WOSSNAME

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
December 2014 (Volume 17, Issue 12, Post 1)

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

Editor in Chief: Annie Mac
News Editor: Vera P
Newshounds: Mogg, Sir J of Croydon Below, the Shadow, Wolfiekins
Staff Writers: Asti, Pitt the Elder, Evil Steven Dread, Mrs Wynn-Jones
Staff Technomancers: Jason Parlevliet, Archchancellor Neil, DJ Helpful
Book Reviews: Annie Mac, Drusilla D'Afanguin, Your Name Here
Puzzle Editor: Tiff (still out there somewhere)
Bard in Residence: Weird Alice Lancrevic
Emergency Staff: Steven D'Aprano, Jason Parlevliet
World Membership Director: Steven D'Aprano (in his copious spare time)

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

INDEX:

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) GOOD OMENS RADIO PLAY UPDATES
04) ODDS AND SODS
05) ACTION REPLAYS: DISCWORLD CAROLS, PTERRY'S CARNEGIE MEDAL SPEECH
06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
07) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
09) CLOSE

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"We hereby decree that 2015 on Roundworld shall be the 'Year of the Spinning Mouse' on Discworld. Hurrah! Hurrah! Huzzah!"

– Sir Pterry makes it official

"We are proud to confirm that the myriad of charitable efforts at Hogswatch 2014 raised a whopping £3,506 for RICE! – heartfelt thanks to all who opened their wallets, entertained, or made wonderful things to sell for this great cause."

– The Discworld Emporium

"This book is dedicated to Sir Terry Pratchett OBE who has stood like a wossname upon the rocky shores of our imaginations – the better to guide us safely into harbour."

– Ben Aaronovitch's dedication at the front of Foxglove Summer, his newest Rivers of London novel

"Books aren't just commodities; the profit motive is often in conflict with the aims of art. We live in capitalism, its power seems inescapable – but then, so did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings. Resistance and change often begin in art."

– Ursula Le Guin on the occasion of accepting a National Book Award, November 2014

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

02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

You better not shout, you better not cry... yes, that season is upon us again, the time when some people gather with their loved ones to eat, drink, make merry and exchange lovingly-chosen gifts, while nearly everyone else gathers with their not-really-liked-very-much ones to gorge inadvisably, drink to excess, exchange heated accusations and attempt to raise a sickly smile when unwrapping yet another unwanted pair of woolly socks from Aunt Euthropia... ah well, it will soon be the Year of the Spinning Mouse and the worst will be over...

Remember GlenBricker's Discworld Lego campaign, which has been gradually getting closer to the required figure of 10,000 requests to qualify as an official Lego set? Well, with 130 days left, that figure has almost been reached – less then 1,000 supporters to go now, at 9,007 and counting! If you're a Lego fan, or just looking to raise the Discworld profile yet further, do join in to support of the project. For more information and updates, go to https://ideas.lego.com/projects/36302 and have a look at what Discworld creations are on offer.

It's satisfying to see that Hogfather is now showing up around the world in "what to read/watch at Christmas" recommendations – as is A Slip of the Keyboard. And also gratifying to see an increasing amount Discworld-specific holiday cards and decorations. We in the Wossname editorial household are still slowly doling out our treasured Paul Kidby greeting cards, but the new one from the Discworld Emporium look well worthy of stocking up on – see item 7.1 below.

Speaking of Discworld-themed excellence, here's some Department of Awesome Wall Coverings news: fancy the entirety of The Colour of Magic as a poster? Yes, every word! Spineless Classics specialise in turning entire books into large one-sheet posters, with the added attraction of some of the text being arranged in the form of a relevant illustration – in this case, The Luggage (with trail of footprints) and Great A'Tuin. The text is small (4pt) but readable! See item 7.2 below.

Finally, we all know Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett have collaborated a few times, but according to this blurb from a site called Bidness, it's more unequal than that: "Tweets by famous authors like Amanda Palmer ('The Art of Asking') and former astronaut Chris Hadfield ('You are Here'), and The Onion Magazine's 'The Iconic Covers That Transformed an Undeserving World' will include the buy button. Moreover, readers buying Ms. Palmer's book will get a manuscript note from her and her husband Neil Gaiman, author of 'Terry Pratchett.'"

And now, on with the show!

– Annie Mac, Editor

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

03) GOOD OMENS RADIO PLAY NEWS

Here comes the Apocalypse – or at least, the almost-Apocalypse. The hotly anticipated BBC radio adaptation of Good Omens is almost upon us!

Good Omens will be aired in six parts. Here be the broadcast schedule:

Monday 22nd December: Episodes 1 and 2, back to back, starting at 11pm
Tuesday 23rd December: Episode 3, starting at 11.30pm
Thursday 25th December: Episode 4, starting at ii.30pm
Friday 26th December: Episode 5, starting at 11.27pm (that's what the BBC official site says!)
Saturday 27th December: Episode 6, starting at the "matinee time" of at 2.30pm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/goodomens

To hold you until Monday night, here be some official illustrations by Sean Phillips. Here are Peter Serafinowicz as Crowley and Mark Heap as Aziraphale:

http://bit.ly/1yx2eoE

...and here we have Charlotte Ritchie as Anathema Device and Colin Morgan as Newton Pulsifer:

http://bit.ly/1vFVUhB

(source: Bleeding Cool News)

...and from the Radio Times, a selection of teaser-soundbites introducing the characters. I have to say that the music sounds marvellous, and so does Peter Serafinowicz:

http://bit.ly/1vwuOV6

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

04) ODDS AND SODS

4.1 DRAGONS AT CRUMBLING CASTLE CHRISTMAS STORY

"Have you ever wondered what Father Christmas gets up to the other 364 days of the year? Well wonder no more, as Sir Terry exposes all in his short story Father Christmas Goes to Work at The Zoo which you can read for free for a limited time here, taken from the fantastically funny collection of stories, Dragons at Crumbling Castle."

To read a fully illustrated version of this story on the web, go to http://bit.ly/12zmL34

To download, go to http://penguin-group.msgfocus.com/c/1cWK4OrAAoQgnInw1Sf76VW

4.2 THE TWELVE DISCWORLD COOKIES OF CHRISTMAS

Anne Hoppe, famed editor and sometime Discworld convention Guest of Honour, has been baking and decorating some rather special "Hogswatch cookies". And here they are!

Twelve Nac Mac Feegles:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B4Rdz2OCcAApK8i.jpg

Eleven werewolves howling:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B4Re6UbIYAAzlQt.jpg

Ten Tiff'ny Snowflakes:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B4RgTlnIEAAVDiz.jpg

Nine learn-ed rodents:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B4RhyObIgAEXNzG.jpg

Eight hatted wizards***:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B4RicYJIgAA_RsG.jpg

Seven unharmed hedgehogs:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B4RjvU-IQAIqpjL.jpg

Six "ships" a-fleecing:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B4RlT5lIQAAdIvL.jpg

Hogfathers, five:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B4RmBsaIIAAXYjM.jpg

Four Elephants:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B4Rnn7RIUAE7kol.jpg

Three Wyrd Hags:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B4RobplIQAA6xFf.jpg

Two Hippos, proud:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B4RqXHiIYAASv3-.jpg

...and A'Tuin swimming in a starred "sea":
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B4Rq6HOIYAAqmyq.jpg

Also, a bonus Great God Om:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B4RugHKIgAAb5dX.jpg

*** including Eskarina Smith

And on the subject of Ms Hoppe, here's an unearthed gem – Anne Hoppe at the Boston Athenaeum in 2009, reading Sir Pterry's remarks on the occasion of his being awarded the 2009 Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Fiction for Nation (he was pre-booked for Unseen Academicals events elsewhere at the time). You will have seen these words elsewhere, but here they are read aloud with the care and attention of someone who edited the book itself:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX3fBDxiiu4

4.3 HOGSWATCH IN WINCANTON 2014: A PRESS REPORT

In the Western Gazette:

"With the flag of Ankh-Morpork flying from the town hall throughout the weekend residents could be forgiven for thinking they had stepped into another world, especially with the colourful array of characters to be seen strolling the streets of Wincanton. But it was all in good spirits as hundreds of fans of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels arrived for the annual festive knees-up. Beginning on Friday with a performance by Wincanton’s very own Harry Pursey the weekend featured a packed programme of events... Entertainment continued into the night with the Pink Pussycat Club Cabaret compered by 2013 Vice World Champion Whiskerina Muriel Lavender. She said: 'The level of talent never ceases to delight me, because the people who come here just abound with energy and fun.' Sir Terry was unable to attend but The Hat took pride of place throughout... Bernard Pearson revealed there would be no Spring Fling next year as the team would be busy with the publication of two new books. But he added: 'From what I understand this has been one of the most well-attended shows we have ever done. I say we; I sit in a shed and smoke a foul pipe, while Isobel sits at our dining room table with a pile of paperwork, an abacus and a large glass of brandy. But the person who has made all of this happen is our wonderful Reb Voyce. She has run herself ragged. I could not be more proud of her if she was my own daughter..."

http://bit.ly/1zIEAd8

4.4 STORY MUSEUM INTERVIEW

"I am William Brown, better known as 'Just William'. And 'It's not fair.' He always says things like 'It's not fair,' or 'It stands to reason.' I chose him because his author was one of the best authors there ever has been for children. That was Richmal Crompton. A woman, though lots of people thought she was a man. Why Just William? I like his style. He never gave up, for one thing. He wouldn't back off if he thought he was right. Also, he had a lot of fun. He seemed to smash someone's window every week and it would be the slipper. And that seemed to have no effect on him whatsoever. And the way he spoke, and the way he reasoned; I recognised it as a way of speaking and reasoning that was not necessarily mine. The lady who wrote him was an absolute genius.

To listen, or to download, the full Story Museum interview with Sir Pterry, go to

http://bit.ly/1quuISz

and scroll down to the box marked "Q&A with Cambridge Jones".

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

05) ACTION REPLAYS: HOGSWATCH CAROLS, CARNEGIE MEDAL ACCEPTANCE SPEECH

4.1 WEIRD ALICE'S HOGSWATCH CAROLS

Weird Alice Lancrevic has been off on her Grand Sneer for some time now, but in her absence, we offer a repost of some of her most (in)famous Hogswatch carols...

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

ALL:
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!"

ALL:
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!"

ALL:
The ghouls from the Bel-Shamharoth Choir
Were howling tunelessly
And Dark Morris bells rang out
For Hogswatch Eve!


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
Modernise your 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 in 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


NOT KING WENCESLAS

Doctor Mossy Lawn looked out
On his Igors merry
Tossing body parts about
(It's herrydeterry)
Jason stoked the forge so bright
Helped by Nanny's daughters
For his yearly task tonight -
Shoeing Tusker's trottt-ters.
Good King Verence donned his bells
And with jingles gentle
Spread organic Hogswatch smells
(Quite experimental)
Sybil served the party fare
With her fav'rite dragon
No fine wines on offer there –
Sam is on the waaaa-gon!


DECK THE HALLS...

Deck the halls with boughs of holllly
Buggrit, buggrit, ook, a pint of eels
Bow to ev'ry wizard's folly
Buggrit, buggrit, ook, *our* one has wheels
Fill to bursting ev'ry belly
Bugg'rem, bugg'rem, what duck?, wheeee!
Winkle pie for Mr Jelly,
Buggrit, buggrit, ook, the first one's free.
Deck the Libr'ry with bananas
Buggrit, buggrit, ook, cough cough, cough cough
For tonight the Watch won't ban us
Buggrit, buggrit, ook, the wheels fell off
Toast we now our figgins tender
Bugg'rem, bugg'rem, what duck?, wheeee!
Arrgh! The Bursar's on a bender!
Buggrit, buggrit, eek! – some Dried Frog tea?


HOGFATHER IS COMING TO TOWN

You better not shout, you better not cry
You better watch out, I'm telling you why:
Susan Sto Helit has a great big poker and she's gonna
bash all the monsters under your – I'm sorry, I'll
start that again...
She's making a list, she's checking it twice
She's gonna find out who's naughty or nice,
Susan Sto Helit has a great big poker and she's gonna
get that bogeyman hiding behind the – oh dear, this
isn't working very well, is it? Pardon me, there's a cowled
rat tugging at my skirt. Erm, Happy Hogswatch.
She knows when you are sleeping, she knows if you're awake
She knows if you've been bad or good because she's the
granddaughter of Death, after all, and Death sees the fall
of every sparrow and – aaah, forget it.


HOGSWATCH IS A-COMING

Hogswatch is a-coming, the Dean is very fat
Please to put a figgin in his pointy hat!

Hogswatch is a-coming, Lord Downey's wearing black
Please to put some poison in the old man's sack!

Hogswatch is a-coming and Death is on the prowl
Please to put two coppers in his deep, dark cowl!

Hogswatch is a-coming and Cohen has a sword
Please to give him rubies or you might get gored!

Hogswatch is a-coming and Dibbler's in his coat
Please to buy a sausage or he'll cut his throat!

Reality is wavering, all Ponder's team are wrecks
So please, please, put a figgin in the UU Hex!


...and not quite a carol, but seasonal, first published in 2007:

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.


4.2 PTERRY'S CARNEGIE MEDAL SPEECH

On the occasion of winning the Carnegie Medal for The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents in 2001:

"I'm pretty sure that the publicists for this award would be quite happy if I said something controversial, but it seems to me that giving me the Carnegie medal is controversial enough. This was my third attempt. Well, I say my third attempt, but in fact I just sat there in ignorance and someone else attempted it on my behalf, somewhat to my initial dismay.

"The Amazing Maurice is a fantasy book. Of course, everyone knows that fantasy is 'all about' wizards, but by now, I hope, everyone with any intelligence knows that, er, what everyone knows...is wrong. Fantasy is more than wizards. For instance, this book is about rats that are intelligent. But it also about the even more fantastic idea that humans are capable of intelligence as well. Far more beguiling than the idea that evil can be destroyed by throwing a piece of expensive jewellery into a volcano is the possibility that evil can be defused by talking. The fantasy of justice is more interesting that the fantasy of fairies, and more truly fantastic. In the book the rats go to war, which is, I hope, gripping. But then they make peace, which is astonishing.

"In any case, genre is just a flavouring. It's not the whole meal. Don't get confused by the scenery. A novel set in Tombstone, Arizona, on October 26, 1881 is what– a Western? The scenery says so, the clothes say so, but the story does not automatically become a Western. Why let a few cactuses tell you what to think? It might be a counterfactual, or a historical novel, or a searing literary indictment of something or other, or a horror novel, or even, perhaps, a romance – although the young lovers would have to speak up a bit and possibly even hide under the table, because the gunfight at the OK corral was going on at the time.

"We categorize too much on the basis of unreliable assumption. A literary novel written by Brian Aldiss must be science fiction, because he is a known science fiction writer; a science fiction novel by Margaret Atwood is literature because she is a literary novelist. Recent Discworld books have spun on such concerns as the nature of belief, politics and even of journalistic freedom, but put in one lousy dragon and they call you a fantasy writer.

"This is not, on the whole, a complaint. But as I have said, it seems to me that dragons are not really the pure quill of fantasy, when properly done. Real fantasy is that a man with a printing press might defy an entire government because of some half-formed belief that there may be such a thing as the truth. Anyway, fantasy needs no defence now. As a genre it has become quire respectable in recent years. At least, it can demonstrably make lots and lots and lots of money, which passes for respectable these days. When you can by a plastic Gandalf with kung-fu grip and rocket launcher, you know fantasy has broken through.

"But I'm a humorous writer too, and humour is a real problem. It was interesting to see how Maurice was reviewed here and in the US. Over there, where I've only recently made much of an impression, the reviews tended to be quite serious and detailed with, as Maurice himself would have put it, 'long words, like "corrugated iron"' Over here, while being very nice, they tended towards the 'another wacky, zany book by comic author Terry Pratchett'. In fact Maurice has no wack and very little zane. It's quite a serious book. Only the scenery is funny.

"The problem is that we think the opposite of funny is serious. It is not. In fact, as G K Chesterton pointed out, the opposite of funny is not funny, and the opposite of serious is not serious. Benny Hill was funny and not serious; Rory Bremner is funny and serious; most politicians are serious but, unfortunately, not funny. Humour has its uses. Laughter can get through the keyhole while seriousness is still hammering on the door. New ideas can ride in on the back of a joke, old ideas can be given an added edge.

"Which reminds me... Chesterton is not read much these days, and his style and approach belong to another time and, now, can irritate. You have to read in a slightly different language. And then, just when the 'ho, good landlord, a pint of your finest English ale!' style gets you down, you run across a gem, cogently expressed. He famously defended fairy stories against those who said they told children that there were monsters; children already know that there are monsters, he said, and fairy stories teach them that monsters can be killed. We now know that the monsters may not simply have scales and sleep under a mountain. They may be in our own heads. In Maurice, the rats have to confront them all: real monsters, some of whom have many legs, some merely have two, but some, perhaps the worse, are the ones they invent. The rats are intelligent. They're the first rats in the world to be afraid of the dark, and they people the shadows with imaginary monsters. An act of extreme significance to them is the lighting of a flame.

"People have already asked me if I had the current international situation in mind when I wrote the book. The answer is no. I wouldn't insult even rats by turning them into handy metaphors. It's just unfortunate that the current international situation is pretty much the same old dull, stupid international situation, in a world obsessed by the monsters it has made up, dragons that are hard to kill. We look around and see foreign policies that are little more than the taking of revenge for the revenge that was taken in revenge for the revenge last time. It's a path that leads only downwards, and still the world flocks along it. It makes you want to spit. The dinosaurs were thick as concrete, but they survived for one hundred and fifty million years and it took a damn great asteroid to knock them out. I find myself wonder wondering now if intelligence comes with its own built-in asteroid.

"Of course, as the aforesaid writer of humorous fantasy I'm obsessed by wacky, zany ideas. One is that rats might talk. But sometimes I'm even capable of weirder, more ridiculous ideas, such the possibility of a happy ending. Sometimes, when I'm really, really wacky and on a fresh dose of zany, I'm just capable of entertaining the fantastic idea that, in certain circumstances, Homo Sapiens might actually be capable of thinking. It must be worth a go, since we've tried everything else.

"Writing for children is harder than writing for adults, if you're doing it right. What I thought was going to be a funny story about a cat organizing a swindle based on the Pied Piper legend turned out to be a major project, in which I was aided and encouraged and given hope by Philippa Dickinson and Sue Coates at Doubleday or whatever they're calling themselves this week, and Anne Hoppe of HarperCollins in New York, who waylaid me in an alley in Manhattan and insisted on publishing the book and even promised to protect me from that most feared of creatures, the American copy editor.

"And I must thank you, the judges, in the hope that your sanity and critical faculties may speedily be returned to you. And finally, my thanks to the rest of you, the loose agglomeration of editors and teachers and librarians that I usually refer to, mostly with a smile, as the dirndl mafia. You keep the flame alive."

www.carnegiegreenaway.org.uk/pressdesk/press.php?release=pres_terspeach.htm

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

06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

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

Next meeting: apparently on 30th November 1999 ("-5497 days to go", their website says), from 7pm onwards. Could it be that they Drummers have gone Trollish? If not, the next meeting is likely to be on Monday 5th January 2015...

The Drummers' December meet report:

"It was great to see so many of you at the Christmas/ 10th Anniversary celebration on Monday. In the end 29 people turned up. That's not quite the record (which is 33) but it's in second place. I was pleased that we had a significant number of the original members, including James O., who came up with the name "Broken Drummers" and who travelled a long way to be there. We also had three new people: Philip, who we recruited at Hogswatch, and Tara and Charlotte who we had not met before but turned out to be veteran Feegle impersonators. Plus, of course, loads more people who have joined over the course of the last 10 years. I did a quiz on Christmas songs, which Tim W. and Ruth won. Tim has agreed to do a quiz for next time as he says it will be good for him. How or why I'm not sure but keep it in mind when we do the quiz. Tim W. then kindly made a speech, which was a relief as I was flagging after shouting the quiz answers at 29 of you whilst trying to keep Bill quiet! Tim observed that I have been running Drummers for most of its 10 year history. I've had a great time doing that. Coming to Drummers was a huge turning point in my life. I even met my husband at a Drummers meeting. Therefore I'll repeat what I said Monday night. I didn't found Drummers, I started coming in March 2005 and took over running it in August 2006. The person who got the whole thing up and running in the latter half of 2004 was Jack. Since he wasn't there Monday I'll say a big thanks to Jack now. Thank you also to the rest of you for coming along and making Drummers what it is (whatever that may be)."

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

*

The Pratchett Partisans are a new fan group who meet monthly at either Brisbane or Indooroopilly to "eat, drink and chat about all things Pratchett". Forthcoming events include:

Saturday, January 10, 2015 2:00 PM Discworld Discussion #1 – Punes & Parodies

For more info about their next meetup, go to www.meetup.com/Pratchett-Partisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au

*

The City of Small Gods is a group for fans in Adelaide and South Australia: "We have regular monthly dinner and games nights, longer games days, plus play outings, craft-y workshops, and fun social activities throughout the year. For more info and to join our mailing list, visit http://cityofsmallgods.org.au "

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers meet on the first Thursday of every month from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight.

Next meeting: if not New Year's Day, then Thursday 8th December 2015, probably, but do email to check.

All new members and curious passersby are very welcome! For more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) meets on the first Friday of every month at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"

Next meeting: Friday 2nd January 2015 (probably).

*

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

Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum:

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

*

Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet on the first Monday of every month in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney,2000.

Next meeting: Monday 1st December 2014 at 6.30pm (probably). For more information, contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meet on the first Monday of the month (subject to holidays) at the child-friendly Carpe Cafe, 526 Murray Street, Perth, Western Australia.

Next meeting: from 5.30pm on Monday 5th January 2015 (probably).

For details follow Perth Drummers on Twitter @Perth_Drummers and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – otherwise message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>

*

Western Drummers, also based in Sydney, meet at The Rowers, Nepean Rowing Club, Bruce Neal Drive, Penrith at 6.30-7.30pm for food, 7.30pm for games, quizzes and chat: "If you have never been, please come on down. You would be very welcome. We eat, have a drink, talk Discworld and play board games. Starts kind of 6 – 6.30ish and finishes kind of 9pm ish."

Next meeting: as there was a meeting last week, the next will probably be in mid-January. For more information, contact Nanny Ogg – lewis_oz@bigpond.com – or visit their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/westerndrummers

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

07) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS

7.1 DISCWORLD EMPORIUM UPDATES

"New for Hogswatch – latest Discworld gifts & goodies!

"The City Watch Recruit File contains all the certification and ephemera to confirm your enrolment in the Watch and help you uphold the law on the mean streets of Ankh-Morpork - a great gift for any City Watch fan! Includes your Warrant Card, Appraisal, and Training Certificate, along with three Traffic Division Fixed Penalty Notices for you to deploy amongst your friends and relatives, and three forensic evidence stickers - ideal for laying claim to anything you might like to investigate, plus a prisoner receipt for when you have no choice but to take a wrong 'un into custody."

The City Watch Recruit File is priced at £10.00. For more info, and to order, go to:
http://www.discworldemporium.com/City%20Watch%20File

"What Hogswatch would be complete without the presence of Quoth, Death, and the Grim Squeaker? Add a little Pratchett magic to your tree or abode with a set of gorgeous lasercut birch wood decorations. Each set includes one of each design

The Discworld Decorations set is priced at £10.00. For more info, and to order (a bit late for this year, but plenty of time to order for next Hogswatch), go to:
http://www.discworldemporium.com/Discworld%20Decorations

"We've collaborated with Joe McLaren, cover artist for the Discworld Collector’s Library Editions from Gollancz, to create a view of Sator Square entitled 'Fairytale of Ankh-Morpork'. Joe's distinctive illustration, complete with wizards, beggars, dwarfs, trolls, the Hogfather in his sleigh, and snow swirling around the Tower of Art graces our exclusive Hogswatch cards... Joe has used his distinctive style to create a festive view of Sator Square, complete with wizards, beggars, dwarfs, trolls, the Hogfather in his sleigh, snow swirling around the Tower of Art and candlelit carols – a real Hogswatch treat! Printed on textured art paper, these gorgeous cards can be used as notelets or as framed art prints – perfect gifts or greetings this Hogswatch! Each pack comprises of 3 cards, which are accompanied by 3 kraft ribbed envelopes, and they measure 150 x150mm."

The Fairytale of Ankh-Morpork cards collection is priced at £7.50. For more info, and to order (again, too late for this year, but plenty of time to order for next Hogswatch), go to:
http://bit.ly/1C12Rxf

Also – "Fairytale of Ankh-Morpork has been cleverly designed to incorporate four separate tableaus forming this year's Hogswatch issues from the A-M.P.O. – Available to collect as a limited edition minisheet (_http://bit.ly/1C11qPh_, priced at £5.00) or adorning our 250 illustrated First Day Covers (_http://bit.ly/1r1zvLb_, price £10.00). Be good (the Hogfather is watching)"

And a final Hogswatch message from Team Cunning Artificer:

"We'll be having a little time off over Hogswatch to put our feet up, scoff mince pies and polish our baubles. Please note that we will cease shipping from DECEMBER 18TH, and any orders placed after this date WILL NOT BE SENT until we re-open on JANUARY 5TH. We've now passed all shipping deadlines except for UK orders, so we'd like to remind everyone that we cannot guarantee your goodies will arrive in time for the big day if ordered AFTER the dates shown below.

"The last issue from Discworld Stamps for the Year of the Reciprocating Llama is here - The Hogswatch Season LBE is a festive assortment of Discworld stamps, with a chance of sports and rarities. Each LBE in this edition contains at least one of this year's exquisite Hogswatch issues from the Ankh-Morpork Post Office, illustrated by Joe McLaren, along with a FREE winter edition of one of our most iconic stamps, the 50p Cabbage Field - an exclusive Hogswatch gift from us!
A VERY generous flurry of sports of the Winter Cabbage Field, and from all our current issues has been scattered throughout the edition – happy Hogswatch from the A-M.P.O! (_http://www.discworldemporium.com/hogswatch-season-lbe_, price £5.00)

"And finally, we'd like to extend heartfelt gratitude to YOU, our brilliant customers old and new for your continued custom and support over the past year. We're looking forward to sharing our forthcoming Discworld projects with you, and to celebrating our mutual geekery at conventions across the globe. May the Year of the Spinning Mouse bring you joy, happiness, and lots of Discworld merchandise!"


7.2 COLOUR OF MAGIC WALL POSTER

Most of us have bookshelves lining our wall. How about an entire book as a poster? Spineless Classics are offering just that:

"First published in 1983, this is the book which introduced Terry Pratchett and the Discworld to the reading public, starting a series of forty novels so far and making Sir Terry the UK's bestselling author of the 1990s. Now for the very first time fans can enjoy this iconic debut novel in its entirety on one page. This design is a single sheet measuring 700 x 1000mm (279/16 in x 393/8 in). All Spineless Classics are printed on heavyweight paper in sharp, lightfast ink which will not fade."

The Colour of Magic poster is priced at £39.99 unframed and £240.00 framed. To find out more about Spineless Classics, and to find out how to order your poster, go to:

www.spinelessclassics.com/the-colour-of-magic-fantasy-book-print-197.htm

USA customers can go to http://www.spinelessclassics.net/ ... In Fourecks, the site is /www.spinelessclassics.com.au/
and in South Africa, www.spinelessclassics.co.za/

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

08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

Man in Hat meets Leather-clad Barbarian:
http://bit.ly/1s0sipM

From Hogswatch in Wincanton 2014, some fabulous iconographs! Here is Captain Angua and her most recent "collar", a mime:
http://bit.ly/1ygyu4l

...and a truly awesome troll, complete with lovingly tended lichen:
http://bit.ly/1yQUkKv

...and Pterry the Puppet:
http://bit.ly/1ygAARK

...and Dios of Djelibeybi, accompanied by, perhaps, a Dark Clerk or other female Assassin:
http://bit.ly/1rYdyaY

...and a fantastic Hogswatch cake, topped by Death of Rats himself:
http://bit.ly/1ymnYr7

...and that's *Emperor* Cohen to you, peasant!
http://bit.ly/1yP8gno

...and here is an extensive photoset from the festivities, by participant Sara Long:
http://on.fb.me/1ygAbP4


It's the Glooper! AKA the 1949 model Monetary National Income Analogue Computer ("MONIAC"), which ran on water:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B37AzizIUAA0bVo.jpg:large

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

09) CLOSE

And so we come to the end of another year. For me, it will always be the year that WOSSNAME became Wossname, and I raise my scumble glass to our late great founder Joe Schaumburger, who created this newsletter way back in the days when fanzines were printed on actual pieces of dead tree, circulated via physical post, and people could write titles all in uppercase without having to fear they would be misfiled in recipients' spam folders. I also raise a toast to our various contributors and Roving Reporters, and most of all to you, O Readers, for sticking with us through the years. Cheers! Prosit! Slainte! Millennium hand and shrimp!

According to the Sydney Morning Herald this week, "Terry Pratchett apparently never really forgave J. K. Rowling for replacing him as Britain's top-selling author". Er... the other one's got bells on... but at least they recommended Dragons at Crumbling Castle as a "delightful young adult collection"...

If there is any late breaking news, we'll pass it along. otherwise, we'll see you in January. Have a lovely holiday season and here's to the new year!

– Annie Mac

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
November 2014 (Volume 17, Issue 11, Post 1)

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

Editor in Chief: Annie Mac
News Editor: Vera P
Newshounds: Mogg, Sir J of Croydon Below, the Shadow, Wolfiekins
Staff Writers: Asti, Pitt the Elder, Evil Steven Dread, Mrs Wynn-Jones
Staff Technomancers: Jason Parlevliet, Archchancellor Neil, DJ Helpful
Book Reviews: Annie Mac, Drusilla D'Afanguin, Your Name Here
Puzzle Editor: Tiff (still out there somewhere)
Bard in Residence: Weird Alice Lancrevic
Emergency Staff: Steven D'Aprano, Jason Parlevliet
World Membership Director: Steven D'Aprano (in his copious spare time)

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

INDEX:

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) ODDS AND SODS
04) REVIEWS: RAISING STEAM; A SLIP OF THE KEYBOARD
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
07) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
09) CLOSE

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

01) QUOTE OF THE MONTH

"Come on, you're supposed to be a hard-nosed journalist! Pick up your pen and ask me about my sex life!"
– Pterry, being interviewed for the Ashbourne News Telegraph by tongue-tied fan Natalie Wakefield

"We can determine almost every facet of our life, why can't we choose our death?"
– Travis Wright, Managing Editor of The Stylus

"It's a story about the Antichrist. There's nothing more festive than that!'"
– actor Colin "Newt Pulsifer" Morgan enthuses about the seasonality of the Good Omens BBC radio play

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

02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

So how was it for you, darlings? The new Wossname mailing list so far, that is. I can report that from this end things are going much, much more smoothly than ever during my editorship in the Yahoogroups era. We have had a few problems with new issues being falsely flagged as spam by some ISPs (most notably Yahoo – somehow, not surprising) but for the most part readers are reporting good deliveries of entirely intact, un-truncated Wossname issues. Many thanks to all of you for your patience, and especially to the indispensable Steven D'Aprano for doing the admin while I was down with yet another long-running illness (also not surprising).

This is the time of year when everyone with actual funds or a plastic imitation of same is madly shopping for holiday goodies, and at the moment, both the Discworld Emporium and PJSM Prints are absolutely on fire with excellent Discworld-themed merchandise – see item 7.

Last week I went with some friends to see "Pride", possibly the best "Brit feelgood film" since "The Full Monty". All through the film I kept wondering why George MacKay, the actor playing the lead/viewpoint character, looked so familiar. Eventually the penny dropped: he played Johnny Maxwell in the BBC miniseries of Johnny and the Bomb eight years ago! I heartily recommend both productions, the current film and the older miniseries (which in my opinion was an excellent adaptation, true to the spirit of the book even though they changed a few things).

And now, on with the show!

– Annie Mac, Editor

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

03) ODDS AND SODS

A very mixed bag...

3.1 COLIN MORGAN INTERVIEWED ABOUT BEING NEWT PULSIFER

From the Radio Times:

"Plenty of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett fans are excited about the upcoming radio adaptation of the authors' joint novel Good Omens – but it turns out one of them is actually in the cast. 'I've always been a fan of Terry Pratchett, I think he's great,' Colin Morgan (who plays Newt in the fantasy comedy) told RadioTimes.com. 'So when Good Omens came along it was a bit of a no-brainer for me. I've always felt this about Terry's books and Neil's books – they're an absolute pleasure to read personally, but I think they're just an honour and a privilege to get the chance to perform professionally.'

"Also starring Mark Heap, Peter Serafinowicz, Sherlock's Louise Brealey and Fresh Meat's Charlotte Ritchie, Good Omens follows the attempts of an angel and a demon to save the world from the antichrist – but all is not as it seems. It was written by Gaiman and Pratchett in 1990, and became a bestseller that remains popular to this day – and while the authors haven't had too big a role in the radio adaptation (Gaiman has pitched in with the scripts), they will be popping up in cameos..."

http://bit.ly/13p4VAE

3.2 THE STORY MUSEUM'S SEASONAL GOODIES

"If you're searching for that perfect Christmas present, we may have just the thing: 60 copies of our 26 Characters exhibition book have been signed by every single author involved, including Philip Pullman, Neil Gaiman, Julia Donaldson and Terry Pratchett. These are on sale for £260, and all proceeds go to supporting The Story Museum's work."

The Story Museum's "26 Characters" exhibition, which includes Sir Pterry's "Just William" character contribution, reopens this weekend. The exhibition is recommended for age 4+.

When: from 22nd November
Venue: The Story Museum, Rochester House, 42 Pembroke Street, Oxford OX1 1BP
Times: Fridays 10.00 – 17.00; Saturdays 10.00 – 17.00; Sundays 11.00 – 16.00. Last entry 30 minutes before closing.
Tickets: Full price: £7.50. Concessions: £5 (Under-18's, full-time students, job-seekers, over-60s). Family ticket (for a group of 4, including at least 1 child): £20. Children under one year, and companions of disabled visitors: Free
To book tickets, go to http://www.oxfordplayhouse.com/ticketsoxford/#venue=530 or ring the ticket hotline at 01865 305305

Also, there is an excellent explanatory brochure in .pdf form about the exhibition and venue, downloadable for free:

http://bit.ly/1t5PT8N

And here be the Story Museum's dedicated Pterry page, complete with a link to an audio Q&A:

http://bit.ly/1quuISz

For more information, go to www.storymuseum.org.uk/whats-on/26characters/ or email honor.dawkinsstean@storymuseum.org.uk

http://www.storymuseum.org.uk/

3.3 THE HISTORY OF DRAGONS (AT CRUMBLING CASTLE, THAT IS)

On the Waterstones blog, Kirsten Armstrong – an editor for Terry Pratchett's children's – "explains how his new collection of stories for children provides an insight to the development of his extraordinary imagination.

"Dragons at Crumbling Castle is a collection of fourteen of these early short stories, and it shows that, even aged sixteen, Terry had a powerful wit and sense of humour. We are introduced to daring animals, useless wizards and scheming criminals, all vividly imagined to hilarious effect. Yet the stories in this collection derive added charm by the fact that they offer a unique insight into the mind of Terry as a young man – and what first inspired him. A keen astronomer from childhood, the colonization of the moon was clearly on Terry's mind when he wrote The Great Speck: 1969 was, after all, the pinnacle of the space programme, and as Terry has said, he – along with many other keen young boys with telescopes – had what seemed then quite realistic dreams of space exploration taking us to other planets in the near future... Abominable Snowmen turn up several times in Terry's stories for the Bucks Free Press. It may be that Abominable Snowmen, or yetis, are simply creatures that appealed to Terry; however, it is worth noting that in 1967 Doctor Who, which Terry has acknowledged as a major influence, introduced the yetis as recurring villains in the series called The Abominable Snowmen..."

http://bit.ly/1AQigAP

3.4 HEROINES FOR GEEKS – AND EVERYONE ELSE

In The Telegraph, a ten-strong list of "the best geek culture heroines" includes Granny Weatherwax ("Terry Pratchett's best heroines share qualities with his first, the redoubtable Granny: hard work, sense, withering sarcasm and a rigid control of the darkness they secretly fear in themselves.") and Pratchett the Younger's reboot version of Lara Croft ("Croft received a more realistic make-over for the franchise's 2013 reboot in which she became a fully-rounded character, and one that women were proud to play."). The list is quite impressive and also includes such fictional luminaries as Buffy Summers, Kara "Starbuck" Thrace, Gaiman's Death, and Rogue of the X-Men:

http://bit.ly/1BONmJE

3.5 DISCOVERING THE WONDERS OF DISCWORLD

By Laura Antonucci:

"You can find Terry Pratchett in the sci-fi section in any book store, but he should really have a section all to his own. Pratchett has written an insane amount of published works, and which are mostly in the realm of science fiction and fantasy. In a similar vein of Douglas Adams — author of 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' — 'The Color of Magic' is funny, weird and one hell of an adventure. 'The Color of Magic' is the first in a vast amount of novels, however you can pick up any of The Discworld Series and not need know any background and still get swept up in the insane world of A'Tuin. When you begin a book that describes a world balanced on a disk, balanced on the back of four elephants, balanced on the back of a gigantic turtle, you either think, 'huh, based in religious world theory, cool,' or 'what the heck.' And it just gets weirder from there... I can't even begin to talk about 'The Color of Magic' and do it justice in one column, but that shouldn't stop anyone from picking up a copy from whatever bookstore you choose..."

www.thetowerlight.com/2014/11/bookmarks-a-series-for-the-sci-fi-fan/

3.6 THE LIFE OF A PRATCHETT SUPERFAN

By Jane McFarlane in the Derby Telegraph:

"Natalie started to collect the Discworld series, scouring charity shops at weekends in the hope of finding them... Natalie has just read each of the previous 39, in chronological order, in preparation for the new release. 'It's the first time I've ever read all of them in order," she said. "I started in May and then was horrified to get to the end of the 39th only to realise I hadn't pre-ordered Raising Steam! While I was waiting for it to be delivered, I ended up reading all the books I have about the Discworld series, ones like the Science of Discworld – I couldn't break off and read something else!"... This summer, Natalie treated herself to a weekend away at the Discworld Convention at the Palace Hotel in Manchester, leaving the family behind and joining fans from across the country for the three-day event... Natalie threw herself into the fun, designing a costume to be the Goddess Anoia, who is the goddess of things that get stuck in drawers. 'Originally I was just going to wear a white robe and fasten some kitchen utensils to it,' she said. 'But then I started planning more and more and in the end my dad even made me a crown with bent spoons around it. I absolutely loved the convention and going on my own was brilliant. I could do my own thing and be completely selfish – Daisy wants to come with me next year and I'm gutted!' A bone of contention between Natalie and journalist husband Andrew is that years ago, while working on the Western Gazette, Andrew actually interviewed Terry Pratchett. 'He read a couple of the books when he was a teenager but never really got into them so I was so jealous that he'd interviewed Terry Pratchett,' said Natalie. 'He redeemed himself by getting up virtually in the middle of the night a few years ago to drive me to a book signing in Winchester, but I still almost held it against him that he'd interviewed my hero.'..."

http://bit.ly/1t7liqj

3.7 ALZHEIMER'S STRIKES A MUSIC WITH ROCKS IN LEGEND

From our favourite Author to one of the greatest rhythm guitarists in rock history, Alzheimer's is no respecter of artists:

"AC/DC founding member and guitarist Malcolm Young is suffering from dementia, his family has confirmed. It was announced last week the 61-year-old would not be returning to the rock band after taking a break earlier this year due to an unspecified illness. 'Malcolm is suffering from dementia and the family thanks you for respecting their privacy,' his family told People... The group said last week that 'due to the nature of Malcolm's condition' Young would not feature on the new recordings or participate in the tour. His nephew, Stevie Young, will accompany the band on tour after playing rhythm guitar on the album. The news confirms rumours that the musician was suffering from the illness. The Sydney Morning Herald reported Young had been moved into full-time care at a nursing home in Sydney. According to a family friend, the guitarist could no longer remember how to play AC/DC songs. 'If you were in the room with [Young] and walked out, then came back in one minute later, he wouldn't remember who you are. He has a complete loss of short-term memory,' the unnamed source said..."

http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-29439423

3.8 EARLY TEST FOR ALZHEIMER'S LOOK PROMISING

By Lisa Winter on IFLS:

"An early diagnosis is necessary to intervene and slow down the progression of neurodegenerative disease, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). Unfortunately, the disease typically isn't spotted until symptoms have already appeared and amyloid plaques have begun to accumulate and cause damage to the brain. A new blood test claims to be able to accurately identify Alzheimer's disease 10 years before the onset of symptoms.

"The paper was published in The Journal of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. Lead author Dimitrios Kapogiannis from the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore presented the research this week at the 2014 meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Washington, DC. The blood test was performed on 174 patients with various degrees of neurological health: 84 of the participants were healthy adults, 20 were elderly adults with no dementia, and 70 had been diagnosed with AD. The researchers also had access to frozen blood samples from 20 of the AD patients that had been taken anywhere from 1-10 years prior to the diagnosis...

"There have been other AD tests announced this year that use different biomarkers to predict disease. Based on 10 proteins found in the blood, a team from Oxford predicted onset of AD within a year for over 1,100 participants, with 87% accuracy. A team from Georgetown University screened for 10 lipids in 525 participants, and was 90% accurate in predicting disease in three years. This current test is still in its early stages, and larger studies will be needed to replicate and validate these findings. The researchers are confident that using IRS-1 as a biomarker will be able to stand up to that scrutiny and will allow for early intervention of AD in the future..."

http://bit.ly/1v1emAB

3.9 IAN STEWART ON FLATLAND

Science of Discworld co-creator Ian Stewart loves the classic maths fantasy "Flatland":

"Mathematician Ian Stewart wants us to see what he sees. Which is kind of a problem, because he’s accustomed to envisioning some pretty impossible shapes: snowflakes in fractional dimensions, hypercubes in 4-D, 11-dimensional superstrings. So when the University of Warwick professor and author writes about these freaky geometries, he relies on an analogy — a way for us blockheads to understand realities above, below, and in between our three dimensions. His guide is a little mathematical fantasy he read over half a century ago: the cult classic Flatland. Written in the early 1880s by Edwin A. Abbott, the story follows A. Square, a regular quadrilateral who lives on a 2-D plane. He can’t conceive of depth, but his perspective expands when a sphere visits him from 3-D Spaceland. Though Square can’t experience all three of the sphere’s dimensions, he can see it in cross-section as a circle of various sizes. That’s the trick Stewart uses: By describing what it’s like for a flat object to imagine a solid one, he can help us imagine an object in four dimensions. For instance, a crazy 4-D sphere (called a glome) might appear to us as expanding and contracting spherical cross-sections. 'Starting with Flatland's point of view,' he says, 'you find a way in.' Stewart considers Flatland one of the earliest works of popular science..."

http://www.wired.com/2014/11/geometry-of-flatland/

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

04) REVIEWS: RAISING STEAM; A SLIP OF THE KEYBOARD

4.1 RAISING STEAM

By N.C Sanders on Science Fiction.com:

"In any long running series, sequelitis is bound to set in at some point. It is an inevitability, along with getting the sniffles during flu season or craving anything and everything displayed on a cooking show. Someone neglected to inform Terry Pratchett of this fact, however. 'Raising Steam' is the fortieth book in his 'Discworld' series and it shows no signs of slowing down at all... This combination of playing around with real-world history and sprinkling it in with the magic and varying cultures unique to Discworld makes much of the adventure a real treat. It is the varying perspectives and continual shifts of narration which prove to be both a plus and a minus. Later on in the story, the character switching adds well-built tension into the drama filled final act, but can be a bit overwhelming in the beginning when trying to acquaint (or reacquaint) one's self with the ensemble cast. But this one wrinkle is far from enough to drag down this rousing tale which seems destined to pull an aged series into a new and exciting age..."

http://bit.ly/1x2NUpQ

...and by Cindy A. Matthews on Authorlink:

"Dick Simnel's creation of a prototype steam engine starts a commercial, transportation and technological revolution practically overnight, and of course it can't remain a secret for long. The newfangled invention inspires rabid trainspotters and Luddite-type detractors alike, as well as attracting the attention of those in power and those who are forced to maintain it, namely the Patrician Lord Vetinari and his right hand man, the amiable scallywag forever in his debt, Moist von Lipwig. Throw in a few grease-loving goblins, exercising their newly acquired civil rights, and some very angry dwarves, voicing quite a political agenda, and the fireworks begin in earnest. Pratchett constructs the conflict on his flat-disc fantasy world parallel to a Dickensian Earth where the steam engine shook up more than a few people's notions of how life could be and should be like..."

http://authorlink.com/2014/11/10/raising-steam-by-terry-pratchett/

4.2 ...AND A SLIP OF THE KEYBOARD

By Byron Gillan in the Buffalo News:

"Since his debut novel 'The Carpet People' in 1971, Pratchett has constructed an entire literary universe that some think is on par with the likes of Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, or such authors of the newer generation as George R.R. Martin and J.K. Rowling. So extensive is the Discworld collection, that there are fan-made guides for new readers first-approaching Pratchett's sprawling world. At times the author has branched out to write other works, such as his collaborations with the darling of the literary Comic-Con scene, Neil Gaiman (of 'Sandman' and 'American Gods' fame). However, Pratchett's attention has primarily concerned the world of Discworld and for good reason. The elaborate series boasts a massive fan base, with conventions, games, and more having grown and evolved around the books. As a result, Pratchett has achieved fame as one of the pillars of the modern fantasy community... His prose rails against the unjust ways of the world, and the circumstances of his own life. This image at once dispels the notions of Pratchett as the 'lovable-professor' as many have sought to describe him... We see Pratchett fighting to write down a few words of prose over an entire day in a novel's early pages; a weakness fans don't normally believe a talented and experienced author would possess. Later we see his frustrations with editors, event organizers, publishers and even fans. 'A Slip of the Keyboard' offers readers a candid, and extremely 'real' view of the world as Pratchett sees it. Warts included.

"That isn't to say there isn't humor, an iconic standard of Pratchett's work. Oh there is indeed that, and in spades. While he does not shy away from the darker aspects of his ascension to fame and fortune, Pratchett remains appreciative and loving of his ability, and the fans who made his rise possible. He shares many lovely and heartbreakingly-sweet tales of bonding with fans, experiencing the rising popularity of the Discworld series through conventions, and more..."

http://bit.ly/1xQPDPe

...and Colin Steele in the Sydney Morning Herald gives an Australian perspective:

"It's not all gloom and doom. Pratchett's dry humour and common sense pervades many of the essays, which are organised into three sections. A Scribbling Intruder covers his career as an author almost literally from rags to riches; A Twit and a Dreamer covers a range of subjects from school days to the meaning of Christmas, and Days of Rage covers issues relating to his struggle with Alzheimer's. Pratchett has been very outspoken about his diagnosis and the problems of the British National Health Service (NHS). His advocacy of assisted deaths is also emphasised in several essays, notably his reprinted 2010 BBC Richard Dimbleby lecture Shaking Hands with Death.

"Pratchett likes Australia, which he has visited more than a dozen times, and which features as the subject of his Discworld novel The Last Continent. His 1998 Australian signing tour is covered in a chapter diary, No Worries, which includes his Canberra Times/ANU lecture in which this reviewer features... Pratchett is very conscious of his working-class origins and reflects on his now rather stellar position, which includes a knighthood and a number of honorary doctorates. As a result, several of his essays emphasise the importance of education. He also emphasises the value of his school library and public libraries in general, although he deplores librarians calling themselves 'information providers'. Pratchett would much prefer the label, 'Shining acolytes of the sacred flame of literacy'..."

http://bit.ly/11Mmwlx

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

05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

5.1 NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN BRISBANE

The Brisbane Arts Theatre, having just finished their triumphant run of The Amazing Maurice, are back with a new production of Wyrd Sisters, now open!

When: 22nd November to 13th December 2014
Venue: Brisbane Arts Centre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane, Queensland 4000 Phone (07) 3369 2344
Time: 8pm Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays; 6.30pm Sundays
Tickets: Adults $31, Concessions $25, Group discount (10+) $25, Large Group (75+) $20, Gold Members $15, Members $25AUD, Student Rush(10 mins before curtain) $10. Members can redeem their included season tickets for this show.
To buy tickets online, go to http://bit.ly/1AJ9lkw

http://artstheatre.com.au/show/wyrdsisters#sthash.3sCsVAE6.dpuf

5.2 NEW: AUDITIONS FOR MONSTROUS PRODUCTIONS' WITCHES ABROAD

Monstrous Productions are seeking cast and crew for their 2015 production of Witches Abroad:

"All roles are available and anyone aged between 18 and 70 is welcome. No experience necessary so why not have a go? Auditions will be held between 17th and 21st November with an open audition at Cardiff University Main Building on Thursday 20th; meet at 6pm in the foyer. Email us at monstrousproductions2012@gmail.com for your audition pack."

Witches Abroad will be performed at the Gate Theatre, Cardiff, from 8th-11th April 2015. Remember, all profits from Monstrous Productions plays and merchandise go to Alzheimer's Research UK. In fact, they exist solely to perform Pratchett plays for this very purpose!

http://www.monstrousptc.com/

5.3 REMINDER: WYRD SISTERS IN WEST SUSSEX

Stage-Door Theatre Company, having already tackled the Scottish Play some eleven years ago, will tackle the Disc-ish Play – Wyrd Sisters – this December.

When: 10th-13th December 2014
Venue: The Windmill Theatre, The Green, Littlehampton, West Sussex BN17 5LM
Time 7:30pm for evening performances, 2:30pm for the Saturday (13th) matinee
Tickets: £11 (concessions at £10). Please contact the box office at the Circle of Health, 67 Sea Lane, Rustington, West Sussex BN16 2RQ (telephone 01903 856801) for all ticket enquiries.

5.4 REVIEWS: WYRD SISTERS IN CARDIFF

In Wales Online:

"I don't know how they did it, but with no scenery and very few props, just the odd table or teapot, the Monstrous Productions Theatre Company managed to magic up the Discworld. From the opening scene where the three witches Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, and Magrat meet – all played brilliantly by Ellen Warren, Zoe Azzopardi and Lowri Belson – it was like seeing the much-loved book come to life... During one scene, there is a play within the play. Some of the actors sat down in the front row, my heart sank as I sensed audience participation. There is nothing guaranteed to put me on edge as much as joining in. I cringe at forced frivolity. To me, fun is a four-letter word, and not just because I can't spell. But I was wrong. I wasn't forced to take part, just sit back and enjoy the witches' hilarious heckling a few seats down from me. The entire cast did an amazing job, with many or them bringing multiple roles to life..."

http://bit.ly/1xc19FD

...and on Mithril Wisdom:

"The entire cast were superb, working well with Monstrous's hallmark minimalist stage decoration and allowing more room for all characters to shine. The witches themselves, performed by Ellen Warren, Zoe Azzopardi and Lowri Belson (Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat) had great chemistry with one another and did justice to the roles. My favourite performance, though, came from Jes Hynes (Lord Felmet), whose descent from simpering hen-pecked nobleman into guilt-ridden madman was a delight to watch, giving the role a touch of pantomime villainy but with the gravitas of the Shakespearean tragedy the story satirises. Once again, Davies' direction gives the audience plenty of Easter eggs during the performance... As the second Witches story under their belt, Wyrd Sisters shows that Monstrous Productions can tackle even the most ambitious of Pratchett stories..."

http://bit.ly/1sdCha9

5.5 REVIEW: MORT IN QUEENSLAND

In the Inverell Times:

"The large audience laughed its way through the very entertaining Mort and enjoyed a light supper at interval. The cast for Mort was a mixture of actors that were either new to the stage or new to Inverell audiences. The roles of Mort and Death were brilliantly portrayed by Brendon Evans and Dayne Rosolen. They were ably supported by young actors Eloise Collins, Emma Muggleton and Lachlan McDonald. Audiences familiar with Inverell Theatre Company productions would have been very familiar with the actor who portrayed Albert, Peter Caddey..."

http://www.inverelltimes.com.au/story/2679078/on-the-pulse/

5.7 NEW FOR 2015: WYRD SISTERS IN UPPINGHAM

The Uppingham Theatre Company (under the patronage of Stephen Fry) will present their production of Wyrd Sisters in October 2015 at the Uppingham Theatre, Stockerston Road, Uppingham, Rutland LE15 9UD

Audition and read-through dates are not available yet, but keep an eye on http://www.uppthearts.co.uk/ for updates!

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

06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

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

Next meeting: Monday 8th December 2014, from 7pm onwards.

The Drummers' November meet report:

"We met on Monday. It seems a long time ago now. We had one new person, Marina, who we knew from the forum. We talked a lot about Hogswatch and did our best to encourage those who have never been to come along. There was discussion of the most recent Dr. Who. My impression from that discussion is that I enjoy it more than most because my expectations are a lot lower. I still think the 'moon is an egg' episode was utter crap, though and don't get me started on why anyone would repair a Dalek without disabling its weapon function first. The was a happy moment when the staff at the Monkey Puzzle brought us a free bowl of chicken goujons. I'm still not quite sure why but they were nice (as is their roast pork belly with crackling and an apple stuffed with black pudding. I'm having a Homer Simpson moment just thinking about it). Only other thing that sticks in the mind is that I mentioned that I avoid putting anything too smutty in meeting reports as they are seen by people who have never been to Drummers. Everyone pointed out that anyone who would be shocked would probably hate Drummers anyway. Very true."

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

*

The Pratchett Partisans are a new fan group who meet monthly at either Brisbane or Indooroopilly to "eat, drink and chat about all things Pratchett". Forthcoming events include:

Thursday, 27th November 2014: Dinner and games at Groove Train, King George Square, from 5.30pm

Saturday, 6th December 2014: Discworld board games +early Xmas dinner at Bris Square Library Theatrette, from 2pm (dinner from 6pm)

For more info about their next meetup, go to www.meetup.com/Pratchett-Partisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au

*

The City of Small Gods is a group for fans in Adelaide and South Australia: "We have regular monthly dinner and games nights, longer games days, plus play outings, craft-y workshops, and fun social activities throughout the year. For more info and to join our mailing list, visit http://cityofsmallgods.org.au "

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers meet on the first Thursday of every month from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight.

Next meeting: Thursday 4th December 2014, probably, but do email to check.

All new members and curious passersby are very welcome! For more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) meets on the first Friday of every month at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"

Next meeting: Friday 5th December 2014 (probably).

*

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

Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum:

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

*

Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet on the first Monday of every month in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney,2000.

Next meeting: Monday 1st December 2014 at 6.30pm (probably). For more information, contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meet on the first Monday of the month (subject to holidays) at the child-friendly Carpe Cafe, 526 Murray Street, Perth, Western Australia.

Next meeting: from 5.30pm on Monday 1st December 2014 (probably).

For details follow Perth Drummers on Twitter @Perth_Drummers and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – otherwise message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>

*

Western Drummers, also based in Sydney, meet at The Rowers, Nepean Rowing Club, Bruce Neal Drive, Penrith at 6.30-7.30pm for food, 7.30pm for games, quizzes and chat: "If you have never been, please come on down. You would be very welcome. We eat, have a drink, talk Discworld and play board games. Starts kind of 6 – 6.30ish and finishes kind of 9pm ish."

Next meeting: as there was a meeting last week, the next will probably be in mid-January. For more information, contact Nanny Ogg – lewis_oz@bigpond.com – or visit their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/westerndrummers

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

07) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS

7.1 PJSM PRINTS UPDATES

PJSM Prints are back in action with a piggies-drawn sleigh-full of Discworld goodies:

"Hogswatch is approaching! Check out the latest range of calendars, diaries, cards, badges and more from PJSM Prints!

"After much discussion and deliberation with Terry we have decided that from now on all new titles will be exclusively embossed with his signature plate rather than hand signed. He would like to make it clear that this has absolutely nothing to do with the progression of his Embuggerance, but after more than forty years of signing he feels that his hand really could do with a bit of a rest. And so even though we still have a large stock of signed books and prints, we now think it unfair to ask Terry to work his way through the inevitable mountain of orders that land around publication time. The signature embossing is pressed directly onto the page and is further enhanced with a golden Pratchett Coat of Arms. Thank you for your understanding, but we first and foremost have to think of Terry while still being able to offer something exclusive to our Discworld collectors worldwide.

"UPDATE! Thank you for all your feedback, but Terry would like to point out that he really is very much okay and has just finished one book and has already started another. He's still writing every day!"

Some PJSM goodies presently available include...

Terry Pratchett's Discworld Collector's Edition Calendar 2015

"Exclusively embossed With 800 days, 13 months, two of each season and more festivals than you can shake a stick at, a Discworld year is hard to keep track of! Whilst we can't offer the same excitement here in Roundworld the 2015 Discworld calendar is bursting with colour and features the artwork of Discworld artist Stephen Player. Each month sports a glorious full colour picture of your favourite characters and ample space for notes."

Price £15.00. To order, go to:
http://www.pjsmprints.com/books/index.html#calendar

Discworld 2015 Diary: We R Igors

"Exclusively embossed with Terry's signature, this delightfully illustrated diary is a must for any Pratchett fan's Hogswatch stocking! A durable, high quality hardback, with heavy weave pages, this beautiful book comes with all the functionality of an everyday diary but also packs the charm, wit and wonder of the Discworld into every month."

Price £20.00. To order, go to:
http://www.pjsmprints.com/books/index.html#Igors

Badges

"Our quality hard enamelled badges are always a hit but when the Hogfather turns up you simply can't resist! Great for pinning onto anything from school bags to blazers, wear your Hogfather with pride! He's only available for a limited time and stocks will dwindle, so snap one up while you can! Great stocking filler for the Discworld fan in your life."

Price for individual 40mm/1.5" badges (including Susan, Twoflower, Moist, Granny, Death, Rincewind with the Luggage, Vetinari with the Eyebrow, Pterry himself, the Librarian, and the new Hogfather badge) is £3.50 each; for individual 25mm/1" badges – a huge selection – £1 each. To order, go to:
http://www.pjsmprints.com/badges/index.html

Canvas prints

"We love our new range of canvases and can't wait to share them with you! Printed on the best quality, robust material and wonderfully sturdy, these vibrantly coloured prints feature some of our most popular artwork and classic quotes from the Man Himself. 5 Exclamation Marks is the Sign of an Insane Mind !!!!!"

Prices vary from £15 to £35.00 for a wide selection of different sizes. To view the full collection and to order, go to:
http://www.pjsmprints.com/canvas/index.html

Hogswatch cards

"Wish your loved ones a truly merry Hogswatch with our seasonal range of high-quality A5 cards. These beautifully illustrated gloss cards feature the artwork of Paul Kidby and include a lineup of Discworld characters guaranteed to titillate even the most cynical Ankh-Morporkian denizen. Cards feature The Hogfather, The Librarian (Who doesn't need an 'Ook!' in their life?) and Nanny Ogg in festive mood. All cards have individual messages and come complete with colourful envelopes."

Priced at £2.95, the cards are all A5 size and come with coloured envelopes. To view the full collection and to order, go to:
http://www.pjsmprints.com/Hogswatch/index.html

Mousemats

"Cheer yourself up at work or home with one of our quality Discworld mousemats, your desk will never be dull again with Death of Rats to keep you company (squeak!) All mousemats are now reduced so snap them up at only £5 each! Once they're gone, they're gone."

Price £5. To view the full collection and to order, go to:
http://www.pjsmprints.com/mousemats/index.html

Mort and Greebo

"Our latest 2 designs in the ever popular magnet and coaster Dweenie range, we're delighted to offer you Mort and Greebo. Take a look at the full range to mix and match your favourites. Don't forget, the Hogfather is available for a limited time only."

Price per magnet is £2.00; per coaster, £2.50; a set of 22 magnets is £42.00, and a set of 22 coasters is £52.00. Each magnet measures 57mm square; each coaster measures 90mm square. To view the full collection and to order, go to:
http://www.pjsmprints.com/dweenie/index.html

Death Hoodie

"A black outfit... with a hood... who wears an ensemble like that? Oh yes, Death! And now we're offering you the chance to as well with our NEW Death hoodie! Made of superb quality, heavy woven cotton our new hoodies will see you through the coldest Hogswatch in style. With one of our most popular images screenprinted on the reverse, these are a fabulous buy and are selling fast."

Price £38.00, in a range of sizes from Small to Extra Extra Large. For full details and to order, go to:
http://www.pjsmprints.com/tshirts/index.html

Paper Panda Cards – New

"We're exceptionally proud of these versatile and unusual cards featuring some of the most popular Discworld characters. Seasonal enough to use for Hogswatch greetings but left blank inside for you to personalise, each design is reproduced in faithful detail on A5 card and comes complete with envelope."

Price £2.95 each (editor's note: these new cards are exceptionally beautiful!). To view the full collection and to order, go to:
http://www.pjsmprints.com/greetingscards/index.html

CMOT Badges – Popular and easy to pack, good stocking fillers

"Proudly display your affiliation to the various Ankh-Morporkian guilds, institutions, organisations and individuals with our range of best selling designed lapel wear. Cock-a-snook at mere undergraduates with [the] Unseen University Alumni Badge" (approximately 35mm high)... Cock-an-even-bigger-snook at holders of inferior degrees with [the] Unseen University Doctoral Badge" (approx. 40mm high)... and not forgetting the Ankh-Morpork City Watch Badge: "Essential for every budding Watch Man, Woman, Troll, Dwarf, Golem, Vampire, Pixie etcetera. Antique bronze metal – approximately 35mm high."

UU Alumni Badge is £4.50; UU Doctoral Badge, £4.95; A-M City Watch Badge, £6.95. To view the full collection and to order, go to:
http://www.pjsmprints.com/cmot/index.html

"PLEASE NOTE OUR LAST GUARANTEED ORDERING DATES FOR HOGSWATCH 2014 ARE:

UK – 13th December
Western Europe – 6th December
USA – 5th December
The rest of the world (including Australia and New Zealand) – 27th November"

http://pjsmprints.com/


7.2 DISCWORLD EMPORIUM UPDATES

"Hogswatch is on the horizon, and our final recommended posting dates are here giving you plenty of time to peruse our range of Discworld delights and place your orders. To ease the burden of browsing we've compiled a handy selection of our favourite items for you to choose from":

New stuff: http://bit.ly/14kVeDD
Jewellery and apparel: http://bit.ly/1zo3EnE
Homewares: http://bit.ly/1oUaHDY
Printed gifts: http://bit.ly/1zo3QmT
Games and pastimes: http://bit.ly/1GV6ANA
...and of course, stamps: http://bit.ly/1wwj8Tn

USA: 11th December
EU: 13th December
UK: 18th December
Rest of the world: 3rd December

* Ankh-Morpork, the fiendishly difficult Discworld puzzle!

"Back in August we premiered our Ankh-Morpork Jigsaw, which promptly sold out at the International Discworld Convention. We've since been working on some tweaks and are pleased to announce that the Fiendishly Difficult Discworld Puzzle is now back in stock for Hogswatch!

"Ankh-Morpork, city of one thousand surprises – now in a thousand puzzling pieces! See the city unfold before your very eyes, but only if they can take the strain! Featuring artwork from The Compleat Ankh-Morpork, this fiendishly difficult Discworld puzzle is a must for any jigsaw collector and Pratchett fan. 'Compleated' puzzle measures 66 x 50cm, made in the UK. (Health warning; side effects may include head scratching, wall climbing and mild bouts of lunacy – but the view is worth it!). 2nd Edition."

Ankh-Morpork 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle, is priced at £17.50. For full details and to order, go to:
http://bit.ly/1ww2SSd

* Hogswatch 2014 Update!

Hogswatch 2014, "A gathering of Discworld fans who really should know better", will take place on 28th-30th November:

"Join us [in] Wincanton on November 28-30th in for a festive celebration of all things Discworld in Ankh-Morpork's very own twin town. Enjoy a weekend of diverse entertainments including, games, talks, activities for little folk and Hogswatch staples such as the traditional Sausage Supper, Strut your Stuff, and the Grand Charity Auction – all held in venues throughout the town. Good little boys and girls may even be treated to a visitation from the Hogfather himself. Expect good food, a warm welcome, and plenty of charitable nonsense in the company of fellow fans and likeminded folk. A full programme of events will be available nearer the date...

"This year we're also celebrating three major book anniversaries – 10 years of Going Postal, 20 years of Interesting Times and 25 years of Pyramids, giving a huge range of costuming opportunity. Dressing up is wholeheartedly encouraged, so whether Noble Postman or Agatean Emperor, don your Discworld gladrags and paint the town Octarine!

"Hogswatch is an informal gathering, with a friendly atmosphere and easygoing charm. It's (mostly) free to attend but you will have to source your own accommodation – click the 'Where to Stay' button below for ideas on where to rest your head.

"Getting there – for directions and public transport information (Google Maps): http://bit.ly/1xE5Sl5 – CAR PARKING – Wincanton is blessed with three free carparks, for restriction information and a car park map:
http://en.parkopedia.co.uk/parking/wincanton/

"Don't forget to order your limited edition Hogswatch 2014 Medal of Honour – exclusive to our fearless and foolhardy Hogswatch attendees!" The Hogswatch 2014 Medal of Honour is priced at £3.50. For full info and to pre-order for collection at the event:

www.discworldemporium.com/Hogswatch%20Medal%20of%20Honour

*

FURTHER UPDATES

"Hogswatch is a special time for the Ankh-Morpork Post Office; the crisp crunch of snow under foot on the morning rounds, the back-breaking mail sacks full of Hogswatch cheer, the quivering excitement of stamp collectors as they await the Hogswatch designs... With previous guest artists including Paul Kidby and Peter Dennis, the limited edition Hogswatch issues from Discworld Stamps are always eagerly anticipated. We're excited to reveal that this year's designs are the result of an exclusive collaboration between The Discworld Emporium and guest artist Joe McLaren; cover artist for the stunning Discworld Collector’s Library Edition Hardbacks from Gollancz! A true Pratchett fan at heart (and a member of the Discworld Collector’s Club back in the 90s), Joe has used his distinctive style to depict a view of Sator Square on Hogswatch eve complete with wizards, beggars, dwarfs, trolls, the Hogfather in his sleigh, snow swirling around the Tower of Art and candlelit carols – a real Hogswatch treat!"

Here we go...

* "Fairytale of Ankh-Morpork" Minisheet

"This glorious image has been cleverly designed to incorporate four separate tableaus that make our new issues from the A.M.P.O. presented here as a limited edition minisheet measuring approx 90 x 90mm. An edition of only 300."

Priced at £5.00, the Fairytale of Ankh-Morpork minisheet will be available online on 2nd December (also available at Hogswatch 2014 Wincanton festivities next weekend). To see images of the Minisheet, and to order (in the fullness of time), go to: http://bit.ly/1yFbatF

* Hogswatch exclusive Little Brown Envelope!

"No Hogswatch would be complete without a festive edition of our Little Brown Envelope – a lucky-dip assortment of Discworld Stamps with a chance of rarities, sports and prizes. Each LBE in this edition will contain at least one of Joe McLaren’s Hogswatch stamps, along with a generous sprinkling of the two Hogswatch sport variants, rare Blue Triangles and Dead Letter Labels distributed throughout the edition. And that's not all! Being the season of goodwill there will also be TWO ultra-rare Blue Triangle Sports waiting to be found in lucky envelopes, along with prize tickets for 1 of 30 exclusive Sport Covers, or 1 of 30 Large Format Sheets of Hogswatch stamps – Now if that doesn’t get you in the festive mood, we don't know what will!

"ON SALE AT OUR HOGSWATCH EVENT IN WINCANTON FROM SAT 29TH, AND ONLINE IN TWO BATCHES AT 10:00AM & 6:00PM GMT ON TUESDAY 2ND DEC. For more information & a sneaky preview click the images!"

http://bit.ly/1uSUI8w
http://bit.ly/1xEC077
http://bit.ly/1raRx8o
http://bit.ly/1zNom0t

"N.B. Special Editions tend to sell our VERY quickly, often within the first ten minutes of release. To avoid disappointment we recommend the purchase of an LBE Season Ticket. Otherwise please have this page ready at the time of release and remember to refresh your browser. It is important to note that adding LBEs to your cart does NOT guarantee purchase - proceeding quickly to checkout once they have been added to cart is heartily advised."

The Hogswatch LBE is priced at £5.00. For more information and to order (in the fullness of time), go to: http://bit.ly/1torZEG

* "Hogswatch 2014 First Day Cover"

"A beautifully illustrated First Day Cover featuring this year's Hogswatch issues by guest artist Joe McLaren - cover illustrator of the stunning Discworld Collector’s Library edition Hardbacks from Gollancz. Joe has used his distinctive style to depict a festive view of Sator Square complete with wizards, beggars, dwarfs, trolls, the Hogfather in his sleigh, snow swirling around the Tower of Art and candlelit carols - a real Hogswatch treat! Each cover features all four designs, embellished with a limited edition Hogswatch frank from the A-M.P.O and accompanied by a decorative commemorative insert! An edition of only 250, each cover measures 110 x 220mm (DL)."

The Hogswatch 2014 First Day Cover is priced at £10.00 and will be available online on 2nd December (also available at Hogswatch 2014 Wincanton festivities next weekend). To see images of the First Day Cover, and to order (in the fullness of time), go to: http://bit.ly/1vaa7To


* "Hogswatch 2014 is only a week away and we are pleased to announce that our official programme of events is now LIVE! View on our website, or download a printable version for Acrobat-supporting devices – click below to view!"

http://www.discworldemporium.com/Hogswatch%202014


*** Editor's Choice: some recommended selections from the Discworld Emporium for your Hogswatch stockings...

a. "The Witches" board game

"The Witches is set in the magically charged land of Lancre. Players take on the role of trainee witches, such as Tiffany Aching and Petulia Gristle, learning their craft and dealing with all the problems that life on Discworld can throw at them. Our heroines will tackle everything from a sick pig to a full-blown invasion of elves - life can be tough for a young witch in Lancre! Fear not however, as an array of Discworld's most famous characters will be on hand to aid your quest. Along the way you'll meet the guiding forces of Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and Magrat Garlick, along with a rich supporting cast of familiar faces from Terry Pratchett's bestselling Discworld series. Compete with your fellow 'hags' to master the witches' craft, and cooperate to prevent crises from escalating into catastrophes. Most problems can be solved with a little headology and a nice cup of tea, although at times you must resort to magic, but beware - too much may cause you to turn 'Black Aliss'. The Witches can be played with up to four players, competitively, co-operatively, or even played solitaire.

"The Witches is the second Discworld game from Martin Wallace and explores another corner of Discworld, where our brave heroines are forever on call to impart their wisdom, and battling evil is just part of the job. Suitable for ages 13+ Play length 90 minutes approx."

"The collector's edition of The Witches includes exclusive alternative cover art, a larger Lancre map game board, four exclusive pewter figurines of each playable character: Tiffany Aching, Petulia Gristle, Annagramma Hawkin and Dimity Hubbub, along with a rather stunning A1 poster of artwork from the game. This edition is limited to 2000 copies world wide."

The Standard Edition is £29.99. To order:
http://bit.ly/1zDU9ky

The Collector's Edition is £40.00. To order:
http://bit.ly/1uSqUKt

b. The Ankh-Morpork Post Office Collection Box

A cut out and build beauty!

"From the pages of Going Postal and the team who brought you the Unseen University Cut Out Book this cut-out and build collection box is an ideal activity to while away a soggy afternoon. When complete your Ankh-Morpork post box can be used to collect anything from small coinage to love notes, or simply used as a table decoration. Each pack contains four sheets of sturdy paper to cut out including the option to make either a clean and shiny post box or a graffiti-decorated version more often seen on the streets of Ankh-Morpork. Finished article measures 235cm high, glue and cutting implement not supplied. Supervision of little folk is advised."

The A-M Post Office Collection Box is priced at £5.00. To order:
http://bit.ly/1p1yRw6

c. "Raising Steam" Collector's Pack

"The age of steam has arrived in Ankh-Morpork, and to celebrate the Discworld Emporium is proud to offer this exclusive collection of stunning ephemera from Terry Pratchett's 40th Discworld novel, Raising Steam! Each set includes an A3 folded guide to Discworld's new Railway, featuring cover artwork by Peter Dennis and Ian Mitchell depicting the glorious Iron Girder, Discworld's first locomotive. Inside you'll find the official map produced by Ian Mitchell for the frontispiece of Raising Steam, only BIGGER and in FULL COLOUR! On the reverse you'll find a full explanation of services available to first, second and third class passengers. Each guide has been lithographically printed onto high quality 280 micron art paper.

"You will also receive a third class luggage label featuring additional artwork of Iron Girder - a souvenir from your journey on the Ankh-Morpork and Sto Plains Hygienic Railway. This label is robust enough to withstand even the most 'enthusiastic' baggage handler and is matt varnished for a tactile finish. Measures approx. 70 x 110 mm. And then there's the ticket – the ultimate keepsake! Printed on textured paper and punched at either end on our own perforator, each ticket is printed on both sides for an authentic 'age of steam' appearance. On the reverse of your ticket you'll find a few useful titbits of information to make your journey more pleasurable (No singing, spitting or micturating from the windows).

"Also Included is a postcard from Uberwald, featuring an illustration of the Fifth Elephant crashing into the hills surrounding Bonk and Schmaltzberg. On the reverse, you can read the missive of a young dwarf in search of his roots. Each card bears an Ankh-Morpork Post Office 5p Rail Mail stamp, featuring Iron Girder herself, franked in transit. (Discworld Stamp collectors, please note that mint examples of this stamp will be available in the near future).

"All of the above has been prepared with great care to contain no spoilers - only details that have been made immediately apparent in the press as approved by Sir Terry."

The Raising Steam Collector's Pack is priced at £12.50. To order:
http://bit.ly/1BNZBGf

d. The City Watch Pocket Notebook

"Uphold the law on the streets of Ankh-Morpork with the aid of the official issue pocket notebook - a trusty companion to the officer on the beat or in a bind. Contains 44 plain pages for your reports and scribblings, along with six pages of reference material to guide you about your duties. Includes quick-fire information on powers of arrest, chargeable offences, first aid and watch houses, equipment regulations, and the all-important watch oath. Features sketchbook-quality 190gsm off-white leaves made from 100% real paper, and textured card cover with rounded corners. Measures 105 x 147mm."

The City Watch Pocket Notebook is priced at £5.00. To order:
http://bit.ly/11v2cUE

e. The I ATE'NT DEAD Necklace

"The Feegles call her the 'Hag O' Hags', the dwarfs 'She Who Must Be Avoided', but we know her best as Esmerelda Weatherwax: Discworld's most formidable practitioner of headology. Our tribute to Granny Weatherwax is her iconic borrowing sign recreated as a beautiful silver pendant and chain. Created by our award-winning silversmiths in the historic workshops of Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter, each pendant has been hand-crafted so that no one sign is precisely the same, and stamped with the Discworld and sterling silver hallmarks on the reverse. A precious and essential accessory for any aspiring witch!! Pendant measures approx 25 x 22mm, necklace (end to end) measures 480mm."

The I ATE'NT DEAD Necklace is priced at £45.00. To order:
http://bit.ly/1CdxRWp

f. And finally... Wintersmith! The Deluxe Edition of Steeleye Span's officially Pterry-approved concept CD

"An epic musical collaboration from mutual fans Steeleye Span and Terry Pratchett, based on the Discworld novel Wintersmith – a match made in folk-rock heaven! Steeleye Span famously played at Terry's 60th birthday party and they have been firm friends ever since. This deluxe double CD album features four extra songs, plus eight live tracks from the Wintersmith Tour and two exclusive demo versions. Features Maddy Prior, the voice of Steeleye for 40 years at the helm of the line-up, with band stalwart and fiddler extraordinaire Peter Knight, Rick Kemp on bass, Peter Zorn and Julian Littman on Guitars and Liam Genockey on the drum stool, With special guests Terry Pratchett, Kathryn Tickell and John Spiers."

The Deluxe Wintersmith CD set is priced at £15.00. To order: http://bit.ly/1xVb1E1

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

08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

An excellently cast trio of Lancre Witches, from Monstrous Productions' Wyrd Sisters:
http://bit.ly/1zb1IPx

The title page of the BBC Good Omens radio play script, "signed by All Involved", which raised £360.00 in the 2014 Children in Need auction:
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTYwMFgxMDY2/z/cm4AAOSw1XdUW75P/$_57.JPG

...and the hardcover edition of Good Omens, signed by the authors, which raised £285.00 in the auction:
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTA2NlgxNjAw/z/UusAAOSwosFUW7zO/$_57.JPG

The Author has a new hat!
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B2Qe7mYIgAA99HT.jpg

The Treacle Miners of Perth, Fourecks did a creditable Ankh-Morpork City Watch for Comic Con:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BkCYy87CcAAibKs.jpg:large


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

09) CLOSE

As time continues to tick on and our favourite author's Embuggerance steals him away cell by cell, the subject of the freedom to choose one's own time and place of dying becomes ever more relevant. Here is a well-written, level-headed editorial piece on the subject in Brockport College's student newspaper. Well worth reading and considering.

"Terry Pratchett, a writer I admire, has Alzheimer's disease, which has recently begun affecting his ability to write.
Though he lives in the UK, which does not have any sort of Death with Dignity law, he sought information in Switzerland which does allow for physician-assisted suicide. He published 'Choosing to Die' which follows several patients as they travel to the Swiss company Dignitas to end their lives. In the documentary, Pratchett said if and likely when he loses his ability to write, he will most likely choose to end his life rather than live in a world where he can't write..."

http://bit.ly/1zEv5Kc

And here is another well-written and well-reasoned piece, this time from a demographic usually associated with social conservatism (i.e. corporate chartered accountancy):

"Our society has begun to move toward discussing death more frankly and re-examining many of our existing suppositions about what a good death looks like. A study released early this year found that most doctors surveyed would prefer a do-not-resuscitate, or 'no code,' order for themselves should they be diagnosed with terminal illness, though by default, most patients receive all available measures unless they specifically indicate other wishes. VJ Periyakoil, the study's lead author, observed that, 'Our current default is "doing," but in any serious illness there comes a tipping point where the high-intensity treatment becomes more of a burden than the disease itself.' Identifying this tipping point cannot be easy for doctors or loved ones, but surely when patients still have the capacity to do so, they deserve the power to make this call..."

http://bit.ly/1ucYPsg

In slightly cheerier news, Pratchett the Younger has now taken on writing the Tomb Raider comic, according to her Twitter feed: "Excited to announce that I'm writing the next run of Tomb Raider comics with @DarkHorseComics, starting with #13"

And a thought to finish on: according to the QI Elves, "The Aymara people of the Andes speak of the past as lying ahead and the future behind them". Backwards time among mountain dwellers? Sounds like a concept the Discworld troll community would find familiar...

And that's the lot for now. If there's any late-breaking news or other items of interest, we'll be back at the very end of the month. Otherwise, see you in December!

– Annie Mac

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
September 2014 (Volume 17, Issue 9, Post 3)

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

Editor in Chief: Annie Mac
News Editor: Vera P
Newshounds: Mogg, Sir J of Croydon Below, the Shadow, Wolfiekins
Staff Writers: Asti, Pitt the Elder, Evil Steven Dread, Mrs Wynn-Jones
Staff Technomancers: Jason Parlevliet, Archchancellor Neil, DJ Helpful
Book Reviews: Annie Mac, Drusilla D'Afanguin, Your Name Here
Puzzle Editor: Tiff (still out there somewhere)
Bard in Residence: Weird Alice Lancrevic
Emergency Staff: Steven D'Aprano, Jason Parlevliet
World Membership Director: Steven D'Aprano (in his copious spare time)

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

INDEX:

01) MORE QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR
03) A SLIP OF THE KEYBOARD: NEWS AND REVIEWS
04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
05) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
06) ROUNDWORLD TALES
07) MORE IMAGES
08) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
09) CLOSE

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

01) THE OTHER QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"As Terry walks into the darkness much too soon, I find myself raging too: at the injustice that deprives us of – what? Another twenty or thirty books? Another shelf-full of ideas and glorious phrases and old friends and new, of stories in which people do what they really do do best, which is use their heads to get themselves out of the trouble they got into by not thinking? Another book or two like this, of journalism and agitprop and even the occasional introduction? But truly, the loss of these things does not anger me as it should. It saddens me, but I, who have seen some of them being built close up, understand that any Terry Pratchett book is a small miracle, and we already have more than might be reasonable, and it does not behoove any of us to be greedy..."

– Neil Gaiman, in his preface to A Slip of the Keyboard

"All authors must occasionally wonder where the magic comes from, and sometimes I wonder where the strength of Daphne came from, and about the source of Mau's almost incoherent rage. Where ever their origins, I believe that Nation is the best book I have ever written or will write."

– Terry Pratchett, from A Slip of the Keyboard (Doubleday hardcover, page 141)

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

02) A LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

Hello out there, from the very back end of September! I only just got my copy of A Slip of the Keyboard, and my replacement copy of Dragons at Crumbling Castle arrived last night (the first one went missing in the post – no, really), I've given a shortish review of the former and no review of the latter until next issue... because when I jokingly said to a friend last night, "No sleep till Wednesday," it turned out to be prophetic, and as it's now nearing the last hours of the last day of the month, I think I'd better finish off before I get too cross-eyed.

To those of you who wrote to say that the new non-Yahoo Wossname arrived without problem and looks fine and perfectly formatted, many thanks. So far no one has written to complain; one hopes that's a good sign!

A wee reminder that Mrs Bradshaw's to Travelling Upon the Ankh-Morpork and Sto Plains Hygienic Railway Handbook will be published in Roundworld next month (9th October):

"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... Fully illustrated and replete with useful titbits, Mrs Bradshaw's Handbook offers a view of the Sto Plains like no other." But I am leaving out the previous pre-order link and will think long and hard before ever again offering links to Amazon; instead, I'll recommend that those of you who order books from the internet consider using smaller or more independent online booksellers[1], and will instead post a link to the keynote address by David Mitchell[2] at last week's Booksellers Association conference. I've been increasingly horrified by Amazon for some time now, so this speech didn't convince me, but perhaps it may help to convince someone else:

http://tinyurl.com/k7rkfo9

In a lighter vein, here be some hedgehogs who can never be *coloured* at all. Aww!

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-29349085

Also, for a small delight or enormous wonderfulness, have a look at Wee Mad Arthur on a pigeon, at the bottom of the Ookbench (item 8, third link).

And now for all the news that fits...

– Annie Mac, Editor

[1] Or indeed, the like of Sir Pterry's own independent bookshop which, as you'll recall, links to actual brick-and-mortar booksellers: https://www.myindependentbookshop.co.uk/TerryPratchett

[2] The funny one. Though he, too, is a published author

( THE REST OF THIS ISSUE IS UNDER THE CUT. CLICK HERE TO READ! )

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
September 2014 (Volume 17, Issue 9, Post 2)

* * * STOP THE PRESSES * * *

After many years of receiving faithful (if not always competent) service from Yahoo, Wossname is moving to a new mailing list:

wossname at pearwood.info

Provided we manage to avoid any +++OUT OF CHEESE+++ errors on Hex over the next 24 hours, you will receive a welcome message from the new mailing list, which will include instructions for going onto "No Mail" or unsubscribing, followed shortly thereafter by the first genuine, honest-to-goodness new Wossname editorial from our new home. Wheee!

If you haven't received anything by then, please check your spam folder, or drop us a line at wossname-owner at pearwood.info

The historical archives of old WOSSNAME editions will remain open at

https://groups.yahoo.com/group/WOSSNAME/ https://groups.yahoo.com/group/WOSSNAME/

but no new editions will go there, apart from a monthly alert when the new edition comes out. Future newsletters instead will be found archived at two places:

http://wossname.dreamwidth.org/ http://wossname.dreamwidth.org/

http://www.pearwood.info/pipermail/wossname/ http://www.pearwood.info/pipermail/wossname/


-- Steven, assistant editor and trainee technomancer

WOSSNAME
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
July 2014 (Volume 17, Issue 7, post 2)
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

INDEX:

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

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

01) QUOTE OF THE REST OF THE MONTH

Or quite possibly the quote of the year!

"I'd like to do a Tomb Raider/Wee Free Men mash-up where Lara is armed only with a frying pan and a bottle of 'Special Sheep Liniment'."

– Rhianna Pratchett, 20th July 2014 via Twitter

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

02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

Wotcha, all! This is a very quick round of updates, coming at the very end of the month. As I am in a rush, and haven't been near a Hex much in the past fortnight, I'll just say a quick apology to the various readers whose emails I haven't had a chance to reply to yet. Soon, soon. And now, on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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

03) ODDS AND SODS

3.1 NEW DISCWORLD ALES: WE'LL DRINK TO THAT

New Discworld-inspired and officially licenced ales for Roundworld! Apparently the first of these will be available in Wetherspoon's pubs for the next few weeks. Cheers!

First up is Modo's Midden, a golden ale by the Boathouse Brewery, priced at £3.14 a bottle:

"Dwarves are regarded as some of the best brewers on Discworld. Invited to try his hand at the Boathouse Brewery (as compensation for damage caused to the lawns), Unseen University's head gardener, Modo, spent long hours in the brewhouse preparing and crafting his beer. A steady stream of under gardeners arrived with ingredient-laden barrows, causing more than one student to wonder what exactly would emerge and whether the brewhouse would survive. The resulting beer serves as one of the finest examples of dwarven brewing excellence and Modo has been seen feeding his legendary compost heap with a bottle or three when it's feeling a little flat.

"Tasting Notes: An honest, earthy and refreshing golden ale with a classic aroma of cedar and herbs. On the palate a light lemon/grapefruit flavour develops under the cedar for a truly distinctive character. The beer leaves a rounded taste in the mouth wanting you to take more."

http://tinyurl.com/mb457g9

...and then there's Invalid's Restorative, priced at £2.10 per bottle:

"A deep golden ale, brewed by golems who can resist the temptations of its strength. Matured in oaken casks used for aging Jimkin Bearhugger’s finest dram. The purest mountain spring water is shipped in from Llamedos and blended with floor malted barley, just a dash of black malt and a blend of Progress and Pilgrim (hops rather than travellers). The long oak aging imparts vanilla notes to the aroma, and the residual spirit lends a hefty kick to this splendid ale... Whiskey barrels are used for transporting the beer (they have plenty!) and this imparts a distinctive taste which, in true Bearhugger fashion, is aged for 8 minutes to keep up with the massive demand..."

http://tinyurl.com/ntm7cmn

3.2 WORLD WIDE DISCWORDS

The marvellous Michael Quinion of World Wide Words has featured Discworld in not one but two posts recently! Here are the entries for thaumaturgy (in which the UU Thaumometers get a look-in):

http://tinyurl.com/nplh974

...and for geis/geas, which of course quotes the Feegles:

http://tinyurl.com/lzg895t

3.3 REVIEW: GOING POSTAL

By Will Duquette on patheos.com:

"So last night I finished reading Terry Pratchett’s Going Postal to my wife and kids. Going Postal is in an odd category: it’s a full-fledge novel that I have only ever read aloud. I read it to Jane when it was first released, and now to Jane and my kids. Jane and I loved it on the first reading, and I’m glad to say that it held up on the second reading. In fact, I might go so far as to say that Going Postal is one of Pratchett’s best, and it’s certainly one of my favorites, in part because it is so unlike the various other Discworld sub-series... One of the things I especially like about this one is the variety of scenes with Lord Vetinari. We usually see him through the eyes of Sam Vimes, Commander of the City Watch; and so we usually see the Vetinari’s manner when managing Sam Vimes. But Vetinari is a skilled manipulator, and his manner with Moist is somewhat – different..."

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/crywoof/2014/07/review-going-postal/

( THE REST OF THIS ISSUE IS UNDER THE CUT. CLICK HERE TO READ! )

WOSSNAME
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
June 2014 (Volume 17, Issue 6, post 1)
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

INDEX:

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) THE LONG EARTH SERIES: NEWS AND REVIEWS
04) ODDS AND SODS
05) REVIEW: DODGER'S GUIDE TO LONDON
06) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
07) REVIEW: THE LONG WAR
08) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
09) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
10) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
11) ACTION REPLAYS
12) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
13) CLOSE

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"I have been blessed with good fortune in my life. I've turned a passion into a profession."

– Terry Pratchett, on accepting his first non-European honorary doctorate

"I'm sorry. I know that I am a small, weak man, but I have amassed a large library; I dream of dangerous places."

– AE Pessimal in Snuff (p. 186, Doubleday hardcover)

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

02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

All my life, I've taken my job seriously. Whether the work was paid (e.g. career) or unpaid (e.g. WOSSNAME), I always applied myself to the best of my ability. That application had much to do with why I did well in my former career, and I've continued doing my best to *do* my best as editor/publisher of the WOSSNAME newsletter even though my physical health is dodgy, my financial situation dodgier, and my mental health generally a Don't Arsk. But although I took on WOSSNAME as a favour to Joe-the-founder and have kept it going with less and less volunteer "staff" since his death a few years ago, my promise to Joe isn't the only reason I carry on here – I do WOSSNAME as a thank-you to Terry Pratchett, the man and the brand, for bringing so much delight and so much satisfaction to my life through his writings and for being one of the most awesome and influential popular philosophers of our time.

When I tell people Terry Pratchett ruined me for almost all other authors' work, I am not only dead serious but am also making that claim on the basis of a vast amount of comparative study: I've read many thousands of books over the decades. No, really. I taught myself to read at an early age, have ever been a fast reader with comprehensive, long-lasting content retention, and truly did spend much of my childhood inhaling every library I could get my eyes on (most of the rest of my time was spent marathoning and nature- watching; I may not have been the world's only child XD runner with a rucksack full of books, but I suspect we're a fairly rare occurrence), so by my early teens I had all the seminal and mid- period science fiction and fantasy "giants", long lists of other genre fiction, forests-worth of big-L Literature and vast mountains of pulp – not to mention far greater amounts of nonfiction – under my reading belt. And unsurprisingly, as the years went on and the list of authors sampled grew, my expectations rose with the height of my Already Read That pile.

And then came Terry Pratchett.

I used to think Wodehouse was the pinnacle of jaunty wit – until Pratchett. I used to think Tom Sharpe was the apex of trenchant social satire – until Pratchett. I even used to think Robert Rankin rather rocked – until Pratchett. And so on. I fell in love with the Discworld series and grew more and more wide-eyed as the power of Pratchett's writing kept on increasing, as he slipped more and more powerful characterisations and observations into the novels without ever losing the weirdly innocent charm of the Discverse itself. And then he wrote Night Watch, and pretty much blew away all the other science fiction writers. And then he wrote Nation, and moved me so with its story – and most of all with its magnificently real characters – that I cried myself sick on my first three readings of it, and yearly re-readings still choke me up something rotten. And then he wrote Dodger, and transported us to the muck and magic of nineteenth-century London in the most rollicking picaresque since Fielding's Tom Jones romped across the public imagination some 250-odd years ago.

Terry Pratchett's ability to draw us a living, breathing character in the space of a sentence or two continues to amaze me. Even the most secondary characters, from long-ago Mended Drum owner Hibiscus Dunelm to minor Agatean bureaucrat Six Beneficent Winds, from "Bill Door"'s fellow farm labourers to the least memorable member of the Silver Horde, from Tawneee the unworldly stripper to "winkle-stall queen" Verity Pushpram, spring instantly into fully realised 3-D on the mental screen. Consider Roland's father, dying Baron of the Chalk: we hardly got to "see" him in the Tiffany Aching books, yet his presence was so vibrant, so *alive* – and his death so filled with light and hope and welcome resolution – that it gutted me. Consider Angua's mother: sketchily drawn yet real enough that we could see in her the sources of so much of Angua's personal anxieties and Wolfgang's over-indulged arrogance. Consider goblin Billy Slick's great-grandmother, the alcohol-soaked but needle-sharp Regret of the Falling Leaf. Consider Brick the foundling troll, overwhelmed by life in the big city, drug-addled and none too bright yet sensitive enough to recognise the subtle distinctions of moral conflict. Consider Mrs Colon, never seen but easily pictured. Or Miss Healstether. Or the Smoking Gnu. Or Kelda Jeannie. Or the rat- catchers in TAMAHER, real enough to smell and far more menacing than any throwaway comedy villains have a right to be. Or... the list goes on and on. Pratchett's greatest strength, and many agree with me on this, lies in his ability to present all those living, breathing, utterly sympathetic characters in a way that feels effortless, straight out of his imagination into our hearts.

And then I read The Long War, and Terry Pratchett's writing brought me to tears again, but this time for a very different reason.

All of the above is my long-winded way of saying that I simply cannot, in conscience, write a truthful review of The Long War because I can't find anything good to say about it, despite having promised last month to include a review in the June issue. I feel awful about this. I feel like some kind of traitor. I feel like I'm biting the hand that's fed my Happy Reading Place for almost thirty years. But I can't squeeze out enough juice to make the proverbial lemonade, because The Long War feels nothing like Terry Pratchett's writing and nothing like a book I'd wish to recommend to friends or strangers. I found it even drier and more lifeless than The Long Earth. I found the characters even more cipher-like, with not the slightest touch of the *aliveness* that pervades all the rest of Pratchett's creations. And no, it's not a matter of different genres, as I suggested in my review of The Long Earth two years ago, nor is it a matter of time and PCA changing the author's style – as far as I'm concerned, Snuff and Raising Steam and all the rest of his recent work still fills my world with shining, sparkling wordcraft.

So I've bowed out of this one, Readers, even though it breaks my heart. I've decided to repost my review of The Long Earth, as just about every criticism I offered in reviewing the first book of the series holds for the second, and have passed reviewing duties for The Long War over to one of WOSSNAME's few remaining staff members (see item 7).

Dear Sir Pterry and Team Pratchett, please don't hate me, 'k? I shall continue to do my best to pay respects to that enormous body of awesome work. The flame still burns!

*

And the flame *does* still burn, in the form of WOSSNAME's review of Jack Dodger's Guide to London. It's a bit of a love letter from the heart, and no lemons required squeezing in its making. See item 5...

*

As an ever greater number of amateur dramatic companies and student drama projects choose to present Discworld plays, the quality of the productions continues to rise. I normally present Discworld plays without concentrating on any particular productions, but I have to say that Australia's "Unseen Theatre" company deserves an extra nod of appreciation for their presentations, and now, to judge by reviews and other reactions, the Lifeline Theatre of Chicago deserves a nod as well for their current staging of Monstrous Regiment. Do be sure to read the reviews for that production and for Unseen Theatre's recent production of Thief of Time, below in section 6!

And speaking of Unseen Theatre, auditions are continuing for their forthcoming production of The Last Continent. Many roles were filled during yesterday's auditions, but not all of them. Director Pamela Munt writes, "Unfortunately we didn't quite fill all of the roles that we have for "The Last Continent" at auditions today. So we will be holding a second round of auditions next Sunday 7th July. We do have enough females. We are now just looking for a couple more males. If you would like to audition please contact Pamela by email at pamela@unseen.com.au This time you will need to make a specific appointment for your audition."

If you're an aspiring Fourecksian luvvy, and want more details, go to:

http://www.unseen.com.au/shows/auditions-round-2-sunday-july-7

*

This seems a good time to remind everyone that the gorgeous Gollancz Discworld Collector's Edition reissues of earlier Discworld novels are almost all, erm, reissued! Still to come in July are the rest of the Lancre Witches books (Witches Abroad, Lords and Ladies, Maskerade), and in August, the reissues finish with The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic. These smaller-format hardcovers are still priced at £9.99 each, and so worth it – I don't know about you, but my own early Discworld paperbacks are now several steps beyond dog-eared, foxed, badgered, wolved and Things from the Dungeon Dimensions-battered. As these reissues remain unavailable for purchase in USA/Canada due to the frustrating niceties of the publishing industry, but there's always that handy internet whatchmajig that might prove helpful... according to the official Gollancz blog, "Many of you are asking whether the series will continue after Jingo. The short answer is: we don’t know. The slightly longer answer is that we do not control rights in any of the Discworld books after Jingo; they are published by Transworld. At the moment, we know of no firm plans on their part to continue the Collector’s Library, but if that changes we’ll certainly note it on the Gollancz blog."

For a full list of the published and about to be published reissues, go to:

http://tinyurl.com/n7zvr6k

And now it's on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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

03) THE LONG EARTH SERIES: NEWS AND REVIEWS

3.1 THE LONG MARS: THE BLURB

"2040-2045: In the years after the cataclysmic Yellowstone eruption there is massive economic dislocation as populations flee Datum Earth to myriad Long Earth worlds. Sally, Joshua, and Lobsang are all involved in this perilous work when, out of the blue, Sally is contacted by her long-vanished father and inventor of the original Stepper device, Willis Linsay. He tells her he is planning a fantastic voyage across the Long Mars and wants her to accompany him. But Sally soon learns that Willis has ulterior motives ...

"Meanwhile U. S. Navy Commander Maggie Kauffman has embarked on an incredible journey of her own, leading an expedition to the outer limits of the far Long Earth.

"For Joshua, the crisis he faces is much closer to home. He becomes embroiled in the plight of the Next: the super-bright post-humans who are beginning to emerge from their 'long childhood' in the community called Happy Landings, located deep in the Long Earth. Ignorance and fear are causing 'normal' human society to turn against the Next - and a dramatic showdown seems inevitable

The Long Mars has been released this week in the UK. The hardcover version is priced at £9.00 on amazon.co.uk:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Long-Mars-Earth/dp/0857521748

...or at £12.99 via the far less morally grey Waterstones:

http://terrypratchett.co.uk/index.php/books/the-long-mars

3.2 THE LONG WAR: OUT NOW IN PAPERBACK

"A generation after the events of The Long Earth, mankind has spread across the new worlds opened up by Stepping. Where Joshua and Lobsang once pioneered, now fleets of airships link the stepwise Americas with trade and culture. Mankind is shaping the Long Earth ? but in turn the Long Earth is shaping mankind ...

"A new 'America', called Valhalla, is emerging more than a million steps from Datum Earth, with core American values restated in the plentiful environment of the Long Earth ? and Valhalla is growing restless under the control of the Datum government...

"Meanwhile the Long Earth is suffused by the song of the trolls, graceful hive-mind humanoids. But the trolls are beginning to react to humanity?s thoughtless exploitation...

"Joshua, now a married man, is summoned by Lobsang to deal with a gathering multiple crisis that threatens to plunge the Long Earth into a war unlike any mankind has waged before."

For more information, and to order:

http://terrypratchett.co.uk/index.php/books/the-long-war

3.3 THE LONG MARS: REVIEW

By Beth Wyatt on London 24:

"The Long Mars, the third in a bestselling series by fantasy genius Terry Pratchett and science fiction star Stephen Baxter, follows the subsequent years through a variety of narrative threads. US Navy commander Maggie Kauffman leads her crew along the Long Earth on two airships, in an attempt to surpass the Chinese record set five years previously of 20 million 'stepwise' Earths. An expedition is also to be had for Sally Linsay, who is contacted out of the blue by her father Willis, the inventor of the original Stepper device, with a tantalising offer to go where none have dared dream of – the Long Mars. But will they find anything worth discovering? And what are Willis' motives? Meanwhile, Joshua Valiente is alerted to the existence of a new civilisation of super-smart humans and becomes pulled into the resulting conflict. Each of the threads, which eventually begin to pull together at the end of the novel, are equally as gripping. The discoveries made on the expeditions are jaw-dropping and, as you would expect from a science fiction novel, are intelligently explained rather than just shoehorned in... Pratchett's trademark playful wit combines with Baxter's science fiction expertise later on with creatures such as a dog-human species, a murderous crustacean and a flying reptile. Not many other writers could introduce such wacky creations and make them believable... With a collaborative novel, there is a worry that the tale may not flow, but Pratchett and Baxter's voices blend seamlessly..."

http://tinyurl.com/ofm7qz2

3.4 STEPHEN BAXTER ON THE COLLABORATIVE PROCESS

Stephen Baxter discusses his collaboration with Sir Pterry on the Long Earth books:

"It quickly emerged that we had quite different writing styles. The Long Earth (as it became) is a kind of extended landscape which you could map, and as the series went on it evolved a history spanning decades, so from the beginning I showed up with sketch maps and timelines, all subject to revision but settings for the stories we would tell. This was 'hard SF' after all, SF of the kind I'd always written, where you stick to the laws of physics (given the odd tweak such as the existence of the parallel worlds in the first place) and you convince the reader through internal consistency. Whereas Terry likes to find his way into a story by following the people: give him two characters sitting in a room and the story will come, he says. As it's worked out, the tensions between the two methods have basically been constructive... I remember a moment when it came together. We sat before his voice-recognition computer system and worked through a revision of Terry's early material, as our Daniel Boone-like hero Joshua Valiente is summoned to the presence of the mysterious artificial intelligence Lobsang for the first time. Terry veered off unexpectedly into a flashback to Joshua's past, when he was a troubled thirteen-year-old on 'Step Day', the day when the Long Earth suddenly opened up for mankind. Terry likes to drill down into the heads of his characters; I think young Joshua had something in common with Tiffany Aching. We had Joshua saving other, less capable kids who got lost in the forests of the parallel worlds – and then I took over, thinking of my world mappings, and had Joshua go off alone deeper into the Long Earth... I think we became confident that this had worked; we had put Terry's characterisation, humour and wisdom together with my sense of the hard-SF structure necessary for establishing the universe of the Long Earth..."

http://www.terrypratchett.co.uk/?p=5098

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

04) ODDS AND SODS

4.1 REPEAT: FOURECKS HONOURS SIR PTERRY

Nice coverage of that newest honorary degree:

"UniSA Vice Chancellor Professor David Lloyd, who presented the award to him in the United Kingdom, says Terry Pratchett is a clear example of someone who has stayed true to his passion. 'Terry brings his immeasurable talent and intellect to doing what he loves – he has produced an enormous body of work that continues to delight and inspire millions of readers and writers around the world,' Prof Lloyd says. 'His contribution not only to literature, but also to the causes about which he is passionate, is enormous and has been rightly acknowledged in literary prizes, through sales and in awards such as this one.' Prof Lloyd says the University is delighted that Terry has accepted the title of Honorary Doctor, his first award of this type from outside the UK and Ireland. 'This brings Terry into the UniSA community in a more personal way and brings our students and the wider University closer to the life of a great writer and a great man,' Prof Lloyd says..."

http://w3.unisa.edu.au/unisanews/2014/June/story3.asp

4.2 REVIEW: THE FOLKLORE OF DISCWORLD

Reviewed by Kate Padilla on Authorlink:

"What a treat for a book reviewer to receive a book in a genre not normally sought and embark on a literary journey. English author Terry Pratchett, who created the Discworld Series (40 volumes with sales up to 85 million copies) has just released, 'The Folklore of Discworld,' co-written with British folklorist Jacqueline Simpson. It is a detailed reference book of legends, myths and customs from 'planet earth' that Pratchett links to his fantasy world... The sensational core of the series are characters who live on Discworld — dwarfs, witches, vampires, gods and other creatures... I discovered Discworld can lead you along a path of laughter and a trip into a joyful magical mystical world."

http://tinyurl.com/lcnxgse

4.3 BEWARE: HERE BE ELVES!

Does Iceland need to put up Dancers? They certainly have Lancre's gnarly ground...

"Plans to build a new road in Iceland ran into trouble recently when campaigners warned that it would disturb elves living in its path. Construction work had to be stopped while a solution was found... Surveys suggest that more than half of Icelanders believe in, or at least entertain the possibility of the existence of, the Huldufolk – the hidden people. Just to be clear, Icelandic elves are not the small, green, pointy-eared variety that help Santa pack the toys at Christmas – they're the same size as you and I, they're just invisible to most of us. Mainly they're a peaceable breed but if you treat them with disrespect, for example by blasting dynamite through their rock houses and churches, they're not reticent about showing their displeasure.

"Iceland's rugged landscape is no bucolic idyll – the very ground boils and spits irrationally, the surrounding craggy, black mountains fester menacingly and above, the sky is constantly herniated by the iron-grey clouds it strains to hold up. It's a visceral, raw and brutal beauty which makes Heathcliff's Wuthering Heights look like a prissy, pastoral watercolour. "You can't live in this landscape and not believe in a force greater than you," explains Professor of Folklore Adalheidur Gudmundsdottir..."

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-27907358

4.4 INTERVIEW: RHIANNA PRATCHETT

"We spoke briefly about her father, Terry Pratchett. Did having such a famous author as a father influence her at all? 'I'm not sure how much he influenced me to go into writing. He certainly didn't actively encourage it. I guess it was just in the blood.' Indeed, the relationship between Rhianna and her father is much more complex than a literary dynasty: 'I'm immensely proud of what my father has achieved in his career, but I see him as being my dad first and foremost, not 'Terry Pratchett' [the] famous author. He's the man who built me Moomin Valley out of papier-mache, taught me how to milk goats and who took me out of bed in the middle of the night to see glow worms and Halley's comet...'"

http://tinyurl.com/kjld9ma

4.5 LEARNING: LANGUAGES AS A HEDGE AGAINST DEMENTIA

A University of Edinburgh study has shown that learning a second language, even in late adulthood, might delay the onset of dementia by several years:

"The findings indicate that those who spoke two or more languages had significantly better cognitive abilities compared to what would have been expected from their baseline test. The strongest effects were seen in general intelligence and reading. The effects were present in those who learned their second language early, as well as later in life."

So... hands up, all you over-40s who want to learn how to speak fluent Nac Mac Feegle!

If you wish to read the full article, it's here: http://www.bbc.com/news/health-27634990

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

05) REVIEW: DODGER'S GUIDE TO LONDON

By Annie Mac

I'm not sure what astonished me more about Jack Dodger's Guide to London – the realisation that I never got around to posting a review of it in WOSSNAME, or the discovery that hardly anyone else out in the wider world appears to have reviewed it. Oh, woe! And waily waily! And I can't be having with this! So...

As we sit in our comfortable homes with all the "mod cons" we take for granted now – well-caulked roofs, good insulation, hot and cold running water, mains gas and electricity, working flush toilets – and our easy access to effective medical treatment, fresh food and clean clothing (and let's not forget the vital work of the refuse collectors, street-sweepers and all the other municipal toilers who make even relatively low-income neighbourhoods far more salubrious places to be in than anywhere anyone but the richest, most powerful people could manage two centuries ago), it can be hard to imagine just how dirty and dangerous London life was in the days of Dodger and his contemporaries. Jack Dodger's Guide to London, filled with historical facts, legends and anecdotes and enlivened by frequent quotes from Sir Jack Dodger himself (based, it says on the cover, on his "original notes"), goes a long and entertaining way towards showing the differences between then and now. The book's 138 pages and twenty-four chapterlets cover many areas of everyday life amongst the high and low of Victorian London: coin of the realm, street vernacular, the Ragged Schools, the Royal Family, underwear and outerwear; details of shopping and housekeeping, crime and the law, and what it was like to live in the slums; transport, public works, entertainments of the time; and various other aspects of Victorian London – including of course the lives of sailors, Seamstresses, dock-workers... and toshers. Special highlights for me were extracts from the actual works of the real Henry Mayhew, and reprints of news items of the time (none of them, sadly, written by Charlie Dickens).

Apart from its oodles of info, Dodger's Guide is a visually delightful piece of art in its own right, styled to match the previous entry in the series that now includes Where's My Cow? and The World of Poo. From the old-fashioned, gilt-decorated matte covers and equally old-fashioned-looking (and Greenpeace approved) renewably sourced paper to the new illustrations by Paul Kidby plus a wealth of reproduced 19th century images and beautifully varied layouts and fonts – as it says at the front of the book, "Considered trifles courtesy of The Discworld Emporium, Wincanton, Somerset... Text design by Lizzy Laczynska... Picture research by Liane Payne" – the book is worth owning for its aesthetic qualities alone, never mind the fun and cheerful faux-Victorian stylings of its content.

The penultimate and final pages of Jack Dodger's Guide to London offer a bibliography and list of internet sources for those of you who might like to take your 19th-century London researches further. I would also recommend some books I own and websites I visit, that provide contemporary-to-us sources of London images and information that fit in nicely with the theme of Dodger's Guide – particularly Geoffrey Fletcher's exquisite short book The London Nobody Knows, which was first published at the end of the 1950s and gives a very good picture, via Fletcher's descriptions and sketches of the remnants of Victorian and Edwardian London, of what life was like in times closer to Dodger's era; Paul Talling's Lost Rivers of London (Talling also runs the excellent if heart-rending, at least to us former London residents, website Derelict London); the website http ://the-east-end.co.uk/and its Twitter account, @The_East_End; and Catharine Arnold's very engaging factual histories of London, including "Necropolis (London and its Dead)", "City of Sin (London and its Vice)", and "Bedlam (London and its Mad)". Another related group of interest is the Ragged Victorians, a sort of social-history Peeled Nuts who assemble in costume, "Using original resources, and the works of Henry Mayhew and Charles Dickens..." to "achieve the most authentic impression, of what life was like in the 1840/50s"; their website can be found at http://www.raggedvictorians.co.uk/

Jack Dodger's Guide to London is a Small but Perfectly Formed(TM) gem of the first water. It shines like golden sovereigns embedded in a tosheroon. If you haven't read and collected it yet, I suggest you do so without delay!

*

Here be a review of Dodger's Guide on SFF World, by Mark Yon:

http://tinyurl.com/kww4hjm

...and one at concatenation.org by Peter Tyers:

http://www.concatenation.org/frev/pratchett_dodger_guide.html

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

06) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

6.1 NEW: "THE LAST CONTINENT"...ON THE LAST CONTINENT!

"Our next play, (by popular vote) will be a return to "The Last Continent" which was a world premiere for us back in 2009... It's actually quite appropriate as it turns out that we are doing a play about Ecks, Ecks, Ecks because Terry has been awarded an honorary doctorate from UniSA."

When: 19th September through 4th October 2014
Venue: The Bakehouse Theatre, 255 Angas Street, Adelaide, South Australia 5000
Time: TBA
Tickets: Pricing TBA

http://www.unseen.com.au/

6.2 REVIEWS: THIEF OF TIME IN ADELAIDE

More reviews of Unseen Theatre's latest production...

By Benjamin Orchard for Adelaide Theatre Guide:

"Pamela Munt, in adapting the novel for the stage, provides newbies like myself with just enough world-building exposition to get by… but only just. I found the first ten minutes or so of this play to be a bit of a jumble, and I would have appreciated a somewhat more detailed explanation as to the intricacies of this world. Fortunately, once the main plot kicks into gear, the play becomes somewhat easier to follow and Munt's script captures Pratchett's greatest strength as a writer, namely his gift for dialogue that is at once gleefully absurd and bitingly witty. This sublime wordplay is buoyed by an impassioned cast, ensuring that many scenes are hilariously entertaining to watch, even if they don't completely make sense and serve no purpose in driving the narrative forward.

"The talented ensemble assumes multiple roles, Monty Python style, with chameleonic finesse, but a few performances stand out more than others. Leighton James is endearingly adorkable as both the naive clockmaker, Jeremy, who is unwittingly recruited by malevolent otherworldly beings to construct a doomsday device and as novice monk, Lobsang, who is entrusted with the daunting quest of preventing the apocalypse. Philip Lineton has laconic charm to spare as Lobsang's aging mentor, Lu-Tze, whose sage wisdom is often filtered through bizarre 'Karate Kid' style housework metaphors. Hugh O'Connor is surprisingly amiable as Death, and together with the other Four Horsemen (Lewis Baker, Tony Cockington, Daniel McInnes, Samuel Creighton) generate an off-kilter chemistry reminiscent of an over-the-hill rock band on a reunion tour. Amelia Lorien is deliciously snarky as Death's granddaughter, Susan, and the filmed narration by Melanie Lyons is a hoot, her relaxed, casual tone adding an extra layer of humour to many life or death situations in the story..."

http://tinyurl.com/pamhylz

By Peter Bleby on aussietheatre.com.au:

"Pamela Munt and The Unseen Theatre Company are to be commended on even attempting to bring this world premiere to the stage. It is not their first either, but this 26th novel in the Discworld series is a particularly difficult one, perhaps especially if you have not read several of its predecessors. Pratchett's writing, though very popular, is not necessarily everybody's cup of what-you-will. But there is always genuine humour, serious inquiry, and crazy fantasy, and these elements are well portrayed in this adaptation... Naturally, this play is surreal, disjointed, quirky and full of non–sequiturs, which must have made learning the lines a bigger challenge, which this cast has mastered well..."

http://tinyurl.com/qctb5jc

By Stephen Davenport for Indaily:

"As usual, the production combines all the best elements of the company to produce a satisfyingly paced piece that ranks among Pamela Munt's, and her players', best episodes. It is an enjoyable romp. Discworld fans – and many round-world patrons – will find it an absolute treat. This is an impressive play with a good deal of aptitude in the troupe; and each performer is truly striking. It's surprising what substance in presentation can do to bring complex plots, entire continents, and even the whole of space and time, to life. Of course, the play is a quest with comical heroes, sagacity, and satire, but this time, it comes with an unusual philosophical outlook, that fortunately doesn't detract from the hilarity. Much of the success is due to the hearty direction by Munt who's adaptation gives the piece a suitable depth and yet doesn't ignore the essence of Pratchett's humour. She delivers a fairy-tale for adults, utilising the author's astonishing work of imagination to yield fastidious absurdity and soul in every particular, impeccably produced scene..."

http://www.unseen.com.au/shows/thief-time/reviews/thief-time-0

6.3 REVIEWS: MONSTROUS REGIMENT IN CHICAGO

Rave reviews – quite savvy ones as well!

Kelsey Jorissen in the Chicago Reader:

"Hainsworth has done a fine job of translating Pratchett's amiable cynicism into sharp theatrical language. His adaptation is witty on its own account and only slightly overlong at two and a half hours. But it's Theis's ensemble that bring even the undead to vivid, entertaining life. Starting out jet-set smooth and uber-vampire confident, Michaela Petro suffers amusingly when severe caffeine deprivation brings Maladict this close to breaking his blood- temperance oath. Justine Turner acts her way through thick layers of gray foam costuming to create a droll troll. And Katie McLean Hainsworth steals a whole slew of scenes as Igor the, uh, Igor. Robert Kauzlaric builds an engagingly clueless lieutenant out of air quotes, while Christopher M. Walsh supplies unexpected nuance and a large measure of heart as the squad's tough, genial NCO. Sarah Price's Polly is as plucky as she needs to be — and yet her main virtue isn't heroism or even likability, but the way she invites us into her adventure..."

http://tinyurl.com/nwtpcl4

By Barbara Vitello in the Chicago Daily Herald:

"Taking its title from John Knox's 16th-century tirade against female sovereigns ('The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women'), in which he argues gender makes women unsuitable leaders, the play satirizes gender roles. It also serves as a caustic rebuke of war, blind patriotism and persistent stupidity – all of which make this 'Regiment' resonant... Facing defeat and with their ranks depleted, army recruiters seek out young soldiers willing to enlist in Borogravia's latest struggle against neighboring Zlobenia. Among them is Polly Perks (Sarah Price, a winningly winsome waif), who cuts her hair, dons a pair of breeches, changes her name to Oliver and joins the army to find her wayward brother (also a recruit) and bring him home. She's assigned to a ragtag regiment, whose recruits are as green as she is. Among them is aristocratic vampire Maladict (Michaela Petro, all refined menace), who swore off blood in favor of coffee; Igor (great work from Katie McLean Hainsworth), a hunchback medic with a talent for stitching together bodies; and the slightly dim troll Carborundum (the affable, amusing Justine C. Turner), who enlists under the army's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy. This motley band of "brothers" includes Melissa Engle's pious Wazzer, a Joan of Arc-like character who hears the voice of Borogravia's revered Duchess... Rounding out the regiment dubbed monstrous is the self-contained Lofty (Mandy Walsh) and the defiant Tonker (passionately played by Kim Boler), who expresses in simple terms the frustration of the powerless... Leading the untrained, poorly outfitted regiment is the gruff, battle-hardened, unfailingly decent Sgt. Jackrum, played with equal parts compassion and ruthlessness by Christopher M. Walsh. Walsh brings real pathos. Also on hand is Jackrum's weaselly corporal Strappi (John Ferrick) and their commanding officer, the dapper, befuddled Lt. Blouse (the hilarious Robert Kauzlaric), a dandy eager for glory... At two and a half hours including intermission, the play is overly long and needs trimming. But that's a minor point in what is a major delight from a company renowned for its page-to-stage translations..."

https://www.dailyherald.com/article/20140612/entlife/140619664/

By Kerry Reid in the Chicago Tribune:

"I've yet to get my literary passport stamped for Terry Pratchett's "Discworld." But after seeing Lifeline Theatre's marvelous production of "Monstrous Regiment," the 31st novel in Pratchett's hugely popular series about life on a flat planet whose inhabitants' foibles are suspiciously similar to our own, I'm ready to book passage on the S.S. Pratchett... As I've not read the source novel, I can't vouch for how much adapter Chris Hainsworth had to leave on the cutting-room floor, but from reading online summaries, my guess is 'a lot.' My judgment is that it doesn't matter. As a Pratchett newbie, I had no problem entering into this topsy-turvy world for two-plus hours and following the ins and outs of its backstory... The best thing about Hainsworth's script and director Kevin Theis' crackerjack staging is that it manages to fully inhabit the realm of the ridiculous while tipping its hat to Pratchett's essentially humanist/feminist concerns. Somehow, as Iraq falls into even greater sectarian violence, a play rife with grotesque absurdity (soldiers dining on horsemeat and clothed in the blood-soaked uniforms of dead comrades) about a never-ending war waged on behalf of the probably- dead duchess of the aforementioned Borogravia seems wholly apropos... The anti-war and anti-violence sentiments in the script, updated by Hainsworth with references to 'shock and awe' and 'don't ask, don't tell,' are handled with offhanded aplomb that keep them from feeling like cheap sloganeering... If there has been a more accomplished comedic ensemble on a Chicago stage this year, I've not seen it..."

http://tinyurl.com/lzmfbut

By Mary Shen Barnidge for the Windy City Media Group:

"Those familiar with the literary career of Terry Pratchett (who commands his own yearly international conference in the UK) know to expect sly social commentary in the guise of a mock-epic fantasy structured with the slapdash glee of a Dungeons and Dragons tournament. For those encountering the exhaustive Discworld series for the first time (like me), Chris Hainsworth's adaptation deftly avoids becoming bogged down in arcane backstories from previous volumes to locate us firmly in the present, the Balkanesque conflicts providing a canvas for discussion of war's eternal stupidity. This is no windy allegorical polemic, however. Under Kevin Theis' direction, this motley band of, uh, brothers emerges as a gang of live-action cartoons, with smart, slapstick antics always grounded in individual personalities... The wordplay likewise brims with the delight of an author who obviously loves his language, replete with puns and allusions inserted so unobtrusively as to register without stopping the flow of the action, as well as a dry humor ('I've starved before,' Sgt. Jackrum warns his troops, 'There's no future in it') refreshingly devoid of the juvenile snark too often infecting sword-and-sorcery satire. The swift physical pace would mean nothing without verbal agility as well, but Lifeline's dream-team ensemble never misses a step..."

http://tinyurl.com/kuzo2g4

Also, a piece about the genesis of the production, by Myrna Petlicki for Sun-Times Media:

"Kevin Theis had never heard of Terry Pratchett's Discworld fantasy novels when Lifeline Theatre asked him to direct 'Monstrous Regiment.' 'I only became a fan of the series as a result of working on this play,' the Oak Park resident said. Theis read the source novel and one other book in the series and was drawn to the author's humor. 'He's a really, really funny writer,' Theis said. 'The world he's created is so freeing to an author. He basically says there are no rules. In Discworld if you believe in something strong enough, it comes true... Chris Hainsworth, who did the adaptation, is a big fan,' Theis noted. 'He has read all the Discworld books and is a repository of all Discworld knowledge...' Theis believes that this satire on war is especially relevant to our situation in America. 'We're about to come to the end of our longest war in history,' he said of the combat in Afghanistan. 'And the idea that we must stop this war is a huge theme of 'Monstrous Regiment.' Satire is an important element in the books of Discworld and there's lots of humor in this play but Theis insists that the show goes deeper than that..."

http://tinyurl.com/pt9j38l

6.4 MONSTROUS REGIMENT IN CHICAGO: EXTENDED SEASON

The Monstrous Regiment production has created such a sensation that its season is being extended into August due to demand! Read all about it in Broadway World:

"To accommodate extraordinary ticket demand, Lifeline Theatre announces ten added performances of its Jeff Recommended, critically-acclaimed world premiere adaptation of Terry Pratchett's Monstrous Regiment, by ensemble member Chris Hainsworth, directed by Kevin Theis (two-time Non-Equity Jeff Award nominee)... Monstrous Regiment now runs through August 3 at Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N. Glenwood Ave. (free parking and shuttle; see below). Performance times are Thursdays and Fridays at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 4 and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 4 p.m. Note: there is no performance on Friday, July 4."

http://tinyurl.com/nefve5c

When: now, and up until 20th July 2014
Venue: Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N Glenwood Ave, Chicago, IL, 60626 Telephone 773-761-4477
Time: evenings at 7.30pm on Thursdays and Fridays and at 8pm on Saturdays; matinees at 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays. The production runs two and a half hours with one intermission. The book will be on sale in the lobby.
Tickets: $40 for regular single tickets, $30 for seniors, $20 for students (with I.D.), and $20 for rush tickets (available half hour before show time, subject to availability). Group rate for 12 or more is available upon request. Tickets may be purchased at the Lifeline Theatre Box Office, 773.761.4477, or by visiting www.lifelinetheatre.com

6.5 REVIEW: MORT IN CHESHAM

A review of Mort at The Little Theatre by the Park, Chesham, by Rita Carpenter for the Bucks Free Press (Sir Pterry's old workplace):

"With a great many fairy tale characters, some superb costumes and strong performances the play went along at a cracking pace. Produced by Katherine Coburn and directed by Jonathan Coburn the group is very family orientated and this was evident by how many family members were taking part. The lighting and sound effects were superb and with 26 scenes it was amazing how well everything flowed. With a minimalistic set the scenes were depicted by clever lighting and props which appeared and disappeared swiftly adding to the magic of the production. There were not many youngsters in the audience indeed there were more on stage and I would have liked to have seen more but the ones I spoke to during the interval all agreed that they were really enjoying the play..."

http://tinyurl.com/od3hu6l

6.6 REVIEW: WITCHES ABROAD IN BIRMINGHAM

Last month's Jadis Shadows production of Wyrd Sisters at Old Joint Stock, Birmingham, reviewed by Selwyn Knight on The Public Reviews:

"As with many of Pratchett's stories, themes from this world are skilfully placed into the Discworld to provide entertainment and comic effect. In The Wyrd Sisters, there are several Shakespearian themes, most noticeably from King Lear, Hamlet and Macbeth, though Pratchett superbly debunks the witches' scenes as the older, more experienced witches play down any need for melodrama when invoking magic... This is quite a wide ranging story and there are some potentially questionable directorial decisions: it's made clear that all female characters in the travelling players' troupe are traditionally played by men, but it's not obvious what the director hoped to achieve by casting a male duchess alongside female witches. The set is also very busy with unused items littering the back wall, some of which only make a single appearance, but remain in vision throughout. Indeed, the scene changes lack fluidity, and, unless it is mentioned in conversation, it is rarely obvious in which location we find ourselves. This lack of fluidity is a factor in the show's main weakness – it is simply too long... The finest performances come from the three witches, with Granny Weatherwax maintaining her sardonic demeanour exceptionally well throughout, Nanny Ogg giving every indication of enjoying the drunken life of loose morals and Magrat remaining idealistic and naive, even as she and the Fool take their first tentative steps towards romance. Indeed, the Fool is a lynchpin of the whole piece and clearly rather more intelligent than first meets the eye..."

http://tinyurl.com/kzfnkf3

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

07) REVIEWS: THE LONG EARTH, THE LONG WAR

7.1 THE LONG EARTH: THE LONG REVIEW, REPOSTED

By Annie Mac

A few weeks ago, I went to see The Avengers, the Joss Whedon- scripted and directed superhero film. I like superhero films as a rule, I grew up reading and loving Marvel comics, and I have been in awe of Joss Whedon's writing and directing skills for many years now, so my expectations were fairly high. And here's a funny thing: I said, as my friends and I watched the closing credits, "That may well be the definitive superhero movie"; I was sufficiently impressed to go back to see it again (with mostly different companions) two weeks later; I intend to buy the DVD of it and watch it repeatedly over the years... and yet my one-sentence summary of The Avengers was "Joss Whedon is such a genius that he *almost* managed to make a silk purse." – because for all its clever writing, fantastically witty dialogue and exquisite direction, cinematography, editing and special effects, it simply did not touch my heart as completely as the X-Men films have done.

So what has this to do with The Long Earth?

Well. In a brief mention in last month's issue, shortly after my first reading of the book, I described The Long Earth as "a fast, exciting piece of storytelling" containing "fascinating ideas, great imagery, and some very memorable characters". All of that is true, but The Long Earth also is not without its flaws, and those flaws mean that this unquestionably well-crafted and clever novel ultimately failed to lift and fill my heart in the way that Terry Pratchett's other work always does.

Before I go any further, Reader, I'll stop right here and acknowledge that some things I perceived as flaws may not be considered flaws by some of you – read on to the section about characters – but no, it isn't a matter of The Long Earth being in a different genre. There has been much trumpeting here and there along the lines of "Terry Pratchett's writing is taking a new direction: he's doing science fiction now!"; but for many of us, this announcement sounds daft, because we know that Terry Pratchett has been writing – and releasing – some fine, fine science fiction novels and shorter pieces for decades, among them The Dark Side of the Sun and Strata (early-career but promising), the Johnny Maxwell trilogy (especially the first and third books), Night Watch (science fiction plus Literature-quality sociopolitics and psychology, cleverly disguised as a fabulous Discworld novel), and one of my own all-time favourite science fiction short stories, *#ifdef DEBUG + "world/enough" + "time"* (which I rate at least as highly as Robert Heinlein's classic "By His Bootstraps").

Let's be honest: there's no way to critique a new Pratchett novel, in any genre, without comparing it to his extant body of work – or, for that matter, without comparing it to any previous Pratchett collaborations – and by that yardstick The Long Earth doesn't quite measure up to most of the author's previous brilliance. But given what we already know of Terry Pratchett's mighty writing-fu, I cannot help but lay the blame this time at the feet of co-writer Stephen Baxter.

Baxter's strong suit has always been the Big Idea, most notably that of a technological advance that effectively rewrites human society at a fundamental level, and he does it well, but he suffers from the typical science fiction writer's weakness when it comes to putting flesh on the bones of the story. A good example would be The Light of Other Days, another collaborative novel (written, or at least co- created, with Arthur C. Clarke): fabulous ideas set down masterfully but let down somewhat by flat, poorly realised characters. In the case of Baxter and Clarke, you have two bone-dry ideas men with little grasp of how to create living, breathing characters, so this is unsurprising. In the case of Baxter and Pratchett, you have a bone-dry ideas man and a master of character depth, character motivation and sparkling dialogue exchanges – and yet the end result lacks that depth and sparkle that I expect from anything Terry Pratchett has a hand in.

But that doesn't mean this review is a negative one. It really doesn't. So let's start with the general and the positive, shall we? To wit:

The Long Earth is a science fiction novel, very much so, well into the realm of ideas-driven "hard" science fiction, and it delivers the aforementioned fascinating ideas and great imagery. It gives excellent new twists to well-trodden speculative concepts. It also presents what has to be one of the most, if not the most, bizarre accoutrements to interuniversal travel and demonstrates likely social and political changes in a well-thought-out manner. The actual wordcraft is miles above almost all other science fiction (not that we would expect any less here). In short, it does what it says on the tin, and on that level it works very well indeed.

Plot is not a particularly strong point, but this is often the case with ideas-driven fiction. As most of you already know from The Long Earth's long promotional run-up, the story revolves around a homemade device, freely and anonymously released on the internet, that allows its user to "Step" to and from alternate Earths in alternate universes, and the ways this simple technology changes, well, everything. We are shown the chaos, terror and joy of "Step Day", the attempts of various nations' authorities to deal with the opening of this ultimate frontier, the ways in which human nature asserts itself in the same old manner even in the face of the new, and the desolation of those who for unexplained reasons are physically unable to Step. Beyond that, The Long Earth is the story of two entities who set out together on an exploring trip to the furthest reaches of the "High Meggas", a million or more Earths beyond our own "Datum Earth" – Joshua, a hyperintelligent, talented, methodical and rather obnoxious young man who was born under very unusual circumstances, prefers his own company to the extreme, and craves the Silence (no, not what you Doctor Who fans are thinking), and Lobsang, an even more intelligent, talented, methodical and rather obnoxious AI who is legally human (and yes, he has a certificate of sorts to prove it; now where have we read that one before, hmm...) – and whom and what they find along their way.

There is humour, though much of it feels slightly out of place and does not meld as well as it could have with the rest of the "feel" of the narrative. There is drama, though precious little of it. Some guns of the Chekhov variety (Anton, not Pavel, in case you wondered) are drawn but never fired – though in fairness, this is the first of a multi-volume tale, so the reader has no way of knowing whether the unfired guns are an oversight or merely a long-term, teasing set-up for later parts of the story arc. Oh, and the book ends on a cliffhanger. A big cliffhanger. A really big cliffhanger. Argh!

Speaking of guns, there aren't any on the alternate Earths, at least not until settlers construct the necessaries to mine and refine metals. But guns are hardly the only source of danger amongst humans. The Long Earth seemed to have an unrealistic dearth of violence – yes, the idea of having one's own unspoilt and possibly untenanted (by humans, at any rate) planet would charm many, but human nature is illogical at best and "I was here first!" would surely take precedence, with people preferring to fight for *this* or *that* Earth rather than to move along to the next empty planet. There are mentions of crime at first, but not many; instead, we get a "room and privacy solve everything" scenario that rings a bit false for me.

When it comes to fiction reading, I expect – demand! – characters I can take into my heart, or at the very least figuratively invite home for a cuppa, whether they are likable people or not. The Lancre witches, the various Watchpersons and denizens of Ankh-Morpork, Johnny Maxwell and his cohorts, Maurice and the Clan, Mau and Daphne, almost all the characters in Good Omens... I cared about them all. The characters in The Long Earth, on the other hand, *should* have engaged me but never did. Creating characters worth caring about can be done in science fiction. Larry Niven did it, in his Known Space stories and even more so in his tales of the Warlock and decline of magic as a natural resource. Neal Stephenson does it almost all the time. I tried to find a reason to care about any of the characters in The Long Earth, but did not succeed, and this lessened my enjoyment of the story.

On a side note, Pratchett readers are already familiar with the humble potato as an object of power (as seen in The Truth). This time around, having your potato doesn't help you safely reach the next life... or no, wait, it does. The easy to assemble Stepper is strangely personal. Each would-be traveller has to finish assembling their Stepper with their own hands; otherwise the device will not work, unless you are one of the small but measurable number of people who can "Step" without mechanical assistance (again, a teaser that is not resolved in this first volume). Any sort of potato will do, apparently – which to this reviewer's mind is itself a figurative can of worms that could have been addressed or at least mentioned. For instance, does the freshness of the potato count? Does it matter if it's cooked? Is it possible to travel to an alternate Earth with a Stepper powered by, say, a nice hot bag of chips? Did the authors gather around a pub table at some point discussing exactly those questions? Enquiring minds want to know, for after all, science fiction is all about enquiring minds... also, I think we finally know who came up with the weird nuns in Good Omens. That part (weird nuns in The Long Earth) worked, even though we never actually met the most unusual of them.

In summation:

Is The Long Earth a good book? Certainly! Am I looking forward very, very eagerly to the next instalment? Definitely! The Long Earth does disappoint in some crucial areas, but that doesn't change the fact that, when it comes to hard science fiction – or what-if fiction – created in collaboration, The Long Earth is as good as it gets.

Final verdict 1: it's not a Discworld novel, but we already knew that, so don't expect it to be.

Final verdict 2: a very good book that I feel should have been a great one.

Final final verdict: flawed but compelling, and therefore highly recommended.


7.2 REVIEW: THE LONG WAR

By Steven D'Aprano

In "The Long War" (TLW), Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter pick up ten years after the events of "The Long Earth". In that time, many significant changes have taken place, any one of which could have been the major plot of a novel: Datum USA is controlled by a mildly fascist government hostile to the steppers; at least two more intelligent species have been discovered, the humanoid kobolds and the dog-like beagles; the Long Earth colonies have not only established peaceful relations with the trolls, but have become dependent on their labour; Joshua and Lobsang have fallen out, and the protagonist Joshua is married and has a son of school age. I was greatly disappointed that the authors failed to show us any of these events, instead they just told us they had happened, violating one of the most important rules of good fiction: show, don't tell.

I normally don't like to give away significant plot points when reviewing books, but from time to time I come across something so remarkable that, spoiler or not, no responsible reviewer should fail to mention it. In TLW, Pratchett and Baxter set up the possibility of no fewer than three possible wars: Datum USA versus rebellious stepper colonies, Datum Earth extremists versus the steppers, and humankind versus assorted non-humans. And then... nothing. There was no Long War at all, not even a Long Battle, or a Short Police Action. There was a detachment of Marines who took a firm-but-friendly stroll down the main street of one of the colonies to show the flag, but it was over in eight pages without any real sense of tension or jeopardy, and the chapter ends with "the Long War was over". One might have added "without ever starting, or even being noticed".

I cannot help but contrast this unfavourably with Pratchett's "Jingo". When the threatened war between Ankh-Morpork and Klatch is averted at the last minute (but not before a few clashes between the opposing forces), it was because the protagonists struggled hard to avert the war. There was a real and ever increasing sense of tension due to the the near-certainty of war. But in TLW, the threat was nothing more than a mild sense of trouble brewing as the story progressed, just one of many things going on, and barely noticed by the characters. If not for the novel's title, it would have been barely worthy of a mention, just another of the oh-so-many disconnected and minor events taking place.

I find it difficult to believe that an author of Pratchett's stature could have such an inappropriate and misleading title foisted on him against his wishes, so I can only imagine that Pratchett, at least, was happy with it. So what happened to the war? I wasn't expecting this to be a Tom Clancy novel by any means, but neither was I expecting such a blatantly inaccurate title. It was as if I had bought a book titled "Sherlock Holmes In New York", only to discover that Holmes was not in New York and barely appeared in the book at all. Ironically, if I had known that there was no war in The Long War, I might have bought the book much sooner.

I'm a great admirer of Pratchett's writing, so it is disappointing that so little of his style shows in TLW. I don't just mean the lack of comedy – there were attempts to include some Pratchettesque humour in "The Long Earth", such as the magic potato that powers the stepper boxes, but they felt completely out of place and tacked on. So the lack of humour in TLW is actually a positive development. But even more so than the prequel, TLW does not feel like Pratchett writing: the style is bland and unengaging, not terrible by any means – I've read far worse by some demi-gods of the science fiction genre – but it lacks Pratchett's usual wit and sparkle. There's little sense of plot or pacing, and far too much happens off-stage.

One of the things keenly missed is the lack of Pratchett's skills with characterisation. A few manage to feel like decent secondary characters, fleshed out enough that you know they're real people, but not enough to really come to know them well. Perhaps the closest to Pratchett's usual standard is Sally, and what we come to know her as is mostly taciturn.

Joshua Valiente, I think, suffers badly from this lack. He's curiously passive for somebody intended as the protagonist, and even Rincewind the wizard, Pratchett's oldest and least fully-rounded protagonist, feels like more of a person than Joshua. Part of the problem is that we're told how skilful and clever Joshua is, but we aren't shown it. The authors take the time to tell us that he is a skilful hunter, butcher, artificer, blacksmith, smelter and teacher, but none of these are relevant to his role in the book, and we see hardly any sign of his skilfulness and cleverness. We're shown him having to be rescued himself after he goes to the aid of a crashed airship. As is typical for the series so far, the episode is rushed through in a handful of pages. Another time, Joshua comes to the aid of someone being attacked by elves, screws up badly, but nothing of any consequence comes from his mistake. Yet another time, he finds himself in a very similar situation as Sam Vimes in "The Fifth Elephant", being hunted by hostile, intelligent non-humans. Unlike Vimes, who survives by virtue of his grit, determination, skill and intelligence, Joshua survives because the hunters have a sudden, unexpected and unexplained spirit of mercy.

It seems to me that TLW's lack of detailed characterisation is a symptom of a larger problem with the series: there's too much going on, so everything gets short shift. We're briefly told that something is happening, dark hints of a serious problem brewing are dropped, the characters seem barely aware of the danger, and then the climax of the event is rushed through in a few pages. I get the feeling of "Whew, well that's another disaster averted, good job chaps, anyone fancy a cuppa?"

Pratchett's previous career as a newspaper writer has given him the ability to fit the maximum heart and soul of story into the minimum amount of novel, but TLW shows no sign of this tight focus. It's a long, rambling book, with too many side-shows and too little main feature. There are so many things happening that it's hard to care about them, and the story lacks drama or tension. Joshua being hunted was one of the few exceptions, and that was over in five pages. And like its prequel, TLW ends with something which in real life would be of incredible significance, but like the terrorist's nuclear attack on Madison, it feels like yet another side-show, an afterthought, glued on and with no real connection to anything else. It's not a cliffhanger, its an anti-climax.

Some of the perplexing mysteries of "The Long Earth" remain unanswered. Why do stepper boxes fail to work unless assembled by the person who will use it? That sounds like magic, completely out of place in a hard science fiction novel. What is the significance of the potato? Why was a minor character in the first book given the same name [Percy Blakeney – Ed.] as The Scarlet Pimpernel? TLW doesn't answer any of these, or even hint at answers. Perhaps the authors have wisely dropped them as bad ideas to be ignored rather than mysteries to be solved. One can hope.

When all is said and done, TLW isn't an awful novel, but even as an ideas-driven story as opposed to a plot-driven or character-driven one, it fails to engage. It's hard for me to see why I should bother to continue with the series, especially given that the next book is set on Mars. Billions upon billions of Earths, and there's not enough of interest to explore without moving the story to Mars? I feel this does not bode well for the rest of the series.

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

08) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS

DISCWORLD EMPORIUM UPDATES

"Greetings Discworld devotees! We've a delightful crop of additions to our bookshelves this week, as new editions from publishers Gollancz and Transworld further expand the Terry Pratchett collection.

"The latest books in the Discworld Collector's library have arrived – Feet of Clay (_http://tinyurl.com/lxyubor_) and Jingo (_http://tinyurl.com/ntvey79_) are the final instalments in the City Watch collection, and have some of our favourite covers yet! ... The next books from the Collector's Library will be Witches Abroad, Lords and Ladies, and Maskerade – coming to a Discworld Emporium near you on July 3rd!

"The Ankh-Morpork Post Office has colluded with the honourable Guild of Thieves to produce the latest releases from Discworld Stamps. The Thieves' Guild 3p (_http://tinyurl.com/laab9vm_) features a stunning illustration of the famous Guild Hall with its iconic Thieves' Kitchen – a hive of licensed crooks and ne'er do wells. Being an enterprising bunch, the guild have also introduced a surcharge stamp (_http://tinyurl.com/p79rxsz_) that, for a small fee, will protect your letters and parcels from pilfery. Both issues are available to collect as single stamps or as beautiful whole sheets.

"Both new issues are also available in every one of our latest Little Brown envelopes. The Thieves' Guild 'LBE' (_http://tinyurl.com/lzfjyrd_) contains an assortment of current Discworld stamps, plus the chance to find 'sports' and rarities. If you're unlucky enough not to find anything rare then your envelope may well have fallen victim to an opportunistic robber – of course a discerning thief will always leave a receipt, and an array of dockets for all manner of pinched items await the unfortunate!

"The second issue in the Wonders of the World Minisheet Collection has also arrived – the Light Dams of The Great Nef minisheet (_http://tinyurl.com/pl8y8or_) celebrates the 'illuminating' constructions of Goldeneyes Silverhand Dactylos and local tribes in Discworld's dryest desert. Each sheet features six illustrated stamps, and is accompanied by an explanatory post card.

"For more information about the wonderful world of official Discworld Stamps, and to discover how it all began, visit the Discworld Stamps bit of our website where you'll find a beginners guide, glossary and current issues from all over the Disc:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/discworld-stamps

"For all our latest wares and releases have a browse through our New Products page – it's mostly harmless!"

http://tinyurl.com/l8ztg9n

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

09) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS

9.1 NADWCON 2015:

http://sasquan.org/
http://www.worldcon.org/

9.2 WADFEST 2014

"This year's theme is heroes and villains. This means you get the chance to dress up as the hero or villain that you have always wanted to be. You can take your inspiration from comics, films and cartoons, or invent a new character for yourself. There will be trophies for the best dressed villain and best dressed hero, so get your sewing machine out and give it a go! If you're no good at sewing and you don't have anyone to help out, you can always hire a costume for the weekend. As well as special themed hero and villain games there will be all your usual Wadfest favourites, including smack the penguin. If it's your first time at Wadfest, why not take a look through the photos of Wadfests past to get an idea of what to expect?

"The X-Men's blackbird? Batman's batmobile? Green Goblin's glider? If you're feeling really adventurous why not turn your vehicle into the kind of transport a hero or villain would have? Perhaps you're more interested in a permanent base like Superman's Fortress of Solitude or He-Man's Castle Greyskull? If so, why not dress your tent up as your lair? There will be a prize for the best one. There are no limits to what you can do with your costumes. Be as inventive as you like or faithfully recreate your favourite character's costume."

When: 15th to 17th August 2014
Venue: Wood Green, The Animal Charity, King's Bush Farm, London Road, Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire, PE29 2NH
Tickets: £25.00 per adult for the weekend including Camping and Events. Children under 16 go free when accompanied by a paying adult. To purchase tickets online, go to http://www.wadfest.co.uk/page2.html

http://www.wadfest.co.uk

9.3 AUSDWCON 2015

Nullus Anxietus V is coming! Some early details:

When: 10th to 12th April 2015
Venue: Novotel, Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia
Tickets: current ticket prices are $80-$140 per Attending Member, $400 per Family, $30 per Supporting Membership. To purchase at these rates, go to http://ausdwcon.org/shop/

"Previous Conventions have had Guilds. For Nullus Anxietas V the Guilds are replaced by the Studios of Holy Wood and Convention members (who choose to join a "guild") will be randomly assigned to one of the five studios for activities. Can't sing? Can't dance? Can handle a sword a little? Then Holy Wood beckons, and the clickies want YOU." – Daniel Hatton, Guildmeister

"The date of the convention is still too far distant for us to start negotiating room rates but we will have the upper hand if we can go into the discussion with an estimate of how many we would likely need. We'd like to convince them to be the cheapest rate in all of Parramatta and make their money by booking every room rather than them charging a lot for a few rooms. If at all possible, please give us an indication if you will be booking accommodation at the venue and what sort of room you would like. You do not need to be registered to fill in the survey, we would just like an idea of how many rooms we will need for the weekend. Rest assured we will not hold you to this – it's just an estimate. Your name will only be used to ensure you're not on the spreadsheet twice. You will still need to book your own accommodation." – the organisers

http://ausdwcon.org/

9.4 CABBAGECON 2015

Cabbagecon 3, the third Dutch Discworld Convention, will take place in June of next year. Among the special guests will be Venugopalan Ittekot, Dutch translator of the Discworld novels.

When: 27th and 28th June 2015 Venue: Tulip Inn Hotel Val Monte in Berg en Dal (near Nijmegen) Tickets: Membership of Cabbagecon 3 for the whole weekend is priced at €40,00, with a €5 discount for children, seniors and students. For the Saturday only or the Sunday only, the price is €25,00, with the same discounts as above applying. To book online in advance, go to http://www.dutchdwcon.nl

Apparently Cabbagecon 2 was a great success on the fun front. The organisers say of next year's event, "It will be a happy occasion for fans of Sir Terry Pratchett from the Netherlands and abroad to meet each other again and have fun. We hope to see you too!"

9.5 IDWCON 2015

""Hear ye, hear ye, lads and lasses. We're pleased as punch, and so very proud, to announce that the 4th Irish Discworld Convention will be held from the 2nd to the 5th of October, 2015... We hope to see you all at the Cork International Airport Hotel..."

Confirmed guests so far include Bernard Pearson (the Cunning Artificer himself), Isobel Pearson, TSoD co-author Jack Cohen, folklorist (and Discworld myth-checker) Jacqueline Simpson, and the ever-excellent Colin Smythe.

The new IDWcon webpage is truly gorgeous! Go have a look and a wander, in the meantime, here's an internal memo from Captain Shivers of the A-M City Watch, Irish Precinct:

To: Potential New Recruits
Re: The Theme!
People of Roundworld, we're very pleased to announce that the theme of the Irish Discworld Convention 2015 will be the Watch Open Weekend. Watch this space for further details! If you would like to know more about the Convention, please see our FAQ page. And if you would like to know more about what happened last time, please see the Previous Conventions section. If you have ideas for events you'd like to run, or see us run at the convention, please email: programme@idwcon.org. If you have any other questions, feel free to email us on: info@idwcon.org.

http://idwcon.org/
https://twitter.com/IDWCon
https://www.facebook.com/groups/idwcon/

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

10) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group", meets on the first Monday of every month at the Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London W2 1JQ: "We welcome anyone and everyone who enjoys Sir Terry's works, or quite likes them or wants to find out more. We have had many visitors from overseas who have enjoyed themselves and made new friends. The discussions do not only concern the works of Sir Terry Pratchett but wander and meander through other genres and authors and also leaping to TV and Film production. We also find time for a quiz. The prize is superb. The chance to set the quiz the following month."

Next meeting: Monday 7th July 2014, from 7pm onwards.

The Drummers' most recent meet report:

"We did indeed meet on Monday 2nd. Apologies for the late report. We've just moved and only got the phone line sorted out yesterday meaning we've had to survive without a home internet connection for a few weeks. It has been tough. However the lack of temptation meant that I finally finished writing the Wadfest murder mystery yesterday. I'll send profiles out to those who have signed up. Meanwhile, I'm still looking for another two cast members (three would be even better but not essential). The two remaining characters are the leader of a pressure group that opposes superheroes (this character is a woman) and a parody of Superman (this one has been written as male but could become female if necessary). Anyone interested please buy a ticket to Wadfest and send me your ticket number. Anyway Drummers met this month. I came late as I had another meeting first. I can't remember much now beyond the fact that the Monkey Puzzle made sure I got a meal even though the kitchen was closing as I arrived."

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

*

The Pratchett Partisans are a new fan group who meet monthly at either Brisbane or Indooroopilly to "eat, drink and chat about all things Pratchett". For more info about their next meetup, go to http://www.meetup.com/Pratchett-Partisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au

*

The City of Small Gods is a group for fans in Adelaide and South Australia: "We have regular monthly dinner and games nights, longer games days, plus play outings, craft-y workshops, and fun social activities throughout the year. For more info and to join our mailing list, visit":

http://cityofsmallgods.org.au

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers meet on the first Thursday of every month from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight.

Next meeting: Thursday 5th June 2014, probably, but do email to check.

All new members and curious passersby are very welcome! For more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) meets on the first Friday of every month at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"

Next meeting: Friday 4th July 2014 (probably).

*

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

Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum:

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

*

Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet on the first Monday of every month in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney,2000.

Next meeting: Monday 7th July 2014 at 6.30pm (probably). For more information, contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

Perth Drummers meet on the first Monday of the month, subject to holidays.

Next meeting: Monday 7th July 2014 (probably).

"Please note we have moved to Carpe Cafe from 5.30pm Carpe Cafe, 526 Murray Street, Perth, WA. Meeting at a cafe means we are under-18 friendly!"

For details follow Perth Drummers on Twitter @Perth_Drummers and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – otherwise message Krystel directly at khewett@live.com

*

Western Drummers (that's two groups for the Sydney Pratchett fans now) meet at The Rowers, Bruce Neal Drive, Penrith at 6.30-7.30pm for food, 7.30pm for games, quizzes and chat.

Next meeting: TBA. The latest meeting took place on 24th June.

For more information, contact Nanny Ogg – lewis_oz@bigpond.com – or visit their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/westerndrummers

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

11) WORTH AN ACTION REPLAY

From pop-up shops and restaurants to pop-up book benches – Paul Kidby is among the illustrators who will be making London a more magical place to read:

"Bloomsbury is set to play host to a range of literary classics, from Peter Pan to The Wind in the Willows, as a series of painted 'BookBenches' will soon pop up all over town. The benches will feature images from novels dating back to the 19th century, including Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, right through to modern favourites such as How to Train your Dragon by Cressida Cowell. Renowned artists and illustrators will be picking up a paintbrush and bringing some classic characters to life, including Ralph Steadman who famously worked with Hunter S Thompson, will be replicating characters from his 1973 children's classic take on Alice Through the Looking Glass, and Paul Kidby who designed the images in Terry Pratchett's Discworld..."

http://tinyurl.com/lpzukgx

*

RAISING STEAM: IN PAPERBACK

Lynsey from Transworld says: "Raising Steam in paperback has a whole new cover look! Coming your way in the UK on 9th October 2014!"

http://bit.ly/raisingsteam

And the new cover image: http://tinyurl.com/nv8zvjw

*

My Independent Bookshop site itself:

"There's nothing more magical than a bookshop. A bookshop is more than just a shop – it's a gateway to brand new worlds. It lets you visit places you'd never normally go, live lives you'd never normally live and feel things you'd never normally feel. And now you can create your own virtual bookshop, discover new books and be inspired... There's no end to our rewards. With My Independent Bookshop, you'll get the first word on the latest giveaways, competitions and exclusives from some of the best authors around... We love bookshops, and we know you do too. That's why we've teamed up with hive, to ensure that for every book you buy, a percentage of the sale is shared with a local, independent bookshop."

How to make your own virtual bookshop:

http://www.myindependentbookshop.co.uk/register

http://www.myindependentbookshop.co.uk/

http://www.myindependentbookshop.co.uk/TerryPratchett

*

A BEAUTIFUL, CROWDFUNDED MARC SIMONETTI ART BOOK

You may recall French illustrator Marc Simonetti's stunning art for the cover of Turtle Recall. Now he is offering the world his first collection in book form, titled "Coverama". With 63 days left on his crowdfunding page, "Coverama" has already surpassed its goal total of $10,000, but that's no reason to stop supporting it. Discworld fans dug deep for Snowgum's "Troll Bridge" crowdfund appeal, and we all know how successful that drive was!

Crowdfunding for "Coverama" ends on 15th July 2014...

www.itsartmag.com/features/projects/coverama-by-marc-simonetti/

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

12) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

FOUND AT LAST! Photo of Sir Pterry dressed as Just William for the Oxford Story Museum:

http://tinyurl.com/k5vdv86

The Long Mars cover facsimile:

http://tinyurl.com/kzj7c42

Another great shot of Archchancellor, that is, Vice Chancellor David Lloyd giving Sir Pterry his honorary degree from the University of South Australia:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BopWpJcCYAEZGN8.jpg

The Lifeline Theatre's excellent-looking cast of Monstrous Regiment:

http://tinyurl.com/kxwdhma

YES YES PLEASE WE WANT THIS NOW!!!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BqKXDLrCMAAsyvr.jpg

Nice ink:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bpsa8rPIUAEjyBd.jpg

...and finally, a photo of the cast of TAMAHER: the Musical, as performed by the ACT Youth Theatre this week in Carlisle and Penrith:

http://tinyurl.com/kcx7u67

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

13) CLOSE

A few bits to finish with...

Fourecksian fans of Pratchett – and all manner of fantasy, science fiction, crime and the rest – might want to make a trek to Canberra's Gaslight Books in the coming weeks:

"Gayle Lovett, who opened Gaslight Books in 1989, said she was closing up shop after 25 years. The bookshop – which has operated from the same spot in Fyshwick since it opened in 1989, aside from its six years in Woden – has specialised in crime, mystery, science fiction, fantasy and horror. It has hosted many talks and signings by Australian and international genre writers including Terry Pratchett, Ian Rankin, Peter Corris, Ed McBain and Kerry Greenwood. 'Terry Pratchett was so popular we had people out the door waiting in the queue,' she said of the British creator of the Discworld series. 'He was a delightful man to talk to.'... For the month of June all stock – new and secondhand – will be 25 per cent off with further discounts in July. No more books will be bought, no more newsletters will be sent out and current gift vouchers and valid credit notes should be used by June 28. The store will close on August 2... Although she had not worked out all the details, Lovett said she intended to maintain an online presence selling first editions, signed books and collectable paperbacks and magazines... She said she had more than 8000 books in stock, most of them secondhand. So perhaps the only mystery now is: how many will she be able to sell before the shop closes?

"Gaslight Books is at 10/83 Wollongong Street, Fyshwick. Opening hours are Thursday-Friday 10am to 5.30pm and Saturday 10am to 3pm. Website: gaslightbooks.com.au"

http://tinyurl.com/nlm2ml3

*

Magdalena Schamberger, of the charity Hearts & Minds, suggests five ways to engage with a relative or friend with advanced dementia:

"1. Take time and just be: be in the moment, make gentle eye contact and allow for silence, stillness and breathing together. Spend time with no pressure, no agenda, no tasks (such as dressing, clothing or feeding), no judgment and no expectations. Allow the person to be who they are now.

"2. Don't ask questions: questions can be distressing at the best of times and can put pressure on people. But repetition can be good. As a way of creating a connection, repeat the name of your relative or friend gently to a well-known melody or song that they love. They can feel and may realise that you mean them.

"3. Focus on physical activity and memory: remember physical activities you used to do together, such as baking, gardening, storytelling or DIY. If the person is physically still able, try to do them together. Even though they may not remember these activities later, they may well remember the physical experience and the positive feelings they had when they were doing them.

"4. Be kind, caring and compassionate: physical contact is important. Although people with dementia may seem distant or confused at times, they have emotions and feelings. Hold their hand, give them a hug. Show them compassion and care.

"5. Look at the person, not the illness: remember to laugh, sing and dance together. Get out of the daily routine. Explore fresh things and create shared moments together."

http://tinyurl.com/nllk4ur

And that's the lot for June. Enjoy your summer sunshine – and the residents of XXXX can join me in digging out winter wear, as winter seems to have arrived at last... see you next month!

– Annie Mac

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

———————————————————————————————————
The End. If you have any questions or requests, write: interact (at) pearwood (dot) info
———————————————————————————————————
Copyright (c) 2014 by Klatchian Foreign Legion

WOSSNAME
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
May 2014 (Volume 17, Issue 4, post 1)
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

INDEX:

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) ODDS AND SODS
04) "MY INDEPENDENT BOOKSHOP" GOES LIVE
05) DISCWORLD GAMES NEWS
06) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
07) PTERRY AND ALZHEIMER'S NEWS
08) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
09) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
10) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
11) BREATHTAKING NEW MARC SIMONETTI ART BOOK
12) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
13) CLOSE

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"Independent bookshops supported this jobbing genre author long before the geeks were let out of their wardrobes. Being able to support these talented retail wizards through My Independent Bookshop is a very, very good thing."

– Sir Pterry, talking about My Independent Bookshop

"I wrote the [Wintersmith] album with Terry Pratchett, based on his books.
Well, on some of his books, not all of them – that would be a long album. "

– Maddy Prior, who knows an impossible task when she reads one!

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

02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

It's another packed issue this month, so we're coming to you early!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. This one, from the new "Dementia Friends" campaign (see item 7 below), is absolutely priceless:

http://tinyurl.com/lnb4rmm

*

In the Portsmouth News online, there's a shout-out for the Hayling Island Bookshop, featured in an earlier issue of WOSSNAME. They will be the suppliers for Sit Pterry's virtual bookshop (see item 4 below):

ONE of the smallest independent bookshops in the country has been given a huge boost by fantasy author Sir Terry Pratchett. Sir Terry, author of the popular Discworld series, has nominated the Hayling Island Bookshop to be the supplier of his chosen favourite books on a new social media site... Sir Terry's site links to the tiny Mengham bookshop if people want to buy them. He was a guest at the shop in 2008 and it made a big impression on him... Sir Terry has named his own fantasy and science fiction-themed bookshop Narrativia after the goddess of inspiration he invented... Marie Telford, owner of The Hayling Island Bookshop which is just 3m sq, said: 'We were absolutely astonished, delighted and honoured to hear that Sir Terry had chosen our tiny bookshop to be linked to his personal bookshop containing his favourite books. We hosted Terry on Hayling in 2008 for the launch of his book Nation and we are so pleased that he is helping independent bookshops to extend their reach in this way. We hope many of the readers will come and visit us in person too.'"

http://tinyurl.com/kmehqgf

*

From pop-up shops and restaurants to pop-up book benches – Paul Kidby is among the illustrators who will be making London a more magical place to read:

"Bloomsbury is set to play host to a range of literary classics, from Peter Pan to The Wind in the Willows, as a series of painted 'BookBenches' will soon pop up all over town. The benches will feature images from novels dating back to the 19th century, including Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, right through to modern favourites such as How to Train your Dragon by Cressida Cowell. Renowned artists and illustrators will be picking up a paintbrush and bringing some classic characters to life, including Ralph Steadman who famously worked with Hunter S Thompson, will be replicating characters from his 1973 children's classic take on Alice Through the Looking Glass, and Paul Kidby who designed the images in Terry Pratchett's Discworld..."

http://tinyurl.com/lpzukgx

*

In addition to their Irish "Wintersmith" tour dates (see item 3.4 below), Maddy Prior and Steeleye Span will be gigging in Bolton this month with new fiddler Jessie May Smart, who has replaced departing long-serving member Peter Knight.

When: 22nd May 2014
Venue: the Albert Halls, Victoria Square, Bolton BL1 1RU
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: £19.50. To book, phone the Box Office on 01204 334400 (Mon-Fri 9-5 & Sat 10-4). There is a Booking Fee of £0.50 per Ticket charged on credit card transactions, or a charge of £1.00 per ticket for online purchases. To book online, go to:
http://alberthallsbolton.ticketsolve.com/shows/873513221/events/127044692

http://www.alberthalls-bolton.co.uk/

*

The Wincanton Spring Fling was a success as usual, with a total of £1357.15 being raised for the RICE Centre. Well done Team Artificer and all the supporters of Ankh-Morpork's one and only twin town! As for the "Dementia Friends" campaign, go read the item, visit the page and watch the video. It may break your heart, but with love. Then go do what you can to spread the word about dementia.

*

A quick note: the Broken Drummers, london's oldest Discworld neeting group. will be having their mothly meeting tonight (13th May) – see item 10.

And now it's on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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

03) ODDS AND SODS

3.1 RAISING STEAM: IN PAPERBACK!

Lynsey from Transworld says: "Raising Steam in paperback has a whole new cover look! Coming your way in the UK on 9th October 2014!"

http://bit.ly/raisingsteam

And the new cover image: http://tinyurl.com/nv8zvjw


3.2 KNIGHTS (AND WIZZARDS) OF B.A.D.A.S.M.

There's a new-ish Facebook group, known as the Benevolent Antipodean Discworld Appreciation Society (Melbourne CBD Chapter), that is looking for some action:

"B.A.D.A.S. (Melbourne CBD Chapter) is a group for fans of Sir Terry Pratchett and his series the Discworld. We are hoping to get a regular (monthly or if we are all having fun more regular) meet-up happening. Activities will range from book discussion, board games, eating and pretty much anything that enough people will think is fun. We are hoping to foster a fun community that everybody can enjoy."

The group is open, so anyone can join.

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


3.3 TORQUAY'S THE PLACE FOR DRAGONS

"A magnificent painting of a dragon for a calendar of Terry Pratchett's best-selling Discworld novels is featured in a new exhibition at Torquay Museum. The exhibition, entitled Tell Me a Dragon, runs until June 25 featuring original watercolour paintings by award-winning children's author and illustrator, Jackie Morris. The Discworld calendar dragon painted by Jackie gave her the idea for her own Tell Me a Dragon book, in which she dispels the fearsome reputation of these magical creatures. This is the first time Jackie's dragon paintings have been exhibited together. The exhibition of paintings is supplemented by dragon-decorated objects from Torquay Museum's own collections, ranging from magnificent Samurai swords to Torquay's first ever gas lamp in the shape of a dragon (dated to 1834), and beautiful ceramics..."

http://tinyurl.com/n4st2cw


3.4 REMINDER: THE WINTERSMITH TOUR IN IRELAND

Come to Ireland and dance the Dark Morris...

Monday 19th May
Town Hall Theatre Galway
00353 (0) 91-569777
Tickets are €25. To purchase online go to
http://tinyurl.com/lexdxb7

http://tht.ie/1868/Steeleye-Span

Tuesday 20th May
The Hawk's Well Theatre Sligo
00353 (0) 71-9161518
Tickets are €25.00; online booking:
http://www.hawkswell.com/events/event/steeleye-span and go to http://purchase.tickets.com/buy/TicketPurchase for that date; concession prices are available in person at the box office or by phone 071-9161518

Wednesday 21st May
Vicar Street Dublin
00353 (0)1 77 55 800

Tickets are €31.50 (including booking). For details go to http://tinyurl.com/mod7dlu


3.5 REMINDER: NEW PAUL KIDBY EXHIBITION

"Discworld and Beyond"
When: current, through 28th June 2014
Venue: Willis Museum, Market Place, Basingstoke RG21 7QD (phone 0845 603 5635)
Time: Tuesdays to Fridays 10am – 5pm
Tickets: Admission is free


3.6 RAISING STEAM FOR REAL

Want to raise some steam? Here be a chance for some of you to experience the kind of steam-driven thrills that moved Sir Pterry to write his latest novel!

"Join the dedicated team of volunteers at Kempton Steam Museum and help restore and maintain the world's largest working triple-expansion steam engine and the Grade II* listed building and its heritage contents. You don't need experience but any skills, from painting and decorating to electrical or mechanical engineering will be useful. Training is available including learning to drive the engine, conduct tours of the static engine display and meeting the public."

When: Thursdays, 15th, 22nd and 29th May 2014; Sat 24th May, Sun 25th May
Venue: Kempton Steam Museum, Kempton Park Water Works, Snakey Lane, Hanworth, TW13 7ND
Time: 10:00–16:00 all days

"Volunteers will be asked to become a member of Kempton Great Engines Society for £11.00, which will entitle them to a year's membership, free admission at all times and a quarterly newsletter... Volunteers are asked to provide their own overalls and working boots. Hard hats and most tools are provided. Bring your own lunch; tea and coffee is provided."

Kempton Steam Museum is the "Home of the world's largest working triple-expansion steam engine, one of a pair commissioned in 1928 and housed in a magnificent Grade II National Monument where visitors can explore the engines and see one in steam. Regular guided tours, children's activity packs, rides available on Darent, a 1903 narrow-gauge steam locomotive and engine driver training days available."

http://www.kemptonsteam.org

Telephone 020 3565 3586

Email kemptonsteam@gmail.com


3.7 DISCWORLD READING ORDER CHART: GOING VIRAL?

As featured in Images of the Month in the April main issue, an updated and very attractive Discworld Reading Order Chart is being recommended all over the place3. Here's the Geeks of Doom page, including the image:

"Maybe you are a newcomer to the wondrous writings of Terry Pratchett. Or maybe you've been reading Discworld novels since the 1980s, like yours truly. Either way, at some point you have probably wondered which book is next in the great timeline of all things Terry, or maybe you're curious how they all tie in together. Well, friends, have I got a treat for you! The Discworld Reading Order Guide 2.21 is newly updated and features virtually every book in an easy to understand chart. Krzysztof Kietzman is credited with creating the chart, though it seems that others have contributed to it as well..."

http://tinyurl.com/mzau6a2


3.8 DISCWORLD LEGO: CLOSER TO POSSIBLE!

Remember GlenBricker's proposed Discworld Lego set, that would become a reality if 10,000 supporters prove their interest? Well, there are now 4,803 supporters – nearly half-way there! – and there is still almost a full year to go. If you'd love you some Discworld Lego, go here and make your wishes known:

https://ideas.lego.com/projects/36302


3.9 REMINDER: DISCWORLD DAY AT THE STORY MUSEUM

On the 25th of May, the Story Museum in Oxford will host a Discworld Day! Stephen Briggs will read extracts from Going Postal at 11.30am and 2pm, and there will be various other Discworld-y goings-on from 11am to 5pm. Don't forget to wear your lilac!

"We're Going Postal here in Oxford's old post office with Discworld Day activities inspired by Ankh Morpork's Post Office."

In addition to the exhibition entrance fee of £7.50 (£5 for under-18′s, full-time students, job-seekers, over-60s; no charge for children under one year and companions of disabled visitors), there will be a £2 charge for the event. £4 event-only tickets will be offered on the day, subject to availability. Advance booking is recommended.

The Story Museum
Rochester House, 42 Pembroke Street, Oxford OX1 1BP
+44 (0)1865 790050
onceuponatime@storymuseum.org.uk

http://www.storymuseum.org.uk/the-story-museum/events

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

04) THE VIRTUAL BOOKSHOPS ARE OPEN!

"My Independent Bookshop" is now live! From booktrade.info:

"Hundreds of new 'bookshops' were opening in the UK today as part of a campaign to champion the personal recommendation of books. Authors including Terry Pratchett, Irvine Welsh and Lisa Jewell were among the first to join the 'My Independent Bookshop' network by opening their own virtual bookshops and giving people an inside-the-covers look at their favourite reads. The initiative, launched by Penguin Random House UK – the country's biggest book publisher – allows book lovers to set up a virtual bookshop, share and review their favourite reads, and discover books online. Readers can set up their own shop with twelve books at a time on their shelves – changing the display as often as they choose by season, genre or mood – the possibilities are endless... All books in the virtual shops are available to buy online through hive.co.uk, the ecommerce arm of Gardners wholesalers, which is connected with hundreds of independent bookshops across the UK. As part of the registration process, 'My Independent Bookshop' users can choose their favourite real-world independent bookshop to connect with. Hive will then pass a commission from any purchase made through the website to their chosen shop... Author Terry Pratchett, who has connected his online 'bookshop', NARRATIVIA, to the tiny Hayling Island Bookshop in Hampshire, said: "Independent bookshops supported this jobbing genre author long before the geeks were let out of their wardrobes, being able to support these talented retail wizards through 'My Independent Bookshop' is a very, very good thing...'... Commenting on the launch, Hannah Telfer, Group Director, Consumer & Digital Development at Penguin Random House UK, said: 'People are becoming ever more sophisticated in the way they move between their social, digital and physical worlds. We want to harness the opportunities this creates to celebrate the power of personal recommendation. By giving people the magical experience of curating their own bookshop and sharing this with their communities we are putting the discovery of great books and authors – no matter who they are published by – directly into the hands of book lovers...'"

http://www.booktrade.info/index.php/showarticle/53793/


In Management Today:

"According to the Booksellers Association, there are now less than 1,000 independent bookshops gracing UK high streets – a third fewer than nine years ago. Penguin Random House, the world's largest publisher, has today swooped in to support this dwindling band of high-street traders with the launch of My Independent Bookshop. The website encourages book lovers to set up their own virtual stores, where they can showcase and review their favourite books and check out what other people are reading. Crucially, you can buy books from the site, with a small proportion of takings (5% of the revenues from every physical book and 8% from each ebook) going to support scores of local independent book stores. Around 70 independent retailers are connected to the site so far, and authors including Irvine Welsh, Tony Parsons, Alastair Campbell and Terry Pratchett have already set up their own 'bookshop profiles' (Pratchett recommends Neil Gaiman's American Gods and The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy by Douglas Adams, in case you're interested.) For now, this isn't a money-making scheme for Penguin Random House. According to Dan Franklin, the company's digital publisher, it's all about collecting valuable data: ‘We can see what's trending, what books are popular and how people are interacting...'"

http://tinyurl.com/n35aor6


The My Independent Bookshop site itself:

"There's nothing more magical than a bookshop. A bookshop is more than just a shop – it's a gateway to brand new worlds. It lets you visit places you'd never normally go, live lives you'd never normally live and feel things you'd never normally feel. And now you can create your own virtual bookshop, discover new books and be inspired... There's no end to our rewards. With My Independent Bookshop, you'll get the first word on the latest giveaways, competitions and exclusives from some of the best authors around... We love bookshops, and we know you do too. That's why we've teamed up with hive, to ensure that for every book you buy, a percentage of the sale is shared with a local, independent bookshop."

How to make your own virtual bookshop:

http://www.myindependentbookshop.co.uk/register

http://www.myindependentbookshop.co.uk/

http://www.myindependentbookshop.co.uk/TerryPratchett

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

05) DISCWORLD GAMES NEWS

Here's the latest from mah homey, I mean the inimitable David Brashaw, co-creator of the "Guards! Guards!" boardgame:

"After selling out again in 2013 Backspindle Games are delighted to confirm that the Pre-order of Guards! Guards! A Discworld boardgame for 2014 is available right now at:

http://backspindlegames.com/our_work/crouching-tiger-hidden-dragon

"Games should be shipped to customers before the end of June 2014 and for a limited time they have a special Spring Fling price of £29.99 and in addition FREE shipping to UK customers.

"Euan from www.childsplaycharity.org recently commented 'Thanks for making the Guards! Guards! game. I bought it for my wife at Christmas and we've enjoyed it immensely. We especially like the tone of the game. It felt like being in a Pratchett novel. :)'

"Game Salute in the US have ordered 500 copies.

"The Backspindle Boys are booked for DWCon 2014 in Manchester. They will of course have copies of Guards! Guards! to demo and sell, and will have their new board game, Clacks for demoing.

"My sources have told me there is a new cooperative version of the game in development and play-tests have gone very well.
The boys will also be running their LIVE run-around the Convention version of Guards! Guards! with prizes for the winners of course and possibly more chocolate Ankh-Morpork dollars to boot!

"As for a release date for Clacks, not confirmed as yet, as Backspindle have been very busy with their latest sell-out game Luchador! Mexican Wrestling Dice (not a Discworld game, but great fun, banging tables and high-fives etc.) As soon as we know we'll let you all know."

Sounds great! And I'm looking forward to being able to grab a copy of Clacks for myself – Ed.

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

06) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

6.1 NEW: THIEF OF TIME IN ADELAIDE, FOURECKS

Unseen Theatre, Australia's marvellous Pratchett-and-Discworld-themed theatre group, is back this month with a new production of Thief of Time!

When: Preview Show on Friday, 23 May 2014; opening night on Saturday, 24th May; then performances on 28th, 29th, 30th and 31st May, and 4th through 7th June
Venue: Main Theatre, the Bakehouse Theatre, 255 Angas Street, Adelaide, South Australia 5000
Time: 8:00pm all shows (the play runs for 2 hours plus a 10 minute interval)
Tickets: Adults $20, Conc $18, Fringe Benefits $16, Groups (10+) $16; Preview $15. Tickets can be purchased at the door on the night (subject to availability), or to book ahead online, go to http://www.trybooking.com/82617

By agreement with Sir Terry Pratchett, all proceeds from the Opening Night performance will be donated to the South Australian Voluntary Euthanasia Society (_www.saves.asn.au/_)

http://www.unseen.com.au/

6.2 NEW: AMAZING MAURICE THE MUSICAL IN CARLISLE AND PENRITH

ACT Youth Theatre will present their production of Matthew Holmes' superb musical adaptation of The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents next month in Carlisle and Penrith.

Carlisle:
When: Saturday 14th June,
Venue: The Green Room, West Walls Theatre, West Walls, Carlisle, Cumbria CA3 8UB
Tel: 01228 533233
Time: 2pm Matinee and 7:30pm Evening Performances
Tickets: £8 adults and £6 concessions, available from Carlisle Tourist Information (01228 598 596)

http://www.carlislegreenroom.co.uk

Penrith:
When: Saturday 28th June
Venue: Penrith Playhouse, Auction Mart Lane, Penrith, Cumbria, CA11 7JG view map
Telephone 01768 865557
Time: 2pm Matinee and 7:30pm Evening Performances.
Tickets: £8 adults and £6 concessions, available from Penrith Tourist Information (01768 867 466)

www.penrithplayers.co.uk

Tickets for both venues can also be purchased online at: www.acttheatre.ticketsource.co.uk

https://www.facebook.com/acttheatrecumbria

6.3 UPDATED: MONSTROUS REGIMENT IN CHICAGO

"Lifeline Theatre is thrilled to offer a special discount on MONSTROUS REGIMENT tickets to Discworld fans near and far. $10 off regular single tickets, June 12-July 20, with code 'OZZER.' Must order by May 31st. Call 773-761-4477 or purchase online at www.lifelinetheatre.com."

This production is looking very promising! – Ed.

When: 30th May – 20th July 2014
Venue: Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N Glenwood Ave, Chicago, IL, 60626
Telephone 773-761-4477
Time: evenings at 7.30pm on Thursdays and Fridays and at 8pm on Saturdays; matinees at 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays
Tickets: $20 for previews (30th May-8th June), $40 for Regular Run: June 12-July 20 (Thu & Fri at 7:30pm, Sat at 4pm & 8pm, Sun at 4pm). To book online in advance, go to http://tinyurl.com/kzehtaw and click on the desired dates at the bottom of the page (or scroll through from there to the June or July calendars for tickets on those dates)

http://www.lifelinetheatre.com/performances/13-14/mr/index.shtml

6.4 REMINDER: MONSTROUS REGIMENT IN SUDBURY

Sudbury Dramatic Society presents Monstrous Regiment this week, starting tonight!

When: Tuesday 13th to Saturday 17th May 2014
Venue: The Quay, Quay Lane, Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 2AN Tel. 01787 374745
Time: 7.45pm
Tickets: £9.00 (Friends £8.00). Tuesday 13th only – all tickets £7.00. Groups of 10 or more students £7.00 To buy tickets, phone 01787 374745 or online at https://quaytheatre.ticketsolve.com/shows/873507408/events

Pre-theatre suppers are available to book on the Friday and Saturday
evenings only.

http://www.quaytheatre.org.uk/whatsOn.htm

6.5 REMINDER: MORT IN CHESHAM

Chesham Bois Catholic Players (Amateur) present Mort at the Little Theatre this month.

When: 16th-18th May 2014
Venue: Little Theatre By The Park, Church Street, Chesham Bucks HP5 1HU
Time: Fri. 16th at 8pm, Sat. 17th at 7.30pm, Sun. 18th at 4pm
Tickets: all tickets £10. "Unsold tickets may be available at the door."
To book online, go to http://cbcp.ticketsource.co.uk/

http://www.littletheatrechesham.co.uk/
facebook.com/pages/Chesham-Bois-Catholic-Players/692088180825325

6.6 REMINDER: WITCHES ABROAD IN MARYBOROUGH, QUEENSLAND

The Maryborough Players present their exclusive production of Witches Abroad, as adapted and directed by Renoir (presumably not the dead Impressionist master). Profits from the production will go to Alzheimers Australia and the Australasian Order of Old Bastards, they claim!

When: 4th–7th June 2014
Venue: Brolga Theatre & Convention Centre, 5 Walker Street,Maryborough, QLD
Time: all evening performances 7.30pm; additional Saturday matinee 2pm
Tickets: Adults $30.00, Concession and Friends $25.00, Students $20.00 To book online, go to http://www.brolgatheatre.org/default.asp?PageID=95

http://www.brolgatheatre.org/

6.7 REMINDER: WYRD SISTERS AROUND THE MIDLANDS

...although the new travelling production by the Jadis Shadows company is also a sort of "witches abroad"! Jadis Shadows, "Resident Company for STMO Media's Magic Alley in Stratford Upon Avon", present their production in May and June 2014, in a number of places.

When: 16th & 17th May 2014
Venue: Leicester Guildhall, Guildhall Lane, Leicester LE1 5FQ
Time: 7:30pm
Tickets: £12.50, £10.50 concessions. Box Office – 0116 253 2569

When: 29th & 30th May 2014
Venue: Swan Theatre, The Moors, Worcester, WR1
Time: 7:30pm
Tickets: £13.50 (No concession prices). Box Office – 01905 611427. Monday to Saturday 10am – 5pm. Tickets can be booked or held on reservation for up to 4 working days but must be paid for, in full, 4 days prior to the performance. To book online: http://tinyurl.com/lomgby3

When: 11th, 12th & 30th June 2014
Venue: Castle Theatre Wellingborough, 10 Castle Way, Wellingborough, Warwickshire NN8 1XA
Time: 7.45pm
Tickets: £10 for everyone. Box Office – 01933 270007

http://www.jadisshadows.com/index.php/current-programme

6.8 REMINDER: GUARDS! GUARDS! IN ELTHAM (LONDON, NOT FOURECKS)

The Bob Hope Theatre's in-house amateur drama company will present their production of Guards! Guards! this week.

When: 14th-17th May 2014 at 19:45
Venue: Bob Hope Theatre, Wythfield Road, Eltham SE9 5TG
Time: 7.45pm (bar opens at 7pm)
Tickets: £9 (concessions £8, not available Friday or Saturday). Group discounts are on offer. Box Office: 020 8850 3702 or book online at www.intelligent-tickets.com/index.php?th=bh

www.bobhopetheatre.co.uk

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

07) PTERRY AND ALZHEIMER'S NEWS

BECOME A DEMENTIA FRIEND

In Little Black Book:

"Sir Paul McCartney is today announced as an ambassador for Dementia Friends as celebrities and Alzheimer's Society ambassadors perform one of The Beatles' most memorable tracks 'With a Little Help From My Friends' including Lily Allen, Chris Martin, Ray Winstone; Pixie Lott; Paul O'Grady; Leighton Baines; Fiona Phillips; Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes; Simon Pegg; Hugh Dennis; Amanda Holden; Alesha Dixon and Ruth Jones and Sir Terry Pratchett, alongside Gina Shaw, a 61 year old singer and former nurse from Liverpool who has dementia. And the project seems to have moved the celebrities involved to find out more about the condition themselves. 'I think everyone should watch the Dementia Friends video to see the amazing and brave lady who lives with dementia in it. Gina is very open about a condition that there's so much stigma about, but she's got great support is using her position to spread the word,' said comedian and writer Meera Syal... The film will encourage viewers to become a Dementia Friend – which means gaining an understanding of the challenges faced by people with dementia and learning a few useful tips to help make life better for those living with the condition. To become a friend, individuals watch a short online film, which explains what dementia is, how it affects individuals and what people can do to help those living with the disease. Once they've watched the film, they then enter their details in order to receive a Dementia Friends badge (to show their support), and ‘Little Book Of Friendship', which includes further ideas and tips on how to help people with dementia. Alternatively, people can attend a face-to-face awareness session run by Alzheimer's Society in their area... Jeremy Hughes, Chief Executive of Alzheimer's Society, said: 'Given that one in three people over 65 will develop dementia, it is fantastic to be working together with Public Health England to launch a star studded campaign to raise awareness of dementia and encourage people to become Dementia Friends. Everyone has a role to play. Through Dementia Friends, we can all understand a bit more about what it is like to live with dementia and the small things that help those with the condition. It is easy and free to become a Dementia Friend, so I urge you all to sign up and make a difference.'..."

http://tinyurl.com/mtsqrbj

On the Alzheimer's Society website:

"By 2015, we want there to be a million people with the know-how to help people with dementia feel understood and included in their community. The initiative was fully launch in mid-February 2013 after the initial announcement in November 2012. Dementia Friends Champions are volunteers who talk to people about being a Dementia Friend in their communities after attending a training course and receiving ongoing support. A Dementia Friend learns a little bit more about what it's like to live with dementia and then turns that understanding into action - anyone of any age can be a Dementia Friend. The drive forms part of the six-month progress report on the Prime Minister's Challenge on Dementia..."

http://www.alzheimers.org.uk/site/scripts/documents_info.php?documentID=2070

...and the NHS:

"Professor Alistair Burns, National Clinical Director for Dementia for NHS England, said: 'NHS England welcomes this incredibly valuable campaign which will raise the awareness of dementia across the country. I would strongly encourage people to sign up to become a dementia friend and encourage their friends and family to sign up too. Most of us know, or know of someone with dementia and becoming a dementia friend is a positive sign of support.'..."

http://www.england.nhs.uk/2014/05/07/dementia-friends/

In The Mirror:

"Public Health England and Alzheimer's Society have joined forces for the Dementia Friends campaign to recruit over a million "Dementia Friends" – ordinary people who are willing to learn about dementia and how to support people with it.
Duncan Selbie, Chief Executive of Public Health England, says: 'Until there's a cure, friendship is the best treatment we have for dementia.' ... A Dementia Friend is simply someone who has an understanding of what dementia is and the little things they can do to support those living with the condition. Visit Dementia Friends online at dementiafriends.org.uk Search for your local face-to-face information session – these free interactive classes can provide practical advice on how you can help others live well with dementia. If there isn't a session nearby or you can't make the allocated dates, you can always watch the short Dementia Friends video instead. You'll receive a Dementia Friends badge and a 'Little Book of Friendship' which includes tips and ideas on how you can be a friend to someone living with Dementia."

mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/health/become-part-dementia-friends-campaign-3488020

In the Western Gazette:

"Sir Terry Pratchett is among a host of stars appearing in a new television campaign to raise awareness of a new Dementia Friends campaign from Public Health England and Alzheimer's Society. The campaign has been created to highlight that people with dementia can still live fulfilling and rewarding lives and sees stars present their messages to the backing of The Beatles' With a Little Help from my Friends... Dementia prevalence figures from the Dementia 2010 report – recently updated by Alzheimer's Research UK using current population estimates – show there are an estimated 2,600 people living with dementia in south Somerset, 1,100 in north Dorset and 6,500 people in Wiltshire..."

http://tinyurl.com/km9uhfh

In The Telegraph:

"The celebrities star in a new advert to encourage people to become 'dementia friends' to help boost volunteering, education and support for the growing number of people with the condition. Volunteers who take part in the scheme will be able to attend free sessions to learn how to spot the signs of dementia and offer support for sufferers, the Alzheimer's Society said... celebrities involved in the ad include comedian Simon Pegg, actor Ray Winstone, footballer Leighton Baines and presenter Paul O'Grady. Author Sir Terry Pratchett – who suffers from Alzheimer's disease himself – is also involved... The news comes as a new report found that English businesses are losing out on hundreds of millions every year because of employees' caring obligations for people who have dementia. Almost one in 10 dementia carers have to withdraw from work altogether and 12 per cent have been forced to reduce the number of hours they spend at work. Experts have estimated that the total cost of those who leave employment or have to reduce their hours totals more than £1.6 billion. The report compiled by the Centre for Economics and Business research on behalf of Dementia Friends - the Alzheimer's Society's campaign – estimated that throughout this year 50,000 carers will have to quit their job due to caring responsibilities. And a further 66,000 will have to make adjustments to the number of hours they work... 'The fact that thousands of workers in this country are juggling caring responsibilities without support and understanding from their employers is frightening,' said Alzheimer's Society chief executive Jeremy Hughes. 'We're all beginning to talk about dementia, however, society is not yet fully supportive of people with dementia, either in the workplace or in everyday life. I'd love to see everyone become Dementia Friends, and make life that little bit easier for people with dementia.'...

http://tinyurl.com/kj8bgtr

For more information:

https://www.dementiafriends.org.uk/
https://twitter.com/DementiaFriends
https://www.facebook.com/DementiaFriends

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

08) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS

8.1 D.I.Y "RAISING STEAM" CHARACTERS! FOLDABLE! DOWNLOADABLE! AND FREE!!!

A to-die-for set of almost painfully adorable Raising Steam characters to print out at home! Free of charge! What's not to like?

Dick Simnel:
http://www.raisingsteam3d.com/pdfs/Dick_Dieline.pdf

Moist von Lipwig:
http://www.raisingsteam3d.com/pdfs/Moist_Dieline.pdf

Harry King:
http://www.raisingsteam3d.com/pdfs/HarryKing_Dieline.pdf

Iron Girder herself:
http://www.raisingsteam3d.com/pdfs/IronGirder_Dieline.pdf

Vetinari:
http://www.raisingsteam3d.com/pdfs/LordVetenari_Dieline.pdf

Of the Twilight the darkness:
http://www.raisingsteam3d.com/pdfs/OfTheTwilightTheDarkness_Dieline.pdf

Adora Belle:
http://www.raisingsteam3d.com/pdfs/AdoraBelle_Dieline.pdf

Mr Thunderbolt:
http://www.raisingsteam3d.com/pdfs/Thunderbolt_Dieline.pdf

Dick Simnel's workshop:
http://www.raisingsteam3d.com/pdfs/DicksWorkshop_Dieline.pdf

http://tinyurl.com/mdmsdam


8.2 DISCWORLD EMPORIUM UPDATES

"Greetings Disc lovers,

"Of course an Emporium celebration wouldn't be complete without special releases from Discworld Stamps, and we'll be debuting fantastic new issues from Lancre and Genua. Available as single stamps or beautiful collectible sheets, the Lancre 3p and Genua 2 Cent issues feature artwork of Lancre Castle and Ella Saturday respectively. Available at the Spring Fling, and online from Tuesday May 6th - click the images below to see more!

http://tinyurl.com/mxbofxq

"The May Day! May Day! LBE is a limited edition Little Brown Envelope, containing a 'lucky dip' assortment of Discworld Stamps with a chance to find sports, rarities and prizes. Every LBE will contain the brand new Genua 2 Cent, and Lancre 3 Pence Discworld Stamps, and 50 lucky envelopes will contain prize tickets for a 'Letter to Lancre' – a rare postal artefact exclusive to this LBE. Keep an eye out for A-M.P.O Dead Letter labels, little scribbles from a certain artificer, rare $5 Blue Triangles and the most coveted Discworld Stamp of them all - the Blue Triangle Sport!
This edition comprises 1000 LBEs, of which 500 will be available at the event itself on Saturday 3rd May. The remainder will go on sale online on Tuesday 6th May in two batches at 10:00am and 6:00pm BST

http://tinyurl.com/lbvnmj3

"Limited Edition LBEs have a habit of selling out jolly quickly, usually within the first hour of release. To avoid disappointment we recommend the purchase of an LBE season ticket, valid for 6 or 11 LBE editions – find out more here:

http://tinyurl.com/lrfwqx9

[Editor's note: if already sold out, the link may be dead.]

"For all our latest wares and releases have a browse through our New Products page – it's mostly harmless!"

http://tinyurl.com/l8ztg9n

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

09) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS

9.1 NADWCON 2015: NEWS AND EXPLANATIONS

Ladies and Gentlemen,

There are two things you need to know before we announce the location of the 2015 North American Discworld Gathering:

#1 Sir Terry Pratchett is not able to be with us in person this time, as much as he might like to. Terry and Rob's international travel schedule has changed substantially, and he is focused on his writing, and on forthcoming projects.
Your best chance of seeing Sir Terry in person is to attend the International Discworld Convention in 2014 in Manchester, England, August 8-11, 2014. (Their registration is currently filled but there is a waiting list.). Honored Guests at DWCon 2014 "will appear subject to availability and professional commitments."

#2 There is no seed money available to help fund another NADWCon. As some of you know, NADWCon 2011 did not make a profit, and it appears that NADWCon 2013 did not, either. A number of people worked very hard on those last two NADWCons. Those of you who have served in the convention trenches will know how hard it is to put on a good, 1,000 person event, let alone one that makes any money.

Many of the fans who've been volunteering at NADWCon from the very beginning had imagined that each NADWCon would help construct a solid foundation which would, in turn, support future cons, but things don't always work out as well as we could wish. Given this news I've just shared, the 2014/2015 team knew that producing another NADWCon in 2015 was going to be a challenge. So, here is where things stand today:

Drum Roll Please .....

Many of you guessed right: Seattle was the chosen venue. (Note the past tense).

and...

We've been discussing dates for this event that ranged from late summer to early fall because we did not wish to compete with our friends at Norwescon; a fantasy and science fiction convention that takes place in Seattle every Spring.

Then this happened ....

An experienced, fun-loving, and collaborative core group of volunteers was deeply engaged in planning when WorldCon, Inc. announced that Spokane, WA had won the 2015 bid for the World Science Fiction and Fantasy Convention. This meant that most of the talent and volunteers on the west coast would now focus their time, resources and attention on that event. Add to this the fact that many of our NADWCon attendees also go to Worldcon; we cannot ask them to fly out to the same location twice in one year.

In light of these circumstances we have decided to hold a Discworld Gathering at WorldCon 2015. This WorldCon's official name is Sasquan. Sasquan will take place in Spokane, WA on August 19th - 23rd in 2015.

They know we're coming: The Planning Committee is in touch with the organizers of Sasquan. Our job now is to support this large, international convention, and make sure that our Discworld friends have fun while they're there. Our first question to Sasquan was, "How can we help?".

The North American Discworld Guilds are on board, including the Seamstress Guild (extroverted, costume loving party givers) led by their talented Director Missy Hayes. Also with us are the the Dark Clerks (highly organized folks who like to run things backstage), the Printers and Engravers (writers and editors), the Cunning Artificers (arts and crafts), along with musicians, various family groups, and other North American guilds to be named later. We're planning the Seamstress Guild parties (oh, those parties!), and – pending Sasquan's approval, where needed – various Discworld meets, panels, classes, arts and crafts, pub crawls, kids events, and lots of fun across this great con for all our Discworld friends. In a way, this will be like leaving little Lancre to visit Ankh Morpork. You might want to bring The Luggage.

You can buy your membership to Sasquan, at their 2015 WorldCon website:

http://sasquan.org/
http://www.worldcon.org/

PLEASE NOTE:
* Sasquan attendees can't book hotel rooms for this con until late summer or early fall of 2014. (See the Sasquan website for details)
* More information about our Discworld events at Sasquan will be forthcoming at our website (nadwcon.org), through social media, and via a newsletter.

That's all, folks. You now have over fifteen months to make your arrangements. (3) We're going to have a great time. We hope you can join us.

http://it-bodes.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/announcing-dates-and-location-for-north.html


9.2 WADFEST 2014

"This year's theme is heroes and villains. This means you get the chance to dress up as the hero or villain that you have always wanted to be. You can take your inspiration from comics, films and cartoons, or invent a new character for yourself. There will be trophies for the best dressed villain and best dressed hero, so get your sewing machine out and give it a go! If you're no good at sewing and you don't have anyone to help out, you can always hire a costume for the weekend. As well as special themed hero and villain games there will be all your usual Wadfest favourites, including smack the penguin. If it's your first time at Wadfest, why not take a look through the photos of Wadfests past to get an idea of what to expect?

"The X-Men's blackbird? Batman's batmobile? Green Goblin's glider? If you're feeling really adventurous why not turn your vehicle into the kind of transport a hero or villain would have? Perhaps you're more interested in a permanent base like Superman's Fortress of Solitude or He-Man's Castle Greyskull? If so, why not dress your tent up as your lair? There will be a prize for the best one. There are no limits to what you can do with your costumes. Be as inventive as you like or faithfully recreate your favourite character's costume."

When: 15th to 17th August 2014
Venue: Wood Green, The Animal Charity, King's Bush Farm, London Road, Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire, PE29 2NH
Tickets: £25.00 per adult for the weekend including Camping and Events. Children under 16 go free when accompanied by a paying adult. To purchase tickets online, go to http://www.wadfest.co.uk/page2.html

http://www.wadfest.co.uk


9.3 AUSDWCON 2015

Nullus Anxietus V is coming! Some early details:

When: 10th to 12th April 2015
Venue: Novotel, Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia
Tickets: current ticket prices are $80-$140 per Attending Member, $400 per Family, $30 per Supporting Membership. To purchase at these rates, go to http://ausdwcon.org/shop/

"Previous Conventions have had Guilds. For Nullus Anxietas V the Guilds are replaced by the Studios of Holy Wood and Convention members (who choose to join a "guild") will be randomly assigned to one of the five studios for activities. Can't sing? Can't dance? Can handle a sword a little? Then Holy Wood beckons, and the clickies want YOU." – Daniel Hatton, Guildmeister

"The date of the convention is still too far distant for us to start negotiating room rates but we will have the upper hand if we can go into the discussion with an estimate of how many we would likely need. We'd like to convince them to be the cheapest rate in all of Parramatta and make their money by booking every room rather than them charging a lot for a few rooms. If at all possible, please give us an indication if you will be booking accommodation at the venue and what sort of room you would like. You do not need to be registered to fill in the survey, we would just like an idea of how many rooms we will need for the weekend. Rest assured we will not hold you to this – it's just an estimate. Your name will only be used to ensure you're not on the spreadsheet twice. You will still need to book your own accommodation." – the organisers

http://ausdwcon.org/

9.4 CABBAGECON 2015

Cabbagecon 3, the third Dutch Discworld Convention, will take place in June of next year. Among the special guests will be Venugopalan Ittekot, Dutch translator of the Discworld novels.

When: 27th and 28th June 2015
Venue: Tulip Inn Hotel Val Monte in Berg en Dal (near Nijmegen)
Tickets: Membership of Cabbagecon 3 for the whole weekend is priced at €40,00, with a €5 discount for children, seniors and students. For the Saturday only or the Sunday only, the price is €25,00, with the same discounts as above applying. To book online in advance, go to http://www.dutchdwcon.nl

Apparently Cabbagecon 2 was a great success on the fun front. The organisers say of next year's event, "It will be a happy occasion for fans of Sir Terry Pratchett from the Netherlands and abroad to meet each other again and have fun. We hope to see you too!"

9.5 IDWCON 2015

""Hear ye, hear ye, lads and lasses. We're pleased as punch, and so very proud, to announce that the 4th Irish Discworld Convention will be held from the 2nd to the 5th of October, 2015... We hope to see you all at the Cork International Airport Hotel..."

Confirmed guests so far include Bernard Pearson (the Cunning Artificer himself), Isobel Pearson, TSoD co-author Jack Cohen, folklorist (and Discworld myth-checker) Jacqueline Simpson, and the ever-excellent Colin Smythe.

The new IDWcon webpage is truly gorgeous! Go have a look and a wander, in the meantime, here's an internal memo from Captain Shivers of the A-M City Watch, Irish Precinct:

To: Potential New Recruits
Re: The Theme!
People of Roundworld, we're very pleased to announce that the theme of the Irish Discworld Convention 2015 will be the Watch Open Weekend. Watch this space for further details! If you would like to know more about the Convention, please see our FAQ page. And if you would like to know more about what happened last time, please see the Previous Conventions section. If you have ideas for events you'd like to run, or see us run at the convention, please email: programme@idwcon.org. If you have any other questions, feel free to email us on: info@idwcon.org.

http://idwcon.org/
https://twitter.com/IDWCon
https://www.facebook.com/groups/idwcon/

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

10) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group", meets on the first Monday of every month at the Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London W2 1JQ: "We welcome anyone and everyone who enjoys Sir Terry's works, or quite likes them or wants to find out more. We have had many visitors from overseas who have enjoyed themselves and made new friends. The discussions do not only concern the works of Sir Terry Pratchett but wander and meander through other genres and authors and also leaping to TV and Film production. We also find time for a quiz. The prize is superb. The chance to set the quiz the following month."

Next meeting: Tonight, actually! Monday 12th May 2014, from 7pm onwards. The regular "first Monday of the month" date was moved back to avoid clashing with the Wincanton Spring Fling, which took place last week.

The Drummers' most recent meet report:

"Last night we had a fantastic turnout. We had to add table after table to our zone just to accommodate everyone. We had a visitor from the Netherlands, Sandra, who is on holiday in London. She said that she was pleased to meet up with other nerds and hopes to come again. I was also pleased to see Bill returning to us like the ghost of Drummers past.
The numbers meant that I didn't get to speak to everyone. I ended up having a very serious conversation about the similarities between fandom and religion and the distinction between the epistemological and sociological aspects with Tim and Ruth (who are back together, that's your hot gossip for the day). Larry and Judy brought their wedding photos from over 30 years ago (Larry looked very sweet and innocent, Judy has remarkably aged very little in that time so looked pretty much the same). Alex also flirted with Andrew, asking me if he was "hetero-flexible". Tim E. brought a jeopardy style quiz, ideal for arguing about possible answers and wording, which caused much amusement. The winner, with full marks, was Tim. W. which caused an immediate sound of fear and foreboding when everyone realized that this meant he would be doing the next quiz."

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

*

The Pratchett Partisans are a new fan group who meet monthly at either Brisbane or Indooroopilly to "eat, drink and chat about all things Pratchett". For more info about their next meetup, go to http://www.meetup.com/Pratchett-Partisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au

*

The City of Small Gods is a group for fans in Adelaide and South Australia: "We have regular monthly dinner and games nights, longer games days, plus play outings, craft-y workshops, and fun social activities throughout the year. For more info and to join our mailing list, visit":

http://cityofsmallgods.org.au

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers meet on the first Thursday of every month from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight.

Next meeting: Thursday 5th June 2014, probably, but do email to check.

All new members and curious passersby are very welcome! For more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) meets on the first Friday of every month at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"

Next meeting: Friday 6th June 2014 (probably, though isn't that Queenie's official birthday celebrations day?).

*

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

Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum:

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

*

Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet on the first Monday of every month in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney,2000.

Next meeting: Monday 2nd June 2014 at 6.30pm (probably). For more information, contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

Perth Drummers meet on the first Monday of the month, subject to holidays.

Next meeting: Monday 2nd June 2014 (probably).

"Please note we have moved to Carpe Cafe from 5.30pm Carpe Cafe, 526 Murray Street, Perth, WA. Meeting at a cafe means we are under-18 friendly!"

For details follow Perth Drummers on Twitter @Perth_Drummers and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – otherwise message Krystel directly at khewett@live.com

*

Western Drummers (that's two groups for the Sydney Pratchett fans now) meet at The Rowers, Bruce Neal Drive, Penrith at 6.30-7.30pm for food, 7.30pm for games, quizzes and chat.

Next meeting: Tuesday 20th May 2014 (confirmed!)

For more information, contact Nanny Ogg – lewis_oz@bigpond.com –
or visit their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/westerndrummers

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

11) A BEAUTIFUL, CROWDFUNDED MARC SIMONETTI ART BOOK

You may recall French illustrator Marc Simonetti's stunning art for the cover of Turtle Recall. Now he is offering the world his first collection in book form, titled "Coverama". With 63 days left on his crowdfunding page, "Coverama" has already surpassed its goal total of $10,000, but that's no reason to stop supporting it. Discworld fans dug deep for Snowgum's "Troll Bridge" crowdfund appeal, and we all know how successful that drive was!

Crowdfunding for "Coverama" ends on 15th July 2014...

"IT'S ART and Marc Simonetti are proud to present Marc's first ART BOOK: Coverama. Marc Simonetti is a French illustrator who has illustrated many great Fantasy and Sci-Fi books, such as George R. R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire and Terry Pratchett's Discworld Novels. He's has also worked for video game companies like (EA, Ubisoft, Activision, Sony...) and worked as a concept artist and color key artist on advertisements and long feature films... The hardcover Art Book will have around 240 pages printed on high quality paper, and will be full of illustrations. The text will be in both English and French. Their subjects will cover the Game of Thrones books, The Disc World , Lovecraft's worlds, Fantasy and Scifi books, video games and advertisements, personal works, and several "Making Of" made especially for the book... You will enjoy a unique sneak peek on the art process as well and some never seen sketches... Some illustrations will have a link to their online video making of. I will do at least 4 original images, including the book cover art and their full Making Of, explained in text and in online videos..."

There are several pledge levels (we all know how these things go now)n – Civilian for $15.00, Scout for $30.00, Mercenary – France for $40.00, Mercenary – Worldwide for $50.00, Bounty Hunter for $100.00, Colonel for $250.00, Rear Admiral for $500.00, High Admiral for $750.00, and Commander for $1,000.00. To discover what each level offers, visit the page:

http://www.itsartmag.com/features/projects/coverama-by-marc-simonetti/

[Editor's note: for more of Simonetti's quirky Discworld covers art, go to www.marcsimonetti.com - my personal favourites are his covers for Reaper Man, Small Gods, and definitely Soul Music. He also does really scary Feegles.]

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

12) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

Susan would approve! As dispensed by the very enlightened Barrett Pharmacy of Watford City, North Dakota:

http://tinyurl.com/n899tlp

...and Nanny Ogg would definitely approve of this ever so louche Interesting Vegetable, as posted by The Poke:

http://tinyurl.com/lymbzm3

Here be an iconograph of the assembled 3-D foldable "Raising Steam" characters (see item 8.1 above):

http://tinyurl.com/lk8re7y

GlenBricker, who created the Discworld Lego proposal, now brings us a Tiffany Aching with frying pan, diary, ship beasties and Feegles. Lego-Tiffany is a truly scary sight; I doubt even the Quin would want to mess with her:

https://ideas.lego.com/projects/57284

...and finally, a marvellously motley collection of Wincanton Spring Fling-ers rockin' the Pink Pussycat Club:

http://tinyurl.com/lcgxwrm

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

13) CLOSE

You may remember, from Men at Arms, that the Fools' Guild has a secret museum of clown faces painted on eggs, with an egg for each clown's unique and "protected" make-up. Here be the real Roundworld version:

"A clown's face is his livelihood; it's an unwritten rule among clowns that one must not copy the face of another. Accordingly, in 1946 London clown Stan Bult began painting the faces of his colleagues onto eggshells, effectively trademarking their identities. Bult's collection was largely destroyed in an accident in 1965, but London's Circus Clowns Club resurrected the practice in 1984 and added samples of its members' costumes and wig hair, making each into a peculiar sort of portrait. In 1979, Leon 'Buttons' McBryde, a clown with the Ringling Bros & Barnum and Bailey Circus, heard about the British practice and established his own egg registry, which now includes hundreds of portraits of clowns hand-painted by his wife, Linda. The U.S. registry has been used in at least one court case in which one clown charged another with infringing his design..."

http://www.futilitycloset.com/2014/05/09/the-clown-egg-register/

And here is a wonderful collection of clown-face egg photographs by Luke Stephenson:

http://lukestephenson.com/the-clown-egg-register/

And finally, a message, in poster form, for orangutan-loving choccy-bar consumers in Fourecks. It's a graphic list of which popular snack bars contain palm oil and which do not. Buy smart, tuckshop-raiders!

http://tinyurl.com/mppt6da

And that's the lot for now. Enjoy this merrie month of May, don't forget to wear the lilac on the 25th, and we'll see you again soon!

– Annie Mac

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

———————————————————————————————————
The End. If you have any questions or requests, write: interact (at) pearwood (dot) info
———————————————————————————————————
Copyright (c) 2014 by Klatchian Foreign Legion

WOSSNAME
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
March 2014 (Volume 17, Issue 3, post 1)
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

INDEX:

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) ODDS AND SODS
04) RAISING STEAM: NEW (USA) REVIEWS
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
07) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
08) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
09) ROUNDWORLD TALES: THE STINKPIPES AND SEWERS OF DODGER'S LONDON
10) THINGS PTERRY FANS SAY
11) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
12) CLOSE

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

ALL OF THEM! here is The Daily Pratchett, a Twitter account that presents, yes, daily quotes from the works of a certain (or Sir-tain?) Mr Pratchett. "Suggestions welcome", it says there:

https://twitter.com/DailyPratchett

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

02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

First off, a grateful thank-you to the various people who wrote in over this past month expressing sympathy for my illness woes. Things are slowly improving – the best part being a resurgence of general Joy of Living (a wonderful thing, no matter what Reg Shoe might think). Hopefully my improved spirits will be reflected in the tone of this issue!

Some bits and bobs (not to be confused with Odds and Sods, which is section 3 in this month's issue):

Locus Magazine's March hardcover bestsellers list has a new entry: Raising Steam, coming in at number 2.

http://tinyurl.com/n9xg93w

Laugh and a half ye first: on the Minnesota website zumbrota.com, Jan David Fisher's piece on satirical fantasy/SF includes an accurate description of Pratchett's work until we get to "One of the books had the Captain of the Night Watch reading the children's book 'Are You My Mother' to his young son." Methinks Mr Fisher is conflating Where's My Cow with a certain episode of Christopher Eccleston's Doctor Who season...

http://tinyurl.com/jwp55cq

Laugh and a half ye second: American political commentator Bill O'Reilly, whose worldview is without doubt the utter antithesis of every piece of Pterry's "stealth philosophy" espoused in his works, quoted Miss Tick ("If you trust in yourself . . . and believe in your dreams . . . and follow your star . . . you'll still get beaten by people who spent their time working hard and learning things and weren't so lazy.") in his op-ed titled "Liberalism is destroying things that work" and followed it by stating, "I haven't read Pratchett's 'The Wee Free Men' book series, but after stumbling across that quote, I wish I had. I mean, here's a man who clearly gets it." Oh dearie dearie me, someone does *not* get it. This could possibly be the most jaw-droppingly inappropriate use of a Pratchett quote ever...

In an amusing piece of what one might call cross-species casting, I note that the actor playing Angua in next month's production of Men at Arms by the Q2 Players is called... Cat! Here's wishing a successful run to Cat Lamin and her castmates (see item 5.4 for details).

Speaking of our favourite werewolf Watch officer, your Editor had an "Angua moment" recently: someone asked me what hair product I was using because my hair smelt so good, and I had to admit that I'd sneaked a squirt of "...for a glossy coat" dog spray when helping to primp a friend's showdog...

The Science of Discworld IV is released this week in paperback! To order a copy, go to http://amzn.to/1g1NnZv

A reminder: The Long Mars, third book in The Long Earth series, will be released in hardcover and ebook versions on 19th June 2014. To pre-order from Amazon, go to http://amzn.to/1jxuSkt

Another reminder: Sir Pterry will be the special guest at Eastercon 65 from 18th – 21st April 2014 at the Crown Plaza Hotel, Glasgow, health permitting: http://satellite4.org.uk/

There's quite a lot of action on the Discworld plays front around Roundworld, so do have a shufti at section 5. And now, on with the show!

– Annie Mac, Editor

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

03) ODDS AND SODS

3.1 THE LONG MARS: OFFICIAL BLURB

2040-2045: In the years after the cataclysmic Yellowstone eruption there is massive economic dislocation as populations flee Datum Earth to myriad Long Earth worlds. Sally, Joshua, and Lobsang are all involved in this perilous work when, out of the blue, Sally is contacted by her long-vanished father and inventor of the original Stepper device, Willis Linsay. He tells her he is planning a fantastic voyage across the Long Mars and wants her to accompany him. But Sally soon learns that Willis has ulterior motives . . .

Meanwhile U. S. Navy Commander Maggie Kauffman has embarked on an incredible journey of her own, leading an expedition to the outer limits of the far Long Earth.

For Joshua, the crisis he faces is much closer to home. He becomes embroiled in the plight of the Next: the super-bright post-humans who are beginning to emerge from their 'long childhood' in the community called Happy Landings, located deep in the Long Earth. Ignorance and fear are causing 'normal' human society to turn against the Next – and a dramatic showdown seems inevitable . . .

3.2 NEW PAUL KIDBY EXHIBITION AND WORKSHOPS

Discworld and Beyond, the noted exhibition of the work of Paul Kidby, opens in a new venue this weekend. "This exhibition showcases the wonderful book covers and illustrations for Pratchett’s novels including favourite characters like Rincewind, the Wee Free Men and, of course, Death. All his work is marked by a staggering quality of draughtsmanship and effective use of colour, bright for the book covers and muted for his faerie paintings."

When: 29th March through 28th June 2014
Venue: Willis Museum, Market Place, Basingstoke RG21 7QD (phone 0845 603 5635)
Time: Tuesdays to Fridays 10am – 5pm
Tickets: Admission free

Mr Kidby will also be heading some workshops during the Easter holidays. Fancy learning how to draw dragons, from the visual creator of Errol himself? Here's your opportunity:

10am – 1pm Saturday, April 12. Adult Workshop
"Join Paul for an inspiring workshop and tutorial. Receive hands on help with your own work in a friendly and encouraging atmosphere. Please bring your own materials e.g. sketchbooks, pencils, colour pencils. Participation, which costs £20, must be booked in advance by ringing or popping in."

1.30pm – 3.30pm Saturday, April 12. Family Workshop
"Join Paul for an inspiring family friendly workshop and learn the art of drawing dragons! Receive hands on help with your own work in a friendly and encouraging atmosphere. Children to be accompanied by an adult. All materials provided. Book in advance by ringing or popping in. Cost: £7 per participant."

11am – 4pm Thursday, June 26. Adult Masterclass
"Join Paul for an inspiring workshop and tutorial. Receive hands on help with your own work in a friendly and encouraging atmosphere. Participation, which costs £20, must be booked in advance by ringing or popping in."

For more information, go to hants.gov.uk/willis-museum or ring 01256 465902.

3.3 WINCANTON SPRING FLING

Heading for Ankh-Morpork's official twin town this Spring? The 2014 Wincanton Spring Fling swings into action on May Bank Holiday weekend, 3rd and 4th May. This year's Fling will feature a Friday night storytelling session, maker's market and grand charity auction, among many other pleasant events.

For more information, go to http://www.discworldemporium.com/

3.4 REMINDER: THE STORY MUSEUM OPENING

The Story Museum exhibition is due to officially open on Saturday, 5th April 2014.

"Oxford's Story Museum will open this spring with a photographic exhibition featuring famous authors dressed as the characters they loved most as children. The 26 Characters exhibition will feature children's laureate Malorie Blackman as the Wicked Witch of the West in Frank L Baum's The Wizard of Oz, Terry Jones as the comic strip character Rupert Bear, Terry Pratchett as Just William from the Richmal Crompton series, and Neil Gaiman as Badger from Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows, in a series of photographs taken by Cambridge Jones... The museum is planning a full programme of events and activities, with a talking throne and a dressing-up area. The exhibition is supported by the Arts Council and will run from April to November..."

http://www.thebookseller.com/news/authors-dress-story-museum.html

3.5 MARK READS...

Soi-disant "Vegan cyclist, Internet community nerd, atheist bookworm, high-five purveyor" Mark Oshiro has just begun a huge project: to read and review the entire Discworld series: "If you’ve not heard, I will be starting a long, long, LONG journey on March 12th, in which I will attempt to read every Discworld book in publication order. Yes, all of them..."

http://markreads.net/reviews/

[Editor's note: I have looked at the page and it seems to me that Mr Oshiro charges a fiver for the ebook of his comments on each book he reads. I have no idea what the appeal of this might be, but then I am to the best of my knowledge neither a "vegan cyclist" nor an "internet nerd", so perhaps I'm missing some information here. Any answers?]

3.6 A TORTOISE TO MAKE OM PROUD?

Journalist Sally Kettle writes about meeting Jonathan, St Helena's 182-year-old giant tortoise whose life so far has life has spanned the reigns of eight British monarchs from George IV to Elizabeth II, and 51 prime ministers:

"A photograph taken in 1882 shows Jonathan at his full size, and it can take 50 years to reach that physical maturity. The years since haven't always been kind. Tourists would often do whatever it took to get 'that' photo. Now, a viewing corridor runs along the bottom of the lawn to keep overzealous sightseers at bay. It was a huge privilege for me to get so up close and personal. Jonathan loves having his neck stroked. His head extends out from his shell to a surprising length. He snaps for his food – bananas, cabbage and carrots – with some ferocity. [keeper] Joe almost lost the end of his thumb and has resorted to wearing thick gloves. 'He doesn't mean to nip me,' he says, 'he just finds it difficult to locate his food.'... Blindness made it hard for Jonathan to find the right vegetation, and due to malnutrition Jonathan's beak became blunt and soft, adding to his problems finding food. Now there's a new feeding regime, in place where Joe delivers a bucket of fresh fruit and vegetables every Sunday morning. With this extra nutritional boost Jonathan's skin now looks plump and feels supple. His beak has become a deadly weapon for anyone attempting to shove a carrot anywhere near his mouth. And he can belch..."

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26543021

3.7 REVIEW: THE TRUTH

In North Carolina's Times-News, Sara Ingle recommends new Discworld readers start with The Truth:

"Although the series is slightly self-referential, there is no need to read them in order, though those who become hooked will benefit from re-readings later on. The 25th book in the series, 'The Truth,' generally is agreed to be a good place to start. Ankh-Morpork is a city that lives on gossip, and William de Worde writes it all down, sending it in a monthly letter to the upper-crust of Ankh-Morpork's friends and rivals. It's an easy life, and when rumor says that the dwarves can turn lead into gold, he writes that down, too. But when the aforementioned lead turns out to be a printing press, Williams finds himself enlisted as the head writer for Discworld's first newspaper. Working with the woman whose father he just put out of business, plus an unstable, teetotaling vampire photographer who crumples to dust with every camera flash, he finds himself writing about (and suddenly in the midst of) murders, conspiracies to overthrow the government, and humorously shaped vegetables... Although the book is not overly coarse in language or in content, it is not suggested for young readers. Pratchett has written several young-adult books that are excellent no matter your age..."

http://tinyurl.com/mazqyey

3.8 REVIEW: DODGER'S GUIDE TO LONDON

By Caroline Smart on the South African website Artslink:

Fascinating, well designed and very amusing look at Victorian London through the eyes of Dodger... Dodger's Guide To London (with an especial interest in its underbelly...) sounds so genuine and paints the sights, sounds, smells and social structures of London so well that you actually start believing that Dodger (a name for someone who dodges trouble) exists. However, a tiny footnote explains that Dodger is a fictional character as are a number of his associates in the book... Chapters have headings like Aspidistra Land; A Nation of Shopkeepers and Nippers, Scallywags, Urchins and Rascals as well as When Clobber Maketh the Gentleman and Places to Avoid. Each page produces fascinating historical information, quotations from personalities of the times and Dodger's inimitable comments... Paul Kidby's illustrations add visual charm while the text design is by Lizzy Laczynska and picture research by Liane Payne..."

http://tinyurl.com/ozk567c

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

04) NEW REVIEWS: RAISING STEAM

Because, of course, it is now officially released in the USA...

4.1 By Ken Armstrong in the Seattle Times:

"Building a railway is as much about economics as engineering, and with this being Discworld — sort of like our world, sort of not — the hurdles are both familiar and twisted. The starting capital traces its origins to sea plunder ('your granddad were slightly a bit of a pirate,' the railway's engineer is told); land rights must be settled with goblin squatters; and legal niceties fall to a lawyer who happens to be a troll, which is no longer a big deal in Discworld, with trolls so much like people, only bigger, that some work as dentists, some as hair stylists, and the one who's handling all the contracts elicits this reaction from a new client: 'Weren't he nice? For a lawyer.'... Pratchett melds politics, finance and the occasional dark turn with his fantasy and humor, and as ever his footnotes are not to be missed. It is there that we learn that 'stumbleweed is like tumbleweed, but less athletic.' Reading the previous 39 Discworld novels is not necessary to delight in 'Raising Steam,' which is a good thing, because that would seem to be asking a lot. That said, how many writers are more fun to spend time with?..."

http://tinyurl.com/kgxpj39

4.2 By CA Bridges in the Daytona News-Journal:

"'Raising Steam' has a very different tone than the previous books. Darker, action-packed, with a quicker pace and possibly the biggest cast Pratchett has ever used, as fits a story as expansive as this needs to be. Where most of the previous books could be read and enjoyed without having read the rest, this one almost demands a certain level of familiarity, if only to get all the references and cameo appearances. 30 years ago the Discworld books began as light-hearted parodies of fantasy tropes, poking fun at warriors and wizards and getting in some licks on our own modern society. Since then, as Pratchett's characters grew in complexity and the Discworld itself grew in scope, the Discworld series has become a wholly remarkable work of satire Pratchett wields like a scalpel. 'Raising Steam' is about the first railroad, yes, but it's also about the industrial revolution and class warfare and diplomacy and the changing world and the dangers of dogma and the excitement and terror of change and the struggle for universal suffrage and the sheer love of great big iron things and how an entire society can be changed by one man who knows how to use a slide rule. Also, it's funny..."

http://tinyurl.com/kdeb7rw

4.3 A harsh yet considered review by Christopher Bahn in the Onion AV Club:

"Raising Steam suffers from being Pratchett's least whimsical Discworld book, though he sneaks in some solid punnery, like a town called Aix-En-Pains. But in place of the usually effortless-seeming sly wit and silliness, Raising Steam offers unsubtle earnestness. It rarely feels like vintage Pratchett, and at times it doesn't sound very much like the writer at all. Characterizations of long-established Discworldians like Vetinari are off-kilter. Lawman Sam Vimes sounds more like a soldier than a cop. The momentum of the railroad and coup storylines grind slowly down through an interminable journey to Uberwald that eats up far too much of the narrative... Hopefully, this is just an uncharacteristic blip of mediocrity in a mostly unbroken line of terrifically enjoyable books, though it's been sadly clear that a decline would come sooner or later after Pratchett was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's in 2007. Certainly, the speed at which Raising Steam moves forward long-simmering elements of the overarching Discworld plot, not to mention the unusually large number of cameos by characters from earlier novels, suggests that Pratchett might be moving to bring the series to an endpoint on his own terms. He's certainly earned that right..."

http://tinyurl.com/kqkqg3d

4.4 ...and a more positive review by Jacob Edwards in buzzymag.com:

"One great strength of Terry Pratchett's Discworld series comes by way of the eponymous world's being always in flux. Ever since The Colour of Magic (1983), in which Ankh-Morpork first was established – a most pungent and exquisitely base city – the Discworld has undergone a renaissance that has been blossoming now for thirty years and seen great strides taken in terms not only of technology but also of social issues such as gender, race and even species equality. Pratchett's fortieth Discworld book, Raising Steam, deals with the advent of railways, the newfound humanoid dignity of goblins (following on from the previous novel, Snuff), and the rise of terrorism by way of a rabid, deep-dwelling dwarf sect. In many ways this is Pratchett's most ambitious project to date... An unusually large number of characters having been reprised from previous stories and called aboard this latest outing, Raising Steam constitutes a rare instance of Pratchett's crafting a book that may prove insufficiently self-contained to hold the interest of new readers. Though stoking the nostalgia of longstanding fans, Discworld in-jokes such as 'going librarian' lie dangerously self-indulgent across Pratchett's newly laid tracks. In mitigation of such criticism, let it be said that Terry Pratchett has given himself wondrously high standards to live up to, not least of all in his imaginative scope and his ever-blossoming proliferation of wordplay and wit. Raising Steam may not be his finest work, but still it chugs along nicely and affords Pratchett plenty of scope to traverse the variegated landscape of language..."

http://buzzymag.com/raising-steam-by-terry-pratchett-book-review/

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

05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

5.1 REMINDER: GOING POSTAL IN BASILDON

The Thalian Theatre Company, experienced Discworld plays producers, will present Going Postal this week.

When: 27th to 29th March 2014
Venue: Mirren Studio, Towngate Theatre, St. Martin's Square, Basildon, Essex SS14 1DL
Time: 8pm
Tickets: £10 adult, £8.50 concessions, available from the theatre box office on 01268 465465, or you can book tickets online by going to http://tinyurl.com/kfubr4y

http://www.towngatetheatre.co.uk/index.aspx?articleid=4771

5.2 WYRD SISTERS IN TYNESIDE

The Westovian Theatre Society will present their production of Wyrd Sisters from the end of this month through early April.

When: Monday March 31 to Saturday April 5 2014
Venue: Pier Pavilion, Pier Parade, South Shields, Tyne and Wear NE33 2JS
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: £6 on Monday and Tuesday and £7 Wednesday to Saturday, available from the Visitor Information Centre, Haven Point, South Shields. Tel. 0191 424 7788. Opening hours are 10am – 1pm and 1.30pm – 5pm until Saturday 29th. From Monday March 31, tickets will be available at the Theatre Box office, which is open for telephone calls between 6.30pm and 8pm. Tel. 0191 456 0980. Cash or Cheques only (Cheques payable to 'The Westovians Theatre Society') – No cards available at present.

www.westovians.co.uk

5.3 REMINDER: WITCHES ABROAD IN PORTSMOUTH

Collingwood RSC Theatre Group, already veteran Pratchett play presenters, will offer their production – a world premiere, no less – of Witches Abroad this week!

When: Thursday 27th through Saturday 29th March 2014
Venue: HMS Collingwood, Newgate Lane, Fareham, Portsmouth, PO14 1AS
Tickets: £6, available via the box office (07502 037922)

To see their whimsical Kidby-pastiche poster, go to http://tinyurl.com/l9hlaka

https://www.facebook.com/hmscollingwoodrsc

5.4 REMINDER: MEN AT ARMS IN KEW

The Q2 Players, "Kew's Leading Amateur Theatre Group", will present their production of Men at Arms in early April.

When: Thursday 3rd – Saturday 5th April 2014
Venue: Kew Community Centre, St. Luke's in The Avenue, Richmond, Surrey TW9 2AL
Time: Thurs-Sat shows at 8pm; Sat Matinee 2.30pm
Tickets: £8 (concessions £6) Box office TBA; email q2players@gmail.com

http://www.q2players.org.uk/Q2_Players/Upcoming_Show.html

5.5 REMINDER: NATION IN TEMPE, ARIZONA

The Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts will present a production of Mark Ravenhill's NT stage adaptation of Nation in April, directed by Megan Weaver.

When: 4th–13th April 2014
Venue: Galvin Playhouse, 51 E. 10th St, Tempe, AZ 85287 (at Mill Avenue & 10th Street, University of Arizona Tempe campus)
Time: 4th, 5th, 10th and 12th at 7.30pm; 6th and 13th at 2pm
Tickets: $8-$16; to buy online, go to http://tinyurl.com/lhb2oyw
Herberger Institute students are offered free admission on tickets reserved in advance.

5.6 LORDS AND LADIES IN CHELTENHAM

The Deep End Theatre Company will present their production of "Lords and Ladies", adapted by Irana Brown, in April.

When: Wednesday 9th - Saturday 12th April 2014
Venue: The Playhouse, Cheltenham, 47-53 Bath Rd, Town Centre, Cheltenham GL53 7HG
Time: 7.45pm (Saturday matinee at 2pm)
Tickets: £10 (£8 Concessions on Wed evening & Sat Matinee only) Available from Cheltenham Playhouse Box Office: 01242 522 852

5.7 MASKERADE IN WEYMOUTH

The Weymouth Drama Club will be presenting their production of Maskerade in early April.
When: April 3rd, 4th and 5th
Venue: The Weymouth Pavilion, 7 Hope Street, DT4 8TU Weymouth, Dorset (phone 1305 750050)
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: £10.50. To buy online, go to http://tinyurl.com/ptf5vjx

https://www.facebook.com/weymouthdramaclub

Here be a cast photo: http://tinyurl.com/kbhqlo5

5.8 WEIBERREGIMENT (MONSTROUS REGIMENT) IN GERMANY

German amateur dramatics group "Die Dramateure" present their third production of a Discworld play. This time it's Weiberregiment (Monstrous Regiment). WOSSNAME wishes them every success!

When: 11th and 12th April 2014
Venue: Burgerhaus Bischofsheim, Dornigheimer Weg 21, 63477 Maintal, Germany
Time: 7:30 pm
Tickets: 8,50€ (7,00€ if bought online). To buy tickets online, go to http://www.dramateure.com/karten

5.9 GUARDS! GUARDS! IN ELTHAM (LONDON)

The Bob Hope Theatre's in-house amateur drama company will present their production of Guards! Guards! in May.

When: 14th-17th May 2014 at 19:45
Venue: Bob Hope Theatre, Wythfield Road, Eltham SE9 5TG
Time: 7.45pm (bar opens at 7pm)
Tickets: £9 (concessions £8, not available Friday or Saturday). Group discounts are on offer. Box Office: 020 8850 3702 or book online at www.intelligent-tickets.com/index.php?th=bh

www.bobhopetheatre.co.uk

5.10 WYRD SISTERS IN ACCRINGTON, WHICH IS STILL NOT IN CHESHIRE

Oswaldtwistle Players will present their production of Wyrd Sisters, adapted by Stephen Briggs and directed by Martina Burns, in late April and early May.

When: 30th April - 3rd May 2014
Venue: Oswaldtwistle Civic Theatre, 157 Union Road, Oswaldtwistle, Accrington BB5 3HZ
Time: 19:30
Tickets: £8.50 (concessions £7.50); all tickets £7 on 30th April

http://i72139.wix.com/oswaldtwistleplayers

5.11 REMINDER: MONSTROUS REGIMENT IN CHICAGO

Chicago has already experienced Discworld on stage a few months ago, and now the Windy (and currently bloody freezing) City gets another taste: Lifeline Theater will present their production of Monstrous Regiment, as adapted by Chris Hainsworth and directed by Kevin Theis, on various dates in May, June and July, a veritable season!

When: 30th May – 20th July 2014
Venue: Lifeline Theatre, 6912 N Glenwood Ave, Chicago, IL, 60626
Time: evenings at 7.30pm on Thursdays and Fridays and at 8pm on Saturdays; matinees at 4pm on Saturdays and Sundays
Tickets: $20 for previews (30th May-8th June), $40 for Regular Run: June 12-July 20 (Thu & Fri at 7:30pm, Sat at 4pm & 8pm, Sun at 4pm). To book online in advance, go to http://tinyurl.com/kzehtaw and click on the desired dates at the bottom of the page (or scroll through from there to the June or July calendars for tickets on those dates)

http://www.lifelinetheatre.com/performances/13-14/mr/index.shtml

5.12 REVIEWS: MAKING MONEY IN SALISBURY

Reviewed by Ham Quentin in the Southern Daily Echo:

"Director Chris Hawley's adaptation... features the resourceful con merchant Moist von Lipwig, who is again played by Stew Taylor, displaying enough energy to help us sail through a three hour play featuring 35 characters, not to mention four thousand Golems! This time Moist, who's getting rather bored with running the Ankh-Morpork Post Office, inherits control of the town's biggest bank via its new major shareholder, the dog Mr Fusspot (superbly designed and constructed by Sally Preisig at Mimic Productions) bequeathed by deceased chairwoman Topsy Lavish (Theo Ross gives a lovely cameo, and goes on to play two more characters)..."

http://tinyurl.com/msheb5r

...and by Hannah White, in the same paper:

"The plot is everything you would expect from Sir Terry – an extraordinary storyline with plenty of humour. There were outstanding performances, especially from Stew Taylor as the lead role, Moist von Lipwig. Phil Taylor, as golum Gladys, was responsible for many of the laugh out loud moments, and Alistair Faulkner was fantastic as Mr Bent. Special mention must also go to Teddy Woolgrove, socially awkward Hubert, and George Goulding as Igor and Mr Slant as well as Theo Ross, Mrs Lavish... All of the actors gave it their all and it was clear they were thoroughly enjoying themselves..."

http://tinyurl.com/k9flxcv

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

06) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS

DISCWORLD EMPORIUM UPDATES

"Greetings one and all! Our big ginger cat has rediscovered his spot in the Emporium shop Window after his seasonal hiatus, and the pungent whiff of cabbage is in the air... ladies and gentlemen, spring has sprung! To mark the changing of the season our traditional reissue of the 50p 'Cabbage Field' Stamp from the Ankh-Morpork Post Office has arrived. This definitive Discworld Stamp celebrates the bountiful cabbage fields of the Sto Plains, and is our nod to the cabbage-flavoured and scented stamps mentioned in Thud! and Making Money.

"In further celebration of the humble cabbage, we've also released the 'Penny Sprout', a diminutive regional issue from Sto Helit honouring that small brassica of questionable palatableness. Both new issues are available to own now, and can be purchased singly or in elegant sheets from the New stamps section of our website – http://tinyurl.com/p4auaev

"Also released this week is our brand new Little Brown Envelope, the 'of Cabbages and Kings' LBE (_http://tinyurl.com/prs7orz_). Each envelope contains the new 50p Cabbage Field and Penny Sprout issues, along with a 'lucky dip' assortment of Current Discworld stamps. A generous serving of sports and $5 Blue Triangles has been scattered throughout the issue
http://tinyurl.com/kt99x7z

"We are pleased to report that (thanks to a large mallet and a truckload of cheddar) our web-wobbles as outlined in our previous newsletter have now been resolved and its business as 'unusual' at the Discworld Emporium and we can once again be contacted with any concerns or enquiries via reb@discworldemporium.com. Thank you once again for your support!

"For all our latest wares and releases have a browse through our New Products page – it's mostly harmless!"
http://tinyurl.com/l8ztg9n

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

07) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS

7.1 WADFEST 2014

"This year's theme is heroes and villains. This means you get the chance to dress up as the hero or villain that you have always wanted to be. You can take your inspiration from comics, films and cartoons, or invent a new character for yourself. There will be trophies for the best dressed villain and best dressed hero, so get your sewing machine out and give it a go! If you're no good at sewing and you don't have anyone to help out, you can always hire a costume for the weekend. As well as special themed hero and villain games there will be all your usual Wadfest favourites, including smack the penguin. If it's your first time at Wadfest, why not take a look through the photos of Wadfests past to get an idea of what to expect?

"The X-Men's blackbird? Batman's batmobile? Green Goblin's glider? If you're feeling really adventurous why not turn your vehicle into the kind of transport a hero or villain would have? Perhaps you’re more interested in a permanent base like Superman's Fortress of Solitude or He-Man’s Castle Greyskull? If so, why not dress your tent up as your lair? There will be a prize for the best one. There are no limits to what you can do with your costumes. Be as inventive as you like or faithfully recreate your favourite character's costume. "

When: 15th to 17th August 2014
Venue: Wood Green, The Animal Charity, King's Bush Farm, London Road, Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire, PE29 2NH
Tickets: £25.00 per adult for the weekend including Camping and Events. Children under 16 go free when
accompanied by a paying adult. To purchase tickets online, go to http://www.wadfest.co.uk/page2.html

http://www.wadfest.co.uk

7.2 AUSDWCON 2015

Nullus Anxietus V is coming! Some early details:

When: 10th to 12th April 2015
Venue: Novotel, Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia
Tickets: current ticket prices are $80-$140 per Attending Member, $400 per Family, $30 per Supporting Membership. To purchase at these rates, go to http://ausdwcon.org/shop/

"Previous Conventions have had Guilds. For Nullus Anxietas V the Guilds are replaced by the Studios of Holy Wood and Convention members (who choose to join a "guild") will be randomly assigned to one of the five studios for activities. Can't sing? Can't dance? Can handle a sword a little? Then Holy Wood beckons, and the clickies want YOU." – Daniel Hatton, Guildmeister

"The date of the convention is still too far distant for us to start negotiating room rates but we will have the upper hand if we can go into the discussion with an estimate of how many we would likely need. We'd like to convince them to be the cheapest rate in all of Parramatta and make their money by booking every room rather than them charging a lot for a few rooms. If at all possible, please give us an indication if you will be booking accomodation at the venue and what sort of room you would like. You do not need to be registered to fill in the survey, we would just like an idea of how many rooms we will need for the weekend. Rest assured we will not hold you to this – it's just an estimate. Your name will only be used to ensure you're not on the spreadsheet twice. You will still need to book your own accommodation." – the organisers

http://ausdwcon.org/

7.3 CABBAGECON 2015

Cabbagecon 3, the third Dutch Discworld Convention, will take place in June of next year!

When: 27th and 28th June 2015
Venue: Tulip Inn Hotel Val Monte in Berg en Dal (near Nijmegen)
Tickets: Membership of Cabbagecon 3 for the whole weekend is priced at €40,00, with a €5 discount for children, seniors and students. For the Saturday only or the Sunday only, the price is €25,00, with the same discounts as above applying. To book online in advance, go to http://www.dutchdwcon.nl

Apparently Cabbagecon 2 was a great success on the fun front. The organisers say of next year's event, "It will be a happy occasion for fans of Sir Terry Pratchett from the Netherlands and abroad to meet each other again and have fun. We hope to see you too!"

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

08) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group", meets on the first Monday of every month at the Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London W2 1JQ: "We welcome anyone and everyone who enjoys Sir Terry's works, or quite likes them or wants to find out more. We have had many visitors from overseas who have enjoyed themselves and made new friends. The discussions do not only concern the works of Sir Terry Pratchett but wander and meander through other genres and authors and also leaping to TV and Film production. We also find time for a quiz. The prize is superb. The chance to set the quiz the following month."

Next meeting: Monday 7th April 2014, from 7pm onwards.

The Broken Drummers March 2014 meet report:

"There was a good crowd at Drummers last Monday. We had a visitor from California, plus a lot of the regulars – including Barbara, who hasn't been for a while. When talk turned to video games, Jacqui said, 'Oh, no you're not discussing Zelda again.' Indeed we were. We even told James about all the Zelda T-shirts you can buy on Red Bubble. Tim E. could not make it with a quiz so I decided that we would play a game I learned from Chris over the weekend. Each player writes the name of a film at the top of the page and passes it on. The next player draws the film however they see fit, turns the paper over so the title is obscured and passes it to the next person, who describes the picture in words. This carries on alternating between drawing and writing until we get to the bottom of the page and ideally end up with a picture that bears no relation to what is at the top. The results were suitably hilarious. Andrew's interpretation of one image was very Freudian (he also chose 'Free Willy' as his film) but my favourite was James' illustration of Zulu as a toilet with a zoo on top. Only Judy's 'Mary Poppins' remained clear all the way through. Since the game has no winners and losers, Tim is still responsible for the next quiz. Otherwise, knitting and similar are clearly contagious as Jacqui spent the evening doing crochet. Our American visitor took a 3D photo of the group, which I'm hoping he'll send me. A couple on the next table showed great interest in our group and thought it was wonderful that such a thing would exist. Plus James managed to find the Zelda T-shirt online with the slogan, 'You make me harder than the water temple'. He was deliberating whether to buy one when we left so maybe Jax has a point about the Zelda obsession."

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

*

The Pratchett Partisans are a fan group who meet monthly at either Brisbane or Indooroopilly to "eat, drink and chat about all things Pratchett". For more info about their next meetup, go to http://www.meetup.com/Pratchett-Partisans/ or contact Ula directly at uwilmott@yahoo.com.au

*

The City of Small Gods is a group for fans in Adelaide and South Australia: "We have regular monthly dinner and games nights, longer games days, plus play outings, craft-y workshops, and fun social activities throughout the year. For more info and to join our mailing list, visit":

http://cityofsmallgods.org.au

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers meet on the first Thursday of every month from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight.

Next meeting: Thursday 3rd April 2014, probably, but do email to check.

All new members and curious passersby are very welcome! For more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) meets on the first Friday of every month at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"

Next meeting: Friday 4th April 2014 (probably).

*

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

Details of future meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum:

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

*

Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet on the first Monday of every month in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney,2000.

Next meeting: Monday 7th April 2014 at 6.30pm (probably). For more information, contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

Perth Drummers meet on the first Monday of the month, subject to holidays.

Next meeting: Monday 7th April 2014 (probably).

"Please note we have moved to Carpe Cafe from 5.30pm Carpe Cafe, 526 Murray Street, Perth, WA. Meeting at a cafe means we are under-18 friendly!"

For details follow Perth Drummers on Twitter @Perth_Drummers and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – otherwise message Krystel directly at khewett@live.com

*

Western Drummers (that's two groups for the Sydney Pratchett fans now) intend to meet on the third Monday of every month at The Rowers, Bruce Neal Drive, Penrith at 6.30-7.30pm for food, 7.30pm for games, quizzes and chat. For more information, contact Nanny Ogg – lewis_oz@bigpond.com – or visit their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/westerndrummers

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

09) ROUNDWORLD TALES: THE STINKPIPES AND SEWERS OF DODGER'S LONDON

Residents of and visitors to London and other major UK cities often pass certain tall, mysterious iron posts at or near kerbsides. Twenty feet or more in height and often whimsically ornate, these look like 19th-century lampposts. But in actuality they are Victorian stink-pipes, created to burn off the ghastly smells rising from urban sewers.

Students of London history – and readers of Dodger's Guide – know of the Great Stink of June 1858, that debacle of choking, eye-watering stench that sent Parliament scrambling for more salubrious parts; even Benjamin Disraeli, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, was reported as running from the Commons chamber with a handkerchief pressed over his face. The Great Stink led directly to the creation of Joseph Bazalgette's superb sewer system, of course, but a certain degree of noxious smells still persisted for many years afterwards.

Webb's Patent Sewer Gas Destructor was invented by Birmingham native Joseph Edmund Webb. Patented in 1895, the Destructor featured a glass-enclosed pilot flame at its top, linked to the local gas supply; by heating the air in an enclosed "chimney", the flame drew sewer gas up to the top of the post and ignited it. This served not only as smell-destroyer but also as a free streetlight.

Sheffield was the "capital of the destructor". Webb's company installed 84 destructors between 1914 and 1935. Amazingly, 22 of these are still standing, and three are still at work, illuminating certain streets with an orange glow every night.

I remember, from my years as a London resident, a charming old-fashioned streetlamp behind the Savoy. I only learned recently that it was a Webb's Patent Sewer Gas Destructor called – wait for it – Iron Lily! Yes, this sewage-powered lamp shares a name with the fearsome sports mistress of the Quirm College for Young Ladies. Somehow this seems appropriate...

Sources: http://tinyurl.com/lcmsfag and http://tinyurl.com/lm8f86c

There are also some excellent photos here:

http://tinyurl.com/qjzlao6

A blogpost about London's stink pipes:

http://greatwen.com/2011/09/27/secret-london-stink-pipes/

And then we get to the River Fleet, once one of London's great waterways and latterly one of its most infamous sewers. Here be fascinating piece by Peter Watts on traversing that very sewer. Written in 2005 for an issue of the London magazine Time Out, it is now finally available to read online, and gives a queasily picturesque description of what the working environment of a tosher must have been like:

"The tunnel is around ten feet tall and wide, so we can walk two abreast. It's about the same size as a tube tunnel. The smell slowly subsides, although lumps of faeces and toilet paper gather in places where they've washed against the brickwork. Otherwise, there's just a trickle of brown water ferrying the odd cotton-bud downriver. It's no hellhole, but still a far cry from the Fleet's sixteenth-century heyday as one of London's key tributaries, when, flanked by wharves and warehouses, it was a centre of London commerce. It separated Westminster from the City and carried cargo to the Thames, was compared unfavourably with the four rivers of Hades by Ben Jonson, was briefly turned into a canal and then covered in portions from 1732, by which time it was little more than an open sewer... In 1846, the Fleet exploded, its sewage gasses bursting the street above, rendering King's Cross Road impassable, destroying Clerkenwell poorhouses and smashing a Thames steamboat against Blackfriars Bridge. This river, it seems, has a habit of coming back to ambush those who thought it dead and buried...

"Almost two centuries later, traffic and police sirens are audible overhead, competing with the constant crash of water that flows from numerous side tunnels, feeding the central trickle. Rats stop and stare as we walk past. I nervously keep my torch shining on them until we have moved on... Water which before barely covered our feet is now above our knees, flooding downhill towards us at pace and rising slowly all the time. Wading into the tide, our clothes are heavy with water and our feet struggle to grip the slimy stone floor. Panicking rats scurry up the walls to get out the way of the bubbling water. It's frightening. Nobody knows we are down here and as our pace slows I begin to ponder our options. Should we press on, or brave a side tunnel, where a ladder may at least take us above water level, so we can sit it out. But how long would that take? And what if the water keeps rising and the side tunnel we're in doesn't have access to the street..."

Gripping stuff! To read the entire article, with its accompanying photos, go to: http://tinyurl.com/kfaumsv

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

10) THINGS PTERRY FANS SAY

Bonnie Riley says...
I opened Raising Steam today, and finished my first read straight through. Sir Terry, I first found your books 10 years ago, at the onset of a condition I will have for the rest of my life. Thank you for all the joy you have given. Bless you in your journey. Know that you are loved.

Brittany DuMond says...
I preordered Raising Steam on audiobook and I woke up early just to start listening to it. (: It's one of the best I've ever read. Thank you for your wonderful contribution to the world of fantasy, Terry Pratchett!

Greg Buist says...
I've just finished Raising Steam. Thank you again Mr Pratchett you wonderful wonderful man. May you continue "raising steam" for many years to come.

Sean Gillin says...
Just read The Long Earth and it was brilliant. (Congrats to Stephen Baxter too).Actually, I devoured the pages with my eyes.I love that feeling from a book.Have you thought about a film of?Possibly animated?

Mohamed Murad says...
The more I see him in action the more I have to wonder: Was Havelock Vetinari based on Vladimir Putin or did Valdimir Putin base his leadership style on Lord Vetinari?

Patricia F Talley says...
Mr Pratchett, I love your Disc World! You made the list of my favorite books ever and its pretty much all of them! There is no trophy for this honor I'm afraid, no big party or anything, You are in good company on the Favorites Book Shelf tho, I won't drop any names or anything. Just know you are honored Sir. Thank you.

Matthew Kerslake says...
Mr Pratchett, Sir, my love, are you and Mr Baxter doing a talk this year on the Long Mars by chance? if so, when, will it be at the institute of engineering in London again and how can i get tickets? For more years than i can remember you have been an inspiration to me and i would love to come see you talk again. Yours fanatically, the little boy in Wooton Basset , at the Johnny and the Dead signing with the bin liner of books.

Poor Adam says...
I have always had trouble reading a book from start to end until my friend gave me her dad's copy of The Bromeliad. thank you so much for helping me love something that school made me hate

Melanie Roth says...
Thank you so much for Tiffany!

Jeroen van Gessel says...
Thank you very, very, very much Terry, for giving me so much joy by reading your books. Started with "The colour of Magic"up to Raising Steam. It is a joy and privilage to read your books. Many greetings. Jeroen.

Mike Lacey says...
Good to see Terry back to his very best with Raising Steam.

Peter Gerling says...
32 years old and a long time fan!!! glad the voice recognition software eased the hassle of writing manually!
I'm still envious of my cat seeing the color octarine after all these years! I'm reading thud right now and can't wait to get my hands on future publications =);-)

Agarwaen Cran says...
Dear Sir Pterry, I want randomly say "thank you" for all the phantastic moments with your books. So... Thank you :-)

Holly Witchey says...
The caravansary of friends I've made in Discworld make life on Earth a richer experience.

Sharon Tansill says...
Terry signed my 'Soul Music' book ... your words in my head ... they have been ever since ... read every discworld over & over

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

11) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

A very young fan doing a very creditable impression of a certain author!
http://tinyurl.com/ln9p58y

Another young fan putting her naturally ginger hair to good use for Feegle-ing as part of her school's book day:
http://tinyurl.com/pu9dkfc

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

12) CLOSE

And so we come to the end of a fairly long issue. Hope you enjoyed it!

If you're a Backspindle Games fan and happen to find yourself in NI on Saturday 5th April, do drop in to the Lisburn Gaming Club (Laganview Enterprise Centre, Drumbeg Drive, Old Warren, Lisburn BT28 1QR) where Dave and Leonard will be hosting "a very special Luchador! Mexican Wrestling Dice tag-team tournament in addition to the normal Tabletop Day games. This event should have masks, costumes, music, lights, lots of noise and hopefully at the end a tag-team of very happy winners who will get a prize. We may even have it broadcast via Youtube...fingers crossed..."

http://www.lisburn-gaming.co.uk/

Also note that Backspindle's popular Discworld game, "Guards! Guards!", will be available for purchase again soon, and there will be a special pre-order page on the site:

http://backspindlegames.com/news-2/international-tabletop-day-2014

And that's all for now. Have a foolishness-free All Fools (1st April), and we'll see you next month!

– Annie Mac

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

———————————————————————————————————
The End. If you have any questions or requests, write: interact (at) pearwood (dot) info
———————————————————————————————————
Copyright (c) 2014 by Klatchian Foreign Legion