WOSSNAME

NEWSFLASH: NEW PAUL KIDBY DISCWORLD BOOK IN NOVEMBER!

2024-05-09T02:33:08Z

Transworld will publish Paul Kidby's Designing Terry Pratchett’s Discworld on 7th November 2024.

'Written and illustrated by Paul Kidby, Sir Terry Pratchett’s artist of choice for many years, the book is described by the publisher as “an incredible celebration of Discworld art and a brilliant homage to the decades-long collaboration between Paul and Terry... it will take readers behind the scenes of one of the great creative partnerships and is packed with unseen art and the real stories behind it.'

Rob Wilkins said: 'I’m privileged to have been at the creative coalface with not one but two incredible minds, seeing Discworld’s creatures and characters come to life. Terry always considered Paul’s work the definitive embodiment of his vision, and this book gives us a unique window into the creative process of a wildly talented artist who defined Discworld not only for Terry, but for generations.'

To read the full announcement from The Bookseller, go to:

https://www.thebookseller.com/rights/transworld-acquires-designing-terry-pratchetts-discworld

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NEWSFLASH: WYRD SISTERS IN BRISTOL

2024-05-06T02:44:33Z

Hanham Players will present their production of Wyrd Sisters next month!

When: 13th-15th June 2024

Venue: Hanham Community Centre, A431 trunk road, Bristol BS15 3EJ (phone 0117 9674439)

Time: 7.30pm all shows

Tickets: £10 to £15, available via http://www.hanhamplayers.org/tickets.shtml (online sales close 3hrs before performance starts)

http://www.hanhamplayers.org/

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NEWSFLASH: Wyrd Sisters in Hampshire

2024-02-20T04:09:25Z

The Cheriton Players will present their production of Wyrd Sisters this coming April!

"When Duke Felmet murders King Verence and takes over Lancre on the Discworld®, three witches are tasked with protecting the king’s baby son, Tomjon: Granny Weatherwax (intolerant, self opinionated, powerful), Nanny Ogg (down to earth, common) and Magrat Garlick (innocent, naive, slightly hippy). In a script that channels inspiration from the juiciest plot twists of Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Hamlet, plus a dose of essential HG Wells time-travel we encounter a wicked duke and duchess, the ghost of the murdered king, dim soldiers, strolling players plus a land in peril. And who stands between the Kingdom and destruction? Our three witches. Tickets are on sale and selling fast!"

When: 23rd-27th April 2024 Venue: Cheriton Village Hall, Cheriton, Alresford, Hants SO24 0PZ Time: 19.30 all shows Tickets: £13, available online from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/cheritonplayers

https://www.thecheritonplayers.org.uk/

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REMINDER: upcoming Discworld plays!

2023-04-08T19:00:51Z

WYRD SISTERS IN BIRKENHEAD (APRIL)

Presented by the Carlton Players

When: 18-22 April 2023

Venue: The Little Theatre, Grange Road West, Birkenhead CH41 4BY (phone: 0151 6476593)

Time: 7.30pm all shows

Tickets: adults £10, children and OAPs £8, available online via https://bit.ly/3HNEDNc or in person at Health and Home Brew Centre, 34 Oxton Road, Birkenhead

https://www.datathistle.com/event/1998194-wyrd-sisters/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/561238457227913/

GOING POSTAL IN CHELMSFORD (APRIL)

The Chelmsford Theatre Workshop are presenting their production of Going Postal this month. We saw an excellent production of Going Postal in XXXX a few years ago, so it's exciting to see that other companies are having a go!

When: 19th–29th April 2023

Venue: Old Court Theatre, 233 Springfield Road, Chelmsford, Essex, CM2 6JT

Time: 7.45pm all shows

Tickets: £12 (concessions £10 except on Friday and Saturday), available via https://bit.ly/41e4QfY or ring 0333 666 3366 or on the door (cash or card) from 45 minutes prior to curtain

https://ctw.org.uk/going-postal/

WYRD SISTERS IN RUTLAND (MAY)

Presented by RATS (Rutland Arts Theatre Society)

When: 18th to 20th May 2023

Venue: Rutland County Museum, Catmos Street, Oakham, Rutland LE15 6HW

Time: 7.30pm all shows

Tickets: £10, available online via wegottickets.com

https://www.facebook.com/ratsoakham

...AND IN MANCHESTER (MAY)

Presented by the Guide Bridge Theatre

When: 15th to 20th May 2023

Venue: Guide Bridge Theatre, Audenshaw Road, Audenshaw, Manchester M34 5HJ

Time: 7.30pm all evening shows; 2pm matinee on Saturday 20th

Tickets: £10 (members £9), available online via https://bit.ly/3YyHmkv

https://bit.ly/3lkzvZu

MONSTROUS REGIMENT IN SEATTLE (MAY–JUNE)

Latitude Theatre will offer their production of Monstrous Regiment next month. Get your socks ready! "Borogravia is at war. Again. When Polly Perks’ brother goes missing in action, she disguises herself as a young man, enlists in the army and heads to the front lines in search of her sibling. But all is not as it seems, and Polly soon learns that she isn’t the only one in this band of 'brothers' protecting secrets. Making their way to the front, this misfit company might just overcome insurmountable odds to become unlikely victors."

When: 14th May through 4th June 2023

Venue: Taproot Theatre at the Isaac Studio Theatre, 212 N 85th Street, Seattle, Washington

Time: 7.30pm all evening shows, 2pm matinee on Saturday

Tickets: $35 (preview deals $30*), available via http://latitudetheatre.org/box-office.html or $40 on the door

14th May (2pm) "One Mother of a Preview - Mom sees the show for free with purchase of one or more regular tickets!" and 17th May (7.30pm) "Pay-With-Your-Can - Donate non-perishable food items for discounts and/or free tickets! (1 Canned Good = $10 off. 3 Canned Goods = Free ticket!)"

http://latitudetheatre.org/index.html

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Wossname – February 2023 – Special Edition

2023-02-10T05:39:48Z

Wossname

Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion

Special Edition February 2023

01) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR: THE PLAY’S THE THING

Dear Readers, if you're still out there,

I was astonished to discover, upon digging out the last 2022 issue, that it’s been almost ten months to the day since I put together that might-be-final issue. I won’t take refuge in the traditional ‘where did the time go?’ because I know exactly where it went: on working part-time, reading and daydreaming and jogging and gardening and – well, being past retirement age now, I finally retired last month and am now happy just being a housewife and, er, the… other one.

I devoted something on the order of at least 8,000 hours to working on Wossname since I was first asked to contribute some reviews and essays to it. That’s a lot of hours for a duty I only took on as a favour to a friend. But I also made a promise to another friend, who happens to be one of the most important people in the career of Sir Terry Pratchett mayherestinpeace, that I would continue to promote live performances of Discworld plays once they started up again post-pandemic. Which they now have. So here I am, starting to redeem that promise. I should have done it earlier, as it’s been several months since I was given the first lot of info on upcoming plays in 2023, but at least I’ve managed to get this issue out with several weeks to spare before those plays start their runs...

– Annie Mac

       @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

02) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

There seem to be rather a lot of productions of Wyrd Sisters coming up – all but two of the productions listed below! Plenty of other brilliant Pratchett plays out there, most of them expertly rendered from novel to play by Stephen Briggs, but Wyrd Sisters does seem to have become a Pratchett go-to for amateur companies. Nothing wrong with that!

WYRD SISTERS IN HERTFORD (MARCH)

Presented by the Hertford Dramatic & Operatic Society

When: 8th to 11th March 2023

Venue: The Studio Theatre, Bentley House, Pegs Lane, Hertford SG13 8EG

Time: 7:45pm all evening shows; matinee Saturday 11th at 3pm

Tickets: £13, available online via https://bit.ly/3YlMNDK

https://www.hdos.org.uk/v9/production.php

...AND IN MIDDLESEX (MARCH)

Presented by the Richmond Shakespeare Society

When: 18th-25th March 2023

Venue: Mary Wallace Theatre, The Embankment, Twickenham, Middlesex, TW1 3DU

Time: 7.45pm all evening shows (if there are any matinee performances scheduled, they haven’t been announced yet)

Tickets: available online from Monday 20 February. Ring the Box Office (07484 927662) for further details

https://bit.ly/3jNYWSH

...AND IN SUFFOLK (MARCH)

Presented by the Stowmarket Operatic & Dramatic Society

When: 22nd-25th March 2023

Venue: The Regal Theatre, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 1AY

Time: 19.30 all shows, plus 14.00 matinee on Saturday 25th

Tickets: £14 adults, £12 concessions, available online via https://bit.ly/3GX065Y or ring the Box Office: (01449 612825)

https://bit.ly/3DUJ5sB

...AND IN WARWICKSHIRE (MARCH-APRIL)

Presented by the Loft Theatre Company

When: 29th March to 8th April 2023

Venue: The Loft Theatre, Victoria Colonnade, Leamington Spa CV31 3AA

Time: 19.30 all shows except Sunday 2nd Apr at 17.00

Tickets: £17 (concessions £15, students £8), via https://bit.ly/3XH7zNh

https://lofttheatrecompany.com/performance/wyrd-sisters/

GUARDS! GUARDS! IN LLAMEDOS (MARCH)

Presented by the Rhyl Liberty Players

When: 30th March to 1st April 2023

Venue: Little Theatre Rhyl, Vale Road, Rhyl, Denbighshire LL18 2BS

Time: 7.30pm all shows

Tickets: £12 + £0.94 booking fee (10 for the price of 8 offer £108 + £8.42 booking fee), available online via https://bit.ly/3HEUjCk

https://www.libertyplayers.co.uk/

WYRD SISTERS IN BIRKENHEAD (APRIL)

Presented by the Carlton Players

When: 18-22 April 2023

Venue: The Little Theatre, Grange Road West, Birkenhead CH41 4BY (phone: 0151 6476593)

Time: 7.30pm all shows

Tickets: adults £10, children and OAPs £8, available online via https://bit.ly/3HNEDNc or in person at Health and Home Brew Centre, 34 Oxton Road, Birkenhead

https://www.datathistle.com/event/1998194-wyrd-sisters/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/561238457227913/

...AND IN RUTLAND (MAY)

Presented by RATS (Rutland Arts Theatre Society)

When: 18th to 20th May 2023

Venue: Rutland County Museum, Catmos Street, Oakham, Rutland LE15 6HW

Time: 7.30pm all shows

Tickets: £10, available online via wegottickets.com

https://www.facebook.com/ratsoakham

...AND IN MANCHESTER (MAY)

Presented by the Guide Bridge Theatre

When: 15th to 20th May 2023

Venue: Guide Bridge Theatre, Audenshaw Road, Audenshaw, Manchester M34 5HJ

Time: 7.30pm all evening shows; 2pm matinee on Saturday 20th

Tickets: £10 (members £9), available online via https://bit.ly/3YyHmkv

https://bit.ly/3lkzvZu

    @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

04) CLOSE

..and that’s it for now. Remember, if you know of a local Discworld or other Pratchett play coming up, please let me know (ta Vikki for the RATS heads-up, by the way). If there are updates available for the plays above, I’ll post them on the Dreamwidth mirror site.

GNU Sir Pterry forever, and mind how you go...

– Annie Mac

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

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NEWSFLASH: Unseen Theatre's Discworld props auction

2022-05-20T01:06:01Z

Speaking of last hurrahs...

The countdown has begun!

The end of the Bakehouse Theatre is nigh, but hopefully this won't be the end of the wonderful Unseen Theatre company, Fourecks' oldest and most dedicated stagers of Discworld plays. In the meantime, here's an opportunity to thank the Bakehouse gang in person, and to possibly snaffle some Discly treasures.

Here be Unseen stalwart Pamela Munt with the news:

Hi All,

I am sure that you will all have heard this already, but our "home" for our Pratchett Plays is gone! Bakehouse Theatre's lease expires on 31st May and our new landlords are not renewing it. They want to use the building for their own purposes.

We have not yet worked out quite what this means for our company, but it will certainly not be the same! We may decide to hire a new theatre but we simply don't know yet because Granny Weatherwax is so busy sorting out the Bakehouse "retirement", that she has not had time to consider this at her leisure. We hope to get back to you as soon as we sort out how to stop her from flying around the Disc to turn back time.

Meanwhile the Bakehouse Theatre is holding an auction to send some of both its and Unseen's beloved bits and pieces only because we now have nowhere to store them. Come and have a browse and bid on whichever ones take your fancy. Not the least of these is Nanny Ogg's stocks from Wyrd Sisters. What a wonderful way to welcome your guests at home!

AUCTION WILL BE ON WEDNESDAY 25TH MAY AT 11.30AM

THEATRE WILL BE OPEN AT 9.30AM FOR YOUR PERUSAL

* * *

Bakehouse Theatre
255 Angas Street
Adelaide 5000
South Australia
08 8227 0505

A useful page about how to get there and other details:

https://www.bakehousetheatre.com/about/visiting-us-map-and-info

* * *

Unseen Theatre's FB page:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Performance-Art-Theatre/Unseen-Theatre-Company-346889855342778/

Wossname wishes the Unseen Theatre Company 1) a future and 2) a good future, full of Discworld plays. May the gods of Cori Celesti smile upon them!

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Wossname - April 2022 - the last hurrah?

2022-04-28T09:07:22Z

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
April 2022 (Volume 25, Issue 4, 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: Evil Steven Dread, Mrs Wynn-Jones
Staff Technomancer: Jason Parlevliet
Book Reviews: Annie Mac, Drusilla D'Afanguin, Your Name Here
Bard in Residence: Weird Alice Lancrevic
Emergency Staff: Steven D'Aprano, Jason Parlevliet
World Membership Director: Steven D'Aprano (in his copious spare time)

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

INDEX:

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) ODDS AND SODS
04) CLOSE

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"Pratchett enjoyed writing, regarding its monetary rewards as "an unavoidable consequence" rather than the reason for writing."
– kudos to Wikipedia for reminding us what writing is *always* supposed to be about

"'Good and bad is tricky,' she said. 'I ain't too certain about where people stand. P'raps what matters is which way you face.'"
– the wisdom of Granny Weatherwax

"Stories don't care who takes part in them. All that matters is that the story gets told, that the story repeats. Or, if you prefer to think of it like this: stories are a parasitical life form, warping lives in the service only of the story itself."
– and our favourite storyteller knew it so well

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

02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

Dear Readers,

I'm going to get personal here.

Yes, the issue I was putting together for April was meant to celebrate the birth and life of the child who became Sir Terence David John Pratchett, and yes, this day – the 28th of April – is celebrated by fans around Roundworld as Terry Pratchett Day, but for me, every day is in a sense Terry Pratchett Day, I doubt a single day goes by in our household that doesn't contain at least one reference to a Pratchett quote, or to a Pratchett character, or to a piece of The Author's beautifully described "stealth philosophy". His works have brightened my life for over thirty-five years now and I don't see that ever changing. I continue – in private – to turn uninitiated friends and strangers on to the Pratchett oeuvre, and I don't see that changing either.

My ex (still a beloved friend), an astonishingly bright man who suffered from severe dyslexia, taught himself to read using my Discworld novels and acquired a lot of sociopolitical and cultural education in the process.

Several friends have read their children to sleep with Discworld books.

Several people of my acquaintance over the years have got married – or buried – to Pratchett quotes.

So yes, every day now is a GNU Terry Pratchett day for me.

I met a fascinating gaggle of mostly-Australian Discworld readers at the turn of the century when I opened my first-ever search engine page (Dogpile, as it happens), randomly typed in "Terry Pratchett Discworld", and was led immediately to the OZDW Discworld discussion mailing list. I joined the list out of curiosity and embarked on many years of fun discussions, a few of which were about Pratchett books (though these normally included an "On Topic Warning!" in their subject lines). One of the members of OZDW was a retired American publisher, Joe Schaumburger, who had started a Discworld newsletter/fanzine – "Wossname, newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion" – back in the days when such things were printed out and posted by land mail, before moving it to egroups and then to Yahoogroups; Joe, knowing me as a professional wordsmith, occasionally asked me to contribute reviews to Wossname. Then came the day of his first heart attack, at which point he asked me to take over as editor-publisher while he recovered... and eventually asked me if I would carry it on permanently. How could I refuse a nice, sick old man? So I did. And then fast-forward well over a decade and I was still doing it, with the assistance of assorted newsgatherers and tech people, out of respect for Joe's memory.

But that assortment of assistants has gradually fallen away over the years since Sir Pterry died, to the point where I'm doing most of the newsgathering and compositing myself. And given that I never sought to be involved running a fanzine in the first place, and given that my unhappiness with the way things have been heading since then in the official Pratchett-legacy mediaverse has made it ever more difficult for me to write enthusiastic reviews or get excited about merch, putting Wossname out month after month has become a burden I find too hard to continue bearing.

So I think it's time for me to take a break. Perhaps a very long one. Perhaps a permanent one. I've never been a "fan" in the usual 21st century sense, but I love the Pratchett oeuvre, admire the activism he undertook in his lifetime, and will re-read and cherish his books forever. I just won't be writing about them.

Thank you all, O Readers, for reading along, and thank you for the many letters of appreciation and support we've received over the years. If this does turn out to be the end of my own Wossname journey, and if anyone out there wants to take up the Wossname baton, you know where to find me...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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

03) ODDS AND SODS

3.1 AUDIOBOOK NEWS

https://twitter.com/PenguinUKBooks/status/1514891528807718917 (Andy Serkis, interviewed about his reading of the Small Gods audiobook)

...which apparently can be pre-ordered via this link: https://linktr.ee/Discworld

3.2 THE END OF UNSEEN THEATRE

A Fourecksian tradition is coming to an end. The Bakehouse, home of the marvellous Unseen Theatre's Discworld plays for years and years, has been captured by an entity more interested in darkening the world with inhuman brainwashing rather than brightening it with good theatre, and the space will no longer be available for any productions.

By Samela Harris for Indaily:

"The loss of Adelaide’s Bakehouse Theatre is like a death in the family. The grief is terrible. It’s a quaint old venue but it has played a profoundly relevant role in the cultural life and welfare of the city of Adelaide. It should have been saved but there was no one with the money or political oomph to do so... In 2006, the funding was cut. But the theatre went on. Pamela Munt had been looking for a place to put on shows with her daughter Melanie for their Unseen Theatre Company, which specialises in Terry Pratchett works. They were beginning to feel a bit disheartened. And then they arrived at the Bakehouse. When Green opened the foyer door, says Munt, they did not have to say a word. Mother and daughter just looked at each other and knew. This was the place they sought...”

https://indaily.co/354825

3.3 OF COURSE MEN CAN WRITE WOMEN, AND SIR PTERRY WAS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF HOW TO DO IT

A writer's view, from The Bookseller:

"There’s a lot of fear around just now, perhaps it’s genuine or maybe, dare I say, it’s cynically manufactured. There are writers taking to Twitter to protest the fact that they 'can’t' write certain characters anymore because they’ll be 'cancelled', they’re outraged that 'wokery' is curtailing their 'artistic vision' and… I’m going to end that sentence there because I’m running out of sarcastic quotation marks. Of course a writer can write another gender, and it’s a good thing too, because imagine what literary masterpieces we’d have been robbed of if everyone only wrote characters that matched their own. Imagine how much poorer we’d be if Robin Hobb hadn’t written Fitz, if Terry Pratchett hadn’t written Granny Weatherwax, If Ursula Le Guin hadn’t written Sparrowhawk, Neil Gaiman hadn’t written Coraline, Agatha Christie hadn’t written Poirot, authors writing characters of a different gender from them isn’t new and some of the greatest literary characters we have are a result of it. If women authors write lead characters who are both male or female, but men limit themselves to writing only male characters then what you’re left with is, once again, an uneven balance of male characters, and that’s a step in the wrong direction. You can write a different gender from your own, you just have to do it well..."

https://www.thebookseller.com/comment/why-men-canand-mustwrite-women

3.4 THE MERCH CORNER

* REMINDER: The Big Wee Alphabet Book!

Not just for children learning to read, but for anyone who loves the Nac Mac Feegle (and don't we all!), and it feels genuine, as if a still-living Terry Pratchett had a hand in it:

"A wonderfully witty ABC book from Terry Pratchett's pesky pictsies, the Nac Mac Feegle! Learn the alphabet the Feegle way from 'Ach' to 'Zzz' with the Wee Free Men and their Big Wee Alphabet Book – a Discworld book for Big Jobs and wee scunners alike! Join Rob Anybody and the Chalk Hill Clan from Terry Pratchett's Discworld books as they guide you through the alphabet the Feegle way! Expect stealin', fightin' and cries of CRIVENS! as Terry Pratchett's pesky pictsies explore their favourite words and sayings from A-Z! Lovingly produced by Ian Mitchell at the Discworld Emporium, with beautiful illustrations by David Wyatt. Created with love and respect for our friend Terry and his incredible creations, with thanks to the glorious powers that be at Dunmanifestin Ltd. Beautifully produced with quarter binding and high quality papers throughout. Exclusive to the Discworld Emporium!"

Each Big Wee Alphabet Book is priced at £14.99. For more info, and to order, go to: https://bit.ly/3iHvolI

3.5 THE LOVE SONG OF TDJ PRATCHETT

Because I've been posting Weird Alice's masterpiece tribute here every year as a memorial...

Let us go then, you and I,
When the Rimfall is spread out against the sky
Like a victim on Quetzovercoatl's altar
Let us go, through certain dark Ankh-Morpork streets,
As Cumbling Michael bleats
Of restless nights in Elm Street's cheap bedsits
And Harga's restaurant with greasy chips
Streets that follow like a Fools' Guild argument
Of a humorous intent
To lead you to an overt wealth of... footnotes!
Oh, do not play Greek Chorus
Let us go and dance Dark Morris.

In the room the wizards come, unseen
Talking of thaumic octarine.

The Morpork smog that rubs its back upon the window-panes,
The river-fug that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes,
Licked its tongue into the corners of the Bucket,
Lingered upon the gargoyles guarding drains,
Let fall upon its back the black of lithe Assassins,
Slipped by the terrace, writhed round Sator Square,
And seeing that it was a soft Sektober night,
Curled once around the Tump, and fell asleep.

And indeed there will be crime
Under Ankh-born fumes that slide down Easy Street,
Rubbing grey-black upon the window-panes; Disc-ing itself
There will be crime, and barely time
To prepare a voucher for the Thieves that you may meet;
There will be time to say the number Eight,
And time for all Devices wrought by dwarfs
That lift this brawling City toward its fate;
Time for Schleppel, time for Reg,
And time yet for an Igor's deft incisions,
And for a Sweeper's history revisions,
Before the taking of meat and two veg.

In the room the wizards come, unseen
Making a joke about the Dean.

And indeed there will be time
To wonder, 'Do I dare? Will Vimes go spare?'
Time to turn back Time and deeds repair,
With P.L.T. making horrors of my hair—
[They will say: 'How she stoops, to wear the tin!']
My armoured breasts, my collar fastened firmly 'neath my chin,
My pedigree's the oddest, but blue-blooded via lupine kin—
[They will say: 'But she's a vegetarian!']
Do I dare
Disturb the multiverse?
In a minute there is time
For decisions and revisions which the Moon will soon reverse.

For I have known the grags already, known them all—
Have known the meetings, mineshafts, Ankhian ruins,
I have squandered all my gold in greasy spoons;
I know the old life's dying, like an axe's fall
Beneath the bustle under cellar rooms.
So should I mention Koom?

And I have known the toffs already, known them all—
The eyes that damn you with a far too inbred phrase,
And when I am relegated, tossed like Mr Pin,
When I am told 'No comment!' by Lord Rust,
Then how should I begin
To spit out all Spike's butt-ends from the Golem Trust?
And how should I presume?

And I have known the 'girls' already, known them all—
Arms of that painted Guild, pale, white and calm
(But in the lamplight, best of Mrs Palm's!)
Is it scumble from a dish
That makesh me shpeak like thish?
Arms that twine around a client, or cap a maiden's fall.
And should I rent a room?
How soon should I dig in?

. . . . .

Shall I say, I have lurked at dusk in Morpork's streets
And watched the Clacks that clatter from the roofs
Midst lonely geeks with code-books, changing shifts in towers? . . .

I should have been a cruel wild banshee's claws
Scuttling between the Trouserlegs of Time.

. . . . .

And 'til well past noon, Young Sam will sleep so peacefully!
Smooth is his breathing,
Asleep . . . tired . . . or merely teething
Safe in his bed, here beside you and me.
Should I, after teetotal libations,
Have the strength to foil yet more assassinations?
But though I have cursed and shouted, growled and coughed,
Though I have seen my head [grown slightly bald] fetch ever higher prices
I am no genius — but I'm cool in crisis;
I have seen the sternest of my Watchmen flicker,
And I have seen the eternal Death of Rats go SNH, and snicker,
And in short, I was pissed off.

And would it have been worth it all, and sweet,
After millennium hand and shrimp for tea,
Among the Faculty, among some talk of Sourcery,
Would it have been worth while
To endure Ridcully's hassling with a smile,
To have squeezed the universe's rubber sheet
To roll it toward some thaumic insurrection,
To say: 'We are wizardry's future, come have fun
'Come HEX me up a treat, H.E.M. is neat!'
If one, scoffing a sausage inna bun,
Should say: 'That is not what I meant to eat.
'That is not real named meat.'

And would it have been worth it, after all,
Would it have been worth while,
After the battles and the broadswords and the trampled thrones,
After the sagas, after the horse cheese, after the skirts I chased
from Rim to Hub—
And dine-chewers for my grub?—
It is 'barbarian' to say just what I mean!
But seen by a magic lantern through a silken Agatean screen:
Would it have been worth while
If one, scuttling a Dark Lord or storming Io's gate
To turn larks into legends, should say:
'That's not a hero's fate,
'That's not a deathless hero's fate.'

No! I am not King Verence, nor was meant to be;
I'm just a tender Tomjon, one who'll do
To thrill the punters, steal a scene or two
Advise the prince; he jingles, but he's cool,
Deferential to the senior Ogg
Mildly thick, gracious, and fond of his wife;
Full of high purpose, but a bit agog;
At times, indeed, a cliche brought to life—
Almost a perfect Fool.

I grow old . . . I grow old . . .
I shall yet wear midnight when the nights are cold.

Shall I shout 'Io's not blind!'? Do I dare to speak of Klatch?
I shall wear black pointy headgear, and fly on brooms of thatch
I have heard the Beggars, canting to the Watch.

I do not think that they will beg from me.

We have seen young vampires gliding past the Moon
Combing the land for humans to attack
Venting their blood-lust stylishly in black.

We have lingered on the shambling Circumfence
By sea-trolls wreathed with foam against the sky
Till Great A'Tuin takes us, and we fly.

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

07) CLOSE

A few more things to remember,,,

Asteroid 127005 Pratchett was discovered 20 years ago this month.

There was a Pratchett chelonian: Psephophorus terrypratchetti, an extinct sea turtle – "the only Miocene dermochelyid turtle found in Europe. One species of Psephophorus could measure up to ten feet in length." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psephophorus

Snowgum Films made a very decent film adaptation of Troll Bridge, with contributions from The Author himself, and it's still available to watch for free on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7v_TdLviUE

...and finally, it wouldn't be a proper memorial without one of Sir Pterry's favourite apes in it! Ah Meng (1960– 2008) was a female Sumatran orangutan and tourism icon in Singapore. "She was smuggled from Indonesia and kept illegally as a domestic pet before being recovered by a veterinarian in 1971. She was then eleven years old and was given a home at the Singapore Zoo. Ah Meng was the head of her small clan, which lives in a large enclosure with about twenty other orangutans. She had five children, twelve grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. She belonged to the Sumatran orangutan species, a rarer breed of orangutan now critically endangered due to illegal logging and poaching." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ah_Meng

And that's it for April and for now. In the meantime, if you want to carry on reading about the minutiae of Discworld re-releases, Pratchett-based screen projects, fangroup meetings and conventions, remember that Discworld Monthly is still going.

GNU Sir Pterry forever, and mind how you go, all of you!

– Annie Mac

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

comments

Wossname – March 2022 – Main edition

2022-03-28T03:04:13Z

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
March 2022 (Volume 25, Issue 3, Post 1)

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

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

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INDEX:

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

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"War, Nobby. Huh! What is it good for?" he said.
"Dunno, Sarge. Freeing slaves, maybe?"
"Absol– well, okay."
"Defending yourself against a totalitarian aggressor?"
"All right, I'll grant you that, but"
"Saving civilisation from a horde of– "
"It doesn't do any good in the long run is what I'm saying, Nobby, if you'd listen for five seconds together."
"Yeah, but in the long run, what does, Sarge?”
– Thud!

"Working on a project like this is a highly rare occurrence in publishing. That and the fact that the Pratchett team have been among the most friendly, generous, and accommodating clients I’ve had the pleasure of working with, is enough to still make me pinch myself every day. Add to that the chance to work with the beautiful illustrations of Paul Kidby and have them sit alongside my own, I can only hope my work sparks the kind of imagination the original covers did for me as a child."
– artist Leo Nickolls, on being contracted to do a new run of Discworld covers

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

02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

I have no idea where February went, but March almost went there too... saved in the goal mouth!

In case I didn't mention this before (hey, pandemic brain): "The reissue of the novels marks the first annual Terry Pratchett Day on 28th April, which will be themed around the Witches series. The day will include a programme of social media activity, online games and quizzes, recipes, extracts and a virtual event.
New editions of the Wizards series - The Colour of Magic, The Light Fantastic, Sourcery, The Last Continent, Interesting Times and Unseen Academicals – will be released on 7th July, and followed by the Death series – Mort, Reaper Man, Soul Music, Hogfather and Thief of Time – on 27th October. The Industrial Revolution series, City Watch series and other standalone titles are scheduled for release in 2023."

https://www.discworldemporium.com/19-new-books

Can't speak for anyone else, but in our household every day is Terry Pratchett Day. It's not just about re-reading his works, which we do often anyway, but about Pratchettisms having become a part of our normal daily vocabulary. And about never, ever forgetting.

Another letter to the Guardian traces the origin of the Vimes Boots Theory further back in time... of course, these pedantic nitpicks, while historically interesting, miss the point that it took Sir Pterry to present it in a way that struck the public imagination! Here be Sally Goldsmith, from Sheffield: "Peter Johnstone says the 'Sam Vimes "Boots" theory of socioeconomic unfairness' was not invented by Terry Pratchett but by Paul Jennings in the Observer in 1954 (Letters, 28 January). The same theory was in fact put forward much earlier – by the character Owen in The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell, published in 1914. Owen illustrates it with reference to buying stockings, boots, shoes and underclothes for his family. He says: 'This is how the working classes are robbed. Although their incomes are the lowest, they are compelled to buy the most expensive articles – that is, the lowest-priced articles. Everybody knows that good clothes, boots or furniture are really the cheapest in the end, although they cost more money at first; but the working classes can seldom or never afford to buy good things; they have to buy cheap rubbish which is dear at any price.' If you want to know about capitalism and socialism, The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists is still a good guide."

And here be another Yorkshirewoman, Cassy Firth of Morley, nitpicking: "Neither Terry Pratchett nor Paul Jennings was first with this idea. The adage 'buy cheap, buy twice' was a favourite of northern grannies long before 1954." Your Editor has known this principle, all her life, as "quality lasts"; however, you won't find her writing to the newspapers to score points (insert relevant emoji here, muhahaha).

There's a genuinely new Discworld book! Published by the Ankh-Morpork Consulate (aka the Discworld Emporium), it uses Sir Pterry's creations and we think The Author would definitely have approved of this one. It's called The Big Wee Alphabet Book and yes, it features Rob Anybody and the Chalk Feegles using their recently-learned reading abilities to teach Bigjobs how to read! For details, and how to order, see item 3.2 below.

And now, on with the show. It's a short one this month, but at least it's arriving in your inboxes *in* this month...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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

03) ODDS AND SODS

3.1 NEW COVERS

Old books, new looks...

"The estate of Sir Terry Pratchett and Transworld Publishers are delighted to announce an exciting new look for Terry Pratchett’s bestselling Discworld novels, starting with the six books in the Witches series together with the standalone title Small Gods. Equal Rites, Wyrd Sisters, Witches Abroad, Lords and Ladies, Maskerade, Carpe Jugulum and Small Gods will be released on 28th April, which would have been Sir Terry’s 74th birthday. Designed by artist Leo Nickolls in collaboration with the Pratchett estate and Transworld Publishers, each book has been given fresh livery as part of a two-year project which aims to delight existing readers and introduce newcomers to the series. The new covers will sit alongside the classic paperback editions from Discworld artists Josh Kirby and Paul Kidby, which will remain available. With Paul Kidby’s endorsement, the new covers reference his character designs – designs Terry considered to be the closest to those he saw in his own imagination.

"New editions of the Wizards series - The Colour of Magic, The Light Fantastic, Sourcery, The Last Continent, Interesting Times and Unseen Academicals – will be released on 7th July, and followed by the Death series – Mort, Reaper Man, Soul Music, Hogfather and Thief of Time – on 27th October. The Industrial Revolution series, City Watch series and other standalone titles are scheduled for release in 2023. The new editions will eventually encompass the whole Discworld series and will have consistent matching designs across all titles – something that has long been an aspiration for Discworld collectors..."

To read the entire announcement, and view images of some forthcoming covers, go to:

https://terrypratchett.com/

From The Bookseller:

"The new covers will start with the six books in the Witches series – Equal Rites, Wyrd Sisters, Witches Abroad, Lords and Ladies, Maskerade and Carpe Jugulum – together with the standalone title Small Gods. They will be released on 28th April, which would have been the author’s 74th birthday (he died in 2015), and will now be Terry Pratchett Day. There will be a programme of social media activity, online games and quizzes, recipes, extracts and a virtual event... Each book has been given fresh livery, which includes the cover as well as the new typeface for Pratchett’s name, as part of a two-year project which aims to introduce new readers to the series..."

https://bit.ly/3LgGcDC

3.2 THE MERCH CORNER

* The Big Wee Alphabet Book!

Not just for children learning to read, but for anyone who loves the Nac Mac Feegle (and don't we all!):

"A wonderfully witty ABC book from Terry Pratchett's pesky pictsies, the Nac Mac Feegle! Learn the alphabet the Feegle way from 'Ach' to 'Zzz' with the Wee Free Men and their Big Wee Alphabet Book – a Discworld book for Big Jobs and wee scunners alike! Join Rob Anybody and the Chalk Hill Clan from Terry Pratchett's Discworld books as they guide you through the alphabet the Feegle way! Expect stealin', fightin' and cries of CRIVENS! as Terry Pratchett's pesky pictsies explore their favourite words and sayings from A-Z! Lovingly produced by Ian Mitchell at the Discworld Emporium, with beautiful illustrations by David Wyatt. Created with love and respect for our friend Terry and his incredible creations, with thanks to the glorious powers that be at Dunmanifestin Ltd. Beautifully produced with quarter binding and high quality papers throughout. Exclusive to the Discworld Emporium!"

Each Big Wee Alphabet Book is priced at £14.99. For more info, and to order, go to:

https://bit.ly/3iHvolI

* Feegle socks!

That's neat, that's neat, that's neat, that's neat, we really love those Feegle feet...

"CRIVENS!! Walk the Chalk like the Nac Mac Feegle with this fantastically fun literary footwear feet-uring the unmistakable appendages of Terry Pratchett's pesky pictsies! Nae king nae, nae quin nae laird, nae master will rule the wearer of these literary socks! Blend in with Rob Anybody & co. with a pair of characteristically-hued hosiery from Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching books - put your best Feegle foot forward! Design is woven into the fabric of the sock to guarantee excellent wear-ability... We promote safe socks, so please wear responsibly. Warning: May attract the Eater of Socks."

Feegle socks are made with 73% cotton, 26% polyamide, 1% Elastane and are available in UK adult sizes only.

Each pair of Feegle socks is priced at £6.50, but if you buy any three pairs the total price will be only £15! For more info, and to order, go to:

https://bit.ly/3qG6APp

3.3 NEW "CONSULTANT" FOR DUNMANIFESTIN

Make what you will of this...

"Dunmanifestin, the Terry Pratchett Estate, has engaged RCW literary agent Jon Wood as a consultant on literary matters. Wood will help the estate handle Pratchett’s existing body of work as well as representing any future ancillary projects. RCW already manages the literary estates of many other distinguished writers, including Angela Carter, Raymond Chandler, Alasdair Gray, P G Wodehouse and Nancy Mitford. Rob Wilkins, Pratchett’s former assistant, friend and head of the author’s literary estate, said: “Jon has already proven to be a fantastic addition to the team, helping tend the vast canon that Terry left behind as well as assisting in the development of exciting new projects. Terry grows ever more established as one of literature’s great figures, and we are delighted to have one of his most enthusiastic cheerleaders at our side.” Wood added: “I have loved Terry’s writing since my teens, so this is pretty much a dream come true. It’s also a hugely exciting time to be working with the estate. There are so many good things happening right now in TV, in film, in Rob’s upcoming biography this autumn and with the rollout of the star-studded new audio adaptations. But, in the end, I share one huge ambition with Rob and his team – that Sir Terry continues to be remembered as one of the most astute and humane of all modern writers.”..."

https://bit.ly/3DoYJek

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

04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

At last, we've got a live one!

WYRD SISTERS IN LONDON (APRIL 2022)

"Join us in a story of drama, love and silliness, combining Macbeth and Hamlet with a touch of Lear (and maybe Blackadder); where the wicked are extremely wicked, and good appears in surprising forms. Depressed heroes and brainless guards; noble actors and a vowel-less demon; all guided by rule-breaking witches and – above all magic – as we fly through 22 manic scene changes to that glorious moment when good triumphs over evil. Royalties and Programme Donations go to Terry Pratchett’s chosen charity: the Orangutan Foundation." Includes music by Paul Grimwood!

When: 6th – 9th April 2022
Venue: The Edward Alleyn Theatre, Dulwich College, SE21 7LD
Time: 8pm all evening performances; additional 3pm matinee on the 9th
Tickets: £12, available online (with a small booking fee) at http://dulwichplayers.ticketsource.co.uk/ and also on the door, subject to availability

https://www.dulwichplayers.org/current-season

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

05) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

According to an anonymous source, a number of UK "live-action" fan groups are no longer extant, but the venerable Broken Drummers are still going, and the Fourecksian groups remain very much a going concern (well done, Aussies!). If any Readers know of new groups – real world only, not online ones – or other UK groups that no longer exist, please write to wossname-owner (at) pearwood (dot) info to let us know!

The Broken Drummers, “London’s Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group” (motto “Nil percussio est”) "We meet on the first Monday night of the month at The Monkey Puzzle pub in Paddington from 7PM. Meetings are informal, there is no fee. To join just turn up. Visitors to London are always very welcome."

BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group at https://bit.ly/3jtYLGo

The Broken Vectis Drummers broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists

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

* FOURECKSIAN DISCWORLD GROUPS

Adelaide – City of Small Gods Terry Pratchett Fan Club
http://www.cityofsmallgods.org.au
https://www.facebook.com/groups/cityofsmallgods
https://discord.gg/3RVzsyJ
Regular events: Monthly dinners (when permitted!), Monthly crafty evenings on discord, regular book discussions, and occasional board game days. We also hold special events sometimes, such as picnics, Quiz Nights and outings to see Discworld plays.

Melbourne – Victorian Discworld Klatch
https://2022.ausdwcon.org/fan-clubs/melbourne
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch
https://discord.com/invite/w5KPAaYH
Regular events: Monthly gatherings, board game days, crafternoons, movies, picnics, and more. We are also regulars at the various pop culture events around Victoria.

Sydney – Mended Drummers and Western Drummers
Mended Drummers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/downunderdrummers
Western Drummers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/100376433635355
Both groups get together monthly to chat over a few drinks, with subjects ranging far and wide, have a Discworld themed quiz and generally enjoy the company of fellow Discworld fans.

Brisbane – Pratchett Partisans
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans
Join us in and around Brisbane for regular Pratchett-inspired nights including Dining Around the Disc, board games arvos, Pratchett Picnics and Discworld Discussions. We also hold special events once or twice a year like themed parties, scavenger hunts and cocktail nights. Many of us also attend opening night of Brisbane Arts Theatre’s Pratchett Productions in costume.

Perth – Treacle Mining Corporation
https://www.facebook.com/groups/PerthDrummers

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

06) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

Stephen Briggs makes a terrific Vetinari: https://bit.ly/355A4hE

If the Auditors discovered Music with Rocks In... (actually an iconograph of American experimental metal band "Sun O)))", but can't you just imagine it...):
https://bit.ly/3sPiDtZ

A panorama of Lego Ankh-Morpork, featuring a superb Detritus, as tweeted on https://twitter.com/LegoAnkhMorpork:
https://bit.ly/3IJcwNN

...and to go with this, the entire tweet thread about it: https://bit.ly/3qFFqYQ

A tired-looking "Crowley" and his smug-looking missus (David and Georgia Tennant) after the final Good Omens 2 shoot, as posted by Mrs Tennant on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3tLQXIi

...and a goodbye from "Aziraphale", as posted on Twitter by Michael Sheen: https://bit.ly/36Rv29B

...and the last one out, by Good Omens and Good Omens 2 director Douglas Mackinnon: https://bit.ly/3Lnaqoi

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07) CLOSE

Straight out of Death's garden...

"Arkansas Black apples aren’t meant to be eaten straight off the tree. In fact, the best thing you can do to one is put it in the refrigerator and forget about it until next season. Patient pickers are rewarded with a sweet, firm fruit that offers notes of cherry, cinnamon, vanilla, and coriander, but only after having aged it in cold storage for a few months..."

https://bit.ly/3iHWfhC

As Wossname has been going for even far longer than I've been in charge of it, the fact that we've already passed our 25th anniversary sort of crept up on me. Oh well, 25-plus and still not ready to give it up yet...

...and that's it for March. Mind how you go, and we'll see you next month!

– Annie Mac

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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

© 2022 by Wossname for the Klatchian Foreign Legion

comments

Wossname – February 2022 - Special Edition

2022-03-11T05:41:21Z

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
February 2022 (Volume 25, 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.
********************************************************************

01) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

Apologies yet again, O Readers: February got away from me. But there's no way I could miss marking the anniversary of the day our favourite author left us forever.

...except he hasn't left, really, has he? Because his name continues to be spoken around Roundworld, and his vast body of work will always be there to be savoured by his original fans and by generations to come. So in his honour, here be some of your Editor's favourite quotes from all the Discworld novels and all the YA novels and various other pieces of Sir Pterry's oeuvre.

GNU Terry Pratchett. Forever.

And now, on with the quotes...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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

02) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"It was octarine, the colour of magic. It was alive and glowing and vibrant and it was the undisputed pigment of the imagination, because wherever it appeared it was a sign that mere matter was a servant of the powers of the magical mind. It was enchantment itself. But Rincewind always thought it looked a sort of greenish-purple." (The Colour of Magic)

"It looked like the sort of book described in library catalogues as "slightly foxed", although it would be more honest to admit that it looked as though it had been badgered, wolved and possibly beared as well." (The Light Fantastic)

"'They say there's dwarf mines under the Ramtops,' she said inconsequentially. 'My, but them little buggers is in for a surprise.' (Equal Rites)

"When a man is tired of Ankh-Morpork, he is tired of ankle-deep slurry." (Mort)

"The subject of wizards and sex is a complicated one, but as has already been indicated it does, in essence, boil down to this: when it comes to wine, women and song, wizards are allowed to get drunk and croon as much as they like." (Sourcery)

"In fact, no gods anywhere play chess. They prefer simple, vicious games, where you Do Not Achieve Transcendence but Go Straight to Oblivion; a key to the understanding of all religion is that a god's idea of amusement is Snakes and Ladders with greased rungs." (Wyrd Sisters)

"It was a great comfort knowing that the gods were there. It was knowing they were here that was the terrible part." (Pyramids)

"The three rules of the Librarians of Time and Space are: 1) Silence; 2) Books must be returned no later than the date last shown; and 3) Do not interfere with the nature of causality." (Guards! Guards!)

"Interestingly enough, the gods of the Disc have never bothered much about judging the souls of the dead, and so people only go to hell if that's where they deserve to go. Which they won't do if they don't know about it. This explains why it is important to shoot missionaries on sight." (Eric)

"If you put butter and salt on it, it tastes like salty butter." (Moving Pictures)

"'All it's doing is moving around slowly and eating things,' said the Dean. 'Put a pointy hat on it and it'd be a faculty member,' said the Archchancellor." (Reaper Man)

"Racism was not a problem on the Discworld, because – what with trolls and dwarfs and so on – speciesism was more interesting. Black and white lived in perfect harmony and ganged up on green." (Witches Abroad)

"You know, I used to think I was stupid, and then I met philosophers." (Small Gods)

"It's not enough to be able to pick up a sword. You have to know which end to poke into the enemy." (Lords and Ladies)

"The Librarian of Unseen University had unilaterally decided to aid comprehension by producing an Orangutan/Human Dictionary. He'd been working on it for three months. It wasn't easy. He'd got as far as 'Oook'." (Men At Arms)

"The Patrician was a pragmatist. He never tried to fix things that worked. Things that didn't work, however, got broken." (Soul Music)

"Many things went on at Unseen University and, regrettably, teaching had to be one of them. The faculty had long ago confronted this fact and had perfected various devices for avoiding it. But this was perfectly all right because, to be fair, so had the students." (Interesting Times)

"Nanny had an unexpected gift for languages; she could be comprehensibly incompetent in a new one within an hour or two." (Maskerade)

"I, after hearing evidence from a number of experts, including Mrs Slipdry the midwife, certify that the balance of probability is that the bearer of this document, C. W. St John Nobbs, is a human being. Signed, Lord Vetinari." (Feet of Clay)

"Getting an education was a bit like a communicable sexual disease. It made you unsuitable for a lot of jobs and then you had the urge to pass it on." (Hogfather)

"It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things." (Jingo)

"Ponder Stibbons was one of those unfortunate people cursed with the belief that if only he found out enough things about the universe it would all, somehow, make sense." (The Last Continent)

"Lancre operated on the feudal system, which was to say, everyone feuded all the time and handed on the fight to their descendants." (Carpe Jugulum)

"Humans don't like werewolves. Wolves don't like werewolves. People don't like wolves that can think like people, an' people don't like people who can act like wolves. Which just goes to show that people are the same everywhere." (The Fifth Elephant)

"A lie can run round the world before the truth has got its boots on." (The Truth)

"It was hard to deal with people when a tiny part of you saw them as a temporary collection of atoms that would not be around in another few decades." (Thief of Time)

"Lord Vetinari, despite his education, had a mind like an engineer. If you wished to open something, you found the appropriate spot and applied the minimum amount of force necessary to achieve your end. Possibly the spot was between a couple of ribs and the force was applied via a dagger, or between two warring countries and applied via an army, but the important thing was to find that one weak spot which would be the key to everything. " (The Last Hero)

"A good plan isn't one where someone wins, it's where nobody thinks they've lost." (TAMAHER)

"THERE IS NO MORE TIME, EVEN FOR CAKE. FOR YOU, THE CAKE IS OVER. YOU HAVE REACHED THE END OF CAKE." (Night Watch)

" What they did was sell invisible things. And after they had sold what they had, they still had it. They sold what everyone needed but didn’t often want. They sold the key to the universe to people who didn’t know it was locked." (The Wee Free Men)

"The presence of those seeking the truth is infinitely to be preferred to the presence of those who think they’ve found it." (Monstrous Regiment)

"A Feegle liked to face enormous odds all by himself, because it meant you didn’t have to look where you were hitting." (A Hat Full of Sky)

"What kind of man would put a known criminal in charge of a major branch of government? Apart from, say, the average voter." (Going Postal)

"'What would you do if I asked you an outright question, Vimes?’ ‘I’d tell you an outright lie, sir.’" (Thud!)

"First Sight and Second Thoughts, that’s what a witch had to rely on: First Sight to see what’s really there, and Second Thoughts to watch the First Thoughts to check that they were thinking right." (Wintersmith)

"The city bleeds, Mr Lipwig, and you are the clot I need." (Making Money)

"'The female mind is certainly a devious one, my lord.' Vetinari looked at his secretary in surprise. 'Well, of course it is. It has to deal with the male one.'" (Unseen
Academicals)

"People aren't just people, they are people surrounded by circumstances." (I Shall Wear Midnight)

"He was a scallywag, a chancer, a ruthless fighter and a dangerous driver of bargains over the speed limit. Since it was a bit of a mouthful, he was referred to as a successful businessman, since that more or less amounted to the same thing." (Snuff)

"The world is changing and it needs its shepherds and sometimes its butchers." (Raising Steam)

"She was Tiffany Aching. Not Granny Weatherwax, but a witch in her own right. A witch who knew exactly who she was and how she wanted to do things. Her way." and "A witch is always on the edge, between the light and the dark, good and bad, making choices every day, judging all the time. It was what made her human." (The Shepherd's Crown)

"It is known that knowledge is power, and power is energy, and energy is matter, and matter is mass, and therefore large accumulations of knowledge distort time and space." (The Science of Discworld)

"Think critically about what you are told. Do not accept the word of authority unthinkingly. Science is not a belief system: no belief system instructs you to question the system itself. Science does. (There are many scientists, however, who treat it as a belief system. Be wary of them.)" (tSoD: The Globe)

"'That’s young Darwin,’ said Ponder. ‘Very keen on collecting all sorts of wildlife.'" (tSoD: Darwin's Watch)

"Every scientific statement is provisional. Politicians hate this. How can anyone trust scientists? If new evidence comes along, they change their minds." (tSod: Judgement Day)

...and, of course:

"So he said to young Sam: 'if you lose your cow you should report this to the Watch under Demonic & Farmyard Animals (Lost) Act of 1804. They will swing into action with keenness and speed. Your cow will be found. If it has been impersonating other animals, it may be arrested. If you are a stupid person, do not look for your cow yourself.'" (Where's My Cow?)

And not forgetting...

"Death was Nature's way of telling you to slow down." (Strata)

"I don’t seem to be achieving anything, but I must keep trying, otherwise what is free will for?" (The Dark Side of the Sun)

"For every mad scientist who's had a convenient thunderstorm just on the night his Great Work is complete and lying on the slab, there have been dozens who've sat around aimlessly under the peaceful stars while Igor clocks up the overtime." (Good Omens)

...and all the marvellous YA and "for (even) younger readers" novels:

"Religion is not an exact science. Sometimes, of course, neither is science." (Nation)

"There were two ways of looking at the world, but only one when you are starving." (Dodger)

"Just because you've got a mind like a hammer doesn't mean you have to treat everyone else like a nail." (Only You Can Save Mankind)

"Granddad was superstitious about books. He thought that if you had enough of them around, education leaked out, like radioactivity." (Johnny and the Dead)

"This isn’t magic, is it?" (Johnny and the Bomb)

"The Munrungs didn't have gods. Life was complicated enough as it was." (The Carpet People)

"'It’s a well-known fact that women can’t read,' said Gurder. 'It’s not their fault, of course. Apparently their brains get too hot. With the strain, you know.'"
(Truckers)

"The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it." (Diggers)

"Beyond the top of the sky was the place the Thing had called the universe. It contained – according to the Thing – everything and nothing. And there was very little everything and more nothing than anyone could imagine." (Wings)

[Editor's note: I haven't time to include any quotes from Sir Pterry's collections of children's short stories, or from Once More* With Footnotes or A Blink of the Screen or the Long earth series. Feel free to add your own...]

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

08) CLOSE

...and that's it for the moment. Normal service will resume later this month. Mind how you go!

– Annie Mac

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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

© 2022 by Wossname for the Klatchian Foreign Legion

comments

Wossname – January 2022 – Main issue

2022-01-30T06:31:41Z

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
January 2022 (Volume 25, Issue 1, 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 W-J
Staff Technomancer: Jason Parlevliet
Book Reviews: Annie Mac, Drusilla D'Afanguin, Your Name Here
Puzzle Editor: Tiff (still out there somewhere)
Bard in Residence: Weird Alice Lancrevic
Emergency Staff: Steven D'Aprano, Jason Parlevliet
World Membership Director: Steven D'Aprano (in his copious spare time)

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INDEX:

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) ODDS AND SODS
04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
05) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
06) ROUNDWORLD TALES: KEN THE CLEVER LIBRARIAN
07) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
08) CLOSE

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"Of all the dead authors in the world, Terry Pratchett is the most alive."
– John Lloyd, a bit of a writing legend himself

"We couldn’t be more delighted to have such a fitting tribute to Terry. When the first finished audio files arrived at the Chapel – Terry’s writing room and centre of the Pratchett universe – I listened at full volume until the stone walls rattled and am beyond overjoyed with the results … Every single voice does justice to the wit, warmth and unique genius of Terry’s storytelling."
– Rob Wilkins, delighted with the new Discworld audiobooks

"A Life with Footnotes captures the genius that was Terry Pratchett, with warmth, poignancy, and great good humour - and with no small amount of love. It's an intimate, engaging and revealing portrait of one of the UK’s most loved and most missed authors, that only Rob Wilkins could have written. It is a masterclass in great biographical writing."
– Transworld managing director Larry Finlay

"As many of you know, I fell into Discworld backwards, as if I'd been leaning on a rickety old door in a walled garden and I'd suddenly found myself in a magical kingdom full of snow, fauns and benevolent lions. I hadn't meant to be here, but I'm jolly glad that I am."
– Stephen Briggs, in his introduction to The Ultimate Discworld Companion

"For the past three decades my work has been devoted almost exclusively to Discworld and my archive is expansive... there has been much rummaging in cupboards and extensive searching on hard drives for long-lost images."
– Paul Kidby, ibid.

"Whilst we don’t have Vimes any more, we do have Jack and Dad would be proud to see his work used in such a way."
– Rhianna Pratchett in the Guardian, approving of Jack Monroe's use of the Vimes Boots Index

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

02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

Welcome back, O Readers, to the Year of the Lachrymating Leveret!

It’s always good to see Sir Pterry references in the mainstream press, but this time it’s more than that – the Vimes Boots Index has come to Roundworld! Food writer and anti-poverty campaigner Jack Monroe received permission from the Pratchett estate to use Sam Vimes’ Theory of Boots as a more realistic price index metric than the standard government one. If you’ve never heard of Jack Monroe – and in particular, if you’re finding it harder than usual to make ends meet in these strange pandemic times – you’d do well to get your Google on. Monroe has over the past decade become a hero to every hard-up single parent, every penniless student scraping by in a share-house, and indeed, everyone who wants to make their food budget go further. Now this news has been picked up by press and blog sites all around Roundworld, so an even wider public will learn what we Discworld fans have known for years, and who knows, maybe this will spread the word about the Pratchett oeuvre wider yet...

And now, on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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

03) ODDS AND SODS

3.0 THE VIMES BOOTS INDEX COMES TO ROUNDWORLD

More details about the Vimes Boots Index, from Alison Flood in the Guardian:

"Monroe was prompted to create her index after inflation jumped to 5.4% last week, and she found herself ‘infuriate[d]’ that the index (the consumer price index or CPI) used for this calculation ‘grossly underestimates the real cost of inflation as it happens to people with the least’. She laid out how the prices of ‘value’ product ranges in supermarkets had soared over the last decade – rice in her local supermarket had increased in price from 45p for a kilogram bag last year, to £1 for 500g, a 344% increase – and how the number of value products has shrunk. She was soon working with economists, charities and analysts to compile her own index. ‘One,’ she wrote in the Observer, ‘that will document the disappearance of the budget lines and the insidiously creeping prices of the most basic versions of essential items at the supermarket’ and ‘serve as an irrefutable snapshot of the reality experienced by millions of people’. In a tweet on Wednesday, Monroe announced that the index is already starting to make a difference, as the Office for National Statistics has admitted that ‘one inflation rate doesn’t fit all’. She wrote: Delighted to be able to tell you that the ons have just announced that they are going to be changing the way they collect and report on the cost of food prices and inflation to take into consideration a wider range of income levels and household circumstances, using the hashtag #VimesBootsIndex. The index, Monroe said, is named in honour of Pratchett’s creation Sam Vimes, who in the Discworld novel Men at Arms lays out the ‘Sam Vimes “Boots” theory of socio-economic unfairness’..."

https://bit.ly/3GeYhza

And here be an interesting response from Peter Johnstone of St John’s College, Cambridge about the Boots Theory's origins. Given that Sir Pterry was well known to be a picker-up of inconsidered trifles and a childhood library hound, he might just have seen this in some newspaper morgue or other...

"Paul Jennings expressed exactly the same idea in his Observer column Oddly Enough in 1954: 'You find, for instance, that you have got to have a new pair of shoes, so you rush into a shop and buy some; some cheap ones, and they are worn out in three months. But if you were on one of the inner platforms [Jennings’ term for the rich] you would go calmly into a rather splendid shop and buy the sort of shoes that are bought by men on leave in London from Africa, or down from their Scottish moorland estates. Twenty years later these men are still wearing the same shoes, they photograph them with mud on, they write letters which may be inspected at the head office of the shoe firm. But the point is that after these twenty years, inner circle men have spent far less on shoes than outside men.' I don’t know whether Terry Pratchett was aware of this article when he wrote Men at Arms, but the similarity is striking."

https://bit.ly/3o7ySAY

3.1 AT LAST, THE OFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY

"Transworld Publishers are thrilled to announce the publication of Terry Pratchett: A Life with Footnotes, the official biography of Sir Terry Pratchett, written by Rob Wilkins, his former assistant, friend and now head of the author’s literary estate. At the time of his death in 2015, Terry was working on his finest story yet – his own... Following his untimely death from Alzheimer’s disease, the mantle of completing Terry Pratchett’s memoir was passed to Rob. Having known and worked alongside Terry as his personal assistant and business manager for over two decades, Rob is in the unique position of being able to offer both a personal and professional insight into the beloved writer’s public and private lives, as well as highlighting the origins and evolution of Terry’s extraordinarily successful creations. Drawing on his own extensive memories, as well as those of Terry’s family, close friends, fans and the colleagues who worked with him over the years, Rob recounts Terry’s story - from his early childhood to the literary phenomenon that his Discworld series became. It also chronicles Terry’s later years, his championing of environmental and humanitarian causes, and how he met and coped with the challenges that ‘The Embuggerance’ of Alzheimer’s brought with it...”

https://dunmanifestin.com/biography/

3.2 AUDIOBOOKS NEWS

The new audiobook adaptation of Good Omens is now available! David Tennant and Michael Sheen are back as Crowley and Aziraphale, of course, and the remainder of the all-star cast includes Katherine Kingsley as Anathema Device), Arthur Darvill as Newt Pulsifer, Peter Forbes as Shadwell, Gabrielle Glaister doing double duty as Madame Tracy and Agnes Nutter). The new Good Omens can be bought from Audible: https://adbl.co/3ABZCyK

And speaking of new audio releases, the first batch of the 21st century Discworld novel re-reads will be released on the 28th of April this year! Titles include
Equal Rites, Wyrd Sisters, Witches Abroad, Lords and Ladies, Carpe Jugulum and Maskerade, all read by Indira Varma, and a very special treat – Small Gods, read by none other than Andy Serkis.

3.3 ABOMINABLE SNOW BABY REVIEWS

Although The Abominable Snow Baby rated well when shown, there seemed to be a dearth of press reviews – and the only one of the “majors” that seemed to have reviewed it was far from impressed.

By Benji Wilson for the Telegraph:

"Of course, The Abominable Snowbaby is aimed at kids first and foremost, and they won’t give two snowmen about things that happened more than two Fortnite sessions ago, but even standing alone Snowbaby feels a little light – as if the Pratchett name alone should have us pinned to our sofas… It’s never easy to define warmth or charm on screen, but drama is always at its least charming when it's striving to charm. I think the graphic style of The Abominable Snowbaby is meant to look more angular and less cuddly than, for example, the Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler adaptations that have been a feature of the BBC Christmas for the last decade. But the upshot is that the Snowbaby itself looks bland..."

https://bit.ly/3KVxThe

A far less dismissive review, by Ivan Radford on Vodzilla:

The half-hour film whisks us away to the town of Blackberry, where the residents find themselves snowed in. The disarray is heightened by the appearance of a 14-foot abominable snowman, which is immediately shunned by the residents out of fear. Only one person shows it compassion: the no-nonsense Granny (Juliet Walters), who inspires her grandson, Albert (Hugh Dancy), to show kindness and courage too. It soon becomes apparent (if the title doesn’t give it away) that the snowman isn’t quite what it appears – and that even the most intimidating, unfamiliar figure comes with its own family and loved ones. That humanising message has a more timely resonance than, say The Snowman, with which this will inevitably be compared – and that modern edge helps offset the other areas where it struggles to live up to the other “Snow-noun” legend, whose shadow looms large. That’s mainly in terms of the animation, which is cute but feels a little too cleanly cut for such a fuzzy, furry tale. But the star of the show, undoubtedly, is Terry Pratchett, whose wordplay shines through the vocal talents of the cast – Walters’ fearless biddy is a delight, while David Harewood’s narration has a gorgeous gravitas and warmth..."

https://bit.ly/3KRKJNm

A long review-cum-backstory, by Pratchett biographer Marc Burrows for Heyuguys:

"Terry Pratchett’s The Abominable Snow Baby is the latest in a long line of prestige Christmas Day animations commissioned by Channel 4, following last year’s lovely Quentin Blake’s The Clown and going right back to 1982 and The Snowman. It’s a gorgeous piece of work, delightfully silly, satisfyingly British and beautifully animated, the tone of the humour and the visual style, like a classic Beano comic strip come to life... Snow Baby adapts a short story written, not by the award-winning Professor Sir Terry Pratchett, OBE, at one time the best-selling living author in the English language, and the creator of the (flat) world-conquering Discworld series … but by a twenty-year-old trainee journalist working on a local paper. In 1965, aged just seventeen, Pratchett dropped out of school to begin an apprenticeship at the Bucks Free Press, the local weekly which served his particular corner of south Buckinghamshire. Almost immediately he was given one of the least popular jobs on the paper – writing the ‘Children’s Circle’ column, under the pseudonym ‘Uncle Jim’. The column consisted of a list of readers’ birthdays and a short bedtime story, serialised over several weeks. Prior to Pratchett’s time the stories had focussed on the fairly insipid sub-Beatrix Potter adventures of characters called things like ‘Boo Boo Bunny’, ‘Frances Frog’ and ‘Peter Piper the Stoat’. The young Pratchett was having none of that...

"Snow Baby is based on a story printed across four weeks starting in December 1968, and is a textbook example, full of silly turns of phrase, puns and bold, quickly sketched but memorable characters like Granny, voiced here – rather perfectly – by Julie Walters. 'The last home I expected them to ever find would be on Christmas Day,' says [Rob] Wilkins, 'I mean that in a good way, it’s just it was completely unexpected. Terry always wanted the Doctor Who slot on the telly. That’s the one thing that he wanted – seven-thirty on a Saturday night, sitting down with your mum and dad having fish and chips and angel delight for pudding, and I think we’ve given him better than that...'..."

https://bit.ly/3AGouoU

Marc Burrows is the author of The Magic of Terry Pratchett. It's quite a decent bit of well-researched work. You can buy it directly from him here:
https://bit.ly/3oaItaa

3.4 MERCH CORNER

* Terry Pratchett: A Life with Footnotes!

We've more than half the year to wait yet, but pre-ordering is possible now...

"Drawing on his own extensive memories, along with those of Terry’s family, friends, fans and colleagues, Rob recounts Terry's extraordinary story to be published later this year on September 29th. Each copy from the Discworld Emporium will be signed by Rob, and is available to pre-order today. A Life with Footnotes is the book some whippersnappers in the Discworld fandom have waited a literal lifetime for; the life and times of our favourite author written indelibly on the page to be treasured for lifetimes to come...”

Each hardcover copy of Terry Pratchett: A Life with Footnotes is priced at £25 and will be released on 29th September 2022. For more info, and to pre-order, go to:

https://bit.ly/3rYSSai

* Ook beanie!

It’s still cold outside (unless you live in Fourecks or the Land of Fog), so this will keep you warm at the same time as keeping people informed about your love for the Librarian!

“Keep warm with our orange beanie featuring the Librarian’s 'Ook!', meaning yes, where as 'Eek' tends to mean no. For this design we use Beechfield Original Cuffed Beanie. One Size. Double layer knit. Cuffed design. 100% soft touch acrylic.”

Each Ook beanie is priced at £10. For more info, and to order, go to:

https://bit.ly/3o7yKBD

3.5 GOOD OMENS 2 NEWS

From Molly Templeton, on Tor.com:

"As if it wasn’t already a delightful surprise that Amazon’s adaptation of Good Omens will continue, it turns out that in season two, we’ll get to spend a little extra time in the world of Crowley and Aziraphale. In an update on his blog this morning, Neil Gaiman announced that the currently-filming season will have three 'minisodes,' which he describes as 'stories that begin and end within a larger episode, ones that dive into history.' There will be three minisodes: one written by novelist Cat Clarke; one by Good Omens 2 co-writer John Finnemore; and one by the collaborative writing team of Jeremy Dyson and Andy Nyman. It’s not entirely clear how or where we’ll be able to watch the minisodes—but since this is a Prime Video series, it might be safe to assume that they’ll pop up as part of the streamer’s 'X-Ray' content, like the Expanse shorts running alongside this season. Finnemore's story is set in biblical times, and Clarke’s in Victorian times. The short by Dyson and Nyman is set in London during the blitz...”

https://bit.ly/3Ga3Oaa

Good Omens 2 is in production now. There have been many "reveals" regarding additions to the cast, often conflicting, and some actors are returning to the series but in different roles, so here is the cast as far as Wossname can tell at the moment:

David Tennant
Michael Sheen
Michael McKean
Miranda Richardson
Jon Hamm
Nina Sosanya
Doon Mackichan
Dame Sian Phillips
Derek Jacobi
Mark Gatiss
Steve Pemberton
Reece Shearsmith
Niamh Walsh
Tim Downie
Pete Firman
Andi Osho
Alex Norton
Maggie Service
Gloria Obianyo
Liz Carr
Quelin Sepulveda
Shelley Conn
Abigail Lawrie

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04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

Nothing to see here this month. Come on, Roundworlders, let's get those Discworld plays back on the boards!

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

05) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

The Broken Drummers, “London’s Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group” (motto “Nil percussio est”)

BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group at https://bit.ly/3jtYLGo

“The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)”

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

The Broken Vectis Drummers broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) meets at Wincanton’s famous Bear Inn when social gatherings are possible.

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists

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

* FOURECKSIAN DISCWORLD GROUPS

Adelaide – City of Small Gods Terry Pratchett Fan Club
http://www.cityofsmallgods.org.au
https://www.facebook.com/groups/cityofsmallgods
https://discord.gg/3RVzsyJ
Regular events: Monthly dinners (when permitted!), Monthly crafty evenings on discord, regular book discussions, and occasional board game days. We also hold special events sometimes, such as picnics, Quiz Nights and outings to see Discworld plays.

Melbourne – Victorian Discworld Klatch
https://2022.ausdwcon.org/fan-clubs/melbourne
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch
https://discord.com/invite/w5KPAaYH
Regular events: Monthly gatherings, board game days, crafternoons, movies, picnics, and more. We are also regulars at the various pop culture events around Victoria.

Sydney – Mended Drummers and Western Drummers
Mended Drummers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/downunderdrummers
Western Drummers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/100376433635355
Both groups get together monthly to chat over a few drinks, with subjects ranging far and wide, have a Discworld themed quiz and generally enjoy the company of fellow Discworld fans.

Brisbane – Pratchett Partisans
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans
Join us in and around Brisbane for regular Pratchett-inspired nights including Dining Around the Disc, board games arvos, Pratchett Picnics and Discworld Discussions. We also hold special events once or twice a year like themed parties, scavenger hunts and cocktail nights. Many of us also attend opening night of Brisbane Arts Theatre’s Pratchett Productions in costume.

Perth – Treacle Mining Corporation
https://www.facebook.com/groups/PerthDrummers

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06) REVIEW: THE ULTIMATE DISCWORLD COMPANION

By Annie Mac

What, yet another Discworld companion? But why? There are already four of them, aren't there?

Ah, but none of those are ultimate.

Well, actually, The Ultimate Discworld Companion isn't ultimate either, strictly speaking – it doesn't contain *every* minor character ever mentioned in every one of the novels, novel ancillaries, diaries, almanacs and whatnot, although many from the earlier versions of the Companion have indeed found their way back in – but at this juncture it's as ultimate an official Companion as we're likely to get. And there are two reasons why this new Companion deserves to be added to every Discworld fan's bookshelves: two smoking barrels of Stephen Briggs' amusing, often sting-in-the-tail descriptions, and a fantastic, all-singing, all-dancing collection of Paul Kidby's Disc art.

The latter is what makes The Ultimate Discworld Companion truly worth acquiring, no matter how many other versions of the Companion you might already own. Not only are there numerous Kidby illustrations scattered throughout the book's 423 pages, but they are a combination of much-beloved familiar ones, ones that have only been previously seen by those who bought the various Discworld almanacs, and ones that have never been seen until now – and most importantly, most of the familiar ones have been subtly updated in delightful ways. Somehow, by the addition of tiny details here and there (quite possibly by magic), Mr Kidby has turned his famous portraits of major Discworld characters into believable *people* who could easily be taken for photographs (or at least, iconographs), and has done so without losing the original visual 'feel' of each one. All of Nanny Ogg's witchy power and cheerful debauchery has come to life, as has Granny Weatherwax's steely determination and strange majesty. Fred Colon has become a living, breathing man, no longer a caricature, and while Nobby Nobbs still looks Nobby Nobbs-like, he also now looks human enough that he might even get away with leaving his certificate at home. Sam Vimes is no longer Clint Eastwood nor Pete Postlethwaite but simply Sam Vimes; Carrot is now a perfect clean-cut action hero but with true intelligence peeping though his not quite simple expression; and as for Angua, one can positively *feel* her uncertainty about living amongst humans – and if a proper full-budget Discworld film ever gets made, all I can say is that I hope the casting department has Carey Mulligan's agent's phone number. In fact, you could spend hours playing Guess the Inspiration when it comes to many of these illustrations (Ptraci is so Uma Thurman it almost hurts; put an eyepatch on Baron Saturday and you're most of the way to Samuel L Jackson's Nick Fury; Sally von Humpeding has much more than a hint of Anne Hathaway; and so on).

When I first heard about The Ultimate Discworld Companion, I was unimpressed. Suspicious, even. Given the number of "look what we found behind the settee" releases and re-releases and re-re-releases that have popped up in the years since our favourite author crossed the black desert, I wondered if this was a way to wring more cash out of the Pratchett faithful. But I put my name down for a copy anyway, out of a sense of duty... and when it arrived and I paged my way through it... well, now I'm a believer. And also – no, wait, I'll let Mr Briggs do the talking (this is from his intro on page xi): "It has been a sad task to put together what will be the final Discworld Companion. Both Terry and I expected him to carry on writing into his nineties, with me producing updated Companions every few years. Fate had other ideas." And that's my third reason for wanting you to buy this book: because this is the last collected glimpse of Sir Terry's creations we are ever going to see in a new text form.

The Ultimate Discworld Companion: heartily recommended. I cherish this book, and I think you will too.

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07) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

Just a reminder that Good Omens was always meant to be a joint project between these two authors... https://bit.ly/3u7ohtO

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08) CLOSE

Speaking of the Abominable Snow Baby film, I decided not to review it, on the grounds that I have spent a long lifetime so far detesting almost all animated films and Christmas films in particular (why yes, my idea of a Christmas film *is* Die Hard) and thus am unable to compare it to any other well-known ones. However, I will say that I did watch it, and while I found it as forgettably frothy as most kiddie-fare in any medium, I did think that the artwork itself was rather beautiful. Oh, and for the record, having seen the horrid and oh so un-Maurice-like teaser images for the animated Amazing Maurice, I won't be watching that when it comes out (if you want to see a Maurice that looks like Maurice instead of looking like nothing so much as a cross between Garfield and a ginger Jabba the Hutt, you need look no further than Paul Kidby's various interpretations). The magician known as Terry Pratchett certainly wrote fabulous stories for a younger audience, though, so if a decent-looking animated Dodger ever shows up on our screens I'll be there with popcorn and an open mind.

...and that's it for January. Mind how you go, and we'll see you next month!

– Annie Mac

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

© 2022 by Wossname for the Klatchian Foreign Legion

comments

NEWSFLASH: the Clacks Collector's Edition is coming at last!

2021-12-26T00:28:01Z

For all of you who ordered this special edition of Clacks last year and were wondering why it never arrived, here be an update from the Backspindle lads:

Collector's Clacks is shipping soon! And we can't wait to get our copy!

Finally, after months of challenges with the restrictions, shortages in materials and quality checks we are delighted to bring you brilliant news! The Collector's Edition of Clacks games are being assembled and will be shipping to us from China in early January 2022. Once received, we will get them to you as soon as possible. Our objective is to have them to all of our pre-order customers by the beginning of March, before they become available in the shops. Initially each game was to include 'one' of five limited edition bookmarks, but as we appreciate you all have had to be so patient during these strange times, we have decided that each pre-order copy from our website will have a 'complete set of five' bookmarks included.

We thought you'd like to see a clean copy of the box image. At this time we'd like especially to thank Rob, Ian, Rachel and Jason for their input into the design creation. It is very much appreciated.

The Collector's Edition of Clacks is actually the five year anniversary edition too! Also in January we will do the draw for the 1st Edition copy of Guards! Guards! A Discworld boardgame. One of you is going to be very lucky indeed!

We will update you all on more accurate delivery timescales once the games land in the UK.

PLEASE NOTE: If your postal address address has changed since placing your order, or will change by the beginning of March 2022, please drop us an email to info@backspindlegames.com or backspindle@gmail.com advising of any changes.

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Wossname – December 2021 – main issue

2021-12-21T19:13:40Z

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
December 2021 (Volume 24, Issue 12, Post 1)

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

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

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

INDEX:

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) ODDS AND SODS
04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
05) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
06) ROUNDWORLD TALES: KEN THE CLEVER LIBRARIAN
07) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
08) CLOSE

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"It's a delight for me to bring back characters we loved (or hated) and bring in new characters, from the shiniest top floors of Heaven to the dankest basements of Hell, to love (or to hate, or to love to hate or hate to love). All of them are part of the strange and unusually beloved family of Good Omens."
– Neil Gaiman, on casting Good Omens 2

"We have already welcomed to the Good Omens 2 family familiar faces in familiar roles, familiar faces in unfamiliar roles, and unfamiliar faces in unfamiliar roles. We also have an unfamiliar face in a familiar role."
– Douglas Mackinnon, on once again directing it

"I’m honoured to voice the footnotes and bring to life one of the funniest, quirkiest and best-loved aspects of Terry Pratchett’s world. He added footnotes to the pages of all of his Discworld novels. They are his personal commentary on the action, little snippets of information or funny asides. They feel very much like the voice of the great man himself commenting on the action. I’ve enjoyed it enormously."
– Bill Nighy, on taking the part of all the footnotes in the new versions of the Discworld audiobooks

"Coming back to Terry Pratchett’s world after many years has been a pleasure. I loved his subversive, absurdist humour when I was a teenager and reading the part of Death, who appears in nearly all the Discworld books, has given me a renewed appreciation of his comic genius. What a very clever writer he was!"
– Peter Serafinowicz, soon to be Death (read that carefully!)

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

Well now, here we are at the end of a very long and unsettled year and about to start another one – which in Discworld terminology will be the Year of the Lachrymating Leveret!

Have you seen the trailer for The Abominable Snow Baby yet? It's delightful! And in a few days, on Christmas Day, the film will get its first airing (see item 3.0). We can expect that The Abominable Snow Baby will become a yearly tradition for holiday viewing.

While I quite like Jon Hamm and am pleased to see him returning as Gabriel to the continuation of Good Omens, I'm far more excited to note that Michael McKean and Miranda Richardson will also be in the new series (though not necessarily as Shadwell and Madame Tracy... stay tuned... and meanwhile, read item 3.1).

Here be a long Twitter thread by Pratchett biographer Marc Burrows on the evolution of The Carpet People. Start here: https://bit.ly/3JjWNq2

And now, on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) ODDS AND SODS

3.0 ABOMINABLE SNOW BABY NEWS

The trailer! And rather wonderful it is too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YPc8YSzKds

From the Radio Times:

"Channel 4 has unveiled its schedule for the festive season and Christmas Day, which includes Terry Pratchett’s The Abominable Snow Baby and special Christmas editions of First Dates, Gogglebox, Come Dine with Me and The Great British Bake Off. Based on Terry Pratchett’s 2014 story about a 14-foot-tall Abominable Snow Baby that arrives in a small English town, the animated Christmas special stars Julie Walters, Hugh Dancy and David Harewood, and will air on Channel 4 on Christmas Day at 7:30pm. Channel 4’s Head of Drama, Caroline Hollick, said in a statement: “Channel 4’s original Christmas animation has become a real highlight over the years and this year will be no exception. I’m delighted Julie Walters, Hugh Dancy and David Harewood will be bringing to life this wonderful, funny and moving yuletide tale."

https://bit.ly/3q90B4A

...and Channel Ten in Fourecks

"If you’re looking for a fun and adventurous story, then this delightful adaptation is for you! Discover Terry Pratchett’s fantastical world of Blackbury with a huge snowfall, and the appearance of an adorable Abominable Snow Baby. This is sure to be your new Christmas classic!"

https://bit.ly/3phVHmB

Julie Walters talks about voicing the character of "Granny" in The Abominable Snow Baby:

"[Channel 4] has drafted in some big names to lend their voices to the programme. One of those stars is Julie Walters, who takes on the role of 98-year-old Granny – and in this week’s episode of the Radio Times podcast, she told Jane Garvey how she went about voicing such an elderly character. 'Well, I’ve played ancient people since I was in my twenties,' she said. 'I don’t know why, I just feel attracted to them. I always think it’s because I was brought up with my grandmother who was a bit doolally tap, and so had a massive influence on us as children. And so I think some of it is trying to solve the conundrum of my grandmother when I was a child. So I’m fascinated by old people,' she added. 'Of course, I am one now, so it’s different… but it isn’t that different. I love the way that people… their shape changes, and of course their voice and everything about them changes. In terms of voice, I’m a bit of an impersonator, and I notice how, you know, old people’s voices… their vocal cords become thin and they age just like everything else. But what was lovely about Granny is that, yes, she was 98, but she’s absolutely full of energy and goodness and love. She’s just fantastic – I hope I’m like that at 98, if I ever get there!'..."

https://bit.ly/3qiX0Rl

3.1 GOOD OMENS 2 NEWS

Jon Hamm is confirmed to return as the Archangel Gabriel in Good Omens 2, along with co-angels Doon Mackichan (Michael), Gloria Obianyo (Uriel), Liz Carr (Saraqael), and Quelin Sepulveda (Muriel). Other returning cast members – not necessarily in the same roles, though! – include Michael McKean, Miranda Richardson, Reece Shearsmith, Nina Sosanya, Maggie Service, and Paul Adeyefa.

There's a Narrativia announcement covering this. Go to https://narrativia.com/go2.html to read it in its entirety.

3.2 AUDIOBOOKS DO-OVER

Penguin Random House are going to re-record all 40 of their Discworld audiobooks, "featuring a cast of leading names from British stage and screen" that includes Bill Nighy as the footnotes, Peter Serafinowicz as Death, and "one main narrator set to voice each subseries" – Indira Varma for the Witches books, Sian Clifford for the Death books, Colin Morgan for the Wizards books, and best of all, Andy Serkis for Small Gods!

"BAFTA award-winning composer James Hannigan, whose many credits include music for the Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and the Lord of the Rings video games, and the audio production of The Sandman, has been commissioned to compose theme tunes for the Discworld series. For this ambitious project narrators will read nearly four million words, with nearly 150 days in the studio and resulting in over 400 hours of finished audio. The audiobooks are being produced and directed by Neil Gardner of Ladbroke Audio, the multiple award-winning radio writer & director, who shares a love of sci-fi and comedy, and is a life-long Terry Pratchett superfan..."

The new recordings will be published over the course of the next two years: Witches (April 2022), Wizards (July 2022), Death (October 2022), Moist von Lipwig (February 2023) and City Watch and Tiffany Aching (April 2023). "The standalone titles – Pyramids, Small Gods, The Truth,Moving Pictures, The Amazing Maurice and Monstrous Regiment – will also be published..."

https://narrativia.com/audio.html

3.3 SIR PTERRY'S FAVOURITE VIDEO GAME

An in-depth portrait of The Author as a young... thief? By Rick Lane for the Guardian:

"Pratchett’s relationship with video games is well documented. Always technologically savvy, he was an early adopter of PC gaming, and enjoyed everything from Doom to Deus Ex and Call of Duty. He even helped to create a mod (an unofficial add-on) for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, writing lines of dialogue for a character. But Pratchett held a particular affection for Thief. He played all three games in the series, and often contributed to a Usenet newsgroup named alt.games.thief-dark-project. That newsgroup, analogous to a modern forum, has long since been deactivated, but its posts survive in a Google groups archive. Combined, they provide a fascinating record of Pratchett’s evolving relationship with both the Thief series and video games in general... Pratchett liked that Thief II was a game that you could finish without killing anyone, which appealed to his personal morals. 'I get edgy in games that require killing as an objective,' he wrote in July 2002. 'But being able to hide from guards who appear to have amazing acuity sometimes is a talent in itself.' He also liked that Thief II let you solve its problems at your own pace, and in your own way. 'I think a game goes wrong when you start to fight the programmer rather than the game...'

"There was shared lineage between Thief’s nameless city and Pratchett’s own work in the Discworld novels. Both take popular fantasy tropes and recontextualise them into a more human world, unafraid to explore the weirder edges of fantasy. Thief’s bumbling, grumbling guards share certain traits with Pratchett’s own motley crew of city watchmen... Pratchett’s presence on the forums did not go unnoticed by the wider community. 'Having Terry involved was a very cool experience,' says David Geelan, an associate professor at Australia’s Griffith University, and a contributor to the alt.games Thief forum during the same period as Pratchett. 'This was an early example of an author I was a big fan of engaging with something else I loved.” This sentiment is shared by another user, Mika Latokartano. “Being a big fan of Discworld novels, it was naturally great to see him on the forums and to be able to exchange a few words with a world-famous author...' Pratchett’s posts on the alt.games Thief forum are a unique record. Not only do they evidence in detail an artist’s heartfelt affection for another type of art, they also represent a mode of interaction between a creator and fans that is far less viable in the age of mass social media. Geelan, who around this time also frequented a cyberpunk forum visited by William Gibson, notes that 'authors could react more directly with the few hundred or couple of thousand people who might have been on a web forum or usenet group in the mid 90s, than with the millions or tens of millions who would want that contact now...'..."

https://bit.ly/3mpjAqy

3.4 JOHNNY MAXWELL REVISITED

It's good to see the Johnny Maxwell series (Only You Can Save Mankind, Johnny And The Dead, Johnny And The Bomb) getting a 21st century shout-out! This little gem was originally posted in 2015, but always worth an action replay.

By Andrew Blair on Den of Geek:

"In the lower reaches of the Goodreads list of Pratchett books, besides the short stories and essays in anthologies, the first novel to stand out is Only You Can Save Mankind, the first of Pratchett’s Johnny Maxwell series. It was published in 1992. It is a very 1992 book (One of the characters asks 'Is it rad to say cool?'), and realistic swearing is not a feature. Compared with later books featuring Johnny Maxwell it’s a bit on the nose in its depiction of children, but the intention – to depict a variety of backgrounds and relatable struggles – lays the foundations for the subtler sequels... 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... Johnny And The Dead followed in 1993. Again mixing lofty themes and fantasy with the mundane, the main characters feel a bit more realistic here. Here the ’90s feeling is different: it’s a book clearly set in and evocative of that time period, rather than a book that is evocative of how adults wrote children in that time period... 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... 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..."

https://bit.ly/3H11lPT

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04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

Some reviews of Discworld plays to finish the year! The Roundworld debut of Murder in Ankh-Morpork; Wyrd Sisters and Hogfather in EcksEcksEcksEcks; and Going Postal in Sussex (which only has one ecks).

* MURDER IN ANKH-MORPORK IN ABINGDON

By Alice Nuttall for the Daily Info:

"The play had a strong opener, with one of Pratchett’s best-known exchanges brought alive on the stage (two members of a secret society exchanging code phrases, before realising that one of them meant to attend another clandestine meeting a few doors down). The cast matched the story’s fast pace with energy and enthusiasm, each member fully inhabiting their roles. Anna Wilson stood out as Angua, a werewolf police officer trying not to scare off a new friend with the revelation of her wild side; Nigel Tait made a hilarious Nobby Nobbs, a character that can be hard to do justice to, thanks to his often grotesque depiction in the books; and Briggs was amusingly chilling as Lord Vetinari (whose entries on stage, accompanied by the Imperial March from Star Wars, always got a laugh from the audience). Adapting Men At Arms for a small stage would have been a challenge – the story takes place over several locations in a large city, and follows a complex police procedural plot with Christie-esque twists and turns – but the ensemble managed it expertly, creating a show that was full of in-jokes and nods for fans while still being exciting and engaging for newbies..."

...and on the same site by Naomi Anna Lillian Webb

"Outside the spoken dialogue, sound and music are cleverly interspersed throughout the action in a manner absolutely in keeping with the spirit of the novels, to the great amusement of the audience. I suspect some ingenious sound recording techniques came into play, putting me in mind of the beloved BBC Radiophonic Workshop (of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy fame). In an inspired move we are even treated to a rousing rendition of the Ankh-Morpork National Anthem during one of the early scenes, beautifully performed by Lindsay Rolland and written by Carl Davis, CBE. Lindsay also plays Boffo the clown, just one example of the abundant versatility and talent on offer in the STC... The choice to combine the plot with characters from novels other than Men at Arms gives rise to an admirably diverse cast, a dream for any theatre troupe. Sam Vimes (Jamie Mortimer) visibly grows into his role of hardened Captain of the City Watch throughout the course of the play, his arc is impressively presented given the confines evident when converting a novel to much shorter media. Patrician, Lord Vetinari (Stephen Briggs), eyebrows a-wiggling, tasks the captain with uncovering the truth behind a vicious multiple murder featuring clowns, assassins, and a mysterious unknown weapon. Vimes is assisted at every turn by his devoted fiancé, the formidable Lady Sybil Ramkin: Elena Mortimer assertively commands the scene whenever she is present. The Captain is also supported by his loyal band of Night Watchmen-women-and-others. Anna Wilson as werewolf Lance Constable Angua von Uberwald is especially strong, effortlessly conveying complex nuances of character. She parries with the charming honesty of Corporal Carrot Ironfoundersson (Peter Hubbard) while they explore their roles, both in the Watch and in love. Comic timing abounds with the pairing of Mike MacDonald as Sergeant Fred Colon and Nigel Tait as Corporal Nobby Nobbs. Their double act is worthy of Shakespeare, and often far more amusingly expounded to the modern audience..."

https://bit.ly/3mp1vZv

* WYRD SISTERS IN ADELAIDE

By Christine Pyman for Broadway World:

"Unseen Theatre Company is celebrating its 21st birthday this year, and it's been interesting to watch its development and maturation... The company showed sophisticated stagecraft which shone against the minimalist sets and lighting, focusing attention on the acting, and there was some terrific acting. Stand out stars were Aimee Ford as the selfish, bullying, inherently evil, and frighteningly believable Duchess, Danny Sag, as the Fool, almost stealing the stage whenever he was on, and not because of the brightness of his wonderful costume, Philip Lineton, with passion and fire as the Chamberlain, and Pamela Munt, who simply is Granny Weatherwax. Alycia Rabig was suitably 'wet-hen-ish', with a surprising core of iron (possibly from a frying pan), as Magrat Garlick, the youngest witch, and Natalie Haigh provided a comforting, but naughty Nanny Ogg. Paul Messenger has presence, even when playing a presence, and managed to be a convincingly dead King Verence, cleverly being apparently an apparition, present only to the audience, and witches (and cats of course)..."

https://bit.ly/3296tD7

...and by Matthew Hocter for Theatre Travels:

"Minimalism doesn’t always work in theatre, especially when the theme has a heavy focus on elements like magic and fantasy, but much credit to the creators of this play, everything seemed to flow just right... Like any Shakespearean play, twists and turns are in abundance and with Pratchett’s incredible eye, The Wyrd Sisters is a foray into everything from propaganda, relationships and time itself. With standout performances from Philip Lineton as Chamberlain, Danny Sag as The Fool and the hilarious aforementioned Natalie Haigh as Nanny Ogg, this production was anything but amateur. Timing and a strong comedic element all aided in creating something truly magical and at its core, showing that things are not always as they seem, never more evident than in the words 'History is what people are told.' Unseen Theatre Company is celebrating its 21st anniversary this year and if this production is anything to go by, the next 21 years look brilliant..."

https://bit.ly/3EjwLiW

* GOING POSTAL IN SUSSEX

By Cat Quigley for the Bishop's Stortford Independent:

"Director Becky Deal is to be commended for daring to venture into this steampunk fantasy comedy and introducing people to this great story. The term ‘going postal’ – meaning to become extremely and uncontrollably angry, usually in the workplace – is a great metaphor for the storyline. Deal had a strong cast that did a fantastic job delivering humour, drama and fast-flowing character work which kept moving until the end. Jack Stevens brought Moist Von Lipwig to life as an endearing yet cunning conman. He was perfect in this role, word perfect with spot-on comedic timing and physical gestures, and he brought a great, mischievous likeability to the role... Sophie O'Flaherty shone as Drumknott. She was a stand-out performer, with a well-executed stage voice and chemistry with her fellow cast members... Parole officer Mr Pump (Doug Sheppard) was a convincing golem made of clay, who, like any government official, was tireless in his sense of duty. Mr Pump had a lot of emotional moments and Sheppard was able to act out a real blend of naivete, fierce loyalty and deep wisdom, particularly in the poignant moments where he protected Moist Von Lipwig... A lot of the play was interjected with energy from some of the smaller roles, which were just as important as the main parts as they kept the pace moving... A big highlight for me was a TV that came to life showing a character Collabone played by Matthew Barnes... The production was largely helped by the fantastic tech from production manager Will Jamieson and sound and lighting by Steve Cherry, who managed to create the dark moods of the play... The audience really enjoyed the show, and Pratchett fans responded to the deeper meanings of the book while those who didn’t know the book well were still amused and entertained..."

https://bit.ly/3yNGTz7

* HOGFATHER IN PERTH, FOURECKS

By Kimberley Shaw for Stage Whispers:

"One of the biggest difficulties of the Discworld plays is that they are highly episodic. This production works well to overcome this issue, using an extended stage and putting some scenes around the auditorium, allowing transitions to be swift and effective. Young actors Callan Emmerson and Ellie Jones, who also nicely play children Gawain and Twyla Gaiter, also "sign-post” many scenes, so that we know where we are in the Discworld. Epic character Death is played with great gravitas and wry humour by a wonderfully costumed Sam Barnett. He is well assisted by Ian Banks as butler Albert, in a picture-perfect portrayal. The real heroine of this story, though, is Susan Story Hellit[sic] – very nicely played, with lovely nuance, by Pratchett veteran Michelle Ezzy. Another Pratchett ‘expert’ is Peter ‘Pear’ Carr, reprising his role as the delightfully dim Banjo, one of the thugs employed by assassin Teatime to help kill the Hogfather, a role that Pear played in the WA premiere of Hogfather eighteen years ago - and a role he plays to perfection. He is ably supported by Curig Jenkins as Medium Dave and Candice Preston as Chickenwire. Villain of the piece, Mr Teatime, is given lovely menace by Aaron O’Neill... Lots of delightful characters in this, with many performers playing multiple roles and distinguishing them well..."

https://www.stagewhispers.com.au/reviews/hogfather

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05) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

...will return next year, since we're now already into "Hogswatch break" territory. Here's hoping that 2022 will finally see a return to safer meet-ups!

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06) ROUNDWORLD TALES: THE ADVENTURES OF KEN ALLEN

Wossname has featured amazing Roundworld Orangutans before, but have you ever heard of the famous escape artist known as Ken? Son of proud parents Maggie and Bob, Ken was born in 1971 at the San Diego Zoo. While he was happy in his human-built home, he was obviously not just another meek ape...

"In his nursery, Ken would unscrew every nut that he could find and remove the bolts. Keepers would no sooner put them back when he would be at it again. Nor could he ever be kept in his room... In fact, when Ken was first moved into the Heart of the Zoo exhibit, he was caught throwing rocks at a television crew that was filming the neighboring gorillas..." But what Ken really wanted was a bit of a wander. In June of 1985, he escaped and happily joined the human visitors looking at the other zoo residents. Despite his keepers spending a lot of time and money escape-proofing his home, he did it again in July and August – and then started encouraging his housemate Vicki to do the same! And that was far from Ken's last escape; he even managed to encourage another housemate, Kumang, into escaping (and this clever lass figured out how to nullify the electric fencing around their enclosure).

In all his adventures, Ken Allen never harmed any zookeepers or members of the public. Ken died of cancer in December 2000, but his legend lives on – and we've learned from his escapades that orangutans are even brighter and more observant than previously thought.

Sources: https://bit.ly/3sm83vW and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Allen

Also, here be "The Ballad of Ken Allen": https://bit.ly/3FyiqRf

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08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

Memory lane: an excellent Adora Belle and Moist from Ooook Productions' staging of Going Postal:
https://bit.ly/3HIrsfR

Part of the cast of the Roleystone Theatre's recent production of Hogfather: https://bit.ly/3edPj9O

A scrap of the shooting script for Good Omens 2, as posted by Neil Gaiman: https://bit.ly/3cQsQ1F

A very large Snow Baby – or a very small Julie Walters: https://bit.ly/3yM2Hv0

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09) CLOSE

...and that's it for December. Wossname wishes all our Readers a safe and happy Hogswatch season! Take care, mind how you go, and we'll see you next year. May it be a better one than the previous two years have been...

– Annie Mac

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

Copyright (c) 2021 by Wossname for the Klatchian Foreign Legion

comments

Wossname – November 2021 – Main issue

2021-11-13T19:12:35Z

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
July-August 2021 (Volume 24, Issue er um maybe 11?, 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.
********************************************************************

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

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INDEX:

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) ODDS AND SODS
04) NIGEL PLANER AND THE UNABRIDGED AUDIOS OF DISCWORLD
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
07) DISCWORLD MERCH FOR HOGSWATCH
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
09) CLOSE

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"I'm afraid the BBC owns the merchandising rights to the Good Omens TV series and can do things like this."
– Neil Gaiman, when informed that Auntie had gone over his head and trademarked the word "ineffable" in his name

"Personally I'm against it, but the world isn't going to just save itself, is it? If David and I can manage to not fall out too badly this time it may even have a chance of getting finished."
– Michael "Aziraphale" Sheen, somewhat in character

"The return of Good Omens is great news for me, personally. As I get to work with Michael again, and I get to say Neil's wonderful words once more. It's probably less good for the universe as it almost certainly means there will be some fresh existential threat to its existence to deal with, but, you know – swings and roundabouts."
– David "Crowley" Tennant, likewise

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

Wossname finally returns... ish.

This issue is somewhat truncated but I will continue to do my best to keep the news, views and reviews coming on through the next year and beyond, as long as there *is* fresh Pratchett news – and to my great delight, the world seems to have forgotten to forget The Author, even in the face of a pandemic that drags on and on. Discworld plays are cautiously creeping back into the spotlight (including, at last, the premiere of Stephen Briggs' "Murder in Ankh-Morpork" this month!), shops are reopening (though not the Discworld Emporium, which remains as an online entity only), and people are beginning to gather together again (apart from those who are permanently shielding, like your Editor). And, of course, The Author's work lives on in different media, with new screen productions of The Amazing Maurice, The Abominable Snowbaby, and Good Omens all in progress.

Hogswatch is a-coming, at least the Roundworld answer to it, so there are some features on Discworld merchandise to consider for presents.See item 7!

The Big Book of Modern Fantasy, an 896-page monster comprising almost one hundred stories by famous authors, has just won the 2021 World Fantasy Award for best anthology. It offers a wide variety of famous authors – including Sit Pterry, of course! Published by Vintage, edited by Ann and Jeff Vandermeer, and available at all reputable booksellers (which is why, as usual, your Editor is not providing an Amazon link). https://bookriot.com/2021-world-fantasy-awards/

What does the word "ineffable" mean to you? According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it means "Too great to be expressed in words; unutterable, indefinable, indescribable". And now it has a new meaning, apparently: "an ordinary word trademarked by the BBC for commercial purposes relating to Good Omens merchandising and as a further slap in the face to the very fans who made the Good Omens miniseries the worldwide hit it became". And Auntie didn't even have the honesty to trademark it under its own name! See item 3.1c for details.

You'll have seen last week's special announcement regarding Nigel "Mr Sideney" Planer's crowdfunding appeal for his new book "Jeremiah Bourne in Time", a science fiction comedy with many Pratchett references (and touches!). Funding is continuing to mount up, but the total isn't there yet. A reminder on the Wossname mirror site, complete with iconographs:

https://wossname.dreamwidth.org/82520.html

I'll apologise ahead of time for any proofreading or editing slip-ups I've made, as the pandemic has eaten what's left of my brain and among other things I now find myself thinking every day except Wednesday is Saturday.

And now, on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) ODDS AND SODS

3.0 AMAZING MAURICE NEWS

3.0a IMAGE REVEALS...

Possibly the biggest Narrativia announcement page yet – certainly the longest!

"Sky today reveals First Look character images and teaser poster for The Amazing Maurice, a Sky Original to mark the 20th Anniversary of the book by Sir Terry Pratchett. This animated family film is based on the wildly popular Discworld ® novels and will star Hugh Laurie (Avenue 5) as Maurice, Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) as Malicia, David Thewlis (Wonder Woman) as Boss Man, Himesh Patel (Yesterday) as Keith, Gemma Arterton (The King’s Man) as Peaches, Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey) as The Mayor, David Tennant (Doctor Who) as Dangerous Beans, Ariyon Bakare (His Dark Materials) as Darktan, Rob Brydon (Roald & Beatrix: The Tale of the Curious Mouse) as The Pied Piper, Julie Atherton (Avenue Q) as Nourishing and YouTuber Joe Sugg as Sardines. In The Amazing Maurice, a Sky Original, Maurice is a streetwise ginger cat who comes up with a money-making scam by befriending a group of self-taught talking rats. When Maurice and the rodents reach the stricken town of Bad Blintz, they meet a bookworm called Malicia and their little con soon goes down the drain...
The Amazing Maurice, a Sky Original will be released on Sky Cinema in 2022. The film will also be available on streaming service NOW via the Sky Cinema Membership..."

To read the entire announcement and see the images, go to: https://narrativia.com/maurice.html

[Editor's note: could the artists have tried any harder to create a character that looks *any less* like Maurice as described in the novel?! Instead of the scruffy street fighter we know and love – essentially a spiritual cousin to Greebo – viewers will be offered a blobby, boofy-haired, self-satisfied creature that barely looks like a cat at all and at best resembles some kind of super-bloated Garfield. I can't speak for other readers here but I for one am saddened by this aesthetic choice, and so is everyone else I've spoken to about this so far.]

3.0b ...AND MERCH...

"Cantilever Media is launching a consumer products campaign for its upcoming Sky original animated feature film, “The Amazing Maurice,” produced with Ulysses Filmproduktion in co-production with Sky. Two licensors have been secured: Titan and Forbidden Planet... Titan Books has come on board as publishing partner to produce a hardback coffee table art book, 'The Amazing Maurice: The Art of the Film,' which will be released to coincide with the movie launch in the U.K. Working in collaboration with the filmmakers, the book will include concept art, sketches, storyboards, behind-the-scenes photography and interviews with cast and crew. It is being written by Los Angeles-based author and journalist Ramin Zahed, editor in chief, Animation Magazine. Specialist retailer, Forbidden Planet, is also partnering with Cantilever to launch a product range including adult and children’s T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, scarves and an extensive range of gift and home product and accessories..."

https://bit.ly/3qw2PN7

3.1 GOOD OMENS 2 NEWS

3.1a NEIL GAIMAN'S HA'PETH

From his blogpost:

"So, once Good Omens the TV series had been released by Amazon and the BBC, to global acclaim, many awards and joy, Rob Wilkins (Terry's representative on Earth) and I had the conversation with the BBC and Amazon about doing some more. And they got very excited. We talked to Michael Sheen and David Tennant about doing some more. They also got very excited. We told them a little about the plot. They got even more excited. I'd been a fan of John Finnemore's for years, and had had the joy of working with him on a radio show called With Great Pleasure, where I picked passages I loved, had amazing readers read them aloud and talked about them... I asked John if he'd be willing to work with me on writing the next round of Good Omens, and was overjoyed when he said yes. We have some surprise guest collaborators too. And Douglas Mackinnon is returning to oversee the whole thing with me. So that's the plan. We've been keeping it secret for a long time (mostly because otherwise my mail and Twitter feeds would have turned into gushing torrents of What Can You Tell Us About It? long ago) but we are now at the point where sets are being built in Scotland (which is where we're shooting, and more about filming things in Scotland soon), and we can't really keep it secret any longer. There are so many questions people have asked about what happened next (and also, what happened before) to our favourite Angel and Demon. Here are, perhaps, some of the answers you've been hoping for. As Good Omens continues, we will be back in Soho, and all through time and space, solving a mystery which starts with one of the angels wandering through a Soho street market with no memory of who they might be, on their way to Aziraphale's bookshop..."

To read the whole post (includes some photos), go to:

https://bit.ly/3C9cFqo

Also, from a recent interview for Empire magazine:

"I am so happy to be back here on the streets of Soho, watching, every day, the glorious performances of Michael Sheen and David Tennant. I miss having Terry Pratchett’s genius, but it does feel like we are still all walking around inside his head,” says Gaiman. “It’s been an absolute pleasure to have the brilliant John Finnemore co-write this season’s story shenanigans with me, and to work with director and my co-showrunner Douglas Mackinnon as he steers the ship, along with our astonishing crew, who have returned to do it again.

“In this season we get to have new adventures with old friends, to solve some extremely mysterious mysteries, and we encounter some entirely new humans (living, dead, and otherwise), angels, and demons. We were lucky in the first season to have so many outstanding actors taking part, so I took pleasure in inviting people back, wherever we could, some in the roles they played originally, some in new parts written just for them."

3.1b FILMING NEWS AND PHOTOS

From Rachel LaBonte on ScreenRant:

"Neil Gaiman reveals the spirit of Terry Pratchett is alive and well on the set of Good Omens season 2 with a new picture. Together, Gaiman and Pratchett wrote the novel Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophesies of Agnes Nutter, a humorous take on an impending apocalypse involving an angel, a demon, and the misplaced Antichrist. It was turned into an Amazon miniseries back in 2019 and starred David Tennant and Michael Sheen in the lead roles. Though Pratchett and Gaiman had devised an idea for a sequel to Good Omens, it never became a reality... Because of all of that, fans were stunned by the news that Amazon's Good Omens is returning for another season. The surprise continuation was announced in June, with Gaiman quickly giving his blessing. In fact, Gaiman is once again writing the scripts for Good Omens season 2 along with John Finnemore. Tennant and Sheen are back as odd couple Crowley and Aziraphale; when the season begins, they'll have just begun settling back into life among humans when a mysterious visitor arrives... d Gaiman has already provided more than one peek behind the scenes. In his most recent post, he revealed Pratchett's famous hat and scarf are already on set, dangling from a chair with the late author's name. "Terry is here in spirit and hat and scarf," Gaiman wrote. "When we shoot in the bookshop we will hang them in there but for now they are here on his chair." Pratchett's hat and scarf could be seen in Aziraphale's bookshop in Good Omens season 1, and evidently they will still be there for season 2.

https://bit.ly/3wEyQnb

From Ray Flook on Bleeding Cool:

"Michael Sheen's Aziraphale and David Tennant's Crowley get back into their easy-living lives among the mortals populating London's Soho, But when an unexpected messenger presents them with a surprising mystery, the game's afoot once more for our duo. Over the past week or so, Sheen has been posting some fun looks at his return to angelic form. Now, we're getting a heart-warming reminder from Gaiman that Pratchett's spirit will always b a part of the adaptation, with his hat and scarf currently resting on his set chair but soon to have another home on-camera..."

https://bit.ly/3kshxkE

From Kaila Hale-Stern on The Mary Sue:

"This is a fitting return to Aziraphale and Crowley. They’re in Aziraphale’s beloved bookshop. Aziraphale has his tartan bowtie and a dainty new teacup (replacing his iconic angel-wing mug?) and appears somewhat alarmed at what he’s hearing. Next to him, Crowley is wearing his trademark sunglasses (which hide his yellow snake eyes) and is in his customary black clothing. Crowley’s reaction to the person (or entity) the pair are talking to is a toothy grin—or is that a menacing grimace? Either way, the picture captures both characters’ personalities pretty damn perfectly and plunges us straight back into the universe of Good Omens on television. What makes this go-round so exciting (and for some fans, trepidatious) is that while a good deal of the plot of the first season closely hewed to the events of the book, Good Omens 2 will be exploring new ground. A few elements from a planned but unwritten sequel by the late Terry Pratchett and Gaiman made their way into the first season, and we expect many will appear in the second..."

https://bit.ly/3ngkYg9

From Danielle Ryan for Slashfilm:

"The new season will dig deeper into the relationship between the fussy rare book dealer angel, Aziraphale, and his demonic, hedonistic best friend, Crowley. They've been close since the beginning of time, and now that they've fended off the apocalypse together, they have time to figure out their friendship. The press release says the two are "getting back to easy living amongst mortals in London's Soho when an unexpected messenger presents a surprising mystery." It seems there's no rest for the wicked or the celestial..."

https://bit.ly/3opPyTA

...and Jon Fuge adds, for TV Web:

"Though plot details are being kept under wraps, Neil Gaiman has since offered some insight into what audiences can expect, revealing that second season of Good Omens will once again take place in London, and begins "with an angel wandering through Soho, with no memory." Gaiman will once again serve as co-showrunner with Douglas Mackinnon and co-writer with John Finnemore. Good Omens 2 does not yet have a release date, and will come courtesy of Amazon Prime Video..."

https://bit.ly/3opzkK7

From Brooke Mondor, for Looper:

"When a fan on Tumblr asked Gaiman about a possible sequel for the "Good Omens" novel, he replied: "There is an entire novel plot that nobody knows about, and Terry was absolutely in favour of that story being told. Whether or not we do it depends on a lot of factors though. (Of which my time is a big one.)" On the one hand, it's entirely possible that Season 2 will consist of whatever Gaiman and Pratchett cooked up together before the latter's death in 2015. Of course, it's also likely that the "Good Omens" team is creating something entirely new for the next season..."

https://bit.ly/3krNUzB

3.1c THE (IN)EFFABLE BBC: YOU -ING WHAT???

Yes, the BBC has trademarked the word "ineffable" in the names of Neil Gaiman and Dunmanifestin Ltd. From Rich Johnston, founder of Bleeding Cool.com:

"'Ineffable' means something is so extraordinary or extreme that it cannot be described in words. It gained recent popularity in the book Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and the late Sir Terry Pratchett, especially when adapted by the BBC and Amazon Prime Video. The book and TV show make several references to God's unknowable and 'ineffable' plan for them all. Well, two things happened recently. Firstly the word 'ineffable' was trademarked under the names of Neil Gaiman and the company managing the estate of the late Sir Terry Pratchett, with both US and UK governments. And secondly, the BBC began taking down Etsy listings of people selling products using the word 'ineffable.' Neil Gaiman didn't seem to know anything about it. A couple of years ago, Gaiman had even stated, 'I'm glad that the artists and the Etsy folk have made Good Omens things. I just imagine a world in which we had cool things it would take more resources to make. Like a proper little burning Bentley.' Though Gaiman did provide some qualifications, saying, 'There are people out there selling stuff (like the posters) they didn't create in industrial quantities. And there are cool crafty people making art on eg, Etsy. I hope that the former will be discommoded while the latter will continue to make stuff with love.' Now, remember, this is about the registration and defence of a trademark, not a copyright. A business registers the right to trade under a mark, even if that was a preexisting word. No one can sell books if they call themselves Amazon these days. Or broadband with the word Virgin. Or medicine using the word Boots. And Neil Gaiman seems unaware that an 'ineffable' trademark was made in his name and that the BBC is enforcing it. It appears to have been actioned by Dunmanifestin, the company charged with looking after the estate of Sir Terry Pratchett. So, apparently, they have a plan to use that word in commerce. An ineffable plan, one might say... Etsy sellers have repeatedly reported that the BBC has legally challenged anyone selling anything on Etsy using the words Good Omens, Crowley, Aziraphale, or Ineffable, with the #ineffablehusbands getting the brunt of it."

https://bit.ly/3qvBIBL

[Note: the page includes and image of the Ineffable trademark registration document – Ed.]

3.2 YOUR FAVOURITE DISCWORLD NOVELS

From Discworld.com – remember this? – the results: "You may remember in August we polled all of our social media followers and asked, 'What is your favourite Discworld book of all time?' We included the Guards, Witches, Death, Unseen University, Tiffany Series plus all the standalones. Well, the results are in and here are your top eight..."

1. Night Watch
2. Witches Abroad
3. Hogfather
4. Going Postal
5. The Wee Free Men
6. Carpe Jugulum
7. Reaper Man
8. Monstrous Regiment

...and of course, should you need replacement copies and Hogswatch gift copies, all these, plus the rest of the Oeuvre of Pratchett, are available for purchase from https://discworld.com

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04) NIGEL PLANER AND THE UNABRIDGED AUDIOS OF DISCWORLD

Nigel Planer, beloved for his many acting roles and also known to Discworld fans as the man who has voiced almost half the Discworld unabridged audiobooks, has kindly given Wossname an exclusive look back at his work for the Pratchett oeuvre! Over to you, Mr P:

Listening back now to the Audio recordings I did of Discworld is strange. I don’t remember speaking so fast, too fast. But I suppose there was a lot to get through, my unabridged versions come out at an average of 9 or so hours each. It always seems to me they cut too much in abridged versions – almost two thirds of a book. Also, I don’t remember recording so many of them. I had to go online just now to find out exactly how many, and I counted 21.[1]

My favourites were Mort, Small Gods, Guards Guards... actually as I’m writing this I keep remembering others; Pyramids, Interesting Times, Witches Abroad. But to be honest they all merge into one experience in my head. They were recorded over a few years in the nineties, in a small studio on an industrial estate outside Oxford. The original publisher was named -rather unfortunately for them – Isis, after the river in Oxford. I would go up there and stay over a couple of nights – a book takes approximately two and half days. Long hours in a tiny booth, with my editor through the glass in the control room, using her eagle eye to make sure everything is getting down correctly and asking for retakes if necessary. Although in theory all you are doing is sitting and reading for eight hours, the process is physically tiring; the energy has to be up, the concentration total, and doing all the different voices generates more adrenaline than you might think.

Proper preparation for an audio book means studying the text in advance, marking it up for inflections and where to breathe, and practicing particularly hard sentences. I didn’t do any of that. It wasn’t just laziness, my feeling was that rather than do everything the proper way, it would be better to keep the comedy fresh. Things are funny when they take you by surprise, that’s what makes a joke. I wanted the readings to be as if I was in the room with you, just enjoying reading out loud to you. If that meant losing a little polish, then I felt it was worth sacrificing.

Of course, I did read the books in advance to check for any plot surprises – such as a mystery character turning out to be someone else at the end – and I did take notes. Important to know which character is speaking at any time, and how they’re going to talk.

To help me with this I had Stephen Briggs’ "The Discworld Companion", which I consulted frequently. And I compiled my own personal character voice list which grew and grew as the books mounted up. I’ve still got it in a box somewhere, it runs to tens of pages, but it wouldn’t make much sense to anyone else. Every character would have three entries by their name; firstly I would cast them, in other words, imagine who would play them if this were a film in my head. It didn’t have to be an actor, might be a friend or relative. So the first entry a character would have might say, for example; "Michael Gambon", or "my Uncle Geoff". The second entry would be something about the type of speech or accent to use; so it might say "posh Edinburgh", or "cocky car salesman". And the third entry would be something about the voice quality and rhythm itself, as in; "gravelly stammer", or "back of the throat, deep". So just as an example, and from memory, the Archchancellor might have an entry like; "John le Mesurier, Geography Teacher, high, wandering, nasal." Or Vimes might be; "Jack Dee, blocked nose, low growl cockney."

This little system was not failsafe, for instance when a Troll (Billy Connolly, Scottish, sibilant S) talks to a Dwarf, (Jeremy Irons, gruff Welsh, too much saliva) I could get in a Celtic muddle and wander off into something that ended up sounding vaguely Spanish[2]. But the worst trouble I got myself into was with Sgt Colon. The first book he appears in, he only has one scene, and I was running out of accents. My worst accent at the time was Northern Irish, so I thought, "I’ll do that, it’s only a few sentences, so, no problem." It was when I returned for the next book, and the next, and the next, that I realised I was stuck with it. I hope I got better at Northern Irish as the series went on. And I hope I did Colon, and Sir Terry justice.

– Nigel Planer, London 2021

[1] Editor's note: that's correct, according to Wikipedia!

[2] Don't be hard on the man, O Readers – after all, Mr Planer had been given no specific instructions as to what accents to use and hadn't been introduced to the Nac Mac Feegle yet!

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

05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

5.1 FORTHCOMING PLAYS

* MURDER IN ANKH-MORPORK IN ABINGDON (NOVEMBER 2021)

Stephen Briggs' new Discworld play is finally being staged... and already completely sold out! But there's always the possibility of people who can't make it: "We were amazed and delighted that the show has sold out so quickly (in under 9 hours!). We can't offer a listing for returns. Experience tells us that returns, if any, only get notified at the last minute – often only on the day of performance, when there simply isn't time to start asking around." Standard info is below in case a ticket becomes available...

When: 17th–20th November 2021
Venue: Unicorn Theatre, Checker Walk, Abingdon OX14 3JB
Time: evening performances at 19.30, plus a 14.30 matinee on Saturday 20th November

https://bit.ly/3n7BezG

* WYRD SISTERS IN ADELAIDE (NOVEMBER 2021)

The Unseen Theatre is back at last, starting this week! It's another round of old favourite Wyrd Sisters, starring Unseen's heart and soul (and producer) Pamela Munt as Granny Weatherwax, with the usual cast and crew (and Nullus Anxietas' Danny Sag as the Fool)!

When: 17th,18th,19th, 20th, 24th, 25th, 26th and 27th November 2021
Venue: Bakehouse Theatre, 255 Angas Street, Adelaide, South Australia 5000
Time: 7.30pm all performances
Tickets: $22 adult, $18 concessions, $16 groups of +6, available from https://bit.ly/3kvXbXr

unseen.com.au

...and a special message re Unseen Theatre's latest production, from Granny, I mean, Pamela, herself:

"So – we have had all sorts of problems with this Discworld version of the "Scottish Play". I mean what were we thinking? Were we so arrogant as to think that we would be exempt? If so – we have now been proven wrong! As far as the cast is concerned we have had all sorts of sickness, injuries, transport problems – in short everything that could contribute to an inability to get to rehearsals, and even if we did all get there, where were our lines, the crew, costumes, and props? And why did one of us have to take the term "break a leg" so literally?

"It's okay. Don't worry. Everything is under control! See you there!"

*HOGFATHER IN PERTH, FOURECKS (NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2021)

The Roleystone Theatre is doing another Discworld play – this time, the seasonally appropriate Hogfather!

"Adapted by Stephen Briggs and directed by Bradley Towton for Roleystone Theatre, the Discworld version of Santa Claus – known as the Hogfather – has gone missing... 'Hogfather shines a lantern onto the messier and more real side of the holiday, in a very unreal manner,' Bradley said. 'This is my fourth time directing a Pratchett play and, with the Christmas season rapidly approaching, I thought it would inject a nice amount of holiday cheer into the lives of Perth people. Hogfather is a very emotional piece in certain moments and can hit close to home at times. It just fits, as a capstone to the year we've all had.'"

When: 26th, 27th and 28th November and 2nd, 3rd and 4th December 2021
Venue: Roleystone Theatre, 587 Brookton Hwy, 6111 Roleystone, Western Australia
Time: 7.30pm all evening performances; 5pm matinee November 28th; 2pm December 4th
Tickets: $20 ($15 concession), available from www.trybooking.com/BUTQA

https://bit.ly/3qw2r17

5.2 REVIEWS

* CARPE JUGULUM IN BRISBANE, FOURECKS

By Edmund Tadros for Stage Diary:

"One of the problems with a play this well produced and acted is that it’s hard to pick out standout performances. For my money, it’s Greg Rowbotham’s Igor who is the scene-stealer. Throughout the play his comic timing as is perfect as he tries vainly to get the De Magpyrs to maintain vampire traditions. Another two actors who give standout performances are Katherine Kiogaard as Agnes and Lauren Dillon as her inner thin girl Perdita. Their constant bickering about what to do in each situation is by turns charming and amusing. The play also has very high production values with excellent costumes by Robyn Edwards and a simple and functional set design by Jackie Fraser. In addition Casey Moon-Watton provides appropriately cheesy music, in keeping with the light tone of the play. The direction, by Sally Daly, is slow at first but picks up pace halfway through the first act and doesn’t let up until the play ends. The Terry Pratchett story, adapted for the stage by Stephen Briggs, is entertaining and amusing but at three and a half hours (with only one intermission) is way too long. This problem is compounded by the parts of play with a disconcerting, and seemingly unnecessary, number of scene shifts. These are small problems though, for Carpe Jugulum is an amusing play that is well acted and very, very funny..."

https://bit.ly/3wFcbau

By Robyn Smith, on the Brisbane Arts Theatre's Facebook page:

"I went to see the delightful Carpe Jugulum on Saturday night and loved it all. The actors, all amateurs, gave us a good laugh and provided us with an evening of good fun. Callum Pulsford was deservedly a great favourite with the audience, showcasing his comedic skills. Apart from his perfectly timed delivery, he also entertained with his excellent physical comedy. He was a joy to watch. The five witches were simply wonderful. Each of them was so individual and followed her own journey trying to meet the challenges posed by the nasty vampires. It was inspirational to see these five actresses portray their characters’ doubts and uncertainties as they took their journey fighting against the vampires. I particularly enjoyed the standout performance by Caitlin Smith in her role as Mightily Oats. The sadness and distress she so poignantly portrayed were perfectly counter balanced by her superb comic timing. Overall, a wonderful evening with very memorable performances."

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06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

Confession: I *still* have no idea if any info on non-Fourecksian Discworld groups is up to date. What I do have is an update on the various Fourecksian Discworld fan groups, courtesy of the ever helpful Danny of Nullus Anxietas. As for the rest, up to date info from any Wossname readers out there would be greatly appreciated!

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group"
BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group at https://bit.ly/2YrPGW7

"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/373578522834654/

The Broken Vectis Drummers
broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) meets at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn when social gatherings are possible.

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum: http://www.discworldstamps.co.uk/forum/

FOURECKSIAN DISCWORLD GROUPS:

Adelaide – City of Small Gods Terry Pratchett Fan Club
http://www.cityofsmallgods.org.au
https://www.facebook.com/groups/cityofsmallgods/
https://discord.gg/3RVzsyJ
Regular events: Monthly dinners (when permitted!), Monthly crafty evenings on discord, regular book discussions, and occasional board game days. We also hold special events sometimes, such as picnics, Quiz Nights and outings to see Discworld plays.

Melbourne – Victorian Discworld Klatch
https://2022.ausdwcon.org/fan-clubs/melbourne/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch/
https://discord.com/invite/w5KPAaYH
Regular events: Monthly gatherings, board game days, crafternoons, movies, picnics, and more. We are also regulars at the various pop culture events around Victoria.

Sydney – Mended Drummers and Western Drummers
Mended Drummers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/downunderdrummers/
Western Drummers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/100376433635355/
Both groups get together monthly to chat over a few drinks, with subjects ranging far and wide, have a Discworld themed quiz and generally enjoy the company of fellow Discworld fans.

Brisbane – Pratchett Partisans
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/
Join us in and around Brisbane for regular Pratchett-inspired nights including Dining Around the Disc, board games arvos, Pratchett Picnics and Discworld Discussions. We also hold special events once or twice a year like themed parties, scavenger hunts and cocktail nights. Many of us also attend opening night of Brisbane Arts Theatre's Pratchett Productions in costume.

Perth – Treacle Mining Corporation
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/

Hobart – Purdeigh Islanders
https://www.facebook.com/groups/205967619882683/

Canberra – Drumknott's Irregulars
https://www.facebook.com/groups/824987924250161/

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07) HOGSWATCH MERCH TIME

* Socks!

"Grab all four pairs of Discworld socks before they walk off the shelves! Striking socks featuring Rob Anybody, Terry Pratchett, The Luggage and Rincewind!Four pairs of socks with instantly recognisable Discworld individuals... Guaranteed not to be devoured by sock-eating manifestations caused by excess amounts of belief."

Each set of officially licensed Discworld socks is priced at £22.50 and is available in UK Sizes 7–11. For more info, and to order, go to:

https://bit.ly/30faJ2z

* The Ultimate Discworld Companion!

"From The Colour of Magic to the Shepherd's Crown, The Ultimate Discworld Companion is your complete guide to the denizens, destinations and details of Terry Pratchett's Discworld, an essential encyclopaedia for the most detailed landscape in literature, comprehensively compiled by Stephen Briggs and illustrated by Paul Kidby! The Ultimate Discworld Companion is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Discworld's characters, concepts and countries from Ankh-Morpork to Zemphis and beyond. If you want help telling your watchman from your wizard, your Octarine from your Octavo or your Klatchian Coffee from your Peach Corniche then look no further, the Ultimate Discworld guide is THE authority on Terry Pratchett's beloved Discworld books!"

Each Ultimate Discworld Companion is priced at £25. For more info, and to order, go to:

https://bit.ly/3c5ocwr

...and for the more financially blessed among you, the Dunmanifestin edition of The Ultimate Discworld Companion is available for pre-order:

"Your ultimate guide to the entire Discworld from The Colour of Magic to The Shepherd’s Crown and everything in between! Presented in a beautiful slipcase and bound in an exclusive foil-embossed cover this spectacular edition includes more incredible content and extra artwork – plus an exclusive print with every pre-ordered copy! This definitive edition has been created by Discworld archivist, playwright and cartographer Stephen Briggs with master illustrator Paul Kidby, and manifested by Dunmanifestin, the official publishing house for the works of Terry Pratchett. PLEASE NOTE, THIS INCREDIBLE PUBLICATION IS STILL IN THE PROCESS OF BEING CREATED, SO CONTENTS MAY BE SUBJECT TO a BIT OF CHANGE HERE AND THERE AS THE PROJECT EVOLVES."

Each Dunmanifestin edition of The Ultimate Discworld Companion is priced at £150 and will be published on 28th April (Sir Pterry's birthdate) 2022. For more info, and to pre-order, go to:

https://bit.ly/3olM4Si

* Puzzles!

There are three new Discworld puzzles – Twas the Night Before Hogswatch, the Ankh-Morpork Post Office, and The Chalk – added to the extant seven puzzles. All puzzles consist of 1,000 pieces and each puzzle is priced at £ 19.50. For more info, and to order, go to:

https://www.discworldemporium.com/35-games-activities

...and there's a selection of t-shirts and such – https://bit.ly/3n9pVqR – and figurines – https://bit.ly/3DcvrOS – to complete your Hogswatch shopping madness. Happy commercialism to one and all! Ho! Ho! Ho!

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08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

The Boys are back in (London) town! A few looks at Good Omens 2, currently filming in the land of the Feegles:
https://bit.ly/3qqQb22

https://bit.ly/3n55R94

https://bit.ly/30nJK59

Also, the (in)famous Crowley hair, as tweeted by Georgia Tennant:
https://bit.ly/2YF1oR7

...and the ineffably bleached Aziraphale hair, as tweeted by Michael Sheen:
https://bit.ly/30sgv0W

Unseen Theatre's Pamela Munt makes a very believable Granny Weatherwax:
https://bit.ly/3c2n5O0

...and a stunning representation of Elf queen Nightshade, by Paul Kidby, for the forthcoming Dunmanifestin edition of the Ultimate Discworld Companion: https://bit.ly/3F7AqRE

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09) CLOSE

...and that's it for November. Take care, mind how you go, and we'll see you next month!

– Annie Mac

Copyright (c) 2021 by Wossname for the Klatchian Foreign Legion

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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

comments

NEWSFLASH: a wizard wants your help!

2021-11-07T20:37:10Z

Hands up who remembers Mr Sideney, the wizardly locksmith in Sky TV's famous adaptation of Hogfather? Or the equally wizardly Arch Astronomer of Krull in Sky's equally famous adaptation of The Colour of Magic?

How about the chap who voiced all those Discworld audiobooks - twenty-one of them, to be precise? And provided the voice of the Auditors in the aforementioned Hogfather telly-film?

That's right, it's UK comedy legend Nigel Planer, beloved for almost forty years for iconic roles including Neil of The Young Ones, David Castle of King and Castle, Ralph Filthy of Filthy Rich and Catflap, Blackadder the Third's Lord Smedley, and many others not to mention years of superb work in many roles for The Comic Strip Presents.

Here be a few of those roles, to tickle your memories:

Mr Planer has also written a number of plays and books. Which brings us to today's subject:

A WIZARD WANTS YOUR HELP!!!

To quote the man himself: "I've written a time-travel comedy book which is currently crowd funding with the publisher Unbound. It's called Jeremiah Bourne in Time and is a new and sideways look at time travelling, with many eccentric characters. I'm hoping to put the word out to people who I reckon will like it. There are many homages to Sir T inside."

Jeremiah Bourne in Time is already a third of the way to meeting the necessary total, so would you like to join the legions of Discworld fans and pitch in a few Ankh-Morpork dollars (or your local Roundworld currency) to help it along? Of course you would! So...

CLICK HERE for the link to the Unbound crowdfunding page!

The page includes an explanatory/promotional video which I promise you is well worth watching! Not least because as wonderful a job Paul Kaye did a few years ago representing Sir Terry himself in the BBC documentary Terry Pratchett: Back in Black, Nigel Planer channels The Author even more eerily in the above promo. Must be the influence of voicing all those Discworld books...

So yes, please do trot along to the page and support Jeremiah Bourne in Time. Your Editor already has done - and is quite certain that were Sir Terry still with us, he'd have been among the first to do so!

p.s. Wossname will resume regular publication next week. Plenty of news to share...

comments

Wossname – July-August 2021 – Main issue

2021-08-20T04:44:40Z

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
July--August 2021 (Volume 24, Issue 7-8, Post 1)

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

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

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INDEX:

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

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

“For the whole of my life since I was nine years old I have enjoyed words… Words turn us from monkeys into me. We make them, change them, trace them around, eat them and live by them - they are workhorses, carrying any burden, and their usage is the skill of the author’s trade, hugely versatile; there are times when the wrong word is the right word, and times when words can be manipulated so that silence shouts. Their care, feeding and indeed breeding is part of the craft of which I am a journeyman.”
– Sir Pterry, in an address he gave at Trinity College Dublin, 2010

"Terry's not here any longer, but when he was, we had talked about what we wanted to do with ‘Good Omens,’ and where the story went next. And now, thanks to BBC Studios and Amazon, I get to take it there."
– Neil Gaiman

"The presence of those seeking the truth is infinitely to be preferred to the presence of those who think they’ve found it."
– Monstrous Regiment

"Perhaps [the gods] do exist. I want to know why they act as if they don't."
– Mau, in Nation

"I don’t know what Terry Pratchett’s view on the gender politics of 2021 would be. No one does. The much-beloved Discworld author died in 2015."
– author Marc Burrows

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

Back in June, I said here that "I never thought that by June of 2021 I would still be publishing Wossname in the middle of a pandemic, but here we are." And indeed here we are still, with the Delta variant of Covid-19 sweeping across the world, including in Fourecks where its rapid spread has initiated a new set of nationwide lockdowns. Can we have 2022 now please? A 2022 where this virus has finally eased down, if not disappeared?

*

Good Omens has been greenlit for a second series. Read about it in item 3.0 below!

*

Much is being made of a certain "Twitter war", and both Good Omens co-author Neil Gaiman and Pratchett the Younger have taken it on themselves to join in. Of all that has been written about this incident, you might find the views of Marc Burrows, award-winning author of biography The Magic of Terry Pratchett, most intelligent and nuanced (and if you're not into intelligence and nuance, why on earth are you a Discworld fan, eh?); his essay is featured in item 3.8 below. And while we're at it, always remember that the most obvious and honest takeaway from Sir Pterry's characters and stories is essentially that it's best to let people be themselves, so long as "being themselves" doesn't harm society at large. Oh, and don't treat people as things.

By the way, did I mention that Marc Burrows' biography "The Magic of Terry Pratchett" won the 2021 Locus Award for non-fiction? Well, it did. Congratulations, Marc!

*

The passing of a wizard: vale Wymondham town crier Pete Green, who died in a house fire in June: "The former town crier was a stalwart of Wymondham, serving as a town councillor for the last three years of his life, in a political party of his own founding. He worked as an incense trader and a bookbinder, organised local steampunk events and regularly enjoyed re-enactment events. And it was through these that he struck up a friendship with author Terry Pratchett, providing inspiration for the character Archchancellor Ridcully in the Discworld saga..."

https://bit.ly/2W3gz4E

*

Now this from a very pleased Good Omens director Douglas Mackinnon: "1,000,000 views for our lockdown scene on YouTube. Not bad for something made in a kitchen, an attic, a spare room and a library." https://bit.ly/3CTaAkc

For those of you who might want to see it again: https://bit.ly/3xXdqAO

And now, on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) ODDS AND SODS

3.0 GOOD OMENS NEWS: HERE WE GO AGAIN... MINUS SIR PTERRY'S INPUT

So here we are, two years on from the original release of the Good Omens miniseries, and it's now confirmed that the second series millions of people wanted is officially a "go". First, here be an extract from original source material co-writer Neil Gaiman's take on it:

"Terry was clear on what he wanted from Good Omens on the telly. He wanted the story told, and if that worked, he wanted the rest of the story told. So, once Good Omens the TV series had been released by Amazon and the BBC, to global acclaim, many awards and joy, So in September 2017 I sat down in St James' Park, beside the director, Douglas Mackinnon, on a chair with my name on it, as Showrunner of Good Omens. The chair slowly and elegantly lowered itself to the ground underneath me and fell apart, and I thought, that's not really a good omen. Fortunately, under Douglas's leadership, that chair was the only thing that collapsed.

"Rob Wilkins (Terry's representative on Earth) and I had the conversation with the BBC and Amazon about doing some more. And they got very excited. We talked to Michael Sheen and David Tennant about doing some more. They also got very excited. We told them a little about the plot. They got even more excited. I'd been a fan of John Finnemore's for years, and had had the joy of working with him on a radio show called With Great Pleasure, where I picked passages I loved, had amazing readers read them aloud and talked about them. I asked John if he'd be willing to work with me on writing the next round of Good Omens, and was overjoyed when he said yes. We have some surprise guest collaborators too. And Douglas Mackinnon is returning to oversee the whole thing with me. So that's the plan. We've been keeping it secret for a long time (mostly because otherwise my mail and Twitter feeds would have turned into gushing torrents of What Can You Tell Us About It? long ago) but we are now at the point where sets are being built in Scotland (which is where we're shooting, and more about filming things in Scotland soon), and we can't really keep it secret any longer..."

https://bit.ly/3m8AuKB

And a smattering of the rest...

From the BBC Media Centre:

"The second season of the six-part humorous fantasy drama will begin filming later this year in Scotland and will premiere on Amazon Prime Video in 240 countries and territories around the world at a later date. The new season will explore storylines that go beyond the original source material to illuminate the uncanny friendship between Aziraphale, a fussy angel and rare book dealer, and the fast-living demon Crowley... Neil Gaiman continues as executive producer and will co-showrun along with executive producer Douglas Mackinnon who will also return to direct. Rob Wilkins, John Finnemore and BBC Studios Productions’ Head of Comedy Josh Cole will also executive produce with Finnemore serving as co-writer alongside Gaiman. Good Omens is based on the well-loved and internationally bestselling novel ‘Good Omens’ by Terry Pratchett (Hogfather) and Gaiman. The new season is produced by multi-award winning BBC Studios Productions alongside Amazon Studios, Narrativia and The Blank Corporation... Douglas Mackinnon says: 'Taking Good Omens to my home country of Scotland to film a second season is an exciting dream come true for me. And with Michael Sheen and David Tennant returning as Aziraphale and Crowley, we really have an angel and a demon on our side.' Rob Wilkins says: 'Terry and Neil always knew that Crowley and Aziraphale wouldn’t remain content to appear in only one story, and long harboured plans to expand upon their adventures. David and Michael’s stellar performances made this an absolute necessity. Terry would have been delighted with how they brought their characters to life, and just as delighted as I am that a second season is now underway.' Michael Sheen says: 'Personally I’m against it, but the world isn’t going to just save itself, is it? If David and I can manage to not fall out too badly this time it may even have a chance of getting finished.' David Tennant says: 'The return of Good Omens is great news for me, personally. As I get to work with Michael again, and I get to say Neil’s wonderful words once more. It’s probably less good for the universe as it almost certainly means there will be some fresh existential threat to its existence to deal with, but, you know - swings and roundabouts...'..."

https://bbc.in/37QT01H

From Guardian journalist Alison Flood, a longtime Pratchett enthusiast:

"There are concerns out there about the fact that, unlike the first season, there is no published source material for the second. But Gaiman, who is staying on as executive producer and co-showrunner, has said the sequel will follow a storyline he and Pratchett dreamed up back in 1989, while they were attending a convention in Seattle and sharing a hotel room in order to save money. It was the middle of the night, recounts Gaiman, and neither of them could sleep... The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, felt pretty wrapped up at the end of Good Omens, in both the book and show. But I’m not averse to finding out what happened next. As Gaiman has pointed out, we’ll also be discovering what happened before. And the world most definitely needs more of Crowley and Aziraphale... Pratchett might not have a direct hand in this new series, but Rob Wilkins, who manages the Pratchett estate, has said the late author would have been delighted that a second season is under way..."

https://bit.ly/3y3u8id

From popculture site ScreenRant:

"The existence of 668: The Neighbor of the Beast had been confirmed in earlier interviews by both Neil Gaiman and Sir Terry Pratchett. As such, there's no reason to believe that Gaiman is now lying about having a story worked out, just as new fans are clamoring for a follow-up to the Good Omens series despite its quite definitive ending. Given that, and Gaiman's own track record for being choosy when it comes to whom he allows to adapt his work into television or film, there is every reason to believe that Good Omens season 2 will honor Pratchett's legacy and be written in a tone consistent with his oeuvre. The fan fears about a Good Omens sequel being nothing more than a cynical cash-grab are easy to understand, given the disastrous premiere of The Watch earlier this year... The series was roundly condemned by Sir Terry's family, friends, and fans..."

https://bit.ly/3yYx6Wk

3.1 ABOMINABLE SNOW BABY NEWS

More news about the upcoming 30-minute animated film of The Abominable Snow Baby. I think this includes updates. Apologies for pandemic brain if I've featured this before...

Channel 4 has announced a trio of top stars to head up their high-profile Christmas 2021 animated special Terry Pratchett’s The Abominable Snow Baby produced by Eagle Eye Drama, the production company recently launched by the team behind global drama brand Walter Presents, in association with Narrativia, the independent production company, launched in 2012 by one of Britain’s most illustrious and well-loved authors, Sir Terry Pratchett... Screen legend and comedy icon Julie Walters (Harry Potter, Mamma Mia, Paddington) will star as the voice of fearless ‘Granny’, whilst Hugh Dancy (Black Hawk Down, Ella Enchanted, Hannibal, Downton Abbey 2) will take on the role of her courageous grandson ‘Albert’ with narration from ‘Homeland’ star David Harewood (Homeland, Supergirl, Blood Diamond)... Created with traditional hand drawn animation techniques to capture the timeless nature of Terry Pratchett’s story, The Abominable Snow Baby is part of a long and established tradition of Channel 4’s animated Christmas specials such as The Snowman, The Tiger Who Came to Tea, and last year’s Quentin Blake’s Clown. Channel 4 Head of Drama, Caroline Hollick said: 'Channel 4’s original Christmas animation has become a real highlight over the years and this year will be no exception. I’m delighted Julie Walters, Hugh Dancy and David Harewood will be bringing to life this wonderful, funny and moving yuletide tale. I know it’s only July but with this amazing cast line up I can hardly wait….it’s definitely going to be a merry Terry Christmas.'"

To read all the details available so far, go to:

https://narrativia.com/snowbaby.html

3.2 UNSEEN THEATRE: SADLY, SOON NO LONGER SEEN?

The Bakehouse Theatre in Adelaide, South Australia, home of the Unseen Theatre and a "stalwart of the local theatre scene for many years", has been bought by unsympathetic new owners and will close next year. As reported by Suzie Keen for InReview:

"New owners took over the building last year, and founder and creative producer Peter Green tells InReview the theatre has been negotiating for some time to try to extend its tenancy, but without success. 'It’s gut wrenching in some respects,' he said. 'I’m most sad that it won’t be a theatre any more. To me it’s a great little venue and it’s perfect for independent theatre makers to be able to do shows and be in the city, not to mention the Fringe program every year. I’m sad for all the people who have used the theatre and would have continued to want to use the theatre.' Green established Bakehouse Theatre in 1998, with its name a nod to the building’s early use as a bakery from 1890... [Pamela] Munt's Unseen Theatre Company, which specialises in Discworld plays by UK author Terry Pratchett, is Bakehouse's resident company, and a wide range of other theatre groups also regularly use the venue, including local companies STARC Productions and Joh Hartog Productions... It’s not known what the new owners plan to do with the site at 255 Angas Street..."

https://bit.ly/2Xy9TMV

Editor's note: Agnes isn't ready to sing yet, though! Unseen Theatre expects to continue its legendary run of Discworld plays with a new production of Wyrd Sisters in November.

3.3 PAUL KIDBY NEWS

From the Discworld artist's newsletter:

"In the studio we are in the very final stages of preparing The Ultimate Discworld Companion which has a deadline with our publishers Gollancz next week. There are 300 illustrations overall, with 41 new drawings, including Blind Io, Ruby, Horace the Cheese and many more. The text has been painstakingly edited to hunt down any gremlins that were lurking. Our trusty editor for this edition, (and all the previous books I have worked on recently), is my clever sister, who has a PhD in Biochemistry, studied Russian for fun and is a whizz when it comes to punctuation, categorization and grammar because her career was spent editing science books for the Oxford University Press. She sent me my very first Discworld book, The Colour of Magic, so, all in all, has played an integral part in my career one way and another. Lin is now retired to a remote Welsh farmhouse and when she is not in her polytunnel or battling slugs and the elements, (mostly rain), she corrects our copy with her exacting eagle eye. This edition runs to approx. 440 pages, (with around 300 illustrations), so it has been no mean feat."

and

"Seven Stories, The National Centre for Children’s Books in Newcastle opened their doors last week to their new exhibition Once There Was Magic [https://www.sevenstories.org.uk/exhibitions/once-there-was-magic] ... 'In this magical hour-long experience, you will journey through the Wild Woods where fiery portals offer a glimpse into the magical worlds of Cressida Cowell, J. K. Rowling, Terry Pratchett, Philip Pullman, and many more.' Some of my drawings are on show and a bronze of my favourite Nac Mac Feegle."

3.4 A JOURNEY TO ANKH-MORPORK... OR AT LEAST, TO ITS EMBASSY

As mentioned in the June issue of Wossname, the Discworld Emporium, home of the Cunning Artificer and his team and also the site of Ankh-Morpork's Roundworld embassy, has closed its doors "for the foreseeable future" to concentrate on online commerce. But during its twenty-year history as a bricks-and-mortar enterprise, the Emporium was a Mecca of sorts for Discworld fans all over the world, with many planning their holidays to include a "pilgrimage" to the famous shop. In 2018, fan Robert Armour was one of them. Over to reporter Rebecca Cook at Somerset Live:

"Robert Armour travelled to the Wincanton shop in 2018 while on a cycle tour with friends. After passing through Basingstoke, Bristol and Wells, the group headed to Salisbury, then stopped at the Discworld Emporium. Mr Armour said: 'My memory of the shop is buying some rather spiffing librarian themed socks, chatting to the staff and sending an anonymous postcard "from Ankh-Morpork" to a friend who is also a fan.' When asked why they decided to stop at the Wincanton haunt, he said, 'Why wouldn't you - it's legendary! Anybody who has read a Discworld book would feel the pull towards the hub.'..."

https://bit.ly/2XzuSyU

3.5 PRATCHETT BOOK CLUB UPDATES

On the website of publishers Tor, Emmet Asher-Perrin continues a Discworld discussion page. This time it's the wrap-up of Moving Pictures, and the start of Reaper Man.

Part five of Moving Pictures:

"There’s a lot to be said for the idea of using the Discworld as a distant sort of frame to highlight what makes movie magic different from magical magic. This also falls into the realm of what makes stories magic in general, while highlighting certain things about film that are particular to the art form itself—convenience, nick-of-time heroics, the shiny-ness of it all. And, of course, the idea of belief (or in this case, the suspension of disbelief), which is something that Pratchett comes back to in his work over and over. And that’s a beautiful thought to end this book on, in fact: If our beliefs create reality, then, in their own particular way, movies must be a little bit real. No matter how unreal they are from a purely scientific standpoint...the decision to have Gaspode go back to his old life once the Holy Wood magic wears off puts me in mind of a particular Hollywood choice that always infuriated me: If you’ve ever watched Breakfast at Tiffany’s, you know that there’s a very important cat which serves as a sort of metaphor: Holly Golightly insists that she doesn’t belong to the cat and he doesn’t belong to her, signaling her determination to refuse roots and stability in her life. The film ends with her having a breakdown over the idea of letting the cat go; she is forced to admit to her lover that she does want a committed relationship, the same way she wants to keep the cat. Thing is, if you’ve ever read the Truman Capote novella that the film is based on, you know that’s not how the story goes. In the book, Holly sticks to her belief that she and the cat don’t belong to each other… and unsurprisingly, she and narrator do not end up happily ever after together. The point being that Pratchett has, quite pointedly, provided a perfect breaking point in the Holy Wood magic in Gaspode's reversion. Gaspode goes back to a life where he belongs to himself, and is largely content with that fact. The parallels are striking here, at least to my brain..."

https://www.tor.com/2021/07/09/terry-pratchett-book-club-moving-pictures-part-v/

Part one of Reaper Man;

"The thing that’s great about Reaper Man as a second book about Death is that where Mort was about the idea of Death having a family, Reaper Man is essentially a book about Death as a broad-reaching concept that permeates every facet of reality. Everything dies, and all sentient creatures are aware of that fact, and that knowledge holds a constant, niggling spot in our consciousness (or subconscious). So this book is devoted to considering the many different ways that we talk and think about and personify Death. Which is sort of like Pratchett taking a flashlight to the back of his own skull, really... The Bursar’s aside remembering Hogswatch Eve is, of course, extremely ironic to read if you know what’s coming for Death down the line—but moreover, it lays the groundwork for Hogfather effortlessly. (I’m guessing because Hogfather wasn’t conceived yet; I’d imagine that this aside got written and then earmarked for later as something to expound upon, et voilà.) We’re rounding the corner on one of Pratchett’s central pieces of mythos as an author and a thinker, how humans catalogue and construct rules and meanings to order reality, and how that is probably more relevant to human experience than anything else about us. Recognizing this link between waiting for the Hogfather and waiting for Death to arrive is key string linking these thoughts together..."

https://www.tor.com/2021/07/16/terry-pratchett-book-club-reaper-man-part-i/

Part two:

"I think that Terry Pratchett is an incredible writer or I wouldn’t be here doing this. He has created created a literal world full of stories and characters that many people love the world over, and so many of those tales are worth recounting and sharing and dissecting. But the Death books are always the ones that make me cry. There’s a certain obviousness about that, I suppose, because the character is designed in such a way that he confronts most of life’s biggest questions and conundrums and hardships. In effect, Pratchett’s Death stories are always about life and the meaning we infuse it with. Death stories are about the little things that mean everything in our specifically human view. They are also largely as philosophical, as sentimental, even arguably as religious as Pratchett ever gets. And I say that because I truly do believe that many fantasy authors create their own versions of faith through their writing, and in some ways, I think that Death is who Pratchett believes in. I think he proves it over and over again with these books, and there’s something deeply personal about that. I suppose I also wonder if Death is really the closest we get to Pratchett’s heart... One of the other ways that Death stories function is via their ability to take note of the many ways that most humans bog down their lives in vagaries and social rules that on the surface make no sense at all. Death devotes a considerable amount of time to trying to glean what people actually mean beneath what they’re saying..."

https://www.tor.com/2021/07/23/terry-pratchett-book-club-reaper-man-part-ii/

Part three:

"I do appreciate from the worldbuilding standpoint that Pratchett explains, even in the vaguest terms, that people can share or give away life to others, even if he doesn’t explain how or why. Just to make sense of little Sal existing jointly on Death’s hourglass, even a little. It doesn’t take much! Things don’t always need to be over-explained, just given enough space on the page to make it clear that the author isn’t ignoring it... While Windle and his Fresh Start pals are supposed to get more focus in the narrative due to being an allegory for minority rights groups (which sort of works? But is also kinda pointless here?), I’m afraid I’m stuck on Ridcully and the wizards deciding that destroying a compost heap makes them “mean” now, and that promptly backfiring as their curse words come to life..."

https://www.tor.com/2021/07/30/terry-pratchett-book-club-reaper-man-part-iii/

...and to finish, part four:

"I do like Windle’s arc in the story, and the idea that a person might find their “people” and purpose even after their life has ended. We really can’t know when things will find us, the defining moments, actions, and people who will make them up. And sometimes it happens after you’d prefer it—I remember feeling unbearably lonely while studying abroad and suddenly finding a great group of friends in my last few weeks there, while doing an archaeological dig. Was it sad that it happened so late in the game? Of course. Would I have traded those weeks for anything? Absolutely not. Sometimes the important bits are fleeting, or come in right at the end, and that’s not a bad thing. It’s just a weird facet of life and time. I think a lot, as a reader and a writer, about how time affects story. People have said that “happily ever after” is all about when you end a tale, and that’s certainly true, but there’s a bigger issue at work here—that when you widen your scope (whether through distance or time), you can see how small any given story really is. It’s a drop in the bucket, every time, no matter how dire the stakes, no matter how many fates held in the balance. Sometimes expanding that scope too far can make the smaller stories feel… not necessarily meaningless so much as baffling. You get the reminder that you’ve invested a great deal of brainspace, energy, even love, into something quite tiny..."

3.6 THE MERCH CORNER

Shiny things! Lovely necklaces based on the Tiffany Aching series, all now back in stock!

* Tiffany's Hare necklace!

"The hare measures 50mm across, chain length 18ins. Designed exclusively for Discworld.com by Tom Lynall. Now redesigned and looking absolutely stunning, the hare has leaped back into stock just in time for the launch of The Shepherd’s Crown. A breathtaking reproduction of Tiffany’s hare necklace, this elegant boxed necklace is available in both silver and gold plate. The perfect gift for all would-be witches."

Each gold necklace is priced at £55. Each silver necklace is priced at £45. For more info, and to order, go to:

https://discworld.com/products/hare-pendants/

* Tiffany's White Horse necklace!

"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 tail to head, chain 18 inches. Designed exclusively for Discworld.com by Tom Lynall."

Each White Horse necklace is priced at £45. For more info, and to order, go to:

https://bit.ly/3yWbxFP

* The Shepherd's Crown necklace!

"Celebrate the conclusion of her journey with this beautiful necklace, featuring ornate hand-crafted charms, each representing elements from the Tiffany Aching series. A finely detailed silver shepherd’s crown, a gold plated honey bee and a delicate blue stone, mounted in silver, representing the flowers and butterflies of the chalk."

Each Shepherd's Crown necklace is priced at £60. For more info, and to order, go to:

https://bit.ly/3slvkfi

3.7 BRITAIN'S REACTION TO "THE WATCH"

Yes, The Watch finally aired on its home ground, so to speak. Here be a representative review, by James Walton for The Spectator:

"Science-fiction drama The Watch is a BBC production with quite a starry cast (Anna Chancellor and James Fleet among them) and an expensive-looking steam-punk set. It was broadcast in America earlier this year and has been on iPlayer for a few weeks. So why has it taken until now for it to appear on BBC2 — and in the traditionally quiet TV month of August? After seeing the first two episodes on Thursday, it wasn’t hard to form a hypothesis: because it’s terrible. The show is loosely based on characters created by Terry Pratchett — which cunningly ensures that it’ll have a ready-made audience of Pratchett fans and, less cunningly, that they’ll hate it for the liberties it takes. But even for those of us who don’t know our Pratchett so well, The Watch is an obvious mess: clumsy in its storytelling and tonally all over the place, with an uneasy mix of solemnity and mostly feeble jokes. Above all, Richard Dormer’s central performance is an eye-popping, eyebrow-wiggling, head-swivelling, neck-stretching display of hamminess rarely seen on screen since the days of James Finlayson in Laurel and Hardy..."

https://bit.ly/3g8J2gC

3.8 STORMS, TEACUPS, AND WHAT THE AUTHOR NEVER SAID

A long and insightful essay by Pratchett biographer Marc Burrows in The New Statesman:

"Pratchett’s name was invoked after a Twitter user went viral on 30 July for claiming that 'the GCs' (Gender Criticals – a name adopted by those arguing against some trans rights on the basis of biological sex) “are trying to recruit Terry Pratchett posthumously”. The Gender Criticals’ argument seemed to be that Pratchett’s down-to-earth style and indomitable and expertly drawn female characters suggest the author would have been sympathetic to their views... I revisited all 60 of his novels and read hundreds of articles and interviews when researching my biography of Terry Pratchett. Even with all of that swimming around my head I wouldn’t dream of second guessing his views on this issue, and not just because predicting the opinions of someone who has been dead for six years is a fairly pointless exercise. The way he approached social issues in his books evolved over time... Indeed, many of his jokes and stories take aim at PC culture, like the “Campaign For Equal Heights” that advocates for rights for dwarves and gnomes but is mostly run by over-earnest humans, or the undead activist Reg Shoe, who goes to cemeteries to beg his fellow corpses to “not take it lying down”. Back on Earth, rather than the Discworld, the teenage protagonists of 1993’s Johnny and the Dead struggle to make sense of a world where acceptable language is always changing: “you're not allowed to call them dinosaurs anymore,” says one. “You have to call them pre-petroleum persons”. And yet, as Pratchett’s writing became more sophisticated, the analogies and ideas became more nuanced... We cannot know Pratchett’s views on the gender wars, but we can assume they would be insightful, compassionate and wise. He knew that people were nuanced and complicated, messy and changeable, that there are no simple answers, no meaning of life..."

https://bit.ly/3m8EPgR

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04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

4.1 FORTHCOMING PLAYS

*MORT IN SUBURBAN MELBOURNE, FOURECKS (SEPTEMBER 2021... OR NOT)

"How good is it to see Fourecksian Discworld productions getting back to normal?", it said here in the previous issue. But pandemic-related issues meant it had to be rescheduled to early September. However, with the current Greater Melbourne lockdown extended until at least 2nd September, things have changed once again. TryBooking still has tickets listed for Friday 10th September and Saturday 18th September but the links don't work, and Mort is not to be found amongst the Basin Theatre's current and forthcoming listings, so it seems likely that this production has been cancelled for now.

* CARPE JUGULUM IN BRISBANE (SEPTEMBER–NOVEMBER 2021)

Brisbane Arts Theatre is still set for their production of Carpe Jugulum to open next month... but again, in the current Delta outbreak, things can change rapidly.

"In this life there are givers and takers. It’s safe to say that vampires are very much in the latter camp... It’s common sense not to invite vampires into your home (unless you want a permanent house guest, that is) – however the King of Lancre has invited the city’s newest fanged residents to celebrate the birth of his daughter… and they have no intention of leaving… ever. As the residents of Lancre are about to discover – it’ll take a lot more than garlic and crucifixes to take back their home."

When: 11th September–6th November 2021
Venue: Brisbane Arts Theatre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane, Queensland 4000
Time: Fridays and Saturdays 8pm, select Thursdays 7:30pm, select Sundays 6:30pm (check calendar when booking)
Tickets: $36 (concessions/groups $29, Student Rush $16; $2 transaction fee applies), available online via https://aubat.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/5866

https://www.artstheatre.com.au/productions/carpe-jugulum/

* MURDER IN ANKH-MORPORK IN ABINGDON (NOVEMBER 2021)

Stephen Briggs' new Discworld play is finally on the cards to be staged! "

The principal city on Discworld is protected by the multiverse's most diverse police force. But a new threat is emerging - the Disc's first and only firearm. The Gonne. Terry's friend and collaborator, Stephen Briggs, got special permission to put together an affectionate mash-up incorporating characters and bits from Guards! Guards!, Thud! and Feet of Clay, woven respectfully into the core plot of Men at Arms.

"16 November 2021 marks 50 years of Terry as a published author. By a delightful coincidence, the revised dates for our delayed Discworld play – MURDER IN ANKH-MORPORK – are the same week as that anniversary. 'The Carpet People' was published on 16 November 1971. And on 17-20 November 2021, we will be staging a celebration of Terry's work – featuring some of his best-loved characters – the Ankh-Morpork's City Watch. We are delighted that the show will be officially sponsored by Terry's Estate."

When: 17th – 20th November 2021
Venue: Unicorn Theatre, Checker Walk, Abingdon OX14 3JB
Time: evening performances at 19.30, plus a 14.30 matinee on Saturday
20th November
Tickets: £12, available for purchase from 14th September – keep an eye
here for details!

https://www.studiotheatreclub.com/murder-in-ankh-morpork

* WYRD SISTERS IN ADELAIDE (NOVEMBER 2021)

The Unseen Theatre is planning another Pratchett production! This time it's a return to Wyrd Sisters, with performances scheduled for 17th,18th,19th, 20th, 24th, 25th, 26th and 27th November 2021. However, please note that due to the ongoing Delta outbreak, it's worth waiting to see what happens...

unseen.com.au

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05) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

Remember, one day, possibly in the not too distant future, Discworld fans will be able to meet in the real Roundworld again. So keep this information handy! Also note there are a few updates below... [Confession: I've no idea if any of this is up to date. Will try to determine if I can manage it – Ed.]

A new Fourecksian meeting group joins the gang: the Purdeigh Islanders, based in Hobart, Tasmania. "Purdeigh (or Purdee) Island lies hubwards of Fourecks. Roundworld islanders are fans of the great Sir Terry Pratchett resident in Tasmania, the island state of Australia."

The Purdeigh Islanders is a private group. To join in, go to their Facebook page and see if they'll have you!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/205967619882683/

*

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group"
BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group at https://bit.ly/2YrPGW7

NOTE: the Drummers are still meeting occasionally via Zoom. Check out the above link for updates!

*

Drumknott's Irregulars
Facebook https://bit.ly/31FlSrq or Google Groups https:groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars or join us at our next event."

*

The Victorian Discworld Klatch
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch

*

"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/373578522834654/

*

The Pratchett Partisans
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au

*

The City of Small Gods
www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

"What are we doing while we're stuck at home due to COVID-19? Given that our normal social gatherings can't happen while everyone's under lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are instead trying to host regular activities and discussions online. Most of these will be done via our Discord Server – https://discord.gg/3RVzsyJ – which has several text chat channels and a few voice chat channels as well. We will still use our Facebook group – https://facebook.com/groups/cityofsmallgods – to coordinate scheduled events. When things get back to normal... (semi-) regular social meetings are generally held on the last Thursday of the month at a pub or restaurant in Adelaide. We have dinner at 6.30pm followed by games until 9pm.

"We'll try to keep this page up to date (no promises!) but always check emails on the mailing list or our Facebook Group for further details of these events."

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers
broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) meets at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn when social gatherings are possible.

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum: http://www.discworldstamps.co.uk/forum/

*

Sydney now hosts two groups of fans who meet on a regular basis.

In the CBD, The Mended Drummers (Sydney) meet on the first Monday of each month at Albion Place Hotel from 6.00pm. Join the Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/downunderdrummers/ – for more information.

And over in the western suburbs of Sydney you can find the Western Drummers who meet on the third Tuesday of each month at the Nepean Rowers Club from 6pm. Join their Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/100376433635355/ – for more information.

All we do is chat over a few drinks, with subjects ranging far and wide, have a Discworld themed quiz and generally enjoy the company of fellow discworld fans. Sometimes we end up getting together for a Zombie Walk, table top games or Supanova - nothing formal, just a loose group of like minded people.

Editor's note: If either of these supersedes the Sydney Drummers, please let Wossname know! Still posting the original for now: Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder)
Contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers https://bit.ly/2EKSCqu – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>

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

06) ROUNDWORLD TALES: NATION'S NAVIGATION

Wayfinding – the use of homemade sea charts constructed of sticks, leaves, shells, pebbles and similar materials to aid long-ago Pacific peoples to find their way from island to island – would have been the navigation aid of choice for Mau's people in Nation. We "trousermen" find our way using maps and compasses (and these days, GPS), but Polynesian wayfinders were navigating with precision by the movements of waves, wind, skies and seabirds over 3,000 years ago, to discover and settle more than 1,000 scattered islands across the Polynesian Triangle between New Zealand, Hawaii and Easter Island. With the coming of European colonialism, wayfinding was suppressed and eventually almost lost as a branch of knowledge; but in modern times, it's experienced a resurgence – and one of the most famous traditional wayfinders was called – wait for it – Mau!

The Marshallese, or people of Majol, used stick charts for navigation. These charts were first described to Europeans by the missionary LH Gulick: "These maps consist of small sticks tied together in straight or curved lines, intended to represent the currents or waves to be met, while the islands are to be found at certain points where these lines meet." But the Marshallese stick charts are more of an illustration of the interaction between ocean and land than a set map. According to anthropologist Adrienne Kaeppler, curved sticks indicate where swells go around an island, while short straight ones indicate currents near those islands, which are represented by cowrie shells. Unlike the maps and compasses that accompanied European sailors, these stick charts weren't taken on voyages; rather, they were used to tutor sailors on land, to be memorised before they began their voyages. According to the Marshallese, there are four main types of ocean swells: rilib, kaelib, bungdockerik and bundockeing. Each type represents a different effect of the interaction between land and sea and was shown on stick charts by different shapes and lengths of sticks and leaves.

The modern resurgence of traditional wayfinding began in 1976 with the successful voyage of traditional Polynesian waʻa kaulua (a double-hulled sailing canoe) "Hokule‘a" from Hawaii to Tahiti, a journey of nearly 4,000 kilometres that was accomplished without any modern charts or devices. Some 17,000 Tahitians, over half of the island's population, waited on the beach and cheered as Hokule‘a entered Pape'ete harbour, and the world was awed by this dramatic demonstration of the accuracy of wayfinding. Mentoring the twelve-strong crew on their journey was Mau Piailug, a master wayfinder from the Micronesian atoll of Satawal, whose grandfather taught him the arts of wayfinding when the young Mau could barely walk. Mau also helped to add one important modern touch to traditional wayfinding: not long before his death, more than thirty years after the first voyage of Hokule‘a, he gave assent – as the elder of all wayfinders – to the tradition-breaking change of accepting women to be trained as wayfinders. In 2022, Hokule‘a will attempt to navigate the entire Pacific Ocean, a voyage expected to last for six years and cover more than 65,000 kilometres – and the navigator will be a woman called Tamiko Fernelius. I think Nation's Mau would approve!

Sources: Smithsonian Magazine, Manoa, BBC, Wikipedia

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

07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

Blogger Alex aka frankfiction's thoughts on Mort:

"Up until now, Death has been described in the Discworld series as dedicated to his job, sarcastic, a little mean, and professional to a fault. Death prides himself on his personal service, but everyone is terrified of him. No one wants to die, and no one wants to see Death come for them. Mort is the first Discworld novel centered on this beloved anthropomorphic personification and the crushing loneliness he feels because no one ever wants him around or invites him to parties. This book gave me so many feelings because, while Pratchett is always good-natured in his descriptions of difficult topics, Death’s feelings were incredibly relatable. So much so that this book gutted me and I cried at the bittersweet ending... This story is just so perfectly rounded in every way. The narrative fits neatly within three hundred pages, flows well, none of the sections are forced, and there is genuine tension with regards to what will happen at the end. While I also wanted to know the ending of Pratchett’s other three novels, this story was the first where I felt that things probably wouldn’t work out for all the characters. Something was going to go wrong, and I didn’t know who was going to get the worst of it..."

https://frankfiction.blog/2021/08/07/mort/

Blogger Haley's The Long War four out of five stars:

"I found this book to be very reminiscent of titles of Jules Verne. Most of the story is about exploring and documentation of what is observed and that reminds me of The Mysterious Island or 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Just like these titles, the novel is very back-to-basics Sci-Fi, which is refreshing given the complexities of modern Sci-Fi novels. It would be easy for the story to be muddied as they are traveling through millions of worlds, but Pratchett and Baxter are able to connect everything seamlessly, even with two different writing styles. The characters overall are relatable and you get invested in their journey but the real star of the book is the world building aspect. I kept thinking about Minecraft while reading this and imagining what I would build on each world and what resources there would be... Something that I was a little disappointed with was the lack of war considering that it is in the title. I found myself with only a few pages left wondering when the conflict would take place. In the end it turned out to be more about the threat of war and tension that really lead the story. Perhaps there will be a large conflict later on in the series, but I would have liked to see how battle would have taken place when everyone could just step to the next world when they were in danger. Overall, it is a solid Sci-Fi read with great visual descriptions..."

https://fablestorynovel.com/2021/08/02/the-long-war-by-terry-pratchett-and-stephen-baxter/

Blogger Sam Hope's review of Equal Rites features thoughts about the use of magic in fantasy and games:

"Being one of the earlier Discworld books, there are still quite a lot of things that are a bit out of sync with the rest of the series. The use of magic is much more present and flashy than in later books, with Granny and the Archchancellor of the Unseen University having a full on transforming magical duel, in the style of The Sword in the Stone, but some of the fundamentals of how magic, and the world at large, works are still present... Wizards, as per traditional fantasy tropes, tend to like flashy displays of magic. This often includes ritual chanting, arm waving, and specific words in order to obtain some loud noise or visually dazzling effect that allows them to show of their magical skills in style. You can summon a demon with three milliliters of mouse blood and two sticks, but if you’re not going to put in the effort with the pentagrams, dribbly candles, and weird smells, what’s the point? ... Witches are pragmatists, willing to put in the hard boring work needed to do things by magic. This is one of my most treasured aspects of the Discworld: the mundane is magical, but more importantly, magic is mundane. Being a witch is a job, and its not always glamorous. You might be standing on the edge between worlds, stopping the world being invaded by otherworldly beings, but that doesn’t mean that you’ll get any prestige out of it or be hailed as heroes. In a world of high fantasy, why would they? We are no longer amazed by electricity when we turn on a light, why would someone from the Discworld be particularity impressed by someone casting a spell? They might fear to play with magic due to lack of knowledge, in the same way we rely on electricians rather than trying to wire our own houses, but it remains just a job..."

https://bit.ly/3AQFJCG

Blogger Hedwig is back with a review of Men at Arms:

"Men At Arms sees the expansion of the Night Watch at an attempt to be more inclusive. What we end up with is a troll named Detritus, a dwarf named Cuddy and Angua, a young woman (in appearance). Vimes is on his way to retirement, due to marry Lady Sybil Ramkin in a matter of days and the mood in the air is something usually totally foreign to Ankh Morpork; change. Things are changing and change usually brings people causing problems. A constant discussion through the book is how the Watch and just in Discworld as a whole, approaches matters of racial inequality. This is usually delivered between the conflict between Trolls and Dwarves that just seems to exist because it has for years and the subtle digs towards the community of the undead and trolls over all in particular. To be fair to Pratchett, he did write this in 1993, a long way from the jaded ‘creatures as inserts for discussions of racism’ conversation today. But the message is still clear, the Disc has prejudice the same as ours. And I do think it’s dealt with in in an interesting way... Many of the too real moments tended to center around Vimes himself. I was really taken aback at how much the mirror was turned on him this time. It’s very clear in the previous novel that he is trying to deal with a lot of his own issues by drinking through it, grunting and generally staying away from confronting anything... I could go on forever about the wonderful points it makes, from the sexism Angua has to handle and her own hidden identity, to the critique of weaponry and how it corrupts honest and decent people but I think I’ve made my point. This book is fantastic..."

https://bit.ly/2VTBrvS

...and blogger Tegan Stevenson returns with thoughts on Moving Pictures:

"This book was pretty unexpected and it had a weird sense of order in the chaos that unfolded. Sometimes the plot of a Discworld book feels like an idea was thrown at the imagined world just to see what would stick, in the same way that someone could throw spaghetti at a window and see the smudges of tomato sauce that’s left behind (weird metaphor, I know). I love this, by the way, and Moving Pictures was definitely sort of smudgy in the best way... Moving Pictures is a very Discworld tale where reality and imagination meets. Then reality and imagination fight it out until there’s only one left standing. That doesn’t necessarily mean the same thing as winning... The story can also be hilarious, particularly when Victor recognises the ridiculousness of what is happening around him. There is a whole cast of characters who don’t have a lot in common except that they are all drawn to Holy Wood. Money, power, discovery, vanity… there are a whole host of reasons why someone might want to be in the business of moving pictures and I think that this book shows that..."

https://bit.ly/2W1FTs4

Also returning, blogger Feminist Quill's review of Witches Abroad is marginally less idiosyncratic than some of her others:

"Pratchett delights in upending tropes and shaking them until all the loose change falls out. And this is essentially the approach he took toward parody in Wyrd Sisters. I will never look at Macbeth the same way again. In Witches Abroad, he takes on the entire Grimm’s universe while snarkily commenting on the quirks of the English tourist. It’s a slightly weird perspective to read about. The haughty demeanour of the witches as they wander around in foreign countries, refusing to understand or comply with local traditions gets a little annoying when the word “imperialism” insists on constantly floating up to the surface of my brain. The witches excel at not using magic – just as the wizards do. This is a point that is drilled into each and every one of the Discworld books – unlike most YA or Fantasy books, the magic of the Discworld is secondary to Pratchett’s musings on humanity. And while this point is very much present in Witches Abroad, Pratchett’s line of philosophical inquiry is extended here to the powers of stories and storytelling, and to the concept of knowing oneself. On one level, it’s a slightly ironic take for a professional storyteller to have. On a deeper level, it’s incredibly poetic..."

https://bit.ly/3m81rhz

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08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

The Author raises a hat! Photo uncredited, but presumably either by Junior or the Wilkins:
https://bit.ly/37OZZbK

Dedicated fan Robert Armour at the end of his "pilgrimage" to the Ankh-Morpork Consulate:
https://bit.ly/2Xz8AgL

An absolutely magical Lego Vimes, created by Finnish Lego artist Eero Okkonen:
https://bit.ly/3ANyPON

Editor's note: if you want to know more about how Mr Okkonen created this figure, his blogpost reveals all:
https://bit.ly/3xSwWOX

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09) CLOSE

Remember, the new Collector's Edition of Clacks can be ordered now! For more info, and to preorder, go to: https://bit.ly/2UsvEMq

And that's it for this issue, and for Wossname for a little while. I'll be taking a mental health break until we're closer to Hogswatch, but remember, any time-dependent news will make its way to the Wossname blog. And my thanks go to the various people who Clacksmailed me to offer support and encouragement!

More than ever, mind how you go, and we hope to see you in a couple of months...

– Annie Mac

Copyright (c) 2021 by Wossname for the Klatchian Foreign Legion

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

comments

Wossname – June 2021 – Main issue

2021-06-26T02:12:32Z

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
June 2021 (Volume 24, Issue 6, Post 1)

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

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

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INDEX:

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

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"There are some books that I adore in audiobook format because of the marriage of the skill of the writer and the performance of the narrator. Two of my absolute favorite examples of this are Jim Dale reading the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling and Stephen Briggs reading anything by Terry Pratchett. Both of these amazing narrators have become synonymous with the books they have narrated for me. I can’t think of Harry Potter without hearing Jim Dale in my head voicing the characters and the Nac Mac Feegle from Wee Free Men will forever be in the voice of Stephen Briggs. In these cases, the narrator brings a new dimension to the story that can bring it to life in a whole new way."
– librarian Tracy Briseño of the Ames Public Library

"I wrote that in the days when I thought fantasy was all battles and kings. Now I’m inclined to think that the real concerns of fantasy ought to be about not having battles, and doing without kings."
– The Author, musing in 1991 on The Carpet People

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

I never thought that by June of 2021 I would still be publishing Wossname in the middle of a pandemic, but here we are. I do hope that all you Readers are still safe and well! Down here in the Land of Fourecks we seem to be (mostly) staying on top of things, but as Covid-19 continues to mutate and rage around Roundworld, nothing is a certainty yet.

Meanwhile, if you've been seeing the hashtag #50YearsofTerry on social media and wondering how that adds up since The Colour of Magic was published in 1983, remember that The Carpet People was first published twelve years before that!

*

Here be a couple of lovely videos from the past. If I've posted these links before, blame it on pandemic brain...

Sir Pterry, Ian Stewart, and Jack Cohen discuss the Science of Discworld series in 2012:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3CMdTlbGhXQ

The Author muses, in 2008, on twenty-five years of Discworld:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDF4AHZFQdw

*

Rhianna Pratchett recently tweeted "That’s a hell of a resting place. 100% Pratchett approval. GNU Steven Thornton"
https://bit.ly/3jd3oYO

Also GNU motor neurone disease sufferer Noel Conway, who died this month after famously battling for the legalisation of assisted dying in the UK. Details for those who want to know more: https://bbc.in/3qoXwNq

And another Australian state – South Australia – has, after much debate and multiple submissions, passed a voluntary assisted dying bill. Some details:

https://ab.co/3h1NzBf

*

Your Editor has bought many marvellous things from the Discworld Emporium over the decades, and will continue to do so. Wossname wishes Bernard and Isobel and their team the happiest possible semi-retirement and a productive future full of Discly art and crafts! See item 3.0 below for the details.

And now, on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) ODDS AND SODS

3.0 THE DISCWORLD EMPORIUM: AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

Usually on Roundworld, it takes a war to close an embassy. But sometimes what it takes is time – a lot of it – and a pandemic. Over to you, Mr and Mrs Cunning Artificer and company, for the sad news:

"After twenty years of welcoming Terry Pratchett fans through our door, we regrettably announce that our bricks and mortar shop is on a long hiatus and will remain closed to the public for the foreseeable future. Over the past few years and especially since the events of 2020, our mail-order service has expanded exponentially. The Ankh-Morpork Post Office (Wincanton branch) is busier than ever packing and shipping our online orders, and what was once our shop space has now been fully transformed into a fantastically frantic mailroom facility!

"Our founding members Bernard and Isobel have also had a taste of retirement over lockdown . . . and they really rather like it! In their thirtieth year of bringing Discworld to life and with a combined age of 155, this indomitable duo feel it an appropriate time to step away from shop duties to enjoy their twilight years in the company of fine gin, books and grandchildren. They will of course remain a huge part of the Emporium and the Discworld family at large, and while you can’t get rid of Bernard that easily we hope you’ll all understand their need for a bit more time in their lives and join us in wishing them an incredibly happy and well-deserved retirement indeed!

"Being such a tiny team with a toddler in the ranks, it is now crucial that we devote our limited resources to designing our wares, managing our website and to looking after our customers all over the world. You can be assured that it'll be the same folks at the end of a phone call or clacks should you ever wish to make contact with us, and our reknowned building will remain emminent on Wincanton High Street serving as our Headquarters, where we’ll be busy designing and shipping our Discworld merchandise behind closed doors.

"Although this news may be very sad to many who have made or dreamt about a Pratchett pilgrimage to Wincanton, after two decades of the Emporium, thirty years since our creation of the first Discworld Merchandise as Clarecraft and fifty years since the publication of Terry’s first novel, the Carpet People, there is a lot to celebrate and look forward to this year. We’re also working on a brand new Discworld Emporium website due for launch this Autumn which will make visiting us online even easier, especially for all our wonderful friends and customers in the European Union!

"We would like to thank our many visitors and supporters for making our little literary shop such a special place, and for helping us to bring the magic of Terry Pratchett’s books to life over the years. We hope you will continue to support us as the turtle moves ever onwards through the cosmos.

"All the best & a hard-boiled egg,
"Bernard, Isobel, Ian, Reb, Sarah, Eilis, Chris and Tipu the (bastard) cat!"

To view this announcement in its proper place, and to peruse the Emporium's cornucopia of magic(k)al wares, go to:

https://bit.ly/2UvTjvu

3.1 OLD, NEW, ULTIMATE: BOOK RELEASE NEWS

3.1a The Ultimate Discworld Companion!

Now that there are no new Discworld novels to come (and rightly so, for which your Editor is grateful to the Wisdom of Rhianna), the Ultimate Discworld Companion will be the last Discworld companion you'll ever need! Booktopia has this to say about it:

"The absolute, comprehensive, from Tiffany Aching to Jack Zweiblumen guide to all things Discworld, fully illustrated by Paul Kidby... There's an awful lot of Discworld to keep track of. But fear not! Help is at hand. For the very first time, everything (and we mean everything) you could possibly want to know has been crammed into one place. If you need a handy guide to locales from Ankh-Morpork to Zemphis . . . If you can't tell your Achmed the Mads from your Jack Zweiblumens . . . If your life depends on distinguishing between the Agatean Empire and the Zoons . . . Look no further. Compiled and perfected by Stephen Briggs, the man behind The Ultimate Discworld Companion's predecessor Turtle Recall, this is your ultimate guide to Sir Terry Pratchett's beloved fantasy world."

The Ultimate Discworld Companion will be released on 11th November and can already be pre-ordered in hardcover and ebook forms from various sources including Waterstones and Booktopia. We'll keep you posted!

3.1b Joe McLaren hardcovers!

As tweeted by terryandrob: "The Discworld Hardback Library is complete! The Tiffany Aching series and Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents join the collection in beautiful hardback. Illustrated by the brilliant Joe McLaren"

The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, and Wintersmith are now available to purchase, while I Shall Wear Midnight, The Shepherd's Crown and TAMAHER will be released on 23rd September of this year. These are lovely things (your Editor has several of the series already), perfect as gifts for a child to treasure in the way that older generations treasured The Wind in the Willows.

3.2 CLASSIC JOHNNY MAXWELL

Here be a couple of gems from some years back that you may have missed: telly versions of two of the Johnny Maxwell series. Yes, they were afternoon shows for a younger audience, and yes, neither one had much of a budget, but both are competent, charming, and lovingly crafted with respect for the source material – more than can be said for a recent bigger-budget Discworld-themed show. There are a few changes from the books in each, but it's a testament to the respect shown by the programme makers that none cause any great departure from the feel of the original stories. (Note: the video of Johnny and the Dead is of less than sterling quality but still well watchable!)

The BBC miniseries of Johnny and the Bomb, starring a very young George Mackay as Johnny and Zoe Wanamaker as a true-to-"life" Mrs Tachyon:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXf4RQ19eHE

The ITV telefilm of Johnny and the Dead, starring a different actor (Andrew Falvey) as Johnny, and also starring Brian Blessed as Bill Stickers and George Baker as Alderman Bowler:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqpD0yl8f2k

3.3 DISCWORLD GAMES NEWS

The latest word from Dave and the Backspindle lads!

"The Collector’s Edition of Discworld Clacks preorder is now LIVE! Preorder the Collector’s Edition of #Discworld Clacks and receive one of five Limited Edition Discworld character bookmarks FREE with your game. These bookmarks will not be available anywhere else.

"As we value every customer, all preorders placed via our website will be posted to you before copies go on general release to retail outlets. We are aiming to do this by 1 October 2021.

"The Collector’s Edition of Clacks includes stunning miniatures of Moist von Lipwig on Boris, a Deep Dwarf, and twelve Clacks Towers. It also includes a brand new mini-game called Goblin Glory for you to test your skills as a Clacks’ operator against your friends.

"In addition to the Limited Edition Bookmark, every order via our website will be entered into a draw to win this new unopened 1st Edition copy of our Guards! Guards! boardgame.

"The draw will be done live on Facebook prior to the commencement of shipping of the Collector’s Edition of Discworld Clacks games. Until then it will be guarded by the Backspindle Dragons! Get ready to take on the Post Office, and recreate the race from the book Going Postal by Sir #TerryPratchett. The Collector's Edition of Discworld Clacks boardgame..."

Each copy of the Collector's Edition of Clacks is priced at £34.99 plus shipping (EU £10, Australia £24, rest of the world £20. For more info, and to preorder, go to:

https://bit.ly/2UsvEMq

3.4 MORE PRATCHETT PROJECT TALKS

The next Pratchett Project talk is available to watch on YouTube! ‘Leaving Early to Avoid the Rush’: Pratchett, Perry and Contemporary Pessimism, by Oliver Rendle:

https://youtu.be/tYJ90gPzVMI

And here's a round-up of all the previous ones so far...

Space in Pratchett's Narrative Networks by Matthew Roughan:
https://youtu.be/mQ7HwMyjOPM

Political Idealism in the Discworld Novels by Ruchira Mandal:
https://youtu.be/FlBjXXa3v6A

The Big Wahoonie: Ankh-Morpork as Cross-Media Urban Imaginary by Helena Esser:
https://youtu.be/RUTwLO33zKA

The Wilkins speaks! Assisting Terry Pratchett, an interview with Rob Wilkins from the Pratchett Project Conference 2020:
https://youtu.be/Izh_EZ-mb8g

Allusions and Cultural References in Terry Pratchett’s Jingo: Translation and Understanding, by Damon Tringham:

https://youtu.be/NdbKghKxmnc

Humour, parody and satire in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels by Kamil Karas:

https://youtu.be/btRiFbH48dI

3.5 ORANGUTAN NEWS

A spectacular orangutan photograph by Thomas Vijayan, "The World is Going Upside Down", won first prize in the Nature TTL Photographer of the Year 2021 competition, beating 8,000 entries from around the world:

"'Thomas's image is really unique, and immediately stood out to the judging panel,' said Will Nicholls, founder of Nature TTL. 'The unique perspective and composition means you are immediately trying to figure out what exactly you are looking at.' Mr Vijayan took the photo in Borneo, where he selected a tree that was in the water so he could get a good reflection of the sky and create the upside-down effect..."

https://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-57335458

3.6 THE MERCH CORNER

* The Chalk jigsaw puzzle!

"Visit the Chalk and peer into the Feegle Mound of Rob Anybody and the Chalk Hill Clan with young witch and Big Wee Hag Tiffany Aching!
Illustrated by David Wyatt, our Fiendishly Difficult Discworld Jigsaw puzzle will have you shouting CRIVENS! and WAILY WAILY! as you piece together a bucolic vision of Tiffany Aching's homeland. From the White Horse to the Trilithon, you'll spot lots of magical features from Terry Pratchett's Discworld books in this view of the beautiful green chalk downlands that roll away to the Ramtops beyond. Look out for Granny Aching's hut and shepherdess, a Shepherd's Crown, a 'ship' moving at high speed, a cheese wearing a kilt and a hat full of sky plus many more little details! You'll need the 'hiddlins of hagglin' (and possibly a thimble of scumble) to get this puzzle into one piece! Each puzzle includes a fold out poster to assist your puzzling endeavours and is presented in a splendid 'book' box inspired by Tiffany Aching's diary that will look right at home on your bookshelves!"

The Chalk jigsaw puzzle is rated "moderately fiendish". Each puzzle measures approximately 70 x 50cm (the puzzle box measures 20.5 x 25.6 x 6.3cm) and is priced at £19.50. For more info, and to order, go to:

https://bit.ly/35PdVRI

* Discworld t-shirts!

Because sometimes summer does happen... "Our Discworld T-shirt range is the most extensive selection of authorised, licensed Discworld designs you will find anywhere. We have taken the time to source only the finest quality and we have a wide variety of popular characters and designs so you can take the Discworld with you wherever you go.
Don’t forget to check what styles are available in each design as many are offered in both classic unisex fit and ladies fit."

** Death with Kitten T-shirt: https://bit.ly/3dcA4gS

** Dark Side of the Turtle T-shirt: https://bit.ly/3xVV1F5

** Feeglespotting T-shirt: https://bit.ly/2U3wK1a

** Fabricati Diem T-shirt: https://bit.ly/2SpaYnV

** City Watch T-shirt: https://bit.ly/3wX718X

https://discworld.com/products/t-shirts/

* The official Ankh-Morpork passport!

Yes, these can still be sourced from the Embassy, even if one can no longer apply in person...

"Issued exclusively by The Ankh-Morpork Consulate here at the Discworld Emporium in Wincanton, each passport is individually numbered by letterpress and pre-endorsed ready for you to fill in as imaginatively as you wish. Contains vital information on prohibited goods, currency and work permits along with immigration stamps from around the Disc along with space for stamps should you visit the Discworld Emporium in person, or any other place that is silly enough to stamp your passport."

Each Ankh-Morpork passport is priced at £10 and measures 100x140mm. For more info, and to order, go to:

https://bit.ly/2UzCnnP

3.7 ALZHEIMER'S NEWS

A BBC report on the drug Aducanumab, which might – might be of help for Alzheimer's sufferers

"Aducanumab targets the underlying cause of Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia, rather than its symptoms. Charities have welcomed the news of a new therapy for the condition. But scientists are divided over its potential impact because of uncertainty over the trial results... In March 2019, late-stage international trials of aducanumab, involving about 3,000 patients, were halted when analysis showed the drug, given as a monthly infusion, was not better at slowing the deterioration of memory and thinking problems than a dummy drug. But later that year, the US manufacturer Biogen analysed more data and concluded the drug did work, as long as it was given in higher doses. The company also said it significantly slowed cognitive decline... For around 500,000 people affected in the UK, those eligible for aducanumab will be mostly in their 60s or 70s and at an early stage of the disease... Prof Bart De Strooper, director of the UK Dementia Research Institute, said the decision to approve aducanumab marked 'a hugely significant milestone' in the search for treatments for Alzheimer's disease. In the past decade, more than 100 potential Alzheimer's treatments have flopped. But while he hoped it would prove a turning point for millions of people with the condition, he said there were 'still many barriers to overcome'..."

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-57383763

3.8 PRATCHETT BOOK CLUB UPDATES

On the website of publishers Tor, Emmet Asher-Perrin continues a Discworld discussion page. This time it's Moving Pictures, so get your banged grains ready...

Part one:

"I think one of my favorite things within this section is the Patrician’s spy telling him that the alchemists liked Dibblers food while they were watching the moving picture. The spy doesn’t know what they were actually doing because they wouldn’t let him in, but it’s obviously in reference to the sort of garbage we’re always eating at movie theaters. The idea of certain activities being tied to specific (usually bad) food is an undeniably human oddity. Why do we want hot dogs at baseball games? Why do we eat the world’s worst 'nachos' while being entertained? Why is half the point of going to the movies shoving M&Ms in your face?... I was also fascinated by the conversation among the alchemists about how films should work, whether they should be purely educational and how 'tasteful' they should be and so on. Pieces of the talk invoke the eventual censorship that ruled Hollywood for a few decades after they’d been allowed free reign at their inception. And then there’s Dibbler’s arrival, which heralds the seedier snake oil aspects of Hollywood..."

https://bit.ly/3qnFz1T

Part two:

"The contradictions of Hollywood are well laid out here; the fact that it encourages all sorts of people to work together in harmony who would normally never share space; the way everyone is concerned with only their own advancement in the system and no one else’s; the expectation to change to fit that system. Rock’s question about whether he should get his nose done, and the way everyone changes their names, and Dibbler using words like 'exotic' when he’s just being racist, they’re all examples of how the system encourages conformity while using what’s 'foreign' to make money. They need camels and elephants, Dibbler is lying about where Ginger came from, but Rock is still worried that his nose is too 'stereotypically' troll. Even Samuel Goldwyn, the man Silverfish is based on, changed his name for show business..."

https://bit.ly/3xQUzHX

Part three:

"Victor thinks to ask Ginger what she wanted to be before acting in moving pictures was a option, and her response is 'I didn’t know. I just knew I didn’t want to be a milkmaid.' Y’all. Okay, so there’s a thing that you will hear in film and theater and most performing arts professions, often from teachers and other professionals and that is: If you can picture yourself doing anything else with your life, go do that instead. The point being that it’s so hard to 'break into' these industries that you can spend the majority of your career (and life) not doing anything. So if it isn’t your One True Passion, you should probably seek out that other passion you’ve got because you’re likely to be more pleased with that outcome. It’s a pretty garbage piece of advice to my mind because it ignores why that problem exists in the first place; it’s not tough to break into the system just because it is, but because these industries are fueled by nepotism and geared toward people with massive amounts of privilege. You cannot get away from it... Ginger later points out that when the circus came through town, everyone cheered the tightrope girl, but they wouldn’t even allow her to climb a tree, which is another aspect of that escape: The appeal of acting (and writing and directing and) is creating a life outside the parameters assumed for you. This is part of the reason why it’s not considered a respectable job..."

https://bit.ly/3gSdah5

...and part four:

"There’s a theme here about the idea of fame and stardom being a far cry from the reality, and that’s what we see happening with Ginger. She has this trance-like dream of being the most famous person in the world, but on being confronted with her “adoring public,” she freezes in a panic. Actual fame is a beast of a thing to navigate, and the trick used here (telling her to essentially act her way through it) is a common trick that many performers use. In fact, it’s so ingrained that people tend to believe that they have a good read on their favorite famous people, that they know them to some extent. These are called parasocial relationships, and they’ve been getting a lot of psychological study in recent years because it is a genuinely fascinating phenomenon—the belief that you can truly know a person from what they display to the public on press tours, red carpets, even social media accounts, when so many of these personas are carefully constructed for mass consumption. We’ve gone so far down this particular rabbit hole culturally that we’ve turned it into its own form of performance art. What Ginger is doing here is the first steps of that..."

https://bit.ly/3x1vcTK

3.9 A WONDERFUL REMINISCENCE

Here we have another gem, this time from five years ago – Colin Smythe and Irish author Lisa McInerney share some of their favourite Pratchett quotes which were then considered for inclusion in "Seriously Funny: the Endlessly Quotable Terry Pratchett". By Martin Doyle for The Irish Times:

"Lisa McInerney, winner this month of both the Baileys Prize for Women’s Fiction and the Desmond Elliott Prize for The Glorious Heresies, is a devotee of Pratchett’s work. Asked for her favourite, she responded: 'Oh God, so many. One that I almost tweeted earlier: "May you live in interesting times" which you’ll probably know is a reference to a myth about there being such a curse in China. And right now I think we’re living in interesting times. My other favourite Pratchett quote is from Soul Music, where Death is collecting money and someone gives him a penny, just for this line: THANK YOU, said the grateful Death. I honestly think that that’s a case of an author coming up with a killer pun and writing an entire book around it'...

"Colin Smythe, the Trinity College Dublin graduate who published Pratchett’s first five books and has been his agent since 1987, admitted: 'I can’t remember Terry telling me any jokes. Both poor memory and because he must have kept them to put in his books. Over the last decade, I think we talked about facts, research for the book he was working on, that sort of thing.'... So what is his favourite Terry Pratchett quotation? “Too many to choose from. But how about... "Susan... it wasn’t a good name, was it? It wasn’t a truly bad name, it wasn’t like poor Iodine in the fourth form, or Nigella, a name which means ‘oops, we wanted a boy’. But it was dull. Susan. Sue. Good old Sue. It was a name that made sandwiches, kept its head in difficult circumstances, and could reliably look after other people’s children. It was a name used by no queens or goddesses anywhere. And you couldn’t do much even with the spelling. You could turn it into Suzi, and it sounded as though you danced on tables for a living. You could put in a Z and a couple of Ns and an E, but it still looked like a name with extensions built on. It was as bad as Sara, a name that cried out for a prosthetic H." Far too long, I know. How about a talking raven on a battle-field, looking for eyeballs and other scraps, saying ‘Carrion regardless. That’s what I say.’? “Or the cleric in a band that went off with all its takings, and was arrested. ‘And what did they do with that felonious monk?’..."

https://bit.ly/2U2Uy5j

Editor's note: if you don't already have a copy of Seriously Funny, here be a link:

https://bit.ly/3qoatXT

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

04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

4.1 AUDITIONS

Want to participate in the Brisbane Arts Theatre's upcoming production of Carpe Jugulum? Here's your chance! Auditions for Carpe Jugulum will take place on 11th July, but go to the webpage and register ASAP, as registrations are essential:

https://www.artstheatre.com.au/get-involved/auditions/

4.2 FORTHCOMING PLAYS

*MORT IN SUBURBAN MELBOURNE, FOURECKS (SEPTEMBER 2021)

"How good is it to see Fourecksian Discworld productions getting back to normal?", it said here in last month's issue. We may have spoken too soon... The eagle eyed among you will note that this production was due to be presented this month, but pandemic-related issues meant it had to be moved. Now rescheduled for later this year. Here's hoping!

The CPP Community Theatre will present Stephen Briggs' adaptation of Mort in September: "When Mort and his father attend the Sheepridge hiring fair in the hope that this year Mort will finally get an apprenticeship, they didn’t expect the day to end with death. But at least Death offered Mort a job! As Death’s apprentice, Mort gets to travel and meet interesting people… well, for a short time anyway. But once Mort is trusted to take on the Duty by himself, trouble brews, as Mort lets his heart rule his head… Adapted by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Briggs from the fourth of Terry’s wildly successful Discworld novels, Mort brings the Discworld to the stage. Come and see how Mort gets out of the trouble he’s caused!" (NB: " Please note strobe lighting will be used during this performance.")

When: 10th–16th September 2021
Venue: The Basin Theatre, Doongalla Rd & Simpsons Rd, The Basin, Bayswater, Victoria 3154 (Melway Reference 66A6)
Time: 10th, 11th, 15th, 16th 8pm; 18th 5pm/twilight; also, matinee on the 11th at 2pm
Tickets:available shortly! Watch this space or enquire via email (tickets@cppcommunitytheatre.com.au) or phone 0450 804 856 (between 2pm and 5pm)

https://bit.ly/35O5rdK

* CARPE JUGULUM IN BRISBANE (SEPTEMBER–NOVEMBER 2021)

It's a change of Discworld for the Brisbane Arts Theatre later this year! Instead of the formerly announced Feet of Clay, this September will see the staging of Carpe Jugulum: "In this life there are givers and takers. It’s safe to say that vampires are very much in the latter camp... It’s common sense not to invite vampires into your home (unless you want a permanent house guest, that is) – however the King of Lancre has invited the city’s newest fanged residents to celebrate the birth of his daughter… and they have no intention of leaving… ever. As the residents of Lancre are about to discover – it’ll take a lot more than garlic and crucifixes to take back their home."

When: 11th September–6th November 2021
Venue: Brisbane Arts Theatre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane, Queensland 4000
Time: Fridays and Saturdays 8pm, select Thursdays 7:30pm, select Sundays 6:30pm (check calendar when booking)
Tickets: $36 (concessions/groups $29, Student Rush $16; $2 transaction fee applies), available online via https://aubat.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/5866

https://www.artstheatre.com.au/productions/carpe-jugulum/

4.3 REVIEWS

* REVIEW: MAKING MONEY IN BRISBANE, FOURECKS

By Oliver Gough for Theatre Haus:

"The sharp wit and offbeat fictional world of legendary British fantasy author Sir Terry Pratchett are taken on by the company in the three-act comedy, ‘Making Money’. The stage adaptation by Stephen Briggs is drawn from Pratchett’s 2007 novel of the same name... Set design in this production by Steven Beeston and Tim Pierce is impressive, with detailed Roman archways and shopfronts backed up by an intricate city skyline built into the top of the set. Complimenting this set is lighting design from David Willis, which highlights that skyline with a red glow from the back wall and dynamic use of spotlights throughout. Strong choices in lighting design, plus dynamic sound design from Zoe Power, are particularly on display in the underwater vault scenes as the stage is transformed into a blue, bubbling and echoey chamber. Costume design by Frances Foo, assisted by Kirily Jago, is also impressive...

"The three-act, two-interval structure may intimidate some audiences, but the second two acts were much shorter, possibly throwing into question the need for two ten-minute intervals... On opening night, understudy Tom Molnar stepped up and was likeable and eloquent as an upper-class English Moist Von Lipwig. John Grey somewhat stole the show as the stern but humorous Lord Vetinari, with a killer eyebrow slant. Grey lifted the energy in his scenes, bringing comedic relish and obvious experience to the show. Steve Durber played Mavolio Bent well, providing a foil for more outlandish characters like the cape-swishing Cosmo Lavish, played by an undeniably funny and committed Jon Darbro. Fran Price was an audience favourite with her colourful depiction of the eccentric Mrs Topsy Lavish, and Nick Daly stood out with his comedic instincts as a bank worker and ghoulish assistant to Peter Van Werkhoven’s wild mad scientist character. The rest of the ensemble brought gusto to their roles and worked together to bring the play’s quirky world to life..."

https://bit.ly/35TDW2m

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

05) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

Remember, one day, possibly in the not too distant future, Discworld fans will be able to meet in the real Roundworld again. So keep this information handy! Also note there are a few updates below...

A new Fourecksian meeting group joins the gang: the Purdeigh Islanders, based in Hobart, Tasmania. "Purdeigh (or Purdee) Island lies hubwards of Fourecks. Roundworld islanders are fans of the great Sir Terry Pratchett resident in Tasmania, the island state of Australia."

The Purdeigh Islanders is a private group. To join in, go to their Facebook page and see if they'll have you!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/205967619882683/

*

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group"
BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group at https://bit.ly/2YrPGW7

NOTE: the Drummers are still meeting occasionally via Zoom. Check out the above link for updates!

*

Drumknott's Irregulars
Facebook https://bit.ly/31FlSrq or Google Groups https:groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars or join us at our next event."

*

The Victorian Discworld Klatch
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch

*

"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/373578522834654/

*

The Pratchett Partisans
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au

*

The City of Small Gods
www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

"What are we doing while we're stuck at home due to COVID-19? Given that our normal social gatherings can't happen while everyone's under lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are instead trying to host regular activities and discussions online. Most of these will be done via our Discord Server – https://discord.gg/3RVzsyJ – which has several text chat channels and a few voice chat channels as well. We will still use our Facebook group – https://facebook.com/groups/cityofsmallgods – to coordinate scheduled events. When things get back to normal... (semi-) regular social meetings are generally held on the last Thursday of the month at a pub or restaurant in Adelaide. We have dinner at 6.30pm followed by games until 9pm.

"We'll try to keep this page up to date (no promises!) but always check emails on the mailing list or our Facebook Group for further details of these events."

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers
broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) meets at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn when social gatherings are possible.

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum: http://www.discworldstamps.co.uk/forum/

*

Sydney now hosts two groups of fans who meet on a regular basis.

In the CBD, The Mended Drummers (Sydney) meet on the first Monday of each month at Albion Place Hotel from 6.00pm. Join the Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/downunderdrummers/ – for more information.

And over in the western suburbs of Sydney you can find the Western Drummers who meet on the third Tuesday of each month at the Nepean Rowers Club from 6pm. Join their Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/100376433635355/ – for more information.

All we do is chat over a few drinks, with subjects ranging far and wide, have a Discworld themed quiz and generally enjoy the company of fellow discworld fans. Sometimes we end up getting together for a Zombie Walk, table top games or Supanova - nothing formal, just a loose group of like minded people.

Editor's note: If either of these supersedes the Sydney Drummers, please let Wossname know! Still posting the original for now: Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder)
Contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers https://bit.ly/2EKSCqu – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>

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

06) ROUNDWORLD TALES

If you've read Dodger, you will remember the kindly figure of Henry Mayhew, who assisted in the rescue that set the tale going. Many of us knew of the real Mayhew as the author of London Labour and the London Poor, the mid-19th century work that inspired the British government to begin its journey to providing social safety nets to its most distressed citizens. But there was much more to the man and his life than that!

Henry Mayhew was born in 1812, the fourth son of a well-to-do London solicitor (and father of thirteen other little Mayhews). According to the Encyclopaedia, young Henry ran away to sea at the age of twelve; according to many sources, this was because son and father did not get along; the boy wanted to be a research chemist but the father wanted all the Mayhew sons to follow him into the profession. Henry eventually gave in, studied law and joined the family firm, but his slapdash work nearly brought Mayhew senior to ruin, and they parted on such bad terms that Henry was cut out of his inheritance. As a result, he took up writing, moving in the "bohemian" arts circles, making the acquaintance of Dickens (as shown in its fictionalised version in Dodger), Thackeray and other leading lights of the age – and then became one himself, publishing successful plays and novels alone and in occasional collaboration with his younger brother Augustus.

Mayhew was co-founder of the comedic periodical Figaro, which he edited for four years (1835-39) before then co-founding Punch magazine (so beloved more than a century later by the young Terry Pratchett) in 1841, swerving as co-editor and "chief suggestor" until 1845. He then founded a daily newspaper, the Iron Times, covering news of the new railways (another passion shared with The Author), but it bankrupted him within a year, so he returned to writing, publishing more successful novels, this time with a distinct component of social satire. He also worked as a journalist, and before long, the two interests melded, in a report he wrote for the Morning Chronicle about the notorious slum known as Jacob's Island – yes, the very place where Dickens set the climax of Oliver Twist. According to literary historian Stephen Carver:

"‘A visit to the cholera districts of Bermondsey’ was a powerful piece of journalism, in which Mayhew combined his interest in chemistry with the devices of a novelist... Notably, he also gave various inhabitants a voice, interviewing and then quoting directly... This was powerful stuff, a vivid mix of art, science and drama. After years of select committees, royal commissions, questions in the House and earnest essays by doctors, Chronicle readers reacted to Mayhew’s revelations as if they were new... It was a cultural tipping point; the middle classes finally noticed the conditions in which the majority of the urban working classes had to live. Almost immediately after it appeared, the Chronicle announced a huge investigation to be entitled Labour and the Poor, which ‘proposed to give a full and detailed description of the moral, intellectual, material and physical condition of the industrial poor throughout England’... Mayhew would be the ‘metropolitan correspondent’... Mayhew’s ‘letters’, published three times a week, were a sensation, as he set out to describe the ‘poor of London’ in terms of different classes – ‘as they will work, they can’t work, and they won’t work’ – and the different causes of their poverty... interviewed skilled and unskilled labourers and tradesmen, seamstresses, merchant seamen, the inhabitants of low lodging houses and teachers and pupils at ragged schools... His scientific side was always on display, with an urge to quantify, define, analyse and categorize, oddly in balance with his traits as a novelist and dramatist and, increasingly, an activist. Although Mayhew saw himself as a dispassionate and impartial social investigator, his decision to give the poor a voice was in itself a partisan and radical act. He ultimately broke with the Chronicle at the end of October 1850, in a dispute over the political censorship of his work and the reporting of the adverse effect of free trade on wages in the inequities of piecework and the ‘sweating’ system of labour. This came to a head when he took the side of garment workers over their employer, H.J. and D. Nicholl of Regent Street, one of the Chronicle’s prominent advertising clients... continued to publish his ‘letters’ in tuppenny pamphlets, now with a focus on the London ‘Street Folk’ – sellers, traders, street performers, artisans, labourers, and criminals, men, women and children – beginning with a vast exploration of the culture of costermongers, Cockneys hawking all manner of goods out of baskets and barrows from dawn till dusk and the main suppliers of food to the working classes..."

And the rest is, quite literally, history.

According to the Britannica, "Short of money in his later years, he produced much hackwork and died in obscurity." A rather ignominious end on the face of it, but in truth, his most significant work lives on to this day. And in his own day, London Labour and the London Poor had an enormous influence on social reformers: "The often sympathetic investigations, with their immediacy and unswerving eye for detail, offered unprecedented insights into the condition of the Victorian poor. Alongside the earlier work of Edwin Chadwick, they are also regarded as a decisive influence on the thinking of Charles Dickens...:

...and on our favourite author!

London Labour and the London Poor is still in publication, and can be purchased in physical form from good booksellers, or downloaded for free as text or as an ebook from Project Gutenberg.

Sources: Stephen Carver, in particular https://wordsworth-editions.com/blog/henry-mayhew-1
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Wikipedia

...and a postscript: his direct descendant Patrick Mayhew was a leading Thatcherite minister, and Patrick's son Jerome Mayhew is a serving Tory politician. Somehow one imagines Henry would not have approved!

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

07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

Blogger Wyrd Smythe was unimpressed by the Long Earth series and explains why in a long post:

"I think it’s safe to say that I am not, and probably never will be, a fan of science fiction author Stephen Baxter... Recently I finished The Long Earth, a five-book series Baxter co-authored with my all-time, no-exceptions, favorite fiction author, Terry Pratchett. The series is based on an interesting parallel worlds idea from a short story, The High Meggas, Pratchett wrote back in the mid-1980s. Much to my disappointment, I was also notably underwhelmed by this series. Which was something of a shock; I’ve liked – really liked – everything I’ve read by Pratchett. His Discworld series is my favorite series of any genre, but I’ve really enjoyed all his other work, too. Until now... In all five novels, Baxter divides our attention between several largely unrelated plot threads. The last two books seemed even more distracted. Pratchett was out of the picture by then, and Baxter’s heart doesn’t seem in the work any more... I found very little of Pratchett’s touch in any of the books, although there were definite glints and glimmers in the first two... Part of what made the books boring was not caring about the characters. They, and their efforts, just didn’t engage me. I don’t recommend this series unless one is already a Baxter fan. It’s definitely not an attraction for Pratchett fans – there’s very little of Sir Terry to be found..."

https://logosconcarne.com/2021/05/22/the-long-baxter/

Blogger Feminist Quill's odd review of Moving Pictures:

Moving Pictures is one of the rare times I’ve disliked a Pratchett book... It’s as if all the famous Pratchett Particles of inspiration hit him at the same time, and he had to try and write everything down together and make it make sense. It’s a game effort – the plot itself being rather original while expertly parodying Hollywood, celebrity culture and the movie industries in general. Humour is threaded through the book as usual, although what I found more interesting were the amusingly random characters thrown together in Moving Pictures. Victor, a student wizard from Unseen University, always scores exactly between 80 and 88 on his exams. This way, he can continue to benefit from a scholarship left to him by his uncle (possibly forever.) Ginger is a former milkmaid, and doesn’t really relish the prospect of going back to it. They find themselves answering the call of the Holy Wood, becoming the Disc’s first superstars. Victor and Ginger aren’t the most interesting characters, but they’re joined by ‘Throat’ Dibbler, Gaspode the talking dog, newly minted Archchancellor Ridcully, Ancient Runes, the Bursaaaar, the Librarian and many other familiar faces from the Discworld universe. All of them have great comic scenes that are individually enjoyable, but put together, the effect is… exhausting. There’s too much happening in Moving Pictures. Too many jokes. Too many references. Too many subplots. To be fair, there’s always too much happening in Terry Pratchett novels, and when the subject matter isn’t as confusing, the effect is pretty great. Here, it’s just hard to keep track..."

https://bit.ly/3gU7V0D

...and an equally odd one of Reaper Man:

"Insofar as it deals with Death, Reaper Man is a pleasure to read. Unfortunately, Pratchett decides to incorporate – as one of the side effects of Death skiving off – what is essentially a get-off-my-lawn rant about shopping malls. And this part of the book – even with the hilarious hijinks of the wizards of Unseen University involved – is boring at best, and incomprehensible at worst. It’s not that those scenes lack in the trademark Pratchett wit or suspense. It’s just that (a) the fact that they’re fighting a shopping mall isn’t very obvious; and (b) a shopping mall isn’t a very scary idea to your average millennial... But no amount of intervention by rogue, semi-sentient shopping malls can dilute the power of Death’s part of the story. Assuming the name Bill Door, Death makes his way to a random farm, where he is hired to work as an odd-job man. Building heartwarming connections with the other villagers, Death finally begins to see things from the perspective of the, er, harvest. So to speak. Reaper Man stays with us long after we have finished reading it because of the tender humanity evinced by the anthromorphic[sic] Death. Pratchett does a great job of getting us invested in Death as a character – so much so that my eyes light up whenever he turns up in one of the Discworld books..."

https://bit.ly/3wX7NCX

...while blogger Camren Singrey doesn't exactly disagree:

"What don’t I like about Moving Pictures? In my hazy memory of binging every Discworld book, it didn’t leave a good impression. Knowing that my opinions have changed multiple times in this rereading process, I hoped to find myself understanding the appeal of this book in a way that I hadn’t before. Sadly, this time I feel mostly the same. Moving Pictures can take the place of my least favorite Discworld book, unless something changes in the future. Realistically, one of the earliest books in the series should win this prize, but there’s a difference there that has to do with expectations. The Colour of Magic is barely a proper Discworld book at all, but it’s funny for what it is, and I enjoy seeing Terry in the process of working it out. Similarly for Equal Rites, the execution isn’t quite there but the spirit is very much intact. Moving Pictures, on the other hand, comes after books like Wyrd Sisters and Guards! Guards! that show how much higher a Discworld novel can reach, and its lack of ambition is comparatively disappointing... Moving Pictures has some more satisfying elements. Gaspode the Wonder Dog is a great character and brings life to the story whenever he’s in it, and the gaggle of assorted animals that follow him are also quite entertaining (and provide some interesting foreshadowing for the events of Reaper Man). The wizards of Unseen University really come together as a group here, and fulfill their ultimate destiny of being the funniest subplot in a story that isn’t really about them. Detritus the troll has a pretty big role here and is as entertaining as he will be in future installments. But most of these are examples of elements that would be even better later..."

https://bit.ly/3dcFuse

Blogger Jamie Hall's review of Equal Rites:

"Equal Rites is definitely where Pratchett finds his own voice, now he has a real plot and some actual storytelling behind the wonderfully crafted jokes. At its core Equal Rites is a tale about equality and the injustices of the Discworld, and it does a great job of exploring these themes while maintaining a witty tone. While I greatly enjoyed the first two books in the series it was really Equal Rites that first got me hooked onto Terry Pratchett. This is a fun, humorous, and well crafted story about a young girl names Esk and her experiences of growing up in the world of magic. As the third in the series Pratchett doesn’t bother diving too much into the Discworld mythology, this allows him to progress the story much more easily, yet sadly this will leave big points of confusion for readers who may start their journey here... The biggest strength of Equal Rites is the wonderful character development we get to experience. Unlike the first two stories the character here feel more fleshed out, more real rather than simple one dimensional parodies of other, bigger, fantasy characters. These beings are charming, witty, likeable, but also hugely flawed, and it is their moments of self actualisation that are the most interesting to me..."

https://bit.ly/3zUsS2N

Blogger Ryan aka Muse With Me is back with thoughts on Hogfather:

"If you have even a passing interest in the series or the author, you have no doubt come across quotes lifted from this book at least once or twice. No other novel in the series has been referenced nearly as often, as far as I’ve seen. It’s easy to see why, it’s a very quotable book. I even went out of my way to watch scenes from the TV movie adaptation years ago too. This put me in a weird state of mind when starting this book, though, as there was so much unknown to me that I was excited to finally dig into, yet it was also a little too familiar... I just can’t help but imagine the story rearranged in a way that we’re more in line with what Susan knows, equally bewildered by Death’s wild change in vocation. Even though it makes sense that Susan does not know what the reader does, the way it unfolded stunted the pacing of the story. While I did find this all bothersome, I can’t deny that the reading experience during these sections was still enjoyable. I love how vexed Susan is by otherworldly forces that she cannot help but notice, driven to do something even when she is not obliged to, despite her desire for separation from it all. The antics of Archchancellor Ridcully and the other head wizards was entertaining as always too, the manifestation of the 'oh god' of Hangovers being especially amusing. It played well with the world’s conception of gods, firmly established back in the novel Small Gods. These parts may not have driven the plot very much, but they did add a richness of character to the story, as well as tied in closely with the story’s motifs about belief and imagination. The parts of the book I absolutely adored were those about Death trying his best to perform the Hogfather’s duties. In his novels, Death is typically given a less plot-driven role, focusing more on his character but giving him less to actively do. This book gave us the best of both worlds, as doing this job is important for the outcome of the overall narrative, but much more emphasis is put on character..."

https://bit.ly/2UFYf1b

...and blogger Joe Kessler aka The Lesser Joke returns with his perhaps over-analytical and oh so presentist review of Monstrous Regiment:

"Terry Pratchett strikes a fine balance between showing the camaraderie and bravery of soldiers on the one hand – the reasons someone might find that life appealing – and the bleak inanity of military regulations and war itself on the other. He also shows his fantasy Discworld setting becoming a bit more open-minded towards people in Polly’s situation, many of whom have only been lacking the courage to speak out about the gender roles and restrictive religious teachings they privately disfavor. It’s pretty much a standalone volume within its series, with a few fun cameos from existing characters but little that would prevent a new reader from fully following along. And although it contains some minor fatphobia and a greater deal of sexism than I think the writer intends, plus the sort of cross-dressing plot whose essentialist view of anatomy leaves minimal room for a trans experience, the book overall presents a welcome message of questioning tradition, finding your own path, and accepting those who are different from you. If that sounds like a mixed bag, well, it is – but that’s Pratchett in a nutshell, really, as able to punch down at marginalized groups as up at systems of oppression..."

https://bit.ly/3zZ2Ag3

Self-described "social entrepreneur and bestselling author", so bestselling that he doesn't even merit a Wikipedia page, totally fails to "get" Dodger:

"I’m giving a certain amount of leeway here as I assume this is one of Pratchett’s books for younger readers (like his wonderful ‘Wee Free Men’) and therefore isn’t going to tackle themes which are too deep or dark. Nevertheless, it’s not awfully good. ‘Dodger’ is a book I could have lived my life without reading and it is certainly not a book I will feel the need to read again. There’s nothing terrible about it per se – it’s a perfectly fine story and set of characters. The book is well written, of course. It’s just not up to the standard of Pratchett’s Discworld stories. I do find it hard to explain. You can’t accuse the author of being a one-trick pony because the Discworld stuff just doesn’t work like that. The genius of Pratchett’s universe is that it can tackle and parody just about anything in history, politics, culture or society, past of present. In effect, the novels (while still all being comic fantasy) take on completely different flavours. Furthermore, when you look at books like ‘Good Omens’ (admittedly co-authored with the brilliant Neil Gaiman) you can see Pratchett can be utterly hilarious away from his magical land. So why doesn’t ‘Dodger’ work?... I have no great conclusion to the conundrum. My only guess is that this just wasn’t a good one for Pratchett. It must have seemed inspired at the time – for all the above-mentioned reasons – but it just came out a dud..."

https://bit.ly/3dvorlJ

Blogger Kizzia Mildmay explains that hard-boiled egg:

"Night Watch is, in my opinion, the best Discworld book Terry Pratchett ever wrote. I have re-read it at least once every year since it was first published, back in November 2002, always around May 25th when the book is set (and often a second time if I’m doing a full Discworld read through). Each time the rightness of the book bubbles up through the pages as fresh and clear and astonishing as if I were reading it for the first time. All of Terry’s books are, to some extent or other, about what it truly means to be a human living in a society. Night Watch takes that theme, turns it up to 11, and turns you inside out while it does so...
In order to explain exactly why it is so wonderful I’d have to spoil the plot and I don’t want to do that. I want you to read it for yourself (after reading the five books which come before it so you receive the maximum impact of every word, although I suspect it works as a stand alone too because Terry was Just That Good)."

https://bit.ly/2Spg57B

Blogger James E Hartley analyses Reaper Man:

"There is much wisdom in Windle’s post-life pre-death reflections. Life is indeed strange, but we the living have a hard time noticing it because we are too busy with the mundane details of living. Living does involve a lot of mundane things. Eating, Sleeping, Bathing, Dressing, and Tearing Unwanted Plants out of the Ground. Much like a Left Guard or a Third Basemen, when you are in the Game of Life, you have a hard the seeing the whole game. Marching along in our tiny little ruts in life, we do indeed have a hard time seeing how our little ruts fit into the larger traffic system. Thoreau screamed at you about the life of quiet desperation you are leading. He wants you to break our patterns. Go life in a cabin in the woods for a couple of years. Or whatever. Just get out of your rut. You read Thoreau and sigh, 'That seems a tad bit extreme.' Terry Pratchett has a simpler solution. Just step outside yourself and notice that life is strange and wonderful. For a moment, look past all the boring and mundane things you have to do today, and look around until you notice something really, really odd. Think about that oddity for a bit. Then, laugh..."

https://jamesehartley.com/looking-at-life-off-kilter/

Blogger Lynn found The Light Fantastic slightly lacking... or maybe not:

"I will preface this review by stating that at the moment I’m not totally blown away by the Discworld, but, at the same time, I had been warned that this could take two or three books before it really took hold so I’m still very hopeful. I will also clarify that last remark by saying I’m not disliking what I’ve read so far, so much as it hasn’t quite knocked my socks off in the way I’d hoped, or more to the point, whilst there have been quite a number of moments that have made me smile I haven’t had a proper laugh out loud moment just yet. I do have expectations though and I suspect that as I continue with Lou on this journey we will become attached to the characters and familiar with the world in a way that immerses us much more and provides a greater sense of connectivity... I really enjoyed certain aspects of this one. The forest – which has a decidedly fairytale feel and the whole visit to the home of Death. I loved both those scenes. Of course, everything Pratchett does is tongue in cheek and softly fun poking at the fantasy tropes but those two particular scenarios particularly stood out for me. To be honest, although I’ve not been totally knocked out by the two first books in this series, I can see myself already becoming attached. I like the humour, it reminds me very much of Monty Python and obviously Douglas Adams. To be honest, I know already, that I will love elements of these books because I’ve read the Tiffany Aching series which were excellent..."

https://bit.ly/3gT3Mde

...and finally, blogger Grainne, whose own wordcraft and vocabulary are fascinatingly idiosyncratic, offers a long analysis of Rincewind in general and Sourcery in particular:

"Came sooner, Coin, ravaged the Lore and ended the Archchancellor election by exhibiting a glimpse of his “virtue” and simply sat on the highest cathedra without much of a struggle. Then we become versed that the prevailing wizards are the legitimate pests as they feed on the proffered power no human can contest. Fortunately, our Rincewind perceived the signs as ominous even before the source of magic came into view. But unfortunately, this was another chance for an adventure he ardently does not want. And unfortunately, indeed, it has to be a woman who owns a fascinating voice to compel him to assist the Archchancellor’s hat on a trip to Klatch for a reason of sorts. Pratchett built a world in a disk. And he went on a full measure in the concept of domination through his book, Sourcery. The question was, “If wizards are powerful, why didn’t they rule the world?” I’ve read few books that dealt with this query and the writers replied fairly quick–they still made sense that imposed acknowledgement. What is Pratchett’s response? Or rather, how did Pratchett respond? Instead of reposting, he thought long and resolved the trope in all the pages of Sourcery. It will lose the balance. The wizards will not be contented in the division of domain. Like empires, they will conquer adjacent lands and even remote enclaves. Tectonic plates will shiver as rocks ascend into towers by magical summoning to fight their own kind they once called brothers. Shove a magically overpowered human who even traps the gods in an attempt to be the sole divine; you invite frozen titans indignant to revert the state of the world to the glacial age... Sourcery is a Discworld series still wealthy with wisecracks. But for a reader acclimated to Pratchett’s usual amount of humor, one would observe that the opulence curtailed..."

https://bit.ly/3wUk3UM

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08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

The Ankh-Morpork coat of arms (and legs) does special service in the Discworld Emporium's semi-closing announcement:
https://bit.ly/3gWpRrc

The cast of Brisbane Arts Theatre's just-finished production of Making Money... and is that a ghost at the back?!:
https://bit.ly/3xQvQn0

A lovely way to go – the Discworld themed funeral of fan Steven Thornton: https://bit.ly/3dbwAvp

Re that funeral, Rhianna Pratchett tweeted: ""That’s a hell of a resting place. 100% Pratchett approval. GNU Steven Thornton"
https://bit.ly/3xSB5D2

A look at the cover for the Ultimate Discworld Companion: https://bit.ly/3daAnsG

That wonderful orangutan photo (as mentioned in item 3: https://bit.ly/3wYinJX

Possibly Your Editor's favourite photo ever of Sir Pterry, that accompanied the article in item 3.9 above:
https://bit.ly/3gSyB1y

...and finally, a beautiful badge created for the 2013 New York Comic Con 2013 by artist Justin Gerard, as posted by Pinback Travels (ask him about pins!):
https://bit.ly/3wVnsmv

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09) CLOSE

It's been obvious to many people for some time now that ol' Auntie Beeb has jumped a lot of sharks, but this one – on Sir Pterry's own home ground – takes an entire bakery's worth of biscuits:

"The Watch is crossing the pond. The BBC has acquired the UK rights to the BBC America original series after striking a deal with international distributor and sister company BBC Studios. The series will debut on the iPlayer on Thursday July 1st and will subsequently get a linear run on BBC Two later this year."

https://bit.ly/3gS82K4

Right then, that's it for now. More than ever, mind how you go, and we hope to see you next month!

– Annie Mac

Copyright (c) 2021 by Wossname for the Klatchian Foreign Legion

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

comments

Wossname – May 2021 – main issue

2021-05-24T08:13:07Z

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
May 2021 (Volume 24, Issue 5, Post 1)

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

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INDEX:

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

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"I am always at some point through the cycle (I’m currently on The Thief of Time). They’re not only gloriously funny, they’re humane in a way that makes you actually feel seen and forgiven, with all your faults. He was a one-off, Sir Terry. When I finish reading them through, I simply put the last book down and pick the first one up again."
– genre author Patrick Ness

"DW books don't have chapters because, well, I just never got into the habit of chapters. I'm not sure why they should exist (except maybe in children's books, to allow the parent to say "I'll read to the end of the chapter and then you must go to sleep."). Films don't have chapters. Besides, I think they interfere with the shape of the story. Use a bookmark is my advice."
– Sir Pterry was wise. Listen to Sir Pterry

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

Looking back over assorted years of May Wossname issues just now, I discovered to my astonishment that the Glorious 25th has rarely been mentioned in Wossname and wasn't mentioned at all last year even on the Wossname mirror site! As of May 2021, Lilac Day will have come around for thirteen years on Roundworld, so I'm reposting the Lilac Day links from the May 2017 issue in hope that it will jog my memory next year:

This one means well: "The Glorious Twenty-Fifth of May, also referred to as Wear the Lilac Day, is an annual celebration observed by fans of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series. Lately it has also become an impromptu Alzheimer's disease awareness day... The Glorious Twenty-Fifth of May is a remembrance day in the fictional Discworld that commemorates the People's Revolution, which put an end to Lord Winter's[sic] reign. On May 25, the survivors wear a spring of lilac and gather at the cemetery to honor those who fell during the Revolution. The Revolution is described in the novel Night Watch. The fictional celebration was adopted by fans of Terry Pratchett's works, who began to wear springs[sic] of lilac on May 25 to commemorate his writing. In 2007, Pratchett announced that he had Alzheimer's disease. His fans began the campaign Match It For Pratchett to raise awareness of Alzheimer's. Fans are encouraged to wear lilac in support of Pratchett and make donations to Alzheimer's research funds."

https://anydayguide.com/calendar/2026

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

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

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

Wossname would like to extend its congratulations to Marc Burrows, whose biography The Magic of Terry Pratchett has made the list of Locus Award finalists in the nonfiction category. [Readers may recall we reviewed it a while back! – Ed.]

Congratulations are also due to bookbinder Thomas Hosking, who has won a prestigious medal for his work on a very special edition of Mort:

"Run by Designer Bookbinders and sponsored by The Folio Society, [the Bookbinder Mansfield Medal] comes at a time when the craft of bookbindery in the UK is facing a challenging future. There are no full-time bookbinding programs currently on offer, while several of the processes involved in bookbinding, such as edge gilding, gold tooling, fore-edge painting, and vellum making, are due to appear on the Heritage Crafts Association list of endangered crafts. 'We want to spread the word that excellent contemporary bookbinding does exist, that it’s not just something in Victorian gentlemen’s libraries,' said bookbinder Kate Holland, co-organizer with fellow binder Sue Doggett of the biennial competition. 'We’re really keen to encourage new people and the younger generation into the profession so it’s exciting that there are lots of new names in this year’s entries and awards.' The two major awards were won by Thomas Hosking for his goatskin binding of Mort by Terry Pratchett featuring a scythe-shaped void, and Miranda Kemp whose bradel structure binding of the set text Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck with unsupported link stitch included imagery of the baking California sun on ranch buildings with prairies in the distance..."

https://bit.ly/34alz8K

And now, on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) ODDS AND SODS

3.1 AMAZING MAURICE NEWS

The Amazing Maurice is on its way to becoming a real film! Some of the biggest names in screen entertainment have now been confirmed as voice cast members – including our favourite demon. The original Narrativia announcement:

"Sky today announced a new co-production with Ulysses Filmproduktion and Cantilever Media, The Amazing Maurice, a Sky original. This animated family film is based on one of Sir Terry Pratchett’s wildly popular Discworld novels and will star Hugh Laurie (Avenue 5) as Maurice, Emilia Clarke (Game of Thrones) as Malicia, David Thewlis (Wonder Woman) as Boss Man, Himesh Patel (Yesterday) as Keith, Gemma Arterton (The King’s Man) as Peaches and Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey) as The Mayor... Coming to Sky Cinema in 2022, The Amazing Maurice, a Sky original, follows Maurice, a streetwise ginger cat who has the perfect money-making scam. He finds a kid who plays a pipe, and he also befriends his very own horde of strangely educated, talking rats – so Maurice can no longer think of them as ‘lunch’. When Maurice and the rodents reach the stricken town of Bad Blintz, they meet a bookworm, Malicia. Their little con soon goes down the drain as something very bad is waiting for them in the cellars... Rob Wilkins, Producer and Managing Director of Narrativia, said: 'Bringing Maurice’s story to life was such a joy for Terry and I’m delighted that the teams at Sky, Ulysses Filmproduktion and Cantilever Media are honouring his vision with such reverence and respect.'.

"The Amazing Maurice, a Sky original is co-produced by Sky, Ulysses Filmproduktion and Cantilever Media, with animation studios Studio Rakete (Hamburg) and Red Star Animation (Sheffield). The film has the full support of the Terry Pratchett estate and is produced in association with Narrativia. Producers are Julia Stuart (Sky), Emely Christians (Ulysses), Andrew Baker and Robert Chandler (Cantilever Media) and Rob Wilkins (Narrativia). The Film is directed by Toby Genkel, co-director is Florian Westermann..."

To read the full announcement, go to https://narrativia.com/maurice.html

And here be some updates...

From Cinema Express:

"Broadchurch-fame David Tennant is the newest addition to the voice cast of The Amazing Maurice. The animated feature is the silver screen adaptation of Terry Pratchett's The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents. The film marks Tennant's second project which is based on Pratchett's novel. Previously he had starred in the Amazon Prime Video series The Good Omens. The 50-year-old Scottish star joins Hugh Laurie, Emilia Clarke, David Thewlis, Himesh Patel, Gemma Arterton and Hugh Bonneville in the cast. Actors Rob Brydon, Ariyon Bakare, Julie Atherton, and YouTuber Joe Sugg are also part of the film..."

https://bit.ly/3bQaspt

From Gizmodo:

"The animated adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s Carnegie Medal-winning 2001 children’s book The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents has already commandeered a huge celebrity voice cast, but apparently there’s always room for more. Now Doctor Who’s David Tennant has joined the ranks, alongside Game of Thrones’ Emilia Clarke and House’s Hugh Laurie, among many others... Besides starring in Amazon’s adaptation of Pratchett and Neil Gaiman’s novel Good Omens, Tennant actually voiced the rat Dangerous Beans in a 2003 radio adaptation of The Amazing Maurice, so it’s pretty reasonable to suspect he’ll be reprising the role..."

https://bit.ly/3fFAZHk

3.2 ABOMINABLE SNOWBABY NEWS

More animation goodies on their way soon! This one is an adaptation on UK Channel 4 of one of the lovely stories in the "Father Christmas’ Fake Beard" collection, expected this very Hogswatch. From the Narrativia announcement:

"The magic of Terry Pratchett, the legendary national treasure and maverick British author who sold over 100 million books worldwide, comes to life in this half-hour programme. The Abominable Snow Baby tells the story of a quintessentially English town which is thrown into disarray by a huge snowfall and the dramatic appearance of a 14-foot tall Abominable Snow Baby. Shunned and feared by the local townsfolk, Snow Baby is rescued by the indomitable Granny who along with grandson Albert, welcomes him into her home, showering her new pet with love and affection, changing the town’s perception and helping the community overcome their initial prejudices... Channel 4 Head of Drama, Caroline Hollick said: 'Terry Pratchett’s The Abominable Snow Baby is a magnificent, heart-warming, riotously funny story about love, courage and compassion. Witty, entertaining and deeply moving in equal measure, it captures the spirit of Christmas with Sir Terry’s unique charm'... Rob Wilkins, Managing Director of Narrativia and Manager of Sir Terry Pratchett’s Estate said: 'In his lifetime, Terry wrote over seventy books, which have been translated into 41 languages. He started his career as a writer of short stories for young people, who remained his favourite audience. The Abominable Snow Baby showcases Terry’s firmly held belief in not judging people on appearances, his reverence for the elderly, and his very genuine love of Christmas. Narrativia is delighted to see Terry’s work brought to life by the talented team at Eagle Eye Drama, in the fiftieth year of Terry Pratchett being a published author.'..."

To read the full announcement, go to https://narrativia.com/snowbaby.html

3.3 REVIEW: TERRY PRATCHETT HISWORLD EXHIBIT COMPANION

The Magic and the Memories: a review of the Terry Pratchett HisWorld Official Exhibition Companion

By Annie Mac

A few years ago, a friend of mine brought me back a present from one of her rare trips to London: Masterpieces of the British Museum, a handsome, glossy 300-page catalogue of some of the Museum's most notable exhibits, full of images and brief descriptions of each item and its provenance. It's a pretty thing, and I enjoy riffling through it now and again, but it's little more than a pleasant coffee table entertainment and is typical of the genre. So when my copy of the Terry Pratchett HisWorld Official Exhibition Companion landed on my doorstep, I was expecting a Pratchett-based sample of the same kind of thing.

It's not.

The Terry Pratchett HisWorld Official Exhibition Companion (henceforth referred to as the HisWorld Companion in this review, to save wordcount) is a thing of beauty, yes, but it is also far more than that. Have you ever been lifted to an exalted state or reduced to tears from reading a museum catalogue? I never had been, but I was more than a few times when reading the HisWorld Companion – and I think many appreciators of the world and works of Sir Terry Pratchett will be too. Everything about this book, from the stunning images to the little-known fascinating facts to the way the entire book has been constructed and presented, is... well... there is a Danish word, "hygge", that refers to a place, thing, or experience that surrounds you with feelings of warmth and cosiness and pulls you into a happy state – and in my opinion, the HisWorld Companion is filled with hygge.

But enough justified gushing for the moment; let's get to a description of the contents. The HisWorld Companion opens with a six-page timeline of Sir Terry Pratchett's lifetime and works, followed by a foreword by exhibit curator Richard Henry and eleven chapters covering periods of the author's life, histories of some of his most famous books, and of course the backstories behind the exhibits themselves, described by those who worked for and with him and the ones who knew him best: Colin Smythe, Rob Wilkins, and daughter Rhianna, plus assorted friends and co-creators.

The first chapter (How It All Began) offers a short tour of Sir Terry's origins as a writer, in his own words. Next comes Literary Beginnings, a chapter about his early works by Colin Smythe, the man who brought the author to the world, first as his publisher and then as his agent. This chapter includes some amazing images of early Pratchett illustrations for The Carpet People and The Dark Side of the Sun, and some lovely surprises (did you know that young Terry,during his days as a journalist, also drew a comic strip called Warlock Hall? I didn't!) and some amazing art pieces that represent his long interest in bees.

The third chapter is dedicated to Josh Kirby, the first official Discworld illustrator. Included here are his story, and some of his works rarely seen – stunning portraits of Sir Terry that, while they include Kirby's renderings of Discworld characters, don't have the familiar deliberately grotesque look of his covers for the novels (and I have to say, his Tsortean Horse as rendered for Eric is very impressive). Next up is The Cunning Artificer, featuring the amazing artworks and amusing anecdotes of Bernard Pearson. There is a selection of absolutely gorgeous stuff in this chapter.

Chapter five (Sockets and Wires), is Rob Wilkins' section, in which he tells the story of two friends' shared passion for tinkering with technological devices. One can see the original of HEX in Sir Terry's early computer gear. Chapter six (Crooked Wanderings on the Chalk) is by Nick Cowen, who could be described as a benign Eric Wheelbrace (twenty-eight years behind the compass, officially looking after public rights of way in South Wiltshire). In this chapter we are introduced to the descriptions and ecology of the *real* Chalk and Mr Cowen's own interactions with Sir Pterry as they wandered around it (not to mention iconographs of The Author's shepherding hut!). In the seventh chapter (Swords and Awards), master swordsmith Jake Keen shares the tale of That Sword and how he and the newly knighted author made it; also featured in this chapter are iconographs of Sir Terry's various awards, including the one he said meant the most to him (hint: it wasn't his knighthood, nor even the Carnegie medal), plus a two-page timeline of the awarding of them all.

Now we come to the chapters that cover bringing the Discworld into visibility. The eighth chapter, Designing Discworld, tells the story of how author and artist worked together to create two (and sometimes three) dimensional realisations of the beloved characters of Discworld and the other novels. This one is the Paul Kidby's showcase, and appropriately it's a long one, lavishly with reproduced illustrations including a centrefold pullout of the Discworld Massif. Mapping Terry's Worlds, the ninth chapter, offers the turn of Stephen Briggs, first and still foremost Discworld mapper and primary Pratchett stage adaptation playwright; this chapter features his own work and some pieces by Paul Kidby.

So where, are you wondering, do the tears come in? Well, the final two chapters are called The Embuggerance and Legacy. Need I say more? Chapter ten, headed by Professor Roy Jones of the RICE Institute, takes us through the heartbreak of the PCA years and their inevitable end and I'll stop right there because my tears are welling again. But the final chapter, written by Rhianna Pratchett, brought tears of both nostalgia and hope to this reader, as they cover, among other things, past, present and possible future adaptations, and the chapter is replete with yet more beautiful artwork. Weirdly, for those of us who did our best to suffer through that Discworld-adjacent television series called The Watch, the final extended word goes to the Dark Lord, I mean showrunner, Simon Allen, who, had he managed to apply even a minuscule amount of the grace and humour he shows in his short essay here, might have given the world a true glimpse of Discworld rather than a virtually unrecognisable travesty... but that's a war to be fought on another day.

At last we come to the credits, index, and more beautiful artworks and photographs. And then you might well want to read it through again. I did. All in all, the HisWorld Companion gave this reader an experience that felt closer and more personal even than attending the exhibition itself. I cannot recommend it too highly.

The Terry Pratchett HisWorld Official Exhibition Companion. Truly worth owning and cherishing and re-reading over and over. To paraphrase the quote on the back cover, it's still magic, even if it's pressed between the endpages of a book.

p.s. Have a box of tissues at the ready.

Published by Dunmanifestin Ltd
ISBN 978 1 9998081 5 0

3.4 MORE PRATCHETT PROJECT TALKS!

Allusions and Cultural References in Terry Pratchett’s Jingo: Translation and Understanding, by Damon Tringham:

https://youtu.be/NdbKghKxmnc

Humour, parody and satire in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels by Kamil Karas:

https://youtu.be/btRiFbH48dI

More to come...

https://twitter.com/PratchettProj

3.5 ROLLING ON ZERO... THE GOOD OMENS FILM THAT NEVER WAS

Here be the story of Terry Gilliam's unsuccessful attempt to bring Good Omens to the Clicks, by Joe Gillis on ScreenRant:

"Upon completing Good Omens, Gaiman and Pratchett sent Gilliam a copy – noting that the novels’ comedic sensibilities owed a debt to Monty Python – and a meeting was arranged at London’s famous Groucho Club to discuss the prospect of a film adaptation... by the late '90s, Gilliam was said to be co-writing the film with his Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas collaborator Tony Grisoni. According to Neil Gaiman, Robin Williams and Johnny Depp (who had previously worked with Gilliam on The Fisher King and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, respectively) were considered to play Aziraphale and Crowley – a match made in cinematic heaven, if ever there was one. Sadly, development hell would ultimately claim the project, as Gaiman explained to TW: “He (Gilliam) had almost all the money he needed. Unfortunately, this was like three months after 9/11 and nobody was in the mood to hear about a really funny end-of-the-world comedy”. This, paired with Gilliam’s comments to Reel in 2001, wherein he described Good Omens as “the most expensive thing” he had ever done, gives a pretty good idea of why the project was relegated to the scrap pile... While there were talks of reviving Gilliam’s Good Omens throughout the 2000s, none of them resulted in a finished film. In 2011, Gilliam’s fellow Python Terry Jones was attached to adapt the novel as a television miniseries [via Neil Gaiman’s Journal], before that project, too, went the way of the dinosaurs..."

https://bit.ly/2Rys2aV

3.6 THE MERCH CORNER

* The Terry Pratchett HisWorld Official Exhibition Companion!

"In 2017 the Estate of Sir Terry Pratchett, the Salisbury Museum and illustrator Paul Kidby joined forces to present the award winning Terry Pratchett: HisWorld exhibition – taking visitors to the heart of the world of the Discworld creator. This comprehensive and fully illustrated guide is the official companion to that unique collection. With additional images and extra content including essays by Rhianna Pratchett, Rob Wilkins, Paul Kidby, Colin Smythe, Bernard Pearson, Stephen Briggs, Amy Anderson for The Josh Kirby Estate, Professor Roy Jones, Jake Keen & Nick Cowen. The exhibition won Best Temporary or Touring Exhibition in the prestigious Museum & Heritage Awards. The judges described it as “an exhibition which demonstrated great emotional connection which resulted in a marked change in visitor demographics”. This book is a perfect memento for those who made the journey to view the resoundingly popular exhibition and the perfect consolation for those who were unable to visit in person."

This beautiful book, all 224 pages of it, is now priced at £15, half of its previous price. For more information and to order, go to:

https://bit.ly/3fHXgnM

(Also see item 3.3 for a review! – Ed.)

* Mrs Bradshaw's Handbook!

"Authorised by Mr Lipwig of the Ankh-Morpork and Sto Plains Hygienic Railway himself, Mrs Georgina Bradshaw’s invaluable guide to the destinations and diversions of the railway deserves a place in the luggage of any traveller, or indeed armchair traveller, upon the Disc. From the twine walk of Great Slack to the souks of Zemphis: edifying sights along the route. Ticketing, nostrums and transporting your swamp dragon: essential hints on the practicalities of travel Elegant resorts and quaint inns: respectable and sanitary lodgings for all species and heights. From worm-herding to Fustic Cake: diverting trivia on the crafts, foods and brassica traditions of the many industrious people for whom the railway is now a vital link to the Century of the Anchovy. Fully illustrated and replete with useful titbits, Mrs Bradshaw’s Handbook offers a view of the Sto Plains like no other."

Another beautiful book at another reduced-price bargain price! Now priced at only £8. For more information and to order, go to:

https://bit.ly/3yAtBp5

3.7 WHY SKYNET WILL NEVER BE A BESTSELLING AUTHOR

...but given the nature of "Literature with a big L", could possibly win a Booker Prize. Here is what happens when and AI programme, "Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3", is asked to write a short story in the style of Pratchett or Gaiman. As posted on reddit by user summerstay, who gave the AI a simple short prompt in each case after feeding in samples of each author's work:

Sir Pterry... not:

"The Old Queen’s palace is dark and full of dust. But there are lots of little lights there. Little bug lights. And bugs. There are a lot of them, for some reason. There are lots of things in the Underland. There are bugs and birds, and foxes and deer, and bears, too. Everything you might expect to find in an old forest, except that this is a place you can’t see. And you can’t leave.

"But the strangest things are not the bugs and the animals. They are the people. They are small. They are the same size as the bugs and the birds and the animals. And they walk around, too. Sometimes you can hear them down below. You can hear them coming and going. You can hear them talking and singing. You can hear them cry. You can even hear them fighting. But that doesn’t happen very often. And when it does, the fights don’t last long. Because when they are done, the winner picks up the loser and puts them in the
window.

...or Neil Gaiman... not:

"I take off, fly out the window, circle around the city. I can't go back to Heaven. They don't understand anything. They'll keep me here in this chrysalis until it rots, and I'll rot with it. So I fly to Hell. Satan is an angel too, but he's an angel who understands. He says, 'Of course. Why else would you be here? You're a perfect butterfly, a golden-eyed chrysalis. Your place is in Heaven. But they don't understand anything. You don't have to go back.'

'Thank you,' I say.

'Don't mention it,' says Satan...."

https://bit.ly/3vfiCj7

...and more about Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3, in an op-ed by Leonid Bershidsky on Bloomberg.com:

"It’s been almost a year since OpenAI, the San-Francisco lab co-founded by Elon Musk, released Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3, the language model that can produce astoundingly coherent text with minimal human prompting – enough time to draw some conclusions on whether its brute-force approach to artificial intelligence can in time allow most writing to be delegated to machines. In my current job at Bloomberg News Automation, I’m in the business of such delegation, and I have my doubts that the trail blazed by GPT-3 leads in the right direction....

https://bloom.bg/3ud4nd1

3.8 PRATCHETT BOOK CLUB UPDATES

On the website of publishers Tor, Emmet Asher-Perrin continues a Discworld discussion page. This month's instalments take us from the wrap-up of Good Omens through the entirety of Eric.

Finishing Good Omens...

"I’m not a Christian theologian by any stretch of the imagination (and I’m not Christian myself), but as far as I’ve always understood it, Jesus embodies qualities that people are supposed to strive for – kindness, forgiveness, mercy, a sense of moral responsibility, that sort of thing. Yet here we have an entire book dedicated to this idea that Heaven and Hell aren’t inherently Good and Evil places because you find real grace and real cruelty in humanity. We have the capacity for the whole spectrum in each and every one of us. Thus, the point of Adam isn’t showing how true evil works, it’s showing a potential flip side to the characteristics of the 'savior.' Because sure, Adam saves the world, for a definition of that, but he doesn’t go around fixing everyone’s problems – and he could. He thinks that people need to take responsibility for their own messes, hence his point to Anathema that he won’t be saving whales for everyone; if he does that, then people will forget that their actions have consequences. He keeps Armageddon at bay because he hasn’t seen enough yet, which is a fair complaint from an eleven-year-old boy..."

https://bit.ly/3yxABDi

...and the first part of Eric:

"Maybe this is a weird thing for me to say, but there’s some part of me that wonders if writing the Good Omens version of Death didn’t clarify some things for Pratchett about the Discworld version. Because his very first appearance in The Colour of Magic is notably not quite there yet, and obviously we get a lot of him in Mort, and he continues to coalesce with every additional appearance. But there’s something about this particular bit with the Rite of AshkEnte that feels just exactly correct, like the Discworld’s Death has finally distilled down or aged appropriately like a fine wine – his being on the wrong side of the octogram, the “expression of polite interest,” the expectant curiosity whilst being very to-the-point. (Picking invisible particles off the scythe, I could die.) When I think of the character, this is how I’m usually thinking of him... there’s a lot of Good Omens influence in this book, particularly in the explanation of Discworld’s Hell, and Lord Astfgl's mission to make the whole thing function better. (Plus his petty grievances with the old guard of demons.) It’s there in the talk of how Astfgl wants Eric because Hell is missing out of human imagination, giving Pratchett a spot to really drill down on that concept. There’s the mention that the difference between gods and demons on the Disc is basically the same as the difference between “terrorists and freedom fighters,” which immediately puts me in mind of Crowley and Aziraphale’s conversation about guns and moral arguments. Then there’s the “bell, book and candle job” line, which has that air of echoes in the brain working their way out, and I have to say, it’s comforting? Obviously writers don’t usually mean to repeat themselves, but if someone like Pratchett can do it, we can all feel a little less awkward when we do it. But I feel like the real crux here is the moment when Rincewind is looking at Eric looking out over the world and he wonders if he was like him at that age, and then thinks 'I wonder how I survived?'..."

https://bit.ly/2Spu8tm

...and the second...

"This… this is just a weird lil book, isn’t it? I mean, it’s a bit fun if you’ve read any of the myths and classics attached to the story, but that only really takes you so far, and then you’re mostly left wondering why at the end. Because Eric is thoroughly boring as a co-protagonist. He doesn’t really do much, it’s all Rincewind, and by this point we know full well that Rincewind is a better protagonist when he’s got someone to bounce off of – Twoflower, other wizards, barbarians, literally anyone with a personality and a point of view that will get in the way of his sense of self-preservation. But throughout this book, he’s mostly stuck at the whims of the plot. I mean, you know it’s all gone wonky when even the Luggage doesn’t get to have much fun... My theory here is that there was just too much leftover in Pratchett’s head after working on Good Omens, and he wanted to shove it somewhere, so this is where he put it. Right? I mean, this version of Hell is basically what the place would be like if demons actually listened to Crowley. That’s the whole arc we get with Astfgl being deposed by demons who really just want to go back to the good ol’ days of flames and blood. Which is fun to play with, but maybe not enough material for an entire book. And you know, this is less than half the length of most Discworld books, so you can kind of rest your case there..."

https://bit.ly/2T8LgnD

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04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

It's a promising-looking season for Australian Discworld plays!

* MAKING MONEY IN BRISBANE, FOURECKS (NOW–JUNE 2021)

Brisbane Arts Theatre is back in the swing with more Discworld! Currently playing is the Stephen Briggs adaptation of Making Money. "Someone is killing Lord Vetinari, Patrician of Ankh-Morpork. No one knows who; no one knows why; and, worst of all, no one knows how – he just gets weaker and weaker. But, it’s not just Vetinari. Across the city, people are being murdered, but there’s no trace of anything alive having been at the crime scene. In a city teeming with vampires, werewolves, dwarfs with attitude, and golems, Vimes must solve the crime and save the Patrician."

When: now through 5th June 2021
Venue: Brisbane Arts Theatre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane, Queensland 4000
Time: Thursdays 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays 8pm, Sundays 6:30pm
Tickets: $36 (concession/group $29,Student Rush: $16), available online via https://aubat.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/5873 ($2 fee on all transactions)

https://www.artstheatre.com.au/productions/making-money/

*MORT IN SUBURBAN MELBOURNE, FOURECKS (JUNE 2021)

How good is it to see Fourecksian Discworld productions getting back to normal? The CPP Community Theatre will present Stephen Briggs' adaptation of Mort in June! "When Mort and his father attend the Sheepridge hiring fair in the hope that this year Mort will finally get an apprenticeship, they didn’t expect the day to end with death. But at least Death offered Mort a job! As Death’s apprentice, Mort gets to travel and meet interesting people… well, for a short time anyway. But once Mort is trusted to take on the Duty by himself, trouble brews, as Mort lets his heart rule his head… Adapted by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Briggs from the fourth of Terry’s wildly successful Discworld novels, Mort brings the Discworld to the stage. Come and see how Mort gets out of the trouble he’s caused!"

When: 11th–19th June 2021
Venue: CPP Community Theatre, Doongalla Rd & Simpsons Rd, The Basin, Bayswater, Victoria 3154
Time: 8pm Fridays and Thursday, 2pm and 8pm Saturday 12th, 5pm Saturday 19th
Tickets: $27 (concession $24, group – minimum of 10 tickets – $24, family of 4 $75), available online via https://bit.ly/2ShDmbp

https://cppcommunitytheatre.com.au/mort/

* FEET OF CLAY IN BRISBANE, FOURECKS (SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2021)

Brisbane Arts Theatre returns with a second Discworld production of a Stephen Briggs adaptation! Making up for lost pandemic time... "Someone is killing Lord Vetinari, Patrician of Ankh-Morpork. No one knows who; no one knows why; and, worst of all, no one knows how – he just gets weaker and weaker. But, it’s not just Vetinari. Across the city, people are being murdered, but there’s no trace of anything alive having been at the crime scene. In a city teeming with vampires, werewolves, dwarfs with attitude, and golems, Vimes must solve the crime and save the Patrician."

When: 12th September–17th October 2021
Venue: Brisbane Arts Theatre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane, Queensland 4000
Time: Fridays and Saturdays 8pm, select Thursdays 7:30pm, select Sundays 6:30pm (see booking page)
Tickets: $36 (concession/group $29,Student Rush: $16), available online via https://aubat.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/640 ($2 fee on all transactions)

https://www.artstheatre.com.au/productions/feet-of-clay/

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05) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

Remember, one day, possibly in the not too distant future, Discworld fans will be able to meet in the real Roundworld again. So keep this information handy! Also note there are a few updates below...

A new Fourecksian meeting group joins the gang: the Purdeigh Islanders, based in Hobart, Tasmania. "Purdeigh (or Purdee) Island lies hubwards of Fourecks. Roundworld islanders are fans of the great Sir Terry Pratchett resident in Tasmania, the island state of Australia."

The Purdeigh Islanders is a private group. To join in, go to their Facebook page and see if they'll have you!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/205967619882683/

*

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group"
BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group at https://bit.ly/2YrPGW7

NOTE: the Drummers are still meeting occasionally via Zoom. Check out the above link for updates!

*

Drumknott's Irregulars
Facebook https://bit.ly/31FlSrq or Google Groups https:groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars or join us at our next event."

*

The Victorian Discworld Klatch
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch

*

"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/373578522834654/

*

The Pratchett Partisans
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au

*

The City of Small Gods
www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

"What are we doing while we're stuck at home due to COVID-19? Given that our normal social gatherings can't happen while everyone's under lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are instead trying to host regular activities and discussions online. Most of these will be done via our Discord Server – https://discord.gg/3RVzsyJ – which has several text chat channels and a few voice chat channels as well. We will still use our Facebook group – https://facebook.com/groups/cityofsmallgods – to coordinate scheduled events. When things get back to normal... (semi-) regular social meetings are generally held on the last Thursday of the month at a pub or restaurant in Adelaide. We have dinner at 6.30pm followed by games until 9pm.

"We'll try to keep this page up to date (no promises!) but always check emails on the mailing list or our Facebook Group for further details of these events."

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers
broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) meets at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn when social gatherings are possible.

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum: http://www.discworldstamps.co.uk/forum/

*

Sydney now hosts two groups of fans who meet on a regular basis.

In the CBD, The Mended Drummers (Sydney) meet on the first Monday of each month at Albion Place Hotel from 6.00pm. Join the Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/downunderdrummers/ – for more information.

And over in the western suburbs of Sydney you can find the Western Drummers who meet on the third Tuesday of each month at the Nepean Rowers Club from 6pm. Join their Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/100376433635355/ – for more information.

All we do is chat over a few drinks, with subjects ranging far and wide, have a Discworld themed quiz and generally enjoy the company of fellow discworld fans. Sometimes we end up getting together for a Zombie Walk, table top games or Supanova - nothing formal, just a loose group of like minded people.

Editor's note: If either of these supersedes the Sydney Drummers, please let Wossname know! Still posting the original for now: Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder)
Contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers https://bit.ly/2EKSCqu – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>

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

06) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

The Author with ducks. What ducks? Posted on reddit by user Bill-Door064:
https://i.redd.it/50jjcsxryc561.jpg

Another round of Discworld cakes! By canadabakes:
https://bit.ly/2RwzymD

By Michelle Pearce: https://bit.ly/3fKaD7c

By Denise Allen: https://bit.ly/3hIJvrH

...and by the Nightwitch, who is possibly Elza Baldzhiyska:
https://bit.ly/3468oFG

Two glorious Grannies by Paul Kidby:
https://bit.ly/2Td2IYn

...and Death as beekeeper, for World Bee Day which was this week:
https://bit.ly/3bKjt3C

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07) CLOSE

Paul Kidby's fantastic Discworld and Beyond exhibition may have been somewhat derailed by the pandemic, but it will surely be back. If you know a local UK museum that might want to feature it in the near future, here's the info: "We are currently taking bookings for this ever popular exhibition from Galleries & Museums around the UK for 2021 and onwards. For details please contact Steve Marshall, Exhibitions and Collections Officer, St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery, New Street, Lymington, Hampshire SO41 9BH (phone 01590 676969)

And finally, your Editor has never been a one to recommend fanfiction, but this one, by Sue Kesby, is an exception. Not trying to imitate The Author, not even pastiching, really, but... well... observing. Observing what a certain event might well be like. Enjoy!

https://wordpress.com/read/blogs/132559172/posts/3095

Right then, that's it for now. To our readers in the UK, may you enjoy your government-permitted hugs on the Glorious 25th! For our readers in Fourecks and the Land of Fog, try to remember that there's still a pandemic on out there. For our readers everywhere else, stay safe and remember, someday this will be over. And to everyone, mind how you go, and we hope to see you next month!

– Annie Mac

Copyright (c) 2021 by Wossname for the Klatchian Foreign Legion

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

comments

Wossname - March/April 2021 - main issue

2021-04-27T11:23:28Z

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
March/April 2021 (Volume 24, Issue 3, Post 1)

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

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

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INDEX:

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

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"You have to learn that grammar, punctuation and spelling are not things that only happen to other people."
– Sir Pterry, talking about how to become a writer (1996)

"That’s what the gods are! An answer that will do! Because there’s food to be caught and babies to be born and life to be lived and so there is no time for big, complicated, and worrying answers! Please give us a simple answer, so that we don’t have to think, because if we think, we might find answers that don’t fit the way we want the world to be."
– Mau, in Nation, figures out what makes humans tick

"We played Bat out of Hell at the end of Dad’s funeral (and I thoroughly recommend ending such things on an ‘up’ song) and he also chose it as one of his songs on Desert Island Discs. It has a special place in my heart. A big GNU for Jim Steinman."
– Pratchett the Younger notes the passing of one of Music With Rocks In's greatest lyricists

"I save about twenty drafts – that's ten meg of disc space – and the last one contains all the final alterations. Once it has been printed out and received by the publishers, there's a cry here of 'Tough shit, literary researchers of the future, try getting a proper job!' and the rest are wiped."
– Sir Pterry again, back in the days when he had world enough and time to chat with fans on Usenet

"Pratchett started his career in local papers, so he knows his amusingly shaped onions. He died in 2015, eight years after his diagnosis with a rare form of Alzheimer’s. 'An embuggerance,' he called it. It was like losing Gandalf."
– respect from Times journalist Laura Freeman

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

02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

On the twenty-eight day of this month, one of Roundworld's{1} best-beloved authors was born. Your Editor is not in the habit of wishing a happy birthday to anyone who can no longer celebrate it{2}, and therefore neither is Wossname, but Wossname definitely and wholeheartedly wishes that all appreciators everywhere of the brilliant work and life of the late Professor Sir Terence David John Pratchett, OBE and Blackboard Monitor will raise a toast in love and respect, and celebrate the day of his birth by re-reading some favourite passages from Discworld or other Pratchett novels{3}. GNU Sir Terry. GNU forever.

A few bits and bobs (not to be confused with odds and sods – those are in part 3):

Don't forget that Troll Bridge is now available to view online. Yes, it's a fan film, but it's slick and classy and lovingly made and The Author himself did contribute to its making. Enjoy!

https://www.trollbridge.film/

A year on in the seemingly never-ending pandemic, Stephen Briggs celebrated by re-reading the first instalment of many he's read to Clacks listeners over the months. Another thing to enjoy...

https://bit.ly/2QXHvjU

Something Sir Terry would have approved of: Tasmania and Spain are the latest to legalise assisted dying

And speaking of notable birthdays, Wossname wishes a happy 50th to "Anthony J Crowley" aka the redoubtable (and suspiciously young-looking) David Tennant.

And now, on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

{1} And certainly ours!
{2} As far as we know
{3} This happens regularly in my household anyway, but the 28th will be a special birthday-celebrating re-read

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03) ODDS AND SODS

3.1 THE CARPET PEOPLE TURNS 50

Hard to believe, isn't it? And more astonishing still to think that a number of then-young readers who fell in love with The Carpet People when it was first published will have passed that love on to their children – and soon, their grandchildren. It's such a lovely book that even if Sir Terry hadn't gone on to even greater heights, it would still be respected and loved as a children's literature great.

The audiobook of The Carpet People, as read by David Tennant especially for the occasion of its 50th birthday, is now available in the UK as a digital download or CD!

https://bit.ly/3ezAOgb

The official tweet!

"Introducing a very special edition of The Carpet People, Terry’s first published novel, written when he was just 17. Celebrating 50 years since its first publication, it will be available on 22 April, and is released alongside a new audiobook read by the wonderful David Tennant."

https://twitter.com/terryandrob/status/1377186283395579909

A loving Guardian piece by Alison Flood:

"'Terry would have loved knowing that David was going to do it,' said Rob Wilkins, Pratchett’s former assistant and friend who now manages the Pratchett estate. 'David was a Doctor Who that really mattered in the Pratchett household, so he would have been so thrilled.' Pratchett dreamed up The Carpet People as a teenager; a 1971 interview revealed that he was 'putting the world to rights … with a friend one evening when the friend got up to emphasise a point and started to pace across the room. "Don’t do that", said Terry suddenly, "You’ll disturb the carpet people." 'He was,' said Wilkins, 'writing early versions of The Carpet People in short stories when he was at school, so this goes way back. He was noodling around with ideas even then. He was thinking about this as a nano world. They’re much smaller than The Borrowers. They couldn’t wield needles as weapons; they would be ginormous to them. He was absolutely fascinated by a small, flat world.'... The Carpet People manuscript was picked up when he interviewed a local publisher, Peter Bander van Duren, and mentioned that he was working on a book. Van Duren’s co-director Colin Smythe took a look, and ended up becoming Pratchett’s first publisher, and later his agent. 'This was written by a 17-year-old, and seemed to me to be showing great promise of a brilliant, if not yet genius, mind – a kid at 17 who was writing so well must logically get better as he improved with experience,' said Smythe. 'His imagination was second to none.'..." [Amen to that! – Ed.]

https://bit.ly/3gR7e8P

[Editor's note: embedded part-way down the page is a two-minute extract from David Tennant's reading of The Carpet People]

3.2 PRATCHETT PROJECT TALKS AVAILABLE ONLINE!

Not even a worldwide pandemic could stop The Pratchett Project going ahead last year! The talks are now being released on YouTube. Check them out!

Space in Pratchett's Narrative Networks by Matthew Roughan:
https://youtu.be/mQ7HwMyjOPM

Political Idealism in the Discworld Novels by Ruchira Mandal:
https://youtu.be/FlBjXXa3v6A

The Big Wahoonie: Ankh-Morpork as Cross-Media Urban Imaginary by Helena Esser:
https://youtu.be/RUTwLO33zKA

The Wilkins speaks! Assisting Terry Pratchett, an interview with Rob Wilkins from the Pratchett Project Conference 2020:
https://youtu.be/Izh_EZ-mb8g

More to come...

https://twitter.com/PratchettProj

3.3 RESPECT FOR THE LITERARY POWER OF "THE TRUTH"

A takes-no-prisoners retrospective by journalist Laura Freeman, who calls it " a comic novel that rivals Evelyn Waugh", in The Times:

"Why, when Virginia Woolf is shelved above the breakfast table in my flat (you know, just in case, in pre-Covid days, someone lofty came to tea) is my Pratchett collection, all four shelves of it, relegated to a bookcase at the end of the children’s corridor at my parents’ house? I blame 'sci-fi'. Worse, that many-headed monster the 'sci-fi-fantasy-sword-and-sorcery' section. I wish bookshops wouldn’t do it. Pratchett said that he wrote the Discworld series as an antidote to the 'belike he will wax wroth' school of otherworldly fiction: the followers of the followers of the followers of Tolkien, the sub-sub-hobbits. Move Pratchett to modern humour, or simply put him in fiction. Pratchett has been compared to PG Wodehouse, Stephen Leacock and Douglas Adams, but for my money the Discworld books are more like many-charactered, many-chaptered Dickens. I sympathise with the reader who gets as far as the first page of The Colour of Magic, the first in the 41-strong Discworld series, published in 1983, and on meeting the star turtle Great A’Tuin swimming through the interstellar gulf with four elephants on its back, thinks: 'You lost me at turtle.' But they’re wrong. If you like Shakespeare, you’ll love Wyrd Sisters, Pratchett’s 1988 novel. If you like comparative mythology you’ll worship Pyramids. If you’re into gothic romanticism you’ll sink your teeth into Carpe Jugulum. I’m a hack, so I value The Truth..."

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/972fdb90-8cad-11eb-a1a3-928d43a3bbc1

3.4 TIFFANY ACHING AND ADOLESCENT ANGER

An long, interesting essay on angry young women in literature, featuring our favourite Chalk witch. By Dorothy Bennett on Tor.com:

"There are, of course, angry female villains, angry male heroes, and angry male villains of all ages, but I’ve discovered only a relatively few examples of angry young female heroines... I discovered Pratchett’s Discworld as an adult, but Tiffany Aching’s youthful anger still charmed me. (Tiffany is only nine in her first novel and sixteen in her last, but even at the beginning of her series, she is precocious enough to be grouped with the older Meg Murry.) Tiffany is introduced combatting a destructive magical force armed only with a frying pan and a strong sense of right and wrong. She thinks, 'I ought to be scared, but I’m just angry.' As the story progresses, another source of Tiffany’s anger comes to light – anger at her community. There was a harmless old woman cast out on suspicion of witchery, who died as a result. Tiffany boils at the remembrance, knowing that it was vile on two accounts: the woman wasn’t a witch, and more importantly, she didn’t have the means to protect herself. Tiffany recalls her Granny’s belief that 'someone has to speak up for them as has no voices.' In the final showdown with the malicious Fairy Queen, Tiffany consistently draws on her anger over the Queen’s injustices to galvanize herself into action. 'Ye have murrrder in yer eyes,' observes another character with admiration. Pratchett even goes so far as to note that Tiffany’s 'anger rose up, joyfully' – a delightful paradox... To Tiffany, Pratchett promises: you’re different and special and powerful, and you’ll always be this way—isn’t it glorious to be a witch? Tiffany does occasionally act out wrongly during her series of five books, and has to make amends to her community and her fellow witches. But, nowhere is her anger seen as invalid, only the way in which she handles her anger..."

https://www.tor.com/2021/04/21/the-power-of-adolescent-anger-lengles-meg-murry-and-pratchetts-tiffany-aching/

3.6 GASPODE IS A TOP DOG

...but we already knew that. Writing for Penguin Books, Indira Birnie ranks some famous literary canines and Gaspode is near the top!

"They say dogs are a man’s best friend – and when you look at the starring roles these canine companions play in literature, it feels like never a truer word has been spoken. Whether they appear as a protagonist’s faithful chum, are helping to solve fiendish mysteries or even act as a terrifying adversary, this species has inspired writers for centuries (even millennia, if you're counting the dogs found daubed on cave walls from the earliest period of human civilisation). With so many fictional hounds occupying the pages, narrowing down to a top ten feels almost impossible and so, of course, there are some notable omissions. But here we are, from the wonderful to the weep-inducing, this is our absolutely incontrovertible, definitive list of the top ten dogs in fiction. No arguments, please."

The list, in order from last to first, is Argos from The Odyssey, the dog from the Adrian Mole books, Bosun from Life After Life, Buck from Call of the Wild, Snowy Tintin, Lufra from Frederica, Bull's-eye from Oliver Twist, Gaspode, Hairy Maclary from the Hairy Maclary and Friends books, and in the number one spot, Snoopy.

Note: Ms Birnie says "no arguments, please" but also says "What did you think of our list, and which dogs would you want to add? Let us know by emailing us at editor@penguinrandomhouse.co.uk"

https://bit.ly/3gAhVfL

3.7 THE MERCH CORNER

* Discworld.com discount week!

Discworld.com is having a "spring clean!" There is a twenty per cent discount on notebooks, greetings cards, t-shirts & keyrings, valid until 4th May if you use the code SPRING21 at the checkout. Enjoy!

https://discworld.com/

* REMINDER: new Stephen Briggs Discworld scriptbooks

Attention amateur theatre companies! Now that there may be an eventual end in sight to the Covid-19 pandemic and it may be time to start planning the return of Discworld to the stage, note that three new official Discworld scriptbooks have been published this month: The Shakespeare Codex, Lords and Ladies, and Hogfather. All three are now available direct from the publisher (Bloomsbury). Each scriptbook is priced at £9.89 (paperback) or £8.79 (ebook). For more information, and to purchase, go to:

The Shakespeare Codex: https://bit.ly/3rD40YL
Lords and Ladies: https://bit.ly/3eoXfpT
Hogfather: https://bit.ly/3bzxPUE

3.8 MAGIC IN THE LIBRARY...

An absolute gem of a short video from the BBC archives of 1996, in which The Author is joined for a chat in his beloved Beaconsfield Library by telly producer Steve Hocking. What a joy to hear his voice and bask in his gentle humour across the gap of years! Two minutes and thirty-one seconds of sheer magic:

https://bit.ly/2QXCCHA

3.9 PRATCHETT BOOK CLUB UPDATES

On the website of publishers Tor, Emmet Asher-Perrin continues a Discworld discussion page. This month's instalments take us from part four of Guards! Guards! to the entirety of Good Omens (slipped in despite it not being Discworld).

Guards!Guards! part four:

"The discussion about having Colon use his special arrow to shoot the dragon in the 'voonerables' is, of course, a longform reference to many fantasy stories, but The Hobbit in particular. Which is mostly excellent because the idea of Colon as a suitable replacement for Bard the Bowman is hilarious. Honestly, most of the fun of the Watch stories comes from whenever most or all of the rank is hanging around and talking about how they’re going to handle a given situation, so this time on the roof is wonderfully done. I am beginning to realize that when I remembered this book, I always thought of Carrot as having more a central role in the action, however. Strange what your brain does in filling in the gaps of stories... I adore the confrontation between Vimes and Wonse because it is always treated this way, as though figuring out the mystery is the endgame because no one would ever have a plan once they knew they’d been discovered. Like being caught robs a villain of their adaptability and imbues the detective with a power of their own. Oh no, Detective Poirot is going to explain to us who the killer is, it’s all over now. When that is, of course, nonsense. If you’ve survived as long as Wonse has doing this sort of thing, you are at least somewhat prepared for the eventuality of being confronted..."

https://bit.ly/3c1mmNT

...and five:

"The whole ending sequence of this book is just perfectly written. The parody, the physical comedy, the cinematic quality to the entire thing. Picturing them all fast walking, then trotting, and full out running to the palace. Reading everyone their rights in the most useless manner possible. (Also, apparently there is historical precedent for arresting animals in our own world too? So, you know, Carrot is perfect.) Lord Vetinari appearing around every corner to hound Wonse. And then the greatest character death in any book I’ve ever read, made by a metaphor becoming a reality and dropping someone out a window. Also, my petty streak really appreciates the moments where Vimes gets the chance to tell Vetinari to shut up. And I love that they just ask for a solid pay bump and a kettle at their little hero ceremony while Vetinari looks on in shock. I’d have laughed like Vimes too..."

https://bit.ly/2PnHrty

...and Asher-Perrin now moves on to Good Omens. Editor's note: Not quoting extracts here because in my opinion this blogger's ever-present presentism is turned up to a painful degree in these analyses, but feel free to read them...

Part the first: https://bit.ly/3mjycGO

...and second: https://bit.ly/3dQghnb

...and third: https://bit.ly/3gDqrKJ

...and last: https://bit.ly/3xqE460

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04) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS

4.1 AUSDWCON UPDATES

An announcement, with footnotes

The Convention Moves...

Memorandum
From: Lord Vetinari, The Oblong Office, Ankh-Morpork
Subject: The Australian Discworld Convention 2021 – 2nd to 4th July 2022 – 8th to 10th April, Sydney

The convention moves...
New dates, same theme, same venue...
happy hippos looking at calendar that says April 8,9,10 2022

Mark your calendars – tell your DisOrganiser – we have locked in new convention dates for Nullus Anxietas 7a – The Australian Discworld Convention: 8th to 10th April 2022. It may be delayed, but you can still look forward to a long weekend of Discworld related entertainment and education(1). Because the convention dates have changed, we have also moved the cut-off dates for the Early Bird tickets, the Not-So-Early-Bird tickets and the Gala Dinner.

Early Bird tickets will be available until 8th August 2021
Convention tickets and Gala Dinner tickets will be available until 13th March 2022
If you have already bought a ticket, and find to your utter dismay that you can no longer join us, then please contact our membership secretary via the Contact Us page with your membership number and they will organise a refund. This offer is open until 28th February 2021.

Same theme
Our convention theme remains the same, and we look forward to welcoming you to the bustling and exciting(2) metropolis of Ankh-Morpork, "Citie of One Thousand Surprises!"(3) Join us as we explore the winding streets from the Isle of Gods(4) to the Shades(5) to the Unseen University(6).

Same venue
The venue is still the Stamford Plaza Hotel in Sydney. The convention is taking over the whole conference area on the first floor - so that gives us one very large room and six smaller rooms suitable for workshops, discussions, Klatches(7) and dungeon (complete with scorpions(7a)). As a teaser, here is another iconograph of the venue – showing some of the pre-convention area and (very safe) chandelier.

1 This may include surprises.
2 Also very smelly and quite dangerous, but then no city is perfect!
3 Some of them are nice!
4 Where you may be mugged.
5 Where you will definitely be mugged.
6 Where you won't be mugged buy may not come out the same shape/colour/species.
7 A klatch is a chance for a dozen lucky people to meet with our guests for a more intimate conversation.
7a In case of mimes.

https://2022.ausdwcon.org/blog/2022dates/

...and an update, also with footnotes:

The Lost Con
As you hopefully know by now, sadly the Australian Discworld convention has been postponed until April next year. The theme remains Ankh-Morpork – Citie of One Thousand Surprises[1]!

Because April next year is such a long time away[2], we wanted to do something fun to celebrate our lost convention. Thanks to the magic of the Omniscope, this will be a virtual event running on Saturday 3rd July 2021 – named The Lost Con[3].

The theme will be catching up and having fun, because it has been such a long time since we last saw each other. We have sent our mascots, Keith and Roderick[4], on a quest to find some exciting events, genial guests and astounding activities for the day. More details will be posted on our website soon.

1 Some of them nice!
2 By then we may all be wearing silver foil jumpsuits and travelling in flying carriages.
3 Yes – you got us – it's a pun on "The Last Continent", which in turn was Terry's pun on "The Lost Continent" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
4 Keith and Roderick are of course the hippos from the Ankh-Morpork coat of arms – who you will have met in "Feet of Clay".

https://2022.ausdwcon.org/blog/raiders-of-the-lost-con/

This just in on the Nullus Anxietas Twitter account:

"Announcing the categories for The Lost Con* Maskerade! If you’re a prop producer, costume creator or first time fabricator we have a category for you!
More details coming soon!" The categories are Best Overall, Best Prop, Best costume Accessory, Best Presentation, Best Newbie, and Peoples[sic] Choice.

https://twitter.com/ausdwcon/status/1383223828751413250

4.2 IDWCON UPDATES

The upcoming Irish Discworld Convention has also been forced by circumstance to move online. Here be an FAQ. Some samples:

"Q. Why is the Convention being held online?

Due to the ongoing COVID19 pandemic, and after much deliberation, we have decided it is not safe or feasible to hold the Irish Discworld Convention in person in 2021. There are a number of factors that we have been considering very carefully for many months now, but it comes down to a few important details:
Safety: Although the vaccines are being rolled out very efficiently in some places like the UK, this is not the case here in Ireland. Vaccinations are happening frustratingly slowly. Furthermore, we are still not clear on the long-term efficiency for those at high-risk or against new strains. A Con that is not safe to attend is not an option.
Your pocket: If we go ahead and then have to cancel at short notice, we know that we cannot offer any refunds or help you out with travel/accommodation costs. This doesn't seem fair.
Our pocket: We have been handed the reins of IDWCon and we take this honour very seriously. We must ensure the financial security and longevity of the convention so that we can meet up when it is safe to do so.
We're not sure if you can get here: Cork airport recently announced they will close the airport for 2 weeks in the Autumn but have not stated when. Seriously – I think we have angered the gods!!!!!

Q. But I’m already vaccinated. Surely everyone will be vaccinated by then?
The vaccine rollout is not happening nearly as quickly as we would like in Ireland. Furthermore, even if you are vaccinated, we do not know how effective this will be and how it will work against future potential strains.

Q. But what if you only let vaccinated people attend?
In the future, there may be such things as ‘vaccination passports’ which may allow the enforcement of such an idea, but no such thing exists yet. Plus, we still don’t know what level of travel restrictions there will be on entering Ireland in October – even if you can prove you are vaccinated. Vaccinations also don’t last forever so you would need to be able to show a recent vaccine (recent may vary depending on the particular vaccine)

Q. But it’s March – aren’t you making this call too soon?
We have been considering an online format for some time now and have progressively seen it as increasingly inevitable. The recent announcement of the closure of Cork airport has made us make this decision now. Plus – we need lots of time to prepare this online event to the standards we expect!

Watch this space. We will update as things are finalised. Alternatively, please contact chair@idwcon.org for specific queries."

https://2021.idwcon.org/index.php?id_cms=51&controller=cms

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

05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

* A WORD FROM THE UNSEEN THEATRE...

Dear Patrons,

You are probably wondering why you haven't heard from us for some time. This is because, despite our most well laid plans, basically COVID 19 has taken absolutely no notice of them at all!! When this embuggerance first descended on us we knew that we would probably be prevented from producing anything in 2020, but we had been hoping to do something in May this year. Unfortunately the "Year of the Beleaguered Badger" turns out to be aptly named not only for the Discworld but for ours. I mean we always knew that the Discworld held up a mirror to our own, right? – but did it really have to go this far???? Anyway we are hoping that the Badger and ourselves turn out to be less beleaguered in November. If that is the case then we hope to be bringing you one of our favourites – "Wyrd Sisters". It will run from November 15th to 27th.

Auditions will be in early August. Please keep these days free.

https://unseen.com.au/

* MURDER IN ANKH-MORPORK IN ABINGDON (NOVEMBER 2021)

At last! From the Studio Theatre website:

"16 November 2021 marks 50 years of Terry as a published author. By a delightful coincidence, the revised dates for our delayed Discworld play – MURDER IN ANKH-MORPORK – are the same week as that anniversary. 'The Carpet People' was published on 16 November 1971. And on 17-20 November 2021, we will be staging a celebration of Terry's work – featuring some of his best-loved characters – the Ankh-Morpork's City Watch. We are delighted that the show will be officially sponsored by Terry's Estate.

"We wanted to stage a play involving the Ankh-Morpork Night Watch. But we'd already staged all of Stephen Briggs' dramatizations [sic] featuring this noble group of guardians of justice. By coincidence, this year also marks the thirtieth anniversary of our first Pratchett play (and the first Pratchett dramatisation ever) – Wyrd Sisters. Stephen got special permission to put together an affectionate mash-up incorporating characters and bits from Guards! Guards! , Thud! and Feet of Clay, woven respectfully into the core plot of Men at Arms. All Terry."

When: 17th – 20th November 2021
Venue: Unicorn Theatre, Checker Walk, Abingdon OX14 3JB
Time: evening performances at 19.30, plus a 14.30 matinee on Saturday 20th November
Tickets: £12, available for purchase from 14th September – keep an eye here for details!

https://www.studiotheatreclub.com/murder-in-ankh-morpork

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

06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

Remember, one day, possibly in the not too distant future, Discworld fans will be able to meet in the real Roundworld again. So keep this information handy! Also note there are a few updates below...

A new Fourecksian meeting group joins the gang: the Purdeigh Islanders, based in Hobart, Tasmania. "Purdeigh (or Purdee) Island lies hubwards of Fourecks. Roundworld islanders are fans of the great Sir Terry Pratchett resident in Tasmania, the island state of Australia."

The Purdeigh Islanders is a private group. To join in, go to their Facebook page and see if they'll have you!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/205967619882683/

*

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group"
BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group at https://bit.ly/2YrPGW7

NOTE: the Drummers are still meeting occasionally via Zoom. Check out the above link for updates!

*

Drumknott's Irregulars
Facebook https://bit.ly/31FlSrq or Google Groups https:groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars or join us at our next event."

*

The Victorian Discworld Klatch
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch

*

"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/373578522834654/

*

The Pratchett Partisans
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au

*

The City of Small Gods
www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

"What are we doing while we're stuck at home due to COVID-19? Given that our normal social gatherings can't happen while everyone's under lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are instead trying to host regular activities and discussions online. Most of these will be done via our Discord Server – https://discord.gg/3RVzsyJ – which has several text chat channels and a few voice chat channels as well. We will still use our Facebook group – https://facebook.com/groups/cityofsmallgods – to coordinate scheduled events. When things get back to normal... (semi-) regular social meetings are generally held on the last Thursday of the month at a pub or restaurant in Adelaide. We have dinner at 6.30pm followed by games until 9pm.

"We'll try to keep this page up to date (no promises!) but always check emails on the mailing list or our Facebook Group for further details of these events."

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers
broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) meets at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn when social gatherings are possible.

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum: http://www.discworldstamps.co.uk/forum/

*

Sydney now hosts two groups of fans who meet on a regular basis.

In the CBD, The Mended Drummers (Sydney) meet on the first Monday of each month at Albion Place Hotel from 6.00pm. Join the Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/downunderdrummers/ – for more information.

And over in the western suburbs of Sydney you can find the Western Drummers who meet on the third Tuesday of each month at the Nepean Rowers Club from 6pm. Join their Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/100376433635355/ – for more information.

All we do is chat over a few drinks, with subjects ranging far and wide, have a Discworld themed quiz and generally enjoy the company of fellow discworld fans. Sometimes we end up getting together for a Zombie Walk, table top games or Supanova - nothing formal, just a loose group of like minded people.

Editor's note: If either of these supersedes the Sydney Drummers, please let Wossname know! Still posting the original for now: Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder)
Contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers https://bit.ly/2EKSCqu – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>

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07) DISCWORLD GAMES NEWS

CLACKS IS BACK!!!

That is to say, it will be soon – and in a new, even better form. Your Editor has heard from Dave Brashaw of Backspindle Games that they have received licence from the Pratchett estate (nice one, Mr Wilkins!) to create a new "collector's edition" with a number of exclusive new features. The game will include miniatures of Moist von Lipwig on Boris, Clacks Towers, and a Deep Dwarf, as well as new playing cards and a new game called Goblin Glory, and the artwork is by the superb Guillermo Marsilla. Dave says that there is already a lot of interest and that "if Roundworldians are interested in it, they can ask to be added to our Collector's Clacks only mail list. Once we go to pre-order and let them all know, we'll be deleting that list. All they need to do is send an email to: backspindle@gmail.com and add their first name and surname.", so do drop them a line!

Also, The promo video is now available on YouTube at The Collector's Edition of Discworld Clacks boardgame:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYfR2Z8elM8

*

HEX GAMES RETROSPECTIVE

A retrospective by Jim Cullinane:

"Most people will also be aware that, aside from the books, there were several television adaptations created (Going Postal and Hogfather for example). Some people may even be aware that there were 1997 animated adaptations for Soul Music and Wyrd Sisters by Cosgrove Hall. But bottom of the list, and rarely even discussed are the three Discworld video games that blessed our computers and consoles in the mid to late 1990’s... After the literacy success of The Colour of Magic a video game was developed and released in 1986 by Piranha on multiple formats such as Commodore and Spectrum. The video game was a complete failure, having 'several twinkles short of a glitter', but thankfully it is rarely spoken of. But then we hear the wise words of Pratchett himself, 'if failure had no penalty success would not be a prize.'... Thankfully during the 1990’s Gregg Barnett managed to successfully persuade Sir Terry Pratchett an offering and design concept that would allow him the power to direct a large adventure game for CD-based computer systems. Instead of the initial adaptation of a singular novel, this would cover a vast degree of titles penned by the great author himself. Discworld was born. With a development team combination of Teeny Weeny Productions and Perfect 10 Productions, Gregg Barnett directed the game which would be published by Psygnosis in 1995. The game was released in MS-DOS, Macintosh and Sony PlayStation formats with a Sega Saturn version being released the following year – time would tell if they were cutting their own throats. Discworld, also known as Discworld: The Trouble with Dragons, was a commercial success in Europe with its plot and humour being praised...."

And plenty more here:

https://bit.ly/3aEM1e4

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08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

Crowley by da Quirm, as channelled by da Vinci, as channelled by Kidby (as it were): https://bit.ly/3exOCHT

A lovely piece of Good Omens fanart, by Ineffable Phoenix: https://bit.ly/2PpgO7i
https://bit.ly/2PpgO7i

AusDWCon's Raiders of the Lost Con logo: https://bit.ly/3efpkOL

The Chalk, as imagined by Paul Kidby. With Feegles, of course: https://bit.ly/2R6ABsU

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09) CLOSE

Department of lost in translation: the telly series The Watch has now been released in South American and there are a number of reviews. Some of them contain comic gems (more comical, in Your Editor's opinion, than the subject of the reviews). A few here, with "overloaded and Brownish hooligan" a standout:

"‘The Guard’ is an impossible mix of clear and genuine British flavor that moves on the edge of the precipice of chaos and ridicule... ‘The guard’ is a dystopa[sic] lost in time and space. A medieval fantasy of a reality that doesn’t seem to make much sense, in one of those 'parallel' universe in which Douglas Adams’ Ford Prefect would feel at home. But above all ‘The Guard’ is an overloaded and brownish hooligan where everything is susceptible to being a joke and there is no need to take anything seriously. Something in general lines chaotic, capricious and anarchic towards which, on the other hand, you have to have some kind of vital affinity... A bizarre production, which embraces the ridiculous and lies down with the absurd..."

https://www.explica.co/criticism-the-guard-an-instinctive-response.html

Right then, that's it for now. Mind how you go, and we hope to see you next month!

– Annie Mac

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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

Copyright (c) 2021 by Wossname for the Klatchian Foreign Legion

comments

Wossname – February-March 2021 – Main issue

2021-03-11T03:22:52Z

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
February-March 2021 (Volume 24, Issue 2, Post 1)

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

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INDEX:

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

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"So I've watched the whole series, and... wow. It sure is something. Pondering how it's possible to incorporate this particular story into the Discworld canon–not to mention that Ankh Morpork and those character versions–I was left with the inescapable conclusion that the series is essentially Trousers of Time fan fiction, describing a leg of Discworld that has so many differences from the main trouser leg that it's almost completely different. And yet, there is one key difference that supersedes all others: In the trouser leg of BBC's The Watch, Terry Pratchett is not particularly funny & this is probably his first book."
– reddit user u/hanleybrand's "fan theory" re The watch

"The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.."
– Sir Pterry

"If I heeded all the advice I've had over the years, I'd have written 18 books about Rincewind."
– millions are deeply relieved that Sir Pterry *didn't* listen to his fans sometimes

"I must confess the activities of the UK governments for the past couple of years have been watched with frank admiration and amazement by Lord Vetinari"
– ah, Sir Pterry, if only you'd known what was to follow since you said that on Usenet...

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

It's been six years this week. I miss him. That's all. But then, somewhere out there is a small asteroid called 127005 Pratchett, named by NASA for the author. And once upon a time there was a sea turtle called Psephophorus terrypratchetti, named by palaeontologist Richard Kohler. "...as long as his name is still spoken...", you know? GNU Terry Pratchett, forever in the Overhead.

The pandemic ate my calendar, so this is a short February *and* March issue. More next month, hopefully!

And now, on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) ODDS AND SODS

3.1 THE WOSSNAME MEMORIAL POEM

Yes, I'll trot this out every year on the anniversary of Sir Pterry's death, because it illustrates the depth of my love for his work. – Ed.

THE LOVE SONG OF TDJ PRATCHETT

By Weird Alice Lancrevic, with apologies to the shade of Thomas Stearns Eliot

Let us go then, you and I,
When the Rimfall is spread out against the sky
Like a victim on Quetzovercoatl's altar
Let us go, through certain dark Ankh-Morpork streets,
As Cumbling Michael bleats
Of restless nights in Elm Street's cheap bedsits
And Harga's restaurant with greasy chips
Streets that follow like a Fools' Guild argument
Of a humorous intent
To lead you to an overt wealth of... footnotes!
Oh, do not play Greek Chorus
Let us go and dance Dark Morris.

In the room the wizards come, unseen
Talking of thaumic octarine.

The Morpork smog that rubs its back upon the window-panes,
The river-fug that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes,
Licked its tongue into the corners of the Bucket,
Lingered upon the gargoyles guarding drains,
Let fall upon its back the black of lithe Assassins,
Slipped by the terrace, writhed round Sator Square,
And seeing that it was a soft Sektober night,
Curled once around the Tump, and fell asleep.

And indeed there will be crime
Under Ankh-born fumes that slide down Easy Street,
Rubbing grey-black upon the window-panes; Disc-ing itself
There will be crime, and barely time
To prepare a voucher for the Thieves that you may meet;
There will be time to say the number Eight,
And time for all Devices wrought by dwarfs
That lift this brawling City toward its fate;
Time for Schleppel, time for Reg,
And time yet for an Igor's deft incisions,
And for a Sweeper's history revisions,
Before the taking of meat and two veg.

In the room the wizards come, unseen
Making a joke about the Dean.

And indeed there will be time
To wonder, 'Do I dare? Will Vimes go spare?'
Time to turn back Time and deeds repair,
With P.L.T. making horrors of my hair –
[They will say: 'How she stoops, to wear the tin!']
My armoured breasts, my collar fastened firmly 'neath my chin,
My pedigree's the oddest, but blue-blooded via lupine kin –
[They will say: 'But she's a vegetarian!']
Do I dare
Disturb the multiverse?
In a minute there is time
For decisions and revisions which the Moon will soon reverse.

For I have known the grags already, known them all –
Have known the meetings, mineshafts, Ankhian ruins,
I have squandered all my gold in greasy spoons;
I know the old life's dying, like an axe's fall
Beneath the bustle under cellar rooms.
So should I mention Koom?

And I have known the toffs already, known them all –
The eyes that damn you with a far too inbred phrase,
And when I am relegated, tossed like Mr Pin,
When I am told 'No comment!' by Lord Rust,
Then how should I begin
To spit out all Spike's butt-ends from the Golem Trust?
And how should I presume?

And I have known the 'girls' already, known them all –
Arms of that painted Guild, pale, white and calm
(But in the lamplight, best of Mrs Palm's!)
Is it scumble from a dish
That makesh me shpeak like thish?
Arms that twine around a client, or cap a maiden's fall.
And should I rent a room?
How soon should I dig in?

. . . . .

Shall I say, I have lurked at dusk in Morpork's streets
And watched the Clacks that clatter from the roofs
Midst lonely geeks with code-books, changing shifts in towers? . . .

I should have been a cruel wild banshee's claws
Scuttling between the Trouserlegs of Time.

. . . . .

And 'til well past noon, Young Sam will sleep so peacefully!
Smooth is his breathing,
Asleep . . . tired . . . or merely teething
Safe in his bed, here beside you and me.
Should I, after teetotal libations,
Have the strength to foil yet more assassinations?
But though I have cursed and shouted, growled and coughed,
Though I have seen my head [grown slightly bald] fetch ever higher prices
I am no genius – but I'm cool in crisis;
I have seen the sternest of my Watchmen flicker,
And I have seen the eternal Death of Rats go SNH, and snicker,
And in short, I was pissed off.

And would it have been worth it all, and sweet,
After millennium hand and shrimp for tea,
Among the Faculty, among some talk of Sourcery,
Would it have been worth while
To endure Ridcully's hassling with a smile,
To have squeezed the universe's rubber sheet
To roll it toward some thaumic insurrection,
To say: 'We are wizardry's future, come have fun
'Come HEX me up a treat, H.E.M. is neat!'
If one, scoffing a sausage inna bun,
Should say: 'That is not what I meant to eat.
'That is not real named meat.'

And would it have been worth it, after all,
Would it have been worth while,
After the battles and the broadswords and the trampled thrones,
After the sagas, after the horse cheese, after the skirts I chased from Rim to Hub –
And dine-chewers for my grub? –
It is 'barbarian' to say just what I mean!
But seen by a magic lantern through a silken Agatean screen:
Would it have been worth while
If one, scuttling a Dark Lord or storming Io's gate
To turn larks into legends, should say:
'That's not a hero's fate,
'That's not a deathless hero's fate.'

No! I am not King Verence, nor was meant to be;
I'm just a tender Tomjon, one who'll do
To thrill the punters, steal a scene or two
Advise the prince; he jingles, but he's cool,
Deferential to the senior Ogg
Mildly thick, gracious, and fond of his wife;
Full of high purpose, but a bit agog;
At times, indeed, a cliche brought to life –
Almost a perfect Fool.

I grow old . . . I grow old . . .
I shall yet wear midnight when the nights are cold.

Shall I shout 'Io's not blind!'? Do I dare to speak of Klatch?
I shall wear black pointy headgear, and fly on brooms of thatch
I have heard the Beggars, canting to the Watch.

I do not think that they will beg from me.

We have seen young vampires gliding past the Moon
Combing the land for humans to attack
Venting their blood-lust stylishly in black.

We have lingered on the shambling Circumfence
By sea-trolls wreathed with foam against the sky
Till Great A'Tuin takes us, and we fly.

3.2 HOW TO EVISCERATE A CONDESCENDING INTERVIEWER...

...by one Terry Pratchett in the mid-Nineties. Here be an extract from an interview that was published in the hardcopy edition of The Onion in 1995, as transcribed by high fantasy author Patrick Rothfuss:

"Onion: You’re quite a writer. You’ve a gift for language, you’re a deft hand at plotting, and your books seem to have an enormous amount of attention to detail put into them. You’re so good you could write anything. Why write fantasy?

Pratchett: I had a decent lunch, and I’m feeling quite amiable. That’s why you’re still alive. I think you’d have to explain to me why you’ve asked that question.

O: It’s a rather ghettoized genre.

P: This is true. I cannot speak for the US, where I merely sort of sell okay. But in the UK I think every book— I think I’ve done twenty in the series— since the fourth book, every one has been one the top ten national bestsellers, either as hardcover or paperback, and quite often as both. Twelve or thirteen have been number one. I’ve done six juveniles, all of those have nevertheless crossed over to the adult bestseller list. On one occasion I had the adult best seller, the paperback best-seller in a different title, and a third book on the juvenile bestseller list. Now tell me again that this is a ghettoized genre.

O: It’s certainly regarded as less than serious fiction.

P: (Sighs) Without a shadow of a doubt, the first fiction ever recounted was fantasy. Guys sitting around the campfire— Was it you who wrote the review? I thought I recognized it— Guys sitting around the campfire telling each other stories about the gods who made lightning, and stuff like that. They did not tell one another literary stories. They did not complain about difficulties of male menopause while being a junior lecturer on some midwestern college campus. Fantasy is without a shadow of a doubt the ur-literature, the spring from which all other literature has flown. Up to a few hundred years ago no one would have disagreed with this, because most stories were, in some sense, fantasy. Back in the middle ages, people wouldn’t have thought twice about bringing in Death as a character who would have a role to play in the story. Echoes of this can be seen in Pilgrim’s Progress, for example, which hark back to a much earlier type of storytelling. The epic of Gilgamesh is one of the earliest works of literature, and by the standard we would apply now — a big muscular guys with swords and certain godlike connections — That’s fantasy. The national literature of Finland, the Kalevala. Beowulf in England. I cannot pronounce Bahaghvad-Gita but the Indian one, you know what I mean. The national literature, the one that underpins everything else, is by the standards that we apply now, a work of fantasy.

Now I don’t know what you’d consider the national literature of America, but if the words Moby Dick are inching their way towards this conversation, whatever else it was, it was also a work of fantasy. Fantasy is kind of a plasma in which other things can be carried. I don’t think this is a ghetto. This is, fantasy is, almost a sea in which other genres swim. Now it may be that there has developed in the last couple of hundred years a subset of fantasy which merely uses a different icongraphy, and that is, if you like, the serious literature, the Booker Prize contender. Fantasy can be serious literature. Fantasy has often been serious literature. You have to fairly dense to think that Gulliver’s Travels is only a story about a guy having a real fun time among big people and little people and horses and stuff like that. What the book was about was something else. Fantasy can carry quite a serious burden, and so can humor. So what you’re saying is, strip away the trolls and the dwarves and things and put everyone into modern dress, get them to agonize a bit, mention Virginia Woolf a few times, and there! Hey! I’ve got a serious novel. But you don’t actually have to do that. (Pauses) That was a bloody good answer, though I say it myself..."

https://blog.patrickrothfuss.com/2015/08/thoughts-on-pratchett/

3.3 VACCINATING THE LIBRARIANS!

Nine great apes at the San Diego Zoo – four orangutans and five bonobos – have been vaccinated against COVID-19! From the BBC:

"One of the recipients was a 28-year-old female Sumatran orangutan named Karen who had garnered headlines at the zoo when she became the first ape to undergo open-heart surgery in 1994. Each of the nine animals received two doses of an experimental vaccine originally designed for dogs and cats, and are all doing well with no adverse reactions, zoo spokesperson Darla Davis said. Zoo officials went ahead with the shots due to concerns about the animals' wellbeing after a troop of eight gorillas at the affiliated San Diego Zoo Safari Park fell ill with COVID-19 in January, marking the first known transmission of the virus to great apes. The eight gorillas, including a 48-year-old male "silverback" named Winston who suffered from pneumonia and heart disease, have since improved and appear to be on their way to a full recovery, Ms Davis said. Winston was treated with a variety of medications, including a coronavirus antibody therapy for non-humans... The orangutans and bonobos selected for immunisation were among the great apes at the zoo considered the most at risk of catching the virus and among the easiest to inoculate. Staff vaccinated the animals by distracting them from the needle with treats..."

https://ab.co/3cho5xC

3.4 ALL THE PRATCHETT SCREEN ADAPTATIONS, RANKED

On Screen Rant, Matt Morrison ranks and reviews them all:

"With 41 books in his Discworld series alone (including all the books aimed at children, middle-grade readers and young adults), it's no wonder that Terry Pratchett is one of the most frequently adapted authors of modern literature. His books have been adapted into graphic novels, video games, and stage musicals. The stage plays based on his work are particularly popular with amateur dramatics companies, due to Pratchett's emphasis on character and clever wordplay that lend themselves well to the melodrama of the theatre. Despite this versatility, it's the TV adaptations of Pratchett's works that have introduced him to the greatest number of people. These adaptations vary wildly, with some being close to the original work though lacking in a big budget and others featuring big budgets while only paying lip service to the books that allegedly inspired it. A rare few managed to build upon the original work to create something that was a fitting tribute to Sir Terry Pratchett's imagination and genius..."

The rankings cover Good Omens, the two Johnny Maxwell books that have so far been adapted, The Colour of Magic, Hogfather, Going Postal, Wyrd Sisters, Truckers, Soul Music, Troll Bridge, and, yes, The Watch, with synopses and comments for each. Well worth a read!

https://bit.ly/3rAXKRt

3.5 UPDATES: THE TERRY PRATCHETT BOOK CLUB

On the website of publishers Tor, Emmet Asher-Perrin continues a Discworld discussion page. This month's instalments take us from the last parts of Pyramids to most of Guards! Guards!:

"This section is basically a “Who’s Who” of Greek culture and philosophy, with all the fellows at the Symposium matching up to famous names in philosophy and history and the rest. The names that Pratchett selects for his pastiched historical figures are also references unto themselves half the time — copolymer is the term for a compound plastic, and antiphon is a call-and-response phrase you get in choirs. I do like his Herodotus stand-in, and how bad he is at telling stories about the Tsortean Wars. In this case, there’s a little more to lean on here, because we know a bit more about how the ancient Greeks lived, and Britain in particular has always been incredibly enamored of Greek culture and history. Herodotus did genuinely to go Symposiums like this and make money this way, and said Symposiums were genuinely just excuses to hang out and get drunk and argue philosophical points, and we’ve even got a listener here to play the role of the second guy in Socratic dialogues. The idea of Pythagoras being so wasted that he’s stuck on his dislike of pi is hilarious. The thought of Aesop crunching away on celery while you’re trying to talk is similarly excellent... "

https://bit.ly/3t8YbCR

"I think this could have worked if the historical alignment had been a little bit sharper in its execution, but then you would’ve had to make some sect of the Ephebians the rulers of Djelibeybi at this point in their history, or something down that road. Smashing it all together is weirdly sloppy for Pratchett, and it takes away from the book’s overall impact as a complete story. It’s distracting because he keeps using Greek references all over the place; Ozymandias is name-checked, which is the Greek name for Ramesses II; Ptraci is rolled up in a carpet when she presents herself to Teppic at the end, just like Cleopatra was said to have done when she wanted to be smuggled in to see Julius Caesar. The only non-Hellenized reference here that really stands out is the first ancestor Khuft, who I imagine is meant to be a stand-in for the pharaoh Khufu. Then it gets even messier with a biblical reference when Teppic parts the river, which sure didn’t happen on the Nile in the Bible, so who can say what we’re going for at that point. I know it’s not the only story where waters part, but you have to know that’s the first one that’s going to come to mind when you invoke both Egypt and god powers... We could all use a reminder now and then that tradition for tradition’s sake is not a reason to do anything, that power isn’t eternal, and that we cultivate resilience by refusing to fear what is new. There’s some scholarship via Stefan Eckman about the kingdom being a sort of “time polder”, described as a sort of bubble where history is locked into a pattern (largely due to Dios in this case), and that’s an interesting conceit. But the story doesn’t really land the way it could because its foundation is too precarious..."

https://bit.ly/3esQenZ

"The clichés that Pratchett cleaves to here are a fantasy in and of themselves. He’s ultimately parodying something that doesn’t exist in the real world. I’m not saying that he’s unaware of the issues here entirely; the makeup of the City Watch that Carrot enters is a fairly good representation of the sort of people who often populate bodies of law enforcement... Carrot occupies a special place in my heart for being one of the few “Lawful Good” (as the D&D parlance goes) characters I genuinely like. As an alignment, I’m mostly against it, partly due to my own chaotic leanings, but also because it’s difficult to find examples of that type who don’t make the concept of lawfulness distasteful. Being down with authority is not an attribute I’ve ever personally prized, but Carrot comes by it honestly–because it’s a matter of literalness, not belief in the “goodness” of law..."

https://bit.ly/38u9q0H

"The description of Vimes’s alcoholism is maybe one of the most affecting, upsetting segments in the entire Discworld series. Getting back to the Watch House, pulling that bottle out of his desk without even noticing he’s done it, waking up drunk after hours have passed him by. It’s given to us with such clear narration, such simplicity, that it makes the moment of his waking that much more unsettling. Then on the flip side of that, there’s the Supreme Grand Master thinking that once they’ve installed the king, he can give up the magic they’re doing 'any time I like.' Which is addiction speak 101. So even though these two haven’t met, we’re being shown that this is ultimately one addiction unknowingly battling another... The introduction of Sybil Ramkin and her whole operation is a pitch-perfect sendup of the sort of people who breed dogs and horses, and all the minutiae that entails, and how it can utterly absorb someone’s life. Of course, the key difference here is that Sybil really adores her dragons, which certainly isn’t true of every dog or horse breeder. Some people really just are in it for getting prizes at racing and show dog competitions, a sphere dominated by the superrich. With Lady Ramkin, we see someone who isn’t really in it for glory or money or status. This is her area of focus and study in addition to being her passion. She just really loves dragons, okay?...

"In essence, Sibyl is the Bruce Wayne of this outfit. Which is good because they desperately need one. And I say this with a great deal of affection, because I love Sybil and I also love her relationship with Vimes as it grows through these stories. For all their differences, they’re an extremely well-matched pair, and I do think they’re better rendered than any of the relationships Pratchett shows us up until this point in the Discworld books. I think this is because their vulnerabilities as people are better rendered than any of his previous pairs. They’re both lonely, and they’re both people who might come off tough or prickly at first glance, when they’re genuinely anything but..."

https://bit.ly/3byE6Qo

"Pratchett’s description of the dragon here is where we get a proper bit of Smaug-ian narrative, if such a thing could be said to exist. The explanation of what it feels like to be this creature, and how they feel about being used, it’s all just very evocative and chilling and well done. So are the bits about L-space, which really gets me thinking – when you start out with Discworld books, Pratchett is a little less precise on how he talks about magic and space-time and all of that. As we go on, things get much clearer, even if they’re still inherently unknowable, which I love... There are just so many great bits in this section with Carrot being so preposterous, and also so very good, in that painfully earnest but lovely way. I’d actually forgotten the charge bit with the palace guards, but on rereading, my brain instantly went 'oh no, he thinks you mean actually charge them physically' because it’s a goofy joke, but it’s still a darned funny one... Pratchett is very explicitly criticizing how there’s a part of humanity (in the genes, as it were) that genuinely wants to believe that certain people are grouped off, special and above everyone else. Ankh-Morpork is a city full of individuals that go about their own business–they’re a community because they occupy this space together, and there’s a certain code that comes with being crammed in like that. But the instant a 'king' shows up, everything becomes about catering to that idea, to that individual. Of course, it’s illustrated more comically when Colon goes off about this, only to snap at Nobby for calling him by his first name; point being that Colon is all for hierarchy, he just wants the one he recognizes..."

https://bit.ly/3cmolLK

3.6 ...AND YES, ANOTHER REVIEW OF THE WATCH...

By Joseph Ellis on Sunriseread:

The references to other realities, particularly with the technology from “Roundworld” being brought over into Discworld by experiments at Unseen University, made it harder to suspend disbelief and accept the world of the series as independent. But, as it turns out, that’s part of the point. In episode 7, The Watch makes it utterly clear that the multiverse is full of different versions of Discworld. For readers familiar with multiverse fiction (or just readers familiar with the many iterations of the Marvel Universe, numbered for convenience), fully admitting this construction lightens the burden on The Watch to be a familiar adaptation. This Sam Vimes isn’t the same Sam Vimes we know—because, in episode 7, we see two different versions of the same character. And while as viewers we already knew that, having the story itself make that an important, pivotal piece of information changes the way the story functions.

If The Watch had somehow been able to communicate in its first two episodes that this was the “Discworld: The Musical” (I’m not kidding) version of Pratchett’s universe, then the amount of time spent with members of the cast behind musical instruments would have felt natural. Music is a core storytelling tool for the television series, and by the end, it comes together and works. The problem is that too many Pratchett fans gave up on the series long before it hit the point where everything clicked.

In some ways, this is a true shame, because the cast delivered stellar performances throughout. Richard Dormer’s physical acting in the role of Vimes is stellar, managing both comedic and serious scenes with equal aplomb. Jo Eaton-Kent’s Cheery, a non-binary (by the final episode) dwarf, is a delight. Marama Corlett makes viewers believe her brooding werewolf Angua could kick everyone’s ass despite being half their size. Adam Hugill as Constable Carrot embodies the earnest fantasy hero. Lara Rossi delivers a Sybil Ramkin that has as large a presence on screen as her physically-larger novel version exudes on the page. Samuel Adewunmi’s villainous Carcer has enough pathos that viewers might almost have rooted for his redemption up until his actions in the finale, and Bianca Simone Mannie’s Wonce is inspired; both villains are drawn from more minor characters in the novels and given greater depth for the series, a departure that results in making them some of the more interesting, nuanced inventions of the show.

But despite that, the reason The Watch never quite managed to bring even its own Discworld to life was the shorthand of silliness for satire. Pratchett’s novels are beloved because they’re funny, it’s true, but his humor isn’t just goofy or absurd (although it swings that way on occasion). Much of the fun is in the way the humor is used not to lighten the scene, but to illuminate it..."

https://bit.ly/3cjdO3P

...and a not-a-review, originally in tweet thread form, from Twitter user Hannah Elspeth aka for_every_helen:

"Okay, look, this is why I am so upset by #TheWatch adaptation. I think I read my first #Discworld book a couple of decades ago, as a young teenager. I'd never read anything like it in my life. After that I went to the library every week & meticulously hunted for them, over years... The #Discworld books gave me a grounding in empathy and the complexity of human nature in a way no other book has. When I call Terry Pratchett a philosopher, I am not joking. I am being entirely sincere, because he was one of the brightest minds I've ever come across.

"I remember in #SmallGods, when he described the way that gods would die when the structure of a religion grew around them like a tomb, and people worshipped the hierarchy of the church and the comfort of ritual. I remember when Granny Weatherwax was asked, when she needed to choose between a mother in labour or the baby, if she would ask the father which one to save, and she said that he had loved his wife for years, but never known the child, and why would she hurt him by asking? I remember when Sam Vimes explained his 'boots theory of economics', that the rich are rich because they can buy high quality products that last, and the poor stay poor because they have to buy cheap products that constantly must be replaced, and end up spending the most. And in Carpe Jugulum when a priest loses his faith in a religion that is overcome by ritual and evangelism, it is an atheist that helps him get it back by explaining that if you really believe in something, want to make a difference, you put your whole self into it & never stop. And, and, and..."

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1314655976327393280.html

The original tweet thread can be found here:

https://twitter.com/for_every_helen/status/1314655976327393280

3.7 THE MERCH CORNER

* New Discworld Collector's Library editions!

"Coming soon to the Discworld Collector's Library... It's been a long wait, but at long last the Tiffany Aching series and The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents will finally be available in beautiful hardback editions as part of the spectacular Discworld Collector's Library later this year!"

The new editions will be published on 23rd September 2021 and will include The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith, I Shall Wear Midnight, The Shepherd's Crown, and The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents. Each volume is priced at £14.99 and all new volumes are now available for pre-order. For more info, and to pre-order, go to:

https://www.discworldemporium.com/19-new-books

"Joe McLaren's cover artwork is yet to be revealed, but after years of waiting for these books to come to fruition a few more months of wondering won't hurt! For those wanting to indulge in the entire collection all in one go, each new title will be added to our Complete Collection of Discworld Collector's Library editions as soon as they are published!" More info here:

https://bit.ly/30wmMFp

* The Illustrated Guards! Guards!

"This edition features ten glorious full-colour illustrations and further pencil drawings by Terry Pratchett's artist of choice, Paul Kidby."

Each copy of The Illustrated Guards! Guards! is priced at £30. For more info, and to order, go to:

https://bit.ly/2OiEWYE

* A new Discworld Companion!

Yes, there's a new and even more comprehensive Discworld Companion due out later this year! The Absolute – or possibly, Ultimate – Discworld Companion, by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Briggs, will be published by Gollancz in both hardcover and paperback versions on on 11th November 2021!

"If you're looking for the ultimate authority on probably the most heavily populated – certainly the most hilarious – setting in fantasy literature... If you need a handy guide to Discworld locales from Ankh-Morpork to Zemphis... If you want help telling Achmed the Mad from Jack Zweiblumen... If your life depends on being able to distinguish the Agatean Empire from the Zoons...look no further than THE ABSOLUTE DISCWORLD COMPANION – fully updated by the encyclopaedic Stephen Briggs and fully illustrated by the kaleidoscopic Paul Kidby!"

The Absolute (or possibly Ultimate) Discworld Companion can be pre-ordered now, at the Fourecksian price of AU$34.89 (hardcover) or AU$26.15 (paperback), with delivery to Australia included. A deal not to be missed! For more info, and to pre-order, go to:

https://bit.ly/3byGOFy

3.8 THE OFFICIAL PLAYWRIGHT SPEAKS!

During the pandemic, Stephen Briggs has been reading short extracts from assorted Discworld (and other Pratchett) books to the online public. On his website, he says, "I'm grateful to Rob Wilkins for giving me permission to record some daily snippets of solid gold Pratchett for his fans during this difficult time. I've done two hundred but, with no end in sight to the current restrictions, I've had to give up the daily readings. I'll still be adding to them, though – just not quite so regularly."

Here be the link to the lot: https://bit.ly/3byDOZO

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04) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS

Nullus Anxietas 7a has been gong through some changes...

"As you all know we have postponed the Australian Discworld Convention until 8th–10th April 2022. However, we plan to celebrate the original dates with a virtual event on Saturday 3rd July 2021, tentatively from 6pm to 12am AEDT (Sydney time). This will be a chance for us all to catch up and have some fun. This will be open to all convention members, attending and supporting. We are thinking of:

A fiendish Discworld quiz
A costume event
A radio play
Maybe a couple of special guests for a virtual Klatch
And perhaps a visit to the Ankh Morpork palace dungeon? It's easy to enter, not so easy to escape
And a bedtime story to finish"

https://bit.ly/2Obrd69

"Nullus Anxietas 7a–The Australian Discworld Convention–will be held in Sydney on 8th to 10th April 2022
Due to the current situation with the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made the decision to postpone the convention from its original dates. Please note that some pages or images on the website may still contain references to the original dates in July 2021. Please bear with us as we organise these changes."

https://2022.ausdwcon.org/

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05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

* NEW STEPHEN BRIGGS DISCWORLD SCRIPT BOOKS

Attention amateur theatre companies! Now that there may be an eventual end in sight to the Covid-19 pandemic and it may be time to start planning the return of Discworld to the stage, note that three new official Discworld scriptbooks have been published this month: The Shakespeare Codex, Lords and Ladies, and Hogfather. All three are now available direct from the publisher (Bloomsbury).

Each scriptbook is priced at £9.89 (paperback) or £8.79 (ebook). For more information, and to purchase, go to:

The Shakespeare Codex: https://bit.ly/3rD40YL
Lords and Ladies: https://bit.ly/3eoXfpT
Hogfather: https://bit.ly/3bzxPUE

* MURDER IN ANKH-MORPORK IN ABINGDON (NOVEMBER 2021)

At last! From the Studio Theatre's website:

"16 November 2021 marks 50 years of Terry as a published author. By a delightful coincidence, the revised dates for our delayed Discworld play – MURDER IN ANKH-MORPORK – are the same week as that anniversary. 'The Carpet People' was published on 16 November 1971. And on 17-20 November 2021, we will be staging a celebration of Terry's work – featuring some of his best-loved characters – the Ankh-Morpork's City Watch. We are delighted that the show will be officially sponsored by Terry's Estate.

"We wanted to stage a play involving the Ankh-Morpork Night Watch. But we'd already staged all of Stephen Briggs' dramatizations [sic] featuring this noble group of guardians of justice. By coincidence, this year also marks the thirtieth anniversary of our first Pratchett play (and the first Pratchett dramatisation ever) – Wyrd Sisters. Stephen got special permission to put together an affectionate mash-up incorporating characters and bits from Guards! Guards! , Thud! and Feet of Clay, woven respectfully into the core plot of Men at Arms. All Terry."

When: 17th – 20th November 2021
Venue: Unicorn Theatre, Checker Walk, Abingdon OX14 3JB
Time: evening performances at 19.30, plus a 14.30 matinee on Saturday 20th November
Tickets: £12, available for purchase from 14th September – keep an eye here for details!

https://www.studiotheatreclub.com/murder-in-ankh-morpork

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06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

Remember, one day, possibly in the not too distant future, Discworld fans will be able to meet in the real Roundworld again. So keep this information handy! Also note there are a few updates below.

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group"
BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group at https://bit.ly/2YrPGW7

NOTE: the Drummers are still meeting occasionally via Zoom. Check out the above link for updates!

*

Drumknott's Irregulars
Facebook https://bit.ly/31FlSrq or Google Groups https:groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars or join us at our next event."

*

The Victorian Discworld Klatch
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch

*

"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/373578522834654/

*

The Pratchett Partisans
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au

*

The City of Small Gods
www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

"What are we doing while we're stuck at home due to COVID-19? Given that our normal social gatherings can't happen while everyone's under lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are instead trying to host regular activities and discussions online. Most of these will be done via our Discord Server – https://discord.gg/3RVzsyJ – which has several text chat channels and a few voice chat channels as well. We will still use our Facebook group – https://facebook.com/groups/cityofsmallgods – to coordinate scheduled events. When things get back to normal... (semi-) regular social meetings are generally held on the last Thursday of the month at a pub or restaurant in Adelaide. We have dinner at 6.30pm followed by games until 9pm.

"We'll try to keep this page up to date (no promises!) but always check emails on the mailing list or our Facebook Group for further details of these events."

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers
broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) meets at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn when social gatherings are possible.

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum: http://www.discworldstamps.co.uk/forum/

*

Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder)
Contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers https://bit.ly/2EKSCqu – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>

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

07) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

Full cast of the Red Cliffs Players' recent production of Guards! Guards!: https://bit.ly/2OAWq2t

The excellent logo for next years's Nullus Anxietas Discworld convention: https://bit.ly/3br37gu

Some fine Discworld art by Peter Stanimirov. I feel many of his character renderings are miles off the mark or overly derivative, but when he gets it right he *really* gets it right...

Magrat:
https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/028/232/179/large/peter-stanimirov-2019-magrat-garlick.jpg?1593860996

The unusual suspects (some definite failures here, but Granny is perfect!):
https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/028/232/503/large/peter-stanimirov-rex-a-pratchett.jpg?1593862290

...and an absolutely stunning portrait of The Author himself:
https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/028/232/512/large/peter-stanimirov-sir-terry-pratchett.jpg?1593862371

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08) CLOSE

Gaze Cottage, Sir Pterry's longtime home that was recently put up for sale (see last issue), has been sold subject to contract. Let's hope the new owner loves it the way The Author did!

And finally, in these uncertain and often disheartening times, it's reassuring to know that the Encyclopaedia Britannica, repository of pretty much all knowledge worth preserving, has an entry for Sir Pterry. Read it here:

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Terry-Pratchett

Right then, that's it for now. Mind how you go, and we hope to see you next month!

– Annie Mac

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

Copyright (c) 2021 by Wossname for the Klatchian Foreign Legion

comments

Wossname - January 2021 - main issue

2021-01-30T08:37:21Z

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
January 2021 (Volume 24, Issue 1, Post 1)

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

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

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INDEX:

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) THE (*&^%^$#@!@#%^!) WATCH REVIEWS
04) ODDS AND SODS
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
09) CLOSE

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"If you adapt them badly, people will come along and think: 'well that was a pile of old shite, if that was Terry Pratchett, he can stick it up his arse'."
– Stephen Briggs, relating the wisdom of Pratchett re adaptations of his work

"You've chosen to adapt the author's work because, presumably, you admire their writing. If you think you can improve on their humour/drama/characterisation you should really be writing your own plots, and not torturing theirs."
– Mr Briggs again

"It wants to be grim and gritty with dark secret magics, and epic world-changing events. But that is not what Discworld is about really. It feels like in an effort to make yet another 'serious' fantasy show, the showrunners stripped away everything that makes Discworld entertaining."
– webjournalist Emily O'Donnell

"I recently likened Simon Allen's Watch series to a candidate going into an exam and pulling all the stops out to write the best essay they could, leaving the exam hall really pleased with how well they did, and getting no marks, because however good it was, they didn't read the actual question."
– Nick Caulfield, commenting on a review of The Watch

"My problem is that they took an already inclusive, thoughtful material and tried to update it to hit every check mark. And they did it carelessly, without fully understanding the original source material and the social commentary it had…which means they erased what made it inclusive in the first place."
– Romanian journalist Ana Dascalescu hits the nail on the head

"To his bones, Vimes is a policeman. In Jingo, he walks between two opposing armies and tries to arrest them for breach of the peace. He is the perfect man to wield power because he is so suspicious of how power can be abused, often by those who are convinced of their own righteousness. Underneath Pratchett's endlessly funny writing, Vimes is an iron core of principle. Even Antifa would like him."
– journalist Helen Lewis, on the *real* Vimes

"I don't drink but I have a feeling this would be a great place to start."
– blogger Riders of Skaith encounters "The Watch" and is rather strongly affected, not in a good way

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

02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

One of my favourite novels down through the decades is "Shogun", by James Clavell. It's fiction, but was inspired by the life of William Adams, a Tudor-era English navigator who became Japan's first non-Japanese samurai and advisor to the shogun Tokugawa. In the novel, when John Blackthorne (the character based on Adams) is brought before the shogun Toranaga and interrogated as a precursor to inevitable execution, Toranaga queries the rebellion of the Dutch against their Spanish masters. He says – angrily – that there are no mitigating circumstances when it comes to rebellion against one's sovereign lord. Blackthorne replies, "Unless you win," thereby taking his interrogator by surprise and winning his relative freedom. "'Yes, Mister Foreigner, you have named the one mitigating factor.'" I was so struck by this that ever since first reading "Shogun" I've referred to anything that bends or breaks the rules, but wins beyond question, as having invoked the Blackthorne Defence.

There are a number of famous and less famous television series and films that in my opinion have successfully invoked the Blackthorne Defence.

"The Watch" is not one of them.

In adapting text for stage or screen, components can be – often as not, need to be – altered, truncated, or even, and this is the tricky part, left out altogether in order to tell the story effectively within the target medium. However, it needs to be done *well enough*, or with sufficient respect for the source material that the original meaning shines through, to justify those changes or exclusions; taking the source material's extant world-building and character descriptions and motivations, and then changing them beyond recognition while still presenting them as the same, is *not* the way to do it. And as for using the term "inspired by"... well, now. If "The Watch" was inspired by the Discworld series in general and the Ankh-Morpork City Watch in particular, as it's claimed to be (not to mention that BBC America, having contracted the rights, deliberately played the Discworld card from the get-go in order to confer an air of legitimacy on Simon Allen's product), surely *some* of the look, feel, character backstories, heart and, yes, spirit of Terry Pratchett's creation would have shone through. Instead, what we've been given is the lifting of names, places and partial plotlines from the work of the writer who did all the heavy lifting in the first place and the inexpert application of a thin-to-invisible coat of "inspired by" paint to characters and plotlines that have barely a nodding acquaintance with their progenitors.

For a textbook demonstration of how to do "inspired by" correctly, look no further than 2004's Battlestar Galactica, a series that took a television icon, reimagined it, made some basic character changes, shook it, stirred it, and gave the world a gripping work of genius that somehow paid loving respect to its "parent". Even cast members of the 1970s Glen Larson creation, who were at first angered by what they presumed was a mockery of their much-beloved original, were won over and rightly so (most notably Richard Hatch, the original "Apollo", who ended up giving a career performance as a completely different character in later seasons of "new" Galactica). Or consider "Elementary", which stars a mystery-solving pair – a character called Sherlock Holmes who shares only a few traits with Conan Doyle's original but is a fascinating character nonetheless, and a character called Doctor Watson, who shares pretty much nothing with Conan Doyle's original but again is a fascinating character – and stands tall on it own merits. And how about "Warm Bodies", a brilliantly witty zombie rom-com inspired by Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet that pays respect to its source material even to the point of including a recognisable version of Juliet's nurse and, yes, the famous balcony scene. And there are adaptations that depart significantly from their source while still telling the story with mastery and grace; the television adaptation of Stephen King's "The Dead Zone" is one, Team Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy is another. But "The Watch" is none of these things.

Furthermore, there's the widespread assertion by many press reviewers and pop-culture or fan-site pundits that only sad Pratchett fans will be up in arms about what's been done to "The Watch" – a contemptuous assertion at that (knocking on 100 million book sales, a knighthood for their author, several successful telefilms, and they're *still* playing the Kevin card?!), given that one doesn't have to be a fully engaged "Terry Pratchett is my deity" zealot to recognise when source material has been shoddily treated.

Rhianna Pratchett said that "The Watch series "shares no DNA" with Discworld. I believe that if her father were alive today, he would have stomped into the script conferences with Nanny Ogg-worthy hobnailed boots and made it very plain that he couldn't be having with the treatment showrunner-writer Simon Allen was giving his wonderful world.

And neither can I.

*

And now, on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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

03) "THE WATCH" REVIEWS

3.1 THE WOSSNAME REVIEW

By Steven D'Aprano

(This review is based on the first four episodes of the series and contains spoilers.)

It would be unfair to describe the BBC America's new series, "The Watch", as a total disaster of a show. I have certainly seen worse shows. But "The Watch" is not a faithful adaptation of Terry Pratchett's Discworld stories and the most positive description I can give is that it is an indifferent police procedural fantasy that appropriates names, characters and story elements from the Discworld. Viewed as nothing more than a fantasy police procedural with no connection to Pratchett's work, "The Watch" is not entirely unwatchable, enough to be moderately engaging for a slow Sunday afternoon, around the same level of quality you might expect from a "mockbluster" or direct-to-DVD film. Showrunner/writer Simon Allen and BBC America have a legal licence to use the characters and story elements of the Discworld, so we can't describe it as outright theft, but it surely is a hijacking. Without Pratchett's name behind it, "The Watch" as it stands almost certainly would not have been made, and this comes across as an attempt to ride Pratchett's coat-tails with a B-grade fantasy, hoping to attract an audience by Pratchett's name alone.

If "The Watch" is merely a mediocrity on its own, as a Discworld adaptation it is a travesty. The contrast between this and 2019's excellent adaptation of "Good Omens" could not be greater, and the viewing figures bear that out: less than a third of the audience of "Good Omens" are tuning in to "The Watch". It is disrespectful to the source, a grab-bag of what seems to be the entire Discworld canon incompetently mashed together, like a cook who reasons that because people like lemon meringue, and they like chicken soup, it would be a brilliant idea to put the lemon meringue pie in the chicken soup. Only the chicken has been replaced by tofu and the lemon with bitter herbs. In that regard, "The Watch" does great harm to the memory of Sir Terry Pratchett, and to the Discworld brand. Anyone watching this show who doesn't know the books is likely to come away from it with the impression that Pratchett was an unfunny hack. Looking at the positive side, that puts Pratchett in exalted company with other writers such as Stephen King and Douglas Adams, whose works have also been butchered.

Marama Corlett as Corporal Angua, one of the most interesting characters in the original Watch novels, is flat and wooden. The interpersonal drama between characters ranges from weak to incompetent. And while the show tries very hard to be funny, it rarely succeeds. It manages to take the rich, clever and funny source material and make it fall flat. Jokes from the book are misused, such as the attempt by the city authorities to cover up dragon footprints by claiming the were left by a large wading bird. In the show, there are no dragon footprints, but the "angry wading bird" line is still used. What was funny in the book becomes nonsensical in the show.

But as bad as that it, the new material is even worse. To give you just a flavour of the level of humour in the new material, one running gag is that the head of the Thieves Guild is a virgin. Another example of the amateurish attempts at humour: the talking sword Gawain reveals that this is just its "stage name" (swords work in the theatre?) and its real name is Wayne. Oh how I laughed and laughed, not.

A few, a very few, of the cast have managed to impress me. Lara Rossi plays a character named after Discworld's Lady Sybil Ramkin. This Sybil is a young, slim, fierce vigilante whose parents were assassinated for reasons unstated in the show. Although the Sybil of the mini-series shares almost nothing with the Sybil of the books in either personality or looks, Rossi puts in an excellent performance. (I note that BBC America's diversity and inclusivity policy clearly does not extend to giving a leading role to an older lady of the full-figured disposition. Only hotties need apply.) Richard Dormer's performance as Captain Sam Vimes has slowly grown on me from a disastrous start. The early attempts to make Vimes funny, especially in the first episode, simply failed. Vimes was portrayed as Popeye crossed with Captain Jack Sparrow, which didn't really work. But I feel that Dormer is doing, perhaps not a great job, but a better than adequate one. He is playing a character who is not the Vimes of the books, but perhaps is *a* Vimes, in the same way that Jonny Lee Miller's Sherlock is not the Holmes of the books but is *a* Holmes. And Adam Hugill puts in a solid, workman-like performance as the fresh-faced, naive Constable Carrot of "Guards Guards". Out of all the members of the Watch, Carrot is perhaps the only one that might be considered a more or less authentic adaptation of their book counter-part.

The visuals for the character of Death are well done, Death's lines less so (too whiny and sorry for himself). And the police procedural elements are handled more or less competently, enough to be moderately engaging for a slow Sunday afternoon. The best parts of the show are those that are played as straight crime drama with a slight fantasy twist. If that sounds like damning with faint praise, it is. The production has too many clangers, things that just fall flat and give the impression that the production team are unskilled amateurs making the worst kind of fan-fiction rather than professionals. For example, when Carrot and Angua first meet, Angua is surprised that the 6ft tall Carrot identifies himself as a Dwarf. But then we are later shown that Angua is friends with Cheery the Dwarf, who is possibly even taller and burlier than Carrot, a fact that nobody has commented on. So why was Angua so surprised about Carrot's height? This is incompetent script writing.

In one scene, two extras standing in plain view appear to be dressed in contemporary 21st century jeans and tops.

https://imgur.com/a/CukbXHr

Detritus the troll looks like a cross between Groot from Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" and the elephant man John Merrick. Visually, the show tries to be moody but ends up just being murky instead. I didn't expect the dragon of a TV mini-series to be as expensively made as Smaug from the "The Hobbit", but surely they could have made it an actual dragon rather than a fire-breathing cloud.

https://imgur.com/a/yLnJpNM

Perhaps Simon Allen has forgotten how badly "Galactus is a cloud" worked for the 2007 "Fantastic Four" sequel, but surely he should have known that following "The Hobbit" and "Game Of Thrones", audiences will expect their dragons to look like actual dragons? I'm sure the smoke effects were incredibly technically difficult to pull off, and by the looks of it the few seconds it was on screen probably took half the budget of the show, but narratively it fails. It just makes bad television.

The drama in "The Watch" is at best mediocre, edging well into cliched melodrama. Pratchett's rich satire of humanity's foibles is reduced to having some goblins make unsubtle references to communism. Detritus' death is just silly. And the big bad antagonist, Carcer Dun, is as intimidating as a puppy and rather ineffectual. In one scene, he runs after one of his subordinates with a plaintive "Don't go!".

The show is plagued by inconsistency. On the one hand, they managed to work in a lovely little reference to Sybil needing to wear wigs because she breeds fire-breathing dragons. On the other hand they cast an actor to play Young Sam Vimes who looks nothing like the actor playing Sam Vimes years later. Think about the way Ewan MacGregor as young Obi-Wan Kenobi *looks* like he could have aged to become Alec Guinness, but in "The Watch", it feels like the casting department said, "He's a guy with a beard. Close enough."

https://imgur.com/a/OwsoOaS

Ultimately, "The Watch" simply isn't very good, and a handful of decent performances cannot save it. And if "The Watch" is merely mediocre taken on its own merits, as a Discworld adaptation it is unspeakably worse. It mashes together elements and characters of Guards Guards, Soul Music, The Colour Of Magic, Moving Pictures, Night Watch and more, with no finesse or understanding, and certainly no sign of respect for the source material. Characters from the books, both major and minor, are changed beyond recognition, both physically and in their personality. Just a few examples:

* The villain of Night Watch, Carcer Dunn, is the leader of a street gang who is recruited by some mysterious group (possibly the Auditors?) to tear down all of civilisation and physically destroy the city of Ankh-Morpork.

* The tired old unimaginative cliche that gives the protagonist Vimes a long-ago close friendship with the antagonist Carcer. Why would the head of police want to arrest or capture a criminal unless they were once close friends? Yes, that is meant to be sarcasm from me.

* Cheery the Dwarf is both beardless and seemingly the tallest Watch member, at least as tall as Carrot if not taller. This of course fatally undermines the joke that Carrot is a Dwarf (by adoption).

* Totally unironically, and rather misogynistically, Cheery's struggles with female erasure (the tendency for society to ignore, marginalise and erase women from history and culture) has been erased from the story. The lack of self-awareness by BBC America and the show runner regarding this matter is astonishing.

* Corporal Angua is a boyish, miserable bundle of hostility and despondency who has spent three quarters of the series with her face covered in grime for no apparent reason other that it looks edgy.

* Lupine Wonse, secretary to Lord Vetinari, is now just Wonse, former street urchin and criminal, working as a cleaner in Unseen University while secretly teaching herself magic.

* Constable Cuddy, the first ever Dwarf watchman, is now just some random constable whose entire role is to tell young Sybil that she did not in fact see her parents brutally assassinated, that is to say, *completely legally inhumed*, because the Assassin's Guild does not leave witnesses. Why perfectly legal assassins would need made-up supervillain names and to leave no witnesses is not explained.

* Cut-Me-Own-Throat Dibbler is now just "Throat", a wheel-chair bound master criminal.

None of these changes improve on the originals. The show has simply appropriated the names of Discworld characters and dropped them on their own creations, and displays a great poverty of imagination. With the exception of Carrot, and perhaps Vimes, none of the major characters come close to their physical descriptions in the books. Furthermore, "The Watch" plays fast and loose with the sex and colour of Discworld characters. Pratchett's Watch novels are full of strong, powerful women who are first and foremost women, not just proxy men in skirts. Angua, of course. And Sybil proves that one does not need to be an axe-wielding vigilante to be a strong woman. Sally von Humpeding the vampire and Rosie (later Mrs) Palm are both interesting female characters and I would have loved to have seen their stories told. (The actor playing Angua would have been as physically a good a match for Sally as she is a terrible match for Angua.) Instead, "The Watch" takes the easy way out by just giving a few characters an instant sex change. Don't bother telling stories about *women being women*, just have woman actors step into male character's shoes without changing anything else about them. It is patronising and lazy. As imagined by Terry Pratchett, Ankh-Morpork was based heavily on Anglo-European fantasy fiction, which mostly means white people. But despite that, Pratchett made the Disc a true multicultural world with many cultures and races, including analogues of our middle east, Africa and far east Asia, and yet the Discworld was remarkably free of skin-colour racism. As Pratchett put it:

“Racism was not a problem on the Discworld, because – what with trolls and dwarfs and so on – speciesism was more interesting. Black and white lived in perfect harmony and ganged up on green.” (Witches Abroad)

So I feel that turning Ankh-Morpork of the TV series into a multiracial city works well, and I like to think that it would probably have met with Sir Terry's approval. Casting black actors to play (for example) Sybil Ramkin and Carcer Dunn does no disrespect to their characters. It's just **everything else** about the characters that is a mutilation.

My conclusion after watching four episodes is that "The Watch" fails as an adaptation of the Discworld source and as a comedy. As a fantasy police procedural, it scrapes in as somewhat watchable but no better than a mediocre mini-series. But perhaps the worst failure of the show is what might have been. Both "Guards, Guards" and "Men At Arms" have excellent stage adaptations which could have been further adapted to the screen. Either would have been great introductions to the City Watch stories, and Men At Arms could have been adapted to include Cheery's struggle to be accepted as openly a woman in a Dwarf society that tries to erase all sex differences between men and women. But this would have required respect for the original character, and something a little more sophisticated than a lazy and insincere "diversity check-box" approach to women. And there is no sign of either of those in "The Watch".

When I was five or six, I put on a play for my mother. Every toy I owned had to have a scene, and my mum eventually bailed about the time I started setting up the enormous battle scene with my toy soldiers. This reminds me of "The Watch", where the show runner and writer Simon Allen seems to have attempted to work in a reference to every Discworld character and concept even vaguely connected to the City Watch books, and some that aren't, and even some concepts that never made it into Discworld canon due to the untimely death of Pratchett, such as "Twilight Canyons". But Allen's reach has greatly exceeded his grasp and the end result is an incompetent mashup that doesn't work as tribute to the Discworld novels and could only be put in by somebody who has little understanding of them. There is a scene in the first episode where Gaspode the talking dog marks his territory by urinating on Vimes' leg. I cannot help but feel that this is exactly what Simon Allen and BBC America did to Pratchett's work: "The Watch" is all about them marking his material as theirs.

3.2 OTHER REVIEWS

By culture commentator Helen Lewis aka The Bluestocking:

"If you love the Discworld books, may I offer you some free advice? Stay well away from The Watch, a new series “inspired by the characters created by Sir Terry Pratchett.” It may well be enjoyable to viewers with no preconceptions, but if you know what “knurd” means, or who the true king of Ankh-Morpork is – in other words, if you're a great big Discworld geek like me – don't watch it. It's not for you. This might be a rare adaptation that's more comprehensible if you aren't familiar with the source material... I tried to approach The Watch with an open mind. Transposing novels to television involves big, structural changes, the ruthless removal of minor characters and subplots, and the inevitable loss of an authorial voice. Don't turn into Comic-Book Guy, I told myself. “Fantitlement” is a terrible thing. That lasted about eight minutes into the first episode. As Rhianna Pratchett put it, these are not her father's characters. Colon and Nobbs are gone entirely; Angua is a hardbitten veteran with no obvious personality; and rather than being a female dwarf with a beard and lipstick, Cherry is male, non-binary and of average height. Vimes, that hater of fuss and fanciness, is wearing eyeliner... what the hell has happened to Lady Sybil? In the books, she is a well-upholstered middle-aged aristocrat, briskly kind in a very English labradors-and-galoshes way. Think opera singer in tweeds, with “a bosom that rose and fell like an empire”. To millions of Pratchett's female readers, Lady Sybil proved that being polite and big-boned can also be a superpower. The Watch has turned her into a kickass armed vigilante in a belted trench coat – yes, that hoariest of tropes, a “strong female character”. Worse, she's thin. Changes like these are what takes this past being an adaptation and onto something else entirely...

https://helenlewis.substack.com/p/the-bluestocking-terry-pratchett

By Cynthia Vinney, who has no investment in the source material, on pop-culture site CBR:

"I suspect for Discworld fans this will all come across like big-budget City Watch fan fiction. As someone unfamiliar with the books, I can't claim any personal attachment to any specific part of that story, but even the little research I did made it clear that the show doesn't bear an especially strong resemblance to its supposed source material. The bigger disappointment, however, is despite all those changes, the show hasn't managed to do anything compelling with them. The plot mechanics of the story are on full display, which makes the Watch's pursuit of MacGuffin after MacGuffin feel like forced labor instead of organically motivated action. Furthermore, the reasons for Carcer's activities are turned into a mystery that never comes across as worth solving. It's difficult to care about the characters too. The actors do what they can with the material they're given, each committing to their characters' specific traits and backgrounds. I especially enjoyed Eaton-Kent's Cheery, whose smart sensitivity is a nice counterpoint to her cynical or naive colleagues. Still, the show is so caught up in maintaining its punk-rock aesthetic and devil-may-care attitude, it never makes anything onscreen feel worth investing in..."

https://www.cbr.com/watch-discworld-tv-review/

On fansite The Mary Sue, Chelsea Steiner gives a round-up of some early reviews: https://bit.ly/2LWws8J

A review by Kiko Martinez for Variety: https://bit.ly/3oiym0g

By "JG" on Tornado Post. [Editor's note: coherent English is not this reviewer's strong suit, but I'm including this review because it's interesting to see what a non-Discworld reader makes of the show.]: https://bit.ly/2LY41qW

By Craig Mathieson for the Sydney Morning Herald: https://bit.ly/3cakdzZ

A long, detailed review by William Hughes, who tries to be as fair as possible, for the AV Club: https://bit.ly/2YfZXoo

An apparent rave review on fansite Flickering Myth by something called Martin Carr, an entity that doesn't seem to occupy the same planet as most other reviewers and also fails to understand that respecting source material is not by any means the sole purview of sad superfans: https://bit.ly/3a3x0BA

...while on the less "what the -ing" Den of Geek, Juliette Harrisson asks some very pertinent questions about the treatment of a particular character. No extracts here because there's major spoilage; in fact, I can't even give the URL openly for that reason. But if you want to read it, and accept that there's a spoiler and a brain-melting one at that, go to https://bit.ly/3nbnMYB

...and then we have an oddly loving review in the Los Angeles Times by Robert Lloyd, who despite claiming to be familiar with and fond of the source material, seems to think that savaging *everyone's* source material is a good thing [Editor's note: no it -ing isn't, Robert]: https://lat.ms/3iJnpDW

By Emily O'Donnell on Comic Years, trying her best to be positive: https://bit.ly/39ZCE7I

By Adi Tantimedh on Bleeding Cool News: https://bit.ly/3c83FbP

By Ana Dascalescu on TechTheLead: https://bit.ly/3iOJ9OU

A mostly positive review by Alana Joli Abbott on Den of Geek: https://bit.ly/2YbT8Ep

...but further viewing made her rethink: https://bit.ly/3qSmXpL

And finally, telly writer Martin Jameson reflects on BBC America's take on Terry Pratchett's Ankh-Morpork City Watch through the prism of his own experience of adapting Discworld for the small screen. He ends with "And thank you to the producers of The Watch for finally enabling Discworld to find its own beating heart on our telly boxes." All I can say is that Mr J must have been standing behind the door when the "Just Say No" message was being passed around: https://bit.ly/3caX7Jn

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

04) ODDS AND SODS

4.1 THIS OLD HOUSE...

...is a beautiful place that used to be Sir Pterry's home for many years and is now up for sale. For what it's worth, your Editor once lived in a house very much like Gaze Cottage (although barely one-third of the size) and yes, it did inspire a lot of creativity! From Somerset Live, including extensive iconographs and a video tour of the interior:

"Sir Terry lived in the four bed Somerset cottage between 1970 and 1994. In this time the first novel from his popular series Discworld, The Colour of Magic, was published in 1983. Sir Terry sold the house to the current owners, who have said they still regularly received letters from ardent fans addressed to The Hogfather, another of his novels, which was later made into a film..."

https://bit.ly/3c8nWOx

From the BBC:

"Ruth Treasure-Smith, from Robin King Estate Agent, said: 'He wrote most of his most famous novels in that house in the 80s. The house must have been inspiring..."

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-55739271

4.2 UPDATES: THE TERRY PRATCHETT BOOK CLUB

On the website of publishers Tor, Emmet Asher-Perrin continues a Discworld discussion page. This month's instalment is a wrap-up of Wyrd Sisters:

"I find myself fascinated by the difference with which the duke and duchess meet their ends, even more for how it relates to the ending of Macbeth; pointedly, Duke Felmet gets a rather comical ending, and that could be put down to the fact that we're dealing with an overall comical book, but it reads more like a direct commentary on how Pratchett views Lord and Lady Macbeth – specifically that the lord is a nothing muffin of an antagonist, and the lady should have been permitted the full breadth of her villainy. Because let's be honest, the idea that Lady Mac loses her mind over guilt at her misdeeds is one of Shakespeare's weakest writing choices. I'm sorry, but it's true – it's one of those ideas that's fun to play as an actor, but doesn't bear out in the characterization we've seen. So instead, Pratchett has the duke lose touch with reality over his guilt (which he's built upon the entire book), and goes a different route for the duchess. People who walk around advocating for callous murder are unlikely to make a turnaround so severe, so we get a far more chilling end at the hands (and hooves and antlers and hoppy feet) of the land..."

https://bit.ly/3a55UtJ

...that moves on to the first part of Pyramids:

"The fact that there are several parallels between Djelibeybi and the fictional Gormenghast kingdom created by Mervyn Peake forces us to sit with that mismatch. Fans love to point out the similarities here – dad who died because he thought he was a bird, mom obsessed with cats, the adherence to ancient ritual over looking forward – but it really only serves to point a finger at how insular the fantasy genre has been for such a long time. When this book was written in the late 80s, there was no super popular fantasy kingdom based on Egypt (or written by an Egyptian author, for that matter) for an English-speaking author like Pratchett to find and draw from. That said, the assassin's test is truly fun to read, and was apparently unusual for Pterry in its writing; he was not one of those authors who admitted to being carried away by his characters or surprised by their actions, but he did state this test as the one place where the narrative got away from him..."

https://bit.ly/2KSnh8G

...and the next:

"There are a number of jokes like this that aren't really working for me... The jokes are coming from a specific viewpoint, centered entirely on the cultural biases of the writer, and in this case, they're just not playing out as fun as the rest of his material. Some of the jokes still work out, but some of them emphatically do not. Part of the trouble is that it seems as though Pratchett is working from the assumption that most people aren't going to know enough about Egypt and its culture for the jokes to land, and I suppose that's fair to a point. (There's a footnote where he explains how an outfit doesn't work by suggesting what a foreign ambassador to the Court of St. James might wear that would be similarly out of step, and it's admittedly hilarious.) But it doesn't work as an excuse across the board, particularly not when you take into account how obsessive Britain has been about ancient Egypt through its history..."

https://bit.ly/3tc03vi

4.3 A MAGIC LITTLE PLUG...

...for Marc Burrows' biography The Magic of Terry Pratchett! By Colin Steele in the Canberra Times:

"When Boris Johnson interviewed Terry Pratchett in 1996 for the British Daily Telegraph, he wrote that he was 'baffled by the scale of his (Pratchett's ) success'. Pratchett's Discworld series was often ignored by the 'literati', but Pratchett simply responded, 'Well, I get paid shitloads of cash, which is good'. A knighthood, and four honorary doctorates also helped Pratchett's self-esteem. Mark Burrows' The Magic of Terry Pratchett (White Owl, $45), which is marketed as 'the first full biography' of Sir Terry, documents in detail Pratchett's path to success. Burrows, however, never met Pratchett, so this is an account based on published accounts and interviews and a detailed analysis of his books..."

https://bit.ly/3qTk204

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

05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

* GUARDS! GUARDS! IN VICTORIA, FOURECKS

Discworld returns to Victoria! The Red Cliffs Players will present their production of Guards! Guards! next month.

When: 19th–27th February 2021
Venue: Cardross Hall, 399 Dairtnunk Ave, Cardross, Victoria 3496
Time: 7,30pm all sessions except Sunday 21st matinee at 2pm
Tickets: $20 all sessions, available online via https://bit.ly/39jEAZD

* MURDER IN ANKH-MORPORK IN ABINGDON... EVENTUALLY... (2021)

"We wanted to stage a play involving the Ankh-Morpork Night Watch. But we'd already staged all of Stephen Briggs' dramatisations featuring this noble group of guardians of justice. Stephen got special permission to put together an affectionate mash-up incorporating bits of Guards! Guards! and Feet of Clay, woven respectfully into the core plot of Men at Arms. All Terry. The city is protected by the multiverse's most diverse police force. But a new threat is emerging – the Discworld's first and only firearm. The Gonne. And we planned to stage it in November 2020. HOWEVER – the coronavirus then landed on us and scuppered our plans. A socially distanced (and thus much reduced) audience wouldn't enable us to stage the show and cover our costs – so we have had to park this until things get back closer to 'normal'. We have our fingers crossed for November 2021. News here as it happens!"

https://www.studiotheatreclub.com/murder-in-ankh-morpork

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

06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

Remember, one day, possibly in the not too distant future, Discworld fans will be able to meet in the real Roundworld again. So keep this information handy! Also note there are a few updates below.

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group"
BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group at https://bit.ly/2YrPGW7

NOTE: the Drummers are still meeting occasionally via Zoom. Check out the above link for updates!

*

Drumknott's Irregulars
Facebook https://bit.ly/31FlSrq or Google Groups https:groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars or join us at our next event."

*

The Victorian Discworld Klatch
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch

*

"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/373578522834654/

*

The Pratchett Partisans
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au

*

The City of Small Gods
www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

"What are we doing while we're stuck at home due to COVID-19? Given that our normal social gatherings can't happen while everyone's under lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are instead trying to host regular activities and discussions online. Most of these will be done via our Discord Server – https://discord.gg/3RVzsyJ – which has several text chat channels and a few voice chat channels as well. We will still use our Facebook group – https://facebook.com/groups/cityofsmallgods – to coordinate scheduled events. When things get back to normal... (semi-) regular social meetings are generally held on the last Thursday of the month at a pub or restaurant in Adelaide. We have dinner at 6.30pm followed by games until 9pm.

"We'll try to keep this page up to date (no promises!) but always check emails on the mailing list or our Facebook Group for further details of these events."

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers
broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) meets at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn when social gatherings are possible.

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum: http://www.discworldstamps.co.uk/forum/

*

Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder)
Contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers https://bit.ly/2EKSCqu – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>

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

07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

Nothing to see here this month, since this month's issue centres mainly on "The Watch" and to my surprise there were almost no blog reviews of it! – Ed.

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

08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

A librarian helping a librarian-helper in Borneo:
https://i.redd.it/e405hm7pcd861.png

Some of the cast of Red Cliffs Players' forthcoming production of Guards! Guards!:
https://bit.ly/36cTCOJ

Sir Pterry's former home, Gaze Cottage:
https://bit.ly/39iBHZ9

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

09) CLOSE

Just an amusing note to end. Journalist Tom Chivers interviewed Sir Pterry in 2013: “I noted to him that in his later stories he had rehabilitated every 'evil' species – orcs, trolls, vampires, werewolves; made them people. Except, at that stage, elves. And I remember he wagged his finger at me and said: 'You bugger.' I never mentioned it in the piece, but then when The Shepherd's Crown came out – posthumously, his last book – he had, indeed, done the same for the elves." To read the original piece, go to https://bit.ly/39xEI7X

Right then, that's it for now. Mind how you go, and we hope to see you next month!

– Annie Mac

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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

Copyright (c) 2021 by Wossname for the Klatchian Foreign Legion

comments

Wossname - December 2020 - Main issue

2020-12-22T09:39:11Z

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
December 2020 (Volume 23, Issue 12, Post 1)

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

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

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

INDEX:

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

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"If J.R.R. Tolkien took LSD, thought of Death as a guy who takes his job very seriously, and wrote satire with a honed edge of honesty that cuts deep and bleeds truth, he actually would have been Terry Pratchett in disguise. I’m not saying Terry Pratchett did drugs, but I am saying that the ideas that fueled his brain took other authors like Stephen King years of snorting cocaine to imagine."
– blogger frankfiction's interesting take on the genius of Pratchett

"Wherever people are obtuse and absurd... and wherever they have, by even the most generous standards, the attention span of a small chicken in a hurricane and the investigative ability of a one-legged cockroach... and wherever people are inanely credulous, thematically attached to the certainties of the nursery and, in general, have as much grasp of the realities of the physical universe as an oyster has of mountaineering... yes, Twyla: there is a Hogfather."
– Hogfather, of course

"One should always be wary of people who talk unashamedly of “fellowship and good cheer” as if it were something that can be applied to life like a poultice."
– ibid.

"HUMAN BEINGS MAKE LIFE SO INTERESTING. DO YOU KNOW, THAT IN A UNIVERSE SO FULL OF WONDERS, THEY HAVE MANAGED TO INVENT BOREDOM."
– the... *other* Hogfather

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

02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

Are you ready to welcome the Year of the Beleaguered Badger? We can only hope that despite the name, it will be less beleaguered than the Year of the Condescending Carp has been! That remains to be seen, but I think we all deserve a good holiday and a drop (or many) of vintage scumble for making it through.

Librarians – and orangutan lovers – around the world can celebrate the first Discworld-named baby ape! See item 4.3.

To our readers and their families and friends, warmest Wossname wishes for the happiest possible Hogswatch and a Covid-free new year! And now, on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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

03) HOGSWATCH CAROLS

It's been a long time since we opened the Weird Alice songbook. Here's a song to warm the cockles of your Discly hearts...

A FAIRYTALE OF OLD ANKH

A PRISONER IN THE PALACE DUNGEONS:
It was Hogswatch Eve, mate
Down in old Ankh
A chained mime said to me
'Won't learn another word!'
And then he sang a song:
The hedgehog's point of view
I turned twice Widdershins
And dream'd of hot stoo

Got Raven's lucky beak -
See, Death of Rats says SQUEAK
A slate is running
In Biers for me and you
So Happy Hogswatch
From Dots and Sadie
Making Morpork free of crime
And nightmares all come true...

TWOFLOWER:
They've got gnolls big as trolls
They've got wizards in robes
But the smell goes right through you
There's no rest for your nose
When we walked round the Shades
On that cold Hogswatch night
You promised me Ankh-Morpork vampires don't bite

VARIOUS MEMBERS OF THE BEGGARS' AND THIEVES' GUILDS:
'You were Bursar – '
'You were jolly...'
'You stank like Queen Molly!'
When the minstrels stopped playing
We set them alight
Piss Harry's 'collecting'
Mossy Lawn, he's dissecting
We ate Dibbler's meat pies
And retched through the night

EVERYONE:
The boys from the YMPA Choir
Were singing sourly
And Dark Morris bells rang out
For Hogswatch Eve.

NOBBY AND COLON:
'You're a Fool, a nut-case.'
'You're a civic disgrace,
'Swigging Bearhugger's booze
'Till you hoick on your shoes!'
'You Lancre sheep-shagger...'
'You unlicensed Beggar'
'Happy Hogswatch, you Nobbs – '
'Hope the Gods shut yer gob!'

EVERYONE:
The cops of the Day and Night Watch Choir
Committed harmony
And Dark Morris bells rang out
For Hogswatch Eve.

DUKE FELMET: 'I could've ruled the Disc...'
DUCHESS FELMET: 'Well, so could any twit!
'You took my crown from me
'When ghosts unmanned you...'
DUKE: 'I killed for Lancre, dear
'I grabbed it for our own...'
DUCHESS: 'I'd rather stand alone!'
ALL LANCRE TOGETHER: 'But we could never stand you!'

EVERYONE:
The ghouls from the Bel-Shamharoth Choir
Were howling tunelessly
And Dark Morris bells rang out
For Hogswatch Eve!

[Editor's note: this is not the greatest Hogswatch carol in the world – this is just a tribute (SNH, SNH, SNH). I always had a horror of the sickly sweetness of most carols until the original of this one came along. For those of you unacquainted with its dyspeptic, misanthropic wonderfulness, get yourself to the nearest Anterweb and hunt it down – you won't be sorry! HO HO HO.]

*

And something slightly more traditional...

WE THREE HAGS: ANE HOGSWATCHE CAROL

NANNY, GRANNY AND MAGRAT:
We three Hags Lancrastian are
Straddling brooms, we travel afar
Hearth and privy, pub and smithy
Casting our spells bizarre

Ohh...
Stars of Lancre, stern in black
Dames in regal pointy hats
Hubwards breezing, nethers freezing
Witches three who've got the knack

VERENCE:
Born a Fool, yet destined to reign
Never cruel though sometimes a pain
King well-meaning -- New Age-leaning
Sensible, in the main

Ohh...
Star of Lancre, staunch and meek
Castle sanitation geek
Bells a-clinking, forward-thinking
Modernising farm techniques

MAGRAT:
Frank but senseless, soppy am I
Wrinkled gowns and head in the sky
Sweet tomfool'ry, occult jewellery
'Wet as a hen,' they sigh

Ohh...
Star of Lancre, star-crossed Queen
Star of herbal research scene
Keen defender, nappy-mender
Keeping Ynci's armour clean

NANNY:
Scumble mine, 'tis boozy perfume
Breath like fire can clear a big room
Girlish spirit, bawling lyrics
Bawdy and rude -- boom-boom!

Ohh...
Star of Lancre, super-Gran
Head of matriarchal clan
Crude and chummy, Greebo's Mummy
Who can fix things? Nanny can!

GRANNY:
Hogswatch parties? Sausages fat?
Ha! I can't be having with that!
Bees I'll borrow near and far, so
I can patrol my patch

ALL:
Ohh...
Stars of Lancre, wyrd and wise
We've no need to advertise
Maiden, mother, and the... other
Guarding all 'neath Lancre's skies!

*

...and a bit of seasonal poetry...

HOGGERWATCHY

Twas Hogswatch, and the savvy youths
Did slyly grin as sleep they feigned
All tinselled were the icy roofs
And the Hogfather reigned

'Beware the pig-shaped choccy buns!
'The drunken fights, the booze'd collapse!
'Beware the lemon curd, and shun
'Voluminous brandy-snaps!'

We took our chunder-cures in hand
Pork rinds and sausage pie we bought
Then rested we as the clock struck three
And had a wily thought

And as we hid, with prying eyes
The Hogfather (with list of names)
Came jingling through the wintry skies
HO. HO. HO. as he came!

One-two, one-two! The ham's sliced through!
Its charcoaled skin was bright as chrome
We played Charades, then thanked the Gods
And went galumphing home

'And hast thou drained the scumble-pot?
'Don't be alarmed, my wee pished bairn!'
O scabrous daze, me head's all glazed!
We mortals never learn...

Twas Hogswatch, and the savvy youths
Did slyly grin as sleep they feigned
All tinselled were the icy roofs
And the Hogfather reigned.

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

04) ODDS AND SODS

4.1 PENGUIN COMPETITION

No, not a competition to win a penguin, but rather one to win a special copy of The Time-travelling Caveman from Penguin Books:

"This year hasn’t exactly been the best year for the adventurous among us, has it? Trips, explorations and mind-blowing ventures have all been put on hold. Luckily, Terry Pratchett's brand new compendium of short stories, The Time-travelling Caveman, illustrated by Mark Beech, is bursting to the brim with ideas and imagination. Written for local newspapers when Terry Pratchett was a young lad, these never previously published stories are packed full of anarchic humour and wonderful wit. We have 3x special edition copies to giveaway. To enter, email us with where in the Discworld you'd most like to escape to and why.
A winner will be picked at random on Monday 4th January 2021."

To enter, go to http://penguin-group.msgfocus.com/q/11m9iRLy1WunsJ0I3tGyISL/wv and press the ENTER button below the text quote above here

4.2 UPDATES: THE TERRY PRATCHETT BOOK CLUB

On the website of publishers Tor, Emmet Asher-Perrin continues a Discworld discussion page. This month's instalment takes us most of the way through Wyrd Sisters:

"The Fool’s role in giving Felmet the idea of how to turn the people against the witches is extremely unsettling because Pratchett knows plenty about the actual history of witch hunts and is bringing that knowledge to bear here. But it’s more unsettling because those methods are still used today, even in fiction; I was immediately put in mind of what the Tenth Doctor did to Harriet Jones after she disappointed him, tanking her entire political career with the words “Don’t you think she looks tired?” And that was done pointedly, intentionally, with the knowledge of how many women’s lives and careers are destroyed by rumor and hearsay. It’s the reason why Granny is so adamant about them maintaining their respect – and she’s right. Without it, they’ll be turned on in an instant..."

https://bit.ly/34gQSPH

"The Fool is trying to show the duke and duchess that they can turn an entire kingdom against the witches simply by putting the idea in people’s heads that they are untrustworthy. And it works, of course, because words do have the power to shape thought, particularly amongst people who are frightened or concerned about their ability to survive; that’s how witch trials come about in the first place. But there’s an interesting moment here when the Fool thinks that what he’s doing with the duke and words has to be better ultimately than swords and fighting – which sounds so sensible, even if it is utterly wrong. And that’s likely because this Fool wasn’t truly meant to be a Fool..."

https://bit.ly/3ajhWBt

"We’re getting the set up for Tomjon, and Pratchett is sneakily showing his hand here in the conversation between Hwel and Vitoller; Vitoller is convinced he’ll never see his son again now that he’s heading back toward his birthplace, that destiny has a plan in all this. But Hwel knows that’s not how destiny really works, even if he deals in it often enough as a playwright. It’s fun in a technical sense because Pratchett is also playing with story convention by setting us up this way, bringing destiny and birthrights into a story that’s ultimately about making your own path. In the sections where he makes his speeches, the narrative is simultaneously showing us that Tomjon has the makings of a king and the makings of a superb actor, but we’re meant to believe that only one of these things is relevant. That simply isn’t the case. Both of those things can be true at once – we’re none of us made to be only one thing in our lives..."

[Note: Asher-Perrin will be back in the new year with the final part of Wyrd Sisters. -- Ed.]

https://bit.ly/3mz3uYL

4.3 THEY CHOSE THE RIGHT NAME... OOOK!

Roundworld has a Librarian called Librarian!

"He’s called Pustakawan, or Kawi, if you wish. Prague’s zoo said on Wednesday it has finally completed the process of naming a critically endangered Sumatran orangutan baby born on its premises on Nov 17. It took a while, because the zookeepers had to go through more than 4,000 proposals submitted by members of the public. Kawi is the fourth baby for his mother, Mawar, and the first for father Pagy. His name means Librarian in Indonesian, zoo officials said. Librarian was the name of an orangutan in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series of fantasy novels...."

https://bit.ly/37GT7xu

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

05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

* A HOGSWATCH MESSAGE FROM THE UNSEEN THEATRE

"Dear Patrons, Cast and Crew,

"Only 5 days to Hogswatch! We have missed being able to perform for you this year due to this embuggerance of a VIRUS! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. But we hope that you all have a very Happy Hogswatch, making the very best of whatever restrictions apply to your place of residence on the Discworld! We look forward to seeing you around about May in the Year of the Condescending Carp!"

Keep an eye on https://unseen.com.au/ for updates in the new year!

* REVIEW: MONSTROUS REGIMENT IN PERTH, FOURECKS

By Kimberley Shaw in Stage Whispers:

"Terry Pratchett shows are very popular and almost their own genre in their style. There is a dedicated fan-base, but they can often be tricky for people who are not fans of the Discworld novels to understand. Not so Monstrous Regiment, a stand-alone story that is easy to watch, entertaining and fun... The role of Polly is a big one – possibly the Pratchett Hamlet, and we are in great hands with Michelle Ezzy, giving an excellent performance as this plucky young woman trying to hide her femininity. There’s very little down time in this show, and Michelle’s anchoring, energetic performance keeps this show rollicking along. Her fellow recruits include Jess Lally, so glamorous in her last Pratchett appearance, delightful in the very unglamorous role of Igor (the makeup – one of many excellent makeup jobs is managed by Yvette Drager- Wetherilt). Candice Preston has wonderful poise, excellent characterisation and looks superb as vampire Maladict. Elizabeth Croft is scary-tough but loveable as Tonker, with Josie Walsh solid as Tonker’s very close friend Lofty. Elise Kelly gives nuance to the chef who can’t swear, Shufti, while Niamh O’Hehir charms as youngest recruit Wazzer – who is extremely devout. The final member of the regiment is Carborundum – played by the most impressive puppet I have ever seen on a Perth stage. Gorgeously constructed by Garry Wetherilt, with gorgeous eyes by Connie Wetherilt, full body puppet Carborundum has the most exquisite expressions, and gives an outstanding verbal and non-verbal performance throughout. Kudos to puppeteer/actor Zac Skelton and his teamwork with designer Gary and director Brad Towton..."

https://bit.ly/34AlyeL (includes a number of cast photos)

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06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

Remember, one day, possibly in the not too distant future, Discworld fans will be able to meet in the real Roundworld again. So keep this information handy! Also note there are a few updates below.

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group"
BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group at https://bit.ly/3jtYLGo

NOTE: the Drummers are still meeting occasionally via Zoom. Check out the above links for updates!

*

Drumknott's Irregulars
Facebook https://bit.ly/31FlSrq or Google Groups https:groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars or join us at our next event."

*

The Victorian Discworld Klatch
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch

*

"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/373578522834654/

*

The Pratchett Partisans
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au

*

The City of Small Gods
www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

"What are we doing while we're stuck at home due to COVID-19? Given that our normal social gatherings can't happen while everyone's under lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are instead trying to host regular activities and discussions online. Most of these will be done via our Discord Server – https://discord.gg/3RVzsyJ – which has several text chat channels and a few voice chat channels as well. We will still use our Facebook group – https://facebook.com/groups/cityofsmallgods – to coordinate scheduled events. When things get back to normal... (semi-) regular social meetings are generally held on the last Thursday of the month at a pub or restaurant in Adelaide. We have dinner at 6.30pm followed by games until 9pm. We'll try to keep this page up to date (no promises!) but always check emails on the mailing list or our Facebook Group for further details of these events."

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers
broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) meets at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn when social gatherings are possible.

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum: http://www.discworldstamps.co.uk/forum/

*

Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder)
Contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers https://bit.ly/2EKSCqu – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>

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07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

Blogger Indulgent Reader's review of Hogfather:

"Susan is one of my favourite characters in the Discworld series. Despite her unique situation she tries to get on with whatever she needs to do. She doesn’t like nonsense and is fairly intelligent which is always nice as there can be a lack of intelligent females in some literature. She clearly likes the children she works with and i like that she treats them like adults. This is something that children appreciate they can tell when they are being spoken down to, and some flourish when they are treated as an adult. Obviously she has a number of quirks and these just highlight how positive all the others are... I love the way that this is written, if you have ever read a Terry Pratchett book you know that they aren’t written in chapters, and you are given a number of different strands to follow all of which are usually happening simultaneously. I love the way that this book takes elements from Christmas and brings forth the same feeling of Christmas while still highlighting the irony of certain elements of the holiday and focusing on some of the niceties that you hear about at Christmas. This book always makes me feel Christmasy..."

https://bit.ly/2KJYenJ

...and blogger and Orkneyite Nephriteon's, of the telly adaptation:

"This adaptation is very enjoyable if you are already a fan of Pratchett’s work. It’s clear right from the beginning that they spent a decent amount of money on this as the use of CGI – especially for what is basically a pair of 2006 TV movies – is surprisingly impressive. The blue lights in DEATH’S eyes and the empty void of nothingness inside the Auditors whenever they appear in their cloaked form are examples. With also a pleasant amount of practical work as well. Another sign of their dedication to detail is the fact that there were a series of small vignettes and a behind the scenes documentary made about the making of the adaptation that aired during the run up to the broadcast of the first episode which is included in the two disc version of the DVD release. The adaptation was written between Pratchett himself and Vadim Jean who also acted as director on the project. The writing in general terms is extremely accurate to the original novel with certain scenes being word for word recreations from the book. There are some differences however such as the very minor role given to the Death Of Rats and Quoth the Raven – companions of Susan – compared to the original being noticeable. Certain minor characters are removed entirely whilst the deaths of some characters are altered to fit the live action nature of the adaptation. The cast is frankly stunning – especially for long time Discworld fans..."

https://bit.ly/2KQh38E

Blogger ZeeZee loved Witches Abroad:

"I enjoyed this story SO much! Just thinking about it brings a smile to face, so I’ve bumped it onto my Favorites list because (oh man!) this story left me with such a wonderful feeling. It was a good read... This was a fun read from start to finish. I love stories that play with fairytales, and this one certainly does that. It touches on the Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, and the Frog Prince fairytales, and it was hilarious to see how the Ramtop witches interrupted them or stopped them from happening... I like Granny Weatherwax, but sometimes she can be unnecessarily mean, I think, to Magrat – although I do think she helps Magrat to grow a strong backbone. My favorite of the witches, of course, is my girl Nanny Ogg. Oh man! Nanny Ogg cracks me up. She’s considered the linguist among the three witches during their travel abroad, although she mispronounces many words and gets a lot of stuff wrong, lol. But Nanny Ogg is just a lot of fun and I love how she pokes at Granny sometimes to get under her skin..."

https://bit.ly/34zdFGw

Blogger Muse With Me returns with a review of Maskerade:

"This book managed to feel like both a standalone and a part of a series, which was great. Agnes Nitt first appeared in the previous Witches book, Lords and Ladies, and her frustrations with the Lancre witches carry on into this one. Granny and Nanny, for their part, are feeling the absence of Magrat from their little trio, and both in their own way feel Agnes should fill her role. A coven really ought to have three, after all: the maiden, the mother, and the crone. Together they serve as an ensemble cast, with Agnes giving us a closer look at the behind-the-scenes of the Opera House, while Granny and Nanny try to infiltrate it, to apprehend the Ghost and unmask him. Nanny Ogg sometimes feels like a bit of a sidekick in these novels, so I was really pleased that she had a more active role in this story. It’s not that she’s usually passive, just that Granny Weatherwax has such a strong, self-assured personality that she comes off as more in charge. I got a greater sense of Nanny using her own unique talents in situations Granny would be less equipped to deal with. The two have always been strong characters in these books, but I love to see Pratchett continue to build them out and make them even more vivid... For a while I was wary of the way the text was treating Agnes, on account of her weight... early on it poked fun at that a lot. This would’ve gotten old fast, but they diminished quickly enough. Though humorously presented, it was much more about how the world sees her than anything else. Despite the continued gag commentary that she has a 'lovely personality' to deflect from the matter of her weight, her character was in fact very endearing and easy to sympathize with. She’s often the most sensible person among the Opera group and deserves more recognition her talents than she gets..."

https://bit.ly/2LZY7VN

...and blogger Wyrmbergmalcolm praises The Shepherd's Crown:

"Once again, Terry Pratchett perfectly captured the idiosyncrasies of the ways of being human with some hilarious mannerisms and statements. This story also had a great cast from most of the witching world, including those from the main Discworld series. This was the one issue I had with this book. I have been reading the Tiffany Aching series to my children, who have not read any of the other books in the Discworld series. The Tiffany Aching books are written for younger readers. By including characters and other events from the main series I felt my children missed out on a lot..."

https://bit.ly/3h8z6TP

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08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

Here comes the Year of the Beleaguered Badger!
https://bit.ly/3nAMm5V

Our favourite Blackboard Monitor at Trinity College Dublin, December 2008:
https://twitter.com/terryandrob/status/1337548301814681604

Good Omens director Douglas Mackinnon's Hugo award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form:
https://twitter.com/drmuig/status/1341035775513735170/photo/1

Marc Simonetti's fascinating vision of Maskerade:
https://bit.ly/3rmfkc0

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09) CLOSE

Hands up who remembers all those Pratchett book signings! Here be a piece in the Bournemouth Echo about one at the turn of the century, complete with assorted iconographs. Sir Pterry – and Borders – may be gone, but the memories remain:

"The predicted chaos occurred at Borders bookshop when the hugely popular fantasy author magicked himself into town for a marathon book signing session. Fans clutching copies of his latest Discworld hardback The Truth, and the newly-released paperback The Fifth Elephant, braved two-hour queues to meet their favourite author and get his name in their new volumes. The date was November 9, 2000, as devoted fans shivered by the Bournemouth square store’s automatic doors which were kept open as the queue extended outdoors and leaned on the lower-floor escalator which had to be stopped because of the congestion."

https://bit.ly/38uhMVt

Now go hang up those stockings. Mind how you go, and we hope to see you in the new year!

– Annie Mac

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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

Copyright (c) 2020 by Wossname for the Klatchian Foreign Legion

comments

NEWSFLASH: A BRAND NEW YEAR!

2020-12-02T19:12:20Z

Aaaaand... it's official! Make a note in your Discworld calendars!

Note: this is a screenshot (duh). For the original tweet, see: https://twitter.com/terryandrob/status/1333745968748048386

comments

Wossname – November 2020 – Main issue

2020-12-01T02:13:40Z

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
November 2020 (Volume 23, Issue 11, Post 1)

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

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

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

INDEX:

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

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"It's hard to imagine an author who was not a reader first."
- Professor Sir Terry Pratchett, at his inaugural lecture in November 2010

"What's the first story that Pan narrans tells himself? He tells himself that he is Homo sapiens."
- as above, a year later

"Ponder looked up at the gnomic bulk of the machine. It didn't seem threatening, merely . . . *other*. He thought: meddle first, understand later. You had to meddle a bit before you had anything to try to understand. And the thing was never, ever, to go back and hide in the Lavatory of Unreason. You have to try to get your mind around the Universe before you can give it a twist."
– Ponder Stibbons discovers the scientific method in Interesting Times (p.248, Gollancz hardcover)

"The Agatean word for foreigner is the same as the word for ghost, and only one brush stroke away from the word for victim."
– Interesting Times (p.92, as above)

"The ones near the coast build rafts and head out across lonely seas to lands that are a fable. The ones inland resort to man-carrying kites and chairs propelled by fireworks. Many of them die in the attempt, of course. Most of the others are soon caught, and made to live in interesting times. But some did make it to the great melting pot called Ankh-Morpork. They arrived with no money – sailors charged what the market would bear, which was everything – but they had a mad gleam in their eye and they opened shops and restaurants and worked twenty-four hours a day. People called this the Ankh-Morpork Dream (of making piles of cash in a place where your death was unlikely to be a matter of public policy). And it was dreamed all the stronger by people who didn't sleep."
– ibid.

"I have no religious belief, but I believe this world is not the only one."
– Sir Pterry, talking to The Late Late Show's presenter Ryan Tubridy in 2012

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

We've almost made it through the Year of the Condescending Carp! **looks nervously in the direction of Fate and the Lady** And in honour of the decade that has passed, as of this month, since Professor Sir Pterry gave his inaugural lecture at Trinity College Dublin, I decided it was well past time for me to watch it, along with his "year's end exam" there in November 2011 (spoiler: he passed), and several other related videos. Some recommendations...

First, there's "The Importance of Being Amazed About Absolutely Everything", the Professor (and Blackboard Monitor)'s lecture, partially read by Rob Wilkins as the PCA was already beginning to bite but with frequent comedic interruptions by the man who wrote it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2FZ_0d3yEI

...and then "An Evening With Sir Terry Pratchett", in conversation at TCD a year later with Prof Darryl Jones, Head of Trinity's School of English, discussing overpopulation, how we are probably Pan narrans, longterm thinking, the concept of purpose, non-renewable resources, a long discussion of the Choosing to Die documentary and why he made it, (especially the segment that starts at at minute 29), and eventually, language. writing, Snuff, the goddess Narrativia, the birth and process of the Long Earth series and the philosophical questions it raised as he crafted it... and at the end, a presentation of the tool of his *other* trade:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3KDTtKPtqo

...and here in November of 2020, there's "Magical Mind: the World of Terry Pratchett", the Senate House Library's recent remote group chat – Rob Wilkins, Neil Gaiman and Rhianna Pratchett, discussing The Author's writing methods and career path, with a liberal sprinkling of anecdotes from all three. The action starts at about minute five, as there were technical issues to sort out first and gets into proper gear after minute fifteen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzZeSfP45hU

*

For those of you whose highly-anticipated copies of The Ankh-Morpork Archives Volume Two have yet to arrive, an update from the Discworld Emporium:

"Let it be known that the Illustrated Guards! Guards! originally due for release today will now be published November 19th, so worry not if your anticipated book has not yet arrived. The limited edition signed slipcase edition has also been pushed back to December 10th but we're sure it will be worth the wait!"

And now, on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) THE AMAZING ANIMATED MAURICE IS IN PROGRESS!

From Narrativia:

"Coming to Sky Cinema in 2022, The Amazing Maurice, a Sky original, follows Maurice, a streetwise ginger cat who has the perfect money-making scam. He finds a kid who plays a pipe, and he also befriends his very own horde of strangely educated, talking rats – so Maurice can no longer think of them as ‘lunch’. When Maurice and the rodents reach the stricken town of Bad Blintz, they meet a bookworm, Malicia. Their little con soon goes down the drain as something very bad is waiting for them in the cellars.

"Sarah Wright, Director of Sky Cinema and Acquisitions at Sky UK & Ireland comments: 'The Amazing Maurice is a fantastic story from a legendary author, and I couldn’t think of a better tale to bring to life as an animated film for all the family. I’m excited to work with Ulysses Filmproduktion and Cantilever Media to bring this exclusive new movie to Sky Cinema audiences in 2022.' Emely Christians, Producer and CEO of Ulysses Filmproduktion comments: 'When I read The Amazing Maurice, I knew we had to turn this amazing novel into a film. The art and animation departments are working hard to recreate Terry Pratchett’s unique vision and I can’t wait to see this on screen!' Andrew Baker, Producer and CEO of Cantilever Media, said: 'I’m huge fan of Sir Terry Pratchett so I would not be embarking on this project unless I felt we were bringing the film to life in a way that honours the book and will please its numerous fans around the world. We have a great cast and great teams at the studios in Sheffield and Hamburg working to make this film special.' Robert Chandler, Producer at Cantilever Media said: 'The trick with The Amazing Maurice is getting the balance right. Terry Pratchett is a brilliant author, who was not afraid to explore dark places and have fun getting there. That’s the tone of our film.'

"Rob Wilkins, Producer and Managing Director of Narrativia, said: 'Bringing Maurice's story to life was such a joy for Terry and I’m delighted that the teams at Sky, Ulysses Filmproduktion and Cantilever Media are honouring his vision with such reverence and respect.'..."

To read the full announcement, go to https://narrativia.com/maurice.html

From the Radio Times:

"Hugh Laurie and Emilia Clarke have been confirmed as cast members for an animated film based on Terry Pratchett’s The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents... Pratchett’s source novel is part of his legendary Discworld series and tells an alternate version of the folk tale The Pied Piper of Hamelin. It centres on a cat whose plans for a money-making scam involving a pipe player and a horde of talking rats go horribly wrong in the town of Bad Blintz. Laurie will reportedly play the titular cat Maurice, while Clarke will voice Malicia,.."

https://bit.ly/2Jsxd7y

From Animation World Network:

"Bring on the Cat King of Rats! The Amazing Maurice, based on the late Sir Terry Pratchett’s 2001 novel, is in development at Ulysses Filmproduktion, Cantilever Media, Sky, Studio Rakete, and Red Star Animation (what a mouthful). Although we lost the beloved author in 2015, it is exciting to think we’ll soon get to admire his work on the big screen. Fingers crossed. Since the project’s announcement last year, it has gained quite the A-List voice cast..."

https://bit.ly/2Vg4vcL

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04) ODDS AND SODS

4.1 UPDATE: DISCWORLD AND BEYOND IN DORSET

Paul Kidby tweets: "The Discworld & Beyond exhibition at The Red House Museum, Christchurch will be closed for the duration of lockdown II. The good news is once it reopens in December we have extended the dates by four weeks to January 2nd, 2021."

When: now – 2nd January 2021
Venue: Red House Museum and Gardens, Quay Road, Christchurch BH23 1BU (phone 01202 482860)
Times: Tuesday to Friday 10am – 5pm; Saturday 10am – 4pm
Tickets: free admission, "however, please pre-book your preferred visiting time for all members of your party, including children." Tickets are available online via
https://bit.ly/3gZvvGd

"If you do not have a pre-booked visiting time or arrive late, the venue will do their best to accommodate you, but cannot guarantee you will be able to visit. During your visit to Red House Museum and Gardens, please follow all social distancing and hygiene guidelines. Thank you for your understanding."

https://www.paulkidby.com/event/discworld-beyond-8/
http://www3.hants.gov.uk/redhouse

4.2 UPDATES: THE TERRY PRATCHETT BOOK CLUB

On the website of publishers Tor, Emmet Asher-Perrin continues a Discworld discussion page. In this month's instalment, Sourcery finishes and Wyrd Sisters begins:

The latest instalments, three of them, see the remainder of Sourcery analysed...

"There’s an oddness to this whole book. And the oddness comes from Pratchett attempting to satirize Eastern culture, but doing so through what seems to be a deliberately Western lens – for example, many swaths here are direct parodies of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s Kubla Khan. Which means that Pratchett is essentially poking fun at the way Western people think of Eastern cultures, the manner in which they are exoticized and often derided or looked down upon for merely being different than the Western world. Even Creosote’s poetry, though based on Omar Khayyam’s Rubaiyat, is based on a translation by Edward Fitzgerald (who is an English poet). So then the real question ultimately becomes, does Pratchett succeed in his task here? I think he manages it on paper, but it does demand that the reader have knowledge of what he’s parodying in order for the humor to fully come across when it needs to. If you don’t know the textual references, you might think that he’s genuinely dismissive of this part of the Disc, and then the whole thing kind of falls apart... The one pointed and helpful indication the reader receives that Pratchett is definitely poking fun at the Western perspective is actually through Rincewind here – who, in his thoughts about how this city is not right because it’s not like his city, gives himself away utterly..."

https://bit.ly/36mnZmC

The thing that catches me up at the end of this book is the textbook abusive parenting we get from Ipslore the staff (I’ve taught you everything; I gave you everything; you’re so ungrateful), and honestly… I wish more of the book was devoted to this. Because we know that the staff is making Coin do all of this, we know that Coin is truly just a little boy with access to unimaginable power, and we have some background on what filled Ipslore with vengeance. But we don’t get a lot of detail. We don’t get anything from either of their perspectives really, and that seems like a missed opportunity to do some digging on this premise. Because, really, the whole thing kind of hangs on this concept of knowing what you are, and being sure of that knowledge on your own terms. Rincewind is reminding himself of this at the end: He’s a wizard, he knows it because of the hat, the very same one the Librarian called his attention to and now keeps in a corner of the Library, awaiting Rincewind's return. And while it’s nice to see Rincewind stick to himself, we don’t get to see this lesson as carefully applied to the person who needs to internalize it the most. Coin doesn’t get the chance to truly know himself because he spends his life being directed and filled up with knowledge by the staff that’s his dead dad..."

https://bit.ly/2HTkSsQ

Next up is Wyrd Sisters:

"I’m not really sure that I can pick a favorite among the witches, but there is a special place in my heart reserved for Nanny Ogg and her many children and grandchildren who keep her house warm and clean and full of sustenance, and her propensity for getting drunk and singing bawdy songs... and her slightly more grounded, metropolitan approach to witching. In the end, I’m pretty sure that most people who endeavor to be witches would prefer the sort of life Nanny Ogg has put together for herself. But I’ve also got a soft spot for Magrat's eagerness, even if I don’t really hold with all the pomp and edifice she wants to tack onto the profession..."

https://bit.ly/3qfoo1O

Note: commenters are commenting there. Go for it! – Ed.

4.3 TERRY PRATCHETT: AN IRISH PERSPECTIVE

For RTE Arena, Irish crime novelist Arlene Hunt talks about how she came to be a Pratchett fan and discusses the personal evolution of Sam Vimes, as well as explaining some of the storylines and social concepts of the Discworld series. Her enthusiasm is positively incandescent. Do listen!

https://bit.ly/33oWyGI

4.4 PRATCHETT PODDERS

The Pratchat podcast ("Writer Elizabeth Flux and comedian Ben McKenzie read and discuss every Terry Pratchett book, one a month, each with a special guest!") is now up to its 37th issue. Have a listen!

https://pratchatpodcast.com/

4.5 THE MERCH CORNER

Mostly a repeat of last month's features, because it's that time of the year... and because one can't have too many Discworld cards on hand!

* Hogswatch cards

Selections from Paul Kidby's exquisite Hogswatch cards are still available! Paul Kidby Hogswatch cards are all priced at £2.95 each. For more info, and to order, go to:

https://discworld.com/products/hogswatch-cards/

Note: other classic Kidby cards are also available, if less seasonal, as are the lovely Paper Panda silhouette Discworld character cards, all also priced at £2.95 each. For more info, and to order, go to:

https://discworld.com/products/greetings-cards/

and https://discworld.com/products/sepia-cards/

* Discworld Masks

It looks as though Discworld fans in the UK, Europe, and North America might be needing these for a while yet...

A set of three masks (The Ankh-Morpork City Watch, The Grumpy Librarian and The Three Witches), UK-made from 100 per cent polyester "3 layer fabric with elastic ear loops woven with air jet textured PES", water and dirt repellent and machine washable. Timely merchandise, as it looks as if we'll all be needing them for a while yet...

Each set of masks is priced at £20. For more info, and to order, go to:

https://discworld.com/products/masks/discworld-masks-complete-set/

Also, each of the three masks is also available at the price of £8 each.

https://discworld.com/products/masks/discworld-masks-night-watch/
https://discworld.com/products/masks/discworld-masks-the-grumpy-librarian/
https://discworld.com/products/masks/discworld-masks-the-three-witches/
https://discworld.com/products/masks/

* Discworld puzzles

Note: the Games and {puzzles page features all sorts of other goodies, including more Discworld jigsaw puzzles, colouring books, and Thud! (the game):

https://www.discworldemporium.com/35-games-activities

* The Ankh-Morpork Archives, Volume Two:

"Containing material unavailable for twenty years – this is a comprehensive guide to the capital city of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, getting to the heart of Ankh-Morpork’s secrets, societies and guilds. Ankh-Morpork is a bottomless pit of secrets. It’s time to unearth a few more . . . In the second volume of this confidential guide, brave travellers are made privy to the inner workings of more illustrious Ankh-Morpork societies. Disabuse yourself of notions of professionalism under which you may hold the City Watch; discover what serious business is undertaken by the Fools’ Guild (joking is no laughing matter); and, should you be lucky, achieve true enlightenment through the teachings of Lu-Tze. One thing’s for sure: after you’ve read this book, Ankh-Morpork’s Guilds are going to need to come up with new ways of doing things. Completely revamped and redesigned, this full-colour book contains material from Discworld Diaries across the decades."

Each copy of The Ankh-Morpork Archives, Volume Two is priced at £25. For more info, and to order, go to:

https://bit.ly/3lxmhUV

...and for a copy at the same price, hand-signed by Paul Kidby:

https://shop.paulkidby.com/the-ankh-morpork-archives-volume-ii/

4.6 DISCWORLD FANDOM IN FOURECKS: AN APPEAL FOR ANECDOTES

Or perhaps that should be "fanecdotes"... Australian Discworld fandom stalwart Suzie Eisfelder, an events organiser and very nice lady, wants to connect with longtime Pratchett fans to set the Fourecksian fandom's history down in text. She writes:

"I'm hoping to write a history of Discworld in Australia. I won't be starting this year but I'd like to try and make contact with [fans]... I've been on a number of the committees for The Australian Discworld Conventions. While I know there is a story before the conventions I only know a couple of people who predate those conventions."

If you're in Australia, are a Discworld fan (especially if you already were long before the Nullus Anxietas conventions began back in 2007), and would like to have your thoughts immortalised, write to us here at Wossname or contact Suzie directly at suzie@suzs-space.com!

4.7 INDIA'S LOVE AFFAIR WITH BRITISH HUMORISTS

Over the years of collating articles for Wossname, I've noticed that India has long since taken the works and philosophies of Terry Pratchett to its collective heart. But it seems that there was a Wodehouse fandom long before there was a Pratchett one, and given that so many reviewers and fans have mentioned the two in the same admiring breath, this is interesting. By Vincent Dowd for the BBC:

"Navtej Sarna had a highly distinguished career in the Indian Foreign Service. There were stints as ambassador to both London and Washington DC. But before that he spent a short time with the Indian industrial conglomerate Tata. He recalls the final paper of the entrance exams, which he sat in 1980. Applicants were required to select one essay to write from various options supplied. 'I looked unhappily at this list of rather involved economic and business topics," he says, "all of which I knew I might struggle with. And then I was saved by the last one: "A Wodehouse a Day Keeps the Doctor Away". So that's what I wrote about and it got me the job.' It might seem odd that 40 years ago a massive South Asian business concern would assume job applicants might still be familiar with such utterly English works. In fact Pelham Grenville Wodehouse (1881-1975) became an Indian favourite even as quite a young writer – though he never went there and he barely mentions India in 71 of his novels or in his many short stories. Yet he was read there avidly and his most popular books still sell in English-language bookshops. Sarna says being taught in schools in India where the teaching is all in English his first reading in the 1960s wasn't so different from that of British children a few years before – Enid Blyton, Jennings and Billy Bunter. "But I began to outgrow them and then I discovered Wodehouse. It wasn't difficult because my father had at least 40 of his books – I just fell in love with his characters and humour and especially with the way he used words. I think that may be his appeal for English-speaking Indians – his delight in the English language. We had old Penguin paperbacks and some of the original hardback copies published in London by Herbert Jenkins like Uncle Fred in the Springtime. We read them so much as a family that we had to go into the market in Dehradun and ask to get them rebound – they were falling apart...'"

https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-55043717

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05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

* MONSTROUS REGIMENT IN PERTH, FOURECKS (DECEMBER 2020)

"Things aren't always quite what they appear to be in Roleystone Theatre's production of Terry Pratchett's Monstrous Regiment... 'Monstrous Regiments is a satirical comedy that's sometimes tongue-in-cheek and other times it's almost in someone else's cheek, [director Brad] Towton said. 'The show has subtle messages about war, truth, propaganda and the role of women in a society dominated by men. For those familiar with Pratchett shows, they can expect quick puns, lowbrow humour and hidden highbrow gems. We also have a strong vocal cast, so there should be no problems with hearing all the jokes and heartfelt moments.'..."

When: 5th – 13th December 2020
Venue: Roleystone Hall, 44 Jarrah Road, Roleystone, Perth, Western Australia 6111
Time: 11am December 5th, 12th, and 13th; 5pm December 6th; 7pm December 5th, 11th and 12th
Tickets: $20 (concessions $15), available online via https://www.trybooking.com/book/sessions?eid=673934

NOTE: the Saturday 5th evening session is already sold out, and the Friday 11th session has only one ticket left!

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

* MURDER IN ANKH-MORPORK IN ABINGDON... EVENTUALLY... (2021)

"We wanted to stage a play involving the Ankh-Morpork Night Watch. But we'd already staged all of Stephen Briggs' dramatizations featuring this noble group of guardians of justice. Stephen got special permission to put together an affectionate mash-up incorporating bits of Guards! Guards! and Feet of Clay, woven respectfully into the core plot of Men at Arms. All Terry. The city is protected by the multiverse's most diverse police force. But a new threat is emerging – the Discworld's first and only firearm. The Gonne. And we planned to stage it in November 2020. HOWEVER – the coronavirus then landed on us and scuppered our plans. A socially distanced (and thus much reduced) audience wouldn't enable us to stage the show and cover our costs – so we have had to park this until things get back closer to 'normal'. We have our fingers crossed for November 2021. News here as it happens!"

https://www.studiotheatreclub.com/murder-in-ankh-morpork

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06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

Remember, one day, possibly in the not too distant future, Discworld fans will be able to meet in the real Roundworld again. So keep this information handy! Also note there are a few updates below.

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group"
BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group at https://bit.ly/3jtYLGo

NOTE: the Drummers are still meeting occasionally via Zoom. Check out the above links for updates!

*

Drumknott's Irregulars
Facebook https://bit.ly/31FlSrq or Google Groups https:groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars or join us at our next event."

*

The Victorian Discworld Klatch
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch

*

"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/373578522834654/

*

The Pratchett Partisans
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au

*

The City of Small Gods
www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

"What are we doing while we're stuck at home due to COVID-19? Given that our normal social gatherings can't happen while everyone's under lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are instead trying to host regular activities and discussions online. Most of these will be done via our Discord Server – https://discord.gg/3RVzsyJ – which has several text chat channels and a few voice chat channels as well. We will still use our Facebook group – https://facebook.com/groups/cityofsmallgods – to coordinate scheduled events. When things get back to normal... (semi-) regular social meetings are generally held on the last Thursday of the month at a pub or restaurant in Adelaide. We have dinner at 6.30pm followed by games until 9pm.

"We'll try to keep this page up to date (no promises!) but always check emails on the mailing list or our Facebook Group for further details of these events."

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers
broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) meets at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn when social gatherings are possible.

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum: http://www.discworldstamps.co.uk/forum/

*

Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder)
Contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers https://bit.ly/2EKSCqu – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>

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

07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

Blogger Eddie G ponders the gloriousness of Night Watch:

"I sometimes wonder if there is much point reviewing books that were written almost 20 years ago. Especially when they were so popular and widely read at the time of their launch. But rereading Night Watch has convinced me its as valid as reviewing any new publication. Once a book is out there its fixed. The story and sentiments will never change. Yes, they may be retold by others, in a range of different formats, but the book that started the story will stay the same. The world, however, moves on. Views and values iterate and evolve, we hope for the better. Rereading older books is a great way of checking in with our favourites and seeing how they, and to an extent we, are holding up... It's easy to remember the Discworld novels as funny and thoughtful. Night Watch showcases Terry Pratchett’s range as a writer; equally able to tackle the dark and sombre as well observed witticisms. Night Watch is as good, if not in some ways better, today as it was when it first made its way to my bookshelf..."

https://bit.ly/2VgztBz

Blogger Hedwig gives A Slip of the Keyboard a full five stars:

"This is like having conversations with an old friend that you only see once a year at a convention while also feeling like you’re talking to that eccentric uncle you only see at weddings and funerals. This book collects a combination of articles, speeches, various introductions and essays Sir Terry Pratchett wrote over his life. We do get to see the development of his writing, getting to read some of his articles from his time as a press officer for the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) and the other tail end of his career where he was protesting for people to have access to necessary meds for Alzheimer’s disease, the option for assisted dying and an overall larger amount of dignity that all people deserve... Hardest read is definitely one of the end pieces, 'A Week in the Death of Terry Pratchett'. I think it’s fairly obvious why it’s hard to read and why I found it a very emotional experience. I still can’t get through ‘Terry Pratchett: Back In Black’ without crying..."

https://hedwigsworldofbooks.home.blog/2020/11/18/review-a-slip-of-the-keyboard-by-terry-pratchett/

Blogger Ashkal Shah on Soul Music:

"It’s not the high fantasy that I thought it was going to be. It wasn’t high fantasy at all, but it was funny. There were so many jokes and puns I think I laughed at something on every page. Usually a book I like pulls me in and I need to know what happens next, so I keep reading, but this book was different. I wanted to keep reading because it was funny. It also reminded me of reading Catch-22, which is also full of jokes and I highly recommend it if you haven’t read it. The characters, I have absolutely no complaints with. They were diverse and wacky in their own ways. There were a lot of them in this book, however, and it took a while to remember them all. But now that I have, I want to read more stories with all of them. I have hope that I will because of the mess of the Discworld reading order (it’s like a web). I also love the magic system. I’m sure there are more rules than this, but if you believe something is some way, then it is. It’s simple but affects everyone differently because everyone thinks differently..."

https://bit.ly/39xqu7D

Blogger The Lesser Joke wasn't disappointed in Thud! but felt it was a lesser novel:

"Maybe it’s due to the inevitable comedown from the thoroughly excellent Night Watch, but I haven’t enjoyed this next City Watch novel nearly as much as I expected to. There’s a great worldbuilding revelation at the end, yet this is one of those Discworld books that seems to consist primarily of Commander Sam Vimes looking askance at various fantasy ethnic groups that he considers backwards and inscrutable. As is often the case, his prejudice keeps him from picking up on certain clues as quickly as he otherwise might, and although he learns better eventually, it raises the question of just how many times that particular cycle needs to repeat for the protagonist or his readers to finally get the point. This volume contains a fair bit of misogyny too, and while I believe it passes the Bechdel test, it still sometimes feels as though Terry Pratchett, writing in 2005, finds women to be as alien as his hero sees vampires, dwarves, and trolls..."

https://bit.ly/3fP1x8P

Blogger Feminist Quill on Pyramids:

"It’s an entertaining ride throughout, and it also features one of my favourite Pratchett phenomena – the fusing of math, fantasy and absolute absurdity… with hilarious results... Despite being the protagonist, Teppic is less fleshed out than I’d like. This is mostly because there’s so much going on in the book. At least two subplots keep pace with the main plot at all times. As a result, I came away less invested in Teppic's heroics than would be ideal. His companion and professional damsel-in-distress, Ptraci, is more interesting than Teppic is – possibly because one doesn’t really expect much character development on her front. His late father, who spends the majority of the book roaming the scenes – first as a ghost, and then at the head of an honest-to-goodness army of mummies – pretty much carries the show, alongside the trio of Ptaclusps (pyramid builders extraordinaire). Hell, the greatest mathematician in the world, the camel named You Bastard, ends up being more of a main character than the main character of the story..."

https://bit.ly/33sCm6G

Blogger Woodwyrm on Guards! Guards!:

"Not only is this a book with a dragon on the cover, this is the book I most often recommend to people who haven’t read Pratchett before... Pratchett was a master of satire, and that comes through with his depiction of Discworld’s primary dragon species, the swamp dragons. While the single dragon attacking Ankh-Morpork is more the traditional model — huge, fire-breathing, cunning as a snake — swamp dragons are sort of like a bad joke played by Mother Nature. At one point in the series they’re described as more or less being walking chemical disasters. Their guts produce such volatile compounds to fuel their fire-breathing that they’re prone to exploding when surprised. It’s at times an amusing play on trying to force the normal dragon template into something that (kind of, sort of) might actually exist in nature... In some ways it’s closer to being a book with dragons rather than a book about dragons, but that’s not a problem for me. It’s just too much fun..."

https://bit.ly/39EliPp

Blogger The Idle Cyclist gives I Shall Wear Midnight a full five stars:

Terry Pratchett was an absolute genius. He had the most wonderful talent at taking everyday themes and making them both funny and sad and above all thought-provoking... My favourites have always been the Witches, City Guard and Trolls and this story has two of the three with appearances from all the main figures. Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg have always dominated the Witches stories but this story puts Tiffany well and truly at their level. This book is listed as Young Adult (YA) but it takes on some very heavyweight subjects. Straight out of the blocks it’s domestic violence and closely followed by the main theme of racism/xenophobia. It was published just over 10 years ago but in the modern world of Brexit and Trump politics it’s sadly more relevant than ever."

https://bit.ly/3lkiB7H

Blogger Hope loved Going Postal:

Pratchett is HILARIOUS, and he doesn’t disappoint in this novel. The plot and dialogue are wonderfully absurd, and though you have no idea what’s going to happen, you can’t help but enjoy the ride. There’s this big focus on hope, and the redemption of Lipwig as he transforms from a thieving, slippery crook to an established member of society with convictions, friends, and passion. If you’re looking for something fun, try Going Postal! I needed something lighthearted and warm to get me through a stressful semester, and this novel perfectly fit the book. I found myself laughing in the dead of night (okay, 11 pm–not really the dead of night), and growing attached to Lipwig, the golem Mr. Pump, and all of the other characters that appeared at the Post Office. There’s so many funny quotes, and so many absurd ones that almost seem philosophical..."

https://bit.ly/3oc2QRR

...and finally, blogger Laura M on The Wee Free Men:

"This is actually a book intended for younger readers, but as with much of Pratchett, it’s readable by all ages... There’s plenty of hijinks and fairytale reference, comical namings (looking at you “Smaller-than-medium-sized-jock-but-not-as-small-as-wee-jock-Jock” and “Rob Anybody”). A good introduction to the Discworld witches from an alternative avenue. Worth it? Yes. Definitely. Like, I wanna get a bookshelf and slowly but surely collect all of the Pratchett that exists in the world. One day I’ll have a delightful library, and will have a whole section dedicated to these books written for adults of all ages..."

https://bit.ly/2KSTtbF

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08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

A very artful Dodger in foggy "London" at Brisbane Arts Theatre: https://bit.ly/3liWlvx

...and the cast of their recent production of Dodger: https://bit.ly/3ppf0IO

The main cast of Roleystone Theatre's upcoming production of Monstrous Regiment:
https://bit.ly/39nEnFf

Maurice, as I'm fairly sure no sane Discworld fan has ever imagined him (image courtesy of Ulysses Films):
https://bit.ly/33lUgrZ

...and here's an absolutely magical photo of Sir Pterry, guaranteed to raise a smile (image courtesy of RTE):
https://bit.ly/3o4VY8Y

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09) CLOSE

Here be an interesting essay on why humorous novels are under-respected, referencing Sir Pterry but also giving a general overview, by Alexi Duggan in the Guardian:

"[W]hat counts as high culture? The snowglobe-based tragedy of Citizen Kane’s “Rosebud” moment? The George Orwell book that gave Big Brother its title? The lovely ceiling that Michelangelo knocked up for the Sistine Chapel? The answer: yes. They are all masterpieces that allow their artform to soar to previously unimagined heights. Much like Monty Python’s Life of Brian. Or Arrested Development. Or the works of Terry Pratchett. Yet, like many similarly brilliant comic creations, those latter works fail to be breathlessly discussed as the apotheosis of high culture. Awards ceremonies are not kind to comedy: of the past 40 years of best picture winners at the Oscars, only six arguably comic films have triumphed. Tragedy-filled Booker prize shortlists have turned it into a curious literary form of rubbernecking... But why? Writing good comedy is just as valid an artistic achievement as penning more “serious” fare. Even more so, in fact: crafting laughs is the most high-stakes form of creation..."

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/oct/26/solved-why-is-humour-so-rarely-treated-as-high-art

Right then, that's it for now. Mind how you go, and we hope to see you next month!

– Annie Mac

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

Copyright (c) 2020 by Wossname for the Klatchian Foreign Legion

comments

Newsflash: Pratchett Project talks start online!

2020-11-16T04:39:20Z

Tweeted by Maria Castrillo, head of Special Collections & Engagement at Senate House Library: "Next Tuesday 17 November we are hosting an In Conversation event with neilhimself terryandrob and rhipratchett***. If you haven't been able to get a free ticket you can still join as we will be livestreaming it." Details here:

www.youtube.com/channel/UCRtcidMSFg2I9K6fE3XdWvA

* for non-tweeters, that's Neil Gaiman, Rob Wilkins and Rhianna Pratchett

comments

Wossname - October 2020 - Main issue

2020-10-26T05:34:53Z

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
October 2020 (Volume 23, Issue 10, Post 1)

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

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

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

INDEX:

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) THE *^%%!@@$^&&** WATCH
04) ODDS AND SODS
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
09) CLOSE

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

The Twitterverse speaks...

"…you've chosen to adapt the author's work because, presumably, you admire their writing. If you think you can improve on their humour/drama/characterisation you should really be writing your own plots and not torturing theirs."
– Stephen Briggs, quoting himself from pre-2010 (Adapting Books for the stage, p.325)

"I've taken liberties with Terry – many of which he's seen and approved... but I always write with Terry looking over my shoulder, and with the idea that he will be there on the night."
– Mr Briggs again

"It seems to be Hot Fuzz meets Krod Mandoon and the Flaming Sword of Fire"
– Sperocaof

"I had hoped for better. Your dad's work, told truly, could have brought so much more hope into our world. Not just comic mutterings, but genuine thought and belief in the good in humanity, while we curse the bad and humiliate it, until it retreats into the corners again."
– OtheFarm

"I have the same feelings about this as Lord Vetinari does about mime artists."
– aqaurianwoman

"I just watched the trailer. I'm traumatised. I can only imagine how you must feel, Rihanna. I'm so sorry some of your father's best characters have been done this disservice."
– ESLandEyeshadow

"They really sbouls[sic] have stuck with the rather wholesome story about the actual character. This shows casting smacks of tokenism and I feel bad for the actor they chose to play Cheery"
– theboyd86

"But Vimes .....what have they done to Vimes ........"
– Jay_Long_626

"I've never seen someone take a source material so rife for adaptation, and royally fuck it up so badly. It's so far off the mark its insane. Its Mario Bros movie bad."
– wasduk1

"'A new, original series’ in the bio. My word, the big brass balls on those folks"
– JohnPMerrigan

"Why mutilate a beloved fantasy series for some names and lines just because it’s ‘fantasy’? Of course you have to make changes when adapting a book to TV, but this is just a ridiculous adaptation."
– Tom_Pleasant

"Oh good bloody Lord. How wrong does this look? And is Anna Chancellor playing Lord Vetinari? There’s playing fast and loose, there’s taking liberties and then there’s shitting all over something. Given the popularity of Sir Terry’s work, I’m anticipating this dying. Badly."
– lennylaw

"It is pretty damn funny though. I mean Guards! Guards! is a book about a guy who steals a book he doesn’t understand, tries to take over, creates mayhem and ends up getting more than just a little bit burnt."
– TinyOwlWorkshop

"There was a show made a couple of years ago called Zapped that was like if you took Maid Marian and her Merry Men and blended it with Discworld. That was closer to an authentic The Watch than this will be."
– GuanoLad

"In the immortal words of Sir Samuel, #thisisnotmycow"
– alli_the_bug

"There’s a big difference between writing something for the love of the original (hello Good Omens), and writing something using the original for personal gain (oh my, is that the time?). And it shows."
– Santillatron

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

Things are looking up down here in EcksEcksEcksEcks pandemic-wise, but your Editor seems to have left her brain in her other Wossname suit. This is a bit of an eleventh hour cobbled-together issue, as we wait on tenterhooks to find out when life will get back towards something resembling normal...

However, Pratchett plays are being performed again in Australia! The Brisbane Arts Theatre already staged Feet of Clay and is currently presenting Dodger (for details, see item 5). Here's hoping that the rest of the Australian states can get back to Pratchetting soonest!

And speaking of Pratchett plays, here be a note regarding one of last month's Merch Corner featured items, from Stephen Briggs via Twitter: "Just been told that, regrettably, the publishers are again kicking down the road the publication date for the next three Discworld plays (‘Lords & Ladies’, ‘Hogfather’, ‘The Shakespeare Codex’). The pandemic is behind the not-unexpected further delay."

https://twitter.com/StephenPBriggs/status/1312068125416984577

And now, on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) THE *^%%!@@$^&&** WATCH

So. Trailers for The Watch. Which I have no intention of linking to. I suffered through them; whether you want to or not is very much your own decision...

By Alison Flood in the Guardian:

"The award-winning science fiction and fantasy author Aliette de Bodard was one of many to criticise the new trailer. De Bodard said she was 'super disappointed', and would not be watching the adaptation. 'I feel someone took my teenage years and just repeatedly trampled them while setting them on fire,' she wrote on Twitter. 'I’m a big fan of remixing things and adapting them, and I don’t expect any adaptation to be faithful in the sense of rigidly following books. But... you cannot take the core of what makes the story, remove it, and then change every single character and still call it the Watch,' said de Bodard. 'I see absolutely NOTHING of the books in the trailer. I see vigilantism (which Vimes ABHORS) being justified … I see Vimes as some kind of funny, incompetent seeming policeman, and that is NOT what Vimes is about. Vimes is drunk. Vimes is angry. But Vimes is never anything less than sharp.' ... Neil Gaiman, who co-wrote Good Omens with Terry Pratchett and shepherded the recent adaptation as showrunner, added his voice to hers. Fans, he pointed, out, like the source material, 'so if you do something else, you risk alienating the fans on a monumental scale. It’s not Batman if he’s now a news reporter in a yellow trenchcoat with a pet bat'...."

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/oct/12/bbc-the-watch-shares-no-dna-with-terry-pratchett-work-daughter-rhianna

By Kervyn Cloete on Critical Hit:

"Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely love every single one of the late British author’s hilarious fantasy novels that I’ve read, but I haven’t obsessively read all of them and can’t remember every single detail. Even with that though, watching the first trailer for The Watch, BBC America’s upcoming adaptation of Pratchett’s beloved series of stories focused on the City Watch of the sprawling city of Ankh Morpork, I had to go… 'What?' When the first pics and character descriptions for The Watch debuted back in January, it was already clear that the series was taking HUGE liberties with Pratchett’s creations. But I still don’t think I was ready for just how different this was going to look and feel... Pratchett’s daughter Rhianna had to publicly announce that the show “shares no DNA” with the original books and that her family had no creative input on it. And I can’t blame that preemptive washing of the hands, as I’m really not feeling the updated, almost steampunk aesthetic here, nor am I a fan of Richard Dormer’s weird Jack Sparrow-like mannerisms as Sam Vimes, the Captain of the City Watch, and arguably Pratchett’s most beloved character creation. Then there are all the other massive departures from the source, like making Lady Sybil (Lara Rossi) Vime's[sic] wife, gender-swapping Lord Vetinari (Anna Chancellor), Constable Cheery (Jo-Eaton Kent) no longer being a dwarf, etc. Your mileage with these changes and more may vary..."
https://www.criticalhit.net/entertainment/the-watch-first-trailer-and-clips-show-a-very-different-version-of-terry-pratchetts-world/

...and that Stephen Briggs tweet about taking liberties:

"I've taken liberties with Terry – many of which he's seen and approved... but I always write with Terry looking over my shoulder, and with the idea that he will be there on the night."

https://twitter.com/StephenPBriggs/status/1316694595045142536

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

04) ODDS AND SODS

4.1 REMINDER: DISCWORLD AND BEYOND IN DORSET

When: now – 5th December 2020
Venue: Red House Museum and Gardens, Quay Road, Christchurch BH23 1BU (phone 01202 482860)
Times: Tuesday to Friday 10am – 5pm; Saturday 10am – 4pm
Tickets: free admission, "however, please pre-book your preferred visiting time for all members of your party, including children." Tickets are available online via
https://bit.ly/3gZvvGd

"If you do not have a pre-booked visiting time or arrive late, the venue will do their best to accommodate you, but cannot guarantee you will be able to visit. During your visit to Red House Museum and Gardens, please follow all social distancing and hygiene guidelines. Thank you for your understanding."

https://www.paulkidby.com/event/discworld-beyond-8/
http://www3.hants.gov.uk/redhouse

4.2 UPDATES: THE TERRY PRATCHETT BOOK CLUB

On the website of publishers Tor, Emmet Asher-Perrin continues a Discworld discussion page. In this month's instalment, Mort finishes and Sourcery begins:

"Okay so, various characters tell us that Death doesn’t really understand emotions at all because he doesn’t have glands or whatever, but… his confusion over existence is an entirely human thing regardless. I mean, the conversation that Death is having during the Serpent Dance is absolutely a conversation I’ve had with people about things that they find fun that just don’t resonate with me, and a conversation I’ve heard other people have. It’s a familiar conundrum in trying to relate to people, and then the way he tries to convince himself it’s fun by repeating it is just very relatable is all I’m saying. And that’s really Death’s charm, as a character, the fact that these things he’s learning are not very far off from what we all do... What’s happening to Mort is certainly the more dynamic part of the story, of course. With his myriad of mistakes and his becoming too real and his threats to poor old Albert, all to save a princess he barely knows for reasons he doesn’t fully understand..."

https://www.tor.com/2020/10/02/terry-pratchett-book-club-mort-part-iii/

...and the rest:

"Yet again, we come back to the concept belief shapes reality. And this is ultimately why I am all for the Great Expectations redux that is Ysabell and Mort, because of this moment. Pratchett is so exceptional at taking these incredibly profound actions and bits of dialogue and just dropping them into the text and walking away from them, which I love because it forces the reader to really mark them and imbue them with meaning. He’s trusting us to be smart and get it. So when Ysabell sits on Mort and tells him that he’s not Death because he is what she believes him to be, my face screws up, I get all teary, and it’s time to close the book and walk away for a little while. That’s it – a distillation of what the book is saying about belief shaping reality and people, but also this perfectly laid out map of how love exerts pressure over our lives. Belief is reality, and Mort is saved because someone who loves him sees him, and believes him to be simply who he is..."

https://www.tor.com/2020/10/16/terry-pratchett-book-club-mort-part-iv/

...and the start of Sourcery:

"The first thing that catches me in this book is Rincewind thinking how irritated he is that you’re supposed to be good at magic to be a wizard: 'He knew he was a wizard, deep in his head. Being good at magic didn’t have anything to do with it. That was just an extra, it didn’t actually define somebody.' And that… is a very odd but enlightened sort of viewpoint, isn’t it? Maybe not in the sense of professions, but in the sense of how we talk about what we do in life. We get caught on the idea of quality, and let it destroy our ability to be and do things all the time. Like the hobby problem that many people have – we all think that we have to be good at the hobby to enjoy it, to do it. But expertise is not the be all and end all of life. It’s a facet. And it’s good to place value on expertise, to respect, even place importance on it for yourself. But you can adore something and not be good at it; music; the written word; math; science..."

https://www.tor.com/2020/10/23/terry-pratchett-book-club-sourcery-part-i/

4.3 DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS

* The Ineffable Con (Good Omens fan convention) was held online this year due to the pandemic and was apparently a rousing success, even if it narrowly missed having a "perfect number" of virtual attendees (661 instead of 666). A limited edition of the original form of Good Omens ("William the Antichrist"), signed by Neil Gaiman, Rob Wilkins and Douglas Mackinnon, was auctioned on eBay, with a winning bid of £1,001. All the proceeds of the auction went to Alzheimer's Research UK. If you wish to see what went on at the convention, late tickets are still available for purchase until 17th November at https://bit.ly/3jt0n30

* The Cabbagecon (Dutch Discworld convention) has been rescheduled for 2022. Hoping for more cabbage, less corona by then...

https://www.dutchdwcon.nl/en/welcome-3/

* The original Discworld Convention (UK) has also been rescheduled 2022.

https://2020.dwcon.org/news/dates-announced-for-the-discworld-convention-2022/

* The 2021 Irish Discworld Convention is now scheduled for 8th–11th October 2021 at the Cork International Hotel.

https://2021.idwcon.org/index.php

4.4 DEPARTMENT OF ACCIDENTALLY HUMOROUS VEGETABLES

A tale of normal-looking onions versus a confused Hex:

"The Seed Company by EW Gaze, in St John's, Newfoundland, had wanted to post a seemingly innocent advert for Walla Walla onion seeds on Facebook. But to their surprise, it was rejected for being 'overtly sexual'. In a statement on Wednesday, the social media company apologised for the error made by its automated technology. The ad flagged by Facebook showed Walla Walla onions, known for their size and sweet flavour, piled in a wicker basket with some sliced onion on the side. It took store manager Jackson McLean a moment to realise what the issue was with the posting, he said. Then he figured out that 'something about the round shapes' could be suggestive of breasts or buttocks. He knew his customers would find the ad rejection funny, and posted the photo, along with the automated Facebook message warning 'listings may not position products or services in a sexually suggestive manner', to the company page... 'We use automated technology to keep nudity off our apps, but sometimes it doesn't know a Walla Walla onion from a, well, you know,' Facebook Canada's head of communications, Meg Sinclair, told BBC. 'We restored the ad and are sorry for the business's trouble.' The company is in the process of digitising its whole inventory to make shopping online more accessible amid the coronavirus pandemic, Mr McLean said, and that included boosting some advertisements, like the onion one, on Facebook. The Walla Walla onions, 'an older onion variety', had recently brought back in stock by customer request, and are now selling fast due to their newfound notoriety, he said. 'We've sold more in the last three days than in the last five years,' said Mr McLean..."

https://www.bbc.com/news/54467384

4.5 THE MERCH CORNER

Hogswatch is a-coming, even if in this pandemic year it feels like last Hogswatch was only yesterday! But keeping in touch and exchanging gifts is perhaps even more important now...

* Hogswatch cards!

Selections from Paul Kidby's exquisite Hogswatch cards are still available!

"Hogswatch, the ‘jolly’ festival celebrating the Winter Solstice and the New Year across much of the Main Continent and various other areas of Discworld. It falls on the 36th of December, the New Year beginning on the 1st of Ick. It includes elements similar to our own Roundworld Christmas, including the rather sinister Hogfather. We much prefer Death and Albert take on proceedings . We’re delighted to offer this fantastic collection of high quality Hogswatch cards featuring a selection of well-loved characters. All A5 cards are only £2.95 each and come complete with coloured envelope. The message inside each card is shown below the images. Featuring the stunning artwork of artist Paul Kidby, these are again long-standing favourites."

In addition to Death as the Hogfather, the selection includes festive-season versions of Nanny Ogg, the Librarian, the Canting Crew, Igor and Scraps, Lord Downey, TWO Death of Rats cards (one with stocking, one reflected in a bauble), and more!

Paul Kidby Hogswatch cards are all priced at £2.95 each. For ore info, and to order, go to:

https://discworld.com/products/hogswatch-cards/

Note: other classic Kidby cards are also available, if less seasonal, as are the lovely Paper Panda silhouette Discworld character cards, all also priced at £2.95 each. For more info, and to order, go to:

https://discworld.com/products/greetings-cards/

and https://discworld.com/products/sepia-cards/

...and finally, on the card front, a set of six pleasant cards by re-release hardcover artist Joe McLaren:

"Whether birthday, wedding, Christmas, Hogswatch, Soul Cake Day or funeral, our set of cards has a Discworld greeting for any occasion! Illustrated by Joe McLaren, the artist behind the Discworld Collector's Library hardback edition books, these stunning art cards feature some of our favourite Terry Pratchett's personalities! Each set includes six illustrations originally created for the official 2016 Discworld Calendar starring the Librarian; Nanny Ogg, Magrat and Granny Weatherwax; C.M.O.T. Dibbler; Hogfather; Death and the Death of Rats & Errol the swamp dragon."

Supplied with six ivory envelopes
Each card measures 155 x 155mm and is priced at £ 12. per set (not sold individually). For more info, and to order, go to:

https://www.discworldemporium.com/stationery/415-discworld-greeting-cards

* Discworld Masks!

A set of three masks (The Ankh-Morpork City Watch, The Grumpy Librarian and The Three Witches), UK-made from 100 per cent polyester "3 layer fabric with elastic ear loops woven with air jet textured PES", water and dirt repellent and machine washable. Timely merchandise, as it looks as if we'll all be needing them for a while yet...

Each set of masks is priced at £20. For more info, and to order, go to:

https://discworld.com/products/masks/discworld-masks-complete-set/

Also, each of the three masks is also available at the price of £8 each.

https://discworld.com/products/masks/discworld-masks-night-watch/
https://discworld.com/products/masks/discworld-masks-the-grumpy-librarian/
https://discworld.com/products/masks/discworld-masks-the-three-witches/

https://discworld.com/products/masks/

* Discworld puzzles!

Two new puzzles join the collection! Hex (difficulty rating Mildly Fiendish) and the Shades (rated Fiendishly Difficult), featuring illustrations by David Wyatt. each completed puzzle measures approximately 70 x 50cm, while the puzzle boxes themselves are 20.5 x 25.6 x 6.3cm.

The Shades:

"Will you survive a visit to the Shades? or will you end up in a thousand pieces?! Welcome to the belly (or should that be the bowels) of Ankh-Morpork – a fiendish melting pot of beggars, thieves, seamstresses, deviants, miscreants and Discworld's diamonds in the rough. This 1000-piece puzzle features a suitably shady illustration of the most notorious neighbourhood from Terry Pratchett's Discworld! Negotiate a tangled web of wonky walls, crooked rooftops and even more crooked characters as the Shades appears before your eyes. Along the way you'll encounter a cast of Ankh-Morpork's toughest characters from officers of the City Watch to ladies of negotiable affection, along with guild houses and alleyway antics! Each puzzle includes a fold out poster to assist your puzzling endeavours and is presented in a splendid book box with magnetic closure that will look right at home on your bookshelves."

https://www.discworldemporium.com/games-toys/658-the-shades-jigsaw-puzzle

Hex: "Peek into Unseen University's High Energy Magic Building where students and faculty gather to consult Discworld's famous thinking engine, Hex! It's the perfect Discworld puzzle for the 'IT' crowd and those of a thaumatological bent! Each puzzle includes a fold out poster to assist your puzzling endeavours and is presented in a splendid book box that will look right at home on your bookshelves. Includes such components as the Mouse, FTB (Fluffy Teddy Bear), Anthill Inside, waterwheel (complete with ram skulls), hourglass, aquariums and BRL (Big Red Lever) plus lots of other gloriously geeky little details and hidden references to make the most practical Pratchett fans, puzzlers and computer programmers say +++Mr. Jelly! Mr. Jelly!+++ Includes a free fold-out print to aid your puzzling endeavours and a splendid spellbook box that you'll want to keep chained to your bookshelf!"

https://www.discworldemporium.com/games-toys/659-hex-jigsaw-puzzle

Note: the Games and {puzzles page features all sorts of other goodies, including more Discworld jigsaw puzzles, colouring books, and Thud! (the game):

https://www.discworldemporium.com/35-games-activities

* Discworld hoodies!

"These are classic hooded sweatshirts. We use AWDis Hoodies which are 280gsm in weight. They have a double-fabric hood with self-coloured draw cord, front pouch pocket, ribbed hem & cuffs and set in sleeves. Twin needle stitching detail to armholes, hems & cuffs. 80% cotton / 20% polyester."

Available are the Ankh-Morpork City Watch (yellow on dark grey with front pouch pocket), Unseen University in UU colours, Unseen University crest on grey background, and Anthill Inside (white on black).

Each Discworld hoodie is priced at £28-£30 depending on size; sizes are available from Small (suits Sally) to 5XL (suits Bluejohn). For more info, sizing chart, and to order, go to:

https://discworld.com/products/hoodies/

* Reminder: The Ankh-Morpork Archives, Volume Two (now available to order)

"Containing material unavailable for twenty years – this is a comprehensive guide to the capital city of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld, getting to the heart of Ankh-Morpork’s secrets, societies and guilds. Ankh-Morpork is a bottomless pit of secrets. It’s time to unearth a few more . . . In the second volume of this confidential guide, brave travellers are made privy to the inner workings of more illustrious Ankh-Morpork societies. Disabuse yourself of notions of professionalism under which you may hold the City Watch; discover what serious business is undertaken by the Fools’ Guild (joking is no laughing matter); and, should you be lucky, achieve true enlightenment through the teachings of Lu-Tze. One thing’s for sure: after you’ve read this book, Ankh-Morpork’s Guilds are going to need to come up with new ways of doing things. Completely revamped and redesigned, this full-colour book contains material from Discworld Diaries across the decades."

Each copy of The Ankh-Morpork Archives, Volume Two is priced at £25 and will be published on 29th October 2020. For more info, and to order, go to:

https://bit.ly/3lxmhUV

...and for a copy at the same price, hand-signed by Paul Kidby:

https://shop.paulkidby.com/the-ankh-morpork-archives-volume-ii/

4.6 ROUNDWORLD TALES: THE NOTTINGHAM CHEESE RIOT

No, Horace had no part in this – but there were definitely rolling cheeses and Feegle levels of violence!

In late 18th century England there were widespread food shortages and price-gouging of basic foods, mostly caused by poor harvests. The Nottingham cheese riot began at the annual Nottingham Goose Fair in October of 1766, occasioned by merchants from Lincolnshire trying to take home the Nottinghamshire cheeses they had purchased. Locals protested at the removal of "their" cheese and violence ensued, with looting, vandalism – and hundreds of cheese wheels being rolled through the streets of Nottingham, one of which knocked down the mayor as he was attempting to restore order. "Events apparently became tense in the evening when ‘some rude lads’ engaged several Lincolnshire traders who had purchased up to ‘sixty hundred of cheese’. The traders were ‘threatened they should not stir a cheese till the town was first served’.

As some locals had taken up arms and set roadblocks throughout the city to keep the "foreign" merchants corralled, the owner of one looted warehouse organised a posse on horseback to hunt down and recover the stolen cheeses, but they were unsuccessful, partly as the local magistrate refused to sign search warrants for the missing cheeses and a mob of women and children threw stones until the posse gave up. According to a record of the time, "The people were so exasperated that their violence broke loose like a torrent; cheeses were rolled down Wheeler-gate and Peck-lane in abundance, many others were carried away, and the Mayor, in endeavouring to restore peace, was knocked down with one in the open fair... encouraged by the successful expropriations and the fun of bowling down gentlemen, an unknown number of people left the town centre and went down to the River Trent to search the warehouses situated near the bridges, before returning again after finding no cheese there... they broke the windows belonging to the house, tore the pavement and threatened destruction to all who opposed them: It was thought prudent to discharge the lads in custody and then [the crowds] retreated."

Then the military were called in, in the form of the 15th Dragoons who were already garrisoned in the town. Shots were fired, resulting in some injuries, and ironically, in the death of one farmer who was mistaken for a looter. The unrest carried on for several days. For some time after the riots, wagons transporting cheese travelled in convoys with an armed escort.

Sources: various, including Wikipedia and "A People’s Histreh Pamphlet" (Loaf On A Stick Press, 2011, ISBN 978-0-9569139-1-3)

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05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

DODGER IN BRISBANE, FOURECKS (OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2020)

And we have a live one! The Brisbane Arts Theatre in Fourecks, great supporters of Pratchett plays, recently staged their production of Feet of Clay (unnoticed by those of us "south of the border", and slackly overlooked by our Queensland Newshound), and are right now presenting – wait for it – the Stephen Briggs adaptation of Dodger!

"Dodger is a sewer scavenger who spends his days sifting through the murky underbelly of Victorian London; but when he rescues a young girl from a vicious assault, he begins to realise that things overground are even murkier than down in the sewers. As Dodger attempts to unravel the mystery of the attack, he finds himself ducking, weaving and dodging his way through high society with London’s most famous literary and political figures. But can he find the attackers before they find him?"

When: now through 14th November 2020
Venue: Brisbane Arts Theatre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane, QLD 4000
Time: Fridays and Saturdays 8pm, Select Thursdays 7:30pm, Select Sundays 6:30pm
Tickets: $36 (Concession/Group $29, Student Rush: $16), available via https://aubat.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/639

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06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

Remember, one day, possibly in the not too distant future, Discworld fans will be able to meet in the real Roundworld again. So keep this information handy! Also note there are a few updates below.

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group"
BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group at https://bit.ly/3jtYLGo

NOTE: the Drummers are still meeting occasionally via Zoom. Check out the above links for updates!

*

Drumknott's Irregulars
Facebook https://bit.ly/31FlSrq or Google Groups https:groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars or join us at our next event."

*

The Victorian Discworld Klatch
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch

*

"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/373578522834654/

*

The Pratchett Partisans
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au

*

The City of Small Gods
www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

UPDATE: "What are we doing while we're stuck at home due to COVID-19? Given that our normal social gatherings can't happen while everyone's under lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are instead trying to host regular activities and discussions online. Most of these will be done via our Discord Server – https://discord.gg/3RVzsyJ – which has several text chat channels and a few voice chat channels as well. We will still use our Facebook group – https://facebook.com/groups/cityofsmallgods – to coordinate scheduled events. When things get back to normal... (semi-) regular social meetings are generally held on the last Thursday of the month at a pub or restaurant in Adelaide. We have dinner at 6.30pm followed by games until 9pm.

"We'll try to keep this page up to date (no promises!) but always check emails on the mailing list or our Facebook Group for further details of these events."

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers
broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) meets at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn when social gatherings are possible.

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum: http://www.discworldstamps.co.uk/forum/

*

Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder)
Contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers https://bit.ly/2EKSCqu – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>

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

07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

Blogger The Mind Reels on Wyrd Sisters:

"With word plays, nods to classic plays, and even the occasional pop culture riff (I see you Marx Brothers) the series continues to delight, and makes me chuckle, and sometimes even laugh aloud. I won’t lie, it took me a little while to slip into this one, but once I was there I loved how Pratchett doled out his tale, and twisted the usual fantasy, stage and fairy tale tropes to meet his own needs, and it pays off wonderfully. I’ve yet to be disappointed by any of these books, but I have to say once again, I’m glad I waited before I started reading them. I really wouldn’t have appreciated them when they first came out. And of course now I can read them all one after another without having to wait for the next one to be published..."

https://themindreels.com/2020/10/21/wyrd-sisters-1988-terry-practhett/

Blogger Lovely and Grateful recommends The Wee Free Men:

"Tiffany is such an appealing protagonist, with a strong moral compass, courage, common sense and determination, and this is such a refreshing fantasy tale full of autonomous, empowered women from Tiffany and her late grandmother to the Kelda who rules the fearsome Nac Mac Feegle, and even the evil Fairy Queen. The Wee Free Men is a fun little story that plays around with fairytale tropes, and it’s a great witchy read..."

https://lovelyandgrateful.wordpress.com/2020/10/19/the-wee-free-men-by-terry-pratchett/

Blogger Delamortia's review of Small Gods:

"Terry Pratchett ventures in explaining the origin of religions, how people quickly in the name of said religions turn them into institutes of fear, the launching pad for power and control; and the essence of evil embodied by Deacon Vorbis. Vorbis is Om’s greatest law enforcer, radiating dreadfulness and truly believes in the righteousness of his own violence; while Om was inexplicably manifested as a tortoise and thus learns about his own religion and its consequences through his own neglect. I wouldn’t say that I necessarily cared about Brutha and Didactylos & co. One can learn everything there is about evil and goodness through Vorbis and Death instead. Through darkness we see the light... the book as a whole is surprisingly heavy and slow-burning. Om incarnated as a tortoise is certainly a treat, and Brother Nhumrod is a much needed comic relief in a book drenched in suffering, fear, and confusion. Small Gods is definitely one of the more somber books (quite aligns to the latter books in the City Watch series), if only it could carry a little more humor..."

https://delamortia.wordpress.com/2020/10/12/small-gods/

...and of Unseen Academicals:

"Unseen Academicals is hardly about either the university or the football game itself, but rather an exploration of the self. The game is only the playground of such inspections (hah!), the background for four young persons to connect with the self they can’t help being born into... As the story progresses, each is forced to question who they are / what they want to be vs the unwritten social rules. It’s warm and familiar in the crab bucket and any attempt to crawl out might prove to be fatal, is it still worth it to align yourself to something that keeps tugging at your sleeve... Surprisingly enough, Trev Likely is my favorite character in the sea of characters that make any Discworld book for me: the wizards in UU, Vetinari, and the Sam. He first appears to be a lazy bastard who kicks a tin can on the street and gets involved in petty tumbles. However, it’s revealed that he suffers from much childhood trauma by the death of his idolized father. Talk about a shattered dream. Through the progression of the story, Trev becomes more aware of himself and sincerely wants to be better. First impressions can be deceitful. But as per tradition, arm in arm with the sharpness in social observation, Unseen Academicals never lacks its wickedly funny side and one-liners..."

https://delamortia.wordpress.com/2020/10/13/unseen-academicals/

Blogger Jonathan Feinstein returns with his thoughts on The Science of Discworld (Darwin's Watch)audiobook:

"It is hard to keep up with fields you have not studied since you were an undergrad. To their credit, this did not happen very often nor did it ruin my enjoyment of the books. This time around, however, there was less of that and we have an interesting view on Darwin’s Theory of Evolution and of how it evolved itself. Along the way, they discuss many known theories of how life came to be, both ancient, medieval and modern, spending much of their time, naturally on views that were accepted from the 18th to 21st Century. They actually give time to the so-called “Scientific Creationism,” before showing where it falls apart to show its superstitious core and even point out that many religious experts accept Darwinian Evolution because knowing how God created life, does not necessarily mean He/She did not. In short, they give time for most commonly vocalized views on the subject. Some of the lectures are long and a bit boring, however, and mostly tolerable only because Terry Pratchett’s on-going story of the wizards of Discworld and their patronage of their creation “Roundworld” (aka Earth) keeps us reading/ listening for the next chapter. However, in all this is the compelling argument for evolution by natural selection and a sound debunking of the less scientifically based hypotheses we hear of from the less-informed sources and done in a way that I think high school students really ought to be exposed to no matter where they are. The point of an education, I think, is to learn how to judge for yourself what and what not to accept in a hopefully rational and intelligent manner and the arguments in this book are an excellent guide to this when it comes to natural selection. Although, I admit, I really kept reading for the story..."

https://jonathanfeinstein.wordpress.com/2020/10/11/an-audio-book-review-this-should-be-a-text-in-every-highschool/

Blogger Ed Bedford's thoughts on the Discworld series:

"It would, of course, be wrong to say that all the books are equally good and Pratchett in explaining continuity errors admitted that it was just because he improved as an author and so decided to change aspects of characterisation. Yet this development of writing style can also be an advantage. Pratchett improved as a writer, but also changed in tone, for his early books are exceptionally funny parodies of the fantasy genre, films and so on, whereas his later books focus more on serious satire. This means that you can reach for a brilliantly funny book, which mildly takes the piss out of filmic expectations, or you can reach for a book, still laugh out loud comic at points, that is a serious examination of the role of the police within society. This expanse of topic and approach – for really it is not a series of books, but rather a world of interlinked series, linked just as tangentially as human history – is what brings me back to these books so often..."

https://edbedfordblog.wordpress.com/2020/10/15/book-review-the-discworld-books-by-terry-pratchett/

Blogger Joe Kessler praises Night Watch:

"I think the reason I love this novel so much is that Vimes is fundamentally a hero with clarity of right and wrong in a murky and uncertain moment where many are tempted to descend to their worst impulses. He has the benefit of coming from a later era, but he’s still a beacon for the people around him and a model for what peacekeeping should be. (The scenes of him training up his fellow guards, I now realize, are a lot like Raoden rallying the Elantrians towards good civic leadership in another favorite of mine.) I’m so moved by this effort to improve a small corner of the world, and so caught up in the personal struggle not to despair over the things that nevertheless can’t be saved..."

https://lesserjoke.home.blog/2020/10/13/book-review-night-watch-by-terry-pratchett/

Blogger Ken Powell gives props to Witches Abroad:

"In a post-modern world on the brink of environmental disaster while (at the time of writing) on the brink of economic disaster through a pandemic, there is an existential crisis being forced upon everyone, rich or poor. If Harari, in ‘Sapiens’ is right, -that we all live by stories, by myths, by lies that we all sign up to, to continue pretending they’re real – what happens when those stories go out of our control? The story of capitalism is doing exactly that right now as the unthinkable has occurred, industries en masse are sinking as one, and governments battle between saving lives or saving economies. You can have one or the other, it seems; you can’t have both. Pratchett is a genius at making you face such deep conundrums, yet simultaneously giving you the escape from reality you probably sought from picking up a fantasy humour novel in the first place. You don’t come away feeling dejected or miserable, weighed down by the problems or impossibilities of the world. He always leaves us with a smile on our face, a feeling of contentedness and a sense of waving – not a ‘goodbye’ to the characters, but a ‘see you later’..."

https://writeoutloudblog.com/2020/10/04/book-review-witches-abroad-by-terry-pratchett/

Blogger and author Michael J Ritchie contemplates The Long Utopia:

"The series continues to stagger, although here we are spending much more time in worlds we already know rather than constantly exploring new ones. Is this a bad thing? I don’t know. I love the explorations and getting to see a collection of strange Earths where evolution and geology took hold differently. However good those are, however, one has to concede that they don’t necessarily move the plot along. Here, plot is everything. We also get flashbacks to the 1800s to find out about the history of steppers – in those days called waltzers – and the introduction of yet another race happens, this time the cybernetic beetles. One of the characters we’ve grown to enjoy also dies here, which is a shame when there’s still a book to go, but I’m intrigued as to how what has been set up will pay off in the finale. The characters continue to lace everything with humour, and the worlds are vivid and interesting, although I do always find myself wanting more detail..."

https://fellfromfiction.wordpress.com/2020/10/11/the-long-utopia-by-terry-pratchett-stephen-baxter-2015/

And to finish on a hot topic, blogger Dungeon Grumbling's thoughts on those The Watch previews:

"I should point out that I’m not going into this expecting a perfect, or even a close, adaptation of the original works. Given what we currently know that would be an exercise in futility. What I want to try and evaluate here is the BBC America’s version of the City Watch series. I want to see what they have done with it... I feel like they have captured the shambles that is Ankh-Morpork, the weird mix of grime and dirt and the very jarring nature of old and new evolving in one place that has always added depth to the city and made it feel real, a place where people live and work and improve things and things aren’t perfect because cities aren’t perfect and don’t follow nice straight lines. I’m slightly worried that they go to far on it, and the “electricity” aspects become too common but from what I’ve seen in the photos and the trailer I can get on board with current levels of technology...

"A TV series doesn’t have the same capacity to add depth to characters that you can in a book. It’s hard to show internal monologues in a visual medium, and you don’t have the same time to devote to character building, it needs to be more immediate for the TV audience. However even with these caveats I just don’t understand some of the choices that have been made... What in the name of Offler’s handbag have you done with Sybil? We’ll come back to questions of diversity and the physical aspects in the casting section later but here I’m looking purely at her characterisation. Book!Sybil is polite, she is reserved, she is an incredibly shrewd negotiator that can go blow for blow with the Low King of the Dwarfs and she wields her old school network like a troll wields a club in one of the most amazing displays of soft power ever put to paper. She is on the same level of political shrewdness as Vetinari for crying out loud, and on top of all of that, what really makes her amazing is that she is all of this and still kind, gentle and caring. She doesn’t need a weapon to be badass, though she can make do if needs must. It pains me to imagine her as some sort of vigilante fighter because apparently that is what we need to show a strong female character now. Heavens forbid that, you know, they might actually be strong on their own terms rather than having to adopt society’s masculine interpretation of what strength is..."

[Note: there's a lot more, quite a lot more, but worth reading it all – Ed.]

https://dungeongrumbling.com/2020/10/19/my-thoughts-on-bbc-americas-the-watch/

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08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

The cast of Brisbane Arts Theatre's recent production of Feet of Clay:
https://bit.ly/2FWBsH8

Murder in Ankh-Morpork poster, courtesy of Stephen Briggs on twitter:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ej9JyyGXsAAVTlf?format=jpg&name=small
https://twitter.com/StephenPBriggs/status/1314850769464627202/photo/1

A smiling Paul Kidby in front of some of the Discworld and Beyond exhibit pieces at the Red House Museum:
https://twitter.com/PaulKidby/status/1319959959166197760

A superb Luggage birthday cake:
https://twitter.com/sianytweet/status/1314644681179922432/photo/1

And another amazing cake, this one for Discworld fan and redditor Beccy aka _oh_for_fox_sake_:
https://bit.ly/37A2Nu7

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09) CLOSE

Right then, that's it for now. Mind how you go, and we hope to see you next month!

– Annie Mac

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

Copyright (c) 2020 by Wossname for the Klatchian Foreign Legion

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