WOSSNAME

"Sir Baldrick" and a private viewing of the Salisbury Museum's Terry Pratchett: HisWorld exhibit – two for the price of one in this special event!

"Join us for an evening with the much-loved actor, presenter and author, Sir Tony Robinson and Rob Wilkins will be here to start the whole thing off. Known the world over as the voice of the Discworld audiobooks, Sir Tony will talk about his work with Terry Pratchett on the Discworld novels, their mutual interest in Alzheimer's, and the importance of story in both of their lives. The talk will be followed by a book signing, where Sir Tony will be signing copies of his autobiography 'No Cunning Plan'. The 'Terry Pratchett: HisWorld' exhibition will be open in the Main Exhibition Galleries after the talk for a Private View."

When: Friday, 15th December 2017
Venue: Salisbury Museum, The King’s House, 65 The Close, Salisbury SP1 2EN
Time: 18:30 to 20:30
Tickets: £25, available online at http://salisbury.merlintickets.co.uk/collections/Events


http://www.salisburymuseum.org.uk/whats-on/events/evening-sir-tony-robinson

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

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

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

For our readers in the Land Down Under, Unseen Theatre's highly lauded 2017 production of The Truth is in its final week!

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

http://unseen.com.au/



Here be some review extracts...

In Stage Whispers by Kerry Cooper:

"Director Pamela Munt has assembled a large cast to bring its absurd mix of characters to life in Unseen Theatre Company’s production... The cast do an admirable job playing several roles throughout the play and each change in character is enhanced by well thought-out costumes. The multi-level set is practical and appealing, making use of established doors either side of the performing space. Whether or not you are a fan of Pratchett’s work, you will be pleased with the results..."

http://www.stagewhispers.com.au/reviews/truthunseen

...and in The Advertiser by Ewart Shaw:

"There’s less Discworld magic and more contemporary politics on stage as the City Watch investigate a possible murder by the Patrician no less, and down the street, the daily newspaper is being invented. Unseen Theatre and founder Pamela Munt have developed a Bakehouse style of versatile performers, with many changes of costume, accent and beard, nipping out of many doorways. There’s an energetic sense of improvisation carefully managed for maximum effect. Aimee Ford is Gaspode the talking dog. Hugh O’Connor and Natalie Haigh are William de Worde and Sacharissa Cripslock, accidental publishers of Ankh-Morpork newspaper The Truth, aided by Leighton Jones as Gunilla Goodmountain, dwarf engraver (I mean a dwarf who engraves, not someone who engraves dwarfs. Pratchett fans will understand the confusion). There’s great support from the square jawed Mike Shaw as Commander Vimes, with Alicia Rabig as sidekick Angua, David Dyte as Lord de Worde and the man with amusingly shaped root vegetables and Ronald Carney as Drumknott. Danny Sag is outstanding as the vampire press photographer. There’s a special mention for Nick Andrews and Paul Messenger as Mr Pin and Mr Tulip, a new firm of bad boys, and producer/director Munt reprises her role as the zombie lawyer Mr Slant. By law, the role of Vetinari can only be played by Philip Lineton, whose quiet authority is a still point in the chaos of the play..."

http://bit.ly/2gYtHEc

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

"This adaptation, by Stephen Briggs, directed by Pamela Munt, showcased perfectly the talents of the Unseen Theatre actors and stage management. Munt, herself, is perfect as the literally dry as death zombie lawyer, Mr. Slant. From her rolling, dry, crackling voice, to her green skin, she shows the deviousness of the Law, as we all suspect it of actually being. O'Connor's de Worde, encapsulates the struggles of a wealthy and well brought up young man finding his way, and passion, in the world, against the traditional and very differing views of his family. As someone who is on stage for the majority of the time, he managed to completely have the audience's sympathy for his character. When there was the slightest hint of a budding romance between him and the equally naive, and not quite as well born reporter, Sacharissa Cripslock, beautifully bought to life by Natalie Haigh, there was a collective intake of breath by the audience at an untimely interruption, and we can all imagine continued life for these characters. The humour of this story is reliant on many things, and this cast got all of them spot on, from absolute exact timing, intonation, stage direction to something that cannot be pinned down, but comes down to projection of energy of loveable, real, characters. I think that simply calling them good actors doesn't quite cover it. Tight direction, effective set design, and very good lighting and sound design are all crucial, and when good are largely unnoticed, and these were achieved well, thanks to Pamela Munt, Andrew Zeuner, Stephen Dean and Eleanor Adams..."

http://bit.ly/2A4v4WD

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
October 2017 (Volume 20, Issue 10, Post 1)

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

Editor in Chief: Annie Mac
News Editor: Vera P
Newshounds: Mogg, Sir J of Croydon Below, the Shadow, Mss C, Alison not Aliss
Staff Writers: Asti, Pitt the Elder, Evil Steven Dread, Mrs Wynn-Jones
Staff 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) EDITOR'S LETTER
02) REVIEW: DISCWORLD AND PHILOSOPHY
03) ODDS AND SODS
04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
05) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD METING GROUPS NEWS
07) CLOSE

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01) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

Dear readers,

I need a break.

I really, really need a break.

I've been saying for years now, every month, that I can't keep editing and compositing Wossname forever, but despite there no longer being any new Pratchett writings since The Shepherd's Crown, there are still writings-about-writings and plays-based-upon-writings and telly-shows-adapted-from-writings that merit being written about. However, there are also changes in Your Editor's circumstances that, at present, are making it ever more difficult to turn out a full issue every month. So I'm going to attempt a compromise, at least for the rest of this year, which will take the form of brevity: this issue, and the two after it, are likely to be cut to the bone. We do get clacks at the Fortress of Woss from readers who enjoy Around the Blogosphere and Roundworld Tales and the less frontline items (about orangutans, for example), and to those of you who have clacksed I offer apologies, but right now I feel it's best for me to ignore the anternet as much as I possibly can. But Wossname will continue, even if no-one else steps forward to take the editor's baton. After all, there's the Good Omens miniseries to consider...

Wossname is not going dark. It's just going quiet. Ish. For a bit.

On with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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02) THE TURTLE MOVES IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS, AND ROUNDWORLD'S EPHEBIANS WANT A PIECE OF THE ACTION: A REVIEW OF DISCWORLD AND PHILOSOPHY

By Annie Mac

As I've mentioned before (in my review of another recent-ish book relating to philosophy and the works of Sir Terry Pratchett), I consider philosophy as thinking-about-thinking to be a worthy discipline but I have little patience with philosophy as practised by professional philosophers. I also mentioned that said other book seemed to be written specifically for philosophy students who liked Pratchett books. But Discworld and Philosophy, subtitled Reality Is Not What It Seems, reads more like a book by (mostly, on the face of it) Pratchett fans who happen to be philosophers. Without diminishing the worth of the other book, I think this one is more accessible to the general public, as it concentrates more on the concepts behind Sir Terry's "stealth philosophy" and relies less on jargon and/or assumptions of familiarity with the works of noted philosophers throughout history.

Also, to my surprise, Discworld and Philosophy contains quite a lot of fanfiction.

...no, really. Some of it is rather good-quality fanfiction, too. Philosophers writing fanfiction... heavy-question philosophical essays that are actually fun to read... who'd'a thunk it?

Using a similar format to that of the earlier philosophy-meets-flat-world-onna-turtle volume, Discworld and Philosophy is composed of twenty-three essays, divided into five sections, and the individual authors are once again generous in their application of what they imagine are Pratchettesque footnotes (and in some cases, are probably right). Section titles are "Rewriting Your Chem"; "Truth, Logic, and Law Are Nice, but Someone Still Has to Do the Wash"; "Some Things Are Necessary, Not Personal"; "Ye Canna' Ken What Ye Canna' Ken"; and "Probably Quantum". Authors – most of whom have contributed more than one essay – are, in order of first appearance, Vanessa Frolich, Matthew Skene, Michael Kugler, Jamie Carlin Watson, Brandon Kempner, Don Fallis, Daniel Malloy, Jeremy Pierce, Trip McCrossin, John V Karavitis, Douglas Jordan, Kamil Karas, Christopher Ketcham, Daniel Miori, and Nicolas Michaud (who is also the editor of the book).

Here follows a selection of what I consider to be the most outstanding essays in this collection, plus a few passing applications of mildly acid disapproval...

Section I

"More Golems Around Than You Might Think", by Vanessa Frolich: on postmodernism and power, how we all have chems (so to speak) that can be rewritten by people in power via the substitution of "texts" and "metanarratives" (I remember when these were known as memes; curses upon you, Roundworld Clacks, for hijacking the word!), and how the rough music of populism can create merry hell from the misapplication of modified texts.

Golem Morality in the Modern World, by Matthew Skene: purportedly on the morality of freedom, and the limits of personal responsibility... I think. This essay relies on the sort of ridiculously impractical supposition that in my opinion gives philosophers a bad name – positing that it can be considered immoral for any person to live at all above merest subsistence level if any other persons, anywhere, are living below it – and it got right up my nose because he references text on this subject by the Fourecksian philosopher Peter Singer, whose opinions generally *aren't* impractical, and who seems right in concert with Pratchett when it comes to what our favourite author described as the dreadful algebra of necessity. As a rank civilian in the demesne of betowelled Ephebians, I'm calling this one a load of tosh.

"We Willna Be Fooled Again! Wee Free Anarchists!" by Michael Kugler: on freedom and law, and Pratchett's interpretations thereof. This should have been a good'un, and the bones of it are worthy, but... I would have thought that when one is writing about a specific Discworld subject, and claiming – as it says of all these authors, in the book's preface – to be a huge Discworld fan, one can show enough respect for the source material to get names and terminology right, but Kugler's gaffes kept distracting me. Although he started off well enough, for some reason he refers variously to Granny Aching as "Grandmother Aching", "Grandma Aching", or plain "Aching", and to the Nac Mac Feegle as "the Wee Frees" (er, no; the Wee Frees are a Scots Protestant sect, which you can be sure Sir Pterry knew well), and comes up with something he calls "the Three Sights", despite Pratchett only giving us First Sight and Second Thoughts. Also, I wish to rain flames of incandescent fury on whoever – Kugler, his proofreader, or editor Michaud – for Failure to Properly Pluralise: "A little girl, Tiffany, grows up on her parent's farm", it says on page 27. No, and no, and a thousand times no; it's her *parents'* farm, or her father's farm (technically the Baron's farm, but I'd like to see Roland try to take it away from the Achings), but not her "parent's"... argh!

"The Liberating Power of Nanny Ogg's Bosom", by Vanessa Frolich: on how Nanny Ogg makes socially inappropriate behaviour a force for good. Frolich says, "When carnival and the grotesque meet high culture, they can bring it down to earth and question its boundaries" (page 41), and examines how Nanny's breaking of boundaries helped end Lily's reign in Witches Abroad.

"The Truth Shall Make Ye Fret", by Jamie Carlin Watson: on free speech, civic freedoms, well-meaning censorship, and Vetinari's and Vimes' ways of looking at these. This is a highly readable essay, low on jargon, with good footnote technique.

Section II

"The Absurdity of the Luggage", by Brandon Kempner: on absurdism and existentialism, the overwhelming human desire for order, and how a certain sapient pearwood travel accessory personifies the philosophical theories of Camus and Sartre.

"Pratchett's Republic": in his second essay, Brandon Kempner posits Pratchett as Plato and Ankh-Morpork as his "republic", compares and contrasts the modern "stealth philosopher" with the ancient Greek one, and presents Lord Vetinari as the "perfect Pratchett Philosopher King"(page 81), with Vimes and Carrot as his lieutenants: "It's only when Carrot's idealism, Vimes's practicality, and the Patrician's cleverness come together, that the city of Ankh-Morpork can survive and thrive" (ibid).

"Honesty Trumps Cleverness: Sam Vimes and Commonsense Philosophy", by Matthew Skene: making up for his shaky start in Section I, Skene offers a cracking good essay on the practicality of pragmatism, the dangers of following the advice of Some Guy Down the Pub (here, personified by Fred Colon), and the (acceptable, in both Skene's and my own opinion) limitations of scepticism – "Commonsense philosophy stands as a bastion of sanity amidst the storm, seeking to get philosophers to follow the lead of those like Sam Vimes who will take honesty over cleverness any day" (page 89). This was one of my favourites.

"Why Would You Put a Con Artist in Charge of the Money?" by Don Fallis: on the virtues of using deception in service of the greater good, musings on intentional deception, and the nature of counterfeit (counterfeitness? counterfeitcy?). A workmanlike essay; I enjoyed it.

"Lord Vetinari's Friendly Guide to Tyranny", by Daniel Malloy: a corker! – and also an excellent piece of fanfiction, in the form of a series of angry letters to the Ankh-Morpork Times as read by Lord Vetinari.

Section III

"Can a Leopard Change Its Shorts?" by Daniel Malloy: on the nature of cowardice – which some philosophers say cannot by definition exist – and Rincewind, who, according to Aristotle, isn't a coward, because the opposite of bravery is foolhardiness or recklessness, not cowardice. Note: also includes an amusing explanation of why one shouldn't try to put shorts on a leopard in the first place.

"Becoming Vetinari: Personal Identity on the Discworld", by Jeremy Pierce: on assumed identities as masks of functionality versus (attempted) assumption-by-metamorphosis of another person's identity, as shown by contrasting Moist von Lipwig and Cosmo Lavish, and Locke's and Leibniz' arguments about what a person *is* ("the axe of my grandfather" and teleporter accidents, anyone?). I found this to be one of the best essays in the book, with a lovely closing paragraph; Pierce also gets my Best Discworld-related Footnote Ever prize (see footnote 3, page 145).

"How to Be a Dwarf", by Daniel Malloy: on identity politics, gender, species, essentialism, assimilation, and all that jazz. Also discusses why Carrot *is* a dwarf but Thomas Stronginthearm isn't, and why Countess Notfaroutoe will never be a vampire no matter how hard she tries, and contains some interesting speculations about Cheery Littlebottom. A good, solid effort.

"Being One's Me: (Witchy) Personal Identity on the Discworld", by Trip McCrossin: aaand we're back to the axe of one's grandfather again, and the theories of Locke (again) and Joseph Butler, and self-recognition as applied to escaping from a prison of a million mirrors. Another solid offering.

Section IV

This is the shortest section, containing only three essays, and I have to say that it's also the shortest part of this review because I found little to enjoy. "The Serious Monk's Guide to Re-writing History", by John V. Karavitis, felt far too try-hard in its cutesy-clever tale of a literal monkey studying to be a History Monk. "Sin, My Young Man, Is When You Treat People as Things", an essay by Kamil Karas on defining sin, general morality, and "natural law", suffered from being a subject that's been rather done to death; and Douglas Jordan's "Getting at the Truth", on the quantification of knowledge ("what is knowledge?"), as proposed by philosophers through the ages, was only notable for me because my scribbled notes for it included "and Plato can -ing right -ing off". So let's move along...

Section V

"Fate on the Discworld and Roundworld", by Jeremy Pierce: on destiny, predestination, determinism, fate, call it what you like... oh, and Fate, of course, because no Discworld discussion of small-f fate is complete without that smarmy so-and-so... all couched in the form of an imagined conversation between Lu-Tze and Death, who drops in on our favourite Sweeper for a chat about his observations of UU's narrativium-free "Roundworld project". This is a wonderful essay that – quite unlike Getting at the Truth in the previous section – represents what I *do* like about philosophy. I suspect Pierce and Pratchett could have had some fascinating conversations.

"The Alchemy of Flat Worlds", by Christopher Ketcham: on... well, I'm not sure I'm confident to say *what* it's on. Possibly the discrete physics of two-dimensional and three-dimensional worlds, but I found Ketcham's choice of milieu – apparently a professor at UU giving a series of lectures, or maybe not, because if this is meant to be set on Discworld it fails spectacularly – and his frequent digressions, both as the professor and as "faithful narrator", so distracting that I failed at all six attempts to get all the way through the piece without bailing by dint of a combination of confusion and boredom. I can't give this one a pass, I'm afraid.

"The Intersection of Science and Philosophy, the Seediest Corner of Ankh-Morpork", by Daniel Miori: on the history of philosophy and similarities between philosophy and the scientific method, using the Science of Discworld series for examples. For some reason no clearer than mud to this reader (nor to several others I asked to read it), Miori chose to present his subsection titles as if spoken by Cohen without his "dine-chewers" in; I found this quite off-putting, as I kept looking for the relevance. Oh well.

"Welcome to My World", by Christopher Ketcham: on Umwelt, known to most of us non-Borogravian-speakers as one's personal universe ("life-world"). Ketcham considers the life-worlds of various Discworld entities/animals/objects including the God of Evolution, the ambiguous puzuma, dromes, the shadowing lemma, Gaspode, hermit elephants, and re-annual plants. An odd essay but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

"Cocking a Snook at Death, and Getting Away with It: Does the Personification of Death Make It Less Scary?" by Daniel Miori: on Death – considered by Miori to be "one of the most humane characters in the Discworld multiverse" (page279), dualism, the power of belief, definitions of being alive, and death as an anthropomorphic personification in Roundworld history and culture. Miori also scores points for a small but much appreciated sneer at the sort of nicey-nicey censorship that the Mrs Maccalariats of the world impose on public broadcasting (page 288), and a much larger, also justified, sneer at paternalism in the medical sector (page 288-289).

"I'd Rather Stay an Orangutan Because That's Why Discworld Exists", by Nicolas Michaud: editor Michaud brings Discworld and Philosophy to a delightful close with another round of inspired, well-crafted fanfiction, in the form of his own Ephebianesque-towel-clad interuniversal journey to an unexpected audience with Lord Vetinari, who has been convinced by UU to hire a "cheap ... philosopher" (page 294) to prove to that the Discworld exists in some form of reality. Along the way, Michaud "meets" the Bursar, Ridcully and the Librarian, and has a true-hearted go at presenting them in proper character. Oh, and there's a nice bit of recursion towards the end. (Note, however, to the proofreader, who may have been asleep at the wheel, erm, word processor: I think the word Michaud wanted was "disconcertingly". See, we can be pretty sure that "disconcertedly" is a term that has never been applicable to His Lordship. "Disconcertedly" is part of what happens to other people around Vetinari, not to the man himself.)


Discworld and Philosophy: Reality Is Not What It Seems
Edited by Nicolas Michaud (Open Court, 2016)
316 pages
ISBN: 978-0-8126-9919-7

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03) ODDS AND SODS

Paul Kidby will be giving an illustrated talk at the Salisbury Museum on 25th October:
https://www.facebook.com/paulkidby/posts/10158636758292355

*

Jon Hamm has been cast in Good Omens as the archangel Gabriel: "The character of Gabriel has a fleeting role in the original novel but showrunner Neil Gaiman explains why he is being developed for the screenplay: 'Once we had finished writing Good Omens, back in the dawn of prehistory, Terry Pratchett and I started plotting a sequel. There would have been a lot of angels in the sequel. When Good Omens was first published and was snapped up for the first time by Hollywood, Terry and I took joy in introducing our angels into the plot of a movie that was never made. So when, almost thirty years later, I started writing Good Omens for TV, one thing I knew was that our angels would have to be in there. The leader of these angels is Gabriel. He is everything that Aziraphale isn't: he's tall, good-looking, charismatic and impeccably dressed. We were fortunate that Jon Hamm was available, given that he is already all of these things without even having to act. We were even more fortunate that he's a fan of the books and a remarkable actor.' Commenting on his casting, Jon Hamm adds: 'I read Good Omens almost twenty years ago. I thought it was one of the funniest, coolest books I'd ever read. It was also, obviously, unfilmable. Two months ago Neil sent me the scripts, and I knew I had to be in it.'"

https://discworld.com/jon-hamm-joins-amazons-good-omens-archangel-gabriel/

*

Blogger Nikki's write-up of the Terry Pratchett: HisWorld exhibit:

"The exhibition is a must-see for any Discworld fan. It features Terry's own treasured possessions, artwork by the man himself and over forty original illustrations by Paul Kidby (who I now realise was there viewing the exhibition at the same time as I was. I thought it might be him, but he was with family and I was too shy to say anything!)... I stood in awe in front of Terry Pratchett's desk, his six (yes, six!) monitors dominating it. Meat Loaf's Bat Out Of Hell album playing on iTunes on one screen (the man had taste!), Doom loaded on another, the Arsenic page on Wikipedia (research, no doubt), a BBC News article about his first major award win, the obligatory file window and the Night Watch novel being typed into a Word document, as if the ghost of Terry Pratchett was sat there typing as a teary-eyed Discworld fan looked on. The Luggage sat quietly next to Terry's desk. I kept a close eye on it. It's well known for being 'half suitcase, half homicidal maniac' and fiercely defensive of its owner. Many people and creatures have been eaten by this suitcase on hundreds of little legs and I didn't want to risk upsetting it! The Octavo sat in one corner of Terry's recreated office. I didn't look too closely at the book as it has a mind of its own and a spell once decided to live in Rincewind's head. Terry's trademark hat, leather jacket and stick stood encased in glass with a description from Terry... This exhibition is Terry Pratchett's life in his own words, punctuated by artwork and possessions. His words adorn the walls and sit next to his possessions. From this headmaster telling him he would never amount to anything (how wrong was he?!) to test papers from 2009 and 2010 showing the effect his form of Alzheimer's (Posterior Cortical Atrophy) was having on his ability to draw and write..."

http://notesoflife.uk/2017/10/terry-pratchett-hisworld-exhibition/

Also, a few other bloggy bits, as I'd already gathered them whilst looking for more pieces about the Terry Pratchett: HisWorld exhibition...

Blogger Amy's review of The Long Earth:

"I enjoyed this book far more than I expected to. I read some pretty dire reviews before purchasing but I had faith in Terry Pratchett and his work. There are a few things that I don't like about the novel but overall it was a positive experience for me... The characters that this novel focuses on are great. They're varied in terms of age and race and ambition so it was great to see such a wide variety of characters interacting with the same idea in different ways. Joshua, the main character, is sarcastic and witty but also loyal and trustworthy. He's somewhat famous in his own world but he prefers the solitude that he finds on the far off Earths that he can travel to. He's an orphan and was brought up by a strange bunch of nuns. I loved the nuns. They were the best characters in the books for me because they were just so funny and weird... The opening sequence was fantastic. I loved the imagery that was created in both the 1914 scene and the 2015 scene. There's a mystical quality about these scenes which is replicated later as Joshua and Lobsang step beyond what is known about the Long Earth and into the abyss... One thing I didn't like about this book was the length. This book was just too long. It was occasionally boring too which didn't help the length of it. I had to power through some sections but it was really worth it in the end..."

http://bit.ly/2zmKchH

Blogger Muse With Me returns to review Guards! Guards!:

"Pratchett does his best work when he's telling a story first, rather than using the plotline as a vehicle for his humour, and this book definitely fits that category. Sam Vimes and the Watch have a rather dramatic arc over the course of the story, going from a pathetic ramshackle organization with no real authority or sense of will, to one that's more assertive with a growing sense of duty. They still have a long way to go, but it was satisfying to see a ragtag group come together and be better than they thought possible... The book uses familiar tropes of rightful heirs returning and dragon slaying, which many of the characters are consciously aware of, to explore this idea... while I thought I could see where the plot was going once the setup was underway in the early parts of the novel, I was pleased to see things take a dramatically different turn than I expected..."

http://bit.ly/2z7t1Qp

...and a review of Mort by blogger An Ice Cold Bear:

"The worst thing a joke can do is overstay its welcome and I never found that to be the case in Mort. It clocks in at just under 300 pages and is thoroughly enjoyable throughout. The jokes keep coming and then promptly see themselves out in a timely fashion. Some small things are left for you to catch rather than every single thing being made clear which lets little jokes or puns feel natural rather than making them too blatant... Death steals the show from the titular character though, particularly when he takes a holiday halfway through the book – it's fantastic... The humour was a little thin in the second half of the book. This is somewhat expected since the plot needed resolving. Not to say that it wasn't funny, just that the density was lower than the first half of the book. Luckily the plot finished up and got out of the way quick enough which allowed the humour to seep back in for the very end (the final exchange between Mort and Death was brilliant)..."

https://anicecoldbear.wordpress.com/2017/09/30/mort-review/

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04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

4.1 PLAYS IN OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER

* WYRD SISTERS IN ONTARIO, CANADA (OCTOBER)

The Sault Theatre Workshop will present their production of Wyrd Sisters this month!

When: 25th, 26th, 27th, 28th and 29th October 2017
Venue: Studio Theatre, 121 Pittsburg Avenue, P6C 5A9 Sault Sainte Marie, Ontario, Canada (phone)+1 705-254-3366
Time: 8pm all evening shows; 2pm matinee on the 29th
Tickets: CA$29 ($27 seniors, $19 students), available online at https://th038wq008.boxpro.net/c2bownet.asp

There will also be a special preview performance of Wyrd Sisters on Tuesday 24th October on behalf of the Alzheimer Society of Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma District (all proceeds donated from this performance). Tickets for this performance only are CA$25 in advance only, available at the Alzheimer Society office, 341 Trunk Rd, Sault Ste Marie. To book, ring 705-942-2195.

www.saulttheatre.com

* MORT IN READING (OCTOBER)

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

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

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

http://www.twyrusdrama.org.uk

* WYRD SISTERS IN WINSLOW (OCTOBER)

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

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

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

* MORT IN KENT (OCTOBER)

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

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

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

* WYRD SISTERS IN RHYL, LLAMEDOS (OCTOBER)

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

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

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

* MEN AT ARMS IN BERKSHIRE (OCTOBER)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://unseen.com.au/

* WYRD SISTERS IN HERTFORDSHIRE (NOVEMBER)

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

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

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

* THE TRUTH IN BASILDON (NOVEMBER)

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

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

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

* MORT IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA (NOVEMBER/DECEMBER)

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

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

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

4.2 PLAYS LATER IN 2017

* LORDS AND LADIES IN NORWICH (DECEMBER)

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

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

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

* RAISING STEAM IN ABINGDON: A POSTPONEMENT

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

http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/discworld

4.3 PLAYS IN 2018

* MASKERADE IN READING (JANUARY 2018)

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

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

http://progresstheatre.co.uk/maskerade

* MONSTROUS REGIMENT IN GEORGIA USA (FEBRUARY 2018)

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

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

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

* MASKERADE IN YORK (FEBRUARY 2018)

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

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

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

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

05) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS

5.1 DISCWORLD.COM NEWS

* Socks!

Has the Eater of Socks been paying you too many visits lately? Discworld.com has the solution: Discworld socks! Officially licensed Discworld socks, a Discworld.com exclusive, come in four varieties, . All the socks are made of 75% Cotton, 23% Nylon, 2% Elastane and sized to fit men's 7 – 11:

City Watch Socks: "Sprinting – or shall we say 'proceeding' – down a cobbled Ankh-Morpork street takes its toll after a while. Treat your toes to some sensible footwear – your regulation boots may be made of cardboard but there's no reason to scrimp on the socks! One pair of khaki green socks with the crest and motto of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch in burnt orange... Certainly better quality than the standard-issue City Watch uniform socks…"

Death Socks: "Your white horse is saddled, your scythe is polished and you're just about ready to murder a curry. But whilst bare feet might work for your skeletal master, it's a little cold for you… These socks are warm and add an air of authority when reaping mortal souls across the Discworld. The trousers of time have nothing on these socks of Death! One pair of black socks with Death's omega symbol and one of His most well-known sayings in electric blue. Look stylish on all astral planes."

The Turtle Moves Socks: "It's a long way through the desert, and it's hard on your sandaled feet as you flee the Quisition. Whether or not you have the god Om in the shape of a tortoise with you, you can remain firm in your beliefs with these chelonium socks. One pair of blue socks featuring the Great A'Tuin and the motto 'The Turtle Moves' in emerald green. Guaranteed to thoroughly irk any nearby Omnian priests."

Unseen University Socks: "Your robes fit a treat, you've loosened your belt for a feast, your long white beard looks immaculate – but the Eater of Socks has struck again! Treat your toes to some fantastical footwear, the safest way to stave off the advances of the verruca gnome. One pair of burgundy socks with the crest and name of Unseen University in yellow gold. Guaranteed not to be devoured by sock-eating manifestations caused by excess amounts of belief."

Each pair of Discworld socks is priced at £6.50, or you can purchase a complete set of all four pairs for £22.50. For more information, and to order, go to:

https://discworld.com/products/socks/

* The Little Blue Book!

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

The Little Blue Book is priced at £20 plus shipping. For more information, and to order, go to:

https://discworld.com/products/collectables/little-blue-book/

* The Discworld Imaginarium!

Paul Kidby's masterwork, available now to pre-order!

"Paul Kidby was Sir Terry Pratchett's artist of choice. He provided the illustrations for THE LAST HERO, designed the covers for the Discworld novels since 2002 and is the author of the bestseller THE ART OF THE DISCWORLD and TERRY PRATCHETT'S DISCWORLD COLOURING BOOK. Now, he has collected the very best of his Discworld illustrations in this definitive volume, including 40 pieces of never-before-seen art, 30 pieces that have only appeared in foreign editions, limited editions and Book Club editions, and 17 book cover illustrations since 2004 that have never been seen without cover text. Sir Terry Pratchett himself once said that Kidby's art is 'the closest anyone's got to how I see the characters'. If Terry Pratchett's pen gave his characters life, Paul Kidby's brush allowed them to live it, and nowhere is that better illustrated than in this magnificent book."

Terry Pratchett's Discworld Imaginarium is priced at £35 in paperback and will be published on 23rd November 2017. For more information, and to pre-order, go to:

https://discworld.com/products/bookloversday/terry-pratchetts-discworld-imaginarium-pre-order/

There is also a slipcased Special Edition, priced at £75 ("This Special Edition features an alternative cover design, a new piece of artwork produced exclusively for this version. It includes a specially designed slipcase, metallic page edgings and marker ribbon. All copies signed by Paul Kidby"), and a hardcover Deluxe Special Edition, priced at £100 ("This Deluxe Special Limited Edition is exclusive to only Discworld.com and PaulKidby.com. More details to follow shortly. Watch this space!"), both with a 23rd November release date. For more information, and to pre-order, go to:

https://discworld.com/products/bookloversday/terry-pratchetts-discworld-imaginarium-special-edition-pre-order/ (Special Edition)
https://discworld.com/products/collectables/imaginarium-deluxe-special-edition-pre-order/ (Deluxe Special Edition)

5.2 DISCWORLD EMPORIUM NEWS

* The Unseen University jigsaw puzzle!

"The Great Library at Unseen University, as you've never 'Unseen' it before! See the most magical library in the multiverse unfold before your eyes with our exclusive 1000 piece Discworld jigsaw puzzle, featuring an astonishing illustration to make any booklover go wobbly at the knees – Ook! Terry Pratchett's multi-dimensional library in one thousand puzzling pieces! This fiendishly difficult Discworld jigsaw puzzle will transport you to the heart of Unseen University, where magical books literally fly off the shelves, and the Librarian has very long arms, a fondness for bananas and a tendency to say 'Ook'! We teamed up with Discworld artist David Wyatt to capture a view of this puzzling place with an incredible illustration packed full of details from Terry Pratchett's Discworld books – you may even spot a familiar face or two! Guaranteed to keep you entertained for days and possibly weeks, each puzzle is presented in a splendid spellbook box that you'll want to keep chained to your bookshelf! Health warning; this puzzle may have you reaching for the Dried Frog Pills, but we promise it won't make you go completely 'Bursar'!"

"Our production procedures safeguard against missing pieces, so please allow a few days of searching before declaring a piece missing! Puzzle pieces like to attach themselves to clothing, pets and children, so thoroughly check the packaging and any rooms used for opening, constructing, transporting or storing the jigsaw puzzle. This puzzle contains pieces of the same shape with similar imagery. If you are left with pieces that appear not to fit please double and triple check the puzzle to make sure that all of the pieces you've placed belong where they are."

The completed jigsaw puzzle measures 70 x 50cm; the puzzle box measures 20.5 x 25.6 x 6.3cm. The Unseen University jigsaw puzzle is priced at £19.50. For more information, and to order, go to:

https://www.discworldemporium.com/games-toys/407-unseen-university-library-jigsaw-puzzle

Note: there is also a blog entry of interest, on how the UU Library was created: "What could possibly mean more to a reading addict than a book? A Library, of course! A temple for the worship of words. For us, the Great Library of Unseen University on the Discworld is, quite literally, the most magical literary institution of them all, containing the highest concentration of 'bookishness' anywhere in the multiverse! We wanted to pay artistic tribute to this astonishing establishment by devising an image to make every book-lover go weak at the knees, a view of this monumentally impossible place that would draw you in for a moment and make you want to stay forever..."

https://www.discworldemporium.com/blog/illustrating-the-unseen-university-library-n3

* Father Christmas's Fake Beard!

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

Father Christmas's Fake Beard is priced at £12.99. For more information, and to order, go to:

https://www.discworldemporium.com/younger-readers-books/388-father-christmas-s-fake-beard

There is also a deluxe edition available, priced at £25, to be published on 5th November. For more information, and to pre-order, go to:

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

Note: It's also worth having a shufti at the new (re)releases page: https://www.discworldemporium.com/12-books

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

06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

As this may be the only issue in October, despite its being only half-way through the month, here are November's meetup dates:

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

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

*

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

*

For Facebook users in Fourecks: The Victorian Discworld Klatch is "a social group for fans of Discworld and Terry Pratchett... run by a dedicated team who meet monthly and organise events monthly." "If you'd like to join our events please ask to join the Klatch."

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

*

"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)" is a public Facebook meeting group: "This group, by request of Jo in Bear will continue to be used for future unofficial (not run by the Emporium) fan Gatherings in Wincanton. Look here for information." Future events will include the Hogswatch Express meet (24th-26th November 2017) and the Did You Bring a Beer Along meeting (celebrating 20 years of The Last Continent) in April 2018.

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

*

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

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

*

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

The next CoSG events will be a the Monthly Dinner and Games at the Caledonian Hotel on 26th October; a group outing to see Unseen Theatre's production of The Truth on 2nd November; and Pirate Bowling at Cross Road Bowl on 4th November.

The CoSG also have another identity. Here's the skinny:

Round World Events SA Inc is a not-for-profit incorporated association whose aim is to run fun social Pratchett-themed events for people in South Australia. Our first major event was the Unseen University Convivium held in July 2012. We have also run three successful and booked out Science Fiction and Fantasy themed quiz nights named Quiz Long And Prosper, in 2013, 2014 and 2015! We are also running the next Australian Discworld Convention, Nullus Anxietas VI – The Discworld Grand Tour – taking place in August 2017. You can find more out about it on this very website (_http://ausdwcon.org/_)! The association will run some events under the City of Small Gods banner, but you do not have to be a Round World Events SA member to be part of City of Small Gods. However, we are always on the look out for new members for Round World Events SA to help us organise future events! Membership is $20 a year (for Adelaide locals) or $5 a year (for those not quite so close) and has the following benefits:

A shiny membership certificate all of your very own
Discounted entry price to some of the events we run
A warm, fuzzy feeling deep down in your chest (no, not quite that deep)
For more information, or to join as a member, please email RoundWorldEventsSA@gmail.com

www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 2nd November 2017 (probably) from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight. For more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) next meets on Friday 3rd November 2017 (probably) at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"

*

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

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

*

Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet next on Monday 6th November 2017 at 6.30pm in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney,2000. For more information, contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meets next on Monday 6th November 2017 (probably) from 5.30pm at Carpe Cafe, 526 Murray Street, Perth, Western Australia. For details follow Perth Drummers on Twitter @Perth_Drummers or join their Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>

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

07) CLOSE

Just to wrap up for now...

A dialogue, presented without comment (but with rather a lot of involuntary giggling):
https://rubyandginger.wordpress.com/2017/10/12/dragons-like-coffee-too/ (worksafe)

Two members of the A-M City Watch, who showed up at Cork International Airport at IDWcon time:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DLeTY30X4AMD7Tz.jpg

...and a beautiful iconograph, used as a header on a post from Pratchett-fan-site aggregator Clacks Header:
https://clacksheader.files.wordpress.com/2017/10/terry-writing.jpg

I'll leave you with a quote from Sir Pterry himself, from his last request – not a posthumous one, as originally reported – to Neil Gaiman re Good Omens: "I would very much like this to happen, and I know, Neil, that you're very busy, but no-one else could ever do it with the passion that we share for the old girl. I wish I could be more involved, and I will help in any way I can."

And he did help, by convincing Mr Gaiman to write the telly series himself.

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

– Annie Mac

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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

Copyright (c) 2017 by Klatchian Foreign Legion

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
September 2017 (Volume 20, Issue 9, Post 1)

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

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

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

INDEX:

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

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

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

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

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

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

Right, on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) ODDS AND SODS

3.0 GOOD OMENS NEWS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3.1 "TERRY PRATCHETT: HISWORLD" NEWS

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

On the BBC, by Jon Kay:

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

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

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

In The Telegraph, by Tristram Fane Saunders:

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

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

In The Guardian, by Steven Morris:

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

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

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

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

http://bit.ly/2yMvAIf

3.2 A STEAMROLLER, AND THE END OF AN ERA

Those unfinished stories will remain unfinished...

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

And some of the many replies:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

@DannyRosamond: Obligate away sir

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

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

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

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

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

In the Guardian:

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

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

On the BBC news website:

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

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

...and some dissenting opinions...

From Anthony Caruana on the Fourecksian site Lifehacker:

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

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

From Maddy Klein in the Indiana Daily Student:

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

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

...and from Robert Johnston in GQ Magazine:

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

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

3.3 A NEW PRATCHETT SCHOLAR

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

http://bit.ly/2xJAVmn

3.4 REMINDER: LAST HERO-INSPIRED DANCE TOUR

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3.5 IN PRAISE OF PRATCHETT HEROINES

By Vikas Datta in Business Standard:

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

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

http://bit.ly/2x6UvID

3.6 WHAT A (HUMAN) LIBRARIAN LOOKS LIKE)

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

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

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

http://bit.ly/2xmB4sp

3.7 WHAT'S IN A (DISCWORLD) NAME?

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

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

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

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

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

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

3.8 ORANGUTAN NEWS

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

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

http://bit.ly/2fmVQ74

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04) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS

4.1 AUSDWCON 2017 ROUND-UP CONTINUED

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

5.1 PLAYS IN SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER

* WYRD SISTERS IN WEST YORKSHIRE (SEPTEMBER)

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

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

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

* DODGER IN BIRMINGHAM (SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER)

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

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

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

* LORDS AND LADIES IN BRISBANE (SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER)

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

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

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

* MORT IN READING (OCTOBER)

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

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

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

http://www.twyrusdrama.org.uk

* WYRD SISTERS IN WINSLOW (OCTOBER)

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

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

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

* MORT IN KENT (OCTOBER)

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

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

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

* WYRD SISTERS IN RHYL, LLAMEDOS (OCTOBER)

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

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

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

* MEN AT ARMS IN BERKSHIRE (OCTOBER)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://unseen.com.au/

5.2 PLAYS LATER IN 2017

* WYRD SISTERS IN HERTFORDSHIRE (NOVEMBER)

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

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

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

* THE TRUTH IN BASILDON (NOVEMBER)

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

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

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

* MORT IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA (NOVEMBER/DECEMBER)

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

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

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

* LORDS AND LADIES IN NORWICH (DECEMBER)

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

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

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

* RAISING STEAM IN ABINGDON: A POSTPONEMENT

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

http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/discworld

5.3 PLAYS IN 2018

* MASKERADE IN READING (JANUARY 2018)

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

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

http://progresstheatre.co.uk/maskerade

* MONSTROUS REGIMENT IN GEORGIA USA (FEBRUARY 2018)

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

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

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

* MASKERADE IN YORK (FEBRUARY 2018)

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

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

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

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

06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS: UPDATES AND REMINDERS

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

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

*

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

*

For Facebook users in Fourecks: The Victorian Discworld Klatch is "a social group for fans of Discworld and Terry Pratchett... run by a dedicated team who meet monthly and organise events monthly." "If you'd like to join our events please ask to join the Klatch."

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

*

"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)" is a public Facebook meeting group: "This group, by request of Jo in Bear will continue to be used for future unofficial (not run by the Emporium) fan Gatherings in Wincanton. Look here for information." Future events will include the Hogswatch Express meet (24th-26th November 2017) and the Did You Bring a Beer Along meeting (celebrating 20 years of The Last Continent) in April 2018.

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

*

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

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

*

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

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

The CoSG also have another identity. Here's the skinny:

Round World Events SA Inc is a not-for-profit incorporated association whose aim is to run fun social Pratchett-themed events for people in South Australia. Our first major event was the Unseen University Convivium held in July 2012. We have also run three successful and booked out Science Fiction and Fantasy themed quiz nights named Quiz Long And Prosper, in 2013, 2014 and 2015! We are also running the next Australian Discworld Convention, Nullus Anxietas VI – The Discworld Grand Tour – taking place in August 2017. You can find more out about it on this very website (_http://ausdwcon.org/_)! The association will run some events under the City of Small Gods banner, but you do not have to be a Round World Events SA member to be part of City of Small Gods. However, we are always on the look out for new members for Round World Events SA to help us organise future events! Membership is $20 a year (for Adelaide locals) or $5 a year (for those not quite so close) and has the following benefits:

A shiny membership certificate all of your very own
Discounted entry price to some of the events we run
A warm, fuzzy feeling deep down in your chest (no, not quite that deep)
For more information, or to join as a member, please email RoundWorldEventsSA@gmail.com

www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 2nd October 2017 (probably) from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight. For more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) next meets on Friday 3rd October 2017 (probably) at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"

*

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

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

*

Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet next on Monday 6th October 2017 at 6.30pm in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney,2000. For more information, contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meets next on Monday 6th October 2017 (probably) from 5.30pm at Carpe Cafe, 526 Murray Street, Perth, Western Australia. For details follow Perth Drummers on Twitter @Perth_Drummers or join their Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>

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

07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

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

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

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

Blogger anglonerd is back and giving props to Nation

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

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

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

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

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

...as does blogger Ashley:

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

http://bit.ly/2xM3hw5

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

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

http://bit.ly/2jGzhLR

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

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

http://bit.ly/2xMfxgp

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

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

http://bit.ly/2hbDh6h

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

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

http://bit.ly/2wDrbF9

...and his review of Wyrd Sisters:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blogger gorjessina17 was pleasantly surprised by The Long Earth:

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

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

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

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

http://bit.ly/2xjpHU6

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08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

09) CLOSE

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

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

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

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

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

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

And that's the lot for September. Take care, and we'll see you next month!

– Annie Mac


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

Copyright (c) 2017 by Klatchian Foreign Legion

This just in from The Truth director Pamela Munt...




"The truth shall make ye free fret"

Particularly if your deadline is urgent because, as everyone knows, “A lie can run around the world before the truth has got it’s boots on”


presents a fresh take on...

Sir Terry Pratchett’s “The Truth”
Adapted by Stephen Briggs.
Mucked about with, for Unseen Theatre Company, by Pamela Munt

There’s been a murder. Allegedly. But William de Worde, accidental editor of the Discworld's first newspaper, has got an inside line on the hot story. The facts say that Ankh-Morpork’s ruler, Lord Vetinari is guilty. But as William soon learns, facts don’t always tell the whole story. There’s that pesky little thing called The Truth, that just keeps trying to get out. Luckily William has an informant. He can’t be a talking dog because dogs can’t talk. He’s known only as...Deep Bone.

Through all of his investigations, William must cope with the daily perils of a journalist's life – people who want him dead, a recovering vampire with a suicidal fascination for flash photography, some more people who want him dead in a different way and, worst of all, the man who keeps begging him to publish pictures of his humorously shaped vegetables.

Then there are the dark forces high up in Ankh-Morpork’s society who are plotting to overthrow Lord Vetinari and who have employed two Tarantino-esque thugs, Mr. Tulip and Mr. Pin for the purpose. They mean business.

William just wants to get at THE TRUTH. Unfortunately, everyone else wants to get at William. And it's only the third edition...BUT.....

“If it’s published, it’s ink-validated”

“This is a terrifically funny outing” – Goodreads

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

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
August 2017 (Volume 20, Issue 8, Post 1)

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

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

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

INDEX:

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

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"Almost 30 years ago, Terry Pratchett and I wrote the funniest novel we could about the end of the world, populated with angels and demons... Three decades later, it's going to make it to the screen. I can't think of anyone we'd rather make it with than BBC Studios, and I just wish Sir Terry were alive to see it."
– Neil Gaiman

"If you are looking for actors to play two of the best-loved characters you and Terry Pratchett ever created, then, if you are very lucky and have been very good, you will get Michael Sheen and David Tennant to bring them to life. The best Welsh actor of his generation gets to be an angel, the best Scottish actor of his, a demon." – Neil, again

"We've done the final tally. In 5 years and 9 productions we've donated £28,070 to dementia charities. We hope we did @terryandrob proud."
– Monstrous Productions, coming to the end of a brilliant run of Discworld theatre

"I have rather cunningly clustered three items in one corner of my desk, so that they can be swept up together and carried out under one arm should I ever have to evacuate in haste. The first is my honorary degree from Discworld's Unseen University, bestowed on me by my friend, the late Sir Terry Pratchett, back in 2008. It adds significant sparkle to my CV, and its very existence tickles me pink to this day."
– David Lloyd, Archcha–, er, Vice Chancellor of the University of South Australia, speaking to the Times Higher Education website

"The star of the show will be a full-size recreation of Terry's office – known as The Chapel – quite literally the place where so many of his books began their life. For the visitor, this represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience Terry's world as he worked and the objects in situ with which he chose to surround himself."
– the Salisbury Museum whets our appetite for visiting the Terry Pratchett: HisWorld exhibit

"The one feeling I couldn't escape while reading Good Omens, was 'this would make an awesome TV series', not a film, the book has too much depth of character and the development would never get the treatment it deserves if it were crammed into a 2-hour time-frame. TV is the better format for long-form storytelling, as you get more room to breathe so to speak, to develop your characters better in front of your audience's eyes and you don't necessarily have to rush anything.'"
– blogger Danny T had a crystal ball...

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

02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

I thought August was supposed to be the quiet month! And yet somehow we have a packed issue, with more to come...

We're only a few weeks away from the opening of the Terry Pratchett: HisWorld exhibit (see item 3.1). Remember, the exhibit runs from September 16 2017 until 13 January 2018 at the Salisbury Museum. Here be their lovely webpage, with images, info and a handy Buy Tickets button: http://www.pratchetthisworld.com/

*

Team Pratchett have posted the query, "If you could invite three Discworld characters to a dinner party, who would they be?" For the record, my choices would probably be Tiffany, Esk and Lady Sybil – but only if Mrs Gogol was doing the cooking. What about yours?

*

Spare a thought for the passing of Chantek, a notably learned person of the hairy orange persuasion who recently died at the advanced age of 39:

"An orangutan who was one of the first apes to learn sign language has died in Atlanta, Georgia, aged 39. Chantek lived with an anthropologist in Tennessee for about nine years and learned to clean his room, make and use tools and memorise the route to a fast-food restaurant. He spent his later years in Zoo Atlanta where he was treated for heart disease. Zoo officials said he had 'an engaging personality' and would be deeply missed. In a statement, Zoo Atlanta said that at 39, Chantek was one of the oldest male orangutans in North American zoos. His cause of death was not yet known, it said, but vets had been treating him for progressive heart disease. Orangutans are considered geriatric after the age of about 35, the zoo added..."

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40858040

...and this would be a good time to remind everyone of the URL for the Orangutan Foundation: http://www.orangutan.org.uk/

*

Monstrous Productions, huge-hearted purveyors of Discworld productions, have come to the end of their amazing run, as their founder and guiding light is exiting the stage (pursued not by a bear but by a life-changing event). @MonstrousPTC had this to say on Twitter: "Well have taken our final bows as a company. We had our biggest audiences ever this week and raised £4,200 for @TyHapusWales. Thank you for all your support over the past 5 years and for enjoying the Discworld with us. This account will remain active to inform you of any events or any projects the monsters now build out of this." Well done, Monstrous folk! Now who's going to pick up the baton next? Roundworld needs more Discworld-based theatre companies!

Right, on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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

03) ODDS AND SODS

3.0 HERE COME CROWLEY AND AZIRAPHALE: "GOOD OMENS" MINISERIES CAST AT LAST!

In a coup of perfect casting, it's been announced that David Tennant will play Crowley, opposite the hugely talented Welsh actor Michael Sheen as Aziraphale. Anyone who's seen Tennant's deliciously louche portrayal of Peter Vincent in the fun 2011 remake of Fright Night will have no doubts that he can do a fantastic Crowley:

"Michael Sheen and David Tennant have been cast in the lead roles in the Amazon series adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett's 'Good Omens,' Variety has learned... co-produced by BBC Studios with Narrativia, the production company of Pratchett's daughter Rhianna, and the Blank Corporation and in association with BBC Worldwide for Amazon Prime Video and the BBC. Gaiman, Caroline Skinner, and Chris Sussman are executive producing for BBC Studios, and Rob Wilkins and Rod Brown will executive produce for Narrativia. Gaiman adapted all six episodes of the series and will also serve as showrunner. Following its exclusive launch on Amazon Prime Video, the series will also be broadcast on BBC in the U.K...."

http://variety.com/2017/tv/news/neil-gaiman-good-omens-michael-sheen-amazon-1202522663/

...and here's a reminder of what the lead actors look like, for those of you who may have been hiding in a cave somewhere in Uberwald:
https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/michael-sheen-david-tennant.jpg

The series will consist of six episodes, and will hit the air (BBC) and the clacks (Amazon Prime) next year. Bring it on!

3.1 "TERRY PRATCHETT: HISWORLD" EXHIBIT OPENING SOON!

The wildly-anticipated "Terry Pratchett: HisWorld" exhibit at the Salisbury Museum opens next month...

"The Salisbury Museum, The Estate of Terry Pratchett and Paul Kidby present 'Terry Pratchett: HisWorld', an exclusive major exhibition based on the extraordinary life of Sir Terry Pratchett, the creative genius behind the Discworld series. Follow his journey to becoming one of our best known and best loved writers. This unique exhibition will include artwork by the man himself and treasured items owned by Sir Terry which have never previously been on public display. Also featured will be over forty original illustrations by Paul Kidby, Sir Terry's artist of choice."

When: 16th September 2017 to 13th January 2018
Venue: Salisbury Museum, The King's House, 65 The Close, Salisbury, Wilts SP1 2EN (phone 01722 332151, email museum@salisburymuseum.org.uk)
Time: opening times are Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 17:00, Sundays (9 April - 29 October) 12:00 to 17:00. "Please note that our cafe is closed on Sundays."
Tickets: Adult £8, child £4, family (2 adults/4 children) £20, under-5s free. "Please note that all tickets issued by the museum are ANNUAL PASSES and are valid for one year. This is a condition of participating in the Gift Aid scheme and is offered regardless of whether you opt for the standard or donation admission."

http://www.salisburymuseum.org.uk/your-visit/prices

Tickets are also available online from http://salisbury.merlintickets.co.uk/product/ADME

http://discworld.com/terry-pratchett-exhibition-announced-salisbury/
http://pratchetthisworld.com

3.2 THE DISCWORLD IMAGINARIUM!

Paul Kidby has been up to something secret. Something wonderful...

"I am delighted to reveal what I have been working on this year: A collection of my favourite Discworld artwork, including a new portrait of Sir Terry himself."

The Gollancz press release:

"Gollancz is delighted to announce the acquisition of Terry Pratchett's Discworld Imaginarium, a stunning portfolio of illustrations from the brush of renowned Discworld artist, Paul Kidby. Paul Kidby was Sir Terry Pratchett's artist of choice. He provided the illustrations for The Last Hero, designed the covers for the Discworld novels since 2002 and is the author of the bestseller The Art Of The Discworld and Terry Pratchett's Discworld Colouring Book. Now, he has collected the very best of his Discworld illustrations in this definitive volume, including 40 pieces of never-before-seen art, 30 pieces that have only appeared in foreign editions, limited editions and Book Club editions, and 17 book cover illustrations since 2004 that have never been seen without cover text.

"Sir Terry Pratchett himself once said that Kidby's art is 'the closest anyone's got to how I see the characters'. If Terry Pratchett's pen gave his characters life, Paul Kidby's brush allowed them to live it, and nowhere is that better illustrated than in this magnificent book.

"Orion Group Publisher, Jon Wood, and Gollancz Digital Publisher, Darren Nash, acquired the rights to Terry Pratchett's Discworld Imaginarium from Rob Wilkins at Dunmanifestin, Ltd, which controls the copyright to all of Sir Terry Pratchett's works, including his Discworld characters and creations. The 272-page full-colour volume will publish on 23rd November and retail at £35.

"But that's not all! Taken from the Patrician's private collection by a discerning art dealer* we've got a high-class treat for those looking for something a little more distinct: a Special Edition, which will feature a variant cover, a new piece of art produced exclusively for this version and signed by Paul Kidby, metallic page edging, a marker ribbon and a specially-designed slipcase. Also, released on 23rd November, the Special Edition will retail at £75.

"Artist Paul Kidby said, 'I am delighted to present the Discworld Imaginarium: a comprehensive collection of my favourite illustrations painstakingly selected after many weeks spent rummaging through my portfolios. The resulting pages of this book not only look back at works past, they also look forward – with newly created artworks in celebration of the amazing ongoing legacy that Sir Terry Pratchett created for us all.'"

http://www.paulkidby.com/terry-pratchetts-discworld-imaginarium/

Paul Kidby also tweeted a short video (1 minute 12 seconds) of himself creating his new portrait of Sir Pterry:
https://twitter.com/PaulKidby/status/891968443775365120

...and a few more details from The Bookseller:

"The book will comprise his favourite Discworld illustrations in what Gollancz is calling a "definitive" volume of his work. It includes 40 pieces of never-before-seen art, 30 pieces that have only appeared in foreign editions, limited editions and Book Club editions, and 17 book cover illustrations since 2004 that have never been seen without cover text. Publishing simultaneously there will also be a £75 Special Edition of the book featuring: a variant cover, a new piece of art produced exclusively for the edition and signed by Kidby, metallic page edging, a marker ribbon and a specially-designed slipcase..."

http://www.thebookseller.com/news/terry-pratchetts-discworld-imaginarium-gollancz-605941

3.3 STEPHEN BRIGGS HAS A LOT TO SAY!

Along with the Terry Pratchett: HisWorld exhibit, the Salisbury Museum will present a special one-off – "Building a World with Terry Pratchett: A talk by Stephen Briggs":

"Stephen Briggs and Terry Pratchett played together on Discworld for 25 years. They built a city on a brownfield site, then mapped a world to put it onto. They also wrote several other books, several diaries, and a cook book. Stephen will tell us how it happened. The talk will be followed by tea and biscuits and the chance to visit the 'Terry Pratchett: HisWorld' exhibition."

When: Saturday 23rd September 2017
Venue: Salisbury Museum, The King's House, 65 The Close, Salisbury, Wilts SP1 2EN (phone + 44 (0)1722 332151)
Time: 14:30 to 15:30
Tickets: £8 Members, £10 Non-Members ("tickets include tea and biscuits"). Booking required. Please contact the museum:
http://www.salisburymuseum.org.uk/taxonomy/term/38

http://www.salisburymuseum.org.uk/whats-on/events/building-world-terry-pratchett-talk-stephen-briggs

3.4 THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF DANCE!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3.5 THE PASSING OF AN EDITOR OF NOTE

"Diane Pearson, who worked at Transworld for almost 40 years, has died, aged 85. Pearson worked as a senior editor at Transworld from 1964 to 2002 during which time she played 'a pivotal role' in the company's fortunes, both past and present, according to Transworld. She acquired and worked with many of the industry's biggest-selling authors, such as Terry Pratchett, Joanna Trollope, Kate Atkinson and Jilly Cooper, the latter for over 20 years, and in 1994 was awarded the British Book Award for Editor of the Year. She was also the President of the Romantic Novelists' Association from 1986 to 2011. Pearson was also an author in her own right. Her novels included The Marigold Field (1969, Corgi) and its sequel Sarah Whitman (1971, Corgi), Csardas (1975, Head of Zeus) and The Summer of the Barshinskeys (1984, Corgi). In tribute, Larry Finlay, managing director at Transworld, said Pearson was 'an integral part of the Transworld story' whose legacy would "burn brightly for years to come'...

http://www.thebookseller.com/news/transworld-editor-diane-pearson-dies-aged-85-611441

3.6 MINE'S A PINT... OOK!

The new Discworld Ale from Ales by Mail ("official outlet for Discworld Beers on Roundworld") is L Space Voyager, described by the brewers as "a banana hefeweisen". Here be their announcement:

"Just over a year ago our beer supply portal from Discworld, established by the Wizards of UU, closed unexpectedly. Since then, Discworld Beer has been in scarce supply. We've been hearing disturbing news from Discworld about the many breweries producing Discworld beers. Recently, Frau Ortrud Ulrich – head librarian at Germany's Nationale Bier-Bibliothek, the library of beer knowledge on Roundworld – arrived at her office to find a small pile of empty peanut husks and banana skins, along with a significant amount of Discworld Beer sitting amongst piles of carefully sorted returned books. A hastily scribbled note, found along with these items, read simply 'Ooook'. Frau Ulrich of course reached out to us. So far we have been able to piece together only part of the puzzle. It would seem that Unseen University's Librarian has traversed L-Space bringing with him some essential supplies, and was able to liberate some cans of L-Space Voyager. We can only assume that he meant for us to get them into the hands of you, the Roundworld fans. It appears to be a delightful hefeweizen style beer with notes of banana (what else?) and a subtle but pleasant tang of peanut. His stay was, it seems, only brief, but importantly the Librarian left behind the beer! Rather oddly, the beer appears to bear the brewery name 'Drum Brewing Co'. To our knowledge, Drum Brewing came to prominence when the famed Ankh-Morpork brewtavern, the Mended Drum, was swallowed up by unknown parties as part of their acquisition of many of Discworld's brewing institutions. Our concerns about the fate of brewing on Discworld remain and we have sent out various exploratory expeditions in an attempt to find out more. For now, we are grateful to the Librarian for the chance to try and share Voyager with you, but watch this space for more details."

To read the announcement complete with iconographs and footnote, go to https://www.alesbymail.co.uk/blog/new-discworld-beer-l-space-voyager/

For more information, and to order, go to https://www.alesbymail.co.uk/browse-by-brewery/drum-brewing
A six-pack of L Space Voyager is priced at £14.24. More info:
https://www.alesbymail.co.uk/pick-n-mix-beer/drum-discworld-lspacevoyager-6pack

3.7 NEW BOOKS!

All right, new releases of old books. Specifically, the next round of classic Discworld re-releases. According to Penguin Books:

"We are thrilled to reveal Joe McLaren's covers for these upcoming additions to the Discworld Collector's Library: Thief of Time, Night Watch, Monstrous Regiment and Going Postal. Continuing in the style of the series, approved by Terry before his death, these beautiful hardbacks will hit bookshops in October. We hope you like them as much as we do."

There are pre-order buttons on the page – http://classics.penguin.co.uk/q/17EiCHLryPO1Iox75EywdU/wv – but these lead to Amazon pages. Or you could always wait for a reputable bookseller to offer them...

3.8 FOR JOSH KIRBY FANS...

"Josh Kirby was a master painter renowned for his groundbreaking illustrations in science fiction, fantasy and horror. His work included Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Terry Pratchett's Discworld, the Pratchett and Neil Gaiman penned Good Omens, and countless other film posters and book covers. When Kirby passed on in 2001, the trustees of his estate had been tasked with sorting through his vast archives. Amongst the papers, receipts and correspondences with famous authors, was a hidden gem. Amy Anderson, the executive director of the Josh Kirby estate, says: 'We discovered a hand typed manuscript, along with sketches and doodles, telling the whimsical and adorable tale of a time traveling mouse, named Marmaduke. And now, sixteen years later, it's becoming a reality.' To bring this long, lost creation to the world, the Josh Kirby Estate assembled a dream team of sorts, by inviting Discworld cartoonist, Ray Friesen and Discworld co-author, and voiceover artist, Stephen Briggs, to lend their talent to the project... With the dream team in place, the estate made the decision to launch a Kickstarter campaign so that everyone could be a part of this once in a lifetime opportunity..."

http://www.pr.com/press-release/726904

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04) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS

4.1 AUSDWCON 2017 ROUND-UP

"Thank you to our special guests Stephen Briggs, Daniel Knight, David Lloyd and Martin Pearson, our virtual guests Ian Stewart, Ray Friesen, and the Discworld Emporium, to Rob Wilkins and Colin Smythe, to Unseen Theatre Company, Hot for Joe Morris Dancers, Steamkittens, Susan Lonie, Matt Falloon, and all our volunteers, activity organisers, first aiders, security, press corpse, games teachers, gophers and anyone else who helped out. Thanks to all who bidded so generously at the charity auction raising over $9000 for the Aboriginal Literacy Foundation and Alzheimer's Australia SA. And of course, thanks to you, our amazing team of tourists!"

https://ausdwcon.org/blog/au-revoir/

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

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

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

The AusDWcon 2017 gallery of iconographs:
https://www.flickr.com/groups/ausdwcon2017/pool/

...and special guest Stephen Briggs tweeted some photos of AusDWcon's cuddly Twoflower doll's adventures on his journey from EcksEcksEcksEcks to Team Pratchett Central:

https://twitter.com/StephenPBriggs/status/895622447202009088

4.2 NADWCON NEWS

The countdown has begun... Guests of Hono(u)r are packing their Luggages for – or already on their way to – Genua, that is, New Orleans. The Convention begins on the morning of Friday 1st September and runs through the weekend. Join Stephen Briggs, Colin Smythe, Esther Friesner, Pat Harkin and the marvellous Discworld artist Omar Rayyan at the Sheraton New Orleans for an unforgettable "Genuan Experience"!

Some tickets are still available: https://nadwcon2017.org/signup/2017-adult-membership.html

https://nadwcon2017.org/

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

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

Features include the Discworld Dress Up, "battles of Cripple Mr Onion, Thud! and the likes", Discworld telly at the Muntab Moving Pictures House, and much more...

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

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

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05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

5.0 AUDITIONS

* MASKERADE IN READING

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

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

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

* MASKERADE IN YORK

We Are Theatre's next Discworld production will be Maskerade, in February 2018 – but the word about auditions for the production has spread all over Roundworld, it seems. Open auditions will be held on Sunday 10th September. To book an audition, and for more information, email wearetheatre@googlemail.com

"We are holding open auditions for actors for the comedy play 'Maskerade' based on the Terry Pratchett Discworld Novel and adapted by Stephen Briggs. This comedy is a spoof on Phantom of the Opera and has lots of great character parts. Open auditions on 10th September and rehearsals on Sundays 3pm-5pm in York, though not every week. Performances in York at the end of February."

https://www.gumtree.com/p/artists-theatres/auditions-for-terry-pratchett-s-play-maskerade-/1260143792
http://www.wearetheatre.co.uk/

5.1 PLAYS IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER

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

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

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

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

* WYRD SISTERS IN WEST YORKSHIRE (SEPTEMBER)

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

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

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

* LORDS AND LADIES IN BRISBANE (SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER)

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

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

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

5.2 PLAYS LATER IN 2017

* MORT IN READING (OCTOBER)

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

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

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

http://www.twyrusdrama.org.uk

* MORT IN KENT (OCTOBER)

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

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

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

* WYRD SISTERS IN RHYL, LLAMEDOS (OCTOBER)

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

When: 25th–28th October 2017
Venue: The Little Theatre, 2 Vale Rd, Rhyl LL18 1AA
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £9.00 + booking fee of 7.5% (concessions £8.50 + booking fee). To purchase, go to https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/venue/FEMDJL and click on your desired date.

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

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

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

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

http://unseen.com.au/news/auditions-for-unseen-academicals/

* WYRD SISTERS IN HERTFORDSHIRE (NOVEMBER)

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

When: 9th–11th November 2017
Venue: the Charis Centre, Water Lane, Bishop's Stortford CM23 2JZ
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: TBA; when available, go to https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/waterlane and click on your desired date.

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

* MORT IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA (NOVEMBER/DECEMBER)

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

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

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

* LORDS AND LADIES IN NORWICH (DECEMBER)

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

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

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

* RAISING STEAM IN ABINGDON: A POSTPONEMENT

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

http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/discworld

5.3 PLAYS IN 2018

* MASKERADE IN READING (JANUARY 2018)

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

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

http://progresstheatre.co.uk/maskerade

* MONSTROUS REGIMENT IN GEORGIA USA (FEBRUARY 2018)

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

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

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

5.4 REVIEWS

* GUARDS! GUARDS! IN CARDIFF

By twin bloggers CL Raven:

"Sadly, this was to be Monstrous Productions' final Pratchett adaptation. We've loved every play we've seen and we're gutted it's all over. This was a fantastic play for them to go out on. We've not read the book but will definitely be buying it now. This was another play to feature Sam Vimes and fitting for their final act. Jes Hynes fantastically reprised his role of Vimes from Nightswatch[sic]... This was the first play that featured the Librarian – a wizard who was accidentally turned into an Orangutan and refuses to be changed back. We love the Librarian in the books so were thrilled he was in this. Lowri Belson was superb as the book-loving ape. She injected so much character and personality into a role where communication was done solely through facial expressions and 'ook!' And the occasional 'eek!' The show was hilarious, with added things like Death playing with a fidget spinner, Brother Watchtower replacing his mask with a cat one and Errol flying across the stage on a wire to fight the dragon. What we love about Monstrous Productions plays is the cast always look like they're thoroughly enjoying themselves. Sets and props used are always minimal and work so well. Everyone was superb in their roles and made this a fantastic play to end on..."

https://clraven.wordpress.com/2017/08/21/guards-guards/

* WYRD SISTERS AT THE EDINBURGH FRINGE

By James Hanton in Edinburgh's The Student newspaper (which by the way is the UK's oldest student newspaper, ans which moreover was founded in 1887 by Robert Louis Stevenson, another of the world's greatest storytellers):

"Duck in a Hat Theatre's adaption of Terry Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters sees the cast clearly have a ball immersing themselves in the universe born from the incredible imagination of one man. While Pratchett's Discworld is a complex creation which spans many different stories and characters, Duck in a Hat keep it relatively straightforward. End-on staging, a couple of flats for set, medieval costume and not much more. It can be viewed as a bit basic; the show could have benefited from more music to help make the settings and scenes distinct from each other. The same set for the throne room is also the theatre, the dungeon and the street. Small changes would help to avoid confusion as to what is happening where. But basic does not mean completely ineffective. The play is easy enough to follow, and even finds some time to poke a (broom)stick at the idea of 'post-truth' that is of such great relevance today. It is a very easy tale to enjoy, so in some ways there is no need to complicate anything. In keeping it simple and down-to-earth, littered with moments of comedy that guarantee a smile, a very engaging show is produced... it is very difficult to leave the show without feeling entertained. Writer Stephen Briggs has delivered a wonderful adaption of the original story, one that is grasped with both hands by the cast who firmly make this play their own..."
http://www.studentnewspaper.org/terry-pratchetts-wyrd-sisters/

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06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS: UPDATES AND REMINDERS

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

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

*

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

*

For Facebook users in Fourecks: The Victorian Discworld Klatch is "a social group for fans of Discworld and Terry Pratchett... run by a dedicated team who meet monthly and organise events monthly." "If you'd like to join our events please ask to join the Klatch."

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

*

"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)" is a public Facebook meeting group: "This group, by request of Jo in Bear will continue to be used for future unofficial (not run by the Emporium) fan Gatherings in Wincanton. Look here for information." Future events will include the Hogswatch Express meet (24th-26th November 2017) and the Did You Bring a Beer Along meeting (celebrating 20 years of The Last Continent) in April 2018.

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

*

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

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

*

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

The next CoSG event will be the Monthly Social Meet at the Caledonian Hotel on 31st August. Next after that: Pirate Bowling at the Cross Road Bowl, 23rd September.

The CoSG also have another identity. Here's the skinny:

Round World Events SA Inc is a not-for-profit incorporated association whose aim is to run fun social Pratchett-themed events for people in South Australia. Our first major event was the Unseen University Convivium held in July 2012. We have also run three successful and booked out Science Fiction and Fantasy themed quiz nights named Quiz Long And Prosper, in 2013, 2014 and 2015! We are also running the next Australian Discworld Convention, Nullus Anxietas VI – The Discworld Grand Tour – taking place in August 2017. You can find more out about it on this very website (_http://ausdwcon.org/_)! The association will run some events under the City of Small Gods banner, but you do not have to be a Round World Events SA member to be part of City of Small Gods. However, we are always on the look out for new members for Round World Events SA to help us organise future events! Membership is $20 a year (for Adelaide locals) or $5 a year (for those not quite so close) and has the following benefits:

A shiny membership certificate all of your very own
Discounted entry price to some of the events we run
A warm, fuzzy feeling deep down in your chest (no, not quite that deep)
For more information, or to join as a member, please email RoundWorldEventsSA@gmail.com

www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 7th September 2017 (probably) from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight. For more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) next meets on Friday 1st September 2017 (probably) at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"

*

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

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

*

Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet next on Monday 4th September 2017 at 6.30pm in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney,2000. For more information, contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meets next on Monday 4th September 2017 (probably) from 5.30pm at Carpe Cafe, 526 Murray Street, Perth, Western Australia. For details follow Perth Drummers on Twitter @Perth_Drummers or join their Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>

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07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

Blogger thetroublewithtriffids reflects on the beauty and sadness of The Shepherd's Crown:

"Though I loved this novel, because it was brilliant, but as I was reading it something about the prose style felt a little off to me. And it wasn't until the afterword written by Rob Wilkins that I realised what was off: 'Once it was shaped, he would keep writing it too, adding to it, fixing bits, constantly polishing and adding linking sequences, tossing in just one more footnote or event. His publishers often had to prise the manuscript away from him, as there was always more he felt he could do […] The Shepherd's Crown has a beginning, a middle and an end, and all the bits in between. Terry wrote all of those. But even so, it was, still, not quite as finished as he would have liked when he died.' I couldn't have asked for a more perfect explanation. The book was perfect, but somewhat lacking in Pratchett's usual witticisms and personal style. If anything though this made the whole book so much sadder for me. Just the idea that Pratchett didn't get the chance to brush up this story (even though it was still amazing) to the excellent standards he worked so hard for his whole life..."

http://bit.ly/2wPbpe2

Blogger The Past Due Book Review is back with thoughts on Equal Rites:

"Pratchett hadn't quite hit his stride yet (which is understandable because it is only the third book his massive series), so some of his trademark charm and snark is missing. There are some jokes about witches; one standout is about a witch that has warts and no teeth, thereby gaining her credibility as a witch; Granny Weatherwax, on the other hand, has nice teeth and clear skin. Other than this subversion of the benefits of clear skin and a few other jokes thrown in, Equal Rites is not as campy and joke-heavy as other books, though that isn't necessarily a bad thing... there is some social commentary about both genders thinking women have a specific station because that's the way things have always been. This isn't used in any other vein than for driving the plot along and exposing Pratchett's views on the subject. There isn't a torrent of heavy handed calls for women to become wizards and the few that pop up are from Esk herself; Granny has to be convinced that it is worth the trouble for women to want to become wizards. This book also shares some plot elements with a later book, Sourcery, which has a young wizard in possession of a magical staff and he is the eighth son of an eighth son, though that qualifies him as much more than a simple wizard in the later book. Equal Rites isn't Pratchett's best work despite being a fun read; again, I want to reiterate that this is another early book in the series, so there isn't much here to elevate it above the other fantasy novels out there. The characters are entertaining and the ending is clever, but without much of the wit and cheekiness that makes his writing standout, Equal Rites remains a solid piece of fantasy fiction..."

https://thepastduebookreview.com/2017/08/16/equal-rites-review/

Blogger Aditi Mukund Prabhudesai aka Sunflower's cluey take on Maskerade:

"Straight off the bat, Terry Pratchett doffs his black fedora to the weird world of opera with the above dedication. Opera is an artistic medium comprehensible to few. It is instructive that at different stages in the book, both the protagonist and the antagonist launch into similar tirades about the absurdness of opera ('The plots don't make sense…There should be a sign on the door saying "Leave your common sense here"!'). Even the book cover illustrated by the great artist Josh Kirby is an extension of this belief. The leading characters are depicted at a bizarre angle which disorients the reader. Josh infuses them with such raw, unbridled energy that one feels they could leap out of the cover any second... The theme of masks runs deep throughout the novel. Almost every leading character appears to be operating behind one... Pratchett shows his realist leanings by drawing up a sympathetic portrayal of Agnes, but avoiding giving her a fairytale ending; even the Ghost of the Opera would rather train the less talented Christine than Agnes since Christine has star quality (I was reminded of the 'X-Factor' spiel of Indian Idol). This is a sobering moment, shaking your faith in the Ghost, and made all the more powerful when you consider that Walter himself was the object of ridicule due to his ungainly physicality and would have understood Agnes the most. It underscores the notion that Walter becomes an entirely different personality as the Ghost. Agnes's arc ends with her shedding Perdita and coming to terms with herself. This is in stark contrast to Walter's. Agnes discards her mask to become her true self; Walter sticks to his Ghost alter ego stunning everyone by his transformation..."

https://neitherlessnormore.wordpress.com/2017/08/16/first-blog-post/

Blogger Muse With Me returns with a review of Pyramids:

"There are only a few books in this massive series that are actually standalone tales, involving characters who will not, as far as I know, be appearing in any meaningful way again. Regardless of this, I was pleasantly surprised with this novel. I've said it before, and I'll no doubt say it again, there are elements in Pratchett's Discworld novels that do become a tad repetitive, and this book doesn't quite escape that. In this case our protagonist Teppic is to blame, our assassin turned Pharaoh, who feels a lot like a Pratchett-styled stock main character. Though he's more skilled than some previous leading men, he's still awkward and insecure in ways that feel a little too familiar. I did, however, like his status of stranger in a familiar land. A lot of his formative years were spent in Ankh-Morpork, getting a rather detailed education from the Assassins' Guild, so his return home from a more open and ever-changing society is jarring to say the least... The supporting cast was particularly interesting in this book, focusing on a number of parties that don't interact with one another that much, but all have importance. There are the pyramid builders Ptaclusp and his two sons, Ptaclusp IIa and Ptaclusp IIb, as well as the master embalmer, Dil, and his apprentice, Gern. Each party adds some extra comic relief as they frantically try to deal with the demands from on high, but each are also tied to the physical embodiments of the kingdom's grip on the past. While others demonstrate a figurative anchor to the old ways, the pyramids (and the mummies they're built for) contribute to the literal one... All in all, Pyramids was a fine entry in to the Discworld. From appearances, much of the series has its legs thanks to the numerous sub-series within, but it's nice to see that a standalone novel can be as strong as this. It's also worth noting that while I'm reading the whole series in order, by no means are they written in a way that you'd have to. This could be your first, or even only Discworld novel, and I don't think that you'd be lost..."

https://musewithmeblog.wordpress.com/2017/08/15/book-review-pyramids-by-terry-pratchett/

Texan blogger Dial H for Houston's thoughts on Raising Steam:

"The fun thing about Discworld is that, while it started as a general pastiche of fantasy tropes, Pratchett soon veered off and started doing his own thing, introducing modern(ish) technology like movies, the printing press, telegraphs (well, Semaphores, but still), and even Rock & Roll. And so, Ankh-Morpork, the central city of the setting, began to evolve into a kooky mirror of London, or any other major world city. In Raising Steam, Pratchett brings trains to Discworld. A brilliant young inventor figures out how to harness the power of steam, and then it falls on Moist von Lipwig, a fast-talking con man who's employed by the city (again, go read Going Postal) to organize it and shape the railway into something productive. It helps that Moist is my favorite Discworld character, so I was predisposed to like Raising Steam from the start... Raising Steam revolves around steam power, but it's not at all steampunk. There are no gears on top hats or nods to an idealized British empire, even if a few characters probably wear goggles at some point (for entirely practical reasons). Instead, Raising Steam is more interested in the magic of actual technology– which is to say, trains. The steam locomotive had a huge impact on the course of history, and Pratchett leans full into that, covering everything from commuter suburbs to changes in the price of fish to the rise of trainspotting culture. It's not just about trains, either. Pratchett emphasizes the 'melting pot' nature of Ankh-Morpork at every turn..."

http://bit.ly/2iA9814

Blogger Filip Magnus on A Slip of the Keyboard:

"The book itself is a collection of Terry Pratchett's non-fiction writing,which covers a variety of topics important to the man during his life — both personal and private ones, ranging from musings on his career as a journalist, PR and an author, to his passionate work to protect orangutans from extinction, to a deep-rooted appreciation for libraries and librarians (akin to Neil Gaiman), and wrapping up with his battles against Alzheimer's and for the legalization and broader acceptance of a sick person's right to die... His non-fiction captures the weirdness and the ridiculousness, and sometimes the cruelty of the world we all inhabit, of this wonderful, sometime twisted reality we all share. He fought injustice; in his writing, and outside it. He enjoyed life, and books, and I often think of how much the world could use him now."

http://bit.ly/2vfdrof

Blogger Katyboo1, mother of novice reader Oscar, returns with a love letter to Thief of Time:

"I was so looking forward to sharing this with Oscar, and the experience did not disappoint. This is one of the series that really has stood the test of both time and quality for me... full of jokes and wisdom and humanity, it's hard to see how Pratchett pieces all this together to create a unified narrative, but he does, and it is glorious..."

http://bit.ly/2vfbXKy

...and a fond remembrance of The Fifth Elephant:

"This is the twenty fourth book in the Discworld series, and one which I had very little recollection of when Oscar started reading it to me. As he read on, snippets came back to me, and I wondered why I had so comprehensively forgotten it, as I enjoyed it very much indeed the second time around... Oscar loved it because the Watch stories are his favourite, particularly any scenes that involve Nobby Nobs, and I loved it because it really hammers home the point that by this time, Pratchett had gone way beyond the traditional limits of fantasy and is writing in a much more philosophical vein about all the foibles of being human. This is particularly underscored in his handling of the Uberwald class system, and the things about the dwarves that Vimes discovers. It foreshadows his material about goblins in the very last books he wrote. There are the usual comic touches, but The Fifth Elephant is so much darker than the early works and, to my mind more multi faceted, showing the different layers of understanding and discovery that Pratchett was exploring. Whether a child reader will pick this up or not is largely irrelevant as the stories bear reading over and over again..."

http://bit.ly/2xlfFQk

...and on the subject of TFE, blogger Jamesbee agrees:

"It's always interesting to see a character taken out of their depth and put into an unfamiliar and unfriendly environment. That Vimes has to travel to a place that is as alien as the moon to him only makes things more interesting... The plot is intricate and engaging, with a number of clues and mysteries to solve. All the characters you would hope show up show up and grow and evolve. The novel hums along nicely with each chapter pushing the towards to the conclusion. Overall the Fifth Elephant had all of the elements that lend the Discworld novels its charms without having some of the pitfalls that sometimes show up. The novel was well plotted, charming, and in many parts, hilarious..."

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

Blogger Middle Brow gives top marks to Going Postal:

"Every time I find something new to laugh at, and that speaks to both the comic density of Pratchett's work and its effectiveness. For people who have always felt daunted by the idea of Pratchett's Discworld, I'd suggest this is an ideal second outing. I think most readers should start with one of the Rincewind novels; I started with Interesting Times, but you can always go back and start with The Colour of Magic to really get a taste for its roots. However, if this is your first Discworld entry, I don't think you miss much – Pratchett doesn't waste time trying to relay the entire back stories of characters from other Discworld books who pass in and out of the narrative of Going Postal. And what a narrative it is. It's a story that would be at home in any more mundane fantasy work – a criminal is given the choice of death or public service, chooses to live, and eventually begins to find themselves in their work in a way they never had in their criminal career. It's not an innovative story on the face of it, but the way that Pratchett works those well-worn tropes is where the magic happens...

"One of the things I love about Discworld is that it's ever-changing. Most fantasy worlds are stagnant from a technological point of view – magic has either replaced most mundane tasks or remains completely inaccessible. Peasants are still farming in fields for thousands of years. News travels by horse and cart. Not so, in Discworld. Not only is this a boring trope, it's unrealistic – people don't rest content at their current level of technology. People strive to make their everyday life easier. Half the fun of Going Postal is watching how Pratchett brings new 'inventions' to life in a fantasy context. Going Postal features the creation of the stamp, for example, inspired by Von Lipwig's previous life as a forger... Going Postal doesn't innovate in the plot department. Von Lipwig consistently outsmarts his opposition – but that's what we expect from stories about intelligent people surrounded by incompetence. He's the Sherlock of the Disc. He's genre-savvy – if not breaking the fourth wall, then certainly winking at it. But Pratchett's prose and his subversion and uptake of popular fantasy tropes make this a book I'll always revisit. .."

https://middle-brow.com/2017/07/26/review-going-postal/

Blogger Schlock Value was astonished by Strata:

"Terry Pratchett is among the greatest authors whom I've ever read. I could ― and have ― read each and every Discworld novel multiple times and will probably read them again. His passing in 2015 has left a hole in my life that will never be filled. But despite all this, my reading of his work outside of the Discworld is sorely lacking. Of course I love Good Omens, and I liked Nation and the first Long Earth novel (haven't gotten around to the rest yet), but those were all written after he'd started writing about the Disc. Strata stands out because a) it predates the Discworld novels, and b) it's purely science fiction... I probably don't have to say this, but of course this book was *phenomenal*. I mean, you could probably argue that by Pratchett standards the book was pretty meh. It certainly wasn't Night Watch or Small Gods, but c'mon. That's hardly a fair comparison. Another interesting thing about this book is that it was, in many ways, a sort of test run for Discworld concepts. Folks familiar with the the Disc―and if you aren't, drop this review right now and head to your nearest local book store or public library―will recognize a few familiar concepts, a couple of clever lines, and even a character... this book was great and grand, and moreover was an exercise in seeing the early work of one of my favorite authors. As great as the book was, it lacked some of the best aspects of his later works. There wasn't much 'stealth philosophy' as it were, although there's one bit that I really enjoyed that would fit that. The characters were fine, but they didn't have quite the depth that Sam Vimes or Granny Weatherwax do. Of course, he had a great many books to develop those characters, so that's no real surprise..."

https://schlock-value.com/2017/07/23/strata/

Blogger The Book Babblette had mixed – mostly positive – feelings about Small Gods:

"Almost certainly, the book's ultimate goal was to show the folly of religion. Pratchett's plot, style, characters, and setting were all used to further that goal. Within the book, Pratchett created a fictional, long-established religion: The Church of the Great God Om. The country of Omnia was ruled by the Church and the Church dictated the laws of all Omnians. Pratchett introduced us to Brutha, a slow-witted and good-hearted Omnian monk who accidentally stumbled upon a quest on behalf of the Great God Om. Pratchett also presented Vorbis, a leader in the Church and an all-around bad guy. Finally, Pratchett introduced Om, the once-great god who remembered the days when he was powerful enough to smite enemies and sacrifice believers but who now, because of a decrease of faith in Omnia, is only a one-eyed tortoise who reluctantly relies on Brutha's help. Pratchett didn't always take his plot too seriously. His writing style was satirical and clever. The pages were covered in jokes; some of which worked and some of which didn't. Many of the jokes were at the expense of religion or the idea that human knowledge and certainty is anything less than ridiculous... Although Pratchett used his plot as a tool to convey his message and showcase his cleverness, he did give the story a beginning, middle, and end, and I was usually invested in what was happening with Brutha, Vorbis, and Om. The story was too long, however, and became repetitive and dull. Also, Pratchett would sometimes write with such heavy irony or such deliberate passivity that the action was confusing and the story was unclear..."

https://thebookbabble.com/2017/08/23/small-gods/

Blogger neslibrarynews (no, really) was blown away by Nation... eventually:

"In his first non-Discworld novel in a decade, Terry Pratchett doesn't disappoint. I have to admit, it actually took me a few goes to get into Nation – it was only the Reading Ahead Challenge that got me to try it again, but I'm so glad I did! Nation starts off slowly, building the world first and foremost, but that's necessary to show how painful Mau's grief is when he loses his whole nation. Not only does he lose those he loves and his society, but he also loses his sense of identity. However, losing his identity and becoming isolated leads Mau to question the world-view he has been taught and take responsibility for leading his nation into a new world... Nation is also an anti-colonial story in many ways. The islanders are very aware of how the British sailors come to their islands and 'civilise' them at best, destroy and enslave them at worst. It is only through the friendship that Mau and Daphne have built up, and the nation they have formed together, that the island is able to keep its own identity in the face of a rapidly-changing world where people stake out claims to parts of the map. I love Pratchett's glimpse into the future of a nation where a meeting of cultures rather than a conquest has led to immense scientific discoveries..."

https://ccnlibraryblog.wordpress.com/2017/08/22/book-review-nation/

...and finally, two years into Nat Wassell's re-read of all of Discworld for the Cultured Vultures blog, we come to the final review – The Shepherd's Crown:

"I've talked a lot before on Granny and the impact she has as a character, and that is apparent even here when she is not present for most of the novel; my favourite moment is when the shockwave of her death resonates throughout the Disc and we see many other characters feeling that wave and just knowing that it must be because of her. The barriers of the world that she has held for so long, against the forces of darkness that would threaten the Disc, become more open after her death and it is up to Tiffany, Granny's chosen successor to co-ordinate the other witches and fight back against the elves who we saw banished way back in the series.

"Granny's death is the first we see of a main character in any of the books, and I am glad that it is given the time that it deserves. With everyone from Archchancellor Ridcully to Lord Vetinari watching and waiting to see what the witches will do, there can be no doubt of Granny's importance and the respect that she commanded. On a more personal note, Pratchett dedicates the book to her – 'For Esmerelda Weatherwax – mind how you go', and the bitter sweetness of that dedication, knowing now that he did not live to see the publication, plays very strongly on your mind as you read the novel. I try not to be too sentimental in these articles (probably not always winning at that) but I am glad that Sir Terry had Granny Weatherwax at his side in the end. She is, undoubtedly, a good friend to have there. There's a lot more that I could say about this book, and most of it would be rambling because it holds such a special place in my heart, but I won't do that. I will mention though, two lessons that are prevalent in this book and which, I think, sum up Discworld and Sir Terry's message, should anyone ever ask you what they might be. The first lesson is about giving people a chance... The second lesson is about what you take and what you leave behind... I believe that this is Sir Terry's message, above any other; the power to make the world a better place exists in everyone, no matter how small you might be, and no matter how much you might believe that you can't. You need to only look for it, and there it will be. It is a lesson that I think he would have been happy for any reader to take away and treasure. It is surely his greatest legacy..."

https://culturedvultures.com/the-shepherds-crown-2015-discworld/

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08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

Some fantabulous iconographs from Monstrous Productions' grand finale (Guards!Guards!):
Vimes with fully loaded Errol: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DHsZiTKW0AAIuh0.jpg
Carrot, the Librarian, and that wall in the Shades: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DHsZiTLXgAEq_P9.jpg
Sybil and her lads: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DHsZiTJXkAIgCim.jpg
The Brethren, in that "did any of them get out?" moment: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DHsZiTPWsAAMhZB.jpg

...and a gorgeous one of members of The Clan reading Mr Bunnsy Has an Adventure, from Monstrous' staging of TAMAHER:
https://earlysince92.files.wordpress.com/2017/08/img_0368.jpg

Two great photos from the Salisbury Museum's Terry Pratchett: HisWorld exhibit, posted on Twitter by Richard Henry:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DH6Vo4aXoAAdfp1.jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DH6VnqGXoAAzRjx.jpg

The thespians of Unseen Theatre at AusDWcon 2017, photo by Danny Sag: http://bit.ly/2xlqZMu
Granny always understood this one...
https://cemeteryclub.files.wordpress.com/2017/06/bees-at-a-funeral-kalgorie-miner-27-oct-1930.jpg

More Feegle-sculpting from Paul Kidby:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DFz0TUhW0AANq19.jpg

A brace of Moists, from the latest Australian Discworld Convention:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DGbOAlSUQAEYAiD.jpg

A beautiful photo of one of the Melbourne Zoo orangutans, from the Zoo's Twitter account:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DGgk6yPXoAA-TX3.jpg:large

The newest Discworld ale, L-Space Voyager, features a wonderful image of the Librarian on his Last Hero voyage:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DGzD7cJXUAIVGgM.jpg (for more info on the contents of the can, see item 3.6 – Ed.)

A fine bit of Lancre – the cast of the Marlowe Players' production of Wyrd Sisters last month:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DFVU17JXUAA0z2O.jpg

An action replay – the PTERRYDIS! (As reposted on Twitter by the Josh Kirby estate):
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DHC1ofOXsAAXDQp.jpg

...and another – an extensive gallery of images from Midhurst Players' production of Wyrd Sisters late last year:
http://www.midhurstplayers.co.uk/productions/wyrd-sisters/

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09) CLOSE

Did you hear about the orphaned Russian hedgehogs who were adopted by a cat? "Muska the cat adopted the spiky brood after their mother died in a lawn-mowing accident. The tiny hoglets, as they are known, had refused milk from a syringe, a bottle, and a saucer for two days, according to Sadgorod Zoo. At night, the babies had a heating pad to stimulate their digestion. Still, nothing helped. As Muska had recently raised a litter of foster kittens, she had milk to offer -- so the zoo decided to try the unusual pairing. The hungry orphans reacted to her bodily warmth and the smell of milk, and soon began to nurse. The good-natured cat proceeded to feed the hedgehogs for more than a week and comfort them at night, Russia's Vesti reports..."

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40720327

And that's the lot for August. Take care, and we'll see you next month!

– Annie Mac


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

Copyright (c) 2017 by Klatchian Foreign Legion

We Are Theatre's next Discworld production will be Maskerade, in February 2018 – but the word about auditions for the production has spread all over Roundworld, it seems:

"We are holding open auditions for actors for the comedy play 'Maskerade' based on the Terry Pratchett Discworld Novel and adapted by Stephen Briggs. This comedy is a spoof on Phantom of the Opera and has lots of great character parts. Open auditions on 10th September and rehearsals on Sundays 3pm-5pm in York, though not every week. Performances in York at the end of February."

Open auditions will be held on Sunday 10th September. To book an audition, and for more information, email wearetheatre@googlemail.com

https://www.gumtree.com/p/artists-theatres/auditions-for-terry-pratchett-s-play-maskerade-/1260143792

http://www.wearetheatre.co.uk/

We've just received a gorgeous poster for Unseen Theatre's next Discworld production, from director Pamela Munt. Have a look down the page... but first, AUDITIONS!

Adelaide's famous Unseen Theatre will be casting for The Truth at the end of July:

"We here at Unseen are very excited about re-visiting one of our most popular plays that we last produced in 2003. This will be a whole new fresh take on Sir Terry Pratchett’s “THE TRUTH”. Auditions will be held on Sunday 30th July 2017 at 3pm at The Bakehouse Theatre, 255 Angas St. Adelaide.

Roles available for The Truth include...

Journalists
William de Worde (leading role – unwittingly invents the concept of investigative journalism)
Sacharissa (William’s offsider)
Gunilla Goodmountain (head of printing press – a dwarf)
Boddony (printing press worker – a dwarf)

Talking Dogs
Gaspode (talking dog) narrator and actor
Wuffles (non talking dog – belongs to Vetinari – main witness to the “crime”)

Palace
Lord Vetinari (Patrician of Ankh-Morpork – this role already pre cast)
Drumknott (Lord Vetinari’s secretary)

City Watch
Commander Vimes (head of the City Watch – a “born” Copper)
Nobby Nobbs (originally a street urchin – indistinguishable from a monkey – may be cut)
Angua (a werewolf)
Cheery Littlebottom (a forensic scientist dwarf)

Plotters (noblemen/women)
Slant (zombie lawyer) (this role pre-cast)
Lord de Worde, (William’s father)
Lord Rust
Lady Selachi
Lady Venturi

Criminals
Charlie (Vetinari doppelganger, therefore played by the same actor as Lord Vetinari)
Pen (intelligent but insane criminal – think Straw Dogs)
Tulip (Mr. Pin’s very dumb but with surprising intellectual aspirations, offsider)

Extras
Foul Ole Ron (insane and really bad smelling head of street tramps for whom Gaspode “talks”)
Mrs. Arcanum (classic boarding house tyrant)
Mrs.Mackleduff (Mrs. Arcanum’s offsider)
Wintler (purveyor of amusingly shaped vegetables)
Duckman and other tramps
Pin’s “shadows”
Thugs
Disorganiser (probably sound FX)


"All of our audition notices are now sent via our website, so if you are interested in auditioning and have not yet logged into our site, you will need to do so pretty quickly. When you have logged in please tick the 'audition' mailing list box and you will automatically be sent an email with all the relevant details on the auditions approximately two weeks from the audition time. If you have any questions about how auditions are conducted please go to our FAQ section before emailing direct because most of your questions will already be answered there."

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
July 2017 (Volume 20, Issue 7, Post 1)

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

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

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INDEX:

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

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

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

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

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

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

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) ODDS AND SODS

3.1 NEW PRATCHETT STORIES COLLECTION

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

3.2 REMINDER: "CAPTURE THE CASTLE" FEATURING PAUL KIDBY

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

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

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

3.3 ASK THEM ABOUT STAMPS!

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

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

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

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

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

3.4 ALZHEIMER'S NEWS

A promising report:

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

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

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

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04) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4.2 DWCON 2018 NEWS

Short but sweet:

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

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

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

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

https://2018.dwcon.org

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05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

5.0 AUDITIONS

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

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

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

5.1 PLAYS IN JULY, AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER

* WYRD SISTERS IN DERBY (JULY)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://duckinahat.weebly.com/

* GUARDS! GUARDS! IN CARDIFF (AUGUST)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* WYRD SISTERS IN WEST YORKSHIRE (SEPTEMBER)

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

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

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

* LORDS AND LADIES IN BRISBANE (SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER)

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

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

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

5.2 PLAYS LATER IN 2017

* MORT IN READING (OCTOBER)

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

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

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

http://www.twyrusdrama.org.uk

* MORT IN KENT (OCTOBER)

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

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

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

* RAISING STEAM IN ABINGDON: A POSTPONEMENT

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

http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/discworld

5.3 PLAYS IN 2018

* MASKERADE IN READING (JANUARY 2018)

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

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

http://progresstheatre.co.uk/maskerade

* MONSTROUS REGIMENT IN GEORGIA USA (FEBRUARY 2018)

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

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

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

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06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS: UPDATES AND REMINDERS

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

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

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

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

*

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

*

For Facebook users in Fourecks: The Victorian Discworld Klatch is "a social group for fans of Discworld and Terry Pratchett... run by a dedicated team who meet monthly and organise events monthly." "If you'd like to join our events please ask to join the Klatch."

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

*

"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)" is a public Facebook meeting group: "This group, by request of Jo in Bear will continue to be used for future unofficial (not run by the Emporium) fan Gatherings in Wincanton. Look here for information." Future events will include the Hogswatch Express meet (24th-26th November 2017) and the Did You Bring a Beer Along meeting (celebrating 20 years of The Last Continent) in April 2018.

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

*

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

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

*

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

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

The CoSG also have another identity. Here's the skinny:

Round World Events SA Inc is a not-for-profit incorporated association whose aim is to run fun social Pratchett-themed events for people in South Australia. Our first major event was the Unseen University Convivium held in July 2012. We have also run three successful and booked out Science Fiction and Fantasy themed quiz nights named Quiz Long And Prosper, in 2013, 2014 and 2015! We are also running the next Australian Discworld Convention, Nullus Anxietas VI – The Discworld Grand Tour – taking place in August 2017. You can find more out about it on this very website (_http://ausdwcon.org/_)! The association will run some events under the City of Small Gods banner, but you do not have to be a Round World Events SA member to be part of City of Small Gods. However, we are always on the look out for new members for Round World Events SA to help us organise future events! Membership is $20 a year (for Adelaide locals) or $5 a year (for those not quite so close) and has the following benefits:

A shiny membership certificate all of your very own
Discounted entry price to some of the events we run
A warm, fuzzy feeling deep down in your chest (no, not quite that deep)
For more information, or to join as a member, please email RoundWorldEventsSA@gmail.com

www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 3rd August 2017 (probably) from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight. For more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) next meets on Friday 4th August 2017 (probably) at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"

*

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

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

*

Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet next on Monday 7th August 2017 at 6.30pm in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney,2000. For more information, contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meets next on Monday 7th August 2017 (probably) from 5.30pm at Carpe Cafe, 526 Murray Street, Perth, Western Australia. For details follow Perth Drummers on Twitter @Perth_Drummers or join their Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/ – or message Alexandra Ware directly at <alexandra.ware@gmail.com>

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07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

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

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

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

Blogger Michael Beyer reviews Raising Steam:

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

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

Blogger okelay's thoughts on the Long Earth series:

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

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

Blogger Ivy Torrejos loved The Last Hero:

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

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

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

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

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

Blogger fantasyst95's review of Small Gods:

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

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

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

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

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

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


Blogger Jamesbee also highly recommends The Fifth Elephant:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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08) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS

8.1. DISCWORLD EMPORIUM NEWS

* A new book of stories!

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

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

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

* A found treasure trove of copies of The Witches!

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

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

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

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

8.2 PAUL KIDBY'S DISCWORLD MASSIF PRINTS

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

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

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

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

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09) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

A quick couple for you...

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

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

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10) CLOSE

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

– Annie Mac

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

Copyright (c) 2017 by Klatchian Foreign Legion