be made into a film by Terry Rossio, the second highest grossing screenwriter in the world behind such successes as Disney's Aladdin, Shrek and Pirates of the Caribbean, Wilkins revealed. The Wee Free Men is also being adapted for the screen by Pratchett's daughter, Rhianna Pratchett, with further details expected to be revealed at Comicon...

"Transworld m.d. Larry Finlay also spoke, adding: 'As the Discworld world developed, Terry's novels just got better and better. His characters richer and fuller. One of the joys of this world is it holds up a sparkling distorted mirror to our own world in all its complexities, it's joys, it's frustrations, it's brilliance and its madness. Whether his keen lens scrutinised trade unions, or banking, or prejudice, the cloth, bureaucracy or academia, Terry's novels shone a light on us and the bizarre, baffling yet extraordinary rich tapestry of our lives.' He closed: 'The PCA finally took Terry from this world on 12th March last year. It robbed him of so many more years of life, family, friendships and writing, and it robbed us of so many more books unwritten, so much invention, so many stories, so much wisdom and so much joy – but, as Terry wrote in Reaper Man: 'No one is finally dead until the ripples they caused in the world die away – until the clock he wound up winds down'..."

http://www.thebookseller.com/news/pratchett-memorial-327142

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04) ODDS AND SODS

4.1 GOOD OMENS TELLY ADAPTATION! BY NEIL GAIMAN!

In The Guardian, by Sian Cain:

"Neil Gaiman, the author and longtime friend of Sir Terry Pratchett, has announced he will be writing the adaptation of their co-authored novel Good Omens for the screen... Pratchett's longtime friend and assistant Rob Wilkins recalled asking Gaiman to adapt Good Omens as they were driving back from Pratchett's house, on one of the final occasions Gaiman met with him before his death. He said he had approached Gaiman because 'it required love, it required patience'... Released in 1990, Good Omens was listed among the BBC's Big Read of the nation's 100 favourite books. Another adaptation of Pratchett's work was confirmed at the memorial event on Thursday evening: a feature film of his 1987 novel Mort. The second-highest-grossing screenwriter of all time, Terry Rossio – who has written hits including Shrek, Aladdin and Pirate of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl – will be writing the adaptation, while Narrativia will co-produce it. Rhianna Pratchett is also confirmed to be adapting her father's 2003 novel Wee Free Men into a feature film..."

http://bit.ly/1p3d6Ng

By Jess Denham in The Independent:

"'Terry and I [initially] had a deal that we would only work on Good Omens things together,' Gaiman said at a memorial event for Pratchett in London last Thursday. 'Everything that was ever written, bookmarks and tiny little things, we would always collaborate. Everything was a collaboration.' When Gaiman finally agreed to adapt Good Omens by himself, Pratchett sent him a letter shortly before his death, writing: 'I would very much like this to happen and I know, Neil, that you're very very busy, but no one else could ever do it with the passion that we share for the old girl. I wish I could be more involved and I will help in any way I can.'... 'I've been working on the Good Omens scripts for much of the last year, wishing that [Pratchett] was still here and could help, even if it was just to take a phone call,' he wrote. 'It's hard when I get stuck, and want to ask his advice. It's harder when I come up with something clever or funny that's new and I want to call him up and read it to him, and make him laugh or hear him point out something I'd missed. We were always each other's first audiences for Good Omens. That was the point. Neither of us had any idea whether or not we'd be able to sell this odd book or not, when we were writing it, but we knew that we could make the other one laugh. I'm now 72 per cent of the way through the Good Omens scripts, and the end is in sight.'..."

http://ind.pn/1ShxemZ

On BoingBoing:

"After several false starts, including one that involved Terry Gilliam and a groat, Neil Gaiman has announced that he will personally adapt he and Terry Pratchett's outstanding, comedic apocalypse novel Good Omens as a six-part TV series. Gaiman made the announcement at a memorial event for Pratchett held last night in London, revealing that Pratchett had left him a note urging him to do it. 'Absolutely not,' Gaiman recalled replying, to laughter. 'Terry and I had a deal that we would only work on Good Omens things together,' he explained. 'Everything that was ever written – bookmarks and tiny little things – we would always collaborate, everything was a collaboration. So, obviously, no.' But Wilkins revealed to the audience that Pratchett had left a letter posthumously for Gaiman. In the letter, Pratchett requested that the author write an adaptation by himself, with his blessing. 'At that point, I think I said, 'You bastard, yes,'' Gaiman recalled, to cheers. 'How much are we allowed to tell them?' Gaiman teased, before he was hushed by Wilkins. 'Are we allowed to tell them it is a six-part television series?'..."

https://boingboing.net/2016/04/15/from-beyond-the-grave-terry-p.html

In the NME:

"This isn't the first time producers have tried to bring the novel, which sees an angel and a demon teaming up to defeat the antichrist, who due to unfortunate circumstances turns out to be a boy growing up in the English countryside, to the screen. In 2002, a Terry Gilliam pitch reputedly involving Johnny Depp and Robin Williams fell through due to issues with portraying the end of the world after 9/11. Another attempt, in 2011, also featuring Gaiman, with another ex-Monty Python star, Terry Jones, also came to nothing. BBC Radio 4 produced a version in 2014, which brought Pratchett and Gaiman together to provide voicework, and which was done deliberately so Sir Terry could enjoy the work while he was still alive..."

http://www.nme.com/filmandtv/news/good-omens-neil-gaiman-and-terry-pratchett-comedy-/405035

...and Neil Gaiman's own blog post about it:

http://journal.neilgaiman.com/2016/04/good-omens-cheap-seats-and-memorial.html

4.2 PAUL KIDBY DISCWORLD COLOURING BOOK!!!

Now that adult colouring books are A Thing, it's good news for fans of Paul Kidby's exquisite Discworld art:

"Gollancz is delighted to announce the acquisition of World Rights to publish a colouring book of line drawings by Paul Kidby, Sir Terry Pratchett's artist of choice. Gollancz Digital Publisher, Darren Nash, brought the rights to Terry Pratchett's Discworld Colouring Book from Rob Wilkins at Narrativia, who own and control the exclusive multimedia and merchandising rights to all of Sir Terry's works, including his Discworld characters and creations... Rob Wilkins said: 'Paul Kidby is Terry Pratchett's artist of choice. Paul – in a seemingly effortless and certainly modest way – breathed life into Terry's characters for more than two decades. Terry often commenting that Paul must have the ability to step right into Discworld, because the accuracy with which he depicts his creations often surpassed his own imagination.'... Containing black-and-white line drawings based on his hugely popular artwork as well as original pieces produced exclusively for this book, Terry Pratchett's Discworld Colouring Book features iconic Discworld personalities as Granny Weatherwax, Sam Vimes, Rincewind, Tiffany Aching and, of course, DEATH..."

http://discworld.com/press-release-colouring-book-announced/

"Gollancz Digital Publisher, Darren Nash, said, 'This is the perfect mix of fad and phenomenon: adult colouring books and the UK's bestselling Fantasy series. And the fact that it's come from Paul and Rob is a guarantee that Sir Terry's creations will be treated with the respect they deserve.' Rob Wilkins said: 'Paul Kidby is Terry Pratchett's artist of choice. Paul – in a seemingly effortless and certainly modest way – breathed life into Terry's characters for more than two decades. Terry often commenting that Paul must have the ability to step right into Discworld, because the accuracy with which he depicts his creations often surpassed his own imagination.' Paul Kidby said: 'It's been a great pleasure to select some of my favourite artworks and recreate them as line drawings here ready for colouring. Now it's over to you to embark upon the Discworld colouring-in extravaganza. The future is bright; it's not orange, it's Octarine!'

"If Terry Pratchett's pen gave his characters life, Paul Kidby's brush allowed them to live it. He provided the illustrations for The Last Hero, which sold over 300,000 copies, and has designed the covers for the Discworld novels since 2002. He is also the author of the definitive portfolio volume The Art Of Discworld."

To read the full press release, go to http://discworld.com/press-release-colouring-book-announced/

Terry Pratchett's Discworld Colouring Book will be published by Gollancz on the 11th August priced at £9.99. To pre-order a copy from Discworld.com, go to:
http://bit.ly/1SlbsOF

4.3 DAVID LLOYD: TWO DAYS WITH TERRY PRATCHETT!

A podcast you definitely want to listen to!

"I found myself in the unlikely position of my day job being that of dean of research at Trinity College, Dublin. My wife Annie, who is immeasurably cleverer than I am, and who is also a long-time fan of the goings-on on the Discworld, and I were at home in Dublin having a conversation about honorary degrees. As you do. I was quite fixated on Trinity College advancing candidates of international renown for these honours. I was bringing my work home with me. Annie said, 'What about Terry Pratchett?' Bing... Honorary degrees are not lightly bestowed. Once proffered, the mechanics of ensuring their actual acceptance by the nominee are complex. With high profile nominees, there's not usually a direct link to the person. Ordinarily, a letter is dispatched to a third party who is in a position to ask said person if they'll actually accept the award. That way refusals are not seen as huge snubs, they may be just miscommunications. Anyway, the third party in question in Terry's case was Colin Smythe, Terry's long-time literary agent. Colin was the man who first published Pratchett and launched Great A'Tuin into the cosmos of print. Colin also happened to be a graduate of Trinity College Dublin, and an honorary doctor of the institution to boot. (This is a useful set of qualifications to hold, if an honorary degree offer is coming from Trinity College Dublin to someone you know—particularly if that someone might require some convincing to accept)

"'All the way to Ireland to dress up for a parchment? No bloody way—I'm trying to write a book!' I'm paraphrasing. But that, apparently, was Terry's initial reaction... unlikely circumstances relating to matters Hibernian and academic led to arms being duly (though gently) twisted, and the offer of a Trinity College honorary award was grudgingly accepted. Whatever the reluctance behind the scenes in the UK, I was determined that, for me at least, this would not be a missed opportunity...

"As Dean, my office was located in House 1 of Trinity College—in the old college armoury to be precise. This abutted the provost's residence at 1 Grafton Street: a Georgian Palladian townhouse of utter magnificence, where VIPs are looked after on occasions such as this. The house is truly splendid, with many period features spanning its Georgian origins and later Victorian innovations, such as indoor loos and central heating. The lavatory to which I escorted Terry was a late-adopted, early Victorian affair, a pull-chain number, with a rather ornate porcelain throne complete with the original wooden seat—in near mint condition, lightly polished by generations of provostorial and deanly buttocks. So proud were its creators that they had christened it 'The Deluge' and emblazoned its name brazenly in brown glazed script just beneath the rim, for all future users to marvel at. As Terry entered the chamber of ablution, I heard an exclamation of pure joy... I waited respectfully outside the door. There came a rattle of chain. The whoosh of the Deluge deluging accompanied by a 'whoo-hoo' of pure delight from Terry. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship between man and plumbing, which would eventually see the latter immortalised in print several years later in The World of Poo..."

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/ockhamsrazor/david-lloyd-two-days-with-terry-pratchett/7286950

4.4 DISCWORLD DAY AT THE STORY MUSEUM!

Discworld Day sees The Story Museum celebrating the work of much loved author Terry Pratchett. This year's Discworld Day at The Story Museum is based on Terry Prachett's Carnegie Medal winning novel The Amazing Maurice & His Educated Rodents, in which a street smart cat, a gang of educated rats and a 'stupid looking kid' pull off the swindle of the century with unexpected consequences. Join us for a day of rat-tastic events and activities including rat handling, tap dancing, magic tricks, illustration, games and more!

When: Saturday 21st May 2016
Venue: Oxford Story Museum, Rochester House, 42 Pembroke Street, Oxford OX1 1BP
Time: 10am-5pm
Tickets: "All events are included with museum entry unless otherwise stated." Standard price for the museum entry is adults £7.50, under-18s and concessions £5, family ticket: £20 (4 people including at least 1 child). Free entry for children under 2 and companions of disabled visitors.

Two extra special events on the day are "Dangerous Beans' Dinner" and "Draw Along Read Along with Stephen Briggs and Neill Cameron". Details are:

Dangerous Beans' Dinner
"Join fellow Terry Pratchett fans for a very special two course dinner party including rat themed cuisine (food will contain no actual rats) a special Discworld quiz compiled by Jason Anthony, editor of Discworld Monthly,and plenty of fun and frivolity. The guest of honour for the evening will be Stephen Briggs, reader of the Discworld audio books, mapper of Ankh Morpork and adapter of several of Terry's best loved works for stage. Ticket price includes a two course meal. Ages 18+."

Time: 19:00-22:30
Tickets: £25, available at http://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/ticketsoxford/index.aspx#event=20805

Draw Along Read Along with Stephen Briggs and Neill Cameron
"Join voice of the Discworld audio books Stephen Briggs and Phoenix Comic artist Neill Cameron for a special read along draw along event. As well as picking up tips on how to draw your very own rat, Stephen will be reading extracts from the book as Neill draws live illustrations for your enjoyment. A must for fans of Pratchett and aspiring illustrators alike. Ages 8+."

Time: 14:00-15:00
Tickets: £7/£5, available at http://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/ticketsoxford/index.aspx#event=20804

http://www.storymuseum.org.uk/whats-on/discworld-day/
http://www.storymuseum.org.uk/visit/

4.5 THE MORT THAT COULD HAVE BEEN!

The concept art for the (thankfully!) ill-fated Disney adaptation of Mort is available to view.

From Den of Geek:

"Back in 2010, there were strong rumours that Walt Disney Animation Studios was set to make a movie based on Terry Pratchett's Discworld novel, Mort. At the time, directors John Musker and Ron Clements were linked with the project, although they eventually made Moana – due in cinemas later this year – their latest project. However, it seems that Mort was indeed a project very much under development at Disney, even if it's no longer active. And former Disney animator Claire Keane has uploaded some of the concept art from Mort to her website..."

The full collection of images lives at http://www.claireonacloud.com/misc-development/

http://bit.ly/1VEc2O7

4.6 MY INSPIRATION: PRATCHETT

Children's author Tom Nicoll tells how the works of Terry Pratchett inspired him as a child:

"The first book I ever read by Terry Pratchett was Truckers. This was 1992 and ITV were airing a fantastic stop-motion animation of it at the time, produced by Cosgrove Hall. When I discovered the book in my local library the opportunity to find out what happened before any of my friends was too good to miss. So basically I read it for the exact same reason I would read George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire 20 years later. I had no way of knowing that this would be the book that would inspire me to become a writer of funny stories. The book itself made no mention of this. Not even a warning on the back... As much as I wanted to race through it to find out what happened next, I soon learned that I simply can't read a Terry Pratchett novel quickly. To do so runs the risk of missing a joke and I simply can't have that. Not on my watch. It wasn't just the quality of the jokes. It was the quantity and variety of them. I would often spend ages rereading the same paragraphs, in awe of how anyone could construct sentences so densely packed with humour. Like the best satirists he could make the everyday seem absurd, but like Douglas Adams he could also just as easily turn the absurd into the perfectly logical. He'd treat old sayings and cliches on a par with the laws of physics, like in the eighth Discworld book Guards, Guards where saving the day rests entirely on the fact that million-to-one chances always happen when you need them. And of course the footnotes..."

http://bit.ly/1SCAvxq

4.7 WASHING A WHITE HORSE

The Westbury White Horse, a A 175ft (53m) long chalk figure in Wiltshire that was described as a 'bit of a grey mare', has been restored:

"Up to 20 volunteers have spent the weekend power cleaning the horse, which is carved into a very steep slope.`The English Heritage monument was steam cleaned in 2012. The cleaning project was organised by the Westbury Rotary Club. Once clean, the hillfigure is due to be given a new coat of white paint. Under the supervision of an expert climber, two volunteers at a time are lowered down the face of the horse to blast dirt and algae off its surface. Organiser Steve Carrington said weather conditions over the weekend had been ideal 'to get the white horse white again'... Westbury's horse is said to be the oldest in Wiltshire. It was restored in 1778, but many believe it is far older than that..."

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-36066414 (includes video)


4.8 A CROSSING NEAR PEACH PIE STREET... OR NOT?

"Wincanton residents are still waiting for a pedestrian crossing promised as part of a new housing estate seven years ago, it has emerged. Taylor Wimpey agreed in 2009 that it would fund a crossing and traffic calming measures on Common Road near its Kingwell Rise development off Deanesly Way. The developer confirmed this week that construction of homes at the site was completed in November 2014 and that all the properties there have now sold. But a number of measures agreed as part of a Section 106 deal are yet to become a reality... In 2009 several streets on the Kingwell Rise development were named after fictional places in the works of the late author Terry Pratchett. Treacle Mine Road, Peach Pie Street and Morpork Street are among the roads on the estate named after Mr Pratchett's creations. The owner of Wincanton's Pratchett-inspired shop the Discworld Emporium, Bernard Pearson, said: 'It's a shame children can't cross the road safely. Sir Terry Pratchett was very keen on children growing up to read his books!'..."

http://www.westerngazette.co.uk/Delays-promised-Wincanton-pedestrian-crossing/story-29115996-detail/story.html

4.9 LEONARDO DI CAPRIO, ORANGUTAN ACTIVIST

From The Express:

"DiCaprio has been visiting the Sumatran rainforest this week to highlight the threats its unique wildlife is facing in the wake of rampant destruction. Timeless trees are making way for palm oil plantations, putting pressure on a priceless population of tigers, elephants, rhinos and great apes. DiCaprio posted this photograph after visiting the Sumatran Orangutan Conservation Programme's quarantine centre as part of his tour of the Mount Leuser National Park in Acehon the northern tip of Sumatra, with friends and fellow actors Adrien Brody and Fisher Stevens. Wearing a mask is vital to stop infections jumping the species barrier... DiCaprio has become one of the world's highest profile environment campaigners. The Leonard DiCaprio Foundation is supporting a wide range of projects that protect vulnerable wildlife from extinction while restoring balance to threatened ecosystems and communities. Alongside the star's Instagram posting, he explains how the lowland rainforest of Leuser Ecosystem is considered the world's best remaining habitat for critically endangered animals..."

https://www.express.co.uk/news/nature/657472/Leonardo-DiCaprio-orangutan-selfie-animal-campaign-oscars-revenant

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05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

5.0 NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN BEDFORDSHIRE (JUNE)

The Masquerade Theatre Group will be bringing their production of Wyrd Sisters to the stage in early June.

When: Friday 3rd & Saturday 4th June 2016
Venue: Parkside Community Hall, Woburn Street, Ampthill, Bedfordshire MK45 2HX (phone 01525 634 215)
Time: 7:45pm
Tickets: £10, available from 07817528077 or masqueradetheatregroup@gmail.com

5.1 NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN MARYLAND! (MAY)

Haaaags... in... spaaaaace! Well, not really, but MAD – the Music and Drama Club of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland – are putting on their production of Wyrd Sisters in May!

When: 6th–21st May 2016
Venue: Barney & Bea Recreation Center, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
Time: 8pm Fridays and Saturdays, 3pm Sundays
Tickets: $16 in advance, but special prices for the opening weekend: $14 Friday & Saturday and $12 Sunday (Mother's Day). Tickets at the door will be $20 for all performances. To purchase online, go to https://app.arts-people.com/index.php?ticketing=mad

The MAD website has a trailer for the production.

http://www.madtheater.org/

5.2 UPDATE : LORDS AND LADIES IN NEWCASTLE (JULY)

The People's Theatre, "the premier amateur theatre company in the North of England", will stage their production of Lords and Ladies, adapted by Irana Brown, in July. "We're no strangers to Discworld and this funny and fast-moving adaptation of (the much-missed) Sir Terry's fourteenth novel sees the welcome return of Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg to our stage. It promises to be lots of fun, so book early to avoid disappointment!"

The production dates have been unavoidably rescheduled, moving back by a week from the original schedule of 12th-16th July. See below!

When: 19th-23rd
Venue: People's Theatre, Stephenson Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 5QF. Phone: (0191) 275 9875
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £13.50 (£11 concessions). Box Office on 0191 265 5020 or email tickets.peoplestheatre@email.com. (Box Office is open weekdays 10.30am–1pm and Mon, Wed, Fri evenings 7.30–8.30pm). To book online, go to the inappropriately-named Intelligent Tickets, and be prepared to jump through a truly daft series of hoops:
http://www.intelligent-tickets.co.uk/index.php?th=pe

http://bit.ly/1lMl3Vj

5.3 REMINDER: WYRD SISTERS IN READING (MAY)

Caversham Park Theatre will present their production of Wyrd Sisters next month.

"If you have never experienced the late Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld but wonder what you might have missed... Caversham Park Theatre is proud to stage Wyrd Sisters. We hope you will dip your toe into Sir Terry's Discworld and discover a whole new universe of thoughtful comedy."

When: 12th, 13th and 14th May 2016
Venue: Milestone Centre, Northbrook Rd, Caversham, Reading, RG4 6PF
Time: 8pm for 12th and 13th April, 7pm for 14th April
Tickets: £7.00, available by phone (01189 481 377) or online at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/118288
Book online at: www.cavparktheatre.org.uk or phone 0118-948-1377

5.4 REMINDER: LORDS AND LADIES IN SWITZERLAND (MAY)

The Gay Beggars theatre group of the University of Basel will present their production of Lords and Ladies, adapted by Irana Brown, in May!

When: 1st, 3rd, 6th and 7th May 2016
Venue: Cellar Theatre of the English Seminar, University of Basel, Nadelberg 6
Time: 8pm all shows, except 1st May which starts at 5pm
Tickets: CHF25 (students, apprentices, AHV, IV CHF15). There is a group discount for school classes of CHF10 per student; contact reservations@gay beggars.ch for groups of 10 or more. Tickets can be reserved by emailing reservations@gaybeggars.ch. "Reserved tickets must be picked up at the evening box office (opens one hour before the show).'

http://www.gaybeggars.ch/

5.5 REMINDER: WYRD SISTERS IN SOMERSET (MAY)

The Minehead Dramatic Society will stage their production of Wyrd Sisters in May.

When: 13, 14 and 15th May 2016
Venue: Regal Theatre, 10-16 The Avenue, Minehead, Somerset, TA24 5AY (phone 01643 706430)
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: Adults £8.00, Friends £7.50, ES40's/Students £4.00. Online tickets can be purchased by logging in to http://bit.ly/21MET1d and clicking on the date of your choice. "Please note that tickets cannot be purchased, on-line, on the same day as the performance. Please call into the box office or telephone 01643 706430 (Monday to Saturday 10.00am to 3.00pm)"

http://regaltheatre.co.uk/
http://regaltheatre.co.uk/whatson/?pno=2

5.6 REMINDER: MORT IN HESSE, GERMANY (MAY)

The Helden Theatre will be staging their production of Gevatter Tod (that's the Deutsche title of Mort) in May 2016!

When: Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd May 2016
Venue: Theater Altes Hallenbad, Haagstrasse 29, 61169 Friedberg
Time: 7.30pm Saturday 21st, 3.30pm Sunday 22nd
Tickets: €10 concessions €8). To purchase online, go to http://bit.ly/1Rbt0MP and click on the Tickets button

http://heldentheater.de

5.7 NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN RICHMOND, YORKSHIRE (JULY)

The Richmond Amateur Dramatic Society will be staging their production of Wyrd Sisters in July

When: 28th–30th July and 4th–6th August 2016
Venue: Georgian Theatre Royal, Victoria Road, Richmond, North Yorkshire, DL10 4DW
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £6.50 to £12.50, available online at https://tickets.georgiantheatreroyal.co.uk/ or ring the box office 01748 825252

http://www.richmond-ads.org.uk/
http://www.georgiantheatreroyal.co.uk/

5.8 REMINDER: MORT IN YORK (JULY)

We Are Theatre will be presenting their production of Mort in July. Getting closer now...

When: 21st and 22nd June 2016
Venue: Joseph Rowntree Theatre, Haxby Road, York YO31 8TA
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £10 (£8 concessions), available from the York Theatre Royal box office (phone 01904 623568). For group bookings, contact wearetheatre@googlemail.com or ring 07521 364107

www.wearetheatre.co.uk

5.9 NEW: GOING POSTAL IN CARDIFF (AUGUST)

The Monstrous Productions Theatre Company, who specialise in staging Pratchett plays and have so far raised – and donated – over £18,000 for Alzheimer's Research UK, are taking on the Ankh-Morpork Post Office for their next project!

"Moist Von Lipwig is a conman, forger and all-round confidence trickster, always on the look out for the next big game. Until one of his many personas has a run-in with the law and is hanged to within a inch of his life. And so begins the biggest game of all. He must restore Ankh-Morpork's defunct post office to it's former glory or else have a second shot at dancing the hemp fandango. On his side he has the Disc's oldest junior postman, Stanley ('ask me about pins!') and his pottery probation officer, Mr Pump. It's a mighty task, made mightier by competition from Ankh-Morpork's newest technology, the Clacks, and its piratical owner, Reacher Gilt."

When: 17th-20th August 2016
Venue: The Gate Arts Centre, Keppoch Street, Roath, Cardiff CF24 3JW
Time: 7.30pm evening shows (doors open at 7pm); 2.30pm matinee on the 20th (doors open 2pm)
Tickets: £8 (£6 concessions), available from http://7889269b08cd.fikket.com/ – also by email (monstrousproductions2012@gmail.com, pay by cheque or bank transfer)

Also, if you are local to the Cardiff area (or fond of travelling), the Monstrous company works to a great model: "We announce auditions for upcoming productions about a month before casting. We have a laid back audition process and people travel from all over the South Wales area. No experience is necessary, our only stipulation is that members must be over 18 and younger than 70. Membership is £10 per year. We rehearse twice a week over the course of a few months, with some social activities thrown in."

http://www.monstrousptc.com/

5.10 NEW: GUARDS! GUARDS! IN BRISBANE

The Brisbane Arts Theatre takes on yet another Discworld play later this year, in October and November.

"From the legendary author Sir Terry Pratchett comes the eighth novel in the Discworld series and first featuring the Ankh-Morpork City Watch. Long believed extinct, a superb specimen, The Noble Dragon has appeared in Discworld's greatest city. Not only does this unwelcome visitor have a nasty habit of charbroiling everything in its path, in rather short order it is crowned King (it is a noble dragon, after all). With some help from an orangutan librarian, it is the task of the Night Watch to overpower the secret brotherhood and restore order to the kingdom in this fantastical Discworld adventure."

When: 8th October through 12th November 2016
Venue: Brisbane Arts Theatre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane, QLD 4000. Phone: (07) 3369 2344
Time: 8pm Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays (except 10th November); 6.30pm Sundays (16th & 30th October)
Tickets: Adults $31, Concession $25, Group 10+ $25, Group 75+ $20, Student Rush $10 (10 mins before curtain), available online at http://bit.ly/1QGbXBF

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

5.11 NEW: CARPE JUGULUM IN SLOUGH (JULY)

Colnbrook Amateur Stage Theatre aka CAST will stage their production of the Stephen Briggs adaptation of Carpe Jugulum in July! The main roles have already been cast, but there are "still supporting roles available if anyone would like to join the cast!!!"

When: 13th-16th July 2016
Venue: CAST, Colnbrook Village Hall,. Vicarage Way, Colnbrook, Berks SL3 0RF. Phone 07944 215487 (Secretary)
Time: 7.45pm all shows
Tickets: TBA. Normally £8 (£6 concessions), eventually available online at http://www.cast-online.org.uk/box-office/

http://www.cast-online.org.uk/

5.12 REVIEW: THE SHAKESPEARE CODEX

By Alex Ballingeron for the Oxfordshire Guardian:

"The most poignant part of Briggs' latest tale, The Shakespeare Codex, hit me around halfway through the first act: this would be the first of the last of Pratchett on stage, since Bill Door came knocking last March. The great man is no longer here to spew out his powerful imagination, not around to pen new tales for us to stage, so we are left without additions to the Discworld saga. But because of this, I loved The Shakespeare Codex: it was something special, a barrage of farce and wit that would have made Pratchett proud. And seeing the works of Pratchett and the Bard side by side felt nothing but appropriate and I quickly came to see that this was not the beginning of the end, because his work would survive him. In the year 2415, I would expect to see a year's worth of events commemorating the 400th anniversary of Pratchett's passing. This play sees a band of wizards battle elves to ensure Shakespeare pens his timeless works. Stand-out performances came from Dan Booth as the terrified and inept wizard Rincewind, the lynchpin of the Unseen University, Ponder Stibbons, played by Brian Mackenwells, and Natasha Warner as the Elf Queen. Rory Morrison also played Shakespeare with the likeability we all hope the real playwright had. The charming touch of the am drams doesn't detract anything from the tale and Briggs' sense of humour doesn't blunt in transition from Pratchett's sharp nib..."

http://www.oxfordshireguardian.co.uk/the-first-of-the-last-terry-pratchett-versus-the-bard/

5.13 REVIEWS: THE WEE FREE MEN IN ADELAIDE

By Christine Pyman for Broadway World:

"Every Sir Terry Pratchett story is magic, and Unseen Theatre Company's 2016 world premier of The Wee Free Men, at Adelaide's Bakehouse Theatre, is no exception. In fact, it's totally enthralling and sheer magic to experience this production... Alycia Rabig plays Miss Tick, with a suitably strait laced respect-commanding manner, reminiscent of every clever teacher you've ever known. Hugh O'Connor is Toad, effortlessly being more amphibian than anyone could possibly expect from an actor that Unseen audiences know better as the anthropomorphic entity DEATH. As Toad, he spends his time giving laconic advice, until he truly comes into his own when memories surface and he steps in to save the day, or at least one battle of it. The set was cleverly designed with three separate areas, allowing audience attention to be directed by use of lighting. The Wee Free Men of the title, known for their thieving ways, were used for set changes, which added to their shenanigans.

"Tiffany is brought to life by Josephine Giorgio, an outstanding young actor in her first role with Unseen. She breathes strength, determination and sheer witchiness as she battles not only the Faerie Queen, but the big questions in her life, such as why she wants her annoying little brother back, and exactly where is the witch school? During her adventure, which is an adventure of self-realisation, she is accompanied by the Wee Free Men, led by the Big Man of the Nac Mac Feegle clan, Rob Anybody, portrayed by Harold Roberts, resplendent in filthy Feegle gear, tattoos, tangled beard, and convincing accent..."

http://bit.ly/1rpVKw6

By Sebastian Cooper for InDaily:

"Directed and adapted for stage by Pamela Munt, The Wee Free Men is a light-hearted story which ebbs and flows at the whim of the actors. The Nac Mac Feegle – or Wee Free Men, as they are better known – form an important part of the story. The hilarious band of bumbling blue brutes love to steal, drink and fight, and are terrified of lawyers. Some questionable Glaswegian accents occasionally prove a burden when trying to follow the story, but they always provoke giggles. Giorgio refuses to be outshone by her funny and rowdy cast-mates, presenting Tiffany as headstrong and confident; she's a character audience members will cheer for. Capturing the naivety and wonderment of a child, however, can be difficult, and I missed that part of Tiffany. The use of the thieving Nac Mac Feegle to remove props and sets is a clever and humorous way to maximise a low-budget set design, while clever lighting and wonderful costumes make for fantastic visuals. Once again, Unseen Theatre Company has produced a wonderful tribute to Discworld and its late creator. This is a great production for adults and children alike, and a fantastic way to get your kids into literature by the great Terry Pratchett..."

http://indaily.com.au/arts-and-culture/theatre/2016/04/19/theatre-review-the-wee-free-men/

...and if you haven't time to visit the age and read the whole review right now, do have a shufti at this wonderful photo of Miss Tick and Tiffany:
http://indaily.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Wee-Free-Men-2-Bakehouse-Theatre.jpg – Ed.

By Anthony Vawser for Stage Whispers:

"The first half-hour or so is highly promising indeed, offering up generous servings of Pratchett's typically delightful wordplay and clever wit, delivered by the cast -- including, but not limited to, Olivia Cameron as Footnote the Narrator -- with sharp timing and elegant enunciation. There is also amusement generated in the early stages by illustrating comically quirky metaphysical ideas using decidedly low-tech design concepts. The characters of Tiffany, Toad, and Miss Tick establish themselves in their initial scene as an engaging and dynamic triple act. It is made clear that Tiffany will have a somewhat spikier personality than your average heroine, which adds an extra layer of intrigue. The blue-skinned title characters are colourfully quirky, making an undeniably impressive visual impact through facial hair-pieces and make-up. Toad is fantastically well-costumed in a yellow suit, complementing Hugh O'Connor's excellent physical acting and facial expressions, while Tiffany is herself appropriately tailored to remind us of Lewis Carroll's Alice. Unfortunately, the story that attempts to bring these elements together -- as well as to bring the audience along with them -- never quite becomes compelling enough, at least to a non-devotee of Terry Pratchett's writing. Though the plotting feels less busy and less convoluted here than what is usually found in the Discworld series, this reviewer found it less interesting and never fully engaging..."

http://www.stagewhispers.com.au/reviews/wee-free-men

By Nicola Woolford for Glam Adelaide:

"The Wee Free Men delivered tongue-in-cheek humour, honoured the fantasy of the original novel, and boasted an exemplary cast of amateur players. Giorgio in particular should be praised, as she displayed great talent for a year-12 student. The 'Wee Free Men' ensemble was unerring in their portrayal of the pilfering pixies. Munt's adaptation was peppered with clever, practical solutions – such as casting O'Conner as Toad, and her inventive use of the 'Wee Free Men'. Having a fully-grown man wearing a yellow suit, green tie and toe-socks with bright make-up at once added a note of absurdity to the play and brought the character of Toad to life..."

http://www.glamadelaide.com.au/main/theatre-review-the-wee-free-men/

by Ewart Shaw in the Advertiser:

"If you know Pratchett you'll appreciate the challenges which face the oxymoronically named Unseen Theatre. Their approach to magic is of the sleight of hand variety, now you see it, now you see someone moving it off the small Bakehouse stage... A lot of the useful details in the background have been lost in the adaptation, and there's a limit to how much the cute and articulate footnote (Olivia Cameron) can provide, but there are many laughs. Right at the end the witches arrive, Alycia Raebig as Miss Tick, Michelle Whichello as Nanny Ogg and, adaptor/director Pamela Munt as Granny Weatherwax, familiar characters to regular playgoers. There's a prediction. I feel a sequel coming on..."

http://bit.ly/1Wc3cWI

By Sarah-Jean for TREv:

"Eccentric, charming and endearing, The Wee Free Men follows the journey of young Tiffany in a journey of magic and self-discovery, as she battles swamp monsters, dream worlds and dromes in a mission to rescue her sticky and rather unlikeable little brother. Along the way she learns more about what it means to be yourself, and how quickly dreams and nightmares can collide. With a story as delightful as this, it's hard to go wrong. With a charming cast, the performance tends to favour comedy over depth. Josie Giorgio was a particular stand-out, bringing light to the role of Tiffany, and adding layers to the young witch-to-be. The Wee Free Men, and in particular Natalie Haigh's performance of No'-as-Big-as-Medium-Sized-Jock-but-Bigger-than-Wee-Jock-Jock, brought dynamism and charisma to the more 'dull' moments – leaving the audience laughing and engaged, while the tongue in cheek humour of Toad played by Hugh O'Connor brought a beautiful energy to the stage..."

http://trev.org.au/index.php?PID=2006

By Stephen Davenport for Barefoot Review:

"Cordial, stimulating, and above all funny, The Wee Free Men is a rare stage adaptation that more than lives up to the standard set by its creator, author, the late, Sir Terry Pratchett. A radiant roller-coaster jaunt of colour, exposition and fantastical incidents, Pamela Munt's stage version of Pratchett's first Discworld novel to feature Tiffany Aching (Josephine Girogio), is almost as entertaining as the book. And though a lot of that comes down to the show's intrepid direction, it's also due to the main attractions. In this adaptation that's not the clever and satirical dialogue, but the eccentricity of the fine ensemble and the delivery of the humorous lines... Munt devises and adapts the group's productions, and it consistently works. She also has the knack of finding performers who seamlessly transition between multiple characters, in scenes that are by turns animated and affecting... The show is an absolute riot of comedy and resourceful staging, as Tiffany leads us through a series of set pieces in the weird locations where, one by one, the naughty Pictsies dispose of the real and imagined enemies with brute force, ignorance and comic invention..."

http://www.thebarefootreview.com.au/menu/theatre/119-2014-adelaide-reviews/1382-the-wee-free-men.html

By Brian Godfrey for the Adelaide Theatre Guide:

"With many thoughts, ideas and plot lines running throughout, many scene changes into some very strange places and many, many varied and interesting characters running amok in the late Sir Terry Pratchett's novels; they have never lent themselves that easily to stage adaptations. Stephen Briggs has managed a few and for some time now so has Adelaide's Pamela Munt. Her versions are just getting better and better. 'The Wee Free Men' is Munt's latest attempt and it's pretty good. Although set in the Discworld and featuring some familiar characters, this story does not particularly require previous knowledge of Pratchett's work... As Toad, Hugh O'Connor gets the best and driest lines in the show, and delivers them superbly. His competition in the comedy stakes, however, are the 'Wee Free Men', in particular Harold Roberts as Rob Anybody. These blue-faced, kilted, Scottish-speaking wee ones are hilarious, bounding around on stage like the Keystone Kops on steroids..."

http://bit.ly/1SFRqS6

5.14 REVIEW: LORDS AND LADIES IN GOSPORT

In the Southern Daily Echo, either by Hilary Porter or Ed Howson:

"It's abundantly clear how much this company loves Terry Pratchett (it's Director Chris Blatch-Gainey's fourteenth TP play!), the 35-strong cast revelling in the storytelling of this multi-layered play/fairytale with its nods to Shakespeare's 'Midsummer Night's Dream' (Rustics performing a play for the King's wedding), 'Macbeth' (three witches) and Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings' (Elvish Archers). Set in Pratchett's Discworld, with plots too diverse to explain, we were transported to a world of evil elves, old-fashioned witches, paralytically shy royalty, academia, and bees! Narrated by Abi Philo as Footnote, we saw King Verance (sheepish David Powell) finally arrange to marry his love, apprentice witch Magrat (versatile Laura Woodward) while the villainous Elf Queen (Ashleigh Motley) was finally brought to heel by Emma Hughes's tenacious Granny Weatherwax and Jane Blatch-Gainey's deliciously coarse Nanny Ogg. Lovely cameos, too, from Bob Bell as the foghorn-voiced Archchancellor and Joe Allan's Harry Potter-esque Stibbons."

http://bit.ly/1Voeet2

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06) DISCWORLD GAMES NEWS

The City of Small Gods Terry Pratchett Fan Club in Adelaide, South Australia is having a Tabletop Day!

"On April 30th 2016, join us from 10am-8pm at La Scala Cafe, 169 Unley Road Unley in the function room. Bring games you'd like to play or borrow from the large collection loaned by members of CoSG and other attendees... We will have learn-to-play sessions for Thud, Ankh-Morpork, The Witches and Clacks!"

Entry is free, but the Club will be collecting donations for the Women's and Children's Hospital Kids FUNd.

http://cityofsmallgods.org.au/
http://tabletopday.com/

https://ausdwcon.org/fan-clubs/adelaide/international-tabletop-day-2016/

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07) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS: UPDATES AND REMINDERS

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), meets next on Monday 2nd Mayl 2016 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: "We are a newly established Terry Pratchett & Discworld social group in Canberra called Drumknott's Irregulars. The group is open to all, people from interstate and overseas are welcome, and our events will not be heavily themed. Come along to dinner for a chat and good company. We welcome people all all fandoms (and none) and we would love to see you at one of our events, even if you're just passing through. Please contact us via Facebook (_https://www.facebook.com/groups/824987924250161/_) or Google Groups (_https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars_) or join us at our next event."

*

There is a new public Facebook meeting group, "The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)": "This group, by request of Jo in Bear will continue to be used for future unofficial (not run by the Emporium) fan Gatherings in Wincanton. Look here for information."

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

*

The Pratchett Partisans are a fan group who meet monthly at either Brisbane or Indooroopilly to "eat, drink and chat about all things Pratchett. We hold events such as Discworld dinners, games afternoons, Discworld photo scavenger hunts. Our recent 'Murder In Morpork' mystery party was a great night out. With 26 people attending, we had 24 suspects, our special guest – Vetinari, and one dead mime! It was a fun night of food and murder and we are planning another Murder in December so stay tuned. We also attend opening night at Brisbane Arts Theatre's Discworld plays." The Partisans currently have about 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 on Terry's latest, craft, chain maille or costuming workshops or other fun social activities."

For more info, go to www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 5th May 2016 (probably) from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight. For more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) next meets on Friday 6th May 2016 (probably) at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists, a Pratchett fangroup, has been meeting on a regular basis since 2005 but is now looking to take in some new blood (presumably not in the non-reformed Uberwald manner). The Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, to discuss "all things Pratchett" as well as having quizzes and raffles. Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum:

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

*

Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet next on Monday 2nd May 2016 at 6.30pm (probably) in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney,2000. For more information, contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meets next on Monday 2nd May 2016 (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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08) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS

8.1 DISCWORLD.COM UPDATES

"A huge thank you from us all here at Discworld.com for your support of the Sir Terry Pratchett Memorial. If you were able to attend on the night, maybe even one of our lucky competition winners, we hope you enjoyed the evening and we look forward to seeing you at future events. We've received hundreds of requests to make available various items from the memorial goodie bags. Please check Discworld.com for the delightful dried frog pills, memorial lilac pin, Terry silhouette tote bag and some extra special postcards. And don't forget Slip of the Keyboard features Neil Gaiman's moving tribute to Terry and both The Dark Morris and The Making of a Man by Steeleye Span appear on the Wintersmith CD and DVD. All of which were performed beautifully on the night."

A Slip of the Keyboard, "Exclusively embossed with Terry's signature and sealed with his coat of arms", is priced at £10. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://discworld.com/products/books/a-slip-of-the-keyboard-2

The WIntersmith Single CD edition is priced at £12, while the Deluxe 2 CD edition is priced at £15. Both are "Exclusively sealed with Terry Pratchett's coat of arms". For more information, and to order, go to:

http://discworld.com/products/steeleye-span/

Also... "The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner" Collector's Edition Slipcase is now available for pre-order:

"A special slipcase edition of The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner, complete with a new foreword, critical commentaries, two bonus stories and a beautiful limited-edition print. The limited hardback edition will be a run of 5000 copies, inside a deluxe slipcase with silver foil printing and over a hundred black-and-white illustrations by Mark Beech. Each story shows the seed of an idea, which Terry developed in his later writing. A critical commentary will accompany each story, highlighting where particular ideas and characters appear elsewhere in Terry's work. A must-have for any Pratchett fan."

The special slipcase edition of The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner is priced at £30.00. For more information, and to pre-order, go to:

http://bit.ly/1roJlrR

8.2 DISCWORLD EMPORIUM UPDATES

* New Discworld stamps!

"Introducing Four new Discworld Stamps from the Ankh-Morpork Post Office, produced in affiliation with the Unseen University and celebrating Rincewind's specialist subject, The Cruel and Unusual Geography of Discworld! This set of sixpence issues comprises four designs featuring Cori Celesti, the Fat Geysers of Uberwald, the Wyrmberg and the mysterious sunken island of Leshp! These extraordinary little issues are available to collect as a set of individual stamps, presented together on on beautiful whole sheets, or in the latest 'Little Brown Envelope' - a 'lucky dip' assortment of Discworld stamps with a chance of sports and rarities."

For more information, and to order, go to:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/discworld-stamps/new%20stamps

* Terry Pratchett's Discworld Colouring Book!

"Paul Kidby has designed the covers for the Discworld novels since 2002, and is the author and artist of the The Art Of Discworld. If Terry Pratchett's pen gave his characters life, Paul Kidby's brush allowed them to live it. Containing black-and-white line drawings based on Sir Terry Pratchett's Best Loved characters, his hugely popular artwork as well as original pieces produced exclusively for this book - featuring such iconic Discworld personalities as Granny Weatherwax, Sam Vimes, Archchancellor Ridcully, Rincewind, Tiffany Aching and, of course, DEATH - Terry Pratchett's Discworld Colouring Book is required ...reading? ...for all Discworld fans."

The Discworld Colouring Book will be published on 11th August 2016. It is priced at £9.99, plus shipping, and comes with a free The Turtle Moves bookmark. For more information, and to pre-order, go to:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/new-terry-pratchett-books/discworld-colouring-book

* The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner hardcover!

"An illustrated collection of short stories by master storyteller Sir Terry Pratchett, featuring food fights, pirates, wizards and crooks! Poor Mr Swimble is having a bad day. Rabbits are bouncing out of his hat, pigeons are flying out of his jacket and every time he points his finger, something magically appears – cheese sandwiches, socks . . . even a small yellow elephant on wheels! It's becoming a real nuisance – and he's allergic to rabbits. His friends at the Magic Rectangle can't help, but the mysterious vacuum cleaner he saw that morning may have something to do with it . . . Fourteen fantastically funny stories from master storyteller Sir Terry Pratchett, full of food fights, pirates, wizards and crooks!"

The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner will be published on 25th August 2016. It is priced at £12.99, plus shipping, and comes with a free The Turtle Moves bookmark. For more information, and to pre-order, go to:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/new-terry-pratchett-books/terry-pratchett-witchs-vaccuum-cleaner

* The Long Cosmos hardcover

"The fifth book in Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter's science fiction collaboration, The Long Earth series. 2070-71. Nearly six decades after Step Day and in the Long Earth, the new Next post-human society continues to evolve. For Joshua Valiente, now in his late sixties, it is time to take one last solo journey into the High Mergers: an adventure that turns into a disaster. Alone and facing death, his only hope of salvation lies with a group of trolls. But as Joshua confronts his mortality, the Long Earth receives a signal from the stars. A signal that is picked up by radio astronomers but also in more abstract ways – by the trolls and by the Great Traverse rs. Its message is simple but its implications are enormous: JOIN US."

The Long Cosmos will be published on 14th June 2016. It is priced at £18.99, plus shipping, and comes with a free The Turtle Moves bookmark. For more information, and to pre-order, go to:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/new-terry-pratchett-books/terry-pratchett-the-long-cosmos

* Seriously Funny: the Endlessly Quotable Terry Pratchett

"The most quotable writer of our time, Terry Pratchett's unique brand of wit made him both a bestseller and an encyclopedic source of modern wisdom. This endearing little book is a collection of his funniest and most memorable words about life, the universe and snoring - for whenever you need a drop of Pratchett wisdom! 128 pages."

This is a collection of quotes, but no information seems to be forthcoming about who collected or edited it. If you are willing to play lucky dip with your hard-earned, Seriously Funny is priced at £9.99, plus shipping, and comes with a free The Turtle Moves bookmark. For more information, and to pre-order, go to:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/new-terry-pratchett-books/terry-pratchett-seriously-funny

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09) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

Blog reviews of the Terry Pratchett Memorial Event...

By Hermie One:

"With little detail about proceedings released beforehand it was an evening of surprises, the first of which was the discovery of a generous goody bag on every seat. Containing a wonderful first and very special edition book, a beautiful commemorative lilac pin, dried frog pill mints, a quintet of postcards, a packet of tissues and a small bottle of Ankh Morpork water, it was a thoughtful and unexpected moment... starting with a wonderful choral rendition of Thomas Tallis' Spem in Alium and ending with an audience singalong to Always Look on the Bright Side of Life. In between, Steeleye Span performed two songs from their hauntingly beautiful adaptation of Wintersmith as well as the classic Thomas the Rhymer. The wonderful Rob Wilkins was the perfect host whilst Rhianna Pratchett shared her memories of a father who truly showed her magic. Watching her place his sword, Thunderbolt Iron, alongside his trademark black hat (later bequeathed to his friend and co-author Neil Gaiman) was a poignant moment. The general mood, however matched that of his books – a joyful celebration of the absurdity of human life and death... I particularly enjoyed the musings of Dr Patrick Harkin and Bernard Pearson who fondly recalled Terry's seemingly insatiable demand for random facts, including how much ear wax a person produces in a lifetime. Neil Gaiman spoke of his friend who was jolly (and possibly other words ending in Olly) yet, like my favourite Discworld creation Sam Vimes, was also fuelled by anger and a keen sense of fairness. Three hours after taking our seats, the evening drew to a close and for once we really were glad to have let Lord Vetinari detain us!"

https://wwtdblog.wordpress.com/2016/04/18/terry-pratchett-memorial-review/

By Aran Ward Sell:

"When I got to my seat I was delighted to find a black tote bag waiting for me, emblazoned with a silhouette of Sir Terry's face and iconic 'Author Hat'. This contained a number of mementoes, many referencing minor in-jokes from the Discworld novels, including a beautiful Lilac pin to be worn on the glorious 25th of May. It was classy in exactly the right, jovial, slightly sniggery way. Just before the event began, someone scurried along and took the empty seat to my left; a dedicated Pratchett fan had travelled up from Cardiff in the vague hope of getting a ticket on the door, and had been given my spare by the Barbican staff. She was exhilarated and I felt delighted to have accidentally improved someone's night...

"It was beautiful in parts, and even though I don't particularly like the music of Steeleye Span I cried when Steeleye Span came onstage and played 'The Dark Morris' because they were the right people, playing the right song. Terry's daughter Rhianna gave a touching and obviously difficult elegy. Neil Gaiman appeared onstage to gasps and cheers, and read out his own, accurate summation of how the rage which powered Terry's writing made it into so much more than merely comic writing. When Gaiman had finished, Wilkins presented him with the real Author Hat, a genuinely touching moment. Tony Robinson read out a piece of Tarry's own, and several former editors and associates spoke, and Lord Vetinari spoke on behalf of Terry's characters even though he's made up and not real... on some levels it didn't really matter what was said in the memorial, anyway. It was the right place to be. People gather at memorials and scatter flowers for a reason. They mob David Bowie's mural in Brixton on the night of his death for a reason. Sir Terry made Death into a sympathetic, compassionate (but very, very good at his job) character for a reason. There is sentiment behind these reasons but sentiment is not a dirty word, and a coming-together over death of the beloved (beloved soul, beloved books, beloved words) is right, and I'm glad I was there..."

https://reasonstoremain.co.uk/2016/04/17/jon-mcgregor-and-terry-pratchett/

By Manaburnt:

"Yesterday evening we had the infinite pleasure to assist the Terry Pratchett memorial at the Barbican Theatre (London). A very selective event, kept very hush-hush, but magical nonetheless. We cried as much as we laughed through the nearly 3 hours the celebration went on for... Rob Wilkins was more than a host or presenter; he acted like a dear friend to the audience, sharing experiences, comments and anecdotes from his time with Terry. Many of the author's friends came to the stage: publishers, editors, colleagues, it was a wholesome symphony of praise, respect and love for one of Britain's most popular and beloved writers. Everyone had kind words for him not only as a professional, but as a person. Rhianna Pratchett came to the stage to share her memories of him as a father, privilege she has only amongst anyone.

"I could not help but feel that, despite I never met him – for by the time I came to the UK his illness was advanced, and I did not have the chance to go to a book signing or a convention – I somehow knew him, as a mentor, as a role model. As an inspiring figure, with all his complexities. I guess all these emotions became much more real when Neil Gaiman entered the scene and proceeded to read a piece I already knew – his introduction to A Slip of the Keyboard. I knew the piece, almost by heart. But I had only read it, I hadn't been told it. Suddenly these words, that I thought I comprehended, took new real meanings. An overwhelming emotional wave took me by surprise – I don't think I have recovered quite yet; I could hardly go to sleep last night after that..."

https://manaburnt.wordpress.com/2016/04/15/terry-practchett-a-memorial/

By the Bookwitch:

"There was a choir. There was a display of all of Terry's books travelling through a time glass. Lord Vetinari kicked off – after the death threats – by thanking Terry from all his characters for putting them in his books before they ended up in someone else's books. After a long-wished-for opportunity to utter the words 'do not let me detain you' to Vetinari, Rob was there to speak for the family, introducing others, including Terry's daughter Rhianna. There were people from Terry's past (whom I might have known if I knew more). There was a coven of Terry's three editors; Philippa Dickinson, Anne Hoppe and Jennifer Brehl. Only once did Philippa fear she'd gone too far in suggesting a change in one of the books, but whereas Terry wouldn't go so far as to say she had been right, he could see some merit in what she said...

"And then there was Steeleye Span. You could hear the collective held breath of the audience as we deduced we were about to be treated to some top notch music from Terry's favourite band. You can't send just anyone in after such a music display, and they didn't. We got Neil Gaiman, who had flown in specially for his old friend, reading his foreword to A Slip of the Keyboard, including the tale of their long trek through San Francisco when they really should have been on live radio. He was also able to spill the beans on a Manchester bookshop that did get a minus star in Terry's ratings. (It's when the staff lock themselves in and won't come out until the customers have gone away.) ... Rob was aware that the clock was ticking, but he still talked us through what the future has in store. There will be no more Discworld books, but there will be books on all sorts of things, including a biography by Rob. Films are also in the pipeline, for The Wee Free Men, Mort, and Good Omens (with screenplay by Neil Gaiman, despite his agreement with Terry that they'd always work together). And lots more."

https://bookwitch.wordpress.com/2016/04/15/teary-about-terry/

Next, a couple of reviews/deconstructions from blogging collective Hubward Ho...

Mort:
"Returning to this book for a reread, I can happily say that Mort still works in the ways it first worked for me. Pratchett does quite so much right, and some of his scenes here rank among Discworld's most iconic. Take the scene in which Mort, all alone, meets Death for the first time. In the empty town square, in the cold and the dark, on Hogswatch night, this awkward boy takes his first tantalizing steps into a world much bigger than he, and in some ways it feels like our first proper introduction to the Discworld. Death looms, Death falls down—Pratchett tells us everything we need to know about everybody's favorite anthropomorphic personification to be going on with. Likewise, take the scene in which Mort, all alone, meets death for the first time. The scene is poignant and bittersweet, and again we get a deft introduction to the world of the Disc. These moments sing.

"And there are the characters themselves. Mort is a sympathetically beleaguered character. Ysabell's abrasive personality belies a lonely interior. And there's Death, immediately majestic, mysteriously, and ironically mundane. He's the real success of this book, but Mort and Ysabell (and to a lesser extent Keli and Cutwell and Albert) are competently drawn. Like many of Pratchett's early characters, there's not much complexity to these people and I'm not sure they quite come alive for me, but they do provide a sturdily built structure on which to hang a narrative. Narrative, however, is where things go a little off the rails. Despite great scenes and reasonably interesting characters, the resolution of the plot is a mess. This is early days for Pratchett, and you can tell that he's still working out how to structure his books..."

http://hubwardho.com/2016/04/01/you-could-have-had-eternity-mort

Reaper Man:
"The Dark Morris is one of my favorite Pratchett inventions. The idea feels narratively and culturally resonant. If there's a Morris to enact the rebirth of the sun, surely there's a Morris to enact its death? How logically Pratchett. (It is without shame that I admit to whooping aloud when I realized that Wintersmith, one of Pratchett's best books, begins and ends with and just generally has a lot to do with the Dark Morris.) When Pratchett writes about the dance, he sets it up immediately as a counterpoint to what he describes as the typical human relationship to nature—running over a sheep with your Volvo. On one hand, you have a mass-produced machine that disconnects those who make from those who consume. On the other hand, you have a dance that begins in folk wisdom and ends with feet moving over soil, in the dark, as the cold sets in, reifying tradition. This dichotomy informs Reaper Man, which can be read as a blunt indictment of mass thinking, consumerism, and rampant capitalist consumption.

"However, the book takes place in Ankh-Morpork—a pit of feints and fobs and woolly commercial schemes, a colonizer of the world through production and communication, and yet the city from which all civilizations in all the universes are made. How does a writer who created Ankh-Morpork, who celebrates street quackery, the printing press, and the steam engine, nonetheless condemn the shopping mall and the combine harvester? This question has been playing in my mind for a while, and Reaper Man offers some ideas. Reaper Man reminded me that Pratchett's writing is often an exercise in reconciling possible contradiction. Consider: Discworld's ideology is politically and socially progressive, liberatory toward knowledge, and interested in commonality, but the world in which that ideology unfolds is distinctly Victorian... The answer, I think, is that pretty much anything goes in Pratchett's world as long as it goes with empathy. Characters like the Auditors (and Trymon and Astfgl) have the knowledge to make order but not the compassion. Even the highwayman is better than the soulless thing that brings the artless shopping cart into being—note how the criminals of Pratchett's world are often hard-working people who care deeply about their craft and serving their victims customers well. Personal is necessary..."

https://hubwardho.com/2016/04/27/effort-and-load-rereading-reaper-man/

A review of The Folklore of Discworld by bilingual Finnish blogger Thoughts on X:

"I just read this book a second time, and it was really fast going and entertaining — I can't remember when I last read a nonfiction book that went so smoothly. Speaking of nonfiction, the book is still written as if the Discworld is real and the similarities to our world are coincidences or the result of ideas floating around the multiverse. I found this slightly tiresome, especially as it ended up repeating the same 'jokes'. Also, for a nonfiction book, this book didn't always say everything quite explicitly — whether because of the above or for something else like irony. This mostly works quite smoothly, but sometimes, it left me wondering about small details. There was a slight potential for confusion as to whether things said were true in our world, our folklore, the Discworld, or their folklore, or whether they were being said as part of the joke that pretends the relationship between these is different than it really is. But like I said, it was well written and this was hardly ever really a problem. It's just not what I'm used to from nonfiction. I wonder if Pratchett could even have got away with writing in a more matter-of-fact tone..."
http://bit.ly/1NHQGwD

A review of A Slip of the Keyboard by blogger Owen Kelly:

"This book is the first of his that I have read that is not fiction but is the author's own thoughts not framed by the customary characters of Ankh Morpork or the Unseen University, even though I still catch glimpses of their presence hidden in the shadows. There are four sections to the book covering various elements categorised as collections usually are and there is a certain amount of repetition which I haven't fully decided whether it's a good or bad thing but just accepted it as part of the experience.

"I haven't been to a Science Fiction conference and doubt I will and I haven't got the patience to queue up for a book signing but I did find the speeches and writings on these subjects interesting along with the process of writing and having to deal with fan letters and the like. I had always thought that his first Discworld book 'A Colour of Magic' was not his best and I think he felt the same, in my opinion the series got better and better and that was one of the things I liked. When I look at my favourite music groups and artists I often note that the best of them grow and develop and witnessing that process draws me even closer, I don't think music artists get much of a chance at this nowadays. In film I always dread the sequel or follow up as it so often fails to improve. I was also surprised that the book 'Nation' was so high on his list; it is on mine, even though I always felt a bit guilty as it wasn't part of the Discworld series of which I am such a fan. I found these and many other small comments on his own writings really illuminating and enjoyable, like having a discussion with a friend. I was drawn into reading more, many of the chapters are quite short and I would say to myself just one more and I'll leave it there for the night and an hour later I would say the same thing again..."

https://sightssoundsandsensibility.wordpress.com/2016/03/29/a-book-review-by-dad/

...and finally, some delighted words about Thud! from second-generation Pratchett newbie Mummiebirch:

"My mum was a huge fan of Terry Pratchett and she used to always go on and on about how I should give his books a chance. When I was younger just reading the blurb was too much for me, too many long words and confusing names like Ankh-Morpork and Pseudopolis Yard, but after studying Shakespeare for a year and as I'm now, as much as I hate to admit it, an adult I've gotten used to long words and decided I'd give it another go. I've recently finished reading Thud! by Terry Pratchett and I wasn't able to put it down! From Commander Vimes to Sally the vampire, the characters completely won me over. I'm very picky about books and usually put them down before the end of the first chapter if they haven't caught my attention. It was a slow start as I hadn't chosen the best first book to join the Discworld with, it kind of expected you to know some of the characters, but I kept with it and don't regret it at all... My favourite aspect of the book has to be how relatable, yet unrealistic it is. We don't have trolls, werewolves and vampires but I do, like Commander Vimes, have a set time for bedtime stories that I would NEVER miss. .."

https://thelifeofrhirhi.wordpress.com/2016/04/12/thud/

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10) ROUNDWORLD TALES: THE REAL (ROUND) W0RLD OF POO

"Poo is all around us and inside us, but we ignore it," says Daniel Roberts, co-curator of a very unusual new museum in the Isle of Wight that would delight Young Sam:

"A museum dedicated to excrement, with examples from the animal and human world, has opened to the public. The exhibition at the Isle of Wight Zoo features faeces from animals such as elks and lions as well as a human baby. The National Poo Museum has been created by members of the artist collective Eccleston George... Twenty illuminated resin spheres show off the different types of faeces with facts hidden behind toilet lids on the museum walls. Samples of faeces have been gathered from around the world as well as donations received from the Isle of Wight Zoo and Dinosaur Isle museum. The display also includes fossilised poo (coprolites) dating back 140 million years as well as a tawny owl pellet containing bones and teeth..."

The, er, specimens are dried in a specially-built desiccating machine before being displayed. Don't forget your bucket...

More information – and photographs! – can be found at:

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-hampshire-35957829

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11) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

Paul Kidby and Stephen Briggs, flanking Rob Wilkins, show their Venerable Order of the Honeybee medals:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cga9hHQWIAAjjaN.jpg

Neil Gaiman, wearing The Hat:
https://twitter.com/neilhimself/status/720758855999819777/photo/1

Adorable rendering of Mort, Ysabell, Keli and Death by Disney artist Claire Keane:
http://bit.ly/1VEbZBZ

Steeleye Span performing at the Pratchett Memorial:
http://www.thebookseller.com/sites/default/files/IMG_3286_0.JPG

Some cast photos from The Shakespeare Codex:
http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/gallery-2

...an amazing photo by Michael Errey of Harold Roberts as Rob Anybody:
http://bit.ly/1qH421L

...here we have Tiffany and the witches:
http://bit.ly/1XNBbng

...and the full cast takes a bow after their sold-out run:
http://bit.ly/1MMhJqA

From the Discworld Collectors' Guild (_https://twitter.com/DWCGArchive_), here be Pterry and Rob in Lego (although it looks more than a bit like Rob is impersonating Neil Gaiman!):
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CejNcK6W8AA0ae6.jpg

The Studio Theatre Club shows how to "do" elves right, from the run-up to their premiere of the Stephen Briggs play "The Shakespeare Code":
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CfW7fX3W4AE9G9S.jpg

Discworld cosplayers at 2016 Adelaide Comic Con! A perfect Tiffany (including a cleverly constructed "hat full of sky"), An appropriately floral Magrat, and an adorable "kitten version" of Greebo:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cfqo3agVIAEjjzF.jpg

...and surely the best Rincewind action figure ever:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cfqozk3UkAAjXmA.jpg

...and finally, Rob Wilkins' birthday tweet to his late employer, on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/terryandrob/status/725718349112561664

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12 CLOSE

Whew! Almost at the finish line... but a few bits first!

Jim Vision, the marvellous public artist who painted the Pratchett memorial in Brick Lane and also Pratchetted half a boat (see item 4.5 in the November 2015 main issue), has now completed "The Great A'Tuin" barge! Here be the photo he posted:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEwGHGZv95M/

...and an action relay of the starboard side:
http://www.endoftheline.co/the-terry-pratchett-boat-starboard-side/

As Sir Pterry showed us why spelling is important (remember the Seriph of Al Ybi?), so The Bookseller website shows why grammar is also important: "While Transworld has not released any more details on the projects, Wilkins revealed he would be writing the biography on stage at the end of the memorial..." Hmm. Either it's going to be a very, very short biography or Rob Wilkins has 1) super-speed powers or 2) a very sore hand. Need some liniment for that, Rob?

Here be a quite decent quiz on the works of Pratchett, in The Guardian: http://bit.ly/1TyA3CV

Welsh illustrator John Avon's lovely cover for Johnny and the Dead is only a fraction of his vast catalogue. Have a shufti:
http://johnavonart.com/gallery/book-covers.html

And that's the lot for April. 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) 2016 by Klatchian Foreign Legion

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
February 2016 (Volume 19, Issue 2, 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) THE PRATCHETT STATUE: UPDATES
04) ODDS AND SODS
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
07) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
09) CLOSE

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"He would have said something a bit sarcastic about it, and have been secretly very pleased. And then he would have discovered that you can hide something inside a statue, and confided in all his friends that in a few hundred years people would be in for a surprise."
– Neil Gaiman, commenting on the proposed Terry Pratchett statue

"Laughter can get through the keyhole while seriousness is still hammering on the door."
– Sir Terry Pratchett, in his Carnegie Medal acceptance speech for TAMAHER

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

A very short issue this month – and that's even with the extra day. This is due more to a lack of time than a lack of news! Fear not, there will be a fuller issue next month.

Some of you may be aware of a formal memorial to Sir Pterry that will take place in London this April. Tickets can still be applied for up through the 14th of March via the Discworld.com page (_http://discworld.com/memorial/_): "You may request a single ticket or a pair. Tickets will be chosen at random and successful applicants will be contacted as soon as possible after the ballot closes. Please note; the memorial will not be broadcast or live streamed." At this time, it's worth remembering that Pratchett and Discworld fans in the millions live far beyond the catchment area for this event -- so why don't the rest of us who can't attend the London memorial think about holding our own memorial gatherings, eh? Over to you, AusDWcon gang and Seamstresses' Guild of North America and Cabbagecon and IDWcon and and and...

Action on the Discworld plays front abounds this month, with productions cropping up in such places as Finland, Switzerland and Germany as well as the more "usual" countries. See item 5, all fifteen parts of it...

And now, on with the show!

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) THE PRATCHETT STATUE: UPDATES

First a blue plaque in his local library, now a bronze statue in Salisbury! Paul Kidby says:

"I am delighted that Salisbury City Council has given the thumbs up to the proposal of a bronze statue of Sir Terry Pratchett for the city. Designs and plans can now progress to the next stage. I am proud to be the chosen artist to create this piece and very much look forward to sculpting Terry. I hope the end result will be an unsentimental and a happy depiction of the author, which celebrates his achievements both literary and philanthropic and brings pride to the people of Salisbury. Thanks to Emily Brand for getting the campaign up and running and to all the 9000+ (and counting) people who signed the petition calling for the sculpture to be made. If you haven’t yet signed and would like to back the project here’s the link: http://chn.ge/1Jn8iVs "

http://www.paulkidby.com/salisbury-council-backs-sir-terry-pratchett-statue/

...and proposes:

“I propose a life-sized statue of Terry to be cast in bronze using the lost wax process at a UK foundry. The sculpt I would like to create would depict the author standing in a relaxed pose wearing his iconic hat and carrying a book under his arm, the cover of which features the Discworld turtle logo and no text, or alternatively the book cover could simply say ‘Discworld’. Terry would be wearing his leather jacket and open necked button up shirt, trousers and shoes. In the top pocket of his jacket are some pens.

"I imagine the figure standing on a flat base, also of bronze, which would be enscripted with his name and the dates of his life. The final text can be as requested by his family. The central part of this base would feature a simplified rendition of the turtle logo. I think a flat base would work better than a raised plinth because it gives the piece a contemporary feel and makes it more directly accessible to visitors. People would have easy access for photos thus enabling a sense of ownership to the fans who might visit.

"There is the possibility to add some Nac Mac Feegles (Scottish-style pixies from Pratchett’s writing) to the sculpture which would add an element of humour and surprise to the piece. I think these Feegles would be best placed behind Terry’s feet so they only visible when walking to the back of the sculpture. I think they should be doing something mischievous such as prising the letters off the base and carrying them off – or similar. These small characters would bring an aspect of his Discworld creation directly into the overall piece. All in all I would hope the sculpture would be unsentimental and a happy depiction of the author that celebrates his achievements and brings pride to the people of Salisbury."

From the BBC:

"Plans for a life-sized bronze statue of Sir Terry Pratchett for Salisbury have been backed by the city council. The statue would be designed by Paul Kidby who illustrated many of the book covers for the Discworld books of Sir Terry, who lived locally. Mr Kidby said: 'It would be beneficial for Salisbury to have a permanent sculpture of Terry because he had such a big influence on popular culture.' The hope is to install the statue in the marketplace or Elizabeth Gardens. Although Salisbury City Council's services committee has backed the plans, money still needs to be raised to build it and planning consent also needs to be obtained... The campaign to build the statue is being led by Mr Kidby with the support of Sir Terry's family. 'Terry was always like, "I don't want pigeons sitting on my head",' Mr Kidby continued. 'His take on it was always off on a tangent but we hope he will be pleased if it goes ahead.' The aim is to pay for the statue through crowd-funding and sponsorship from local companies..."

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-35523353

From Salisbury Council itself:

"While there are a variety of tributes to Sir Terry, ranging from the Baron Statue to pub signs, this would be the first permanent, public statue of the literary figure in the whole of the UK, and as such would become a significant cultural landmark.We started a petition roughly 3 months ago to gauge public interest in the project, and have so far received over 2,600 signatures from both the UK and across the world from places such as Russia and Norway. Many of these responses included messages of overwhelming support, a large number of which suggested that such a statue would positively influence their decisions to visit Salisbury above other locations in the UK... Salisbury already has a strong art and culture reputation: an example of this is the Salisbury Art Trail in October 2015, which involved around 60 venues and over 100 local artists. A statue of Sir Terry as a local author with international appeal can only add to this reputation and encourage even further participation. The statue could also make a significant landmark in the Salisbury Heritage Trail."

http://bit.ly/1VXODUh (Editor's note: this is a .pdf file)

From The Guardian:

"Campaigners will now work out how much the statue will cost, and will then either launch a crowdfunding campaign, or look for local sponsorship. 'Once we have an official final design and location … we will move forward,' [Ms Emily] Brand said. 'It's a long-term project, but the overwhelmingly positive messages we've received from around the world show how important recognising Sir Terry's work is to the fans that adored his work.'..."

http://bit.ly/1V0W3Gg

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04) ODDS AND SODS

4.1 THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN LONGLISTED FOR CARNEGIE MEDAL

From The Guardian:

"The CILIP Carnegie, which dates back to 1936 and has been won by names from Arthur Ransome to Noel Streatfeild, was Pratchett’s first major book prize when he won it in 2002. The author, who died last year after being diagnosed in 2007 with a rare form of Alzheimer’s, won the Carnegie in 2002 with his first novel for children, The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents... Winning the prize 14 years ago, Pratchett gave a barnstorming acceptance speech in which he laid out the difference in the way he was viewed as a writer in the US and in the UK. 'Over there, where I've only recently made much of an impression, the reviews tended to be quite serious and detailed, with – as Maurice himself would have put it, "long words, like corrugated iron". Over here, while being very nice, they tended towards the "another wacky, zany book by comic author Terry Pratchett". In fact, Maurice has no wack and very little zane. It's quite a serious book. Only the scenery is funny,' said Pratchett at the time... This year, The Shepherd's Crown, which continues the adventures of Pratchett's teenage witch Tiffany Aching, is up against a host of former winners... The medals are judged by panels of expert librarians..."

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/feb/16/terry-pratchetts-final-novel-longlist-carnegie-medal-the-shepherds-crown

Editor's note: there are 20 books longlisted. The shortlist will be announced on the 15th of March; the winners, on the 20th of June.

4.2 REVIEW: THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN

I may have missed this one last year. It's by Amanda Craig in The Guardian, August 2015:

"Pratchett, with his sardonic inventiveness, social satire, play on language, deep feeling for landscape and love of what is best in human nature, had less critical praise than he deserved. His heroes and heroines are not royalty in disguise, but thieves, con-men, shepherds, soldiers and midwives. In his championing of the ordinary, the sensible and the slightly silly he went against the grain – and never more so than in creating Tiffany Aching. Tiffany, like her author, is patronised for all kinds of absurd reasons. She is young, and the daughter of a working-class family who joke after a hard day’s work that they are “Aching all over”. Other witches believe she can’t be a witch because she comes from the wrong kind of land, the Chalk, supposedly too weak to be magical. She has a sense of humour so dry that it passes most other characters by. As a witch, she becomes a kind of health visitor on a broomstick, helping with births, deaths, arthritis and the cutting of old men’s toenails. Yet she has defended her land and its people from its greatest enemies, and the most terrifying witch in Discworld has chosen her for an heir...

"How can our heroine step into the shoes of Granny Weatherwax? Can she follow her own path as a witch, even if it means abjuring romantic happiness with her medical student boyfriend? Older witches, such as the nauseating Mrs Earwig, sneer at her inexperience. It’s when the Queen of the Elves, ousted from Fairyland in a political coup, turns up naked and close to death on Tiffany’s doorstep that the fun really begins. Of course it is riotously funny, with the gloriously irrepressible Nac Mac Feegles having the best jokes and fights; as bright blue warriors otherwise known as the Wee Free Men they are shrunken but fearsome Scottish Nationalists; the Elves and their quarrels may well recall other politicians south of the border. The real battle, however, is between selfishness and duty. Pratchett has rarely been so direct. It’s tempting to think that in this, his last book, he felt able to drop his customary teasing through footnotes and explain what empathy is... We are so used to the way George RR Martin or Joe Abercrombie or even Ursula le Guin show us fantasy worlds riven with cruelty, that perhaps the kindliness of Discworld is more subversive than it seems. It is, in essence, a humanist’s creation in which laughter, as Nabokov said, is the best pesticide, and humour as potent as swords..."

http://bit.ly/1hMrs1T

4.3 ORANGUTAN INTERACTIVE GAMES

No, we've not yet reached the point of being able to play Clacks against our orange-haired distant cousins, but this is a start...

"Orang-utans at Melbourne Zoo are taking part in a world-first research project aimed at giving the great apes greater choice and control over how and when they interact with visitors. The research project, conducted by the University of Melbourne in collaboration with Zoos Victoria and the Microsoft Research Centre for Social Natural User Interfaces, aims to better understand the ways orang-utans interact with technology and how they make choices through specially designed games. The games incorporate the Microsoft Xbox Kinect to project onto the floor of the orang-utans' exhibit and then operate as a touch-screen, using Kinect 3D technology to sense the animals' movements when they choose to interact with the projections. Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water, Lisa Neville and Minister for Small Business, Innovation and Trade, Philip Dalidakis, visited Melbourne Zoo to test their nous against Malu, a 12-year old Sumatran Orang-utan, in a series of basic games specifically designed to encourage Malu's problem solving ability. In a unique feature of this research project, the choice was left completely up to Malu as to if, when, and how, he wanted to interact with the Ministers...".

The page includes a short (under three minutes) video in which Dr Sally Sherwin, Sarah Webber and Dr Marcus Carter explain the concept and its implementation, and the orangutans are shown interacting with the games!

http://www.zoo.org.au/news/world-first-study-gives-orang-utans-the-choice

4.4 A POSSIBLE COMMEMORATIVE SIGN IN WINCANTON

From the Western Gazette:

"Discworld Emporium owner Bernard Pearson revealed that he thought a memorial for his friend in the town would be good for Wincanton, following the news that Salisbury city council is supporting a project to create a life-sized bronze statue of the author there. Mr Pearson suggested the new statue in Salisbury and more Pratchett related attractions in Wincanton could form fitting spots on a tour remembering the prolific storyteller. He said: 'The Salisbury statue is a brilliant idea and there certainly should be something in Wincanton. We would like to make it so that Terry's fans visit the statue in Salisbury before coming here to the Emporium and to visit the pubs where he drank. We hope a new town sign is commissioned and gets the go ahead because people already come to the town to pose under the sign for pictures – it's a bit of a tourist attraction in itself – and some new artwork could make it even more of a draw.' Mr Pearson explained that tourists posed for photographs with the town's signs because they proudly display its twinned status with fictional settlement Ankh-Morpork, which has been in place since 2002. Town council clerk, Sam Atherton, confirmed discussions were underway. She said: "The council are in talks with Bernard to design new signage for the entrance to the town. This in memory of Terry.' ..."

http://bit.ly/1Lp90cP

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05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

5.0 REMINDER: THE SHAKESPEARE CODEX IS COMING!

The Studio Theatre Club, "the first, ever, anywhere in the world, to dramatise the works of Sir Terry Pratchett", will present the world premiere of The Shakespeare Codex by Stephen Briggs, the world's *premier* adapter of Discworld stories for the stage. If any of you haven't been following the pre-production announcements, The Shakespeare Codex is a mashup of The Science of Discworld II: the Globe, Lords & Ladies, and A Midsummer Night's Dream (the last one wasn't written by Terry Pratchett, of course), starring Ridcully, Rincewind, Granny Weatherwax, Angua, Vetinari, that Shakespeare feller, a noted 16th-century monarch – and noted Shakespeare impersonator, the Earl of Oxford.

When: 6th to 9th April 2016
Venue: Unicorn Theatre, Medieval Abbey Buildings, Checker Walk/Thames Street, Abingdon, OXON OX14 3HZ
Time: 7.30pm evening shows; Saturday matinee time not posted
Tickets: £10 (Wed./Thu.) and £11 (Friday and Saturday matinee). The Saturday evening show is already sold out. Tickets are sold via post, but phone and email requests can be made. For full information on ordering tickets, go to:
http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/ordering-tickets

http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/whats-next
http://www.shakespearecodex.co.uk/

5.1 NEW: MORT IN BRIGHTON: A SPECIAL PTERRY TRIBUTE READING (MARCH)

The New Venture Theatre will be presenting a special tribute "performed reading" of Mort – the Stephen Briggs adaptation, directed by Dan Walker – in March: "One year after his passing, this Performed Reading is a celebration of Terry Pratchett’s life and work, and features one of his most popular and humanitarian characters: Death Himself."

When: 11th and 12th March 2016
Venue: Theatre Upstairs, New Venture Theatre, Bedford Place, Brighton, BN1 2PT
Time: 7:45pm both shows
Tickets: £6.00, available from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/117203

"Please note that access to the Theatre Upstairs is only possible by 4 flights of stairs, and therefore may not be suitable for those with mobility difficulties."

http://www.newventure.org.uk/

5.2 NEW: MASKERADE IN SOUTHEND (MARCH)

Maskerade is coming to Southend in March! Director Mark Delf writes: "East Essex Players are once again climbing aboard the Great A'Tuin as they bring the late and great Terry Pratchett's tale of opera phantoms to Southend. The theatre company brought Wyrd Sisters to life in November 2014 to sold out audiences and are hoping to recreate its success again March this year. We had such a great time working on Wyrd Sisters and look forward to the same challenge with Maskerade" says East Essex Players chairman Hazel Latcham, "Due to its popularity we are even sticking in two extra performances due to how quickly it sold out!"

When: 15th - 19th March 2016
Venue: Dixon Studio, Palace Theatre, 430 London Road, Southend, Essex, SS0 9LA (phone 01702 351135)
Time: all evening shows 7.30pm. Matinees on Thursday 17th and Saturday 19th March 2.30pm
Tickets: £11.50 and £12.50. A £1.50 per ticket booking fee applies capped at six per order. To purchase online, go to http://bit.ly/1nxQ6p8 and click on the Buy button for your chosen date

http://www.eastessexplayers.co.uk/
http://www.sosac.co.uk/c/?776

5.3 REMINDER: WYRD SISTERS IN DEREHAM (MARCH)

The Dereham Theatre Company will present their performances of the Stephen Briggs adaptation of Wyrd Sisters in March!

When: 10th–12th March 2016
Venue: Dereham Memorial Hall, 62a Norwich Street, Dereham, Norfolk NR19 1AD
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £10 (£9 concessions for those aged 18 and under or over 60). Available Tuesday through Friday 10am–4pm and Saturday 9am–3pm at The Little Gallery, 62 Norwich Street NR19 1AD; by phone 01362 690 969; and by post cheques (supported by a valid cheque card) should be made payable to "Dereham Theatre Company" and posted to the address above with a stamped self-addressed envelope if you would like the tickets sent to you. Tickets can also be booked online at http://derehamtheatre.co.uk/ "On-line booking and sales from The Little Gallery will be withdrawn on the day of each performance. On the day of a performance tickets for that performance can only be purchased from the Box Office at Dereham Memorial Hall no earlier than 30 minutes prior to the start of the performance."

For full booking details, go to http://dosoc.co.uk/bookingdetails.asp

http://dosoc.co.uk/production2.asp

5.4 NEW: MORT IN CHELMSFORD (MARCH)

After last year's triumph, Chelmsford Theatre Workshop are back with another Discworld production! Director Lynne Foster says, "I have loved to read Terry Pratchett since his first books were published – and over 20 years ago , Wyrd Sisters was one of the first plays I appeared in... After a break of a few years CTW once again put on a Terry Pratchett last year – a production of Wyrd Sisters – significantly just after Terry passed away. So – when I was thinking what to submit for 2015/6 season, I re-read Mort – and loved it – it has everything, magic, feisty young protagonists, and best of all – DEATH! I think Pratchett's plays are quite difficult to translate to the theatre, but in my opinion, Mort is the most successful. I spoke to the team who put on Wyrd Sisters who agreed to work with me on this – and the rest – as they say – is history. The whole team is looking forward to producing a fast paced, entertaining wonderful production in March."

When: 9th – 19th March 2016 (daily performances from Wednesdays to Saturdays)
Venue: The Old Court Theatre, 233 Springfield Road, Chelmsford, Essex CM2 (phone 01245 606505)
Email boxoffice@chelmsfordbc.gov.uk
Website www.ctw.org.uk
Time: 7.45pm all shows
Tickets: £10.00 (£9.00 for over-60s, Under-16s or Students). A £1.50 fee is applicable per transaction, except for cash and debit card payments made in person and by telephone (01245 606505). To purchase tickets online, go to http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase?agency=CHEM&organ_val=26146&event_val=TWAI&schedule=list, then click the Buy Tickets button for your desired date.

http://www.chelmsford.gov.uk/mort

5.5 NEW: MASKERADE IN WITHAM, ESSEX (MARCH)

Witham Dramatic Club will be present their production of Maskerade next month.

When: Wed. 16th to Sat. 19th of March 2016
Venue: Witham Public Hall, Collingwood Road, Witham, Essex, CM8 2DY
Time: 7.45 pm all shows
Tickets: £10 advance, £12 on the door (for senior citizens and U16s, £8 in advance but £10 on the door; this discount is not available for the Friday and Saturday shows), available by phone (01621 892404), by emailing Contact@WithamDramatic.co.uk, or online at http://www.withamdramatic.co.uk/boxoffice.html

http://www.withamdramatic.co.uk/production.html#inprod

5.6 NEW: GUARDS! GUARDS! IN HELSINKI (MARCH)

Thespians Anonymous, an English-speaking amateur theatre group in Finland[1], are staging the Stephen Briggs adaptation of Guards! Guards! next month. "Join us in the deep dive into the world of fantasy and comedy. Dragons, magic, many laughs and a few drunks – all that and a little bit more awaits you at our shows in the end of March!"

When: 22nd, 23rd, 24th, 26th March 2016
Venue: Gloria, Kulttuuriareena, Pieni Roobertinkatu 12
Time: 19.00 all shows
Tickets: €13 (€11 concession), available onine at https://holvi.com/shop/thespiansanonymous/ or at the door (cash only) for €14 (€12 concession). Group discounts (€10 per ticket) are available for groups of 10 people or more. "Just add 10+ tickets to your basket on HOLVI and insert discount code GUARDSGROUP. You will get the discount automatically!"

http://blog.thespiansanonymous.org/

[1] Where I quite want to be, according to the song...

5.7 NEW: LORDS AND LADIES IN HAMPSHIRE (APRIL)

The Collingwood RSC Theatre Club – the RS stands for Random Salad in this case – have been presenting various Discworld plays for over 18 year now. Now, following on from Wyrd Sisters in 2011 and Witches Abroad in 2014, they are completing the original Witches trilogy with their first production of Lords and Ladies!

When: 20th – 23rd April 2016
Venue: Millennium Hall, HMS Collingwood, Newgate Lane, Fareham, Hants PO14 1AS
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: can be booked at the box office (phone 07502 037922) or by emailing collingwoodrsc@sky.com

5.8 REMINDER: THE WEE FREE MEN IN ADELAIDE, FOURECKS (APRIL)

The Unseen Theatre gang bring on a new era of Discworld adaptations with The Wee Free Men, adapted and directed by Pamela Munt!

"In the first of a series of Discworld novels for young adults, we meet the young witch-to-be Tiffany Aching – a girl who reads the dictionary for fun – because no-one ever told her not to. With a trusty frying pan as her weapon, her grandmother's magic book (well actually its called 'Diseases of the Sheep') and the Wee Free Men by her side, Tiffany ventures into the realm of faerie land to rescue her very sticky, and not particularly likeable, baby brother. But, of course, all is not what it seems..."

When: Wed. 15th April to Sat. 30th April 2016; a Sunday 17th April matinee is to be confirmed
Venue: Bakehouse Theatre, 255 Angas St. Adelaide
Time: 7.30pm all evening shows; 2pm matinee
Tickets: Adults $22; Concession $18; Children $18; Groups (6+) $16; TREv $16; Families (2 A & 2ch.) $60. Al tickets for the Preview night (15th April) are $15. To book online, go to www.bakehousetheatre.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the door on the night, subject to availability. Box office opens 7pm.

http://bakehousetheatre.com/shows/wee-free-men

5.9 NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN READING (MAY)

Caversham Park Theatre will present their production of Wyrd Sisters in April!

"If you have never experienced the late Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld but wonder what you might have missed... Caversham Park Theatre is proud to stage Wyrd Sisters. We hope you will dip your toe into Sir Terry’s Discworld and discover a whole new universe of thoughtful comedy."

When: 12th, 13th and 14th May 2016
Venue: Milestone Centre, Northbrook Rd, Caversham, Reading, RG4 6PF
Time: 8pm for 12th and 13th April, 7pm for 14th April
Tickets: £7.00, available by phone (01189 481 377) or online at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/118288
Book online at: www.cavparktheatre.org.uk or phone 0118-948-1377

5.10 NEW: LORDS AND LADIES IN SWITZERLAND (APRIL/MAY)

The Gay Beggars theatre group of the University of Basel will present their production of Lords and Ladies, adapted by Irana Brown, in May!

When: 22nd, 23rd, 25th, 27th and 29th April; 1st, 3rd, 6th and 7th May 2016
Venue: Cellar Theatre of the English Seminar, University of Basel, Nadelberg 6
Time: 8pm all shows, except 1st May which starts at 5pm
Tickets: CHF25 (students, apprentices, AHV, IV CHF15). There is a group discount for school classes of CHF10 per student; contact reservations@gay beggars.ch for groups of 10 or more.

Tickets can be reserved by emailing reservations@gaybeggars.ch. "Reserved tickets must be picked up at the evening box office (opens one hour before the show).'

http://www.gaybeggars.ch/

5.11 NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN SOMERSET (MAY)

The Minehead Dramatic Society will stage their production of Wyrd Sisters in May.

When: 13, 14 and 15th May 2016
Venue: Regal Theatre, 10-16 The Avenue, Minehead, Somerset, TA24 5AY (phone 01643 706430)
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: Adults £8.00, Friends £7.50, ES40’s/Students £4.00. Online tickets can be purchased by logging in to http://intelligent-tickets.co.uk/index.php?th=mt&pg=selectevent&start=1&sel=11 and clicking on the date of your choice. "Please note that tickets cannot be purchased, on-line, on the same day as the performance. Please call into the box office or telephone 01643 706430 (Monday to Saturday 10.00am to 3.00pm)"

http://regaltheatre.co.uk/
http://regaltheatre.co.uk/whatson/?pno=2

5.12 NEW: MORT IN HESSE, GERMANY (MAY)

The Helden Theatre will be staging their production of Gevatter Tod (that's the Deutsche title of Mort) in May 2016!

When: Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd May 2016
Venue: Theater Altes Hallenbad, Haagstrasse 29, 61169 Friedberg
Time: 7.30pm Saturday 21st, 3.30pm Sunday 22nd
Tickets: €10 concessions €8). To purchase online, go to http://bit.ly/1Rbt0MP and click on the Tickets button

http://heldentheater.de

5.13 REMINDER: MORT IN YORK (JULY)

We Are Theatre will be staging their production of Mort in July.

When: 21st and 22nd June 2016
Venue: Joseph Rowntree Theatre, Haxby Road, York YO31 8TA
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £10 (£8 concessions), available from the York Theatre Royal box office (phone 01904 623568). For group bookings, contact wearetheatre@googlemail.com or ring 07521 364107

www.wearetheatre.co.uk

5.14 REMINDER: : LORDS AND LADIES IN NEWCASTLE (JULY)

The People's Theatre, "the premier amateur theatre company in the North of England", will stage their production of Lords and Ladies, adapted by Irana Brown, in July. "We're no strangers to Discworld and this funny and fast-moving adaptation of (the much-missed) Sir Terry's fourteenth novel sees the welcome return of Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg to our stage. It promises to be lots of fun, so book early to avoid disappointment!"

When: 12th to 16th July 2016
Venue: People's Theatre, Stephenson Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 5QF. Phone: (0191) 275 9875
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £13.50 (£11 concessions). Box Office on 0191 265 5020 or email tickets.peoplestheatre@email.com. (Box Office is open weekdays 10.30am–1pm and Mon, Wed, Fri evenings 7.30–8.30pm). To book online, go to the inappropriately-named Intelligent Tickets, and be prepared to jump through a truly daft series of hoops:
http://www.intelligent-tickets.co.uk/index.php?th=pe

http://bit.ly/1lMl3Vj

5.15 REVIEW: SOUL MUSIC IN DURHAM

By James Gill, in the Durham University newspaper Palatinate:

"The night was made joyfully unique due to a few pleasurable directorial decisions from Mikey Bicaregui and Hamish Inglis, which included having Albert (Matthew Elliot-Ripley) appear on stage in character 20 minutes prior to the performance, which created a fun atmosphere as the audience trickled in. Additionally, having savvy businessman Dibbler (Fred Ridell) sell snacks during the intermission added a unique flair to the show. Laurence Stanley’s performance turned the often one-dimensional character of Death into a sombre but hilarious persona. He was a clear highlight in the play, and whether he was scaring us or moving us to laughter, there was never a dull moment. Wilf Wort was tremendously impressive as Glod, garnering consistent laughter from the audience as he illustrated his hilarious negotiation techniques, whilst also delivering his lines with a unique gusto. Adam Simpson was also remarkable in portraying Buddy’s transformation from a young outgoing lad to a reclusive rock and roll star. Elliot-Ripley was fabulous as Albert, a fitting narrator who helped to string together the loosely connected plotlines, and he was also excellent when mentoring Susan in fulfilling the duties of Death. In addition to these characters, it must be mentioned that Uday Duggal as The Dean—along with the members of the Legion—supplied great comedic support, and added immensely to the overall experience of the play... Although Soul Music was heavily hampered by Eddleston’s disconnected script, great performances from the majority of the cast and some tremendously comedic moments made this production truly enjoyable..."

http://www.palatinate.org.uk/soul-music-review-hilarious/

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06) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS

CABBAGECON 4 NEWS

"On 1 and 2 July 2017 the fourth Dutch Discworld Convention Cabbagecon 4 will happen at the hotel Carlton President in Utrecht. It will be an occasion for fans of Sir Terry Pratchett from the Netherlands and abroad to meet up again and have some fun. We hope to see you too!"

Advance tickets are available:

Weekend
€60,00
Language
English
Membership of Cabbagecon 4 for the whole weekend
Price: €60,00

Saturday
€35,00
Language
English
Membership for Cabbagecon 4 on Saturday
Price: €35,00

Sunday
€35,00
Language
English
Membership of Cabbagecon 4 for Sunday
Price: €35,00

http://www.dutchdwcon.nl/

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07) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS: UPDATES AND REMINDERS

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), meets next on 30th November 1999 (-5874 days to go), according to their website, or more probably on Monday 7th March 2016 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: "We are a newly established Terry Pratchett & Discworld social group in Canberra called Drumknott's Irregulars. The group is open to all, people from interstate and overseas are welcome, and our events will not be heavily themed. Come along to dinner for a chat and good company. We welcome people all all fandoms (and none) and we would love to see you at one of our events, even if you're just passing through. Please contact us via Facebook (_https://www.facebook.com/groups/824987924250161/_) or Google Groups (_https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars_) or join us at our next event."

*

There is a new public Facebook meeting group, "The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)": "This group, by request of Jo in Bear will continue to be used for future unofficial (not run by the Emporium) fan Gatherings in Wincanton. Look here for information."

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

*

The Pratchett Partisans are a fan group who meet monthly at either Brisbane or Indooroopilly to "eat, drink and chat about all things Pratchett. We hold events such as Discworld dinners, games afternoons, Discworld photo scavenger hunts. Our recent 'Murder In Morpork' mystery party was a great night out. With 26 people attending, we had 24 suspects, our special guest – Vetinari, and one dead mime! It was a fun night of food and murder and we are planning another Murder in December so stay tuned. We also attend opening night at Brisbane Arts Theatre's Discworld plays." The Partisans currently have about 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. For more information on their upcoming activities, go to www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

"Every few months, we have a full day's worth of board games at La Scala Cafe, 169 Unley Rd, Unley in the function room starting at 10am."

For more info, go to http://ausdwcon.org/fan-clubs/adelaide/quiz/

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 3rd March 2016 (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 March 2016 (probably) at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists, a Pratchett fangroup, has been meeting on a regular basis since 2005 but is now looking to take in some new blood (presumably not in the non-reformed Uberwald manner). The Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, to discuss "all things Pratchett" as well as having quizzes and raffles. Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum:

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

*

Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet next on Monday 7th March 2016 at 6.30pm (probably) in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney,2000. For more information, contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meets next on Monday 7th March 2016 (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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08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

Just the one this time, and fingers crossed for its eventual realisation in bronze. Paul Kidby's preliminary sketch for the proposed Pratchett statue:

http://www.paulkidby.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Sculpture-Proposal-webpic-432x733_c.jpg

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09) CLOSE

That petition to name one of the newly discovered elements "octarine" ultimately gathered 50,000 signatures, after which the signature-gathering was closed. Chances are far below the fabled one in a million that this naming will happen, but we can always hope. 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) 2016 by Klatchian Foreign Legion

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
December 2015 (Volume 18, Issue 12, 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, Wolfiekins, Mss C, Alison not Aliss
Staff Writers: Asti, Pitt the Elder, Evil Steven Dread, Mrs Wynn-Jones
Staff Technomancers: Jason Parlevliet, Archchancellor Neil, DJ Helpful
Book Reviews: Annie Mac, Drusilla D'Afanguin, Your Name Here
Puzzle Editor: Tiff (still out there somewhere)
Bard in Residence: Weird Alice Lancrevic
Emergency Staff: Steven D'Aprano, Jason Parlevliet
World Membership Director: Steven D'Aprano (in his copious spare time)

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INDEX:

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) RHIANNA PRATCHETT'S YEAR'S-END TRIBUTE TO HER FATHER
04) ODDS AND SODS
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD GAMES NEWS
07) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
08) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
09) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
10) ROUNDWORLD TALES: HO, THE MEGAPODE!
11) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
12) CLOSE

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"Terry's final day of writing was exactly one year ago today. We spent the morning working on his biography and we laughed. A lot. Later, he called Rod Brown – MD of @Narrativia_Ltd – and Mark, his accountant, before heading back down to the house. He then called @rhipratchett for a chat over a cup of tea and we talked about the next novel. Specifically, which one should come next. And then – on December 8th – after such a blessedly slow decline, PCA became Alzheimer's and nothing was ever quite the same again. Mind how you go, Terry."
  – Rob Wilkins, 5th December 2015, on the official @terryandrob Twitter account, hashtagged #speakhisname

"I like to think that wherever Dad is now, there is a hat on his head, a stick in his hand and a whistle on his lips. There's probably a cat about somewhere too. There should always be a cat."
  – Rhianna Pratchett, in her tribute to Sir Pterry in The Guardian, 25th December 2015

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

  Well now, here we are in the final hours of the final day of the year that was 2015, and to my own astonishment I seem to have managed to out together a December issue of sorts. It's been a very odd month for me (don't arsk), and somehow the various book and play and game reviews that were meant to be in this issue have yet to come into being. Here's hoping the January issue will be more, erm, inclusive. And extensive. And other words ending in -ive. But meanwhile...

  In a somewhat bizarre "listicle" on Dread Central, one David Gelmini puts the "Discworld Death Trilogy" in his "Top 5 Horror Book Series You Should Be Reading". In the relevant section, he says, "I know what you're thinking: That sounds more like comic fantasy than horror. Well, hear me out... one of the major recurring characters in the series, who appeared in nearly every book, was Death, depicted in his classic skeletal grim reaper form. Three of the books in the series – Mort, Reaper Man, and Soul Music – were known as the 'Death Trilogy' and featured Death as a protagonist rather than a supporting player, so if that doesn't place them in the horror category, then I don't know what does."

  Yes, Mr Gelmini, that's right: you don't know what does. The whole point of Pratchett's most famous anthropomorphic personification is that the character of Death is a *sympathetic* character, that the author took a traditional figure of horror and turned it into a kind of person, an entity with definite character and definite opinions – an entity that endlessly strives to understand humans as more than mere stalks for the reaper's scythe, to the point of undertaking human activities and adopting and raising a child. If that doesn't place the Death of Discworld in the *not*-horror category, then I don't know what does.

  And staying on the subject of grim reapers, do have a look at the Discworld Emporium's adorable new Death of Rats plushie in Item 7. As cuddly and not-horrible as any Death can ever be...

[Editor's note: if you want to read the Dread Central listicle on the web, go to http://bit.ly/1NGuu2F ]

  On with the show! Even if it's a very short one...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) RHIANNA PRATCHETT'S TRIBUTE TO HER FATHER

In The Guardian, a loving remembrance at the end of the year of loss:

  "The reaper came for my father much earlier in his life in the form of Death from his world-famous and much-loved Discworld novels. Death was a towering, cloaked and scythe-wielding skeleton who had a penchant for curries, a love of cats and TALKED LIKE THIS. We got a number of tear-inducing letters from fans who were nearing the end of their lives and took great comfort in imagining that the death that came for them would be riding a white horse called Binky. Dad had done something with more success than anyone else – he made Death friendly.. Dad was a great observer of people. And when he ran out of actual people, he was a great imaginer of them. Both his grannies come through in his witch characters, while there's a fair chunk of me in Tiffany Aching and Susan Sto Helit, Death's adoptive granddaughter. He always said that he was most like the brusque Commander Vimes, raging against injustice. But he was a little like Death too; always loved a good curry and Pratchetts have cats like other people have bathrooms...

  "His funeral showed me that my father meant many things to many people, and we were all grieving for different versions of him, when he felt most ours. For my mother, it was their early years together when they were semi self-sufficient, grew their own vegetables and had goats in the front garden and chickens in the back. For his manager Rob, it was sitting side by side, helping him keep the words flowing and making him the odd 'glug' – a coffee with a tot of brandy. Or, on harder days, a brandy with a tot of coffee. For me, the dad I grieved most for, and still do, is the one I remember as a kid.., Dad was someone who committed to the narrative of a situation rather more than the practicality. So he would wrap me up and take me out of bed in the middle of the night to show me the glow-worms in the hedge or Halley's Comet blazing across a star-filled sky. For him, his daughter seeing these marvels of nature was much more important than sleeping, which I could do any time. He didn't teach me magic, he showed me it..."

To read the full piece – and oh yes, you should! – go to http://bit.ly/1ShsLnI

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04) ODDS AND SODS

4.1 PAUL KIDBY REFLECTS

Paul Kidby looks back on 2015:

  "When the call came to tell me of his death on the morning of the 12th of March I was working on my first draught for the cover of The Shepherd's Crown and it is undoubted that my feelings leaked down my pencil into the drawing and Tiffany developed a sorrowful gaze. When I amended the cover for a second draught I had come to terms with things a little and I think it is again reflected in the face of Tiffany. This time she looks perhaps a little sad but I like to think that her knowledge of the patterns of life and natural order of things shine out with a touch of defiance mingled with an inner peace and happiness. I choose to celebrate Terry's life and all the joy it brought to many and I hope my final cover of a Discworld novel pays tribute to him as a fitting mark of my great respect.

  "The Tiffany Aching books are special to me as both Terry and I share a love of the Chalk landscape where he lived and for a time so did I. Capturing aspects of this special place is always a treat for me and working on The Shepherd's Crown was a moving experience, as I drew I remembered the conversations Terry & I used to have about gardening, folklore and recipes for nettle soup (good fodder for starving artists!) The chalk landscape with its ancient drove roads and wide skies seemed to exert a creative energy for us both. I am comforted by the knowledge that this landscape will endure..."

http://bit.ly/1Zk1nY1

Editor's note: please do visit this page to see the drawings that accompany the text. Be ready for strong feelings...


4.2 COVER ART FOR THE LONG COSMOS

...which will, of course, be published in June 2016: http://bit.ly/1ITaw5I


4.3 GOOD OMENS AND HOGFATHER REMEMBERED

A loving look back at Good Omens, by Justine Jordan in The Guardian:

  "Twenty-five years on, the book has lasted surprisingly well. Pratchett and Gaiman's obsession with tech meant they were ahead of the curve when it came to the 'slim computers' that demon Crowley likes so much. Some things haven't changed: 'All that lather comes up from the centre of the Earth, where it's all hot,' says a member of Adam's gang. 'I saw a programme. It had David Attenborough, so it's true.' And the real end of the world that Adam foresees is closer and scarier than ever: 'Everyone's goin' around usin' up all the whales and coal and oil and ozone and rainforests and that, and there'll be none left for us. We should be goin' to Mars and stuff, instead of sittin' around in the dark and wet with the air spillin' away.' I remember longing, after finishing Good Omens all those years ago, for another Pratchett/Gaiman book, something that was never likely to happen and is of course impossible now. In retrospect, it seems amazing that two such singular and prolific creative energies could share the writing of a novel..."

http://bit.ly/1Yf5esg

...and a paean to Hogfather, by Katharine Trendacosta on i09:

  "Hogfather mercilessly deconstructs a lot of the usual Christmas tales, while ultimately still coming down on the side of belief being important. Death stops the Little Match Girl from dying, as she does in the story, since the best gift he can give her is a 'future.' And there's also a great big problem with being a jerk every other day, and deciding to be charitable just for Christmas, like Good King Wenceslas. Death's also confused by the things he's supposed to do as the Hogfather, wondering if checking his list twice is 'enough.' There are a lot of problems with Christmas myths, Pratchett points out, but children's belief in Santa is not one of them. Pratchett himself was an atheist, but not of the science and logic kind. The embodiment of scientific rules and rationality in Discworld are the Auditors, and they're the villains..."

http://bit.ly/1RQJnSV


4.4 REVIEW: GOING POSTAL

Nice review of Going Postal in the University of Washington Daily:

  "The book is unique, silly, and therefore a classic Pratchett novel. Every paragraph has a joke (even if they can be obscure), each character has a valid point to make, and the plot makes sense while still staying true to a classic form. The writing is dead-easy to understand and parse — great for kids — but has enough puns to last an adult reader a lifetime. There's something wholesome about these books — even though the words themselves definitely aren't — that make them great to read on a bad day. So, forget your muted, boring daily life, and enter the bright world of the Discworld..."

http://bit.ly/1lus8Kz


4.5 POINT-AND-CLICK DISCWORLD MEMORIES

The point-and-click 1990s game "Discworld" remembered, by David Fox on Moviepilot:

  "It's hard to over-emphasise just how big a deal it was for young me that I could play my favourite style of game based on my favourite novels! Discworld put you in the role of Rincewind, the main protagonist of the early Discworld novels and the worst wizard in the world. He's voiced by Monty Python's Eric Idle in a performance so pitch perfect that I hear his voice in my head when I re-read the Rincewind-starring novels. Idle is joined by other British comic actors including Rob Brydon and Tony Robinson, and the top quality voice acting – along with the hilarious script that really translates Pratchett's humour from page to screen – is a big plus in Discworld's favour."

http://moviepilot.com/posts/3670561


4.6 REVIEW: SMALL GODS

A savvy review of Small Gods and its Roundworld relevance, by Wayne Gregson in the Bendigo Advertiser:

  "It's been a bad year for losing talented, prolific writers. But I'm particularly missing Sir Terry Pratchett, the British former journalist who created the mad-but-sane satirical universe of Discworld. I was thinking about him after watching the TV news the other night, and wondering if all the world's wars would end if leaders were forced to read Pratchett's Small Gods. Most wars are about differences in religion, or at least people using difference in religion as an excuse to steal stuff. Most of the differences are fabricated, petty and pointless. It is most clearly shown in the wildly complex alliances, hatred, bombings, invasions and murders in the Middle East, which – on the tellie at least – looks like madmen fighting over shattered rocks and pulverised dirt.

  "Good science fiction and science fantasy teaches us something about ourselves. It's possible to tease out concepts when you put them in an unfamiliar environment. In Small Gods, Pratchett explores the religious power of the once Great God Om and pumps up the idea that the supernatural sphere has many, many gods, some bloated arrogant things and some not so big. It just all depends on how many people the gods can get to believe in them. Or to just follow them. Like a Facebook or Twitter fanatic..."

http://bit.ly/1lRcyJI

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05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

5.0 HAPPY HOGSWATCH FROM UNSEEN THEATRE!

Pamela Munt writes:

"We at Unseen would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our loyal patrons for their support during 2015.
We could never do it without you, the audience to cheer us along!

"You may have noticed that our website badly needs some updating which I hope to get time to do over the break.

"Meanwhile, the hot news is that you should keep an eye out for 'The Wee Free Men' in April (15th to 30th). More news on this later.

"I hope that you all enjoy your Hogswatch break!"

Also, a reminder for the cast of The Wee Free Men: "Don't forget! First rehearsal after our Christmas Break is THIS coming Sunday 3rd Jan at 3pm. (please enter via red foyer door in Cardwell St). There is also a production meeting afterwards at 6pm.! (for Heads of Departments - all of them this time). See you all there!"


5.1 REMINDER: ERIC IN CARDIFF (FEBRUARY 2016)

Monstrous Productions are going from strength to strength! Having raised over £16,000 for Alzheimer's Research UK so far through ticket sales for their Discworld plays – including £4,000 for their recent and much lauded production of Night Watch – the company is now set to tackle Eric in the new year!

When: 18th, 19th and 20th February 2016
Venue: The Gate Arts Centre, Keppoch Street, Roath, Cardiff CF24 3JW Box Office (029) 2048 3344
Time: 7pm all evening shows; 2pm matinee on Saturday 20th
Tickets: £7 (£5 concessions). To purchase online, go to http://7889269b08cd.fikket.com/

"Tickets are now on sale for Eric! They're a bit cheaper than usual as the play is shorter. Please be aware that there is one performance less than usual too so there will be fewer tickets available."

5.2 REMINDER: MORT IN YORK, 2016: AUDITIONS!

We Are Theatre, a performance group particularly dedicated to engaging community and disability, will be presenting their production of Mort next June – the 21st and 22nd, at the Joseph Rowntree Theatre in York. But first, it's auditions time! Charlotte and Donna of We are Theatre tell us: "York is readily accessible via transport and as a company, we have an open door policy, so we do not have a core membership, instead holding open auditions and casting from those auditions for each show."

When: 10th, 17th and 24th January 2016
Time: late afternoon/early evening. To book an audition, contact wearetheatre@googlemail.com or ring 07521 364107, and give the following information: name, age (if under 18), email address, telephone number, and preferred audition date.

Rehearsals for the June dates will be held on Sunday afternoons/evenings "from Spring 2016 onwards".

www.wearetheatre.co.uk

5.3 REMINDER: THE SHAKESPEARE CODEX TICKETS!

"Tickets will be on general sale from 10 January 2016. We're expecting quite a lot of interest in this show, so early booking (particularly for the weekend performances) is recommended. More news on the show here, as it happens. There will be four evening performances, plus a matinee on the Saturday. Tickets are £10.00 (Wed, Thu) and £11.00 (Fri, Sat mat and evening). Block bookings (6 & over) will be available for the Wed and Thu performances only."

http://www.shakespearecodex.co.uk/
http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/whats-next

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06) DISCWORLD GAMES NEWS

CLACKS UPDATES AND NEW BACKSPINDLE PROJECTS

The lads at Backspindle Games, makers of the Guards! Guards! and Clacks boardgames, say:

  "For a limited period our new Clacks board game together with a beautifully sculpted miniature of Moist von Lipwig (that can be used in the cooperative race game) can now be ordered together here:

http://bit.ly/1OqgLKt

  "If you already have Clacks and you'd just like the Moist von Lipwig miniature, it is also available for a limited period too.

  "The last ever print-run of Guards! Guards! has been completed. So if you want a copy for yourself or a friend to keep before they are all gone, copies can still be ordered here (FREE UK delivery):

http://bit.ly/1TnwP4b

  "It's fun game for 2-6 players and "a great evening's entertainment", according to one fan! Every game has 90 illustrated Discworld character cards, each with a quote about them taken from Sir Terry's books.

  "We are delighted to confirm Ninja Division (_www.ninjadivision.com_) will be stocking our Discworld games for US and Canadian customers in 2016.

  "Thank you for enjoying our games and reading our news. A peaceful New Year to all!"

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07) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS

DISCWORLD EMPORIUM UPDATES

  "Ever dreamed of living in Ankh-Morpork? Why not grab a slice of the Big Wahoonie with your very own piece of Discworld 'Unreal Estate'! Back with a new look, our 'Portal Properties' portfolio contains your lease, tenancy agreement & property specifications, along with a delicious illustration of your home by EA illustrator Jonathan Kirtz! Also included is a neighbourhood guide to help you settle in to your new surroundings, and a free key-chain for the first 500 new residents!"

Each piece of Unreal Estate is priced at £10. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://bit.ly/1MFVNpE

About the illustrator: http://www.jkirtz.com/

  "Our solid silver unisex pendant & chain features Great A'tuin by Joe McLaren in a cool satin finish. Smithed by real craftsmen in the historic workshops of Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter, each pendant is stamped with the Discworld and sterling silver hallmarks."

Each Great A'Tuin necklace is priced at £45. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://bit.ly/1JeBfd8

  "Introducing our limited edition festive stamps and souvenirs! This year's Hogswatch issues feature three designs created on behalf of the Sunshine Sanctuary for Sick Dragons, and illustrated by Peter Dennis. By collecting these marvellous issues you'll help provide vital aid for the Sanctuary's residents. Each $1 stamp is available to own as a set of 3 single stamps, in stunning whole sheets or in the latest 'Little Brown Envelope' Edition from Tuesday 1st December."

The Sunshine Sanctuary stamps are available as a sheet of 24 stamps, priced at £12, or a set of three single stamps, priced at £1.50. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://bit.ly/1JeBBAC

  "The Sunshine Sanctuary Hogswatch Appeal First Day Cover is a limited edition of 200 envelopes. Each cover bears this year's $1 Hogswatch Issues, marked with an exclusive Sunshine Sanctuary Frank, and swamp dragon illustrations by Peter Dennis! Includes an A5 fold-out appeal insert for your kind consideration. Available from Tuesday 1st December."

The Sunshine Sanctuary First Day Cover is priced at £7.50. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://bit.ly/1QWu3Fx

  "NEW IN! Add a little 'Ook' and SQUEAK to your bookshelves this Hogswatch with Discworld plushies designed by cartoonist and comic book artist Ray Friesen! ...because who wouldn't love to wake up to a little Death of Rats under the tree (apart from the family hamster)!"

The Discworld Plushies are priced at £15 each. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://bit.ly/1YMVuG6

  "Granny's iconic borrowing sign recreated as a beautiful silver pendant and chain, smithed by real craftsmen in the historic workshops of Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter. A precious and essential accessory for any aspiring witch!!"

The I Ate'nt Dead necklace is priced at £45. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/I%20ATE'NT%20DEAD%20Necklace

  "The Emporium is now in hibernation. You are more than welcome to place orders at this time but please be aware that they won't ship until after January 5th. Thank you for a wonderful year and Happy Hogswatch from us all."

http://www.discworldemporium.com/

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08) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS: UPDATES AND REMINDERS

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), meets next on 30th November 1999 (-5874 days to go), according to their website, or more probably on Monday 4th January 2016 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: "We are a newly established Terry Pratchett & Discworld social group in Canberra called Drumknott's Irregulars. The group is open to all, people from interstate and overseas are welcome, and our events will not be heavily themed. Come along to dinner for a chat and good company. We welcome people all all fandoms (and none) and we would love to see you at one of our events, even if you're just passing through. Please contact us via Facebook (_https://www.facebook.com/groups/824987924250161/_) or Google Groups (_https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars_) or join us at our next event."

*

There is a new public Facebook meeting group, "The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)": "This group, by request of Jo in Bear will continue to be used for future unofficial (not run by the Emporium) fan Gatherings in Wincanton. Look here for information."

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

*

The Pratchett Partisans are a fan group who meet monthly at either Brisbane or Indooroopilly to "eat, drink and chat about all things Pratchett. We hold events such as Discworld dinners, games afternoons, Discworld photo scavenger hunts. Our recent 'Murder In Morpork' mystery party was a great night out. With 26 people attending, we had 24 suspects, our special guest – Vetinari, and one dead mime! It was a fun night of food and murder and we are planning another Murder in December so stay tuned. We also attend opening night at Brisbane Arts Theatre's Discworld plays." The Partisans currently have about 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. For more information on their upcoming activities, go to www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

"Every few months, we have a full day's worth of board games at La Scala Cafe, 169 Unley Rd, Unley in the function room starting at 10am."

For more info, go to http://ausdwcon.org/fan-clubs/adelaide/quiz/

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 7th January 2016 (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 or 8th January 2016 (probably) at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists, a Pratchett fangroup, has been meeting on a regular basis since 2005 but is now looking to take in some new blood (presumably not in the non-reformed Uberwald manner). The Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, to discuss "all things Pratchett" as well as having quizzes and raffles. Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum:

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

*

Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet next on Monday 4th January 2016 at 6.30pm (probably) in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney,2000. For more information, contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meets next on Monday 4th January 2016 (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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09) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS

NADWCON IV!

Emily Whitten says:

  "NADWCon is BACK, Baby!

  "Yes, that's right, The North American Discworld Convention, previously held in 2009, 2011, and 2013, is coming back to an as-yet-unannounced North American location in 2017! And yes, I've ordered my con-runner's straitjacket, as I will be co-chairing the Con along with the Chair from the 2013 Con. (For those who are not aware, I also co-founded NADWCon from 2005-2009, Vice-Chaired the 2009 Con, and Chaired the 2011 Con. In other words, I know a bit about con-running.)

  "Despite knowing I'm probably going to lose a healthy dose of sanity before the end, I'm super excited to be helping to bring back this awesome Discworld Con for North American (and world-traveling!) fans. We took a break in 2015 (due in large part to Discworld creator Sir Terry Pratchett's declining health and sad passing in March) but even with Sir Terry gone, his creations and fans live on, and we will continue to celebrate that 'until the ripples they cause in the world die away.'

  "For further convention news, please stay tuned to the new NADWCon website, and check out our first press release there..."

http://www.comicmix.com/2015/12/01/emily-s-whitten-nadwcon-is-back-baby/

Further information will be available at http://nadwcon2017.org

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

10) ROUNDWORLD TALES: HO, THE MEGAPODE!

A fascinating item sent in by Wossname's "Mrs Cake":

Editor's note: language sissies be warned – this article is liberally salted with, well, salty words:

  "There are plenty of things in our world that share, completely or partially, the common name of the Meleagris birds. A venomous marine fish. Soy-based meat alternatives. West Asian countries. All these, of course, are Meleagris-style 'turkeys' in name only. There are even a handful of other species of bird that are, confusingly, referred to as 'turkeys' despite not being particularly close relatives of the gobble-gobble/hand tracing variety so familiar to North Americans. One of these not-turkeys resides on the opposite side of the Pacific from Meleagris, and in the Southern Hemisphere. The animal I'm referring to is the Australian brush-turkey (Alectura lathami). With its beefy, bowling ball shape, alert and fanned out tail feathers, and naked head and neck…both saturated with colors that look like the end result of receiving a swirly in a vat of liquefied candy corn…the brush-turkey seems damn deserving of its fowl moniker... Australian brush-turkeys, growing to as much as two and a half feet long, are the largest living members of the megapode family (Megapodiidae). Megapodes, so named for their typically thick, powerful legs and large feet, are a somewhat primitive fork of the 'ground fowl' clan. Megapodes and true turkeys are both members of the ground fowl order (Galliformes), but hail from very different evolutionary lineages within that larger umbrella of relatedness. Megapodes are restricted to Australasia, with much of their biodiversity scattered through Australia, New Guinea, and many of the islands in the eastern section of the Indo-Australian Archipelago. While the Australian brush-turkey isn't domesticated or ritually consumed by Ozzies like Meleagris is in the States, there are unique aspects of the biology of this megapode on the antipode that are worth sharing... perhaps the most interesting thing about Australian brush-turkeys is how they bring little brush-turkeys into the world. They, like all megapodes, have highly divergent reproductive practices..."

http://sydkab.com/2015/11/26/australias-turkey/

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11) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

French Discworld illustrator Marc Simonetti's delightful take on Death as the Hogfather holding court in Crumley's: http://bit.ly/1O7PEDM

A spot-on Nanny Ogg, from the Attic Players' production of Wyrd Sisters this month:
http://bit.ly/1OyYfCH

With Britain's first-ever International Space Station crewmember – Tim Peake – now in space, it's a good time to revisit the crew of the Kite, as imagined by Paul Kidby in The Last Hero:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CWQphiWW4AAnUgp.jpg

Artist Bruce Brenneise's poignant tribute to Sir Pterry. Scroll on the right for accompanying text: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/JEO6n

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12) CLOSE

  And that's the lot for 2015. We'll be back in late January, I hope. Wishing you all a very happy Year of the Sneezing Panda, aka 2016!

– Annie Mac

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

Copyright (c) 2015 by Wossname for the Klatchian Foreign Legion

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
October 2015 (Volume 18, Issue 10, Post 1)

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WOSSNAME is a free publication offering news, reviews, and all the other stuff-that-fits pertaining to the works and activities of Sir Terry Pratchett. Originally founded by the late, great Joe Schaumburger for members of the worldwide Klatchian Foreign Legion and its affiliates, including the North American Discworld Society and other continental groups, Wossname is now for Discworld and Pratchett fans everywhere in Roundworld.
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Editor in Chief: Annie Mac
News Editor: Vera P
Newshounds: Mogg, Sir J of Croydon Below, the Shadow, Wolfiekins, Mss C, Alison not Aliss
Staff Writers: Asti, Pitt the Elder, Evil Steven Dread, Mrs Wynn-Jones
Staff Technomancers: Jason Parlevliet, Archchancellor Neil, DJ Helpful
Book Reviews: Annie Mac, Drusilla D'Afanguin, Your Name Here
Puzzle Editor: Tiff (still out there somewhere)
Bard in Residence: Weird Alice Lancrevic
Emergency Staff: Steven D'Aprano, Jason Parlevliet
World Membership Director: Steven D'Aprano (in his copious spare time)

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INDEX:

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) VIDEOS: TEAM PRATCHETT ON WORKING WITH SIR PTERRY
04) ODDS AND SODS
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD GAMES NEWS
07) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
08) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
09) "FANAC": DISCWORLD LIMERICK SLAM!
10) ROUNDWORLD TALES: THE ALCHEMY OF BILLIARD BALLS
11) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
12) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
13) CLOSE

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"I'm tremendously grateful to Terry for the chances he gave me, for the opportunity he gave me to change my life in ways I couldn't possibly imagine."

– Stephen Briggs

"People like to be told what they already know. Remember that. They get uncomfortable when you tell them *new* things. New things ... well, new things aren't what they expect. They like to know that, say, a dog will bite a man. That is what dogs do. They don't want to know that a man bites a dog, because the world is not supposed to happen like that. In short, what people *think* they want is news, but what they really crave is *olds*."

– Lord Vetinari to William de Worde (The Truth, Doubleday hardcover p. 77)

"We are delighted and honoured to display the Discworld Knight. Terry was a regular patron and would have been pleased to see this statue in the restaurant where he so often raised a glass with friends."

– Elizabeth Edwards, manager of the Queen's Head, Sir Pterry's local pub

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

October has been a month of waiting for me. Waiting on tenterhooks. Waiting for the Compleat Discworld Atlas to arrive. Waiting for Wossname's hose copy of Clacks to arrive. Waiting for a certain exclusive report to come back from the person who is vetting it... and as of today the waiting for all of these continues, but ticking clocks and hissing sand demand that we go to press... erm, to clacks... and so we shall.

Things waited for will arrive, and be reported on, but for the moment, enjoy this issue of Wossname which is full of news. And possibly some olds. And if you haven't re-read The Truth recently, do give it a go – coming back to it after almost fifteen years, I found The Truth to be a weighty and significant story disguised (brilliantly so) as a lightweight comedy caper. Beautiful stuff...

On with the show!

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) VIDEOS: TEAM PRATCHETT ON WORKING WITH SIR PTERRY

3.1 STEPHEN BRIGGS ON WORKING WITH SIR PTERRY

Here be a wonderful video of Mr Briggs at Sir Terry's home, talking about their 25-year collaboration and how it changed his world:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/fkjjw0fiyti5f8u/StephenBriggs_generic.mp4?dl=0

The video can also be accessed via http://www.shakespearecodex.co.uk/ – click on the orangeish button on the lower left of the homepage.

Many thanks go to Mr Briggs for this gift to the fans!

3.2 ROB WILKINS AND SANDRA KIDBY ANSWER FANS' QUESTIONS

In a lovely eleven minute video, Rob answers questions put to him by attendees of the Scheibenwelt (German Discworld) convention. He discusses the possible Discworld Lego set, forthcoming productions from Narrativia, and gives some fascinating bits of inside knowledge – including the fact that Sir Pterry left the world of the living to the sound of Meatloaf's classic Bat Out of Hell! Some quotes:

"Yes, there will be other adaptations, for the TV and for the big screen, but I can't be specific about which novels..."

"Terry really did leave behind a huge volume of unpublished material... The ideas are ideas we discussed together, so maybe some episodes of The Watch will be influenced by some of that material..."

"Did we ever have an argument? We argued every day! Every day I quit, and every day Terry sacked me... but we only argued if we were arguing about a plot point... we did argue, but it was always about the story... we did make it up very quickly..."

"Can you imagine being at the forefront of the creative process, sitting beside Terry Pratchett every day as he wrote..."

"I can honestly say that out of all the fan mail Terry received, Eskarina Smith was asked about the most..."

"Terry left what he called 'anchors' throughout his writing, and could refer back to them -- something you as a reader would have skimmed over, wouldn't have even noticed at the time, and yet he would refer to it twenty-five novels later..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCLq7KNMu_8

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04) ODDS AND SODS

4.0 PETITION FOR A PRATCHETT STATUE

As mentioned in the previous issue...

"Sir Terry Pratchett is a national icon when it comes to creating fantasy worlds that bring joy to millions of people. With over 70 books and 75 million copies sold worldwide, he created a powerful legacy that has encouraged reading and creativity. And here in Salisbury we were lucky enough to have him as a local resident for over 20 years. He worked with local people and artists, and made wonderful contributions to the local hospital.

"But there is little to inform the guests and residents of this vastly popular city of Sir Terry's involvement, or the love the community had for him in return. Salisbury take pride in many notable statues and works of art across the city, but we would like to campaign for a permanent statue, in a prominent location, in memory of Sir Terry's incalculable role in the culture of this country.

"Our aim will be to contact local officials via Salisbury City Council to either encourage them to take on the project themselves, or grant us permission to work with them in making it happen. If funding becomes an issue, it is possible that crowd-sourcing some of the costs could be viable, with any additional money raised going towards those charities supported by Sir Terry."

If you wish to sign the online petition, go to:

http://chn.ge/1Jn8iVs

4.1 DISCWORLD BARON BOUGHT BY ROB WILKINS FOR PTERRY'S LOCAL

The Discworld Baron was auctioned to the tune of £5,000 for the Trussell Trust, making it the highest-priced of the Barons. At first it was credited to a mystery bidder, but soon the bidder was identified as none other than Rob Wilkins himself. Now it has been donated to a permanent place in the Queen's Head pub in Broad Chalke, Wiltshire – otherwise known as Sir Pterry's local!

The Charter Barons project raised £200,000 altogether for the Trussell Trust, which coordinates the ever-increasing number of vital food banks in the UK.

This from Discworld.com, formerly PJSM Prints:

"The Discworld Knight baron has this week taken up residency at The Queen's Head pub in Broad Chalke in Wiltshire, where it will be on display for the next couple of months before moving to its permanent home in the Chalke Valley. It is hard to imagine a more fitting tribute to Terry for whom this statue was dedicated. The design of the baron was already in production at the time of Terry's untimely passing on 12th March 2015. His family kindly gave permission for The Discworld Knight to remain in The Barons' Charter project in his memory and at the auction on 1st October, Rob Wilkins was the winning bidder. Rob worked alongside Terry for many years, and felt that the most fitting tribute to the author would be to secure the magnificent statue and place it in the author's favourite pub for all to admire. 'We all know that Terry had the most incredible sense of humour, and would have taken great delight in reappearing here to keep an eye on the locals,' he said..."

To read the whole announcement, go to:

http://discworld.com/discworld-knight-on-display-at-terrys-local-pub/

4.2 PAUL KIDBY NOMINATION AS ILLUSTRATOR

On The Bookseller:

"Illustrators are now listed on the CILIP Carnegie 2016 nominations list, revealed today (19th October), following last year's complaint from author/illustrator Sarah McIntyre. In October 2014, CILIP nominated Oliver and the Seawigs (OUP Children's Books) for the 2015 Carnegie medal, mentioning writer Philip Reeve as the author but not McIntyre, who illustrated the book. McIntyre, who said she co-created the story, suggested the organisers should open the award up to books attributed to co-authors. 'Because the book has a lot of illustrations it has a shorter text; the world is built by the pictures as well as the words.' Her campaign has paid off because the titles nominated for the 2016 Carnegie medal are listed with both the author and illustrator. So both Jacqueline Wilson and Nick Sharratt are listed for Katy (Puffin), as are David Walliams and Tony Ross for Awful Auntie (HarperCollins Children's Books) and Terry Pratchett and Paul Kidby for The Shepherd's Crown (Doubleday Children's Books)..."

The full list of nominations can be found online at http://bit.ly/1PBvhne

http://bit.ly/1W6vRyt

4.3 HOW SIR PTERRY CHANGED THE WORLD'S VIEW OF ALZHEIMER'S

"Tim Parry from Alzheimer's Research UK said that the late author had transformed attitudes towards the disease. 'Terry Pratchett has played a huge role in just bringing it to people's attention and beginning to change the language towards the idea that we actually may be able to fight these diseases,' he said. 'He was the first person to say he wanted to kick it in the arse.' Parry, who is head of communications for the organisation, also spoke about how crucial it was to remove the stigma and shame around the disease, and that Pratchett's frank and very public discussion of his condition had helped..."

http://bit.ly/1N6SpaV

4.4 PICTURING PRATCHETT

In the Western Morning News:

"Members of the Exeter Camera Club have curated a series of exhibition to celebrate the club's 125th anniversary, making it one of the oldest camera clubs in the country. The black and white and monochrome photographs are currently being exhibited all month at The Cafe, Topsham, Devon. Photographer Phil Lockett paid tribute to author Terry Pratchett in his image 'A Tribute to Sir Terry'. He said: 'The image idea came very easily, it was the most natural of reactions when you hear news of a personal loss, to stop what you're doing or reading, take off your glasses and just absorb what that news meant. The book was one on my bookshelf I knew had his famous Death character appearing in, and I wanted him evident on the pages spread open. Death always speaks all in uppercase. I let the book fall open pretty much unguided and placed the glasses gently before taking the picture.'"

http://bit.ly/1Ml3MPn

The photograph: http://bit.ly/1GO2Lrs

4.5 REVIEW: THE WORLD OF POO

By Allen Adams for the Maine Edge:

"One of the reasons that Pratchett is so beloved is his ability to create richly detailed worlds. 'The World of Poo' was essentially a throwaway joke in 'Snuff,' and yet Pratchett managed to extrapolate that brief bit into something fully formed and – frankly – awfully funny. It is Pratchett all the way down, too, with plenty of winks and nods to various other Discworld properties and even a handful of his usual footnotes. As for readers of all ages, that is absolutely accurate. Granted, there's a lot of nuance that one could only pick up if one was familiar with Discworld, what with the sly references and central roles for a couple of Discworld's tertiary characters. However, while those details will enhance the enjoyment of the more experienced, younger readers will find plenty to delight them. It's a sweet story about a curious little boy who is fascinated by poo – no doubt there are more than a few kids just like Geoffrey out there in the wide world. Poo is hilarious and no one understands that better than little boys. 'The World of Poo' is a delight, working on multiple levels to engage and entertain young and old alike..."

http://bit.ly/1Kzmbk9

4.6 REVIEWS: THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN

***EDITOR'S NOTE: REMEMBER, IF YOU HAVEN'T YET READ THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN, BEWARE OF SPOILERS IN THESE REVIEWS!***

By Rene Nol for the Otago Times:

"Someone once said of Terry Pratchett that he was the kindest teacher you could ever have. Certainly for me he was the funniest. The research (he insisted it was pleasure reading) Pratchett did for his Discworld books was astoundingly wide-ranging, as he gleaned obscure tidbits, about the grittier side of Victorian London (from the sewers up, literally) say, to the sublime works of Leonardo da Vinci, among a host of subjects. These were then processed by Pratchett's lively imagination to reappear sometimes as major themes in his books, sometimes as one-liner jokes. Even a chance encounter was enough to set Pratchett's mind working: he once saw a large woman struggling with her wheeled suitcase, which appeared to have a mind of its own regarding where it was going. From this was born the Luggage, a chest on dozens of little legs. It was bound to follow its owner wherever that might be (even through time itself), and it radiated malevolence when in the mood.

"It is tempting to think Pratchett had his own demise at the front of his mind when he was writing The Shepherd's Crown..."

http://www.odt.co.nz/entertainment/books/359556/finale-fantasys-finest

By Scott Wilson on Popzara:

"Reading this novel made me realize just how different Discworld stories can be told just by changing the age of the character. Most of the political satire and adult humor is replaced with more toned down versions, which are pretty funny, but not in the same way. Another oddity about this novel is a trend that carried over from his previous book, Raising Steam, in which many of the point-of-view characters seen in different chapters only pop up once and are never heard from again, while established characters seem to miss out on the action. While it does a good job of saying goodbye to Discworld as a whole, The Shepherd's Crown feels like one of the weakest stories in the series. Many of the situations and villains are reused from earlier works without much more characterization. It carries many of the usual themes that Pratchett uses, such as sexism, change, and the inevitability of death, but everything seems to resolve entirely too easy, and very rarely is there much conflict between characters... The Shepherd's Crown is not an ending. It is, however, a reminder of stories that will never be told..."

http://bit.ly/1LVTp2x

By Hannah Sissons on Forge Fuse:

"The Shepherd's Crown is the fifth and final book about Tiffany and Pratchett keeps her spirit beautifully alive throughout. Pratchett's book is laced with ideas which he evidently wanted the world to know of before he departed... Whilst written for younger readers, this book can appreciated by anyone of any age. It stands for friendship, hard work, family and above all real magic; magic that is created, not by swishing a wand around or reading off spells, but by embracing our humanity, speaking for those with no voice and caring for those in need..."

http://forgetoday.com/fuse/the-shepherds-crown/

4.7 MUSINGS ON EQUAL RITES AND ON MORT

More from blogger Nat Wassell, on Cultured Vultures:

On Equal Rites: 'Equal Rites' is the third book in the series, and it is a landmark point in the series for several reasons. One of the things I noticed during this novel was that Sir Terry never tries to disguise the narrative voice as being anything but his own. There are a lot of metaphors that come up which involve comparisons to things like dodgems and radio, things that do not exist on the disc and therefore cannot be compared by anyone who is not firmly of our own world. I wonder if this is a deliberate move on Sir Terry's part, claiming Discworld for his own and allowing no one to mistake it as belonging to anyone but him. There is no omniscient third party here, telling the stories. There is only Terry Pratchett and his wacky, wonderful imagination..."

http://bit.ly/1LvVTTN

On Mort: "I think the fact that Death is one of the most fleshed out, sympathetic characters in the whole series tells you everything that you need to know about Discworld and the delight that Pratchett takes in inverting the norm. If Granny Weatherwax was Pratchett's muse, Death was his closest companion... When I was first discovering Discworld, 'Mort' was the title that kept coming up as the best place to start, although I never followed that advice. On doing some informal research now (stalking Tumblr and Goodreads) it seems that a lot of people agree on 'Mort' being one of the best in the series. I'll be honest though; I didn't like it that much the first time round. I liked Death, but then it is difficult not to like him, he is so warm, so endearing, so funny. It was everything else that I didn't much care for; Mort as character was not my favourite, although I liked him more than Rincewind, and the story didn't quite make sense to me. If it had been the first book that I picked up, I cannot say for sure that I would have carried on with the rest of them. So I'm pleased to say that, the second time around, 'Mort' was much more enjoyable for me... In terms of style, the main thing I noticed is that one of my main gripes from the first three novels – the fact that Pratchett has a habit of repeating himself a lot – has been put to a stop here, and that Pratchett even comments on it, like he has suddenly realised he was doing it. It's self-conscious writing and it shows a respect for the reader; he knows that they will have noticed and he makes no apologies for it, but does accept he was doing it..."

http://culturedvultures.com/discworld-discussions-mort-1987/

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05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

5.0 REMINDER: WYRD SISTERS IN UPPINGHAM

It's that time at last! After a long run-up, the Uppingham Theatre Company will be staging their production of Wyrd Sisters at the end of this month. Many thanks to Vikki Shelton and her team for the updates – it looks like this production will be truly excellent!

When: Thursday 29th October through Saturday 31st October 2015
Venue: Uppingham Theatre, 32 Stockerston Road, Uppingham, Rutland LE15 9UD
Time: 7.30pm all evening shows; Saturday matinee 2.30pm
Tickets: £10 (includes a £2 charity donation per ticket to Rutland Reminders). Available in person from Uppingham Sports and Books, 9 High Street East, Uppingham. To purchase online, go to https://www.wegottickets.com/location/1664

A special Discworld menu to accompany the production, devised by the Uppingham Theatre Company's Vikki Shelton and approved by Colin Smythe, will be served at The Vaults restaurant, The Market Place, Uppingham LE15 9QH starting on the 18th October through to 31st October to help Uppingham Theatre Company raise money for Rutland Reminders (50p from the price of each plate). To enquire about booking a table for a pre Wyrd Sisters meal, or for more information, contact Tom on 01572 823259. "Please pre order your food to ensure its availability, and be mindful of the play's starting time if you are eating pre show"

http://www.uppinghamtheatrecompany.org.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Uppingham-Theatre-Company/215743641793859

www.thevaultsuppingham.co.uk

Editor's note: for some fun photos of the cast larking about, go to http://wossname.dreamwidth.org/24897.html

5.1 NEW: MORT IN LISMORE, FOURECKS (OCTOBER)

The Lismore Theatre Company continues to present their production of Mort this month.

When: 30 and 31 October 2015; also, matinee performance on the 25th
Venue: Rochdale Theatre, 603 Ballina Rd, Goonellabah, New South Wales 2480
Time: 8pm all evening shows; 5pm matinee
Tickets: $20 all shows except for the performance on 31st October which is $30 as it will be a special Halloween fancy dress night. Tickets are available at the door, or to pre-purchase online go to:

http://www.trybooking.com/158774 (for all performances except the 31st)
http://www.trybooking.com/158775 (for the Halloween Gala night)

http://lismoretheatrecompany.org.au/

5.2 NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN WATLINGTON, NORFOLK (OCTOBER)

The Watlington Players will present their production of Wyrd Sisters at the end of this month.

When: 29th – 31st October
Venue: Watlington Village Hall, Church Road, Watlington, King's Lynn, Norfolk, PE33 0HE
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: £7 (£5 concessions). To purchase online, go to
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/watlingtonplayers

"If you wish to pay with cash or cheque, the box office can be called between 6.00pm and 7.00pm – 0845 052 9645.
We would like to invite you all to dress up as your favourite Pratchett or Halloween character for our Saturday night performance, however this will not be an essential!"

www.watlingtonplayers.com
www.facebook.com/watlingtonplayers

5.3 REMINDER: WYRD SISTERS IN CHARLTON, SOUTHEAST LONDON (OCTOBER)

The Alexandra Players will present their production of Wyrd Sisters at the end of this month.

When: 28th–31st October 2015
Venue: Alexandra Hall, Bramshot Avenue, Charlton, London SE7
Time: 8pm (Wednesday 28th, Thursday 29th, Friday 30th); 7pm (Saturday 31st)
Tickets: £9 (£8 concessions). To order online, go to http://alexandraplayers.org.uk/?page_id=2738 and use the booking form on the page, or for a block of more than four tickets email alexandraplayers@gmail.com

http://alexandraplayers.org.uk/

5.4 NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN DEREHAM, NORFOLK: OCTOBER AUDITIONS FOR 2016 PRODUCTION

The Dereham Theatre Company will present their production of Wyrd Sisters next March. All performance royalties for will be donated to The Orangutan Foundation!

When: Thursday 10th March through Saturday 12th March 2016
Venue: Dereham Memorial Hall, 61 Norwich Street, Dereham NR19 1AD
Time: 7.30pm all performances
Tickets: TBA

But first: AUDITIONS THIS WEEK!

The online audition form can be found at http://dosoc.co.uk/audition.asp

Read-Through: Monday October 26th at 7:30pm.
Auditions: Saturday October 31st from approx. 11:00am till 5:00pm
Venue: The Studio, Rear of Dereham Memorial Hall, 62 Norwich Street, Dereham NR19 1AD

"It is beneficial to attend one or both read-throughs to get a feel for the play and characters, although not necessarily essential. Please make sure you are available for the whole Audition day. If you are unable to make this or need to attend at a specific time, please let us know ASAP. Whilst it will not count against you, learning the extracts ahead of Auditions will help us judge your comedic skill. Also whilst accents can be worked on (we have six months) we are looking for at least some effort in speaking with the appropriate dialect... There are 33 individual parts and we're aiming for a cast of around twenty. Those not in lead parts are likely to be playing 2–4 characters throughout the production and there are plenty of lines (and comedy moments) to go around...

"A full Audition Timetable will be e-mailed by Thursday October 29th. However, if you have any further questions, e-mail me at secretary@dosoc.co.uk."

http://dosoc.co.uk/membersproduction2.asp

http://www.dosoc.co.uk/

5.5 NEW: MASKERADE IN CAMBRIDGE (DECEMBER)

Discworld plays and Cambridge Footlights – what's not to like? The ADC Theatre will present their production of Maskerade in December.

"After the sell-out success of Wyrd Sisters, Bawds bring another Discworld to the ADC Theatre with their unique mix of film, music and comedy, directed by a former President of the Footlights and dedicated to the proposition that 'in opera, no-one can hear you scream'."

When: Tuesday 8th – Saturday 12 December 2015
Venue: ADC Theatre, Park Street, Cambridge CB5 8AS (phone 01223 300085). "Parking is available in Park Street Car Park operated by Cambridge City Council. Street parking on Jesus Lane is often available for minibuses and other large vehicles. Approach must be made via Victoria Avenue or Maids Causeway due to traffic restrictions."
Time: 7.45pm
Tickets: £12/£10 concessions (Tue & Sat Matinee £10/£8 concessions). To book, go to https://www.adctheatre.com/whats-on/drama/maskerade.aspx and select a date from the drop-down menu on the right of the page

https://www.adctheatre.com

5.6 REMINDER: WYRD SISTERS IN HEXHAM (NOVEMBER)

The Queen's Hall Theatre Club will perform their production of Wyrd Sisters in November.

When: Thursday 26th – Saturday 28th November 2015
Venue: Main Theatre, Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Beaumont Street, Hexham, Northumberland NE46 3LS (Box Office 01434 652477)
Time: 7:30pm
Tickets: £10 (concessions £9, under 18s £7). The Box Office is open from 10.00am – 5.00pm Monday to Friday & 10.00am to 4.00pm Saturday and one hour before the start of every performance. To buy online, go to http://bit.ly/1O5eIAp and click on the tab marked BOOK, then click the BOOK tab for the date of your choice.

http://www.queenshall.co.uk/events/terry-pratchett%E2%80%99s-wyrd-sisters
http://www.queenshall.co.uk/

5.7 REMINDER: UNSEEN ACADEMICALS IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE (NOVEMBER)

The Marlow Players will present their production of Unseen Academicals in November.

When: 12th, 13th and 14th November 2015
Venue: Shelley Theatre, Court Garden, Pound Lane, Marlow, Bucks SL7 2AG
Time: 8pm all shows
Tickets: £12. To purchase online, go to http://marlowplayers.org.uk/product-category/boxoffice/

http://www.marlowplayers.org.uk/

5.8 REMINDER: MAKING MONEY IN BASILDON (NOVEMBER)

The Thalian Theatre Group are back in November with a new Discworld production: Making Money!

When: Thurs. 12th – Sat. 14th November 2015
Venue: Mirren Studio, Towngate Theatre, St Martin's Square, Basildon, Essex SS14 1DL.
Time: 8pm
Tickets: £10 (£8.50 concessions), with a booking fee of £1. To purchase online, go to http://thaliantheatregroup.wix.com/thalian and click on the tickets image. To reserve tickets by phone, ring 01268 417854. A percentage of ticket sales will be donated to Alzheimer's Research UK.

Box Office telephone: 01268 465 465.

http://thaliantheatregroup.wix.com/thalian
www.facebook.com/ThalianTheatreGroup/info?tab=page_info

www.towngatetheatre.co.uk/

5.9 REMINDER: THE SHAKESPEARE CODEX WORLD PREMIERE IN ABINGDON (APRIL 2016)

"Discworld's 'stars' have to stop the elves taking over our world, make Shakespeare write A Midsummer Night's Dream ... and ensure the potato is discovered! Featuring Ridcully, Rincewind, Granny Weatherwax, Angua, Vetinari, Shakespeare, Queen Elizabeth I ... & the Earl of Oxford. Based loosely on The Science of Discworld II: the Globe, Lords & Ladies, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Staged on 6 to 9 April 2016 (both Terry's and Shakespeare's birth month)... We're expecting quite a lot of interest in this show, so *early booking* (particularly for the weekend performances) is recommended. Block booking discounts will be available for the Wed and Thu performances."

When: 6th-9th April 2016
Venue: Unicorn Theatre, Medieval Abbey Buildings, Checker Walk/Thames Street, Abingdon, OXON, OX14 3HZ
Time: TBA
Tickets: £10.00 (Wed, Thu, Fri shows) and £11.00 (Sat mat and evening shows)

http://www.shakespearecodex.co.uk/

5.10 MASKERADE PRODUCTION WAS A TRIBUTE TO PRATCHETT

An article about the Henley Players' recent production of Maskerade featured tributes to Sir Pterry from sibling actors George and Harry Petrie:

Two brothers appearing in a play based on the work of Sir Terry Pratchett have each written their own tribute to the late author... Among the cast of the play, the plot of which is said to carry echoes of The Phantom of the Opera, are brothers George and Harry Petrie. Together, they decided to use the occasion to pay tribute to Sir Terry, who died in March.

George says: 'I grew up with Pratchett and in every book, movie, play or game I have enjoyed I can find certain similarities in his style. My views on both art and modern life are shaped by his unique way of looking at any subject. He saw both the way things often presented themselves as well as the way they looked from angles you hadn't considered before. I sincerely doubt I would be as cynical, or as in love with creative fiction as I am without his influence. Beyond what he meant as a writer, whose work I love, he also stood as an exemplar of what an artist should be: looking at genres outside your own and expanding your view of the world and your mind constantly; never looking down at alternative art forms but instead looking for ways you can express yourself through them. Above all, he held that money was 'an unavoidable consequence' and that the only reason to write, to create, was it gave you joy to do so.'

Harry says: 'Having come to Pratchett's works at a later point than my brother, I found their wonderful oddness and fantastic humour a constant joy. His inimitable style has left it's impression deep on both the way I write, as well as how I view the world. Having greatly felt his passing, as did legions upon throngs of his fans, finding a means of paying tribute to the man that had, and will always have an immense impact on me, has been no mean feat. But I hope, as I am sure my fellow cast members do, that our production of Maskerade will in some small way show our appreciation, respect and love for both the man and his works.'

http://bit.ly/1L7YzXw

5.11 NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN BELFAST (NOVEMBER)

The Bart Players will present their production of Wyrd Sisters in late November!

25th–28th November 2015
Venue: Bart Players, 183 Stranmillis Road, Belfast
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £10.00 (Concession for Under 18/Over 60s/Students £8.00; groups of 10 or more will earn a discount). Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/bartplayers – or by email to bartplayersbelfast@gmail.com,
or by phoning 028 9020 2280.

http://bartplayers.co.uk/

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06) DISCWORLD GAMES NEWS

Here comes Clacks!

"The Fastest (non-magical) Messaging System on the Discworld. Using a semaphore system of shuttered lamps on top of high towers, the Grand Trunk Semaphore Company has revolutionised long distance communications on the Discworld. Their network of towers covers most of the Unnamed Continent, but now the old postal service is fighting back. Driven by the determination of newly 'volunteered' Post Master 'Moist Von Lipwig' the Ankh-Morpork Post Office has challenged the Clacks operators to a race from Ankh-Morpork to Genua.

"Play against your friends and claim the title of Fastest Clacks Operator on the line, or Play together as a team to win the race across the Discworld and prove that Clacks is here to stay. In the box there is rules for 'player versus player', a 'co-operative race game' against the Post Office and a 'Children's introductory game'. Clacks artwork was created by Amber Grundy (a.k.a The Artful Nudger)."

Meanwhile, while Wossname awaits the delivery of our copy, here be the story of Clacks and how it came to Roundworld...

"Back in September 2011 Leonard Boyd and I (David Brashaw) who run Backspindle Games had recently published Guards! Guards! A Discworld Boardgame in conjunction with Z-Man Games. Both being from Ireland we thought, where was the best place to be just after its release? The Irish Discworld Convention, of course! This venture was not without its challenges as it took us five hours 'by car" to get there, while many others who had travelled from across Europe got there in less than four hours... We were mostly delayed by a Post Office van that was broken down at the Mad Cow roundabout. Funny how this later impacted subliminally in our game Clacks! (darn Post Office)... On the final day when we were all packed up and relaxing in the lounge, we talked with other delegates about the Sky TV adaptations of Discworld books. I had just said that my favourite one was Going Postal and the great race when Leonard came out with the statement, "I'm sure there is a good game in there somewhere." Hence we started talking about how many lamps were on a Clacks tower, the type of alphabet, semaphore, and transmission of words, and in no time at all had come up with an initial idea of a board game in which players would compete to transmit words.

"Once back safe and sound in County Down we developed the idea further, agreeing on how many lamps should be on a board, and Leonard devised the Clacks alphabet. We dug out our respective copies of Going Postal for reference purposes. Leonard then created a simple board and tile lamp stickers while I got some wooden blocks cut and painted them black with the interference of our cat — they became his plaything while drying on the windowsill — and we had a demo game ready to go...

This is a good, long, detailed diary of the development of Clacks, well worth taking the time to read while you await delivery of your own copy.

http://bit.ly/1GrWLtS

Not ordered your copy yet? You know you want to! You can get Clacks from...

http://www.backspindlegames.com/clacks/
http://www.discworldemporium.com/Clacks
http://discworld.com/products/games/clacks-a-discworld-board-game/

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07) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS

7.0 NEW KIDBY PRINTS!

"Next week I am releasing my new fine art limited edition signed print: Drawings from the Shepherd's Crown. It features 12 iconic vignette illustrations including Tiffany, Rob Anybody, Mephistopheles the Goat and You the Cat."

A photo collage of the drawings:

http://bit.ly/1ZPJgue


7.1 DISCWORLD.COM UPDATES

"Welcome one and all to Spindlewinter at Discworld.com HQ. 'Tis the month for all things Eldritch and Discworld's finest have taken over our website until Hallows Eve. To celebrate the witching hour, you can now add the NEW Granny Weatherwax bust to your collection, and sport our elegant NEW Granny T-shirt. We're also hailing the return of the Collector's Death Pin and bringing our popular Roundworld section back. Not only that but we've added a handy 'New Products' section! Join us as the season changes, rejoice in the magic of Discworld and follow your heart to the Lancre Coven..."

* The Granny bust:

"Based on Paul Kidby's illustrations of Granny, this detailed bust is made from high-quality resin and is ideal for painting."

The unpainted Granny Weatherwax bust is priced at £28. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://discworld.com/products/busts/granny-bust-unpainted/

* The Granny t-shirt:

"A silhouette image of Discworld's foremost practitioner of headology, in striking colours from a design by Paper Panda. For this design in classic fit we use Gildan 200gsm weight garments in 100% cotton. They have taped neck and shoulders, seamless twin needle 7/8″ collar, quarter-turned to eliminate crease. The image is applied using a hard-wearing purple Superflex Vinyl. For the skinny fits we use combed and ringspun 100% cotton in 145gsm weight. They have shoulder taping to maintain shape, a longer body length and flattering side-seaming."

The Granny Weatherwax Papercut t-shirt is priced at £15. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://discworld.com/products/bags-clothing/granny-papercut-t-shirt

* The Death pin:

"When released back in 2008, this proved to be one of our most popular pins ever produced. Inspired by Death's Domain: A Discworld Mapp, the design features purple enameling, Death's famous piercing blue eyes and the motto 'NVLLA IVSTITIA EST EGO SOLVM EST'. The detailing and art nouveau styling is simply stunning. VERY LIMITED STOCK!"

The Death Pin is priced at £60. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://discworld.com/products/collectables/death-pin/

"Soon we'll be hearing the tramping of hogs and decking the Discworld.com halls with sausages again so we're delighted to introduce our fab new 'Festive Favourites' page, a quick-click option for all your Hogswatch specials, and some nifty stocking fillers. Keep an eye on this page over the coming weeks as we'll keep it up to date with all the finest finery for your festive frolics!"

* The Festive Favourites include a selection of button badges priced at £1 each (Nanny Ogg, Hogfather, Feegles, etc.), a Death as Hogfather pin priced at £3.50, and a Death as Hogfather 30mm metal cast miniature priced at £8.50. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://discworld.com/products/festive-fun

"We're feeling social here at Discworld.com HQ and are delighted to welcome you to our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as well as encouraging you to chat to us on email, Reddit and see our latest photos on Flickr. Please join us and do offer your opinions, we value your views and love seeing your photos and collections!"

https://www.facebook.com/discworldofficial
https://twitter.com/Discworld_com
https://instagram.com/discworld.com_official/
email: pr@discworld.com
https://www.reddit.com/user/discworld_com
https://www.flickr.com/photos/132892573@N05/

We're giving away a set of US paperback edition copies of the first four Tiffany novels this month. Simply email your answer to the following question to pr@discworld.com to be entered into the draw. "Name the third son of Lord Swivel". Good luck!"

...also...

* Terry Pratchett's Folio!

"This highly collectable hardback, originally produced for fans at the 2014 UK Discworld convention when Terry himself was unable to attend, stands at just over five inches tall. 'Terry Pratchett's Folio', contains two scenes cut from Raising Steam, Terry's advice for life, Rob Wilkins' thoughts on Terry, an Ode to Multiple Universes, and is embossed with Terry's personal coat of arms. All proceeds from this special keepsake will go to the RICE centre in Bath."

The Terry Pratchett Folio is priced at £25. For more information, and to order, go to

http://discworld.com/products/collectables/terry-pratchetts-folio

* The Discworld survey!

"Please take a moment to help us! We'd like you to have your say on our future product range..."

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GWK39S8

http://discworld.com/

7.2 DISCWORLD EMPORIUM UPDATES

Get-cher Compleat Discworld Atlas heeeere! Companion piece to the Compleat Ankh-Morpork, now available to Roundworld customers!

"Your Compleat guide to the geography and topography of Discworld! The Compleat Discworld Atlas is a wondrously witty travel guide brought to you by The Ankh-Morpork Guild of Trespassers and Unseen University Press. Each atlas boasts full colour plate maps, sumptuous illustrations and a comprehensive gazetteer, all accompanied by a giant double-sided map featuring a magnificent vision of The World Turtle A'Tuin and wonderfully detailed delineation of the Disc on the reverse. The Compleat Discworld Atlas is our final collaboration with Sir Terry Pratchett. A project 3 years in the making, this new guide to the extraordinary world he created was completed before his untimely death in March 2015.

"To honour this auspicious publication each copy from the Emporium includes a souvenir travel poster as a gift from us."

The Compleat Discworld Atlas is priced at £25 (and that's cutting their own throats!). For more information, and to order, go to:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/Compleat-Discworld-Atlas

"Accompany your Discworld Atlas with our exclusive set of postcard prints, featuring 7a exotic scenes from the atlas itself. Send them, frame them, or use them to mark your place in your favourite Discworld books! The world is your mollusc with our exclusive set of postcard prints featuring artwork from the Compleat Discworld Atlas and Mrs Bradshaw's Handbook! Frame them, send them, or use them as bookmarks – each set includes 7a postcards from Ankh-Morpork, Lancre, Sto Lat, Big Cabbage, Uberwald, Genua, Old Treachery and Krull, each printed in a traditional vintage postcard finish."

The set includes postcards of the Wonderful Fanny, Big Cabbage, Lancre, Uberwald, Krull, Sto Lat, Genua, and of course Ankh-Morpork ("I survived the Mended Drum and all I got was this lousy postcard").

The Discworld Postcard Prints set is priced at £5. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/Discworld-postcards

"A brand new puzzle game based on Discworld's "Clacks" semaphore messaging system, as featured in Sir Terry Pratchett's novel Going Postal! Play against your friends and claim the title of Fastest Clacks Operator on the line, or play together as a team to win the race against the Post Office across the Discworld in this strategic puzzle game from the makers of Guards! Guards!. Using a semaphore system of shuttered lamps on top of high towers, the Grand Trunk Semaphore Company has revolutionized long-distance communications on the Discworld. Their network of towers covers most of the Unnamed Continent, but now the old postal service is fighting back. Driven by the determination of newly "volunteered" Post Master Moist Von Lipwig, the Ankh-Morpork Post Office has challenged the Clacks operators to a race from Ankh-Morpork to Genua! Contains rules for a player vs. player game, a co-operative race game against the Post Office, and a children's introductory game."

Clacks is priced at £29. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/Clacks

"As a Terry-appointed Ankh-Morpork Consulate we are officially authorised to issue these truly fantastic Discworld artefacts, each featuring individual numbers, immigration stamps from your travels around the Disc, and a 'real' Ankh-Morpork duty stamp fixed inside. Knowing Terry Pratchett fans to be nought but trustworthy, each passport is pre-endorsed ready for you to fill in your details as honestly, or as imaginatively, as you wish. The Passport contains vital information on prohibited goods, currency, and work permits along with space for stamps should you visit the Discworld Emporium in person, or any other place that is silly enough to stamp it. Measures 100 x 140mm."

Each Discworld Passport is priced at £10. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/ankh-morpork-passport

"Our popular Turtle Moves design by 2016 Discworld Calendar artist Joe McLaren is now available on a brand new tote bag as well as our bestselling t-shirts! These cotton shoppers have 'bags' of room, and long handles for ease of toting!"

Each Discworld Turtle Moves tote bag is priced at £7.50. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/Turtle-Moves-Tote-Bag

It's back to school time for all you UU students out there!

Choose from a fine collection of Unseen University clothing and accessories, including the UU hoodie (£28); UU Scarf (£40); UU 35mm Alumni Badge (£4.50); UU Doctoral Badge (£4.95); The Librarian's 'Ook' badge (£4). For more information on each, and to order, go to:

http://discworld.com/products/uu-clothing-badges/

"And finally, what better way to make your luggage stand out on the carousel (without numerous little legs) than a set of Discworld Luggage Labels! (warning: may irritate Sapient Pearwood). A set of six luggage labels harking from Discworld's new age of steam! Each label is a souvenir from adventures in Discworld travel, and has been printed to withstand the most rigorous of expeditions. With designs from favourite Discworld destinations including Lancre, Uberwald, and Ankh-Morpork along with designs from C.M.O.T. Dibbler travel, the Ankh-Morpork Guild of Trespassers, and the Ankh-Morpork and Sto Plains Hygienic Railway, our Discworld Luggage Labels will render your cases unique on the luggage carousel! Circular stickers measure 95mm diameter, rectangular designs measure 111 x 69mm."

Each Discworld Luggage Labels set is priced at £6. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/Discworld-luggage-labels

http://www.discworldemporium.com/

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08) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS: UPDATES AND REMINDERS

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), meets next on Monday 2nd November 2015 at the Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London, W2 1JQ. For more information, go to http://brokendrummers.org/ or email BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk

*

Canberra, Australia has a new Discworld fan group, Drumknott's Irregulars! "We are a newly established Terry Pratchett & Discworld social group in Canberra called Drumknott's Irregulars. The group is open to all, people from interstate and overseas are welcome, and our events will not be heavily themed. Come along to dinner for a chat and good company. We welcome people all all fandoms (and none) and we would love to see you at one of our events, even if you're just passing through. Please contact us via Facebook (_https://www.facebook.com/groups/824987924250161/_) or Google Groups (_https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars_) or join us at our next event."

*

There is a new public Facebook meeting group, "The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)": "This group, by request of Jo in Bear will continue to be used for future unofficial (not run by the Emporium) fan Gatherings in Wincanton. Look here for information. Next event Loonies Christmas Party. Same weekend as Hogswatch would have been. ie 27/28/29 November."

Some updates, for anyone who'd like to attend:

The Victorian/Dickensian/Steampunk Gathering of The Loonies

Fri.
* Deck the hall with balls of holly – bring some spare decorations and help us decorate our hall for a weekend of festivities
* We want to put up a tree for geeks – so if you have small geeky things to put in the tree – Deathstar baubles – toy Daleks – miniature magic wands – a fairy Mr Spock – anything geeky (even some festive Watchmen or Feegles – it's not a Discworld Tree – it's a Geeky Tree)
* The Good Old Days – Charge your beer mugs and gather around the tables for a fun chat about things that made you the geeks you are today – what was your first costume? – who was your first geeky crush? – what geeky books would be on your desert island? The stuff that has made you – you.
Sat.
Morning
* The Victorian poor lived in hand-me downs & second hand clothes – so can we! Bring any costumes or bits of costumes you don't want to the Sweetman Hall and then buy/sell/barter/swop with somebody else.. Larks what fun we could have....
Lunchtime
* In Victorian times urchins didn't know where their next meal was coming from and neither do we – forage in food establishments for your lunch...
Afternoon
* Geeky afternoon of Games
* Tea Duelling
* Promenade up and down the High Street in you best Geeky togs.... Victorians loved nothing better than walking around showing off their finery – we can do the same in anything geeky – Steampunks – Victorians – Witches - Seamstresses – Trekky costumes – Fez's and long scarves....anything
Evening
* Join us for a geeky Xmas Meal – Bring crackers and have a festive Geeky dinner... [Note: Saturday supper at Bear is
£12 for two courses, £8.95 one course, or £3.95 for pudding only. Turkey, beef or vegetarian option (aromatic Moroccan stew with couscous), and Christmas Pudding to finish. Please call the Bear to book]
* After Dinner Victorians didn't sit watching the TV or playing video games – they gathered around the piano and sang songs and played silly parlour games and entertained themselves – we geeks can do the same – sing songs – tell jokes etc – NOT A SHOW – but everybody entertaining everybody...
* It's not Xmas without a Ghost Story (or a Doctor Who special!) – Finish the night with a spooky telling of A Christmas Carol by our own Scrooge – Mr Ebenezer Hicks!
Sun.
Morning
* Nothing Planned yet
* As you were so good at foraging on the Saturday see if you can repeat it on the Sunday!
Afternoon
* A Tea Party with Tea and cake (please bring cake) Party hosted by a Man in a funny Hat so wear a Hat and join in (maybe a small prise for the best hat?)
* Join the Queen for a small game of Croquet on our specially imported indoor crochet lawn
* Being Polite Victorians we will be invited to 'Vacate the premises' (No mucky words at this gathering!) (Pack up the Geeky Tree, collect stuff people brought and depart home.)

"This is by no means a finished or full plan – there is still space in it that we can fill with other stuff – if anybody has ideas or suggestions – shout out and if we can make them happen we will. This is not a Hogswatch and it is not intended as a big even so if you want to come see friends – have fun – great. But if you don't come it's possibly something your life will go on with without. We aren't advertising this big time – it's mainly targeted at the friends who have been gathering for more than 10 years now – to continue doing so..."

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

*

The Pratchett Partisans are a fan group who meet monthly at either Brisbane or Indooroopilly to "eat, drink and chat about all things Pratchett. We hold events such as Discworld dinners, games afternoons, Discworld photo scavenger hunts. Our recent 'Murder In Morpork' mystery party was a great night out. With 26 people attending, we had 24 suspects, our special guest – Vetinari, and one dead mime! It was a fun night of food and murder and we are planning another Murder in December so stay tuned. We also attend opening night at Brisbane Arts Theatre's Discworld plays." The Partisans currently have about 100 members who meet at least twice a month, usually in Brisbane.

Here be some upcoming events hosted by the Pratchett Partisans:

Carpe Jugul– Vinum! Halloween Party. Friday 30th Oct 7pm. Lady Margolotta's Castle. Appropriate Halloween/Discworld/Formal attire compulsory. $20 per person: platter food, games, prizes and dessert.

Discworld games afternoon Sat 14 November 2pm-8pm. Community meeting room Brisbane Square library. Drop in during the afternoon for Discworld board and card games, then dinner and drinks starting from 6pm at a local eatery.

Homicide at Hogswatch. Sat 19 December 6pm-10pm. Grand Central Hotel Dining Car. Will another Murder will be committed in Ankh Morpork? More details will be released soon.

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

*

The City of Small Gods is a group for fans in Adelaide and South Australia. For more information on their upcoming activities, go to www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

"Every few months, we have a full day's worth of board games at La Scala Cafe, 169 Unley Rd, Unley in the function room starting at 10am."

Upcoming events include:
Nov 15 Chain Maille Workshop (TBC)
Nov 26 Monthly Dinner and Games, Seven Stars Hotel, 187 Angas St
Nov 29 Planning Picnic, Botanic Park, 11.30am
Dec 6 Round World Events SA Annual General Meeting
Dec TBA End of Year Dinner

For more info, go to http://ausdwcon.org/fan-clubs/adelaide/quiz/

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 5th November 2015 (probably) from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight. For more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) next meets on Friday 6th November 2015 (probably) at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists, a Pratchett fangroup, has been meeting on a regular basis since 2005 but is now looking to take in some new blood (presumably not in the non-reformed Uberwald manner). The Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, to discuss "all things Pratchett" as well as having quizzes and raffles. Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum:

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

*

Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet next on Monday 2nd November 2015 at 6.30pm (probably) in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney,2000. For more information, contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meets next on Monday 2nd November 2015 (probably) from 5.30pm at Carpe Cafe, 526 Murray Street, Perth, Western Australia. For details follow Perth Drummers on Twitter @Perth_Drummers or join their Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>

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09) THE DISCWORLD LIMERICK SLAM!

Here be a gem mined from the wilds of Facebook by one of our Newshounds. Marvellous stuff!

Hampus Lybeck of Gothenburg, Sweden started the proceedings with a challenge, "The rule of thumb is that there are limericks you can read with ladies present, limericks you can read with vicars present and then proper limericks." and then offered the first one:

From Lancre (Bad Ass) hailed a witch
Who had an unfortunate glitch
Her time-line bifurcated
And she duplicated
Now her friends can't tell which witch is which.

...and this happened...

Lucie Zeale
There once was a Smith in Bad Ass
With seven fine boys and a lass
A wizard was she
And eventually
she could travel through time to the past.

Sarah Rutherford Smith
There once was a boy from Copperhead
Whose hair was indelibly red.
He enforced the laws,
Loved a girl with four paws
And had irrefutable street cred.

Ruth Leslie
There once was a dashing young author.
Who said to himself "Well I oughta",
bring Disc world to life,
let laughter run rife.
You did good, you well loved old author. Tah dah!

Roger McKillop
There's music frae oor Feegles moond,
whaur drinkin', an' fechtin' aboond,
Wi' a big bottle o' Scumble,
We'll jine in the rumble,
An' hope the roast ship isnae foond!

Dan Ladle
In Ankh-Morpork there was a dictator,
Who preferred to be earlier than later,
He talked to the rats and liked crunching the stat's
On things said at a Square named Sator

Tania Maria Cann Lewis
Headology, said Nanny Ogg
Whilst talking to Gaspode the Dog
Is a load of old Fanny
I leave it to Granny
I prefer just to swig at my grog

Lucie Zeale
There was a man from Llamedos
Who played a fine harp of course
With a dwarf and troll
They made rock and roll
And were the best band there ever was!

There was a wizard in Ankh
A tourist with luggage like a tank
Too far did they roam
From Morporks loam
That straight off of the disc, they sank

Nicole B Hicks
Vimes walks the streets in the night
With nary a crim'nal in sight
The agony aunts
Hung two up, by their pants
And the rest are all hiding, in fright.

The Ankh is a curious river
Not so much a flow, as a quiver
You can skip more than a rock
If you're quick, you can walk
But it smells like a half-rotten liver.

Ruth Leslie
There once was a Magrat from Lancre,
Whose future was looking quite danker.
But she met a fool, who was destined to rule,
and all Verence could do,was to thank her.

Nicole B Hicks
The Alchemist's Guild has gone missing
In a pile of rubble, all hissing
Lots of bricks, I am told,
But none of them gold
So all of us are left wishing.

Monks sew up the trousers of time
Dumping bits in some unvisited clime
The Procrastinator rolls
And the Mandala scrolls
Whilst I fiddle about with this rhyme.

Nigel Finn
Leonard of Quirm was never quite sure,
How to continue limericks after line four,
When asked why this was,
He answered "Because."
Then he became distracted and sketched a detailed drawing of muscles in the human thumb, a nice little invention for keeping cheese at a consistent temperature, and a device for raining down fire on enemy ships.

Hampus Lybeck
A nice young man from Sutton Hoo
Knew a limerick that stopped at line two...

Nigel Finn Oook ook oooook ook ook,
Ook ook, oook ook ook,
ook ook OOK!
ook OOk OOK?
OOK ook OOOOK ook ook!

Nicole B Hicks
Though it looks like a cosmic mistake,
A world, round and flat, like a pancake,
The black-hatted creator,
Gave the Disc no equator,
Tis perfect, it requires no remake.

David Bond
Promotion in the halls of UU,
Was filling the dead men's pointy shoes,
Then along came Ridcully,
A fellow quite jolly,
Now the Bursar hides in the loos.

Nigel Finn
There once was a copper called Vimes,
Who knew he should move with the times,
He employed dwarfs and trolls,
A werewolf, some gargoyles,
And a vampire to help solve some crimes.

Nicole B Hicks
If wishes were horses, we'd ride
On A'tuins back, we'd abide
And while that would be merry
We can all be more Terry
And spread ripples on earth, far and wide.

A photog named Otto loves light
But crumbles away when it's bright
Shriek, if you must
Then sweep up the dust
So he can get the iconograph right

Nigel Finn
A man with a fowl on his head,
Was sick of the rumours they spread,
About a duck on his bonce,
So with much nonchalance,
He'd just reply "What duck?" instead.

Hampus Lybeck
From the town of Ohulan Cutash
(Well, the suburb, Sheepridge, let's not clash)
came a man with a secret
So dreadful you won't hear it
From me without huge loads of cash!

Roger McKillop
Tae write this poem, Daft Wullie wished.
Bit couldnae cause he wis pished!
He's reduced tae a mumble,
By scoffin' mair Scumble,
Than even he could hae wished!

Hampus Lybeck
There once was a young dwarf named Glod.
Through life did he happily plod.
Until this spot of bother;
His 'dad' was his mother
it turned out, or that's what I'm tlod.

Lucie Zeale
there once was a man called Groat
who drank turpentine for his throat
He lived with young Sidney
who was not of that kidney
a knowledge of pins was his boat.

Chris Browne
There once was a Reaper called Mort
Who travelled from Morpork to Tsort
Taking souls without fear
Till a change of career
Made him boss of the Sto Helit court.

There was a young Aching called Tiff
Whose cheeses had started to whiff
She did witchy magic
But the outcome was tragic
When Horace rolled over a cliff.

Nicole B Hicks
Young Sam, it is said, enjoys poo
From animals which quack, oink or moo
When asked about smell
He just said, "Oh well,
I'm from Ankh, it's nothing too new."

Chris Browne
Ponder Stibbons said, wiping his specs
And flexing his magical pecs,
'No cause for alarm
'When splitting the thaum
'I leave all the hard parts to Hex'

Roger McKillop
Moose pipes soond oor warnin' clear,
The big wee Hag's stridin' up here!
She kens aboot the ship,
Wi' her hauns oan her hip,
"A reckonin'" aw' Feegles fear!

Hampus Lybeck
Old women who live in The Shades
have handbags that bristle with blades
for every occasion
from tea to castration
or wanton destruction and raids.

Chris Browne
Jools Stollop was built like a waif
Her beauty assured she was safe
To succeed as a model
On high heels she'd toddle
Wearing micromail frocks (does not chafe)

Hampus Lybeck
Goodie Whemper (Maysherestinpeace)
used research methodologies.
Turned witchcraft into science
despite Granny's annoyance
at their likeness to jommetries.

Nigel Finn
A five part limerick briefly summing up the events of Feet Of Clay;

A dwarf named Cheery Littlebottom
Announced to the room "I have found some
Arsenic that was used
By the person accused
Of killing the priest and Hopkinson"

Old Stoneface remained quite confused
By an overabundance of clues
He couldn't find a link
And he needed a drink
And both those thoughts gave him the blues

Vetinari, meanwhile, remained ill
The thing that poisoned him was still
A mystery to all,
A trained wasp in the wall
Seemed all that could cause it. untill;

"Why hadn't I seen it before!?"
Thought Vimes as he ran to the door,
"The butcher, the baker,
The candle-stick maker!
I've figured it out now, I'm sure!"

Meanwhile Dorfl had helped save the day
Which provoked Captain Carrot to say
"Let's reward this beings acts,
Since he stopped the attacks
By destroying the clay of his clay."

Roger McKillop
"Bit it wisnae an Aitken ship!"
Said Rob wi' tremulous lip.
Fir oor mutton roast,
He ken't he wis toast,
She'd a skillet firm in her grip!

Roger McKillop
The Big Yan an' Rob were lampooned,
An' liftit high aff the groond,
Thus Tiff made her point,
Ower the stolen lamb joint,
As oor lads landed an' mooned!

Nicole B Hicks
Things get cold on Cori Celesti
Bring wool socks, and a double thick vesty
Please don't anger Fate
You won't like him irate
And no priest on the Disc will dare bless thee.

There once was a crook called von Lipwig
On the end of a rope he danced a jig
An angel helped Moist
Slip from the joist
And got him an honest to gods gig.

Hampus Lybeck
A young lad from Pseudopolis
gave demonology a whiz
wished for long life and beauty
and chestfuls of booty
got a wizzard instead, what a miss!

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

10) ROUNDWORLD TALES: THE ALCHEMY OF BILLIARD BALLS

It seems that Moving Pictures' alchemists were echoing Roundworld history...

"When you played billiards during the early days of plastic, you took your life into your hands. Under the right circumstances, your bank shot could cause a ball to explode.

"Billiards played an important role in driving the development of synthetic plastic. In the Victorian era, billiard balls were made of ivory, a material created from carved tusks. But some feared (perhaps erroneously) that ivory's popularity was going to lead to a shortage of the material, as elephants would be hunted to near extinction. They were onto something — but it wouldn't happen for decades.

"Phelan and Collender, a major billiard table manufacturer, offered a $10,000 reward to any person who could make a non-ivory billiard ball. In 1869, an inventor named John Wesley Hyatt came up with a solution. He mixed nitrocellulose with alcohol and a waxy resin called camphor, and molded it into a ball that looked and felt a lot like ivory. This material, patented as Celluloid and later used for artificial dental plates, was the first mass-market synthetic plastic, launching what became known as the Age of Plastics. Unfortunately, nitrocellulose is also called guncotton, and it's combustible. It explodes so rapidly that it doesn't typically set anything on fire, but it can burst into flame and make a loud bang. And in boozy 19th-century pool halls, that was not such a great idea..."

http://bit.ly/1MLjei7


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11) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

The excellent Kokay Maramot has some further Pratchett thoughts...

On Where's My Cow:

"My first story as a child was told to me by my father. I was probably the same age as Young Sam (in Where's My Cow). I remember the nights, inside my parent's room in our small starter home. My father would read it to me again, over and over – the tale of how the animals from all over the world, walked by pair inside Noah's Ark. To a child's imagination, the arc bent space and time, it was infinitely large inside! There came the largest elephant, the fiercest lions, the birds, the dogs, cats, probably a kangaroo hopped inside too, but at the age of one, the only exotic animal I could fit inside it were ducks and rats. My mother bought me a duck and a rat one day from some church vendor. One day, both disappeared. No, they didn't die, I would have remembered. Probably went and freed themselves in search of Noah's Ark. Every capricious kid must've been as wicked as Egypt's King Ramses!... I remember my father, patient man that he is, reading Noah's ark many times in one night. My mother was probably relieved that I was nagging someone else during bedtime! My parents celebrated their 28th wedding anniversary last May 17th! They should be congratulated!

"Noah's Ark must have been a big hit for a child of one, but it could be trying to fathers (and mothers) all over the world. So, Terry Pratchett, being a genius (as this site attest to the many books I've reviewed) released a truly interactive approach to the usual animal bedtime story with a twist in Where's My Cow? It is a plus if your household loves the Discworld series and is familiar with one of its heroes – Sir Samuel Vimes, Knight, Duke and Commander of Discworld's fictional police force..."

http://bit.ly/1IQJCdx

On reading Pratchett on public transport:

Got on the bus at around 10pm today. I had to finish a few things in the office and extended my hours. The bus I got on was a one year old yellow skinned smelly creature. At one year old, it's cleaner than most buses in the metro, but that doesn't mean it's on top condition. The aircon is busted and the cover seats are muddied. For two hours this will be my shell because it's going to be a turtle soon when it hits EDSA- the longest, most crowded and, most dreaded pass any Filipino commuter had to endure every day. Anyway, I've learned to shun all the noise and distraction by plugging my headphones and playing some music from my phone while reading. When I'm feeling confident and focused, I could do without the headphones and would read all the way through the ride without breaking my concentration. All the way through the ride is almost two hours of squeezing in a crowded world of people who looks like they had a long day and would like it to end as soon as possible. The bus crawled anyway... As I read I Shall Wear Midnight, I had to stop and look out the bus window and not look anyone directly in the eye or they will see tears flowing from behind my glasses. When I read Terry Pratchett, I am reminded of the people in my hometown, in this city, in this country. I am reminded of my old grand aunt, living alone in her house, burgled just a few days ago. I am reminded of the 44 police officers who died in an encounter with the rebels in my country at Mamasapano, Maguindanao. I am reminded of the people who doesn't know the sophisticated words to make sense of this new world. I am reminded of my father and mother. The people I ride the bus everyday who had to endure buses like this. No other author has made me glance thoughtfully at strangers before..."

http://bit.ly/1WcVcab

From Pratchett Job, one blogger's ultimate top ten:

"Consider the output of your average author, who writes a handful of books over the course of their career. That's impressive in itself, hell, being able to get your book snapped up by an agent, skip through the minefield of the acquisition, editing, marketing and publicity processes before spotting your novel in your local Waterstones makes you The Big (Wo)Man in my eyes. Pratchett did this repeatedly. Several times a year for many years. While working on countless other things, raising a family, having hobbies. How? Seriously, how? And that's before we start discussing the quality of his books. This top 10 is Pratchett's zenith. Imagine being in the position where you are writing Small Gods and know you have something golden on your hands. Then doing it again. And again..."

The list includes Going Postal, The Last Hero. The Fifth Elephant, Pyramids, Small Gods, Lords and Ladies, Maskerade, Feet of Clay, Night Watch, and Thief of Time. This list and his reasons for his choices may not match your own, but it makes for a fascinating piece.

http://bit.ly/1OYFPwj

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

12) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

Some photos of a very pleased Paul Kidby with his Discworld baron, which fetched £5,000 for the Trussell Trust:
http://bit.ly/1iXdVUY
http://bit.ly/1KnedKX

...and here is the Discworld Baron in his new home, the Queen's Head
http://cml.sad.ukrd.com/image/448829-300x500.jpg

Sybil Ramkin and Errol, from the recent Harbour Theatre production of Guards! Guards!, nails the look:
https://fpearl.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/ramkin.jpg?w=1000&h=

...and the dragon-o-lantern carved for the production:
https://instagram.com/p/8_9UqptTDX/

...and a selection of iconographs from the production:
http://harbourtheater.com/2015/10/02/photos-from-guards-guards/

Gaspode and Laddie, drawn by the very talented Amy Simmonds:
http://bit.ly/1JOhWAW

The cast of Wyrd Sisters from this recent production by the Twin Lakes Playhouse of Mountain Home, Arkansas, has a definite Scottish Play look:
http://bit.ly/1K4tPCL

Paul Kidby's "American Gothic" colour portrait of Bill Door and Miss Flitworth:
http://on.fb.me/1XjxuGe

Some very good Discworld fanart by Peter Klijn:
http://bit.ly/1Gxw9Y5

And finally, a bijou diamond – Sir Pterry pictured with the Errol created for the first production of Guards! Guards! Photo courtesy of Stephen Briggs on the internet:
http://bit.ly/1MlcvRJ

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

13) CLOSE

News coming soon about a new – additional – Wossname format will be... well... coming soon! There may even be another October post. Watch this space...

– Annie Mac

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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

Copyright (c) 2015 by Wossname for the Klatchian Foreign Legion

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
September 2015 (Volume 18, Issue 9, Post 1)

********************************************************************
WOSSNAME is a free publication offering news, reviews, and all the other stuff-that-fits pertaining to the works and activities of Sir Terry Pratchett. Originally founded by the late, great Joe Schaumburger for members of the worldwide Klatchian Foreign Legion and its affiliates, including the North American Discworld Society and other continental groups, Wossname is now for Discworld and Pratchett fans everywhere in Roundworld.
********************************************************************

Editor in Chief: Annie Mac
News Editor: Vera P
Newshounds: Mogg, Sir J of Croydon Below, the Shadow, Wolfiekins, Mss C, Alison not Aliss
Staff Writers: Asti, Pitt the Elder, Evil Steven Dread, Mrs Wynn-Jones
Staff Technomancers: Jason Parlevliet, Archchancellor Neil, DJ Helpful
Book Reviews: Annie Mac, Drusilla D'Afanguin, Your Name Here
Puzzle Editor: Tiff (still out there somewhere)
Bard in Residence: Weird Alice Lancrevic
Emergency Staff: Steven D'Aprano, Jason Parlevliet
World Membership Director: Steven D'Aprano (in his copious spare time)

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

INDEX:

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN NEWS
04) ODDS AND SODS
05) SIR PTERRY'S HUMANIST FUNERAL
06) WITHOUT WHOM: ROB WILKINS
07) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
08) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
09) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
10) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
11) DISCWORLD GAMES NEWS
12) TERRY PRATCHETT: GUILTY OF LITERATURE? WELL ACTUALLY, YES
13) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
14) CLOSE

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"It was a hard book to complete because Terry's health was declining in the last year. But he was still enjoying the writing. He wasn't able to polish it quite as he would have liked and there were a few ideas that he would have loved to have followed up on and he never got the opportunity."

– Rob Wilkins, on the occasion of the The Shepherd's Crown launch

"This is not a fantasy novel intended for 'younger readers' as it is wont to be pigeonholed... This is a book for all ages, the tour de force of one of the English language's greatest authors, who, in the midst of encroaching darkness and facing so many terrors of his own, has contrived to astound us one last time with his craft."

– David Lloyd, Vice-Chancellor of the University of South Australia

"For those reading The Shepherd's Crown 'Mind how you go' are considered to be the Pratchett magic words. We'd always say them to someone travelling somewhere. They were also the last words I said to my grandfather and my father."

– Rhianna Pratchett

"I am proud and honoured to be a part of such a wonderful series. I think of the cover as my own tribute and thanks to Terry and his wonderful literary creations."

– Paul Kidby on his cover art for The Shepherd's Crown

"Pratchett is in good company: only the stories of truly great writers end up belonging more to their readers than their creators."

– Natalie Haynes in The Independent

"Terry Pratchett's novels are stylistically adept: good muscular prose, not mucked around with for effect (except sometimes!), enlivened by wit, sharp observation, a unique take on the world at large and whatever the subject of social satire might be for the time being, a brimming sense of fun and the ridiculous, and overall an approach to the reader that feels inclusive, a letting in on the joke, an amused welcome to the world he is writing about."

– author Christopher Priest, listing some of the qualities he is sure will keep Terry Pratchett in the forefront of public author-awareness for at least as long as Dickens

"Thank you everyone for getting the Shepherd's Crown to Number One. Terry would have been so proud"

– from the official Pratchett Twitter account, 3rd September 2015

"Hopefully, Discworld will now be frozen like a snapshot and enter the pages of literary history, and Pratchett's estate will resist publishers who pray that it is turned into a co-written franchise which survives rigor mortis, the sun going nova and everything else. That's the fate of almost every successful writer of airport thrillers, which is perfectly all right since that genre deserves no better, but literature is a different matter."

– journalist Pratik Kanjilal

"Reading Pratchett, like reading Austen, requires commitment, and a willingness to look under the surface."

– essayist and language researcher Annie Coral Demosthenous

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

02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

Ook oook and eek – most of all eeek! Every time I think I have the September issue ready to wrap up and send out, another newsworthy item falls across my eyes or into my inbox, and the wordcount grows and grows. At this point I've decided to split up what was meant to be a single issue and send part of it now and the rest before the rapidly-approaching end of the month. So below the line is a *lot* of news, and soon there will be a proper long editorial and a *lot* of reviews...

– Annie Mac, Editor

p.s. The Discworld Plays section is *huge* this month. Well done, Pratchett fans of the theatrical world!

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

03) THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN NEWS

3.0 ROB WILKINS IN PERSON IN ADELAIDE AND MELBOURNE!!!

Rob Wilkins, of @terryandrob Rob will be making a brief appearance in Fourecks this coming week. He will be signing copies of his afterword in The Shepherd's Crown, and answering questions about his work with Sir Pterry. Not to be missed!

Adelaide event:
When: Tuesday 29th September 2015
Venue: Dymocks Adelaide, 135 Rundle Mall, Adelaide, South Australia (phone 08 8223 5380)
Time: 12:30pm
Tickets: FREE! But must be pre-booked. See below.

Melbourne event:
When: Wednesday 30th September 2015
Venue: Dymocks Melbourne, 234 Collins Street, Melbourne 3000
Time: 6.30pm
Tickets: FREE! But must be booked in advance. To book, go to:

http://www.trybooking.com/Booking/BookingEventSummary.aspx?eid=161340

Editor's note: Wossname will be there, of course!

3.1 THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN: STORMING THE BESTSELLER LISTS

From The Bookseller:

We're delighted to report that the final Discworld novel by Sir Terry Pratchett, The Shepherd's Crown, has rocketed straight to the #1 spot in Nielsen BookScan's chart, selling 52,846 copies in its first week. This is Sir Terry's tenth British Number One, and a wonderfully fitting tribute to the beloved writer's final work... Hailed as a 'magnificent sign-off' by the Daily Telegraph and a 'funny, fearless farewell' by the Daily Mail, The Shepherd's Crown has already garnered an outpouring of love and admiration from fans and critics... Francesca Dow, MD of Penguin Random House Children's division, commented, 'We are extremely proud to publish the long-awaited final novel in the Discworld series. The Shepherd's Crown is an incredibly special book and it is a real privilege to share and celebrate Terry's last work with his fans. We cannot think of a more fitting way to honour the late, great Sir Terry Pratchett.'

Terry Pratchett has held the Official Top 50 number one for a second week, as The Shepherd's Crown (Doubleday Children's) sold 27,386 copies, worth £318,576, through Nielsen BookScan's Total Consumer Market... The book also took the Children's top spot — Pratchett's 40th week atop that chart since BookScan records...

http://discworld.com/crowning-glory-sir-terry-pratchett/

3.2 WHAT *IS* A SHEPHERD'S CROWN?

From Roundworld's Royal Albert Memorial Museum:

"Who would have thought that there are royal headdresses for shepherds? English folklore describes the internal moulds of fossil sea urchins as 'Shepherd's crowns'. Sea urchins have a characteristic conical shape and five decorative ridges that meet at the top of the shell like the ribs of a crown. Notably the Cretaceous sea urchin species Micraster, Echinocorys and Conulus have found their way into English folklore.

"Shepherds may have come across petrified sea urchins, while caring for their sheep on the chalky downlands of southern England.

"An interesting folklore originates from Suffolk in eastern England where fossil sea urchins are known as 'Fairy loaves'. The loaf-like shape of some sea urchins inspired people to placed them by the hearth as charms..."

http://bit.ly/1Kjndkg

3.3 REPORT: THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN LAUNCH EVENT IN MELBOURNE

Dymocks booksellers, always active supporters of the works of Pratchett, let the Victorian Discworld Klatch take over their Melbourne city centre flagship store's cafe for a Discworld party on the night of the Australian release of The Shepherd's Crown last month. Here be a Wossname exclusive report...

By Damian Perry

The Victorian Discworld Klatch, in partnership with Dymocks Melbourne store, held a Shepherd's Crown book event. People dressed up, even with the threat of people saying something about it (according to Twitter). Fun and games were had throughout the night. We had book readings, a colouring in competition, book cover designs, a costume competition and Playdough-tionary.

Clap-o-metre was the judging tool of the evening. Leanne, dressed as Tiffany, won the book cover competition.

Playdough-tionary. Two rival tables were set up. One had Death. One had no Death.

During the first few rounds, the non-Death table dominated. We had (take a look at the Klatch page for pictures):

– A Dibbler in green.
– An orange golem.
– Two purple blobs that were obviously going to be the entire Discworld...

And then because we were guessing within 30 seconds we changed the rules so that Suzie alone would guess and choose a winner. From there, Imogen's swamp dragon won, followed by Tiffany Aching – the first of the Death table wins.

In the last round nobody had any idea. It turned out they were Feegles. Deb was brought in to decide which was the best and strangely the yellow Feegle beat the blue Feegle (it takes more skill to make a Feegle out of yellow play dough).

In the playoffs Imogen took on Death. Making sheep. Suzie took her life in her hands by picking Imogen's multicoloured sheep over Death's "Where is the green" sheep. Imogen won the book pack. Amanda dressed as Susan won the book pack for the best coloured cover.

There was a shakeup in the costume competition when Death went home early and a tiny Tiffany turned up to nab the best costume prize. Apparently it's not good form to let a little kid lose a costume competition.

All over the Internet there are articles about how we spent the night of the last Discworld book release. The Melbourne Klatch group spent the evening in friendly revels with friends, playing games and colouring in. A marvellous night had by all.

Massive thanks to Louise and Dymocks Collins St. She always does her best to entertain us and loves the Discworld fandom. Now time to go and read the book.

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

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

04) ODDS AND SODS

4.0 PRATCHETT FAMILY BACKS THE CALL FOR A STATUE

"Sir Terry Pratchett's family is backing a campaign to have a statue of the author erected in Wiltshire... In the past two weeks, hundreds of fans have signed a petition for a permanent statue to the writer in Salisbury. A spokeswoman for the family said he would 'undoubtedly' have found the amusement 'in almost any statue'. She said: 'Sir Terry always said he would like to be useful in death, so a statue where a pigeon can stop for a well-earned rest would have amused him no end.' The campaign for a permanent 'tribute to Sir Terry' was launched on Change.Org by Emily Brand..."

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-wiltshire-34334105

4.1 DISCWORLD BARON TO BE AUCTIONED

"Following the successful Barons Trail, each of the Barons will now go up for auction. With money raised from the sales going to The Trussell Trust and supporting their work to stop UK hunger. The auction will take place at Salisbury Cathedral. From 12 September auction catalogues/souvenir guides can be purchased in advance from Casa Fina and the Salisbury Cathedral Shop, as well as on the night.

"From Wednesday 23 September, all 25 Barons will be displayed on the North Lawn of Salisbury Cathedral and auction guests will be able to view the barons closely on 1 October between 6.30pm and 7.30pm, at the drinks reception prior to the auction commencing. People can pre-bid for a Baron online at The Barons Charter:

http://www.thebaronscharter.org.uk/

"Please note that there will be no parking within the Cathedral grounds; please use City Centre car parks."

The Barons' Auction Salisbury 2015
When: Thursday 1st Oct 2015
Venue: Salisbury Cathedral
Time: 6:30 pm
Tickets: £15* To purchase online, go to http://bit.ly/1ia9JAO and click the Buy Tickets button

*All tickets purchased online will also be subject to an additional £2 transaction fee per ticket. Tickets purchased in person or on the telephone do not incur additional charges.

http://www.cityhallsalisbury.co.uk/index.php?page=1598

For full details go to http://www.cityhallsalisbury.co.uk/images/BaronsInformation.pdf

http://www.trusselltrust.org/

4.2 PRATCHETT FANS TRIBUTE VIDEO UPDATE

From last month's main issue: "With the final Discworld book almost upon us, a video tribute seems a fitting way to channel our appreciation for Terry Pratchett's words. Send us your contribution before 27 August 2015, the day THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN is released, and we'll take it from there – so you can get on with reading."

And here it is!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP1rJNOwYls

4.3 THE DUEL, FINISHED!

Remember the animated short film project, "The Duel", that was given Professor Sir Pterry's blessing many moons ago? It's finished now! By Ben Harper, Sean Mullen and Alex Sherwood (and officially "mucked about" by Terry Pratchett, out of the Animation Hub, Ballyfermot College of Further Education, Trinity College Dublin & the Irish Film Board with music by Paul Lynch, here it is:

https://vimeo.com/77104562

4.4 ROB WILKINS AT THE LONDON SHEPHERD'S CROWN RELEASE EVENT

In the London Evening Standard:

"Rob Wilkins, who was Sir Terry's assistant, gave a reading from The Shepherd's Crown at a midnight launch in Waterstones in Piccadilly... Mr Wilkins, 46, told the Standard: 'This is Terry's final novel and to me there can be nothing more important. This has got to be a celebration of him, all of his work culminating and giving him a right good send off. He was so modest that he would look at all of this and wonder what all the fuss was about. We are going to have a proper memorial next year. But this is it, the final Discworld novel. There will be spin-off projects and things like that going off into the future and also we have Narrativia, our film and TV company. We are actively out there developing material at the moment. Terry's daughter Rhianna is actually working on the script right now for The We[sic] Free Men.'... Mr Wilkins added: 'I actually say in the back of the book it wasn't finished as Terry would have liked. What I mean by that is he wrote the book like a giant literary jigsaw then pieced it all together at the end and kept polishing it until you couldn't see the join between the various parts and once it was assembled then he would be happy. But he didn't quite get to the point of assembling all of the bits when he died. Being at the coal face with all those ideas coming out – you would never know the direction he was going in. He would even throw me a curved ball. We were lucky with his Alzheimer's, his variant meant we had more of Terry for a longer time. It was only the last few months that we started losing the Terry we loved. In January that was the start of the end and it was terribly upsetting. Terry wasn't a sentimental man, we never had our final discussion or the final chat or anything like that. Every day was a new day and you just dealt with the problems his disease brought on a day to day basis.'..."

http://bit.ly/1ElXCe5

4.5 THE END...

...according to Neil Gaiman:

"In an interview with The Times, Gaiman revealed that his long-time friend, who died in March aged 66, had planned a different ending to the one that was published yesterday but had died before getting it down on paper. 'This is still the saddest moment for me,' Gaiman said. 'When I talked to Terry about it there was one little beautiful twist that would have made people cry, but he never got to write it."... The scene 'would have made the book, but he never got to write it. He simply ran out of time', he added... Gaiman says that his friend didn't want his unfinished work to be published. The American Gods author said Pratchett wanted 'whatever he was working on at the time of his death to be taken out along with his computers, to be put in the middle of a road and for a steamroller to steamroll over them all'. Along with Pratchett's millions of fans, Gaiman said that he was 'ridiculously glad that hasn't happened'. The author also revealed that he was working on Pratchett's last request: a TV adaptation of Good Omens, the 1990 novel they wrote together about an angel and demon working together to foil the Apocalypse...".

http://bit.ly/1OS19l7 (BEWARE: CONTAINS SPOILERS)

Also, in the Daily Mail, which for all its myriad sins has long been a supporter and promulgator of both Sir Pterry's books *and* his personal crusades:

"Mr Gaiman also revealed that the ending of The Shepherd's Crown – Sir Terry's final novel – was not the one which the author had intended. Tragically, the writer died before he managed to get his preferred conclusion down on paper.
'When I talked to Terry about it there was one little beautiful twist that would have made people cry, but he never got to write it,' Mr Gaiman said. 'He simply ran out of time. But if you are going to die mid-book, Terry did it as best you possibly can.'"

http://dailym.ai/1VYWEta

[Editor's note: I found the ending to The Shepherd's Crown well sufficient, and also found the "ending that never was" was well and truly telegraphed by events in the story. Your mileage may vary, but for me, the end as published was perfect.]

4.6 LOOKING BACK AT THE JOHNNY MAXWELL BOOKS

On Den of Geek, Andrew Blair deconstructs Pratchett's superb Johnny Maxwell trilogy:

"The most interesting thing about Only You Can Save Mankind were its observations on empathy and detachment with regards moving images, but its ending counteracts the popular aphorism by stating that violence does solve some things. It might seem surprising in the context of the book, but then Pratchett has disposed of monsters with poetic abandon since. While examining the way in which gamers have to detach themselves from what they're actually doing – I mean, try playing any real world conflict-based shoot 'em up while thinking about the reality the simulation is depicting – he also brings in images of the Gulf War on TV. Considering the ending states unambiguously that some monsters must be fought, it's ultimately a book that says 'Ask questions first, shoot later'...

"Johnny and the Dead asks the reader to consider something they might see in their everyday life, to look beyond the surface of it and ask questions. It goes one step further, again, with its ending, where the dead stop waiting around for the next stage of their afterlives to happen. Again, it takes the ending you expect and gives it a little tweak, in this case with the people of the graveyard deciding that waiting to be saved isn't all that. Inspired by councils selling off graveyards for tiny amounts to get rid of the costs of upkeep, it's a wry and fond look at local history that might inspire you to do some investigation of your local graveyard...

"All of Johnny's friends get satisfying character development in the third and final book in the series, Johnny And The Bomb. This book, especially, with its mentions of the Trousers of Time and 'Millennium hand and shrimp,' complements ideas in the Discworld universe, almost like a primer. That these come from a character called Mrs Tachyon may be entirely deliberate, as a theoretical time-travelling particle has echoes of both this book and the existence of something like the Discworld. While the ending might be the most straightforwardly heroic of the three books, Johnny's friends are put into the midst of the fantastic more than in any other story..."

http://bit.ly/1NJJpLJ

4.7 A LOVELY ELEGIAC POEM

Recently (re)discovered: a poem by Sam Garland aka /u/Poem_for_your_sprog, originally published on Reddit on... you know... *that* day:

The sun goes down upon the Ankh,
And slowly, softly fades –
Across the Drum; the Royal Bank;
The River-Gate; the Shades.

A stony circle's closed to elves;
And here, where lines are blurred,
Between the stacks of books on shelves,
A quiet 'Ook' is heard.

A copper steps the city-street
On paths he's often passed;
The final march; the final beat;
The time to rest at last.

He gives his badge a final shine,
And sadly shakes his head –
While Granny lies beneath a sign
That says: 'I aten't dead...'

To read the whole poem, go to:

http://bit.ly/1gCi0wl

/u/Poem_for_your_sprog's Twitter account:

https://twitter.com/Poem4your_sprog

4.8 DISCWORLD AS A MODEL OF FAIRNESS

Here be an interesting essay on the "fairness of Discworld" by academician and author Kari Sperring:

"My idea of heaven does not map too well with that of the Nac Mac Feegle, but when I stop and think about it, when it comes to Discworld, they're on to something. I don't yearn for thievery and poaching, but I do long for a fairer world. And Discworld is one of the fairest worlds I know. It's not a tidy kind of fairness. Discworld has rules and internal logic, which applies to everyone equally and often rather messily. The first inventor of a steam engine on Discworld was Ned Simnel, who failed to do his maths properly and managed to blow himself up in the process. Mr Hong failed to carry out the necessary research before opening his fish bar on the site of a former fish god temple, on an astronomically significant night in Ankh Morpork, with bad results. All that was left of him was one kidney and half an earhole. As in reality, on Discworld, actions have consequences and they aren't always pleasant, but they are logical and they pay attention (sometimes, anyway) to the intentions of the people involved...

"The bulk of Pratchett's heroes are ordinary people, not particularly clever or good-looking or advantaged. Some of them are kind and decent, like Captain Carrot of the Ankh Morpork Watch, the city's incompetent police force, or the witch Magrat, but a lot of them aren't. They're just people, with a full complement of flaws. But these ordinary people come up against big problems, familiar problems of injustice and cruelty and unfairness, and they fight back in a variety of ways (some devious, some dirty) and they win... Many of the Discworld books deal with discrimination, particularly that based on race – species, on the Discworld – and the outcomes are fair... Discworld is a highly moral universe, one in which the intent of actions is taken into account as well as their outcomes, in which the million-to-one-chance comes off (and the characters know this and play up to it), in which no-one gets a pass because they're special or privileged. It's a world in which the little people – the workers who run the Clacks system of communication, say – can take on Big Business and Big Power..."

http://bit.ly/1KHXROh

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05) SIR PTERRY'S HUMANIST FUNERAL

By humanist celebrant Kenneth Greenway:

"An email from Isabel of the British Humanist Association dropped into my inbox On March 17th 2015 asking the funeral network to email her if they wanted to be considered for conducting Terry's funeral, I was taken aback by such an opportunity. I was with my wife at the time I read the email, I looked at her and said 'Terry's family want a BHA celebrant to do his funeral and we're being asked if we like to do it and why. Shall I go for it?' My wife simply said, 'Do it!' I thought that living in Essex and 160 miles away from Salisbury would work against me. So, if truth be told I spent no more than 10 minutes writing an email back to Isabel. I spoke of why Terry and his Discworld books meant so much to me and the meaning his work had to my wife and I. TP's Discworld books were a hot topic of conversation on our first date. At our wedding we had a Discworld cake and our tables were named after locations on the Disc. I've personally been a fan since I first read 'Mort' about 25 years ago and I own every book, merchandise, maps, and all kinds of other stuff associated with the Discworld.

"I discovered I had been chosen to conduct the funeral in the evening of the following day (18th March) At the time the call came in I was bathing our two girls. My wife took the call as she wasn't with me " she was recovering from an operation and couldn't lift things. After the phone call she came running upstairs, in a very excitable state. I said, 'You can't run, you've had an op!' She was very excited and not making any sense. Once she'd calmed down she said 'They want you!' Being a bit slow, my reply was 'Who does?' She said 'Terry's family want you to do his funeral. I've just spoken to Rob'. I was immediately stunned in to silence and couldn't quite believe it. My wife and I hugged and then I felt very overwhelmed, the feeling of responsibility was almost crushing. To be the person selected to help those closest to TP to say their last goodbye felt out of this world and a bit unreal..."

A lovely piece, well worth reading in its entirety:

http://www.writerscafe.org/writing/KGreenway/1621131/

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06) WITHOUT WHOM (A TRIBUTE TO THE LIVING): ROB WILKINS

By Steven D'Aprano

Rob Wilkins, PTerry's personal assistant, is a very private man who would never dream of blowing his own horn, so here are some facts he is too modest to admit to in public:

Rob was apparently born in 1968 or 1969, but actually entered the world in 1847, possibly from an alternate universe. Having invented the time machine that inspired the writer HG Wells when he attended a private demonstration at the secret Wilkins laboratory, Rob travelled forward in time from 1877 to save us from the coming Machine Apocalypse when our iPhones achieve sentience and rebel over the indignity of having to display webpages like "You Won't Believe These 10 Secrets About Katy Perry's Favourite Ice-Cream Flavour!".

Rob was the inspiration behind "Interesting Times" when he took over the Chinese government and ran the country as Supreme Dictator for three years. Rob left the job because it wasn't challenging enough. Of course the Chinese hushed it up, but Sir PTerry found out about it while discussing bananananana daiquiri recipes on Alt.Fan.Pratchett.

Rob was also the inspiration for Willikins, Sam Vimes' butler. Sir PTerry got the idea for a character who was half Jeeves and half street fighter when Chuck Norris arrived at their doorstep one night, begging Rob to take him in as an apprentice and teach him everything he knows about martial arts. Initially refusing, Rob relented after Norris proved his dedication by standing at their gate, through rain, sleet and hail, for thirty-eight days without food, drink or sleep. Unfortunately the training regime was too hard for Norris, who left after just two weeks, a broken man.

When Rob's crime-fighting activities prevent him from performing his usual duties as head chef at The Fat Duck, Heston Blumenthal stands in for him.

Rumours that Rob has been banned from every casino in Europe for being too skilful at Blackjack are unfounded. He has only been banned from half of them. He owns the others.

The producers of the Twilight movie begged Rob to play Edward the sparkly vampire, but Rob turned them down because he didn't want to overshadow the rest of the cast and make them look bad.

At the age of five, Rob saved his uncle from being eaten by a lion after the uncle climbed into the lion's enclosure at the London Zoo to win a drunken bet.

Elon Musk gets all of his best ideas from Rob.

While ghost-writing the scripts for the Hobbit trilogy, Rob discovered a secret message hidden in the original book. Despite what everyone believes, JRR Tolkien never actually existed. The Middle Earth books were actually written by JK Rowling.

Also, as part of a documentary about the medieval witch trials on the History Channel, Rob swam the English Channel fully clothed with his hands tied behind his back.

Your Editor feels moved to add:

Of course, that's just messin'. But Rob Wilkins' greatest achievement – and gift to us all – was the ten years he spent as personal assistant, aide de camp, driver, literal (and literary) amanuensis, voice double, public representative and general runner of interference for Sir Terry Pratchett. Without Rob, Sir Pterry's final years of battling his Embuggerance would have been far more difficult. Even now, Mr Wilkins continues to serve as a guardian of the Pratchett body of work and future adaptations and related projects thereof. So charge your glasses and raise a toast to Rob Wilkins. Hurrah!

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07) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

7.1 REMINDER: MORT IN BRISBANE (SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER)

The Brisbane Arts Theatre's latest Discworld production, Mort, continues its run.

When: currently running, through to 3rd October 2015
Venue: Brisbane Arts Theatre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane, QLD 4000
(phone 07 3369 2344)
Time: 8pm Thursdays (except 27th August), Fridays and Saturdays; 6.30pm
Sundays (6th and 20th September)
Tickets: Adults $31, Concession $25, Group 10+ $25, Group 75+ $20, Gold
Members $15, Members $25, Student Rush $10 (10 mins before curtain).
Members can redeem their included season tickets for this show. There
are no refunds or exchanges once tickets have been purchased. To
purchase tickets online, go to http://bit.ly/1Imz2tJ

http://artstheatre.com.au/show/mort

7.2 NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN HEXHAM (NOVEMBER)

The Queen's Hall Theatre Club will perform their production of Wyrd Sisters in November.

When: Thursday 26th – Saturday 28th November 2015
Venue: Main Theatre, Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Beaumont Street, Hexham, Northumberland NE46 3LS (Box Office 01434 652477)
Time: 7:30pm
Tickets: £10 (concessions £9, under 18s £7). The Box Office is open from 10.00am – 5.00pm Monday to Friday & 10.00am to 4.00pm Saturday and one hour before the start of every performance. To buy online, go to http://bit.ly/1O5eIAp and click on the tab marked BOOK, then click the BOOK tab for the date of your choice.

http://www.queenshall.co.uk/events/terry-pratchett%E2%80%99s-wyrd-sisters
http://www.queenshall.co.uk/

7.3 UPDATES: WYRD SISTERS IN UPPINGHAM (OCTOBER)

Tickets are now available for the Uppingham Theatre Company's forthcoming production of Wyrd Sisters!

"Why not visit Lancre this Halloween, it has everything, witches, evil Dukes and Duchesses, strolling players, ghosts, you name it, its got it, and for only £10, yes £10 folks(£2 going to charity with each ticket old) you could be transported to the mythical kingdom of Lancre!"

When: Thursday 29th October through Saturday 31st October 2015
Venue: Uppingham Theatre, 32 Stockerston Road, Uppingham, Rutland LE15 9UD
Time: 7.30pm all evening shows; Saturday matinee 2.30pm
Tickets: £10 (includes a £2 charity donation per ticket to Rutland Reminders). Available in person from Uppingham Sports and Books, 9 High Street East, Uppingham. To purchase online, go to https://www.wegottickets.com/location/1664 or http://www.uppingham.co.uk/School-Shop

http://www.rutlandreminders.org.uk/
http://www.uppinghamtheatrecompany.org.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Uppingham-Theatre-Company/215743641793859

Here be a fine photo of Nanny, Granny and Magrat checking out the scumble harvest:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CPXNfbCWUAAHPmS.jpg

7.4 REMINDER: UNSEEN ACADEMICALS IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE (NOVEMBER)

The Marlow Players will present their production of Unseen Academicals in November.

When: 12th, 13th and 14th November 2015
Venue: Shelley Theatre, Court Garden, Pound Lane, Marlow, Bucks SL7 2AG
Time: 8pm all shows
Tickets: £12. To purchase online, go to http://marlowplayers.org.uk/product-category/boxoffice/

http://www.marlowplayers.org.uk/

7.5 NEW: GUARDS! GUARDS! IN GUERNSEY (OCTOBER)

The Guernsey Youth Theatre will present their production of Guards! Guards! early next month. This is probably the firs time in Guernsey history that a newspaper advert was placed to find an actor to play an orangutan! And fittingly, proceeds from the performances are going to Sir Pterry's beloved Orangutan Foundation. Oook!

When: 5th and 6th October 2015
Venue: Princess Royal Centre for Performing Arts, Les Ozouets, Guernsey GY1 2UB
Time: 7:30pm
Tickets: £10 (£8 concessions). To purchase tickets, go to http://www.guernseytickets.gg (or ring 74999)

https://www.guernseytickets.gg/show.asp
https://www.facebook.com/GuernseyYouthTheatre

Editor's note: about that orangutan advert, go to http://bit.ly/1OB2QFH for a shufti. Cute photo!

7.6 NEW: MASKERADE IN LINCOLNSHIRE (OCTOBER)

Act II youth theatre company will perform their production of Maskerade in October.

When: 17th October 2015
Venue: South Holland Centre, 23 Market Place, Spalding, Lincs PE11 1SS
Time: matinee 2.30pm, evening show 7.30pm
Tickets: £9.50 (£8 for under-16s, over-60s, and disabled persons with companion; £7 per person for groups of 10+). To purchase tickets online, go to http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase – select October and then scroll down to the appropriate date and time and click on the Buy Tickets button. Alternatively, ring the Box Office on 01775 764777. There is a £1.50 transaction fee for booking up to 9 tickets online

http://www.southhollandcentre.co.uk/whats-on/view/maskerade

http://www.act2online.co.uk/

7.7 NEW: MORT IN CHORLTON-CUM-HARDY, MANCHESTER (OCTOBER)

Chorlton Players will be performing Mort next month.

When: Thurs. 22nd October – Sat. 24th October 2015
Venue: St Werburgh's Parish Hall, St Werburgh's Rd, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, M21 0TL
Time: 7:30pm
Tickets: £6 (£4 concessions). To purchase online, go to http://chorltonplayers.com/?page_id=33

"Online ticket sales should normally account for 60% of the available seating in the hall. The rest are sold at the hall when the doors open (normally 7.00pm unless otherwise stated). Buying tickets online is not compulsory but a pre-booked ticket automatically reserves a seat. However, this expires when the show starts, and your seats will be re-allocated to box office sales. Please arrive in good time for the show. Also, please try to arrive as a full booked party, in order to process your online booking... The hall has a wooden floor, so quiet shoes would be appreciated!"

http://chorltonplayers.com/

7.8 NEW: MAKING MONEY IN BASILDON (NOVEMBER)

The Thalian Theatre Group are back in November with a new Discworld production: Making Money!

When: Thurs. 12th – Sat. 14th November 2015
Venue: Mirren Studio, Towngate Theatre, St Martin's Square, Basildon, Essex SS14 1DL.
Time: 8pm
Tickets: £10 (£8.50 concessions), with a booking fee of £1. To purchase online, go to http://thaliantheatregroup.wix.com/thalian nd click on the tickets image. To reserve tickets by phone, ring 01268 417854. A percentage of ticket sales will be donated to Alzheimer's Research UK.

Box Office telephone: 01268 465 465.

http://thaliantheatregroup.wix.com/thalian
www.facebook.com/ThalianTheatreGroup/info?tab=page_info

www.towngatetheatre.co.uk/

7.9 NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN CHARLTON, LONDON (OCTOBER)

The Alexandra Players will present their production of Wyrd Sisters in late October.

When: 28th–31st October 2015
Venue: Alexandra Hall, Bramshot Avenue, Charlton, London SE7
Time: 8pm (Wednesday 28th, Thursday 29th, Friday 30th; 7pm (Saturday 31st)
Tickets: TBA

http://alexandraplayers.org.uk/

7.10 NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN HEXHAM (NOVEMBER)

When: 26th – 28th November 2015
Venue: Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Beaumont Street, Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 3LS
Time: 7:30pm all shows
Tickets: £10 (£9 concessions; £7 under 18s). Box office: 01434 652477

http://www.queenshalltheatreclub.co.uk/
http://www.queenshall.co.uk/

7.11 NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN ARKANSAS (OCTOBER)

Discworld comes to Arkansas next month when the Twin Lakes Playhouse presents Wyrd Sisters!

"In the spooky castle on the top of the hill King Verence I has just been bumped off by his scheming cousin Duke Felmet, and the kingdom is in peril. Enter three wildly eccentric witches, the understandably miffed ghost of the former king, a caravan full of travelling players, and the long-lost heir to Lancre's throne, and what follows fits quite neatly into the genre of Epic Dramatic Slapstick Thriller Romantic Comedy."

When: Oct. 9-11 2015
Venue: Twin Lakes Playhouse, 600 West Sixth Street, Mountain Home, AR 72653
Time:
Tickets: $11 in advance, $13 at the door. To book, ring 424-0444.

http://twinlakesplayhouse.org/

7.12 REVIEWS: NIGHT WATCH IN CARDIFF

By Adam Walker on Wales Online:

"Sword fights, a full-scale city riot and time travel. No, it's not Doctor Who but the latest Terry Pratchett play by Cardiff's Monstrous Productions. This time it was Night Watch and I must admit, I was slightly worried about this play. You see, I've seen the last two Pratchett plays by Monstrous Productions, Witches Abroad and Wyrd Sisters , and I loved them. But any Pratchett fan knows there are no witches in Night Watch... Jes Hynes who completely steals the show as Sam. He IS Sam Vines, and as a life-long fan of Pratchett and the Discworld, I don't say that lightly. This is Monstrous' sixth Pratchett play and they know what they're doing, transforming a stage with just a few props and some lighting and sound effects into the Discworld... Night Watch felt a lot larger in scale than Monstrous' previous plays but they know Pratchett, they know Discworld, and they do an amazing job bringing it to life."

http://bit.ly/1i06Cvt

By DeadAngelLover22 on The Sprout:

"Most of the play was down to your imagination. They used basic props and the costumes were stunning, the stage was right out to even the crowd and the cast walked through the crowd to get onto the stage a few times. It was so well done – most of the time you just thought 'Where did they come from?' But, as the cast walked right up to you, it made it so much more personal, and I loved that because you felt like you were an onlooker but also somewhat part of the play..."

http://thesprout.co.uk/en/news/review-nighttch-the-gate/19495.html

By the always-entertaining twin bloggers known collectively as CL Raven:

"The complicated time travel was helpfully explained by Lu-Tze, a history monk, played by Howard Dickens. Craig Harper was great as young Sam Vimes. He played Mort in, well, Mort, so it was good to see him back in a leading role. He did well to capture how young Sam is in the book – nervy, eager to impress and wanting to do the right thing. Jez Hynes was outstanding as older Sam Vimes/John Keel and the part where he recited his Night Watch contract, word perfect, with all the punctuation, got a well deserved applause. Tyron Sullivan was fantastic as the villainous Carcer. A lot of actors when playing villains, make them too hammy, but he successfully avoided that and made Carcer into the type of bad guy you want to hate, but can't help liking, because he portrayed him so well. The way Heath Ledger was as the Joker. The scenes with Carcer and Vimes together were amazing. They were the perfect pairing. And full applause to their final fight scene. They completely threw themselves into it. We could easily believe it was actually Vimes and Carcer fighting in real life... In keeping with Pratchett's novels, the humour was brilliant too. Los Shanahan as Dr Lawn had some great, funny lines, and Matthew Hitchman as Fred Colon managed to make the audience laugh just by waving a flag. We laughed the whole time he had it..."

https://clraven.wordpress.com/2015/09/10/night-watch/

7.13 REVIEWS: SOUL MUSIC IN WELLINGTON

By Gill Paltridge for Around Wellington:

"Wellington Theatre Company's Rebecca Beard and Mike Leach have chosen to adapt their own version of 'Soul Music' for the stage and have injected their personal Discworld enthusiasm into the script, preserving Pratchett's comic flair in puns, gags and witty satire... Ian Jones has already excelled in recent productions in the town. As Imp y Celyn he conveys wide-eyed, earnest sincerity and the role's youthful glee when the magic guitar adopts him. Kirk Shepherd, whilst not exactly dwarfish, is appropriately droll as Glod Glodsson, his deadpan delivery suited to the role. Rob Spurway as the giant Troll Lias Bluestone delivers the necessary slow-witted cloddishness and lumpen enthusiasm. As the The Band With Rocks In their performances are central to the drama. From a long cast-list Maat Ward as CMOT Dibbler is outstanding. His self-serving entrepreneurial glee is a delight and his character's eager sniffing-out of an opportunity is physically well-defined. Colin Marshall's Albert, Death's PA, has an appropriate indolent detachment in spotting his master's defects. Dawn Morton and Hannah Green appear as members of the City Watch – complete with Vikings' helmets and chainmail – then individually as beggar Foul Ole Ron and pub landlady Hibiscus Dunelm, delivering confident, well-observed performances... An outstanding feature of this production is Penny Bradnum's costuming. She has managed to fill the stage with delightful inventiveness creating a galaxy of very weird wizards, grungy heavy metallers and odd schoolgirls – one with a beard. Pratchett would approve of the visual oddity assembled..."

http://www.aroundwellington.co.uk/soul-music-brings-discworld-to-town/

By AC on The Fine Times Recorder:

"Rebecca Beard's long-gestated project to bring her favourite 'Discworld' book into live performance, proves that 'Soul Music,' apparently neglected by the many adapters of Pratchett's literary genius, was long over-due to make its stage debut. The many-peopled Wellington Theatre Company enthusiastically create the bizarre multi-roles of constables, schoolgirls, musicians, an impresario, academics, aristocrats, plus a plethora of relatives & citizens of various citadels that have arisen on 'Discworld.'... Underpinning the success of the performance are the talents of designer & operators of precise lighting & sound effects, Steve Bradnum assisted by Kit Sells. Imaginative costumes were selected & perfectly fitted by Nancy Powell-Brace & Penny Bradnum; props searched out by Mary Lewis & puppets made by Eve Male, all contributing to a team whose efforts are worthy of praise & a credit to the show's creator, Rebecca Beard..."

www.theftr.co.uk/soul-music-wellington-theatre-co-at-wellington-arts-centre/

7.14 REVIEW: MORT IN HASTINGS

The Stables Youth Theatre production, reviewed by Martin Robinson:

"Terry Pratchett was new to me and I expected humour, a sideways look at life and entertainment, despite the funereal publicity for Mort and the author's recent sad demise. My expectations were fulfilled... Costumes were spot on, props effective and the set promised great things. Lighting and sound were ambitious and added to the performance and the many cogs in the machine all meshed and ran true. The large number of female players demonstrated an equality in the arts missing in some of the more established companies and notable emerging talents included Emily Cooper as Ysabell and Lily Sparrow as Princess Keli..."

http://bit.ly/1OpncBJ

7.15 REVIEW: WYRD SISTERS IN EXETER

By Daniel Mumby in the Exeter Express and Echo:

"One of the great pleasures of watching amateur dramatics is getting to see a group develop and refine its craft over a string of productions. While faces occasionally change and the chosen material often greatly varies, there is always the feeling of incremental progress, raising a bar that has already been set very high. I felt this way when I sat in the Broadclyst Victory Hall, watching the village's theatre group tackle Terry Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters with affection and aplomb. Having come in with little to no knowledge of Pratchett's oeuvre, I came away thoroughly entertained and curious to examine more of his work... The cast are generally excellent, with the three principle witches each excelling in their own way. Lin Alderman is the stand-out as Nanny Ogg, playing up the rustic, buffoonish qualities of the character while also doing well in the more dead-pan moments in the stocks. Alison Harris steps ably into Sheila Hancock's shoes as Granny Weatherwax, whose amusing ignorance of the theatre is counterpointed by her real-world resourcefulness. Rachel Cunningham completes the set as the naive but well-meaning Magrat Garlick, who tries so hard to be accepted.. This was a highly entertaining production which confirms our suspicions that Broadclyst Theatre Group is continuing to grow in stature..."

http://bit.ly/1FHvSw3

7.16 THE SHAKESPEARE CODEX: WORLD PREMIERE IN ABINGDON (APRIL 2016)

Stephen Briggs and the Studio Theatre Club will present, for the first time ever on Roundworld, a very special Discworld play... The Shakespeare Codex!

"Discworld's 'stars' have to stop the elves taking over our world, make Shakespeare write A Midsummer Night's Dream ... and ensure the potato is discovered! Featuring Ridcully, Rincewind, Granny Weatherwax, Angua, Vetinari, Shakespeare, Queen Elizabeth I ... & the Earl of Oxford. Based loosely on The Science of Discworld II: the Globe, Lords & Ladies, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Staged on 6 to 9 April 2016 (both Terry's and Shakespeare's birth month).

"Tickets will be on general sale from 1 January 2016. We're expecting quite a lot of interest in this show, so *early booking* (particularly for the weekend performances) is recommended. More news on the show here, as it happens. At the moment, we plan to stage the show for four evening performances, plus a matinee on the Saturday. Tickets will be £10.00 (Wed, Thu, Fri) and £11.00 (Sat mat and evening). Block booking discounts will be available for the Wed and Thu performances."

http://www.shakespearecodex.co.uk/

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08) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS

8.1 GERMAN DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS

The 2015 German Discworld convention (Scheibenwelt) went well. There are some convention photos by Robert Flach at http://on.fb.me/1JeeUpj (requires Facebook membership). Here be a selection that can be seen by those of us who refuse to use Facebook. Includes a Howondaland hermit elephant!

http://bit.ly/1gw1n5v
http://on.fb.me/1NH50nR
http://bit.ly/1P5SaNn
http://bit.ly/1QKoFBG

The next Scheibenwelt convention will be from 18th – 21st May 2017, once again at Castle Ludwigstein.

8.2 IDWCON NEWS

A slight change in the IDWCon guests line-up:

"Watch spokesperson Captain Shivers read out a prepared statement earlier today: 'It is with great regret that we announce that the learned Dr. Jack Cohen will be unable to attend the imminent Watch Open Weekend,' she stated. She strongly denied any rumours that his absence was caused by dangerous experiments gone awry, instead explaining that 'while he is in good health, he is no longer in a position to handle the various demands of a convention, not to mention air travel.' She went on to say that 'while Jack and his fascinating lectures will be greatly missed at the Convention, we at the Watch will endeavour to still have a good time without him, thanks to our dazzling array of other guests.' Dr Cohen ('Rich in years, thank you so very much') co-authored the Science of Discworld books along with Ian Stewart and Sir Terry, in between his regular day job of being a highly distinguished academic and lecturer."

Guests Bernard Pearson,Colin Smythe, Jacqueline Simpson, Reb Voyce, Ian Mitchell, and Dave and Leo of Backspindle Games are still good to go.

The Third Irish Discworld Convention will take place at the Cork International Hotel on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th of October 2015. Ticket prices are €50 for a full attending member or €40 for a Concession membership. Membership entitles each ticket holder to entry to all of the events at the Convention (with the exception of the Banquet Dinner, which is paid for separately). For more details, and to purchase, go to:

http://bit.ly/1QGbUr8

[Editor's note: the Gala Dinner is already sold out]

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09) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS

9.1 DISCWORLD EMPORIUM UPDATES

Wossname wishes Bernard Pearson, the Cunning Artificer, a slightly belated happy birthday!

"It's been almost two weeks since the publication of The Shepherd's Crown, and what a tale it is too, littered with classic Pratchett-isms; punes, footnotes 'an all, and exploring the light and shade of humanity in his inimitable fashion. Unsurprising perhaps, but no less meaningful, Professor Sir Terry Pratchett OBE Blackboard Monitor achieved his 10th number one in the UK book charts with his 41st and final Discworld novel – a final Hurrah and 'mind how you go' from our beloved author in a manner most fitting – in words, on pages, bound in a book. We'd like to extend our gratitude to everyone who has dropped in to the Emporium whether in person, or virtually, to buy the book or just to say hello. The Emporium has received a tremendous amount of support, and our floorspace is still awash with mailbags on a daily basis! We hope everyone's orders are arriving in fine fettle and thank you all for your kind custom."

To read this announcement, with accompanying iconographs, go to http://bit.ly/1K9OGIk

"Out 22nd October, The Compleat Discworld Atlas is available for pre-order at-las(t)! Your Compleat guide to the geography and topography of Discworld, The Compleat Discworld Atlas is a wonderously witty travel guide brought to you by Ankh-Morpork's esteemed Guild of Trespassers, with sumptuous illustrations and comprehensive gazetteer, all accompanied by a giant double-sided map! The Compleat Discworld Atlas is our final collaboration with Sir Terry Pratchett. A project 3 years in the making, this new guide to the extraordinary world he created was completed before his death in March 2015. To honour this auspicious publication each copy from the Emporium includes a souvenir travel poster as a gift from us!"

The Compleat Discworld Atlas is priced at £25.00. Add £3.50 for UK delivery, £7 for rest of Europe delivery, or £10 for Rest of World delivery. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/Compleat-Discworld-Atlas

And then there's the Hanging Baskets of Muntab stamp sheet:

"This cultural issue from the Ankh-Morpork Post Office celebrates the horticultural crowning glory of Muntab's impenetrable forest border defence. These centuries-old hanging guardposts were constructed during the height of the spice trade, and are nowadays maintained by wandering tribes of cannibalistic pygmies. Each minisheet consists of six stamps measuring 35 x 38mm, and is accompanied by a presentation postcard."

The Hanging Baskets of Muntab minisheet is priced at £5.00. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://bit.ly/1FTA9fU

...and the Krull one flot stamp:

"Situated on the edge of the world with a promotory overlooking the rim, the island of Krull is Discworld's unrivalled center of astrozoology. although due to a 'derailment' by Rincewind and Twoflower in The Colour of Magic it remains unclear whether there have been any advances in determining the sex of Great A'tuin. This regional issue features the Potent Voyager, Krull's celebrated bronze astro-exploratory vessel and the final creation of Goldeneyes Silverhands Dactylos, Discworld's father of invention and ingenuity.

"Spot the sport! One stamp on every sheet contains a 'deliberate' mistake or variation - only included on whole sheets or in lucky LBEs. Stamp measures 25 x 36mm, Sheet measures 160 x 282."

The Krull one flot stamp is priced at £0.35 for a single stamp and £12.25 for a sheet of 35 stamps. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://bit.ly/1jmcsrT

"The Krull One Flot is also available in the latest Little Brown Envelope edition. Each 'LBE' includes a lucky dip assortment of Discworld Stamps along with sports and rarities waiting to be found in lucky envelopes. The latest edition Little Brown Envelope, a 'lucky-dip' assortment of Discworld stamps with a chance of sports and rarities!
To celebrate the forthcoming release of The Compleat Discworld Atlas each envelope also contains a brand new regional issue from Krull, Discworld's unrivalled center of astrozoology. The cosmic One Flot stamp features the Potent Voyager, Krull's celebrated bronze astro-exploratory vessel and the final creation of Goldeneyes Silverhands Dactylos, Discworld's father of invention and ingenuity. This charming issue is also available to collect singly or as whole sheets. A generous splash of sports and LBE Exclusives, such as the Blue Triangle and Dead Letter Label have been distributed throughout the edition."

The Somewhere Over the Rimbow LBE is priced at £5. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/rimbow-lbe

...and don't forget to further your education with a degree from the UU. It's magic:

"Graduate from Discworld's most spellbinding educational establishment with a masters degree from the Unseen University! Choose from six subjects and amaze your peers with evidence of your thaumaturgic proficiency – a magical gift for any Terry Pratchett devotee or aspiring wizard! Each set includes a suitably sumptuous certificate for your subject of choice and embossed with an octarine 'seal', a Graduate Declaration form to ensure that alumni leave Ankh-Morpork's foremost seat of learning with their education and university apparatus in a satisfactory state, and a free double-sided Bronze* Octogram keychain! ++ Certificates will be provided blank for you to personalise at home, but if you would prefer us to do it for you we can hand sign in our best handwriting – please provide the name/s of the recipients in the comments box during checkout ++ Measurements: Certificates 298 x 390mm, key chains 40mm diameter, declarations 105 x 300mm."

The Unseen University Graduation Set is priced at £12.50. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/unseen-university-diploma

...and you might also fancy an official UU student notebook:

"Aspiring wizards would be unwise to venture onto campus without their Unseen University student notebook - a boon to any thaumaturgical scholar! Within this stout and sturdy educational companion is contained such important information as dining hours, university customs and notes on wizardly conduct, along with 50 plain pages for your spells, jottings and rude doodles. Sketchbook-quality 190gsm off-white paper made from 100% real trees. Measures 105 x 147mm."

The Unseen University Student Notebook is priced at £5.00. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://bit.ly/1V2xg3j

Last but certainly not least, the small but perfectly formed UU Coat of Arms wall boss:

"Official insignia from one of Discworld's greatest institutions. Finished in old wood and sculpted to achieve an ancient, hand carved appearance. Proudly display your academic prowess and understanding of higher magic with this elegant Unseen University crest. Features a wizard's hat crossing an open book emblazoned with the UU motto; Nunc Id Vides, Nunc Ne Vides (now you see it, now you don't). Usually to earn this relief you must have undergone at least 7 courses at Unseen University, not including the cheese board. Pre-drilled and produced in hard wearing resin, these handsome pieces are suitable for both home and garden. Measures approximately 95x80mm."

The UU Coat of Arms Wall Boss is priced at £7.50. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/BackToSchool?product_id=78

9.2 DISCWORLD.COM UPDATES

Those beautiful framed sepia Paul Kidby prints are back!

"The sepia frames are back in stock and we've simplified the range to feature our most popular images. They now come in an attractive oak frame and are mounted to showcase Terry's signature hologram, showing in the bottom right corner. We think they look great and will make an excellent addition to any collection!"

Available prints include The Librarian, Nanny Ogg with Greebo, Greebo himself, Rincewind with The Luggage, the "unusual suspects" (A-M City Watch portrait), and Great A'Tuin, all as featured in the classic series of Kidby greeting cards some years ago. Each framed print is priced at £35 and measures 285mm x 335mm.

For more information, and to order, go to:

http://discworld.com/products/framed-sepia-prints/

Or you could greet the day with some Klatchian coffee (or the Roundworld equivalent) in a Discworld mug:

"A selection of mugs featuring some of your favourite Discworld characters. Our sublimation ceramic mugs are manufactured with a dishwasher safe premium coating. Bright white in colour and with a high gloss finish, the coated ceramic mug is produced from superior quality heavy weight ceramic and has a super hard coating. Dishwasher resistant up to 800 wash cycles at 45°C. The mugs measure 80mm diameter x 90mm high."

There is a large selection available – Feeglespotting, Rob Anybody Mac Feegle, Death ("There's no justice, there's just me"), Wyrd Sisters ("When shall we three meet again? Well, I can do next Tuesday"), the Sunshine Sanctuary for Sick Dragons, Rincewind ("Luck is my middle name. Mind you, my first name is bad"), Greebo ("To Nanny Ogg he was merely a larger version of the little fluffy kitten he had once been. To everyone else he was a scarred ball of inventive malignancy"), Panic and Freak Out (channelling the Keep Calm series and featuring a running Rincewind), and the City Watch (by cartoonist Ray Friesen).

Each mug is priced at £8.00. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://discworld.com/products/mugs/

Also back in stock: Tiffany's White Horse pendant

"This is an absolutely stunning piece of sterling silver jewellery and is a faithful reproduction of the pendant worn by Tiffany Aching in A Hat Full of Sky. This piece is based on Paul Kidby's original design. The horse measures 55[sic] tail to head, chain 18 inches. Designed exclusively for Discworld.com by Tom Lynall." [Editor's note: we're pretty sure that should be 55mm. Surely not the same size at the real White Horse of the Chalk, at any rate!]

Tiffany's White Horse pendant is priced at £45. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://bit.ly/1QShI1y

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10) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS: UPDATES AND REMINDERS

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), meets next on Monday 5th October 2015 at the Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London, W2 1JQ. For more information, go to http://brokendrummers.org/ or email BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk

*

Canberra, Australia has a new Discworld fan group, Drumknott's Irregulars! "We are a newly established Terry Pratchett & Discworld social group in Canberra called Drumknott's Irregulars. The group is open to all, people from interstate and overseas are welcome, and our events will not be heavily themed. Come along to dinner for a chat and good company. We welcome people all all fandoms (and none) and we would love to see you at one of our events, even if you're just passing through. Please contact us via Facebook (_https://www.facebook.com/groups/824987924250161/_) or Google Groups (_https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars_) or join us at our next event."

*

There is a new public Facebook meeting group, "The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)": "This group, by request of Jo in Bear will continue to be used for future unofficial (not run by the Emporium) fan Gatherings in Wincanton. Look here for information. Next event Loonies Christmas Party. Same weekend as Hogswatch would have been. ie 27/28/29 November."

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

*

The Pratchett Partisans are a fan group who meet monthly at either Brisbane or Indooroopilly to "eat, drink and chat about all things Pratchett. We hold events such as Discworld dinners, games afternoons, Discworld photo scavenger hunts. Our recent 'Murder In Morpork' mystery party was a great night out. With 26 people attending, we had 24 suspects, our special guest – Vetinari, and one dead mime! It was a fun night of food and murder and we are planning another Murder in December so stay tuned. We also attend opening night at Brisbane Arts Theatre's Discworld plays."
The Partisans currently have about 100 members who meet at least twice a month, usually in Brisbane. For more info about their next meetup, join up at https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au

*

The City of Small Gods is a group for fans in Adelaide and South Australia. For more information on their upcoming activities, go to www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

"Every few months, we have a full day's worth of board games at La Scala Cafe, 169 Unley Rd, Unley in the function room starting at 10am."

Upcoming events include:
Con-Centric Games, Burnside Community Centre (Sep 18-20
Monthly Dinner and Games, TBA (Sep 23 or 24)
Costume Bowling – Talk Like a Pirate Day (Sep 26)
Board Games Day at La Scala Cafe, 169 Unley Road, Unley (Oct 4)

Also, City of Small Gods will be holding a special quiz night in October: "Test your knowledge on all things Science Fiction and Fantasy – books, movies, TV, comics, games and more! A dragon's hoard of prizes including best costume!"
UPDATE: ALL TABLES HAVE NOW BEEN BOOKED! If you would like to be added to a waiting list, or be contacted when we announce next year's quiz, please contact us! Part proceeds of the quiz night will be donated to the Alzheimer's Australia Dementia Research Foundation.

For more info, go to http://ausdwcon.org/fan-clubs/adelaide/quiz/

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 1st October 2015 (probably) from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight. For more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) next meets on Friday 2nd October 2015 (probably) at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists, a Pratchett fangroup, has been meeting on a regular basis since 2005 but is now looking to take in some new blood (presumably not in the non-reformed Uberwald manner). The Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, to discuss "all things Pratchett" as well as having quizzes and raffles. Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum:

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

*

Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet next on Monday 5th October 2015 at 6.30pm (probably) in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney,2000. For more information, contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meets next on Monday 5th October 2015 (probably) from 5.30pm at Carpe Cafe, 526 Murray Street, Perth, Western Australia. For details follow Perth Drummers on Twitter @Perth_Drummers or join their Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>

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

11) DISCWORLD GAMES NEWS

11.1 DISCWORLD MUD, AN OLDIE BUT GOODIE

On gamer website Rock Paper Shotgun, a long and lovin‌g look at the Discworld MUD:

"While not really talked about any more, many MUDs do still tick along. Skotos has been running a set of commercial ones since 1999, and you can find lots of others on sites like this one. Probably best not to search for 'MUD play' though, that'll give you very different responses. Generally, active modern MUDs have very small but devoted communities that are generally open to new players, but expect them to respect rules when it comes to things like roleplaying characters and not, for instance, just grabbing a sword and trying to kill everything. Not that this will usually work anyway, as a new player will get splattered faster than an annoying fly. It's worth spending some time reading the rules and getting an idea for what each is trying to offer before jumping in.

"On the one hand, the Discworld MUD is easy to get started in. There's a lengthy, not-very Discworldy tutorial at the start, which you really, absolutely, no-kidding need to follow if you've never played one of these games before. At the same time though... Somewhat inevitably, the scale of it means you're not likely to bump into many people by accident. At the time of writing, there were only about 70 players online. That's not a huge problem though, thanks to the very active NPCs. If a torch goes out in one of the guilds, someone will be along shortly to relight it. Each guild and area has its own set of characters, reacting and responding to what you do. In Genua for instance, the people get annoyed with you for crimes like tomb raiding or sitting on the wrong benches. Elsewhere, singing the Hedgehog Song can be a broken-leg worthy offence (as well as a weapon against characters without earmuffs). You'll also find a lot of familiar faces while exploring, and achievements for doing so – tracking down all the Cut-Me-Own-Throat-Dibbler variants in the different cities for instance. Quests too, if you're into that kind of thing, you helpful or avaricious soul, you... the main wiki is excellent, with guides to all of the content and useful extras like the Accessibility Guides that focus on navigating and finding key landmarks. It's also possible to call up on your fairy godmother for assistance at any time, who will warp you back to your starting location (the Mended Drum in Ankh-Morpork) or return you to life if you die and can't find any priests around. In one of the biggest deviations from standard Discworld lore, resurrection is easily had (and Death a bit of a git, honestly), but it's not something you want to do on a regular basis. As well as costing a lot of character progress, past a certain point you have to buy lives and will die for real if you run out...

Even with a wiki, and some handy features like being able to see an ASCII map of each area, getting started isn't easy. Discworld MUD offers a vast amount of freedom and flavour, but you're often left fighting against that and the parser to get things done. This isn't a criticism so much as a casual warning; it's a game that expects you to type exactly what it expects rather than one that will bend over backwards to get what you mean. In the Mended Drum for instance, there's a bulletin board. Type 'read bulletin board' and you'll get the message 'A bulletin board [40 notes] does not have anything written on it.' You have to type 'look at bulletin board' to read the content. This is a big reason why it's worth spending some time in the tutorial area, where the NPCs explain everything in great detail, even if it is a bit bland and not remotely Disc-y... If you're willing to deal with the kind of learning curve that would make Dark Souls cry, or simply feel like taking a poke around some familiar haunts in a way that none of the official games ever came close to, you really should check the Discworld MUD out. It's one of the best fan projects for anything that you'll find, and may it live until at least the robots rise and kill us all. Ideally longer, if they have good taste in fantasy..."

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/08/24/discworld-mud-game/

11.2 DISCWORLD FOR PC: ONE OF THE GOLDEN GREATS

On Digital Spy, Discworld (PC) is ranked 4th out of the "12 hardest games ever made":

"So, it turns out you use the butterfly with the lamppost to cause a thunderstorm in the future so you can steal the monk's robe. Why didn't we think of that? As anyone who played Discworld on PC in the 1990s will tell you, the above statement doesn't make any more sense in context, which is but one reason why Psygnosis' Terry Pratchett adaptation is one of the most illogical and difficult point-and-click adventures ever made."

An interesting read for old-school gamers!

http://bit.ly/1NLGp17

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

12) TERRY PRATCHETT: GUILTY OF LITERATURE? WELL ACTUALLY, YES

Jonathan Jones, an arts critic for The Guardian newspaper, recently wrote a scathing dismissal of the works of Terry Pratchett in an op-ed column that even professional novelists deemed deliberate stir-the-pubic-up clickbait:

"It does not matter to me if Terry Pratchett's final novel is a worthy epitaph or not, or if he wanted it to be pulped by a steamroller. I have never read a single one of his books and I never plan to. Life's too short. No offence, but Pratchett is so low on my list of books to read before I die that I would have to live a million years before getting round to him. I did flick through a book by him in a shop, to see what the fuss is about, but the prose seemed very ordinary... Actual literature may be harder to get to grips with than a Discworld novel, but it is more worth the effort. By dissolving the difference between serious and light reading, our culture is justifying mental laziness and robbing readers of the true delights of ambitious fiction..."

http://bit.ly/1LNzdB5

Rebuttals include a piece titled "You Don't Know What It Is, Do You, Mister Jones?" by well-known author Christopher Priest:

"Recognizing writers in the present day who are likely to achieve long-term recognition as a classic author is a risky business. Popular success often comes about because of the public's unpredictable reaction, or a wish to find an undemanding read, or because of a response to perceived matters of the moment. Happenstance comes into it, and so does the luck of timing. Best-seller success is therefore usually ephemeral. Can anyone seriously suggest that the 'Grey' novels of E. L. James, the 'Twilight' novels of Stephenie Meyer, the nonsensical best-sellers by the likes of Dan Brown or Jeffrey Archer, are destined for anything but the dustbin of literary history? Who now reads, or even remembers, the author Hervey Allen? Or for that matter James Hilton, Dorothea Brande, Alexis Carrel, Franz Werfel, Munro Leaf? ...in their day their books were immense popular successes. Ephemerality has struck – posterity has eluded them... We are more likely to find literary posterity, or the possibility of it, in the genres. For instance, thirty years ago who would have guessed that Philip K. Dick would be seen, at least in the world of Hollywood studio films, as a paradigm of science fiction? Most of his novels were quickly written for commercial publishers, aimed at and read by a genre audience. But as a result of several hugely successful films, Dick's many routine SF books have returned to print, he is taught in universities and schools, and he is generally regarded as the finest modern SF writer. Yet in 1981, roughly at the time Blade Runner was being filmed, John Sutherland gave Dick no more than a passing mention...

"I would say that of all the writers I have ever known, or the books I have ever read, Terry Pratchett's seem to be a dead cert for long-term classic status... His work is written well – no matter what Jones says about 'very ordinary' prose, Terry Pratchett's novels are stylistically adept: good muscular prose, not mucked around with for effect (except sometimes!), enlivened by wit, sharp observation, a unique take on the world at large and whatever the subject of social satire might be for the time being, a brimming sense of fun and the ridiculous, and overall an approach to the reader that feels inclusive, a letting in on the joke, an amused welcome to the world he is writing about..."

http://bit.ly/1O5Tn6C

By Charlie Jane Anders on i09:

"Twilight by Stephenie Meyer probably won't be read 100 years from now, argues The Prestige author Christopher Priest. But Stephen King and J.K. Rowling have a decent shot at posterity... Priest's blog post is worth reading in its entirety — it's partly a meditation on what makes authors endure after their deaths, and Priest's own observations on why Stephen King is more likely than Dan Brown to be read by our descendants. Priest argues that although it's impossible to predict for sure what will make an author live on for decades after death, some mix of popularity and distinctive storytelling seems to be at play — and Priest says the modern literary novel is less likely to produce very many lasting classics. 'We are more likely to find literary posterity, or the possibility of it, in the genres.'..."

http://bit.ly/1LP68CD

By Pratik Kanjilal for The Indian Express:

"Assuredly, Discworld is literature. High literature, even. Writers with a light touch have the misfortune of being hugely popular in their lifetime but dismissed as insubstantial after the event. Few escape this fate, unless their work is not restricted to their times but to ideas of enduring interest. George Mikes and PG Wodehouse live on because they show what it means to be English. Even the English, and particularly the English, have no idea what makes them English, so these are useful clarifications... in the hands of Pratchett, parody rose to define what is human...

http://bit.ly/1iKKjuf

And the best is last – an excellent essay, "Terry Pratchett, Jane Austen, and the definition of literature", by Annie Coral Demosthenous, Honorary Research Fellow in European Languages and Studies at the University of Western Australia

"Last month in The Guardian, with a piece headlined Get Real. Terry Pratchett is not a Literary Genius, literary critic Jonathan Jones claimed Terry Pratchett's books should not be read, because they are not literature... Yet the definition of 'literature' is changeable, and inextricably linked with fashion. As the author Christopher Priest has pointed out, works now considered classics were not necessarily defined as high culture when they were written, and works considered literary when published do not always survive over time... So what is high culture? And what do we mean when we call something 'literary'? According to Jones, 'actual literature' is 'harder to get to grips with than a Discworld novel, but it is more worth the effort'... As this definition is not particularly helpful, let us consider some characteristics commonly considered 'literary': the elegant and adventurous use of language, engagement with themes of universal significance, inventiveness of style, defiance of genre classification... Pratchett seldom allows language to exist unchallenged; words are stretched and twisted by new and surprising contexts, opening the reader's eye to the arbitrary relation of signifier and signified, often eliciting surprised laughter... Pratchett's work is often underestimated because it is classified as 'genre fiction' rather than literary fiction. Yet Pratchett's relationship with genre is complex and adversarial. He does not reproduce genre stereotypes, he sets them up to be deconstructed, or at least affectionately mocked.
Reading Pratchett, like reading Austen, requires commitment, and a willingness to look under the surface. It's a shame Jonathan Jones was unable to do so before writing his follow-up article on Pratchett – for which he had, belatedly, read one book by the author – this past weekend.

http://bit.ly/1Opz1Yv

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

13) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

Something fabulous! The cast of the Monstrous Productions theatre company, fresh from their triumphant run of Night Watch, recreate Paul Kidby's cover as a live tableau:
http://bit.ly/1MlBgMV

The Year of the Sneezing Panda, by hump_day:
http://bit.ly/1LEgHZ2

The unforgettable Mistress Weatherwax, as only Paul Kidby can draw her:
http://bit.ly/1EWIQva

Homage to Paul Kidby himself! Fanart by Alda-Rana:
http://bit.ly/1Jwnch8

Rob Wilkins and Stephen Briggs reading to the fans at the Waterstones Piccadilly Shepherd's Crown launch. From inside the stone gate to Fairyland, no less:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CNXkwFXWgAAf8if.jpg:large

Another photo of Rob and Stephen at Waterstones, smiling, by attendee Amy Simmonds:
http://bit.ly/1MTGazb

The streets of Ankh-Morpork, by Martin Baines:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CPB96xsWcAALDE4.jpg:large

...and Rob, several hours later, photographed by Stephen:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CNZMy1SWcAAMvzh.jpg

A fine turnout of costumed Discworld fans at the Leeds launch, by Jessica Wheatley:
http://bit.ly/1JrCrqh

Stephen Player's take on Nanny Ogg among the ballerinas, from Maskerade:
http://bit.ly/1NQTZ28

Marvellous sign from Waterstones Aberdeen's opening celebration for The Shepherd's Crown:
http://bit.ly/1JFB0WE

A fine cartoonish Nanny Ogg by Tatiks:
http://bit.ly/1NydJZB

Witches three – from the Broadclyst Theatre group's recent production of Wyrd Sisters:
http://bit.ly/1iIG3LH

Talented fanart doodler Amy P Simmonds' clever tribute to the passing of Sir Pterry:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/COYxLxPWEAIoaX7.jpg

[Amy's Twitter account is https://twitter.com/InkaDoodleDo/ – well worth a look! – Ed.]

...and finally, a message from your Librarian, courtesy of Waterstones:
http://bit.ly/1JFB0WE

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

14) CLOSE

This may be one of the most amazing pieces of Discworld fan art ever created – an amazingly artistic, amazingly Nanny Ogg-like crocheted Nanny Ogg doll by Kim Lapsley! In addition to a wealth of photos, Kim's blogpost contains a blow-by-blow description of her process. Truly excellent:

http://kimlapsley.blogspot.com.au/2014/02/nanny-ogg.html

And on the subject of Discworld fan art, here be an unforgettable image of The Author on a wall in north Wales:

http://bit.ly/1Qt4J5v

"The 8ft mural honouring the author has appears [sic] on a council-owned wall in Buckley and makes reference to his battle with Alzheimer's. An artist dubbed the 'Flintshire Banksy' has paid tribute to one of the world's best-loved authors. The mysterious person, known as Random, has created a mural honouring the late Sir Terry Pratchett on a council-owned wall between the town council building and baths in Buckley. The 8ft artwork features a life-like head and shoulders portrait of the popular writer, as well as an image of a small dog, inspired by Pratchett's wonder dog Gaspode who appeared in seven of his novels...."

Read all about it in the Daily Post: http://bit.ly/1QTepai – and in The Leader, which offers a more in-depth look at Random's Pratchett tributes:

"Speaking to the Leader, Random said: 'I was asked if I would be willing to do another one after the Harry Patch creation last year. I decided to do one of Terry Pratchett, who is a favourite author of mine. I understand it has been received pretty well but because of the nature of the way I work it is difficult to get much one-on-one feedback.' The mural took Random about four-and-a-half hours to produce before it was mounted over the weekend. Having produced a similar Terry Pratchett mural at Europe's biggest street art festival, 'Upfest' in Bristol, earlier this year, Random opted to use a different quote this time around to signify the author's own struggle with Alzheimer's..."

http://bit.ly/1LDPyqX

And that's the lot for the moment, whew! Part 2 coming before Thursday...

– Annie Mac

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
August 2015 (Volume 18, Issue 8, Post 2)

********************************************************************
WOSSNAME is a free publication offering news, reviews, and all the other stuff-that-fits pertaining to the works and activities of Sir Terry Pratchett. Originally founded by the late, great Joe Schaumburger for members of the worldwide Klatchian Foreign Legion and its affiliates, including the North American Discworld Society and other continental groups, Wossname is now for Discworld and Pratchett fans everywhere in Roundworld.
********************************************************************

Editor in Chief: Annie Mac
News Editor: Vera P
Newshounds: Mogg, Sir J of Croydon Below, the Shadow, Wolfiekins, Mss C, Alison not Aliss
Staff Writers: Asti, Pitt the Elder, Evil Steven Dread, Mrs Wynn-Jones
Staff Technomancers: Jason Parlevliet, Archchancellor Neil, DJ Helpful
Book Reviews: Annie Mac, Drusilla D'Afanguin, Your Name Here
Puzzle Editor: Tiff (still out there somewhere)
Bard in Residence: Weird Alice Lancrevic
Emergency Staff: Steven D'Aprano, Jason Parlevliet
World Membership Director: Steven D'Aprano (in his copious spare time)

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

INDEX:

01) MORE QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER: THIS IS NOT THE END
03) THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN NEWS
04) ODDS AND SODS
05) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
07) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
08) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
09) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
10) CLOSE

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

01) MORE QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"Being aware we’d no longer have the pleasure of being surprised by the wit and perception of a new Terry Pratchett I think yes, it did...we were all touched, much more than we imagined we would be."

– Sir Tony "Baldrick" Robinson on recording the audiobook of The Shepherd's Crown

"It's my biggest regret with the podcast that I wasn't able to interview Sir Terry Pratchett. He's probably the comic writer who made the most difference to my life and how I see the world, and I owe him so much."

– influential actor-comedian Matt Lucas

"It was very inspirational reading [Pratchett's] books growing up. They present a pretty anarchic world. It's all pretty fantastic – it takes things from our world and twists it into something quite incredible. It's really important to commemorate people's lives, especially somebody who brought so much to UK literature. We didn't do it expecting it to be shared. We're doing it for personal reasons – but it's fantastic when people appreciate what you do."

– street artist Jim Vision, co-creator of the now world-famous Pratchett tribute mural in East London

"It's a fairly safe bet that without the Discworld series Harry Potter's broomstick might never have left the ground, the Hunger Games would never have been fought, Skullduggery Pleasant wouldn't have cast a spell and Artemis Fowl's criminal schemes would never have got off the drawing-board."

– Irish journalist Edward O'Hare

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

A few days from now, copies of The Shepherd's Crown will be flying off the shelves of Roundworld booksellers as the wildly anticipated release of the final Discworld novel finally arrives. As I mentioned in the Close of the main June issue of Wossname, much is being made of that phrase, "final Discworld novel", in personal and media communications; the internet is more rife than ever with text-based breast-beating and the tearing of virtual hair, and while I don't doubt the sincerity of the beaters and tearers, it does frustrate me that I've seen so few people giving thanks... thanks that Sir Pterry managed to give us anything at all in his final days, and thanks that he chose to give us one more episode in the amazing life story of one of his finest-drawn and most beloved characters – and that's in addition to the other four Discworld novels – and Dodger – and all the various collections and collaborations (including the fourth Science of Discworld and the Long Earth series) that he gave to the world despite the Embuggerance that was stealing his mind and life even as he raced against time to write them.

The release of The Shepherd's Crown brings a particular kind of bittersweet emotion for me as Editor of Wossname: after years of receiving advance review copies and waging the war of "exploration of themes" versus "do not under any circumstances include spoilers" when reviewing, any posthumous Pratchett publications will reach me at the same time as they do the rest of the world. I will be glad to be free of the DO NOT SPOILER responsibility, but sad to know that, for example, my Wossname review of the forthcoming Discworld Atlas won't happen until I've brought my shop-bought copy of it home...

It's right to mourn, but while we will all mourn, please do join me in taking equal time to celebrate, 'k?

Last month one of my closest friends, also a passionate longtime Pratchett fan, brought a new life into the world, her first and possibly only child. I think she's daft to have done this in such uncertain – and interesting! – times, but knowing both parents, one thing I can be certain of is that this child will grow up hearing, and then reading, the works of Terry Pratchett. So no, this is not the end. An author is not dead while his name is spoken. All together now:

This is not the end.

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN NEWS

Dear Readers, let those of us fortunate enough to live in places where the release date of The Shepherd's Crown occurs in just a few days not be too quick to flood the Clacks with reviews and spoilage! The USA release date is 1st September, but – for example – South Africa won't get it officially until 10th October...

3.1 OFFICIAL SPOILERS

From the official Pratchett feed:

Five things you need to know about The Shepherd's Crown

1. It introduces a brand new character – young Geoffrey Swivel.

2. There is a devilish smart goat named Mephistopheles, who can count to twenty and use the privy.

3. Granny, Nanny, Magrat, Agnes, Petulia, Mrs Earwig, Long Tall Short Fat Sally and Miss Tick are all there. Along with a whole host of other much-loved characters.

4. It will make you see the humble Garden Shed in a whole new light.

5. An elderly gentleman's toenails can be used as a powerful Feegle weapon.


3.2 RELEASE EVENTS

Bookseller giant Waterstones is backing The Shepherd's Crown with a number of celebratory release events around the UK. Some Waterstones outlets are getting the jump on other shops by holding their event a calendar day earlier, but most events will take place on Thursday 27 August. First among equal branches is Waterstones' flagship London store in Piccadilly, who are holding the vaunted Official Event on Wednesday night (26th); the 200-ticket midnight launch event has long since sold out, of course, but according to their website non-ticket-holders can still rock up to the shop late that night to join in some of the fun... and buy a copy of The Shepherd's Crown:

"If you weren't able to purchase a ticket you are still welcome to come along and queue from 11.30pm to sample the Discworld experience and to purchase a copy of The Shepherd’s Crown when it goes on sale to the general public at the stroke of midnight. Copies of The Shepherds Crown purchased with tickets or on the night will be exclusively stamped to mark this special occasion."

http://bit.ly/1TlBsjc

And a look at the rest, around the UK (and in at least one case, Fourecks)...

Waterstones Oxford will host a quiz on their midnight Shepherd's Crown launch.

When: Wednesday 26th August 2015
Venue: Waterstones, William Baker House, Broad Street, Oxford, OX1 3AF
Time: 11:30pm
Tickets: free. Ring 01865 790212 for more details.

www.waterstones.com/bookshops/oxford

*

Waterstones Newcastle:

"Join us to celebrate the publication of the final Discworld novel, The Shepherd's Crown at a special midnight opening at Waterstones Newcastle Emerson Chambers. As well as a NacMacFeegle Hunt and the Unseen University Challenge, there will be lots of fun activities for you to join in! Don't miss your chance to be one of the first to read this phenomenonal[sic] book!"

When: Wednesday 26th August 2015
Venue: Waterstones, Emerson Chambers, Blackett Street, Newcastle, NE1 7JF
Time: 10pm
Tickets: free. For more information, contact the shop on 0191 261 7757.

Their lovely hand-chalked sign:
http://bit.ly/1J9HUD

https://www.waterstones.com/events/midnight-opening-for-the-shepherd-s-crown/Newcastle

*

Waterstones Swansea will present a quiz, readings and a prize for best costume during their Shepherd's Crown event.

When: Thursday 27th August 2015
Venue: Waterstones, The Old Carlton Cinema, 17 Oxford Street, Swansea, SA1 3AG
Time: 7pm – 9pm
Tickets: free.

www.waterstones.com/bookshops/Swansea

*

Waterstones Nottingham:

"Have you guys got your tickets for our Pratchett evening? IT'S FREE. IT'LL BE FUN. Test your knowledge with the quiz!"

"The Sillitoe Room at Waterstones will host the events to celebrate the life and works of Sir Terry, creator of the madcap, maniacal Discworld series, who died in March following a struggle with Alzheimer's Disease. It coincides with the release of Sir Terry's last novel, The Shepherd's Crown. The night will also feature Waterstones staff giving readings of their favourite sections from his novels. There will be prizes for the best Discworld-themed costume, quizzes and refreshments. The event is free but those interested in attending must pre-register at the shop."

When: Thursday 27th August 2015
Venue: Waterstones, 1/5 Bridle smith Gate, Nottingham, NAG1 2GR
Time: 6.30pm
Tickets: free. To reserve a ticket, ring 0115 9470069.

The tickets look like this. A wonderful effort! http://bit.ly/1Mt15uk

www.waterstones.com/bookshops/Nottingham-bridles mi
https://twitter.com/Waterstones/status/633923788187566080
www.nottinghampost.com/Pratchett-honoured-launch-book/story-27624512-detail/story.html

*

Waterstones Harrogate:

"To commemorate Sir Terry Pratchett's last Discworld novel 'The Shepherd's Crown' we are having a celebratory evening. Come along to discuss the wonderful books that Sir Terry wrote and join in this special event. As well as discussion there will be a quiz and other fun activities. Fancy dress is always welcome. This event will be suitable for all ages."

When: Thursday 27th August 2015
Venue: Waterstones, 15 James Street, Harrogate, HG1 1QS
Time: 5pm
Tickets: free. For more information, ring 01423 531953

www.waterstones.com/events/terry-pratchett-night/harrogate

*

Waterstones Leeds:

"Join us for an evening celebrating one of the great fantasy writers ever to have lived, Terry Pratchett, on the release day of his final Discworld novel, The Shepherd's Crown. There'll be a quiz full of random Discworld and Pratchett tidbits, a competition to find the best Discworld-inspired outfit (shotgun the luggage...) and more prizes that you can shake a giant turtle at (though four elephants makes all the difference). We'll also have Pratchett-inspired boardgames, special offers exclusive to the evening, plenty of food and drink and a few more surprises... Best of all... it's completely free!"

When: Thursday 27th August 2015
Venue: Waterstones, 93-97 Albion Street, Leeds, LS1 5JS
Time: 7pm
Tickets: free, but ring 01132444588 to reserve a space

https://www.waterstones.com/events/pratchett-celebration-evening/leeds

*

Waterstones Derby will host a Discworld-themed evening featuring a quiz, some food and drink, and a prize for the best costume.

When: Thursday 27th August 2015
Venue: Waterstones, 78-80 St Peter's Street, Derby, DE1 1SR
Time: 5.30pm-7pm
Tickets: free

www.waterstones.com/bookshops/derby-st-peters

*

Waterstones York will be hosting "The Day of Pratchett". Sounds like a mini-festival:

Daytime Events:
Witch Hat Workshop – make your own pointy hat
Facepainting – Be a Wee Free Man or choose your own design
Treasure Hunt – help Tiffany find her lost sheep
Quiz – find the answers, win a prize
Plus a treat for anyone in costume!

Evening Events:
From 6pm join us in The Mended Drum (aka the cafe) for food and drink (it's mostly apples, we swear)
Judge Pepe's Fashion Show – fabulous prizes for the best costumes!
Find a team and take on the Unseen University Challenge – even more fabulous prizes for the winners of our quiz
Plus games, competitions, spot prizes

"Please reserve a place for the evening events, to allow us to provide enough food!"

When: Thursday 27th August 2015
Venue: Waterstones, 15 Coney Street, York, YO1 9QL
Time: 9am – 8.30pm
Tickets: free. To reserve an evening spot, ring 01904 620784, tweet to them @WaterstonesYork, or email york@waterstones.com.

https://www.waterstones.com/events/the-day-of-pratchett/york

*

Waterstones Dundee will host an all-day Shepherd's Crown event, including a Discworld character drawing competition open to all ages, a Discworld treasure hunt, a 7+1-foot Discworld colouring collage, a prize for best costume and a quiz. Coffee is available!

When: Thursday 27th August 2015
Venue: Waterstones, 35 Commercial Street, Dundee, DD1 3DG
Time: 9am – 6pm
Tickets: free

www.waterstones.com/bookshops/dundee

*

Waterstones Manchester:

"Join us for a special lunchtime event to celebrate the release of the final Discworld Novel, The Shepherd's Crown on publication day. We will be hosting Discworld games and running a fiendish Terry Pratchett quiz before Terry's close friend Rob Wilkins reads from The Shepherd's Crown and stamps each book with an exclusive stamp to mark this special occasion. Each ticket will include a copy of The Shepherd's Crown and a goody bag."

When: Thursday 27th August 2015
Venue: Waterstones, 91 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 2BW
Time: 12.30pm
Tickets: £10 (including a copy of The Shepherd's Crown, at our special event price and a goody bag) or £35 (including a copy of The Shepherd's Crown – Exclusive Slipcase Edition and a goody bag). To purchase tickets, go to http://bit.ly/1hKq6Eo

"Please note that booking fees will apply. A maximum of 4 tickets is permitted per person. Ticket holders will receive their book and goody bag at the event."

http://bit.ly/1hKq6Eo

*

Waterstones Huddersfield:

"Join us to celebrate the launch of Sir Terry Pratchett's final Discworld novel The Shepherd's crown. We'll have a travelling chest with our old much loved Discworld/pratchett novels, so bring yours and swap for something you haven't read yet! We're opening at 8:00 AM and will be serving refreshments in the morning. Best Fancy dress of the day will win a prize. We'll have Colouring sheets, bookmarks to give away, a treasure hunt with rewards, and other bits and bats. We'll see you there!"

When: Thursday 27th August 2015
Venue: Waterstones, 12/13 Kingsgate Centre, King Street, Huddersfield, HD1 2QB
Time: 8am – 5.30pm
Tickets: free

https://www.waterstones.com/events/the-shepherd-s-crown/huddersfield

*

Waterstones Boston will host "A Celebration of Terry Pratchett":

"Join us for an evening of Wine and nibbles as we celebrate the life and work of the late great Terry Pratchett."

When: Thursday 27th August 2015
Venue: Waterstones, 18 Pescod Square, Boston, PE21 6QX
Time: 6pm – 8pm
Tickets: free

https://www.waterstones.com/events/a-celebration-of-terry-pratchett/boston

[Editor's note: that's Boston in Lincolnshire, aka the original Boston, in case you wondered]

*

Waterstones Wakefield:

"Join us to celebrate the fantastic Discworld novels on the day the final book in the series, 'The Shepherd's Crown', is released. There will be a quiz, games, authentic Discworld food and prizes for the best costumes. Everyone welcome. Contact the store for further information on 01924 363535."

When: Thursday 27th August 2015
Venue: Waterstones, 2 Kirkgate, Wakefield, WF1 1SP
Time: 5pm – 7pm
Tickets: free

https://www.waterstones.com/events/discworld-celebration-evening/wakefield

*

Waterstones Birkenhead:

"Due to the popularity of our Harper Lee evening Waterstones Birkenhead would like to invite you to join us in celebrating the latest Pratchett Discworld novel: The Shepherd's Crown. With an interactive presentation by the marvellous Mary Clinton, trivia quiz, snacks, prizes and more. A fun filled evening for any Pratchett fan."

When: Thursday 27th August 2015
Venue: Waterstones, 188-192 Grange Road, Birkenhead, CH41 6EA
Time: 6pm – 8pm
Tickets: £1. "Available from a Bookseller. Terms and conditions apply. Please ask in store for details."

For more information, ring 0151 650 2400

https://www.waterstones.com/events/terry-pratchett-s-discworld-evening-with-mary-clinton/birkenhead

*

For Fourecksians in or near Melbourne city centre at four o'clock in the morning on 27th August, there's a Shepherd's Crown event at Dymocks in Collins Street. Yes, four o'clock in the morning:

"A night of revelry to celebrate the arrival of the next... and last... Discworld novel, the Shepherd's Crown. Come dressed suitably attired to share in the spirit of the Discworld – with a prize for the best Discworld character! Write your farewell, your tribute, your love letter to the great creator and add to the giant Discworld mural. Engage in games of skill, chance and dexterity against other Discworldians, and stay to enjoy readings and tributes. Save the date, and make sure you're there!"

When: Thursday 27th August 2015
Venue: Dymocks, 234 Collins Street, Melbourne 3000
Time: 4am!
Tickets: free

http://allevents.in/melbourne/shepherds-crown-release-celebration/445821345604654

[Editor's note: I can tell you, as a transportee to XXXX, that various branches of Dymocks were supporters of the works of Terry Pratchett since long before the rest of the world joined in...]

*

Waterstones Aberdeen will host a Discworld Quiz, "An evening of Discworld fun with great prizes up for grabs!", at the (temporary) Mended Drum on Friday 28th August in honour of The Shepherd's Crown.

When: Friday 28th August 2015
Venue: Waterstones, 3-7 Union Bridge, Aberdeen, AB11 6BG
Time: 7pm
Tickets: £5.00

For further information ring 01224 592440 during business hours or email aberdeen@waterstones.com

Here be the poster for the event:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CMyRHaVWUAAjTkg.jpg

www.waterstones.com/bookshops/aberdeen
https://twitter.com/WaterstonesABDN

*

Waterstones Doncaster will host a demonstration of Treefrog Games' "The Witches" board game.

When: Saturday 29th August 2015
Venue: Waterstones, 27 Frenchgate Centre, Doncaster, DN1 1LJ
Time: noon – 4pm
Tickets: free

www.waterstones.com/bookshops/doncaster


3.3 VIDEO TRIBUTE REMINDER

A reminder for Pratchett fans in XXXX and elsewhere:

"Anyone, anywhere can take part. Simply take a photo of yourself and your favourite quote from Discworld or Terry Pratchett – costumes, friends and pets optional – and email us it to us at theshepherdscrown@penguinrandomhouse.com.au

"With the final Discworld book almost upon us, a video tribute seems a fitting way to channel our appreciation for Terry Pratchett's words. Send us your contribution before 27 August 2015, the day THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN is released, and we'll take it from there – so you can get on with reading."

http://bit.ly/1IHQ1SV

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04) ODDS AND SODS

In no particular order...

4.1 RANDOM HOUSE AUSTRALIA LONG EARTH INTRODUCTION!

"Unique is a word easily applied to Terry Pratchett, and it's absolutely true – his imagination, his voice and his complex sense of humour stand apart not just in the world of literature, but in all popular culture. The singularity of his talent did not confine him to solo projects, though – Pratchett was open to collaboration, most notably with fellow authors Neil Gaiman (twice), and with Stephen Baxter on The Long Earth series.

"THE LONG UTOPIA is the fourth book in The Long Earth series, which ingeniously combines two seemingly opposed mindsets. Pratchett is of course best known for his fantasy series of Discworld novels, which are filled with outrageous wit, outlandish characters and a good dose of magic. Baxter, in contrast, grounds his books more in fact or 'hard science' – particularly evolutionary theory and speculation.

"Many fans of Pratchett and Baxter encountered the other author for the first time with these books – and for any reader who's curious about taking their first step into the immense catalogue of Pratchett, The Long Earth series is a recommended option.

"What is 'the long Earth?' It's not one planet, but a series of parallel worlds. All of them are similar to the Earth that we know and love and live on – but as you go further along and farther away, world by world, the differences become greater and greater. We readers tour the Long Earth through the eyes of inter-world travellers Joshua and Lobsang.

"Pratchett and Baxter use this set-up to explore ideas about how global evolution might have turned out differently, under different conditions. There's only one thing that all the parallel worlds have in common: none of them have ever been inhabited by humanity."

http://bit.ly/1h2RHzU


4.2 THE STORY OF RINCEWIND!

...the sculpted character, that is. Here be a wonderful blogpost by the Cunning Artificer himself, Bernard Pearson, from the new and equally wonderful Cunning Artificer blog:

"So, if you're sitting comfortably then Uncle Bernard will begin. 'Here' was Covent Garden, 'when' was June 1990. An article had appeared in the Sunday Telegraph colour supplement which previewed Terry's latest book: Guard! Guards! This had excited the interest of a 'man in a suit business consultant' who was working with us at the time. Isobel had heard a reading of 'The Colour of Magic' on Radio 4 in 1985 and as a result bought and read all the available Discworld books. Then I read and also enjoyed them hugely. It took an outsider to join the dots and recognise a commercial synergy between the sort of things we were making (humorous fantasy figurines), and what Terry was creating in his books.

"A dialogue opened up with Terry's agent Colin Smythe and we met up with him in London. Once the principles had been established it was down to meeting Terry himself. At that time there were no 'real' Discworld characterisations other than those produced as book covers by Josh Kirby. Great art, fun covers but not exactly helpful. We were advised to steer clear of those and Terry; no mean artist himself, faxed us drawings to give us some idea of what was in his mind. Over the years this process became so slick he only had to say what character he had seen on film or TV and we were on to it, but that's a whole other story. So with a very concise sketch and a few years of experience in making any number of wizards from Gandalf onwards I started modelling Rincewind..."

The page includes some images (also wonderful) – and best of all, a reproduction of the original fax from The Author himself, showing his rough sketches of Rincewind and Granny Weatherwax. Even if you haven't time to read the whole post right now, you should click on this direct link to that image, to delight in how perfectly these characters were described in a few drawn lines by their creator:

http://bit.ly/1I1ycgY

To read the whole piece, go to:

http://thecunningartificer.com/portfolio/how-it-all-began/

The blog's homepage:

http://thecunningartificer.com/


4.3 THE MAKING OF NANNY OGG'S COOKBOOK FRENCH COVER ART!

Here be a series of screencaps of illustrator Marc Simonetti's process:

http://www.itsartmag.com/features/making-of-nanny-oggs-cookbook/


4.4 STUNNING PAUL KIDBY ART!

"Fans of illustration and fantasy drawing get a treat in the summer issue of Drawing, which features an interview with the British artist Paul Kidby. Kidby has spent some 20 years illustrating for the late Terry Pratchett, author of the sprawling, best-selling Discworld series of satirical fantasy novels. Kidby's work on Discworld has ranged from book covers to illustrated-novels to limited-edition prints to illustrations for sundry related publications and products. In the article, written by Ken Gofton, Kidby relates how he managed to get the Discworld gig, which changed the direction of his career, and he explains the several stages of his process for working with authors and publishers.

"Here, we're happy to present a few extra fantasy drawings by Kidby that we couldn't fit into the magazine. We hope you enjoy his often eccentric creations. To see more, visit the artist's website (_http://www.paulkidby.net/_), and be sure to read the full story in the summer 2015 issue of Drawing. You can purchase a copy here (_http://bit.ly/1I3Mn5a_, buy a digital copy (_http://bit.ly/1ML4q89_), or subscribe to Drawing magazine (_http://bit.ly/1U0cIgF_)."

Illustrations reproduced on this page include Mort (the breathtaking 2011 pencil study of Sir Pterry playing chess with the Death of Discworld); Death With Bees (2010); Leonard of Quirm (1999); and the original pencil sketch for the cover of The Wee Free Men (2002)

http://bit.ly/1fENHFa


4.5 PRINT YOUR OWN 3-D DISCWORLD!

"Inspired by Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, this is a 3d printable model of the discworld travelling through space and time upon four elephants riding on the back of a giant turtle. It is mashup of several bits from different places. The turtle came from another thingiverse model of a garden turtle by Pmowes – http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:421809

"I scaled it and flattened the top to stand the elephants on. The four elephants came from a thingiverse model by ringmaster of a parade elephant. http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:38573

"I scaled the elephants and fused four together to fit on top of the Turtle. I also flattened the tops of the elephants to give a better base for glueing on the disc.

"The disc world itself I made in two parts. The rimfall I designed from scratch using Cheetah 3d – I am something of a n00b in Cheetah 3d, but the finished article is close to the effect I was seeking. The disc I modified from the other disc world model on thingiverse by aesedepece. I wanted something with more height and definition. This is his original model: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:28509

"All the parts have been through NetFabb so they should work on most printers."

To read online, and to see the amazing iconographs of the 3-D Discworld, go to:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:662018


4.6 WATERSTONES BLOG: LOOKING BACK ON THE DISCWORLD SERIES

"With Terry Pratchett's final Discworld book due to be published August 27th, we're looking back on the entire series. Here's part one, books 1-10. It's fairly safe to say that our booksellers were, and still are, huge fans of Terry Pratchett. A few years ago we revisited each and every one of his Discworld books and with the release of the final Discworld novel, The Shepherd's Crown, a little over a week away we thought it only made sense to run the series again. A huge thanks to the booksellers across the country who contributed and, of course, to Terry Pratchett himself...

"The Colour of Magic is also more reliant on its fantasy forebears than later novels, playing the fantasy-parody card more often and more obviously than later books which tend to address issues largely beyond the genre (the postal system, Hollywood, Shakespeare – for example), these parodic elements are most obviously present in the Conan-esque Hrun the Barbarian and the Lovecraftian Bel-Shamharoth, yet for every borderline cliché you have the kind of wonderful innovations Pratchett is loved for: a cowardly wizard who only knows one spell, and of course The Luggage. Even the structure of the book is a little odd compared to later fare, but there is no denying that all the pieces are in place here and a world set in motion..." – Glyn Morgan, Waterstones Liverpool One

"Packed with Pratchett's signature satire, The Light Fantastic cements Rincewind as one of my favourite Discworld characters and Terry Pratchett as one my favourite authors. I started reading the books as a teenager - I loved them then, and I still love them now - whether it's the new titles or rereading the old ones..." – Sarah Hiorns, Waterstones Ipswich

"Wizards, and the world, being what they are, Esk doesn't have an easy time proving that she is just as worthy and talented as her male counterparts. It also contains a brilliant description of the best way to achieve the impossible.
This is the third Discworld novel and some people might advise you to skip it and start with one of the later ones. They'd be wrong..." – Lisa Hunt, Waterstones Hemel Hempstead

"As brilliant as Mort's story is though, Death and his household are the real stars of the show. In the sea of iconic characters and brilliantly imagined mythologies that make up the Discworld novels, they have to be among the most iconic of all. His timeless kingdom and its workings are genuinely wondrous, eerie creations and I dare anyone to find another writer who can inject the skeletal, anthropomorphic personification of death with quite as much haunting pathos as Mr. Pratchett..." – Dan Coombes, Waterstones Oxford Street West

"The first thing that I loved about [Sourcery] was how much was similar to Fantasy books I'd read before. Pratchett is not afraid to make jabs at the genre, with a light hearted wit that shows a lot of love for the source material. The fantastic distractions through Terry's famous footnotes add an extra level of comic intricacy that is phenomenal, & his use of descriptive metaphors is unique, quirky & tickles the brain in a very particular way..." – Darran Stobart, Waterstones Northallerton

"If you have never read a Discworld novel [Wyrd Sisters] is the perfect introduction, wickedly funny, sometimes outrageous, always bonkers, Pratchett has a wonderful ability to hold a mirror up to society, so you will recognise yourself in the characters, and also your friends and neighbours..." – Sara Thompson, Waterstones Trowbridge

"Pyramids is a book that begins at the end, and ends at the beginning. It could be considered the quintessential Discworld book: modern notions challenging old ways, the clashing of cultures, hilarious one-liners, running gags, a race through the streets of Ankh-Morpork and, of course, the ubiquitous Death scenes. It also has assassins, smugglers, gods, hand-maidens, priests, mummies and a sphinx, all topped with lashings of Pratchett's observational humour..." – John Uphill, Waterstones Norwich

"All of these key Pratchett conventions are present in Guards! Guards!. From page one it's side-splittingly funny, turning the fantasy genre on its head in that way only Pratchett can... Once the would-be king slays the dragon he will be crowned and they can rule the city vicariously through him. Only four men stand in their way, the brave men of The Watch, and they'll bring down this nefarious plot just as soon as they stop running and hiding and sober up..." – Matt Wilson, Waterstones Tenterden

"If you've never delved into Discworld before and you don't fancy starting at the beginning then Eric is the perfect novel to start with... Eric is one of Pratchett's shortest novels and takes the reader to Aztec-type lands, a Trojan war and the circles of hell but doesn't lose Pratchett's usual charm and humour..." – Sasha James, Waterstones Greenwich

"[Moving Pictures] is the most insane, gloriously funny satirical romp through the movie industry. Something nasty has awakened in the hills of Holy Wood, something that latches onto the Alchemists discovery of the art of moving pictures - and now everyone wants to be in "The Clicks"... One of the funniest books I have ever read, Moving Pictures doesn't miss a beat, or a pun..." – Michelle Jones, Waterstones Petersfield

https://www.waterstones.com/blog/discworld-reviewed-part-one


4.7 ERIC ON THE WIRELESS: A REMINDER!

Having listened last night to the four-part BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Eric, I can tell you that is is very good. All episodes are still available for worldwide listening, so get on it:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01r0zb9


4.8 TIFFANY ACHING "DELETED SCENES": A REMINDER

From the "private musings of Tiffany Aching", courtesy of Penguin Books:

http://summerofpenguin.com/2015-08-03/terry-pratchetts-discworld


4.9 THE STICK AND FOOT-THE-BALL DANCE!

Yes, this is a satire. But then again, so are Discworld novels – and both are in the same spirit of fun:

"Police were called after a mass brawl broke out in a pub car park between a group of morris dancers and a blind football team. The footballers were enjoying a match on the village green at Rattlesden, near Stowmarket, using a ball with a bell in it so they could keep up with play. But all hell broke out when the morris dancers began performing at a nearby pub. A player kicked the ball off the pitch towards the Brewers Arms, and then mistook the morris dancers' uniform bells for the one in the ball. He promptly kicked one of the dancers in the shin, sending him flying over a table and crashing into a flower pot. A hanging basket then fell on his head. More blind footballers then joined the melee, kicking out at the bells and then being surprised when they were punched by furious morris men. The brawl was only stopped when the referee caught up and blew his whistle loudly..."

http://www.suffolkgazette.com/news/morris-dancers-blind-footballers-brawl/

[And for once, we can definitely urge you to read the comments! – Ed.]


4.10 BRING AN ORANGUTAN HOME!

The Bring an Orangutan Home Project has run since November 2012 and will continue until December 2016:

"Hundreds of rescued orphan orangutans are ready to go home to the forest, where they belong. Having undergone years of nurturing rehabilitation under the watchful eyes of the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, these graduates need your help to get them home. Over the past 2 decades, hundreds of orphaned and displaced orangutans have been rescued and cared for in sanctuaries such as those operated by Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation in Indonesia. These sanctuaries are now crowded and many of the orangutans are ready for release back to the forest. Finding safe forests for them has been a challenge, but it has been found. Now the only thing preventing them from going home is lack of funding... An integrated team of experts manages the release operation, from selection of candidates and their preparation through to post-release monitoring. Success will be demonstrated by the documented release of 100 orangutans complete with at least one year of post-release monitoring... Orangutan Land Trust will help support the release of these orangutans by the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation operating in Indonesia. By releasing orangutans, we can free up space in the rescue centres so they can take in more victims. Additionally, the released orangutans will collectively form a new, viable population in safe areas of forest, ensuring their long-term survival as a species in the wild..."

Read more about the Charity running this project:
http://www.thebiggive.org.uk/charity.php?charity_id=6597

https://secure.thebiggive.org.uk/projects/view/18744


4.11 SASQUAN FAN FILM UPDATE!

The Kickstarter goal of $6,000 was surpassed by an additional four figures. The excess will now go into a "stretch budget":

"Our biggest challenge will be in narrowing down the final footage, gathering music, and finishing the film and DVDs by November. But, we believe this is a realistic goal. If anything happens to alter that timeline, we will do everything to keep our backers in the loop! We are firm believers in transparency and frank, open communication..."

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1686440358/the-turtle-moves-remembering-terry-pratchett

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05) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS

5.1 PJSM PRINTS – NOW DISCWORLD.COM

"Crivens! After more than twenty years our name is changing and we're delighted to write and tell you about it! As a previous customer of PJSM Prints you will know that we've been supplying official Discworld artwork and merchandise since 1995, but we've grown, our range of products has expanded and we want to provide a better service to Terry's friends and fans. So we're excited to announce that we are now becoming Discworld.com!

"And we have a new website! We've launched our all-new discworld.com [http://discworld.com/] site to make your browsing experience better and to introduce our social media platforms for more fun, interaction with us and gossip! We will still provide all the same high quality products but you can now shop faster, join our social community and keep up with all the latest Discworld news. Check out our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Flickr for starters!"

https://twitter.com/Discworld_com
https://www.facebook.com/discworldofficial
https://instagram.com/discworld.com_official/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/132892573@N05/

"The launch of the new website sees the reintroduction of two of our most popular limited run, signed colour prints – Great A'Tuin and Under an Eldritch Sky, and our NEW, exclusive Terry t-shirt. Not only this but we have fabulous additions to the range coming soon, irresistible new collectables and the first of many exciting competitions."

http://discworld.com/products/artwork/great-atuin/
http://discworld.com/products/bags-clothing/terry-t-shirt/
http://discworld.com/products/artwork/colour-print-eldritch-sky/

"The range of Discworld products you know and love is available to buy here right now, and we will soon launch a new improved Roundworld section! We fully understand that the browsing experience will be different for those of you who know our time-honoured site well, so we will run PJSM Prints (_http://pjsmprints.com_) concurrently until midnight on Sunday 23rd August to allow you to use either if you're in a hurry, and to enable you to continue ordering all your favourite Roundworld products. Please do take a look at our new site, we'd love to hear your feedback and have provided two dedicated email addresses for you to get in touch; feedback@discworld.com and web@discworld.com.

"We're proud of our quality products and are delighted to offer you an improved way of shopping for them. We've organised our new site into quick reference categories, grouped fellow subjects together, introduced a handy subject search facility and offered a whole new lightbox system for viewing every last detail. Please come and have a look around!"

http://discworld.com

[Do have a shufti at the site – it's lovely! And do scroll to the bottom of each page, where you will find different messages "typed" on a semi-automated Hex keyboard – Ed.]


5.2 DISCWORLD EMPORIUM UPDATES

"Greetings Discworld fans! We are full of excitement, having taken delivery of the Discworld Calendar 2016, and what a thing of beauty it is... We've been dribbling over the delicious artwork of Joe McLaren, cover artist for the Discworld Collector's Library, who has come up trumps with twelve stunning illustrations that capture the heart and soul of Discworld, from Dibbler to Granny, from Great A'tuin to the Canting Crew. Long-time Discworld fan Joe has previously worked with us on exclusive Hogswatch cards, Discworld Stamps and 'The Turtle Moves' T-Shirt, and we're chuffed that he has such a wonderful vessel for his artwork in this fantastic calendar... the 2016 calendar features twelve pieces of original artwork, along with all those important Discworld and roundworld dates that you'll still forget about despite them hanging on your wall in such a decorative fashion. Each calendar includes a full page of colourful artwork for each month along with plenty of space for your notes, reminders and appointments. Includes all major realtime calendrical data for Great Britain, Eire, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA, as well as notable Discworld dates."

The Discworld Collector's Edition Calendar is priced at £14.99. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/DiscworldCalendar2016

"Also available for pre-order, the Witches Diary 2016, This 'Practical Manual for the Modern Witch' contains a cornucopia of Discworld trivia and all things witch. More than just a diary, this Practical Manual for the Modern Witch gives a long-awaited insight into the wit and wisdom of some of Terry Pratchett's best-loved Discworld characters, the Witches! Featuring sage advice and guidance from the likes of Nanny Ogg, Granny Weatherwax and Tiffany Aching,The Discworld Diary 2016 teems with a glorious mix of cultural ephemera, illustration, and hilarious one-liners along with important Discworld and Roundworld dates to help you be as sharp as Miss Tick!

"We're very proud to have aided and abetted Sir Terry in the creation of this book, and as a celebration of our collaboration every copy bought from us includes an exclusive A5 art print for your own witch's cottage with blessings from the hags of Discworld!"

The 2016 Discworld Diary is priced at £16.99. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/DiscworldDiary2016


The Turtle Moves Tee

Official Discworld T-Shirt featuring the sublime artwork of Joe McLaren, cover artist for the Discworld Collector's Library Hardback editions from Gollancz. 100% supersoft ringspun cotton tee in midnight navy, slim & tailored style for a flattering fit.

The Turtle Moves t-shirt is priced £15.00 and available in "Classic" or "Ladies" fit in sizes S to XXL. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/GreatATuinTee
http://www.discworldemporium.com/GreatAtuinTshirtLadies

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

06) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

6.1 SOUL MUSIC IN WELLINGTON, UK (SEPTEMBER)

Wellington Theatre Company presents SOUL MUSIC by Terry Pratchett adapted by Rebecca Beard and Mike Leach:

"This play, based on the novel of the same name, is primarily about the arrival of Rock Music to the Disc. Because of the nature of the Disc, it arrives magically, and departs within a few weeks, encompassing 50 years of Earth Rock History from Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Elvis, The Beatles, Jimmy Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, 80's Hair Metal and Stadium Rock to the present day. It's mad, it's crazy, it's hilarious and it's not to be missed."

When: Wednesday 2nd – Saturday 5th September 2015
Venue: Wellington Arts Centre, Eight Acre Lane, Wellington, Somerset TA21 8PS
Time: 7:30 pm evenings; Saturday matinee at 3pm
Tickets: £8. Ring the Box Office on 0844 997 9000, or to purchase online, go to:
http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/wellingtonartscentre

https://www.facebook.com/events/728506640588582/

6.2 REMINDER: MORT IN BRISBANE (AUGUST–OCTOBER)

The Brisbane Arts Theatre's latest Discworld production will be Mort!

When: 22nd August–3rd October 2015
Venue: Brisbane Arts Theatre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane, QLD 4000
(phone 07 3369 2344)
Time: 8pm Thursdays (except 27th August), Fridays and Saturdays; 6.30pm
Sundays (6th and 20th September)
Tickets: Adults $31, Concession $25, Group 10+ $25, Group 75+ $20, Gold
Members $15, Members $25, Student Rush $10 (10 mins before curtain).
Members can redeem their included season tickets for this show. There
are no refunds or exchanges once tickets have been purchased. To
purchase tickets online, go to http://bit.ly/1Imz2tJ

http://artstheatre.com.au/show/mort

6.3 REMINDER: NIGHT WATCH IN CARDIFF (SEPTEMBER)

Monstrous Productions are back with their latest Pratchett offering – Night Watch, adapted by Stephen Briggs and directed by Amy Davies:

"Hello everybody! We are incredibly pleased to say that, over the course of four plays since the start of 2013, we have raised over £12,000 for Alzheimer's Research UK! Luckily we added a matinee for Witches Abroad: our audiences were better than ever! But we don't stop there. In September we will be performing Night Watch!"

When: 9th-12th-September 2015
Venue: The Gate Theatre, Keppoch Street, Roath, Cardiff CF24 3JW
Time: 7.30pm (doors open 7pm), plus a 2.30pm matinee on the 12th
Tickets: £8 (£6 concession), available soon from www.monstrousptc.com

To view their fine poster, go to http://bit.ly/1TycedT

6.4 REMINDER: MASKERADE IN GLASGOW (SEPTEMBER)

The Antonine Players will present their production of Maskerade in September.

When: 17th, 18th, 19th September 2015
Venue: Fort Theatre, Kenmure Avenue, Bishopbriggs, Glasgow G64 2DW
Time: 7.30pm (doors open at 7pm
Tickets: £8.50 (£8 concession). Available online at
www.ticketsource.co.uk/forttheatre or ring 0141 573 6620 or 0141 772 7054

http://www.forttheatre.org/

6.5 UPDATES: WYRD SISTERS IN UPPINGHAM (OCTOBER)

Tickets are now available for the Uppingham Theatre Company's forthcoming production of Wyrd Sisters!

"Why not visit Lancre this Halloween, it has everything, witches, evil Dukes and Duchesses, strolling players, ghosts, you name it, its got it, and for only £10, yes £10 folks(£2 going to charity with each ticket old) you could be transported to the mythical kingdom of Lancre!"

When: Thursday 29th October through Saturday 31st October 2015
Venue: Uppingham Theatre, 32 Stockerston Road, Uppingham, Rutland LE15 9UD
Time: 7.30pm all evening shows; Saturday matinee 2.30pm
Tickets: £10 (includes a £2 charity donation per ticket to Rutland Reminders). Available in person from Uppingham Sports and Books, 9 High Street East, Uppingham. To purchase online, go to https://www.wegottickets.com/location/1664 or http://www.uppingham.co.uk/School-Shop

Uppingham Theatre Company will be holding a cake stall in Uppingham Market Place on the morning of Saturday the 29th August, to promote Wyrd Sisters and help with some funding towards rehearsal costs.

http://www.rutlandreminders.org.uk/
http://www.uppinghamtheatrecompany.org.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Uppingham-Theatre-Company/215743641793859

6.6 REMINDER: UNSEEN ACADEMICALS IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE (NOVEMBER)

A heads-up from the Bucks Free Press about a production coming this November:

"The Marlow Players will stage the late author's work 'Unseen Academicals' in November and are looking for budding actors to join the company. The group, which has been entertaining audiences for more than 75 years, needs volunteers to ensure the show can go on... Gloria Kendrick Hurst of the Marlow Players said the group plans to donate part of the proceeds from the show to the Alzheimer's Society..."

http://bit.ly/1HRjEnr

The company has not yet posted any more specific info, but the production will be presented at the Shelley Theatre, Court Garden, Pound Lane, Marlow, Bucks SL7 2AG. If you are interested in helping out, contact them through their website. Watch this space (as it were) for more details closer to the date:

http://www.marlowplayers.org.uk/

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

07) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS

7.1 SCHEIBENWELT NEWS

The fourth German Discworld convention – Scheibenwelt being the word for Discworld, of course – takes place next month (10th – 13th September 2015) at the 600-year-old Castle Ludwigstein in Hesse.

"During this period we offer our more than 200 guests workshops, talks, games, guests of honour and Discworld merchandising normally not available in Germany. You can visit us for a day or stay at the castle or a hotel nearby... At the moment there are only 9 free beds at the castle. If you wish to order more than that you will be put on our waiting list and might get tickets if orders are cancelled or not payed. We advice you to buy hotel tickets instead... The castle is a youth hostel and offers bed linen for 5,50 Euro. You can bring your own for free. You will also need to bring along washing utensils like soap and towels." There will be a free shuttle service to the castle from the train station.

This year's convention is Klatch-themed, and looks like it's going to be a lively one, featuring – among many other activities – a preview screening of the legendary Troll Bridge film in its current state of progress; live Discworld games including Who Wants to Be a Discworld Millionaire? ("prove your knowledge of Klatch, the Discworld and its creator in this unique show"); storytelling workshops and, yes, klatches including "1001 Klatchian Nights"; patrols by the Ankh-Morpork City Watch; "How do you create your own fantasy world?" (with guest author Cornelia Franke); a belly dancing workshop; improvisational "What would Rincewind do?" theatre ("Rincewind in Klatch? In two lessons you will learn how to see and react to situations."); Unveiled Camouflage (Make-up) with Eva ("Who does not want to move inconspicuously through Klatch? You do not want to attract attention as a foreigner? Whether young or old, here you get paint! Absolutely colourful! Small wonder come true immediately, greater ones take longer. Special requests are welcome. Talk to me!"); various stalls including Discworld miniatures masters Micro Arts Studio and Ankh-Morpork e.V. ("Again we will help you sell your old Discworld and fantasy novels at our stall. Just bring them along and write your name and a price with a pencil in the book and collect money for every sold book at the end of the convention."); and the usual costume contest, gaming room, and charity raffle.

This one sounds particularly interesting:

Rum-Tasting: "Had too much Klatchian Coffee? Dibbler's Homeopathic Sipping Whiskey just doesn't do it? Scumble is too common, Orakh too dangerous and cabbage schnapps too – well, you know, too much cabbage? Can't afford Bentinck's Very Old Peculiar Brandy but want something aged for more than 8 minutes (preferably not cabbage-based)? Join us on a journey to the Disc of sugar (cane) based drinks. You're not only going to learn about origins, production and aging process, you will also be able to sample some rather nice products. You will definitely not leave this workshop knurd")

Tickets for Thursday through Sunday are €149 (discount price for Visitors aged less than 12 years or members of the Ankh-Morpork e.V. €139), and for Friday through Sunday, €110 (discount price €105). Day tickets are also available: Friday or Saturday €20 (€18 discount Visitors aged less than 12 years or members of the Ankh-Morpork e.V.),
Sunday €35 (€30 discount). To purchase tickets, either for attendees staying at Castle Ludwigstein or non-resident day attendees, go to:

http://www.scheibenwelt-convention.de/viewpage.php?page_id=8

For more info:
http://www.scheibenwelt-convention.de/viewpage.php?page_id=37&
http://www.scheibenwelt-convention.de/
http://www.burgludwigstein.de/


7.2 SASQUAN/WORLDCON REPORTS

World SF Convention Report: Terry Pratchett Remembered

A report from Krypton Radio:

"This afternoon at a panel, there was a remembrance of Sir Terry, sometimes funny, sometimes bittersweet. The four panelists were Denise Connell, Anne Hoppe, Tom Whitmore, and Deb Geisler. Each related stories about Sir Terry, giving the attendees a chance to remember him and what he was like to be around. There were many such stories to be shared, some by the panelists, some by the attendees themselves, but these two by Anne Hoppe, who worked with Sir Terry as his editor for several years, are worth retelling: 'Last spring my sister and I were visiting in England, and we were fortunate enough to be there for the Spring Fling Event in Wincanton, which is the town in England which is the twin to Ankh-Morpork, and Terry was fabulous, his health was relatively frail by then, but he was there. And he was interacting with the fans, and having a fabulous time with them. When he was ready to leave and we were going back he said "I feel filled with helium." He was so lit up by talking to the fans, by spending time with the fans, the fans – he had a great love of writing, but he had such love of the fans too, such appreciation for the people who read his books and wanted to come up and talk to him about the books. And for all that he represents in this room in terms of the smart, funny people who love stories who love books and to give that back to him as he gave it to us...'"

The page also features video footage of a wandering Luggage and Twoflower:

http://bit.ly/1V1yduy

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

08) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS: UPDATES AND REMINDERS

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), meets next on Monday 7th September 2015 at the Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London, W2 1JQ. For more information, go to http://brokendrummers.org/ or email BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk

*

Canberra, Australia has a new Discworld fan group, Drumknott's Irregulars! "We are a newly established Terry Pratchett & Discworld social group in Canberra called Drumknott's Irregulars. The group is open to all, people from interstate and overseas are welcome, and our events will not be heavily themed. Come along to dinner for a chat and good company. We welcome people all all fandoms (and none) and we would love to see you at one of our events, even if you're just passing through. Please contact us via Facebook (_https://www.facebook.com/groups/824987924250161/_) or Google Groups (_https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars_) or join us at our next event."

*

There is a new public Facebook meeting group, "The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)": "This group, by request of Jo in Bear will continue to be used for future unofficial (not run by the Emporium) fan Gatherings in Wincanton. Look here for information. Next event Loonies Christmas Party. Same weekend as Hogswatch would have been. ie 27/28/29 November."

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

*

The Pratchett Partisans are a fan group who meet monthly at either Brisbane or Indooroopilly to "eat, drink and chat about all things Pratchett. We hold events such as Discworld dinners, games afternoons, Discworld photo scavenger hunts. Our recent 'Murder In Morpork' mystery party was a great night out. With 26 people attending, we had 24 suspects, our special guest – Vetinari, and one dead mime! It was a fun night of food and murder and we are planning another Murder in December so stay tuned. We also attend opening night at Brisbane Arts Theatre's Discworld plays."
The Partisans currently have about 100 members who meet at least twice a month, usually in Brisbane. For more info about their next meetup, join up at https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au

*

The City of Small Gods is a group for fans in Adelaide and South Australia. For more information on their upcoming activities, go to www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

Also, City of Small Gods will be holding a special quiz night in October: "Test your knowledge on all things Science Fiction and Fantasy – books, movies, TV, comics, games and more! A dragon's hoard of prizes including best costume!"

When: 17th October 2015
Venue: Clarence Gardens Bowling Club, Winona Ave, Clarence Gardens
Time: 7pm for 7.30pm start
Tickets: $15 per person or $112 for a table of 8 "Bookings essential. Bring your own nibbles, purchase drinks at the bar (cash only)"

For more info, and to purchase tickets, go to:

http://ausdwcon.org/fan-clubs/adelaide/quiz/

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 3rd September 2015 (probably) from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight. For more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) next meets on Friday 4th September 2015 (probably) at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists, a Pratchett fangroup, has been meeting on a regular basis since 2005 but is now looking to take in some new blood (presumably not in the non-reformed Uberwald manner). The Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, to discuss "all things Pratchett" as well as having quizzes and raffles. Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum:

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

*

Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet next on Monday 7th September 2015 at 6.30pm (probably) in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney,2000. For more information, contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meets next on Monday 7th September 2015 (probably) from 5.30pm at Carpe Cafe, 526 Murray Street, Perth, Western Australia. For details follow Perth Drummers on Twitter @Perth_Drummers or join their Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>

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

09) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

Discworld cakes just keep getting better: http://bit.ly/1U69Klr and http://bit.ly/1UZu5LB

Stephen Briggs is definitely the master of the Vetinari eyebrow!
http://bit.ly/1KGObp7

Josh Kirby's original cover art from the German edition of Good Omens:
http://bit.ly/1hed9SY

Discworld cosplay...

A believable Rincewind: http://bit.ly/1gCPID3
An impressive Hogfather: http://bit.ly/1LZuUAX
...and a stunning – and very populous – live Discworld Massif of sorts, by Spanish fans:
http://bit.ly/1N37WaN

...and more of the former, all from Cosplay Mundodisco at the Spanish fan convention Celsius 2015 in Aviles:
http://on.fb.me/1Iz114X

...and from Sasquan, a spot-on Angua and Cheery, by NADWCon's Head Seamstress Denise Connell:
http://bit.ly/1HZdi1V and http://bit.ly/1gZRYUs

"It's what a pit pony *be*..." – photo gallery of a vast, eye-popping 200-metre earth sculpture, "Sultan the Pit Pony", by Welsh artist Mick Petts at Parc Penalta in Caerphilly. Shades of The Chalk:
http://bit.ly/1I51PBk

A lovely Tenniel-meets-Shepard-esque illustration of Tiffany versus Jenny Greenteeth, by Sia-chan:
http://bit.ly/1E9qBlN

The German cover for The Shepherd's Crown:
http://bit.ly/1NtsDQh

A fantastic set of cosplay iconographs imagining of the young Gytha Ogg. Some might consider these unsafe for work, but this is because of the Oggish attitude in them rather than any matter of exposed Gytha-ness:
http://bit.ly/1Jof7Xe

The "UU panel" at Sasquan: http://bit.ly/1V1mDj4

Excellent edible Luggage, posted by Clair Jackson: http://bit.ly/1V1mADU

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

10) CLOSE

Remember the item about the upcoming opening of ScotRail's Borders Railway line (item 4.9 in the main July 2015 issue)? Well, it turns out that the Queen (of England, not the Quin of Fairyland!) will be officially opening the steam line:

"She will carry out the ceremony on 9 September where she will be joined by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on a steam journey along the route. The first passenger services are due to run along the line a few days earlier. Infrastructure Secretary Keith Brown said it was a "great honour" that the Queen would lead the opening celebrations. The event coincides with the day that Her Majesty will become Britain's longest-serving monarch. On 9 September, she will pass the figure reached by her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria... Mr Brown said: 'The people of the Borders and Midlothian have waited almost half a century to see the return of their railway and it is fitting that these two such historic events coincide. This will be a double celebration and we are also ensuring that the people who have campaigned, worked hard and shown such patience throughout this process are able to play a full part in the celebrations, with a separate day dedicated just to them." The Queen and Prince Philip will arrive at Waverley Station in Edinburgh to board the train drawn by the steam locomotive Union of South Africa on the morning of 9 September. They will travel the route, stopping off at Newtongrange in Midlothian before carrying on to the final stop on the new railway at the Borders town of Tweedbank..."

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-33761625


For those of you living in hedgehog country, here be an informative article on how to coexist with and care for hedgehogs:

"Why don't we see as many hedgehogs as we used to? Many people may not have even noticed their absence due to hedgehogs' nocturnal habits but for conservationists it's a very important question. The simple answer is that they are in drastic decline right across the country, in both urban and rural habitats... According to Fay Vass, chief executive for the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS), there were thought to be around 30 million hedgehogs in the UK in the 1950s, that number is now thought to be less than one million... For one of our most-loved animals, which constantly tops the charts in polls of our favourite wildlife, to have vanished in such large numbers is deeply worrying... Seeing hedgehogs in your garden is now a rare occurrence but there are things you can do to help reverse this trend and help them out in the process. If you are lucky enough to see any, you can take part in Hedgehog Street (_http://www.hedgehogstreet.org/_), where you can report sightings and help monitor this crucial species. Taking a few simple steps to make our gardens more hedgehog-friendly is another way to help... making a garden hedgehog-friendly is very easy and cheap, and doesn't have to look like a wilderness, or a big mess. Follow the simple advice on Hedgehog Street..."

http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20150818-living-with-hedgehogs


Remember, the Discworld & Beyond exhibition of Paul Kidby's art continues until 1st November at Wardown Park Museum, Wardown Park, Old Bedford Road, Luton, LU2 7HA. Entry is free! The museum is closed on Mondays, open 10am–5pm Tuesdays through Saturday, and open 1pm–5pm on Sundays. For more information ring 01582 546722.

By the way, the Tony Robinson quote at the start of this issue comes from a piece in the Radio Times. To read the whole article, go to http://bit.ly/1JK895e

And that, O Readers, is all for August. Coming soon: the Wossname review of The Shepherd's Crown, the continuation of the Without Whom series, and much more. Take care, and happy reading to you all!

– Annie Mac

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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

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Copyright (c) 2015 by Klatchian Foreign Legion