WOSSNAME

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
November 2018 (Volume 21, Issue 11, Post 1)

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

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INDEX:

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

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"Totally delighted our raffle for cast-signed HOGFATHER scripts raised an amazing £450 for @alzheimerssoc in memory of Terry" – as tweeted by Abingdon's Studio Theatre Club after their world premiere of Stephen Briggs' recent adaptation of Hogfather

"Here's a woman who protects herself because men don't see why she needs to. Here's a woman who needs no man. But might quite like one, anyway."
– blogger The English Student's fine summation of Adora Belle Dearheart's character

"Terry Pratchett stirs the spaces and thoughts within you and gently disturbs the rhythm of the world. He spins words around and tangles phrases. In a way, the fantasy story he creates transcends the genre to become real."
– blogger Wide Eyes also shows a fine turn of praise-phrase

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02) A LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

For most of my life so far, I've preferred genre films and telly to "straight" dramas, on the ground that life itself is dramatic enough. And in the Age of the Clacks, I've sometimes been completely surprised to find that a particular film or episode was quite the opposite of what synopses, reviews or outright spoilage led me to expect – almost always in the "x was so much better than I expected!" sense. For instance, some years ago I missed an episode of Angel called Smile Time, so I found the entire shooting script online, read it, and thought "Eww, no way do I *ever* want to see that one!"... only to find out some time later, on finally seeing it, that it was for me one of the best of the entire five-year series.... and then there's Thor Ragnarok: I was so put off by the trailers that I almost declined to be taken to see it – and lo, it was a non-stop gigglefest and possibly the best of all the 21st century superhero cinema.

So what is the point of these observations? Why, it's that having read Narrativia's official announcement of The Watch going forward into production, I am very, very conflicted, because the tone of that announcement makes it feel, to me at least, not unlike the horrors that Hollywood wanted to visit upon Mort when The Author sold the film rights (and oh so fortunately got them back again). A "punk rock thriller"? "...startlingly reimagined"? And most disturbing of the lot, Cheery described as "non-binary"? For Io's sake, the whole point of dwarf sexuality is that it's culturally non-binary in public and Cheery's activism is all about insisting on being recognised publicly as a female of her species!

And yet, and yet... I so, so, so want The Watch to work. I want it to work for us millions of Discworld fans but also to be engaging enough to draw in and hook many other millions of potential fans who have yet to read the source material. I remember well how some Tolkien purists objected to Team Jackson's interpretation of the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit stories, but the very fact that the team pursued their own vision with passion and supreme expertise is what made those films some of the most successful in cinema history while still getting the stories across, even if there were changes from the text versions. Discworld deserves no less. And BBC America's history, again in my opinion (hello, this *is* an editorial after all!), is not promising. Look what they did to Torchwood. Look how they've been helping to drive Doctor Who ever further away from its in-the-bone Britishness. At least the Amazon/BBC-not-America production of Good Omens claims to have gone to great lengths to retain the essential Englishness of the book.

Still... one can hope, right?

...all right, I'm hoping.

And now, on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) ODDS AND SODS

Just a few reminders this month... and some Hogswatch merch!

3.1 REMINDER: DISCWORLD AND BEYOND EXHIBIT

After Paul Kidby's Discworld and Beyond exhibit finishes at the Chapel Gallery in Ormskirk, it will move in mid-December to the North Hertfordshire Museum.

Currently...

When: now through 1st December 2018
Venue: Chapel Gallery, St Helens Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39 4QR (phone 01695 571 328, email chapel.gallery@westlancs.gov.uk)
Time: 10am–4.30pm Tuesdays–Saturdays (closed Monday, Sunday & all Bank Holidays)
Tickets: free admission; there is also disabled access.

https://www.paulkidby.com/event/discworld-beyond-5/

...and then...

When: 15th December 2018–February 2019 (finishing date TBC)
Venue: North Hertfordshire Museum, Brand Street, Hitchin SG5 1JE (phone 01462 474554)
Times: 10.30 am–4.30 pm
Tickets: free admission

http://www.northhertsmuseum.org/contact-us/

3.2 REMINDER: THE WATCH IS FINALLY ON ITS WAY

That Narrativia announcement again:

"The Watch is a punk rock thriller inspired by the legendary 'City Watch' subset of 'Discworld' novels. This disruptive, character-driven thriller centers on Terry Pratchett's misfit cops as they fight to save a ramshackle city of normalized wrongness, from both the past and future in a perilous quest. Modern and inclusive, The Watch features many famous 'Discworld' creations including City Watch Captain Sam Vimes, the last scion of nobility Lady Sybil Ramkin, the naive but heroic Carrot, the mysterious Angua and the ingenious non-binary forensics expert Cheery together with Terry Pratchett's iconic characterization of Death... 'The Watch has been startlingly reimagined for television by writer Simon Allen, while still cleaving to the humor, heart and ingenuity of Terry Pratchett's incomparably original work,' commented BBC America President, Sarah Barnett. 'BBC America embraces what's fresh and exhilarating in TV; we believe The Watch will astonish audiences.' ..."

The full announcement lives here: http://narrativia.com/watch.html

3.3 REMINDER: THE GOOD OMENS TRAILER

Well worth watching again and again: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZSXlNRRoGU

3.4 IT'S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN...

...for presents! And here are a few ideas...

* Ookplates!

A set of ten traditional illustrated bookplates featuring favourite characters from Terry Pratchett's Discworld including Death, The Librarian, Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, Rincewind, Sam Vimes, Vetinari & the Luggage!!

Each set it priced at £8.50. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/books/490-discworld-ookplates

* Feegle Feet socks!

"CRIVENS!! Walk the Chalk like the Nac Mac Feegle with this fantastically fun literary footwear feet-uring the unmistakable appendages of Terry Pratchett's pesky pictsies!"

Each pair of Feegle Feet is priced at £6.50. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/clothing/503-discworld-socks-feegle-feet

Worth noting: pairs of other Discworld-themed socks are also available, including Wizzard, Assassins' Guild, L-Space, Death, and A'Tuin. On offer is a special deal – buy three pairs of any of these (including Feegle Feet of course!) for £15! – Ed.

* The Mended Drum t-shirt!

You survived the Mended Drum, and all you got was this lovely T- Shirt! Wear the thrills and spills of Ankh-Morpork's notorious tavern on your sleeve, quite literally, with our exclusive Discworld tee - a souvenir from a local boozer that is truly out of this world!

Each Mended drum t-shirt is priced at £15. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/clothing/510-the-mended-drum-t-shirt

* The UU Library 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!"

The UU 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

Also available is the beautifully Gothic Death's Study jigsaw puzzle, also priced at £19.50. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/games-toys/491-death-s-study-jigsaw-puzzle

Also, up at the pricier end...

* The Imaginarium of Professor Pratchett II!

From Paul Kidby, "An exclusive collectors print featuring Paul Kidby’s iconic 2018 portrait of Terry Pratchett, as seen on the book jacket of Terry Pratchett HisWorld, the Official Exhibition Companion. Each print is hand signed and numbered and the edition is limited to 2000 copies worldwide. Printed on 350gm silk paper. Dimensions 490 x 350mm. Prints are despatched rolled in acid free tissue in a postal tube."

Each print is priced at £40. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://shop.paulkidby.com/the-imaginarium-of-professor-pratchett-ii/

* The DEATH WITH KITTEN figurine!

"Add a touch of Death to your bookshelf with our official Discworld figurine featuring Terry Pratchett's enigmatic Grim Reaper, produced in our signature bronze finish!"

Each DEATH WITH KITTEN figurine is priced at £50. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/home-hearth/518-death-with-kitten-figurine

And pricier yet, but so worth it – Your Editor received one of these a few weeks ago as a birthday present and can confirm that it is magnificent:

* Terry Pratchett's Discworld Imaginarium Special Limited Slipcase Edition!

"Featuring the very best of Paul Kidby’s Discworld illustrations, this definitive volume includes 40 pieces of never before seen art, including preliminary drawings, 30 pieces that have only appeared in foreign editions, limited editions and Book Club editions and 17 book cover illustrations, since 2004, shown without cover text. This Special Edition features an alternative cover design and has a signature page with a new piece of artwork exclusively produced for this version. It includes a specially designed slipcase, metallic page edgings and marker ribbon. All copies signed and numbered by Paul Kidby."

Each Imaginarium Slipcase Edition is priced at £82. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://shop.paulkidby.com/terry-pratchetts-discworld-imaginarium-special-limited-slip-case-edition-of-2000/

Also available but at a lower price (same art, less exquisite packaging) is the standard Imaginarium, priced at £42. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://shop.paulkidby.com/terry-pratchetts-discworld-imaginarium/

And after the presents and the meal, it will be time for the games. Some appropriate Hogswatch games, better by far than Charades or Deformed Rabbit…

* Clacks!

There are still a few copies of Backspindle Games' famous board game, priced at £29. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/games-activities/231-clacks-a-discworld-board-game

* The Discworld Roleplaying Game!

"Create your own Discworld Story and collaborate with friends to create detailed characters and unique adventures! Steve Jackson's table-top RPG is back, with a brand-new Discworld magic system, things from the Dungeon Dimensions ...and a thousand elephants!"

Each Discworld Roleplaying game is priced at £34.99. For more information, and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/games-toys/348-discworld-roleplaying-game

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04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

Editor's note: as Wossname normally only comes out once every month, do check the Wossname blog for information on plays that might fall between issue dates! Go to https://wossname.dreamwidth.org/ for interim updates.

4.1 PLAYS TO COME

* GUARDS! GUARDS! IN BIRMINGHAM (NOVEMBER)

The "amateur yet spirited" Luke Players will stage their production of Guards! Guards! starting this weekend! "Terry Pratchett's infamous city of Ankh-Morpork is under threat from a 60-foot fire-breathing dragon, summoned by a secret society of malcontented tradesmen. Defending Ankh-Morpork against this threat is the entire, underpaid, undervalued City Night Watch and their newest recruit, Lance Constable Carrot, who is upright, literal, law-abiding and keen. Aiding them in their fight for truth, justice and the Ankh-Morporkian way are a small swamp dragon and the Librarian of Unseen University (who just happens to be an orang-utan)."

When: 29th November through 1st December 2018
Venue: Midlands Arts Centre, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, B12 9QH (Box Office and enquiries: 0121 446 3232)
Time: 7.30pm all evening shows; 2.30pm matinee on 1st December
Tickets: £7 - £9, available online by going to https://macbirmingham.co.uk/event/guards-guards and clicking on the desired date and show

https://macbirmingham.co.uk/event/guards-guards

* GOING POSTAL IN BRISTOL (DECEMBER)

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

When: 5th–8th and 12th–15th December 2018
Venue: Kelvin Studio, 253B Gloucester Road, Bishopston, Bristol BS7 8NY
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £10 and £12, available online from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/bristol/kelvin-players-theatre/going-postal-by-terry-pratchett-and-stephen-briggs

https://www.kelvinplayers.co.uk/current-production

* CARPE JUGULUM IN YORK (MARCH 2019)

After their success with staging Mort in 2016 and Wyrd Sisters last year, We Are Theatre are doing Discworld again. This time it's Carpe Jugulum!

When: 5th and 6th March 2019
Venue: Tap Room, York Brewery, 12 Toft Green, York YO16JT UK
Time: 7pm all shows
Tickets: £12, pre-bookable by ringing the Box Office on 07521 364107 or via email: wearetheatre@googlemail.com

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

* MASKERADE IN WEST SUSSEX (MARCH 2019)

Ifield Barn will be back with another Discworld play next March! Sounds like a wonderfully Discly setting: "The theatre was created from a group of agricultural buildings and consist of a 700 year old tithe barn which now forms the auditorium and dressing rooms, a former Granary which serves as a kitchen and stables which have been converted to an exhibition room and workshops. All three buildings have been linked by a modern addition tastefully integrated to form the foyer and theatre bar. Due to some inspired fund-raising by members many improvements have been made to the theatre."

When: 6th–9th March 2019
Venue: Ifield Barn Arts Centre, Ifield Street, Ifield, West Sussex. RH11 0NN
Time: 8pm all evening shows; matinee 9th March 3pm
Tickets: £10 (£8 for members and children), available online at http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ifieldbarntheatre or by post or in person at the venue

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

* WYRD SISTERS IN GLOUCESTERSHIRE (MARCH 2019)

TADS (Tewkesbury Arts and Drama Society) will be staging their production of Wyrd Sisters next March!

When: 23rd–24th March 2019
Venue: the Roses Theatre, Sun Street, Tewkesbury, Glos GL20 5NX
Time: TBA
Tickets: £14, available from the Roses Theatre Box Office at http://www.rosestheatre.org/

If you want to participate in the production, rehearsals are being held on Monday evenings at Tewkesbury Town Hall.

http://www.tads.org.uk/index.html

4.2 REVIEWS

* MEN AT ARMS IN BRISBANE, FOURECKS

By William Davies on Stage Whispers:

"The difficulty in a dramatic interpretation of a Pratchett novel is to present the play so that the long, complicated storyline is absorbing to all in the audience, not just the Pratchett fans. Unfortunately it was not always the case in this production. Sally Daly, who first directed this play in 2001, has made good use of a cast that improved markedly as the play progressed, excellent costuming and use of stage. At times the pace could have been improved but she had our attention for the night. Outstanding was John Grey as Havelock Vetinari, while David Robinson, as Corporal Carrot, stood out as the inspirer of justice. His portrayal was even better in Act 2 when he had more consistent stage time. Daniel Grey (Captain Sam Vines), was clear in his role while Sasha Barclay, John O'Connor and Amanda Lay brought strength to their characters. The Arts Theatre has developed a following of Pratchett readers..."

http://www.stagewhispers.com.au/reviews/men-arms

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05) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), will next meet on Monday 3rd December for the Broken Drummers' 2018 Christmas party from 7pm 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' November meet report, by Helen:

"It was a small group of us that met on 5th November. Either you were all watching fireworks or you're saving yourselves for the Christmas party. However, me, Andrew, Marina, Sarah and Pete made it so the group was small but perfectly formed. Since I had done a special quiz on treason to mark Bonfire night, we went ahead despite having just three contestants (Andrew was barred as I tested the questions on him earlier). Marina emerged victorious and will be doing the next quiz. Jeff from the next table was not present. The bar staff told us that he has gone on tour. This sounded quite exotic until another pub regular told us that he was currently in Wolverhampton. Lynda arrived at the Monkey Puzzle later. She had been in hospital. We were glad to see that she was in good spirits and enjoying a vodka. Gary, the pub landlord, confirmed that they will do a Christmas dinner for us. This is despite the fact that they no longer offer this to other customers. This is apparently because we all turn up on the day, which others do not. The menu is attached. The Christmas dinner will be held Monday 3rd December. We will need everyone there by 7:30. Please send me your meal requests by 24th November. NB, I will acknowledge all orders so if you don't get a reply, you might want to check that I received it. You can attend without ordering a meal but be aware that the kitchen might not be serving other food while they prepare ours. If you're new to Drummers, the Christmas party is a great chance to meet everyone as we always have a much larger group than usual."

(from Facebook, courtesy of Mss C)

For more information, email BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/55107511411/permalink/10156634038566412/

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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."

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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

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"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."

The Loonies' next event will be their Christmas Party which will take place over the Hogswatch-would-have-been weekend of 27th–29th November. See their Facebook page for details!

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

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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. 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 both be in 2019, possibly starting with a New Year's Day movie. Stay tuned!

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! 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

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The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 6th December (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

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

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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/

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Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet next on Monday 3rd December (possibly) 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

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The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meet next on Monday 3rd December (possibly) at Old Shanghai, 123 James Street, Northbridge, Perth, Western Australia. For details 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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06) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

Blogger Merry aka lettersfromthelighthouse reviews Reaper Man:

"In classic Discworld fashion, Reaper Man combines several strands of narration: While Death enjoys his new-found (free) time and starts a new job as a farm hand, the rest of the Disc tries to deal with excessive life energy and the fact that the dead no longer properly pass on. Wizard Windle Poons, formerly of Unseen University, suddenly finds himself not alive, but also not fully dead, an unexpected development that leads him into the depths of Ankh Morpork's Undead community. His former colleagues, on the other hand, try to help him on his way to the next world – and then there are the mysterious globe-shaped things that start popping up everywhere… If this sounds at the same time slightly ridiculous, thought-provoking and hilarious, it's because it is. However, unlike some of the other Discworld novels which I enjoy wholeheartedly, Reaper Man is a bit of a mixed bag. I did like the reading experience but I remembered halfway through the book why memory tells me this was a weird one..."

https://lettersfromthelighthouse.wordpress.com/2018/11/13/review-terry-pratchett-reaper-man/

...and The Wee Free Men:

"What can I say? I absolutely love Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching books. They have everything that I love about the Discworld: Thinly-veiled social commentary, wordplay ('a pune, or a play on words'), three-dimensional characters, and creative worldbuilding, all of which showcase Pratchett's impressive imagination. The Wee Free Men is no exception and I (still) absolutely love the fairytale-like quality of this book, the Nac Mac Feegle, and Tiffany 'No Nonsense' Aching. I also love that this book is very much accessible for children while being still amusing and occasionally eye-opening for adults..."

https://lettersfromthelighthouse.wordpress.com/2018/11/20/review-terry-pratchett-the-wee-free-men/

The Clacks Header blog points out something rather significant – with explanatory pamphl-, er, images – about the Librarian's speech:

"...I went on a search through the books (yes, all of them) to find everything the Librarian had ever said. The first thing I tried was searching for the word ook – but this caused me some consternation as there are a lot of words containing those three letters and I felt like I might be missing something! I then tried searching for the same thing but with a quote mark in front, e.g. 'ook but this was utterly fruitless, so I found myself an instance of Librarian-speak and had a closer look. It turns out that we've all been misquoting our favourite simian character, he has never once said either 'Ook' or 'Eek', as you may suspect. Every single instance of his speech[*] in the books uses either the word 'Oook' or 'Eeek' with THREE vowels (or additional Os or Es for when things get really exciting). I was slightly flabbergasted... I then thought about this and realised that it was perfectly obvious why The Creator made this decision. When writing a book it is sometimes necessary to go back over your text looking for dialogue from particular characters. If Pratchett had wanted to change something regarding the Librarian he would have faced the same initial problem that I did, in that 'ook' and 'eek' are both contained in a multitude of other words. When coming up with a solution for this problem the most obvious one would be to add an extra letter to make it unique..."

https://clacksheader.wordpress.com/2018/11/09/balancing-the-oooks/

Blogger rmartin49, on the Spec Fict Lit blog, also uses explanatories for a post about "ranking" the Discworld novels:

"The Big Read was a BBC run survey in 2003 (at which time a maximum of 29 Discworld books would have been published) to find the nation's best-loved novel of all time. The big winner was The Lord of the Rings, make of that what you will. But the honour of the most prolific author to crack the top 200 books was Terry himself with 15 entries from his prolific canon. The Discworld book that comes out top by that rubric is Mort, the first in the Death series and the fourth in the Discworld overall. But you know what kind of feckless idiots the general public are. Why would you put any kind of faith in their opinion? Because an overall ranking is beyond me (maybe I'll manage it once I've finished reading ALL of them. What a wonderful day for you to look forward to), I've separated the books by strand (Rincewind, Witches, Death, City Watch, Ancient Civilisations and Industrial Revolution) and ranked those. All opinions are my own and if you disagree then that's your lookout. Also, bear in mind that a low ranked Terry Pratchett book is still a damn good book when it comes to the wider reaches of literature. He truly was a wonderful writer...."

https://specfictlit.wordpress.com/2018/11/08/ranking-my-journey-through-the-discworld-so-far-rincewind-edition/

Blogger Bookwitch feels the Maskerade love:

" I knew I was going to choose a Terry Pratchett novel to buy, but which one? Several looked promising, but Granny Weatherwax at the opera sounded especially tempting. Maskerade is actually a crime novel, I discovered. This made it even more fun, and I was already needing the light Pratchett touch. It improved my week considerably... You forget – well, I do, anyway – how good Terry was at observing everything in life and making pertinent comments about the ridiculousness of it all. Or is it easier to comment on life at the opera? The main outcome for me was that I need another dose of Pratchett magic soon. Things went well for Granny and Nanny, but then you'd expect that. They are not the kind of witches who would permit things to not go well..."

https://bookwitch.wordpress.com/2018/11/07/maskerade/

Blogger Eric Watson aka roguewatson's thoughts on Raising Steam:

"Even a mediocre Discworld book is still pretty good. In the Discworld series, the Moist von Lipwig books are solidly at the bottom. They're as much about the city of Ankh-Morpork and the steady march of progress as anything else, and Raising Steam is no exception, with the invention of the locomotion. Unfortunately a good chunk of the novel is spent on a wider lens look at the city, the inventors, and the Patricians' machinations. I do adore the Patrician but it's mostly a snooze-fest, and I never did care about the locomotion pair of Dick and Harry, whom we spend a lot of time with. The final third of the book picks up steam (sorry) into a nice little ending, and I did love the inclusion of Commander Vimes and the City Watch as supporting characters. Note that although it's a Moist book, the surrounding plot is a sequel to the Troll-Dwarf war story in Thud!, nearly making it required reading to know what's going on..."

https://roguewatson.com/2018/11/04/goodreads-review-raising-steam-discworld-40/

Blogger The English Student is back with a beautifully worded review of Going Postal:

"This, the 33rd Discworld novel, is probably the peak of Pratchett's technical powers as a novelist. Before this, the slow build-up from the light romp of The Colour of Magic through novels that become ever more serious in theme, ever angrier in their satire and ever more humane in their palpable love for their flawed-but-lovable protagonists; after this, the rapid stagnation and decline into inflexible dogma (check out, or rather don't, The Science of Discworld IV: Judgement Day). Pratchett's books have always been about character, with plot taking a back seat, and Going Postal is no exception... It's a novel about a lot of things: redemption, corporate greed, the power of words, the importance of community. The lynchpin[sic] holding these things together is the Post Office itself, a once-grand building that houses thousands upon thousands of dry, dead letters, undelivered because of a tragedy that remains unspecified until quite late in the book. One of Moist's first adventures as Postmaster is to deliver some of those letters, causing a kind of joyous chaos that's felt across the city: an elderly couple are married when a love letter arrives fifty years late; a ruckus is caused when a family realises the wrong sister got mum's best jewellery. That anarchic joy is the overriding mood of the novel, despite its occasional delvings into tragedy... It would be easy to read the novel as anti-technology, but I think that would be a mistaken reading: it's not the clacks themselves that are damaging to communities, but the Grand Trunk's inability to comprehend that the messages it carries mean nothing without the people it exploits. I think we recognise that in the closing scenes of the novel, when Moist sends a message through the clacks that acknowledges the importance of community, of human lives, and in doing so effects real change..."

https://englishstudens.wordpress.com/2018/11/02/review-going-postal/

Blogger fastasybookscloserlooks fell in love with Witches Abroad:

"While at its core this is clearly a re-imagining of the story of Cinderella, this novel also has several clever allusions to other well known stories and fairy tales, including the Frog Prince, The Wizard of Oz, etc, and is at its core a story about stories. Pratchett consistently used this book to examine and deconstruct various tropes that we have come to expect from fantasy and turns them on their head by placing them in a city which polices people for not properly adhering to the archetypes which they are supposedly meant to fill in stories such a this. Because of the explicitly non-traditional style of this story, I was consistently caught off guard by the directions in which it went and was thoroughly entertained through-out thanks to how it masterfully balanced its' humor and more serious contemplative moments. This was primarily due to this novel's greatest strength: its characters…more specifically, the main trio of witches. Magrat was very easy to root for as a young protagonist suddenly given a great deal of power and responsibility (and who's[sic] greatest skill seemed to be turning things into pumpkins), and she created a fantastic contrast between herself and her senior mentors, who were by far my favorite characters! Granny Weatherwax was the perfect example of a stern, stubborn old lady who ultimately has a kind and protective heart, while Nanny Ogg was much more zany and silly. They gave off the same energy as when your especially quirky older family members come to visit and the banter and bickering between the two was just priceless..."

https://fantasybookscloserlooks.wordpress.com/2018/10/30/witches-abroad-review/

Blogger The Bookworm Drinketh on Equal Rites:

"Well, this is one of my favourite books in this series! I was really excited to get to it because GRANNY WEATHERWAX IS THE GREATEST!! This woman is hilarious, she is strong, she is stubborn, and everyone needs her in their lives. She will never admit to being wrong in any way... I also always enjoy Pratchett's way with words. I know his writing style is not loved by all and that it is the reason some people DON'T read his novels. But, it has such an air of whimsy to it, almost a Seussian style to it, that I, personally absolutely love..."

https://thebookwormdrinketh.com/2018/10/13/terry-pratchett-read-a-thon-equal-rites-review-and-announcement-for-next-month/

...and on Mort:

"This is definitely a different book for the Discworld series. The other's are full of a lot of snarky wit, silly happenings, magic, action… this instalment of the series is a lot slower and a lot more profound! It touches on some serious themes of growing up and being held accountable for your actions, be they good or bad. Mort starts out an awkward child who no one wants as an apprentice, his head in the clouds. He had the 'sort of body that seemed to be only marginally under its owner's control; it appeared to be built out of knees.' But, as the story progressed, he begins to take control of his Fate. The novel also brings up some rather serious thoughts on the reality of Death. The fact the people don't want to see things that can't possibly exist, or sometimes they don't see things that they don't want to acknowledge. And, the fact that Death is the most powerful force in the universe that can't be Just, or Fair. There is no right or wrong, there is only Time..."

https://thebookwormdrinketh.com/2018/10/30/terry-pratchett-read-a-thon-mort-the-story-of-deaths-slightly-awkward-apprentice/

Blogger Pages Below Vaulted Sky is back with another review – of Mort this time giving it "four and a half elephants riding turtles out of five":

"This book's been hyped to hell and back by everyone and I went into it clutching wide-eyed excitement in one hand and squinty skepticism in the other. And, well, turns out all you hypers were right, because this is my favourite of the Discworld books so far (which may not be saying a lot seeing as how we're only four books in, but still). Here are some reasons why I think the book worked for me: 1. It's[sic] explores a master/apprentice relationship in a macabre profession, which I have a particular weakness for. Professions like gravediggers, morticians, 'monstrumologists,' and well, grim reapers. There's something about the handling of death and the act of sharing that craft with a younger person that I find hopelessly romantic... 2. I love, love Mort as a character. First of all, he's an underdog–I can't not root for those. Second of all, he's this wonderful mix of teenage eagerness–of wanting to prove himself to others and to himself–and thoughtfulness. He's utterly endearing and hands-down my favourite of the Discworld protagonists so far. 3. Speaking of endearing, I love this version of Death. He reads like the mysterious, eccentric relative you've been sent to live with for the summer. And when you ask your parents what Uncle Tim does for a living, they just flap their hands vaguely and say, 'Oh, you know, he does the thing.'... 4. The humour really clicked with me this time around. It's weird, because it's the same humour–it's still Pratchett at the helm–but with Mort as a main character, it feels…more grounded. Less loud. Still witty but not too gratuitous..."

https://pagesbelowvaultedsky.wordpress.com/2018/10/30/discworld-readathon-review-mort/

Blogger notbravenewworld gives Guards! Guards! the ultimate accolade:

"Let me start by saying I like playing the desert island game. Who would I take to a desert island? What food would I take with me if I'm going to a desert island, etc. But a book? One single book? Forget it. There is no way in heaven, hell, or purgatory I'd settle for just one, unless I have a gun or Negan's Lucille to my head. So let's assume I have a gun or Lucille to my head and settle for one, then. Let's make things easier for a change. My answer would be 'Guards! Guards!'. [It's] the book I took with me to the hospital when I went to have my daughter. Does this make it my all-time favorite book? Nope. I wouldn't even say it's my favorite Terry Pratchett book because I love them all. But now that the dreaded question got me thinking, I realized I took 'Guards! Guards!' to the hospital (not that I got a chance to read it, of course) for purely sentimental, selfish reasons. Which is dumb but there it is. This book has it all: it has an adventure, it has The Pratchett Humor, it has a (very) flawed hero and an unlikely, decidedly non-model-like, heroine, and yes, they end up together, and there's a moral in the story, and the moral is anything is possible and don't mess with dragons, and if Pratchett hadn't written 'Guards! Guards!' there wouldn't have been a guards series, and, well, my life would have been that much emptier because if I were a fictional character I would be Samuel Vimes..."

https://notbravenewworld.wordpress.com/2018/10/10/that-one-book/

Blogger acallidryas returns with a mixed opinion of Eric:

"Pratchett is no slacker. He's a professional, so he went ahead and wrote a ministory to explain how and why Rincewind had returned. And, well, that really seems to be the purpose of this book... Eric was not the greatest of the Discworld novels, but it was fine. It had some bits that were quite clever, such as the Discworld variant of the Trojan Wars, and an always appreciated cameo by Death. (As well as The Librarian, who is the true history of Discworld.) But it also seemed to be a bit dashed off. There is more than one quip that is fine at first, but wears thin quickly and one has to assume would have been changed out in subsequent drafts if time permits. The horrible deity Quetzlovercoatl, for instance, is a play on words that would be fine once, but more than that and it seems to be a place holder but nothing better came up. All in all, though, I thought it was a perfectly cromulent Discworld book, and at its short length, one may as well read it just to complete the series..."

https://acallidryas.wordpress.com/2018/10/09/eric/

Blogger Wide Eyes reviews A Hat Full of Sky:

"There were just so many things about this book that I loved. Terry Pratchett's writing is sharp and hilarious; the characters are entertaining and lovable, while also inspiring; and the story is captivating and edged with fear at just the right moments. I was spellbound throughout the whole book. Pratchett balances humor, profoundness, and tension to create a very memorable story... Tiffany isn't afraid to speak her mind; she's earnest, while also compassionate, sensitive, and stubborn when confronted. She has her own ideas about the world and she will stand up for them, but that doesn't mean she isn't open-minded to others' opinions. In times of trouble she doesn't wait for someone to come help her; she helps herself, even when she doesn't know how to start. I loved reading about her vivid adventures and I marveled at the depth of her thoughts and emotions. Part of the wonder of this book is how integral Tiffany is to the development of the story. With any other character, Discworld just wouldn't be right..."

https://phantasmagoricalbooks.wordpress.com/2018/10/09/terry-pratchett-a-hat-full-of-sky/

Dutch blogger Jeroen aka A Sky of Books and Movies also reviews A Hat Full of Sky:

"Before this one I read Monstrous Regiment, in which Pratchett engaged with feminism, gender politics and war, and Night Watch before that, in which he tackled revolutions, civil war, imprisonment and other dark topics. Pratchett got sharper; his humor turned mocking and scornful, and I felt I was losing something that made the series so enjoyable for me. I'm glad to find it again in this subseries. So, now we have this Tiffany Aching subseries running, and it has a couple of elements that really define it, that make it its own. One is of course the character of Tiffany: a young, precocious, plain looking girl with a lot of self-possession, who learns how to be a witch – and in the terms of Terry Pratchett that totally unlike anything you would see in a Harry Potter novel. Being a witch in Discworld is about being clever, smart and no-nonsense, and understanding people and yourself. I like this concept so much, and Pratchett does such an outstanding job at telling us what that means. Many of Tiffany's challenges in her adventures are not about being a strong, powerful person and slaying evil, not about waving a wand and beating something with bright rays of magic, but about doing what you have to do, even if you don't like it, and about finding strength from the land you grew up in and having patience with people and learning about yourself..."

https://jeroenthoughts.wordpress.com/2018/10/01/terry-pratchett-a-hat-full-of-sky-2004-review/

...and finally, authors and co-bloggers Allan and Helen Krummenacker praise Raising Steam:

"I've seen other reviews where people lamented that his declining health was clearly showing in this book saying things like 'it wasn't as funny…' or '…it felt like this was his farewell to the fans…' etc... But for me, this book felt more like a wonderfully wild ride that took us to various parts of the Discworld, just as the invention of the first train in Ankh-Morpork intended. Pratchett uses the invention of the first steam engine to take us all over and reintroduce us to a number of old and familiar faces and places. We go back to Uberwald to visit Lady Margolotta, The Low King of the Dwarves, Bonk, the goblins, Harry King 'King of the Golden River' (a river you would not want to swim in by the way folks), Commander Vimes and the Watch, Death, Lord Vetinari, and of course the incorrigible scoundrel of the piece Moist Von Lipwig. We get to see some of these wonderful characters interacting with each other in various ways, some for the first time like Lipwig (the 'reformed' con-man) working with Stoneface Vimes. Mr. Pratchett has been modernizing his world little by little throughout the series introducing the 'Clacks' for communicating quickly over great distances, the first newspapers (spreading information to not just the gentry, but the common man), a new monetary system that is not based on the gold, so the addition of the steam engine seemed quite appropriate. With each book he brings his scattered characters closer to one another, while still providing a fun-filled thrilling ride along the way..."

https://akrummenacker.wordpress.com/2018/09/29/book-review-terry-pratchetts-raising-steam/

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07) ROUNDWORLD TALES: FOODS OF THE FEEGLES

We know that the Nac Mac Feegle of The Chalk, under the tutelage of Rob Anybody and Kelda Jeannie, have been experimenting with snails and garlic in their cookery. But did you know how many of the basics of Feegle cuisine are eerily similar to those of Roundworld's traditional Scots food?

Every visitor to Ankh-Morpork is familiar with that staple of the less moneyed demographic, the infamous clootie dumpling – a very substantial mixture of flour, suet, drippings and whatever else the cook can get away with, probably boiled up in the cook's old apron. But did you know that Scottish foods include clootie dumplings as a dessert? Roundworld clootie dumplings start with flour and suet of course, but then add breadcrumbs, sultanas, currants, sugar, spices, milk and even golden syrup. The dough is boiled in a cloth – "clootie" comes from "clout", an old word for a cloth – and then left to dry out before being served, often with custard or cream.

A great and time-honoured way to use up leftovers on the Scottish Borders is called rumbledethumps. This dish, consisting of potatoes, cabbage, onions and whatever else "wants eating up", is similar to colcannon in Ireland and bubble and squeak in England. Another creative Scots way with leftovers is to turn yesterday's porridge into skirlie, by adding onions and fat and frying it up (All together now: "You're Scottish, fry something!"). And then there are soups. Everyone knows the famous Cock-a-Leekie soup (presumably made by Feegles with stolen chickens), but let's not forget Cullen Skink: a thick winter fish soup, traditionally made with "finnan haddie" (smoked haddock from north-east Scotland), potatoes and, yes, onions. Another famous soup from the sea is Partan Bree, a kind of crab chowder with rice (partan being Scots Gaelic for crab).

Sowans is a drink that makes the best of the last bits of the oat harvest: take the starch left over on the inner husks of milled oats, soak for several days to let it ferment, strained the liquid and let it stand for a day, after which time the liquid, known as swats, is ready to drink. And speaking of drink (apart from Special Sheep Liniment), finally we come to brose. Ordinary brose is simply made from coarse porridge oats and water, boiled for a short time and left to thicken, although barley meal or peasemeal can be used if you've already eaten all your porridge... and of course, there's the Roundworld version of Big Aggie's brose, which is brose mixed with... yes, Special Sheep Liniment (better known to us Roundworlders as whiskey) and honey. Guaranteed, many say, to heal the sick and raise the almost-dead; you might want to try a drop or a dram of it this holiday season!

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08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

A collage of Studio Theatre Club's production of Hogfather this month: http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/gallery-2#&gid=1&pid=1

Stephen Briggs, "feeling like Death": https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DsM31QeXQAUtPrA.jpg

Blogger Kat aka An Antisocial Artist offers a sweet illustration of a Pratchett quote: https://bit.ly/2PW9LSD

...and Your Editor's favourite still from the Good Omens trailer: https://bit.ly/2FFWZTI

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09) CLOSE

And that's it for November. Take care, and we hope to see you before the end of the year!

– Annie Mac

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

Copyright (c) 2018 by Klatchian Foreign Legion

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
Sektober 2018 (Volume 21, Issue 10, Post 1)

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

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INDEX:

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

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"Terry Pratchett and I wrote the novel almost 30 years ago. We failed to get a movie made almost immediately. And then a few years ago, Terry and I thought it might be a good idea to try it as television. We went to looking for writers, and they all said no, it's too big and too weird. And then Terry sent me a letter saying, 'you have to [write] this because I don't have very long to live, and I want to see it before the lights go out.' And then he died much, much faster than any of us expected. And that was his last request, and so I've seen it through."

– Neil Gaiman sets the record straight about Good Omens season 2 (not) at New York Comic Con 2018

"Good Omens is a very – I'm going to use a very particular word here – is a very English production. It's very English. There's no British, no UK. It's very English. I'm Scottish, when I read the book it felt so much like a ... I wouldn't say cliche or stereotype, but it's so much about how English people talk to each other. That's why with Aziraphale and Crowley, they're both English."

– Good Omens director Douglas MacKinnon

"The Watch is a distinctly British but defiantly global exhilarating, thriller that is disruptive in its approach to the fantasy genre and also big on the themes of mortality, inclusion, alternative facts and justice. It's a dizzying riot of hope, joy, suspense and audaciously dark humor. We can't wait to work with BBC AMERICA to bring it all to life for existing fans and brand new audiences."

– Hilary Salmon, Executive Producer and Head of BBC Studios Drama Production London

"The meat of Discworld is societal commentary. Pratchett used his comic fantasy series to shine a light on human nature, politics, opera, racism, war, religion, fairy tales, traditions, gender identity, industrialization and lofty concepts like justice and destiny. It's all subtly done, of course. You're too busy laughing at the hysterical dialogue, slapstick physical comedy and clever puns to realize the author is really talking about serious concepts. It's only upon reflection that you see it wasn't just a rip-snorting, action-packed adventure: it was a moving, honest piece of philosophy, too. The stories may star magical creatures, but you'll be a better human by reading them."

– Canadian web journalist Angie Barry sums it up nicely

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02) A LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

Department of We Ate'nt Dead: we're doing somewhat better now at Wossname Central. Your Editor is still sufficiently unwell that more time has to be spent resting than sitting at the household Hex, hence the late arrival of this month's issue, but at least there's a bit more in it...

Our heartfelt thanks go to the various people who wrote to offer us their best wishes for recovery, especially to Jason and Rachel of Discworld Monthly for their kind shout-out in their October issue and also to faithful reader Robert Byrd. Here's hoping that 2019 will bring better health and good fortune for all of us, not just Better Half and self!

Department of Discworld Helps With Grief: our Staff Technomancer recently suffered an awful family bereavement. I'm not going to be inappropriate by publishing details here, but I did want to mention that even in the depths of mourning he and I found room for some Discworld references about GNU and Feegle beliefs about life and death that brought humour to lighten the tears. Thank you once again, Sir Pterry, for the inspirations you left us.

Department of Grovelling Apologies: more than four months ago, when things at Wossname Central were already going pear-shaped, reader Andy Feeney in Washington DC sent a letter in which he presented his analysis of Sourcery – at the time, as a rebuttal to one of the blog reviews in our June 2018 issue. Somehow in the kerfuffle I managed to file his email and never replied. So I'm going to publish his analysis below in Odds and Sods, and hope he doesn't set The New Firm on me for being presumptuous...

There's good news for bricks and mortar bookshops: the American Booksellers Association says the number of independent bookstores has risen from 1,651 in 2009 to 2,470 in 2018. "History continues to bear out Howe's and Strauss' predictions based on a four-generation cycle in American history. So Howe's recent Forbes.com article, 'Millennials: A Generation of Page-Turners' – about the strong upswing in print reading among young people born between 1981 and 1996 – piqued my interest. Besides preferring print to digital reading, 'Millennials read more than older generations do – and more than the last generations did at the same age.' Howe cites Pew Research Center's survey findings that 80 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds read at least one book in the last year, compared to 73 percent of 30- to 49-year-olds, 70 percent of 50- to 64-year-olds and 67 percent of seniors. Moreover, 'print books remain by far the most popular book format among all age groups,' with 72 percent of Americans reading print books, but only 35 percent reading e-books. That's why 'after years of steady growth, e-book sales slowed sharply in 2014 and have since plateaued.' A contributing factor is that it's simply harder to read digital books; study upon study show that digital reading is physically slower and comprehending what's being read is significantly diminished..." (_https://bit.ly/2p4ENIn_)

And now, on with the (still slightly short) show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) ODDS AND SODS

3.1 HERE COMES THE WATCH... AT LAST!

BBC America has finally given the greenlight to the series we've waited so long for! Here be an extract from Narrativia's announcement:

"The Watch is a punk rock thriller inspired by the legendary 'City Watch' subset of 'Discworld' novels. This disruptive, character-driven thriller centers on Terry Pratchett's misfit cops as they fight to save a ramshackle city of normalized wrongness, from both the past and future in a perilous quest. Modern and inclusive, The Watch features many famous 'Discworld' creations including City Watch Captain Sam Vimes, the last scion of nobility Lady Sybil Ramkin, the naive but heroic Carrot, the mysterious Angua and the ingenious non-binary forensics expert Cheery together with Terry Pratchett's iconic characterization of Death... 'The Watch has been startlingly reimagined for television by writer Simon Allen, while still cleaving to the humor, heart and ingenuity of Terry Pratchett's incomparably original work,' commented BBC America President, Sarah Barnett. “BBC America embraces what's fresh and exhilarating in TV; we believe The Watch will astonish audiences.'

"Writer Simon Allen said: 'With events in our own world making the insanity of "Discworld" seem outrageously familiar, there couldn't be a better time to bring Terry's fun, fire and fury back to the small screen or a better place than BBC AMERICA. I'm grateful to them, BBC Studios and especially Rob Wilkins at Narrativia who has been a constant source of inspiration on this epic and emotional journey.” Hilary Salmon, Executive Producer and Head of BBC Studios Drama Production London, said: 'The Watch is a distinctly British but defiantly global exhilarating, thriller that is disruptive in its approach to the fantasy genre and also big on the themes of mortality, inclusion, alternative facts and justice. It's a dizzying riot of hope, joy, suspense and audaciously dark humor. We can't wait to work with BBC AMERICA to bring it all to life for existing fans and brand new audiences.' Rob Wilkins, Executive Producer and Managing Director of Narrativia, said: 'Many years ago Terry made the brave decision to allow brand new Watch stories to be told with his existing characters. It's taken a long time for anything to happen because we guard these characters with our very lives! So many of Terry's biggest ideas seem more vital and urgent now than ever before and I am thrilled to be working with Simon and such a talented team, who understand the unique genius of their creator. They have really keyed into the subversive qualities of Terry's voice and they clearly adore 'Discworld' as much as I and millions of fans around the world do.'..."

To read the entire announcement, go to http://narrativia.com/watch.html

3.2 GOOD OMENS NEWS

First off, THE NEW TRAILER! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZSXlNRRoGU

Then, some cast and crew comments. In the Irish Examiner:

"Gaiman, appearing alongside the cast of Good Omens during the Prime Video Presents event in London, said: 'It came out and rapidly became a cult book, the kind of book people would show up (with) at signings and it had been read to death, dropped in the soup, held together with Sellotape. Then we spent many years failing to get it made as a movie. Terry Gilliam was determined but failed and finally Terry (Pratchett) and I thought, "Let's make a TV series", went out and began looking for somebody to do the adaptation. We knew it wouldn't be us because we were far too busy. Then in the summer of 2014 Terry (Pratchett), who had serious Alzheimer's, he was very compos mentis but it was tragic and awful, he wrote me a letter saying: 'You have to do this because I want to watch it before the lights go out. You have the passion of the old girl that I have.' Then he died, which made it a last request...' Speaking about starring opposite former Doctor Who star Tennant, [Michael] Sheen said: 'My biggest problem when we were filming and I would genuinely be going between: "Oh you're really good" to "I think I love you." I was never quite sure where the character ended.' Tennant added: 'Most of our stuff is with each other. We spend a lot of time on park benches, so when you start on what was a long shoot, we had never worked together, what if we rub up against each other? But we found a rhythm quickly and if you've got someone you feel safe to play with and these characters that feel new and also recognisable, that comes from the writing. And you know what this unique world is straight away, it was a joy.'..."

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/entertainment/neil-gaiman-pratchett-wanted-to-watch-good-omens-before-the-lights-go-out-872993.html

...and on tv.com (originally in TV Guide):

"The creator and stars of Amazon Prime's upcoming series Good Omens dropped by New York Comic Con on Saturday to reveal new details about the upcoming series based on the Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett novel of the same name... Saturday's panel, moderated by Whoopi Goldberg and featuring Neil Gaiman, Michael Sheen, David Tennant, Jon Hamm, Miranda Richardson, featured two clips, cheeky banter between the cast, and the first incredible trailer of the Amazon series. In the first clip, Aziraphale and Crowley are returning home after a failed trip to track down the missing Antichrist and Crowley has some ~thoughts~ on Aziraphale's music choices. Crowley quips, 'You know if you lined up a million people and asked them to describe the Velvet Underground, none of them would say bebop.'... In the second clip, the angel Gabriel (Hamm) deigns to come down to earth and visit Aziraphale at the book shop. In an attempt to blend, Gabriel rolls in and announces he'd like to buy one of the shop's material objects. His delightful angel henchman reminds him it's called a book, and that it's probably pornography... The amazing first look at Good Omens is a huge reassurance to fans. Many attempts have been made to bring the story to screen before, including a 2002 movie helmed by Terry Gilliam that didn't happen, but Amazon Prime is finally bringing the beloved property to your eyeballs and it looks like they're doing it right..."

http://www.tv.com/news/amazon-good-omens-trailer-released-15388389870024304/

...and an interview on Den of Geek with Good Omens director Douglas MacKinnon (although many of the quotes are from the main cast *about* MacKinnon):

"Director Douglas Mackinnon is behind the camera for all six episodes of what looks to be a trippy, distinctive, and wonderfully weird adaptation of a beloved book. Mackinnon knows his way around both an adaptation and a fantasy world. Standouts on the Scottish director's long resume include Doctor Who's 'The Husbands of River Song' (he's directed eight episode of NuWho), Sherlock's 'The Abominable Bride,' and the first three episodes of Steven Moffat's highly underrated Jekyll. Den of Geek had the chance to talk to Mackinnon and the cast of Good Omens at the recent New York Comic Con..."

https://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/good-omens/277047/the-distinctive-direction-of-the-good-omens-tv-show

3.3 REMINDER: DISCWORLD AND BEYOND EXHIBIT

Paul Kidby's Discworld and Beyond exhibit is now on at the Chapel Gallery in Ormskirk and will move in mid-December to the North Hertfordshire Museum. See the details below!

Currently...

When: now through 1st December 2018
Venue: Chapel Gallery, St Helens Road, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L39 4QR (phone 01695 571 328, email chapel.gallery@westlancs.gov.uk)
Time: 10am–4.30pm Tuesdays–Saturdays (closed Monday, Sunday & all Bank Holidays)
Tickets: free admission; there is also disabled access.

https://www.paulkidby.com/event/discworld-beyond-5/

...and then...

When: 15th December 2018–February 2019 (finishing date TBC)
Venue: North Hertfordshire Museum, Via Town Hall, Brand Street, Hitchin SG5 1JE (phone 01462 474554)
Times and Tickets info still TBA

http://www.northhertsmuseum.org/contact-us/

"For further details contact Emma Mackinnon, Exhibitions & Collections Officer at St Barbe Museum, Lymington.
Emma.Mackinnon@stbarbe-museum.org.uk"

https://www.paulkidby.com/events/#upcoming-events

3.4 A PTERRY GOOD BET FOR BOOKSHOP

Red Lion Books in Colchester is turning 40, and some of their initial success depended on a certain helpful author:

"'Terry Pratchett became a good friend of the shop after we asked him along quite early in his career and I remember George Martin telling us that his books were just about to be filmed, so we got him just at the right time.' ... Terry Pratchett's regular visits to the shop over 20 years attracted ever increasing numbers of fans until the queue would stretch out of our door and up the High Street to the Town Hall..."

https://www.gazette-news.co.uk/news/16989295.red-lion-book-shop-will-mark-its-40th-birthday/

3.5 A CARPET PEOPLE CHARACTER WINDOW DISPLAY IN THE LAND OF FEEGLES!

From Fiona Pringle in The Scotsman:

"A life-sized imagining of a Munrung, one of the characters from a tribe created by Terry Pratchett for his children's story The Carpet People, has taken over the Herman Brown window on West Port. Costume designer Harriet Ogden and part-time sales assistant, was searching for inspiration for her costume performance degree when her dad Steve suggested she look into the mind of Pratchett. 'I was chatting to my dad and explained that I wanted to make crazy, weird little creatures and make something really creative. I was interested in transforming the human body so the focus wasn't on a facial expression but on expressing movement through textiles. He suggested Terry Pratchett and when I found The Carpet People it reminded me of The Borrowers, who I loved when I was younger. The Carpet People characters are very like The Borrowers, only tinier and I realised there were loads of fun ways that I could bring them to life.'..."

https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/entertainment/costume-designer-gets-prime-spot-in-west-port-window-with-terry-pratchett-character-1-4824073

3.6 "SOURCERY": SOME THOUGHTS

By Andy Feeney

There's a great passage in "Jingo" where Sam Vines and 71-Hour Ahmed are discussing their differing approaches to police work, and Vimes says, "Different strokes for different folks." Ahmed replies, "I generally find that for me, one at breast height is sufficient," meaning the sword stroke he generally uses to cut off miscreants' heads. The phrase comes to mind as I look through the June 2018 Wossname, and I read the review of "Sourcery" by blogger acallidryas, who writes in part: "When you're as prolific as Pratchett, you're bound to have a miss or two, and unfortunately, that was Sourcery. The book isn't as fleshed out as the others, and not just in terms of the missing call-backs to how Discworld works. I didn't quite understand why the wizards were all fighting each other, and I'm still not clear on how sorcery becomes such a problem. Or why Coin's father became so malevolent. Or how the whole thing resolved in the end? The book flowed on quickly, and never seemed to explain itself, and I'm left rather unsatisfied with the plot itself."

Different strokes and all that, but I beg acallidryas to look at "Sourcery" again and rethink what Pratchett was up to in many of the Discworld books. This is fantasy; Pratchett grew up loving fantasy and was an enthusiastic fan of the Lord of the Rings cycle; but one thing he brings to fantasy is a sometimes nearly brutal sense of realism. Death, of course, is a presence in nearly Discworld novel, and the central focus of many of them, and one way in which Discworld "works" is by making repeated, nearly constant references to everyday life on Earth – with the ever-present reality of Death being a big part of Pratchett's realistic humor. For me, maybe because I'm almost in my 70s, the best and most outrageously funny line in "Sourcery" is where Ipslore the Red, who's gone mad from a lifetime of resenting his expulsion from Unseen University and from the recent experience of having his wife killed in a freak thunderstorm, holds up his son Coin for Death's inspection and says "Children are our hope for the future." Death replies, "THERE IS NO HOPE FOR THE FUTURE." And when Ipslore pleads, "What is there, then?" Death says simply, "THERE'S ONLY ME."

For more than a century, modern writers have made a huge issue out of speaking "forbidden" truths about sex, but here Pratchett is hitting the reader with the most forbidden and scandalous truth of all – something NOBODY wants to think about. And for me, anyway, the sheer effrontery of this makes me laugh out loud ever time I reread the passage, which is often. As for the plot, which admittedly is extremely complex, everyone who's grown up with some familiarity with Christian (or for that matter, Norse) prophecies about the end of the world ought to have some appreciation for how Pratchett ends "Sourcery." What the book does is combine the idea of the Apocrypha – the books that some Christians admire and still read, but that have a disputed place at best in the official canon on which most Christian bibles are based, with the idea of the Apocalypse of the St. John, the fearsome prophecy of how all human history will come to end in a bloody disaster that only the saints will survive.

In Pratchett's fantasy, we get instead of these the "Apocralypse," an End Times that we're not sure will actually happen. And in fact, it doesn't: thanks to the fumbling struggles of a failed wizard, Rincewind, and the way that a failed hairdresser, Conina, and a ridiculous excuse for a barbarian hero, Nigel, interfere with the famous Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, the whole triumph of the Ice Giants doesn't come off, and Discworld is saved. Whatever Pratchett might or might not have been saying about the deep structure of Discworld, then, in this book he's dealing with the most terrifying Christian prophecy (and also the most terrifying Norse prophecy), about the future of our own universe. And he's suggesting how with some luck, it will all come out well in the end – well, at least it'll be OK for now.

This is fabulous stuff, for those of us who read the Discworld novels not for immersion in an alternative universe, but for whatever insights and reassurances Pratchett can provide us about the often terrifying non-fantasy world that we actually inhabit. I think I remember Pratchett writing somewhere that the best thing about fantasy is that it's realistic, but my memory admittedly is imperfect these days. But if he didn't write this about his own work, he should have.

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04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

Editor's note: as Wossname normally only comes out once every month, do check the Wossname blog for information on plays that might fall between issue dates! Go to https://wossname.dreamwidth.org/ for interim updates.

4.1 PLAYS TO COME

* HOGFATHER IN ABINGDON (NOVEMBER)

The Studio Theatre Club's next Discworld production will be Hogfather! – or as they say it, "another of our world Premiere Terry Pratchett shows, dramatised by Terry's friend, Stephen Briggs".

When: 14th–17th November 2018
Venue: the Unicorn Theatre, Medieval Abbey Buildings, Checker Walk, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3JB
Time: 7.30pm all evening shows; 2.30pm matinee on Saturday 17th November
Tickets: £12, available by post (see _http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/ordering-tickets_) or online via http://www.wegottickets.com/StudioTheatre (note that there is a 10% booking charge). "If you're booking for one of the weekend performances (Friday or Saturday evening, Saturday matinee), please give a second and third choice, as these performances are expected to sell out really quickly."

http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/whats-next

* GOING POSTAL IN BRISTOL (DECEMBER)

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

When: 5th–8th and 12th–15th December 2018
Venue: Kelvin Studio, 253B Gloucester Road, Bishopston, Bristol BS7 8NY
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £10 and £12, available online from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/bristol/kelvin-players-theatre/going-postal-by-terry-pratchett-and-stephen-briggs

https://www.kelvinplayers.co.uk/current-production

* MASKERADE IN WEST SUSSEX (MARCH 2019)

Ifield Barn will be back with another Discworld play next March! Sounds like a wonderfully Discly setting: "The theatre was created from a group of agricultural buildings and consist of a 700 year old tithe barn which now forms the auditorium and dressing rooms, a former Granary which serves as a kitchen and stables which have been converted to an exhibition room and workshops. All three buildings have been linked by a modern addition tastefully integrated to form the foyer and theatre bar. Due to some inspired fund-raising by members many improvements have been made to the theatre."

When: 6th–9th March 2019
Venue: Ifield Barn Arts Centre, Ifield Street, Ifield, West Sussex. RH11 0NN
Time: 8pm all evening shows; matinee 9th March 3pm
Tickets: £10 (£8 for members and children), available online at http://www.ticketsource.co.uk/ifieldbarntheatre or by post or in person at the venue

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

4.2 REVIEWS

ERIC IN ADELAIDE

Reviewed by Ewart Shaw in The Advertiser:

"Please note: non Pratchett lovers, and there may be a few, won't understand half of this review. Now read on. The story of Eric, pimply teen demonologist (Sam Tutty, left), and Rincewind the wizard (Chris Irving) is not one of the greatest Pratchett adventures, but Pamela Munt's adaptation to the Unseen Theatre Company's house style, has laughs and thoughts enough to satisfy fans. Director Munt turns up as Footnote to fill in the narrative gaps, and the cast, almost all of them Unseen veterans, work hard to put the story across. Hugh O'Connor stands out as the Lavaeolus, the Discworld Ulysses, and Amy Ford is an energetic Urgglefloggah. Danny Sag impresses in multiple roles and Alicia Rabig is a great parrot and creator of planets. Other demons and denizens are incarnated by Paul Messenger, and Harold Roberts. Special mention must be made of David Dyte as the carnivorous luggage. There are some great costumes and technical effects from Michelle Whichello and Stephen Dean, a bit too much furniture for smooth scene changes, some neat film bits, and enough Pratchett magic and wisdom to carry the play along..."

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/arts/good-chemistry-on-stage/news-story/6388a3b2f70723eb35d6afaac0631b89

By Nicola Woolford for Glam Adelaide:

"The Bakehouse Theatre foyer is flooded with red lights and decorated with demonic motivational posters, such as 'The beatings will not continue until morale improves'. This perfectly sets the mood for the devilish adventures to come. Our hero of the evening is the titular Eric, portrayed by a winningly naive Sam Tutty. Eric is a 13-year-old aspiring demonologist, who makes a critical error when trying to summon an all-powerful, wish-granting demon from the depths of Hell. Instead Eric calls Rincewind, portrayed by the charismatic Chris Irving... The chemistry between Irving and Tutty is perfect, at times fostering a touching mentor and protege relationship, at others a negligent nanny and spoilt child. Their comedic timing and range is on point. As our two main characters carry the story forward, Eric boasts a talented cast of supporting players who undertake multiple roles. These include Alycia Rabig, Paul Messenger, Aimee Ford, Danny Sag, Harold Roberts, Hugh O'Connor, and David Dyte. Whether portraying a foul-mouthed Parrot familiar, the Demon King, the pacifist Captain Lavaeolus, or Death, these actors are commendable and often hilarious..."

http://www.glamadelaide.com.au/theatre-review-eric/

...and by Christine Pyman for Broadway World:

"Pamela Munt has worked hard with Sir Terry's vision, by adapting, producing, and directing his written novel into to a two-hour play for her Unseen Theatre Company. In this story, we are introduced to Eric, a very typical almost fourteen-year-old boy, one of the Billy Bunter types, who just happens to be an exceptional demonologist. His talents gain him the attention of the demon king of Hades, Astfgl, played in a funnily and frighteningly bureaucratic fashion by Paul Messenger. Astfgl has a cohort of demons at his apparent beck and call, very ably realised by Danny Sag, Aimee Ford, and Harold Roberts. The machinations of the demon host are witty and well played, in every sense... Sam Tutty plays Eric, our would-be schoolboy Ruler of the World, in an appropriately petulant manner, demanding his wishes from the unprepossessing Rincewind, Chris Irving. These two actors are on stage for almost every scene, forming a continuation of narrative, through an ongoing series of vignettes. The sheer number of set changes led to a lowness of production initially, with improved pace for the second act. The use of pre-recorded video projections shows the attention to detail, and the passion for these productions, that Unseen brings to their shows... Any theatre company that can recreate one of Pratchett's most loved characters, the Luggage, in all of its magical wooden aggression (cabinet constructed by David Dyte), has my vote of confidence..."

https://www.broadwayworld.com/adelaide/article/BWW-Review-ERIC-at-Bakehouse-Theatre-20181011

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05) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

The Sir Terry Pratchett Book Club at Waterstones Leeds meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 6pm in the Cafe W coffee shop (in Waterstones), to discuss a Pratchett book. "Join us for the most fabulous Book Club in Leeds. Each month we come together to discuss the splendid novels of Sir Terry Pratchett. We are a very friendly group and new people are always welcome!"

The next meeting of the Sir Terry Pratchett Book Club will be on Tuesday 6th November at 6pm at Waterstones, 93-97 Albion Street, Leeds LS1 5JS. (phone 0113 244 4588). The November book under discussion will be Diggers, "a wonderful novel, suitable for all ages, featuring the Nomes."

*

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), will be meeting tonight, Monday 5th November (remember, remember!) from 7pm 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' October meet report, by Helen:

"We met Monday night, which seems so long ago. Alex G. told us about his teacher training and told me off for putting too much salt on my pizza. I was indignant given that he recently had the Monkey Puzzle's chocolate pizza and once ate a pizza that was covered in chips.James came along and I had a nice a chat with him about video games. He recommends the Monster Hunter series. Then we came to the quiz. Alex G. was quizmaster and showed his enthusiasm for his new vocation by doing a quiz on Discworld schools. I suggest he practice classroom discipline by treating those who were disruptive (Edmund!) like naughty schoolchildren. He was not keen. Andrew and I technically tied but I was somehow declared winner for knowing so many alumnae of the Quirm College for Young Ladies. Towards the end, only a few of us remained when Tom appeared. He had gone to great lengths to travel to us after working late. Pete immediately bought him a drink plus a Babycham for himself, much everyone's fascination. By the end we had a situation where the gentlemen were discussing Biblical movies, while Marina and I discussed stage nudity, a conversation that rapidly degenerated. Marina does not recommend Iggy Pop. The next meeting is Monday 5th November. Also, I'm looking for ideas for things we could do outside the regular meetings. I'm less keen to do weekend meets at the Puzzle over the winter as we can't sit in the garden."

Twitter thread: https://twitter.com/BrokenDrummers/status/1048497559298351104

For more information, email BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/55107511411/permalink/10156634038566412/

*

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."

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. 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 both be on Saturday 24th November: the Hogswatch in Grune Dinner at the Astor Hotel in the Pulteney Room, 437 Pulteney Street, Adelaide, South Australia 5000 (go to https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=412755& to book) followed by the Martin Pearson House Concert – The Secret Origins of Humpty Dumpty and other songs at Kochanski Mews, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095 (go to https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=427177& to book).

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! 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 6th December (probably) from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight. For more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

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

*

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

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

*

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

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meet next on Monday 3rd December (possibly) 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>

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

06) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

Paul Kidby's concept art for The Watch telly series: http://narrativia.com/assets/img/watch-logo.jpg

The Librarian himself, carved into a seasonal pumpkin by the amazing Mediumawareness:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dqvvv_-WwAEO4uD.jpg

"Avaunt, demon!" Eric holds Rincewind at by – he thinks – in Unseen Theatre's production:
https://bit.ly/2Aih1ih

...and Astfgl, demon Duke of Hell, as iconographed by director Pamela Munt: https://bit.ly/2CqHBqV

The impressive cast of Men at Arms in Brisbane Arts Centre's recent production, as posted by Danny Sag:
https://bit.ly/2yL1Egp

A lovely still of Aziraphale and Crowley in St James' Park, from the filming of Good Omens:
https://bit.ly/2qrPgOs

...and the wonderful promo art for Good Omens at New York Comic Con, as posted by SyfyWire:
https://bit.ly/2yRff6R

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07) CLOSE

To finish, here be a little piece of Roundworld Tales that might strike TAMAHER fans as strangely familiar: "A US wildlife centre has saved five young gray squirrels after their tails became dangerously fused together. The siblings had become entangled with the grass and plastic strips their mother used to build the family nest. They were handed in at the Wisconsin Humane Society's Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, which worked to save their tails and possibly their lives. The five were cut free with scissors while under anaesthetic..."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45545179

And finally, while Pratchett references have become commonplace around the world now, occasionally one comes across one in a very unexpected place that makes it worth sharing – such as this one, from a sport-pages review of Liverpool footballer James Milner's performance in a match: "Such was his level of concentration and the aura of absolute certainty that if he had a hypothetical staring contest with Terry Pratchett's personification of hollow-eyed Death, the latter would blink first." Sweet!

And that's it for October, er, Sektober, and also it for Your Editor who's going for yet another lie-down. Take care, and we hope to see you in a few weeks!

– Annie Mac

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

Copyright (c) 2018 by Klatchian Foreign Legion

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

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

INDEX:

01) EDITOR'S LETTER
02) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
03) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
04) CLOSE

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01) A LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR: STRANGE DAYS

It's not often that Wossname's editorials have a title, and even less often that I share personal information here, but this time it's relevant. The reason this month's issue is coming out at the eleventh hour and in an extremely truncated form, is that things got a bit, er, medical in our household a few months ago and then got rather more medical several weeks ago. So while Wossname's email admin, who also happens to be my better half, was in hospital and my own health was exceptionally poor, not much got done on the newsgathering or article-processing fronts. He's now been discharged and we are coping with the aid of home nurse visits, but life is still rather at sixes and sevens and I decided that a short September issue would be better than none at all. So here it is.

Several planned articles or essays (Odds and Sods, Around the Blogosphere, Roundworld Tales) will come at a later date, but I'm including one item of note here: the excellent and wonderfully enthusiastic Loulou Baylis of Penguin Books wrote to Wossname with the following: "I’m contacting you on behalf of Penguin Random House and came across your fantastic publication. I noticed that you offer a roundup of the latest news, reviews and other Sir Terry Pratchett-related scribblings. We’ve just written a Terry Pratchett article: '6 Lessons your child will learn from Terry Pratchett books
(_https://www.penguin.co.uk/puffin/articles/2018/aug/6-lessons-from-terry-pratchett-books/_)' that includes the likes of the team at the Discworld Emporium and actor Sir David Jason explaining what reading Terry has taught them both professionally and personally over the years. It's been getting some lovely responses so far and I thought this might be something that you'd like to include in your next publication?"

Absolutely, Ms Baylis! And here's hoping that your enthusiasm will inspire more people in the publishing industry to take a personal interest in their authors. So do go have a shufti at the page, O Readers!

And now, on with a (very) short version of the (usual) show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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02) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

Editor's note: as Wossname normally only comes out once every month, do check the Wossname blog for information on plays that might fall between issue dates! Go to https://wossname.dreamwidth.org/ for interim updates.

* ERIC IN ADELAIDE (OCTOBER)

Unseen Theatre's ever-ongoing Discworld season (now in its 19th year, and rightly so!) returns in October with Eric! "An hilarious romp through space, time, history and the torture chambers of Hell. Eric has been described as 'the Discworld's only demonology hacker', but all he really wants is three wishes. That sounds simple enough, right? No, this is not your favourite fairytale from your childhood. Far from it. Well, maybe not that far……..just as far as the Discworld where demons, wizards, hell-hounds, hostile travel accessories, and more demons, thinly disguised as public servants with a penchant for excessive amounts of stationery and memos, are real..."

When: 5th–6th, 10th–13th and 18th–20th October 2018. Preview night is 5th October; opening night is 6th October.
Venue: the Bakehouse Theatre, 255 Angas Street, Adelaide, South Australia
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: $22 Adult, $18 Concession, $16 Groups of 6+ (also Previews and Fringe Members), available from https://www.trybooking.com/413146 ("Members of the Media – please book your tickets for Opening Night with the usual code")

http://unseen.com.au/

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

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

When: 6th October through 3rd November 2018
Venue: Brisbane Arts Centre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Petrie Terrace (yes, the suburb and the road share a name), Brisbane, Queensland 4000
Time: 7.30pm Thursdays, 8pm Fridays and Saturdays, 6.30pm Sundays. "Doors close 5 minutes prior to performance. Late entry is not permitted."
Tickets: AU$34 ($28 concession or groups of 10 or more), available now online at http://bit.ly/2zHKO5a – and there will be Student Rush tickets priced at $15, available from the box office 15 minutes prior to curtain on the dates.

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

* HOGFATHER IN ABINGDON (NOVEMBER)

The Studio Theatre Club's next Discworld production will be Hogfather! – or as they say it, "another of our world Premiere Terry Pratchett shows, dramatised by Terry's friend, Stephen Briggs". This is a change from the previously announced staging of The Science of Discworld: Judgement Day.

When: 14th–17th November 2018
Venue: the Unicorn Theatre, Medieval Abbey Buildings, Checker Walk, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 3JB
Time: 7.30pm all evening shows; 2.30pm matinee on Saturday 17th November
Tickets: £12, available online from 1st August by post (see _http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/ordering-tickets_) or online via http://www.wegottickets.com/StudioTheatre (note that there is a 10% booking charge). "If you're booking for one of the weekend performances (Friday or Saturday evening, Saturday matinee), please give a second and third choice, as these performances are expected to sell out really quickly. Orders by mail received before the box office opens will be left unopened until 1 August."

http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/whats-next

* GOING POSTAL IN BRISTOL (DECEMBER)

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

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

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

* AWARDS FOR WYRD SISTERS ACTORS

By Duncan Rieder for the Rhyl Journal:

"The Rhyl Liberty Players scooped four awards at the Clwyd Full Length Drama Festival with their 2017 production of Terry Pratchett’s Wyrd Sisters and their three-night run of John Osborne’s The Entertainer, which was staged in June... Liberty Players’ George Kelly won the award for best actor and fellow member Liz Hughes the award of best actress for The Entertainer. There was also as a best supporting actor triumph for Steve Barraclough, for his performance in Wyrd Sisters, directed by Martin Gorst..."

http://www.rhyljournal.co.uk/news/16885526.rhyl-liberty-players-clean-up-with-best-actor-actress-and-outstanding-show-awards/

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03) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

The Sir Terry Pratchett Book Club at Waterstones Leeds meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 6pm in the Cafe W coffee shop (in Waterstones), to discuss a Pratchett book. "Join us for the most fabulous Book Club in Leeds. Each month we come together to discuss the splendid novels of Sir Terry Pratchett. We are a very friendly group and new people are always welcome!"

The next meeting of the Sir Terry Pratchett Book Club will be on Tuesday 2nd October at 6pm at Waterstones, 93-97 Albion Street, Leeds LS1 5JS. (phone 0113 244 4588). The October book under discussion will be Truckers, "a wonderful novel, suitable for all ages, in which we meet the Nomes".

*

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), will be meeting on Monday 1st October from 7pm 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' September meet report: "We met Monday night. The quiz was done by new member Ed. I must commend him for his dedication to the task of quiz master. He asked me for advice beforehand and appeared to have spent some time crafting it. I had said that prizes were optional so Ed decided to buy the winner a drink. Then he decided that we would play in pairs, thus doubling his costs. Alex G. and I won on a tie-break. Which of us does the next one has not been decided. Ed seemed keen to assess the geekiness of the group. He concluded that we did look quite geeky but had expected more beards. I gather that he was given instructions by my husband that he had to watch Quatermass and the Pit (the original BBC version although the Hammer Horror one is pretty good) and a range of other geek things. Mahrie was trying to remember when she last came. I suggested it would probably be in the meeting report, usually with reference to gruesome medieval events. That got us talking about my impending visit to Pembroke, where Henry Tudor was born. Mahrie noted that while we were back to the Wars of the Roses, our conversation was not very bloodthirsty. I told her about something I had been reading about the murder of King Edward II, who allegedly had a red hot poker shoved up his bottom. That was more like it. I spent some time recruiting Sarah to Wincanton events and at one point recall re-enacting the Pontius Pilate "Biggus Dickus" scene from Life of Brian (using Alex as the the Roman soldier trying not to laugh). That led to a discussion of crucifixion, where Ed was shocked by my depth of knowledge on the technical points. Next meeting is Monday 1st October. I hope to see you there."

To read the entire report as a Twitter thread, go to: https://twitter.com/BrokenDrummers/status/1037650766318788608

For more information, email BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/55107511411/permalink/10156634038566412/

*

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."

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. 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 Board Games Day at La Scala Cafe on Sunday 7th October; a group outing to Unseen Theatre's new production of Eric on 10th October; a Book Discussion (Pyramids) on 13th October; and the monthly dinner on Thursday 25th October at the Seven Stars Hotel, 187 Angas Street, Adelaide (08) 8223 6879/(08) 8224 0003. A busy month for Pratchett fans in Adelaide!

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! 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 4th October (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 5th October (possibly) 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 1st October (possibly) at 6.30pm in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney 2000. For more information, contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meet next on Monday 1st October (possibly) 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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04) CLOSE

And that's it for September. Take care, and we'll see you in a few weeks... I hope!

– Annie Mac

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

Copyright (c) 2018 by Klatchian Foreign Legion

Wangaratta Players Inc are presenting their production of Mort this month, starting tomorrow!

When: 17th–26th August 2018
Venue: The Studio Door, 4D Evans Street, Wangaratta, VIC 3677
Time: all evening shows (17th, 18th, 24th, 25th) 7.30pm; matinees (19th, 26th) 2pm
Tickets: AU$30, available from https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=388592

https://www.facebook.com/Wangaratta-Players-Inc-181916281835284/

Beaconsfield Theatre Group and The Young Theatre will co-present Irana Brown's adaptation of Lords and Ladies in July:

"With a cast of larger-than-life wizards, witches, yokels, rude mechanicals, elves, trolls, a dwarf, orangutan (not a monkey!) and Oberonesque King of the Fairies; With a Royal Wedding, live band and quirky folk songs and an exciting talent-filled collaboration between Beaconsfield Theatre Group and The Young Theatre – this show promises to be a visual summer feast of funny and fun Discworldian entertainment not to be missed!"

When: 26th–29th July 2018
Venue: Davenies School, Station Road, Beaconsfield, Bucks HP9 1AA (open-air production!)
Time: 7.30pm (26th– 27th); two matinee performances at noon and 4pm on the 28th; one matinee, 2pm on the 29th
Tickets: Covered Seating: £15, (concession £13, child £9). Uncovered Seating ("Does not include a chair! Bring a picnic blanket or your own seat") £14 adult (concession £12, child £8), available from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/beaconsfield/davenies-school/lords-and-ladies or phone 07572 657535 for more information.

All profits from the production will go to The Alzheimer's Society and Young Minds.

https://btg-theatre.org/lords–ladies.html (Note: the website is currently down)

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
June 2018 (Volume 21, Issue 6, Post 1)

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

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

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

INDEX:

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

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"The late & much regretted Terry Pratchett had a knack for developing pretty cool ideas in a humorous & lighthearted way (unlike most philosophers, who develop tedious ideas tediously)."
– blogger There Could Be Badgers gets to the heart of it

"Do the Interesting Times! And the Last Hero! Because you GET IT. Other movie makers have tried, but you actually seem to get what is so interesting and fun about sir Pratchett's stories! Oh gods, do them all :D but mostly Cohen, because man, you nailed him here!"
– Pratchett fan Irys Korsak, commenting on the Troll Bridge trailer

...and a different sort of quote: Stephen Briggs' tweet in which he says how much he enjoyed making the audio versions of Discworld books, and various replies showing their appreciation for his work: https://twitter.com/StephenPBriggs/status/1006852038058283008

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

02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

The Chalke Valley History Festival is now in session – and the Shed of Doom is LIVE! And a new feature has been added: Paul Kidby will be "in conversation" with Rob Wilkins at the Shed of Doom at 11.30am on Sunday 1st July. The event is free with your Festival entry ticket, so do go along with your questions and compliments.

*

Waterstones Leeds will be having a "Sir Terry Pratchett Quiz" next month! They say: "A prize quiz for fans of the works of Sir Terry Pratchett. Includes a picture round. Team size 1–4 people. Prizes for winning team. Note – seating is limited and it is possible that this event may sell out early."

When: Saturday 21st July
Venue: Waterstones Leeds, 93-97 Albion Street, Leeds LS1 5AP
Time: 5pm to 6.30pm
Tickets: £3, bookable online at https://www.waterstones.com/events/sir-terry-pratchett-quiz/leeds#ticketscript

For further details, phone 01132444588

https://www.waterstones.com/events/sir-terry-pratchett-quiz/leeds

*

Colin Smythe, Terry Pratchett's original discoverer and lifetime literary agent, is looking for your help to solve a mystery:

"Many readers have wondered whether Terry’s American editors made changes to his text. Terry was always consulted, and would himself make changes while proof reading the US text to make sure there was no misunderstanding of his meaning, using words and phrases that would be familiar to readers on the other side of the Pond – two nations divided by the same language, sort of thing. But there were occasions when, during his proof-reading of the different editions he would revise the text...."

On Colin's website (featured before in Wossname, but located at http://colinsmythe.co.uk in case anyone forgot...), he lists as an example some differences between versions in certain parts of the text of Thief of Time, and says, "These are the only passages I’ve noticed as I don’t usually read American editions, but there must be more waiting to be found. If you do discover any, please let me know." So if you have ever come across differences between the UK and USA or Australian (or...?) versions of a Discworld novel, send them along! For the record, you Editor did find differences between the Irish/UK and Australian versions of ToT, and will be trawling through galley proofs looking for others.

To read the request with examples, go to: http://colinsmythe.co.uk/miscellaneous-notes/ (second item on the page).

*

It looks like the long-awaited Troll Bridge film is finally in its ready-to-go form. Not before time! See item 3.

*

Last but far from least, a relevant bit of news. The owner of a small independent bookshop in Yorkshire, having had a "worst day ever" for custom, tweeted an appeal to the general public – "if anyone was thinking about buying a book now would be a great time! Things have been tough recently - today the worst day ever. A card, a book, anything makes a huge difference to a small business like ours. We'd be very grateful for your support" – and was inundated with replies, encouragement, retweets... and most importantly, a bumper crop of orders (_https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-44640121_). And given that Georgia Duffy's bookshop is called ImaginedThings , your Editor imagines that there are probably some Pratchett titles available for purchase (and Gaiman, and Baxter, et cetera)... and most importantly of all, let's never forget that it was bricks and mortar bookshops, including small ones, that gave our favourite author the success he so richly deserved. So the next time you want to buy a book and are tempted to patronise an internet-only, neighbourhood-destroying retail giant, please think at least twice about taking the time to visit and support your local bookshop instead.

And now, on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) ODDS AND SODS

3.0 REMINDER: DISCWORLD AND BEYOND!

Paul Kidby's Discworld and Beyond exhibition is still on at the Bucks Museum in Aylesbury through the 30th of this month (this Saturday, in other words), after which it will move to the Maidstone Museum – opening on 7th July and running though to 2nd September, with tickets priced at £4 for adults, £2 for children and £10 per family ticket.

Currently...

When: now through 30th June 2018
Venue: Bucks County Museum, 9 Church Street, Aylesbury, Bucks HP20 2QP
Times: Tuesdays–Saturdays, 10am – 5pm.
Tickets: the charge for admission is £4 for adults (under-18s by donation)

http://www.buckscountymuseum.org/museum/events/536/paul-kidby-discworld-and-beyond-the-art-of-terry-pratchett/

Next month...

When: 7th July–2nd September 2018
Venue: the Maidstone Museum, St. Faith's Street, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1LH
Time: Tuesday–Saturday 10am–5pm, Sunday 12pm–4pm
Tickets: £4 for adults, £2 for children and £10 per family ticket, available online at https://museum.maidstone.gov.uk/whats-on/events/paul-kidby-discworld-beyond/

https://museum.maidstone.gov.uk/

3.1 TERRY PRATCHETT: HISWORLD WINS AWARD!

The wildly successful Terry Pratchett: HisWorld exhibit at the Salisbury Museum has won an award much coveted in the museum sector. From Spire FM:

"An exhibition at Salisbury Museum honouring the life and work of South Wiltshire author Sir Terry Pratchett has been given a national award. The HisWorld displays at the Cathedral Close museum ran from September 2017 to January 2018, attracting more than 21,000 people from all over the world. Now, it's been crowned the best Temporary or Touring Exhibition in the UK at the Museums + Heritage Awards. The Salisbury exhibition won against some stiff competition too – including from the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the National Museums in Liverpool. The judges have explained why they picked Salisbury's tribute to a local writing legend: 'The judges were impressed by the immediacy of this exhibition, which demonstrated great emotional connection as well as positive collaboration with the family and which resulted in a marked change in visitor demographics and brilliant trading results.'..."

https://www.spirefm.co.uk/news/local-news/2582381/award-win-for-salisburys-terry-pratchett-exhibition/

The official Museums and Heritage Twitter account tweeted:
Winner Temporary or Touring category is @Salisburymuseum for Terry Pratchett: His World “an exhibition which demonstrated great emotional connection and which resulted in a marked change in visitor demographics” #MandHAwards

Paul Kidby tweeted:
"Thrilled that #HisWorld @SalisburyMuseum won best Temporary or Touring Exhibition at Museums + Heritage Awards They described it “an exhibition which demonstrated great emotional connection which resulted in a marked change in visitor demographics”. Bravo and thanks to all."

Stephen Briggs tweeted:
I gather from a friend in the museum business that it was up against some tough competition (Science Museum, National Trust, V&A etc) so particularly well done to them!!!

Richard Henry, who curated the exhibit, tweeted:
Privileged to have been part of @terryandrob #HisWorld @SalisburyMuseum. Thank you to everyone who was involved

Sophia Sample (visitor services at the Salisbury Museum) tweeted:
What a night! Can't we won best temporary exhibition for at #MandHAward. A massive congratulations to @richardhenryflo and a nod above to @terryandrob. And a huge thank you to all that came to @SalisburyMuseum to share this experience. We enjoyed meeting every single one of you!

...and the last word goes to the official Pratchett Twitter account, @terryandrob:
Thank you @MandHShow awards Thank you @SalisburyMuseum Thank you @PaulKidby Thank you @rhipratchett Thank you @Kismet_Photos Thank you @Discworld_com Thank you @richardhenryflo Thank you to all the fabulous volunteers. And thank you to everyone who visited #HisWorld.

https://twitter.com/SalisburyMuseum

3.2 NEW UNSEEN ACADEMICALS AUDIOBOOK!

For audiobook fans, some exciting news – a new audiobook of Unseen Academicals, read by an all-star cast, will be released next week (2nd July):

"This Audible Original multicast dramatisation is directed by the multi award-winning Dirk Maggs, best known for his adaptations of Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere for the BBC. Starring: Tom Alexander, Samantha Béart, Pippa Bennett-Warner, Mark Benton, Stephen Briggs, Stephen Critchlow, Jon Culshaw, Phil Davis, Ray Fearon, Tony Gardner, Edward Harrison, David Holt, Mathew Horne, David Jason, Josie Lawrence, Toby Longworth, Harry Myers, Maggie Service, Andrew Spooner, Steven Webb, Keith Wickham and Jaime Winstone."

https://bit.ly/2ttjfqz

3.3 GAME FOR A MOD!

We know Sir Pterry was a fan of Hex games and even participated in the creation of Discworld ones, but did you know he participated in the creative process of some non-Discworld games as well? By Ian Boudreau on PC GamesN:

"The late Terry Pratchett is perhaps best known as the beloved and prolific author of the Discworld novels, but it turns out he spent some time in another fantasy universe, too. Pratchett was an enthusiastic Elder Scrolls fan, and even contributed writing to mods for Oblivion and Skyrim... 'What is so magnificent, and this warms my soul, is the concept of games modding,' he said. Pratchett was much less interested in following Oblivion’s story than in finding mods that made the world more immersive, and the amount of detail and time modders sunk into their work continuously impressed him. Pratchett enjoyed making cheese and boots and running a little vineyard, complete with seven employees who his character would pay at the end of each in-game week. I just enjoy the fact in this world that is rather controlled by commerce, there is this inner world of people giving up their time and effort to perfect some little detail about a computer game for the delectation of others,' he said.

The full interview is available both in audio and text transcript at (_ http://theauthorhour.com/terry-pratchett/extras.php?autoplay=y_)

https://www.pcgamesn.com/terry-pratchett-oblivion-mods

...and by Aimee Hart for Game Revolution:

"Not only was Pratchett an avid fan of the two games, but he also wrote mods for them too. This discovery was found out by David Oneacre, an animator based in Boston. Oneacre noticed a transcript of cut content from an interview Pratchett gave on The Author Hour radio program back in 2009, where he was then asked by the host what his favorite video game was. His answer was Oblivion. However, while the vanilla game was beautiful and inspiring by itself, Pratchett found himself drawn to something else entirely... There's one thing to play the mods that people have created, but contributing to a mod yourself with your own writing is entirely something else. Pratchett found time to write over 100 lines for a companion mod in Oblivion for a character named Vilja, a Nord alchemist. What's more, Pratchett even wrote a version for Skyrim, where Vilja's great-great-granddaughter is the companion..."

http://www.gamerevolution.com/news/391475-terry-pratchett-was-a-modder-for-oblivion-and-skyrim

3.4 AT LONG LAST, TROLL BRIDGE!

At long last, Troll Bridge! With fewer than 1,000 elephants! But yes, there is now a complete trailer, and the – we're told – completed film has been submitted for consideration to several independent film festivals.

Here be trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJIaTBB72CM

Here be a word from Snowgum Films: "TROLL BRIDGE exists because an awful lot of people around the world though it should. Special thanks to The Pratchett Estate, Discworld.com, The Foundry, Shotgun Software, GarageFarm.NET Render Farm, Golaem, our 400+ volunteer pool, and over 2,000 backers. Every frame pressed with love – this is your production."

There is also a read-worthy musing about the Discworld series in general and Troll Bridge in particular, here:

https://popcultureuncovered.com/2018/05/25/troll-bridge-sweeter-than-fresh-mined-treacle/

3.5 AN EGGY BIT OF CLOWNWORLD, ER, ROUNDWORLD

We've covered this one before, but it never gets old! Special thanks to Mrs Cake of Bugarup University for sending this. By Jennifer Nalewicki for Smithsonian:

"Debbie Smith has her work cut out for her. Since 2010 she has been the artist responsible for recording the likeness of every clown registered with Clowns International, the oldest established organization for clowns in the United Kingdom. It’s a seemingly straight-forward task—that is, until you discover what she uses as a canvas: eggs. She has tradition to thank for using such a tiny—and fragile—canvas. The late Stan Bult, founder of the International Circus Clowns Club (now Clowns International), began the practice in the 1940s. Though not a clown himself, Bult was a clown enthusiast, and would capture the appearances of various clowns by painting them onto hollowed-out eggs as a way to copyright their facial features, ensuring that no two clowns looked the same. Eventually the collection grew into what is now the Clown Egg Registry, a compendium of hundreds of eggs housed inside the London Clowns’ Gallery-Museum in the UK. Over time, future egg artists transitioned to using ceramic eggs rather than real ones, since they’re less prone to breakage, but beyond that the technique remains largely the same, with artists recreating everything from a clown’s bulbous red nose to his or her polka-dot tie to the most minute details that set one clown apart from the rest... It’s not uncommon for Smith, a clown herself (aka Jolly Dizzy the Clown) to spend up to three days painting a portrait, often working on several in tandem, painting the clowns either in person or from a photograph. She’ll also create duplicates of eggs, one for the clown to keep as a memento and one for the museum..."

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/gallery-london-houses-dozens-clown-egg-portraits-180968914/

[Note: the London Clown's Gallery-Museum is open on the first Friday of the month from noon to 5 p.m. – Ed.]

3.6 MORE THREATS TO ORANGUTANS

Having spent some time today watching the beautiful and clever orangutan family at Melbourne Zoo, this news makes me angrier than ever:

"Borneo is one of the most bio-diverse places on the planet and has some of the world's oldest forests. In Ketapang, in West Kalimantan province, the light dances through the thick canopy. It's hard to see more than a few metres through the tangle of vines and branches. But from the air, a canal 9km long can be seen cutting a scar into the thick green carpet of the forest. It's the first part of a project by the Indonesian company PT Mohairson Pawan Khatulistiwa (MPK), which wants to develop the land as a logging plantation... An environmental assessment report was commissioned to secure the licence, but it made no mention of orangutans nor of the other animals in the area. Yet, between 800 and 1,000 critically endangered orangutans call this forest their home, according to a 2017 survey conducted by the state Natural Resources Conservation Centre (BKSDA) in partnership with international environmental groups. That makes it the largest orangutan population living outside of a protected area in Indonesia, said the report. If the logging goes ahead, they will lose their home. International Animal Rescue (IAR) Indonesia runs a nearby rescue and rehabilitation centre, taking in homeless and orphaned orangutans. 'There is no way we can rescue over 1,000 orangutans,' says the IAR's national head, Karmele Llano Sanchez. 'So we are going to lose one of the most important orangutan populations we have left. With populations rapidly declining, every orangutan counts.'..."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-44380704

3.7 NEW DISCWORLD IMAGINARIUM CALENDAR!

For those of us who would love to own Paul Kidby's amazing Discworld Imaginarium book but find it a bit out of our price range, here's just the thing – a 2019 calendar featuring some of the Imaginarium art:

"Get organised and add some Pratchett magic to your duties and appointments with the official Discworld Calendar 2019! Features some of the most iconic illustrations from Terry Pratchett's Discworld by cover artist Paul Kidby as featured in the incredible Discworld Imaginarium!"

The 2019 Discworld Calendar is priced at an affordable £14.99 and will be published on 23rd August. For more information, and to pre-order, go to:

https://www.discworldemporium.com/diaries-calendars/468-discworld-collector-s-edition-calendar-2019

3.8 ...AND UBERWALD STAMPS!

The Discworld Emporium's version of Teemer and Spools has been busy:

"A limited edition sheet of stamps from the Uberwald Post Office created in celebration of the Uberwald League of Temperance in recognition of its noble quest to spare the necks of Discworld's humble citizens - AVAILABLE WHILE STOCKS LAST!"

The collection includes the Uberwald 60 Bizot Coffin limited edition sheet (priced at £ 15 each), the Uberwald 30 Bizot stamp ("An enchanting issue from the Uberwald Post Office featuring Dontgonearthe Castle, ancient seat of the De Magpyr vampire dynasty, and home to Igor and his carefully curated cobwebs, creaking doors and dust!", 45p each), and the Pain in ze Neck Little Brown Envelope (" A limited edition lucky-dip assortment of Discworld Stamps inspired by Dave's Pin & Stamp Exchange! This latest 'Little Brown Envelope' introduces new issues from the mysterious mountainous region of Uberwald – home to vampires, werewolves, Igors dwarfs, trolls and centaurs!", £5 each).

For more information, and to order, go to https://www.discworldemporium.com/

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04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

Editor's note: as Wossname normally only comes out once every month, do check the Wossname blog for information on plays that might fall between issue dates! Go to https://wossname.dreamwidth.org/ to see interim updates.

4.1 PLAYS IN JUNE, JULY AND AUGUST

* GUARDS! GUARDS! IN SUNBURY (JUNE)

The Riverside Players are staging their production of Guards!Guards! right now!

When: tonight (29th) and 30th June
Venue: Riverside Arts Centre, Sunbury, TW16 5QF UK
Time: 7.30pm all evening shows, plus a 2.30pm matinee on the 30th
Tickets: £12, available online at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/FHGHKJ ( £1.50 booking fee applies)

https://www.manorplayers.org/

* WYRD SISTERS IN SHEFFIELD (JULY)

The Company’s production of Wyrd Sisters, already staged earlier this month, has a return date scheduled for July: "Adapted by Stephen Briggs (who assures us the cast should still be able to be in the pub by 10 o’clock) and presented by The Company, a group of players who don't so much stroll but saunter vaguely pubwards."

When: 11th July 2018
Venue: The University Drama Studio, Shearwood Road, Sheffield S10 2TD on 13th–16th June, and outdoors on Dore Village Green on 11th July
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £8.50 (concessions £5.5), available online at https://www.thecompanysheffield.co.uk/boxoffice/ or £9 (concessions £6) on the door.

https://www.thecompanysheffield.co.uk/productions/wyrdsisters/
https://www.thecompanysheffield.co.uk/aboutus/howtofind.php

* WYRD SISTERS IN SWANSEA (JULY)

The Pontlliw Players will present their production of Wyrd Sisters in July

When: 26th–28th July 2018
Venue: Pontlliw Village Hall, Carmel Rd, Pontlliw, Swansea SA4 9EX
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £7, available from the Box Office by phoning 01792 897833 or 07986 135341, or by emailing tickets@pvh_online.org.uk

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

* LORDS AND LADIES IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE (JULY)

Beaconsfield Theatre Group and The Young Theatre will co-present Irana Brown’s adaptation of Lords and Ladies in July: "With a cast of larger-than-life wizards, witches, yokels, rude mechanicals, elves, trolls, a dwarf, orangutan (not a monkey!) and Oberonesque King of the Fairies; With a Royal Wedding, live band and quirky folk songs and an exciting talent-filled collaboration between Beaconsfield Theatre Group and The Young Theatre – this show promises to be a visual summer feast of funny and fun Discworldian entertainment not to be missed!"

When: 26th–29th July 2018
Venue: Davenies School, Station Road, Beaconsfield, Bucks HP9 1AA (open-air production!)
Time: 7.30pm (26th– 27th); two matinee performances at noon and 4pm on the 28th; one matinee, 2pm on the 29th
Tickets: "Ye olde Box Office opens soon" (phone 07572 657535)

All profits from the production will go to The Alzheimer’s Society and Young Minds.

https://btg-theatre.org/lords–ladies.html

* TAMAHER IN MICHIGAN (JULY)

The Young Artisan Workshop Children's Theatre will be staging their production of The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, directed by Sadonna Croff, at the Riverwalk Theatre in late July!

When: 26th–29th July 2018
Venue: Riverwalk Theatre, 228 Museum Dr, Lansing, Michigan 48933 (phone 517-482-5700)
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: TBA on http://www.riverwalktheatre.com/box-office.html

"Tickets purchased on-line can be picked up at the Riverwalk Theatre office during regular office hours, (Tues - Fri, 10 am - 5:30 pm) or 1/2 hour before the show at the box office window. We do not mail tickets unless requested. 'SENIORS' are age 55+. Students are High School and younger or College with ID. Children are 12 and under. When we receive your sale via PayPal/e-mail, we will assign the best available seats and send you an e-mail confirmation with the seat assignments. We charge a SERVICE FEE of $2.00 per ticket on all Credit Card Sales in-house. ($2.00 per ticket online as well)"

http://www.riverwalktheatre.com/

* THE TRUTH IN CARDIFF (AUGUST)

Peculiar Productions’ first Discworld play will be The Truth, directed by Ellen Warren! "Peculiar Productions is a Cardiff-based multimedia production company. We aim to produce two large shows or projects a year, and we try to make one of those an adaptation of a work by beloved British fantasy-comedy author Sir Terry Pratchett. All our members are volunteers, and the proceeds of these large projects are donated to a chosen charity, which we announce alongside each production or project."

When: 22nd–25th August 2018,
Venue: The Gate Arts Centre, Keppoch Street, Roath, Cardiff CF24 3JW
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £9 (£7 concessions; £1.25 processing fee applies if paying online or via Paypal), already available online at https://peculiarproductions.co.uk/tickets/ or by cheque or bank transfer via email: info@peculiarproductions.co.uk. If using Paypal (_https://www.paypal.com/uk/signin_), payment should be made to info@peculiarproductions.co.uk – and "please ensure that you tell us which performance you are booking for by adding a note." Credit card and Paypal payments can also be made to http://peculiar_productions.fikket.com/

Proceeds from this production go to Cardiff Mind. If you’re interested in helping out on stage or behind the arras, or would just like to know more about the Peculiar Productions team, go to https://peculiarproductions.co.uk/about/

4.2 PLAYS LATER IN 2018

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

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

When: 6th October through 3rd November 2018
Venue: Brisbane Arts Centre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Petrie Terrace (yes, the suburb and the road share a name), Brisbane, Queensland 4000
Time: 7.30pm Thursdays, 8pm Fridays and Saturdays, 6.30pm Sundays. "Doors close 5 minutes prior to performance. Late entry is not permitted."
Tickets: AU$34 ($28 concession or groups of 10 or more), available now online at http://bit.ly/2zHKO5a – and there will be Student Rush tickets priced at $15, available from the box office 15 minutes prior to curtain on the dates

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

* HOGFATHER IN ABINGDON (NOVEMBER)

The Studio Theatre Club’s next Discworld production will be Hogfather! – or as they say it, "another of our world Premiere Terry Pratchett shows, dramatised by Terry’s friend, Stephen Briggs". This is a change from the previously announced staging of The Science of Discworld: Judgement Day.

When: 14th–17th November 2018
Venue: the Unicorn Theatre, Medieval Abbey Buildings, Checker Walk, Abingdon,, Oxon OX14 3JB
Time: TBA
Tickets: on sale from 1st August, details to follow

[And now, already, rehearsals have started! – Ed.]

http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/beyond-quality-street

* GOING POSTAL IN BRISTOL (DECEMBER)

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

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

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

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05) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

The Sir Terry Pratchett Book Club at Waterstones Leeds meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 6pm in the Cafe W coffee shop (in Waterstones), to discuss a Pratchett book. "Everyone is welcome, even if you have not read the book. There is no need to register – just come along. For details on which book we are reading this month check out our events listing on waterstones.com (_https://www.waterstones.com/events/search/shop/leeds-93_)."

The next meeting of the Sir Terry Pratchett Book Club will be on Tuesday 10th July from 6pm to 6.45pm at Waterstones, 93-97 Albion Street, Leeds LS1 5JS. (phone 0113 244 4588). "This month we're discussing Witches Abroad, one of the funniest Discworld books."

https://www.waterstones.com/events/sir-terry-pratchett-book-club/leeds-50095
https://www.waterstones.com/events/search/shop/leeds-93/category/6

*

The Broken Drummers, "London’s Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), will be meeting next from 7pm on Monday 2nd July 2018 at the Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London, W2 1JQ. "We welcome anyone and everyone who enjoys Sir Terry’s works, or quite likes them or wants to find out more. We have had many visitors from overseas who have enjoyed themselves and made new friends. The discussions do not only concern the works of Sir Terry Pratchett but wander and meander through other genres and authors and also leaping to TV and Film production. We also find time for a quiz."

For more information, email BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group (if you must) at https://www.facebook.com/groups/55107511411/permalink/10156634038566412/

*

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."

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

*

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

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

*

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

The next CoSG events will be a Board Games Day at La Scala Cafe on Sunday 15th July, the Monthly Dinner on Thursday 26th July (location TBA), and a discussion of TAMAHER on Saturday 28th July at Kappy's Coffee and Tea, 1/22 Compton Street,[Adelaide (_http://kappys.com.au/_).

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! 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 5th July 2018 (probably) from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight. For more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) next meets on Friday 6th July 2018 (possibly) 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 2nd July 2018 (possibly) at 6.30pm in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney 2000. For more information, contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meet next on Monday 2nd July 2018 (possibly) 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>

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

06) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

This month sees some new Pratchett bloggers and an interesting range of topics...

Blogger There Could Be Badgers muses on narrativium (the element, not the Roundworld company):

"Narrativium is the element that ensures the correct functioning of narrative causality – that is, the hypothesis that events follow a certain course because that’s what the story requires. This is, of course, not at all true of the universe in which humanity has evolved but, with some notable exceptions, it’s certainly the universe most human beings inhabit... as Pratchett et al remark, even the physical laws we choose in order to explain our universe are determined by our particular, human perspective. We cut the universe up into sequences of discrete events, and generally impose 'beginnings' and 'endings' on these sequences (indeed, there’s a current of philosophical thought that holds that events are nothing but beginnings, endings, and changes). Even causation, that stalking horse of empirical observation, is ambiguous: do we describe events as linked in causal chains because that is the way the universe functions, or do we impose causal chains on the universe because that is the way our narrative imperatives function? Humans think in stories…"

https://therecouldbebadgers.wordpress.com/2018/06/16/on-the-fictional-reality-of-worlds/

Blogger Rain and Ink "fangirls" on her favourite writer:

"I’m not sure how I missed Pratchett at first. He is a writer that I love reading. I started reading his books on a friend’s recommendation and since then I’ve ravenously, voraciously read as much of his work as I can. The publication of his final book, completed by his assistant Rob Wilkins due to Pratchett’s demise, was bittersweet news – Pratchett’s books are gifts of joy to his readers, but knowing that this was the final Pratchett was deeply saddening. I bought the book, and initially fantasised about saving it for my last day – then, there’d always be one more Pratchett to read. I eventually succumbed to curiosity and temptation and read it anyway. Why Pratchett as the one writer, if forced to limit myself, that I’d be happy to read for the rest of my life? So many reasons – here are just a few of them:

"His books are diverse. He’s known for writing comedic fantasy; but what is less well known about his genre is that within the frame of comedic fantasy he writes detective stories, adventure stories, romance, political thrillers, supernatural plots – anything and everything. His books are not fluff – he said himself that some readers/reviewers had 'accused' him of literature, and that is true. Often people get put off by the idea of fantasy, assuming that fantasy books are meaningless, nonsensical or not 'true literature' (whatever that means). This is not true – and Pratchett is the perfect writer to prove this point. His books will always make you think, they have more depth than a cursory perusal of the plot summary would suggest. His books, as I said before, are gifts of joy. There’s something about reading a Pratchett that is always uplifting. You’re instilled with hope – you believe that things can be better, that people can be better, that YOU can be better, that the world can be better. His compassion, humanity and keen sense of justice shine through..."

https://rainandink.wordpress.com/2018/06/14/fangirling-interlude-terry-pratchett/

Blogger Thoughtful Pigeon gets to grips with the Discworld Colouring Book in a long and detailed post:

"This colouring book has images from various stories, along with excerpts from the books themselves on a lot of the pages next to the full page images and surrounded by their own art too so you have the link to the Terry Pratchett works there too. It’s been around for a couple of years, it was first published in 2016, but somehow I’ve missed it. I think it came out just after I’d bought a few too many colouring books and was taking a break but it’s in my collection now. I bought this from the Discworld Emporium, though I’ve seen it on Amazon since, and it cost £9.99. I don’t know if there’s any difference for those who originally created the book where you get it from but I like the extra Discworld touches from them so would recommend them anyway, you can see what I mean in my haul post, they’re very fast at delivery too. They also have an artists version where you can pull out the artwork to display it and these normally have thicker paper, I’m not sure if that’s the case here but it would definitely be easier if you plan on displaying the pictures when you’d coloured them. It’s worth knowing that it does cost £5 more though so it’s up to you which style you prefer..."

https://thoughtfulpigeon.com/2018/06/13/book-review-terry-pratchetts-discworld-colouring-book-illustrated-by-paul-kidby/

Blogger This Sporadic Life meets Mort:

"This was not our first foray into the Discworld Universe, but it was the first book either of us had directly interacted with. We’ve see the Color of Magic movie several times and are already familiar with several of the characters in the world. This story focuses on Mort, who begins life as a bundle of elbows, completely inept in all that he does. As the story progresses Mort becomes the apprentice to Death and begins to help out in Deaths duty of culling souls into the next life... As the story progresses Mort becomes more competent and is able to take over Death’s duties while Death takes a holiday. As he takes on these new duties he becomes more real. The physical world effects him less because it’s not as real as he is. The idea of realness is a fascinating one to me. I’ve only seen it once before, in my favorite fiction story, The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis. In that story, their are Ghosts who are mere shades of beings. Their realness is lacking, and the world they enter is painful to them because of how real it is... I can’t say for sure that Terry Pratchett took this idea from Lewis, but I can say that it is the same concept..."

https://thissporadiclife.wordpress.com/2018/06/08/review-mort/

Blogger Kibbin's Codex is a Death fan, but less enamoured of Mort itself:

"We're only four books in but I think it’s safe to say that we already have a clear winner for most popular Discworld character. Now perhaps it’s not one you might expect and I suspect it might not have been the one who Sir Terry suspected when he first wrote about a terrible wizard and hapless tourist. Yet he is already stepping out of the background and into the leading role. Well maybe co-lead... Death isn’t looking to expand or anything but is just struggling to keep his mind on his work. He knows all about how life ends and yet feels like he knows so little about the subject itself. Work, hobbies and friends are all a mystery to the Grim Reaper and so after showing Mort the ropes let him have at it while he tries to wrap his head around things like alcohol and cats... I must confess that there might be someone of a higher authority on this book than me and that’s Terry himself. He’s gone on record as saying that for him this is where the series really begins and I have to agree but it’s also the point where the jokes started serving the story rather than the other way around and that’s true too..."

https://kibbinscodex.wordpress.com/2018/05/31/what-us-mort/

Blogger Tegan Stevenson's review of Equal Rites:

"Taken at face value Equal Rites is an adventure fantasy story where a young girl is fated to become a wizard despite the many, many obstacles in her way. Eskarina, commonly referred to as Esk throughout the book, is the eighth daughter of an eighth son but, as the blurb says, the wizard Drum Billet didn’t check whether or not she was a boy before he passed his magic on to her. The title is pretty much a stroke of genius as the story deals with issues of equality in a world where magic is common and so is prejudice... Of course, I highly admire Terry Pratchett’s world-building abilities but, honestly, I wasn’t sure how I felt about Equal Rites after I finished it. There weren’t as many laugh-out-loud moments compared to The Light Fantastic but, I liked the way it dealt with the sexism in education on the Discworld (let’s be honest, it’s relatable) and there were concepts I loved such as the difference between witch magic and wizard magic..."

https://teganstevensonwrites.wordpress.com/2018/05/30/equal-rites-by-terry-pratchett/

Blogger Little Lady Librarian gives four and a half out of five stars to Maskerade:

"My good friend from grad school recommended this to me as my first Discworld book based on both of our loves for The Phantom of the Opera. And I have to say, this definitely does not disappoint. Pratchett takes my most beloved tale and twists and turns it into ways I never thought possible, but I extremely enjoyed. His characters felt real and multi-faceted, and I’m sure they absolutely shine as they grow in the various other Discworld books as well. While I’m sure there are references to other Discworld books in this one (as it’s the 18th in the series), I found that I wasn’t lacking in anything to understand what was happening. In fact, it just made me want to read the rest of them even more! I highly recommend this book to lovers of theatre and sci-fi, which are certainly two genres I’ve rarely ever seen mixed together. Trust me, it’s so, so worth it..."

https://littleladylibrarian.wordpress.com/2018/05/28/maskerade-by-terry-pratchett/

Blogger A Paranoid Writer enjoys a return visit to his favourite Discworld law enforcer:

"My sense of humor has been shaped and influenced by many, many things. But I Love Lucy, Mel Brooks, various 80’s and 90’s comedies, and Terry Pratchett are at the top of the list. Terry Pratchett’s writing his hilarious and effortless. The day that my writing gets to within incoming-missile-from-space distance of that, I’ll be thoroughly delighted. I cannot convey my love for the Discworld through words. Nor can I convey my desperate adoration and undying devotion to a certain Samuel Vimes–captain of the Ankh-Morpork Night Watch–one of Pratchett’s most famous characters, and one of the best, in my opinion. That’s why I started my impromptu reread with the City Watch novels. Sam Vimes is a treasure to be savored again and again... I have to express some concern, though. I heard tell that over there in the BBC, they’re making a City Watch TV show, based on the Discworld novels. Granted, if they stuck to the material, that show would be golden. However! I cannot imagine any actor, English or otherwise, having the chops to capture and adequately portray the man that is Samuel Vimes. It’s unfathomable. I know I’ll have a difficult time accepting him, whoever he is. I hope they just get an actor completely unheard of so I won’t have any previous impressions of him. Otherwise, I’m afraid that I will go postal … with or without precision..."

https://aparanoidwriter.wordpress.com/2018/05/28/discworld-reread/

Blogger acallidryas' dichotomous review of Sourcery:

"...while I don’t mind some of Pratchett’s more preferred phrases being gone, I do miss some of the stories of the stranger religions and myths that are always provided as side bar in the novels. When you’re as prolific as Pratchett, you’re bound to have a miss or two, and unfortunately, that was Sourcery. The book isn’t as fleshed out as the others, and not just in terms of the missing call-backs to how Discworld works. I didn’t quite understand why the wizards were all fighting each other, and I’m still not clear on how sorcery becomes such a problem. Or why Coin’s father became so malevolent. Or how the whole thing resolved in the end? The book flowed on quickly, and never seemed to explain itself, and I’m left rather unsatisfied with the plot itself. When I was almost to the end, I was still waiting to see when the book was going to really get started and explain itself. Which isn’t to say it’s not a fun read. It is Pratchett, after all, who has barbarian maidens who dream of being hairdressers but are constantly compelled by their genetic calling to conduct feats of heroics instead. And the wonderful orangutan librarian, one of the great heroes of the books. The creative descriptions of the Disc and the characters keep the book moving. And Pratchett’s humorous, light writing, and delightful descriptions are always fun. Each paragraph is great to read on its own. They just never seemed to come together to make one story for this one..."

https://acallidryas.wordpress.com/2018/05/21/sourcery/

Blogger crazykiddingme's paean to the entire Discworld series:

"I have finished all 41 Discoworld[sic] novels by Terry Pratchett. It was a three-year trek that took me from Ankh Morpork, around the great turtle A’Tuin, to the peak of Cori Celesti, into the Dungeon Dimensions, through the Agatean Empire and even dropped me into the valley of Djelibeybi. I learned a lot and I will miss this world. But, like the man says, all good things come to an end... I remember checking out Night Watch in a bookstore when it came out and thinking about getting into it. Then I realized that it was part of an anthology of novels that all take place in the same universe and decided, if I was going to do this, then I was going to start at the beginning and work my way to the end. But it would be an undertaking and a half... I should remind you that I am not a particularly intelligent or insightful person. Nor do I have any experience whatsoever in literary analysis beyond some undergrad courses that I took at McGill University. But since I essentially binge read Pratchett novels, I imagine I saw a real development not so much in how he wrote, but in the level of distinction between the Discworld and our own Roundworld..."

https://crazykiddingme.wordpress.com/2018/05/20/my-journey-through-discworld/

Blogger Lunar Luci wibbles happily about Feet of Clay:

"Vimes is being his usual self, as lovable as can be. He and Vetinari are utmost interesting together, and I looked forward to their conversations more and more throughout the book. He’s got a difficult time, with three murders and no obvious clues. Of course, there are some clues, but they don’t make sense, and mostly consist of a bit of white clay. Carrot, as always being an interesting character, is fun to read about, with Angua added as well. As a werewolf, she has a different life than most people in Ankh-Morpork (although there are enough other, even stranger creatures out there), but she makes up for it by helping to investigate the crimes in the way only she can. Cheery Littlebottom is the newest addition to the Watch, and as difficult it may be to tell, she is in fact a female dwarf. she runs the forensics in the Watch and comes up with quite some ideas, most of them dismissed just as easily by others. However, she stands strong and proves herself useful still... When, eventually, it gets revealed who’s done it, to me it was mostly a 'oh but of course' moment. I loved how it was absolutely not hidden at all, but somehow, not anything you’d think of while reading it..."

https://lunarluci.wordpress.com/2018/05/20/book-review-feet-of-clay/

Blogger and bookseller Nicole Van Den Eng thinks about the legacy of Pratchett:

"Terry Pratchett is an author who always sold in my bookstore. Readers loved him. The covers of his work feature goofy characters with exaggerated expressions... shortly after his death Neil Gaiman released an article that quoted someone describing Pratchett as 'a jolly old elf.' Gaiman went on to say, 'No. No, he wasn’t.' Apparently, Terry Pratchett was a relatively angry guy. That was baffling to me, how could an author write such frivolous things without being the frivolous type? ... Rincewind, the main character [in tCoM], is a pessimist who failed magic school and goes about his life entirely paranoid. He gets roped into a vacation gone awry by a piece of sentient furniture and grudgingly gets pulled into disaster after disaster, even though all he wants is to go home. The humor is in the ludicrous situations and how they get fixed (such as poking a monster in the eye rather than actually defeating him.) I had fun reading The Color of Magic but I considered the article by Gaiman the whole way through. There wasn’t anything in the book that betrayed a possibly less-than-happy author. It’s hard to see a comedian being anything other than funny... Envisioning Pratchett separate from his work tells us he was more serious than he seemed. But Pratchett’s work tells us things often aren’t as serious as they seem. Perhaps what he wanted was to take serious things, and take the tragedy out of them..."

https://conquerbooks.com/2018/05/17/terry-pratchetts-discworld-legacy/

...and finally, blogger Kathy invites us to join in a "Discworld Read-a-thon":

"Last Wednesday in my 'Books On My TBR I’m Most Intimidated By' post, I expressed my reluctance at reading through Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series–because 41 books is rather daunting, no matter how short or light they are–and the lovely Nicole from The Bookworm Drinketh suggested that we set up a readathon and gather other bloggers who might also be interested. And since I’m terrible with solo commitments, that sounded like the PERFECT thing. So here’s how this is going to work:

"– We will read through one book per month, and every last Monday of each month we will all post our reviews/thoughts/rants on that book. We’ll also include the blog links of all the other participants so that we can all share and comment.

"– At the start of each month, Nicole and I will make a post introducing the book we’ll be reading that month and do a headcount of everyone who’s interested (Nicole will contact you afterwards and give you the master list of all the participants). You’re in no way required to join in for every month, but if you do sign up, we ask that you commit to it or let us know immediately if you change your mind. We will start on July with THE COLOUR OF MAGIC, and the review post date will be July 23rd. "

https://pagesbelowvaultedsky.wordpress.com/2018/06/08/join-our-discworld-read-a-thon/

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07) ROUNDWORLD TALES: THE REAL RAT KINGS

One Lucas Reilly has compiled an exhaustive history of rat kings, including the possible origins of the term and a long list of rat king sightings documented from the late 16th century to the present:

"If real, how do rat kings occur? Some theories are more crackpot than others: In the 17th and 18th centuries, naturalists suggested the tails had been woven during birth, glued by the afterbirth. Others suggested that healthy rats deliberately tangled the tails of weaker rodents to make a nest. Both theories are unlikely. The most plausible explanation is that black rats — which have long, supple tails and reside in close quarters during winter — may come in contact with a sticky or frozen substance such as sebum (secreted from the critters’ skin), sap, food, feces, frozen urine, or frozen blood. The bonding agent may solidify as the animals slumber. Once the rodents realize their tails are glued, they might create a tighter knot as they attempt to wriggle free. This explanation has a ring of truth: Most rat kings were discovered during the winter or a frosty shoulder season, and they’re usually found in a tight shelter..."

http://mentalfloss.com/article/506504/almost-comprehensive-history-rat-kings

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08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

The award won by the Terry Pratchett: HisWorld exhibit at Salisbury Museum:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DdXKz0jX0AABRZa.jpg

Paul Kidby touches up the Shed of Doom sign for the Chalke Valley History Festival:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DeJJRCmWkAANA5u.jpg

...and here is the Shed of Doom in all its magnificence, as posted by Mr Kidby on Twitter:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DgEk8DkX4AAbtOg.jpg

...and here is the Shed. Inna field. By a tent. Which happens to contain a reconstruction of Sir Pterry's office, for the Chalke Valley History Fest (as posted on Twitter by @CVHISTORYFEST):
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DgSJFIQWAAAVSmB.jpg

Neil Gaiman gets to grips with Aziraphale's flaming sword:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DdQ4SaZUwAACKfZ.jpg

...and the Good Omens crew film an amusing scene number:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DdQ4A-jVAAEQQFn.jpg

...and it seems all sorts of historical characters are sneaking in to Good Omens. Here be Reece Shearsmith as that Bard feller:
https://twitter.com/GoodOmensAmazon/status/1009165213550034945

...while Stephen Briggs gets to grips with his script for Studio Theatre's November production of Hogfather:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DdY5WvWW0AAYqAK.jpg

..and speaking of Mr Briggs, here is an iconograph of a fateful meeting back in 1991, as posted by him on Twitter:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DddHCDgW0AAYoWV.jpg

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09) CLOSE

Newshound Cas found an amusing Pratchett tale on Twitter: "My daughter has just discoverered the joy of reading Terry Pratchett. She is now working her way through our collection. What odd is that I don't recall ever purposefully buying a signed copy for myself. She just opened Feet of Clay... 'Look, this one is signed too!' Did the man sneak into people's houses and sign them?"

https://twitter.com/Rosewind2007/status/1000647317689692160

Watch out, Horace, you've got competition: "A champion cheese-roller has broken the all-time record for the most cheeses won in Gloucestershire's death-defying races. Chris Anderson has now taken home a total of 22 double Gloucester cheeses in 14 years, after chasing the hefty 8lb (3.6kg) cheeses down Cooper's Hill. The 30-year-old broke the record held by Stephen Gyde after winning the first of this year's men's downhill races. Mr Anderson said: 'I've got nothing to prove now, I'm happy.'"

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-44279874

Did you know that "carcer" was a Latin word meaning "prison"? Well, now you do...

Bernard (The Cunning Artificer) Pearson doesn't just run the Ankh-Morpork Consulate and make wonderful things – he also writes. Here be a long, rather interesting blog review of his new novel, Dovetail:

https://bookramblings288957187.wordpress.com/2018/06/12/dovetail-bernard-pearson/

Finally, for those of you who already have a GNU Terry Pratchett script running on your blog/website/whatever, a Glorious 25th GNU script to add for next May, with full how-to instructions. Note: Reg Shoe is included, with "temp" in brackets:
https://clacksheader.wordpress.com/2018/05/25/lest-we-forget/

And that’s it for June. Take care, try not to melt (or freeze, if you're in Fourecks), and we'll see you next month!

– Annie Mac

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

Copyright (c) 2018 by Klatchian Foreign Legion

The Gods have spoken! Straight from Dunmanifestin (no, really) comes a special offer for the upcoming Chalke Valley History Festival:

Win a Pair of Tickets to the Chalke Valley History Festival

This year, for the first time, Discworld will come to the Chalke Valley History Festival. Terry Pratchett wrote many of the Discworld books in the heart of the Chalke Valley, which he featured in the Tiffany Aching books as the home of the Nac Mac Feegles.

This year’s festival, in addition to its amazing range of attractions, will feature several Discworld exhibits as well as the world-exclusive unveiling of the Shed of Doom. Rob Wilkins and Paul Kidby will be giving talks and time-travelling magicians Morgan and West will be wowing crowds with their magical exploits.

We’re giving you the chance to win a pair of tickets for either Saturday 30th June (which includes access to the festival and tickets for Rob’s talk) or Sunday 1st July (which includes access to the festival and tickets to Morgan and West). Simply enter your details below, along with your preference for dates and we’ll let you know by the 15th of June if you’re one of the lucky winners! Closing date: 8th June 11:59pm. Tickets will be sent to lucky winners via recorded delivery.

To enter the competition, go to https://dunmanifestin.com/cvhf-competition/ and click on the Enter Competition button. You have a week left to try for it!

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
May 2018 (Volume 21, Issue 5, Post 1)

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

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

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INDEX:

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

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01) QUOTE OF THE MONTH

"Perhaps he could go and explain things to Sybil. After all, she was still Sybil, wasn't she? Kind to bedraggled creatures? But even the softest heart would be inclined to harden when a rough, desperate man with a fresh scar and bad clothes barged into the house and said he was going to be your husband."
– Sam Vimes discovers the tricky bits of time travel in Night Watch

"Yes, thought Vimes. That's the way it was. Privilege, which just means private law. Two types of people laugh at the law: those that break it and those that make it."
– ibid.

"People on the side of The People always ended up disappointed, in any case. They found that The People tended not to be grateful or appreciative or forward-thinking or obedient. The People tended to be small-minded and conservative and not very clever and were even distrustful of cleverness. And so the children of the revolution were faced with the age-old problem: it wasn't that you had the wrong kind of government, which was obvious, but that you had the wrong kind of people."
– ibid.

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

Truth, justice, freedom, reasonably priced love and a hard-boiled egg: the Glorious 25th is upon us again! And in the current Roundworld climate, where "truth" often comes with the word "post" in front of it and "freedom" may well be under threat in surprising places, there has never been a better time to celebrate the 25th of May. So get out your copy of Night Watch for a re-read, raise a toast to the People's Republic of Treacle Mine Road, and don't forget the lilacs!

*

The age of post-truth is also the age of forced, (mostly) false apologies – but I want to make a completely truthful and rather abject apology to the lads at Backspindle Games (_http://www.backspindlegames.com/_), most particularly Dave Brashaw, who wrote to me some weeks ago mentioning a Kickstarter appeal for MourneQuest, a new Backspindle game. Given that the lads have done such a fine job with their Discworld games "Guards! Guards!" and "Clacks", I think the very least that all boardgame-loving Discworld fans can do is carry on supporting Backspindle in their other projects... you know, like the Kickstarter appeal I completely forgot to mention back in March... and just to further prove how excellent th Backspindle boys are, here's a photo from their website of Dave and Leonard chatting with The Author a few years ago about Discworld games: https://bit.ly/2rHPscK

*

The 28th of April 2018 would have been Sir Pterry's 70th birthday. In honour of the date, several of us old-timers from "Bugarup University" aka OZDW, the Australian Discworld email discussion group that started way back in the '90s, held a picnic in Melbourne. The weather was perfect – one of the last perfect days of the season, in fact – and much conviviality was had, along with toasts in virtual scumble and real beer to the man whose life and work brought us all together in the first place. BU's very own Jason Ogg (Andrew the blacksmith) came all the way from Adelaide, and also in attendance were several very much new-timers who will doubtless be firm Discworld fans once they're old enough to read). I hope, O Readers, that many of you also had get-togethers that were as much fun as ours!

*

Pacific Quay Productions documentary/dramatisation "Terry Pratchett: Back in Black" won the Royal Television Society Scotland’s Documentary and Specialist Factual: Arts award for 2018. The excellent BBC Scotland documentary, starring Paul Kaye as Sir Pterry, aired last year.

*

Last but definitely not least: calling all California/USA West Coast Pratchett fans! Fellow fan Toongirl is looking to join – or start?! – a Pratchett discussion group, by email and/or in realspace. She writes:

"Please inform those interested in engaging with a GenXer California Discworldian as a penpal to get in touch with Toongirl ~ toongirl@hotmail.com ~ who hails off the EntCoast near the Forest of Skund (just north of San Francisco, CA). If they are in town & wish to meet, there is the EntCoast's classically Tudor English pub The Pelican Inn (_http://www.pelicaninn.com/_) near Muir Woods or the more festively girly Lovejoy's Tearoom (_https://www.lovejoystearoom.com/_) in San Francisco proper."

Come on, Californians, you know you want to do this!

And now, on with the show..

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) ODDS AND SODS

After a quiet April, plenty of news for May...

3.1 A VERY SPECIAL SET OF SCHOOLBOY SCRIBBLES!

Guess whose copybook doodles and schoolboy jottings are available for public inspection? Yes, a certain young student at High Wycombe Technical School by the name of Terence Pratchett:

"They provide a fascinating, rare insight into the legendary late author's creative process as he allowed his mind to drift during lessons at secondary school... The exercise books date from 1962 to 1964, when Pratchett was entering his teenage years as a pupil at High Wycombe Technical School, now John Hampden School, in Buckinghamshire. On first impression the pages appear to be covered in random doodles, but upon closer inspection it is possible to find numerous references to Pratchett's early works. His maths exercise book features drawings of figures which closely resemble Pratchett's own illustrations for his first novel 'The Carpet People' which was published almost a decade later in 1971. There is a drawing of 'snargs', the carnivious[sic] creatures which feature in the novel, interspersed with sketches of spaceship battles, astronauts and aliens... His economic history exercise book contains an early draft of his fifth published story 'The Solution' which appeared in the school's magazine, Technical Cygnet, in July 1964. The sale also includes his sketch pad containing a drawing which may be a self portrait and several practice attempts at doing calligraphic writing for 'The Carpet People'. The items have been consigned to auction by an anonymous vendor who was personally given them by Pratchett in the 1980s. The collection, which consists of four exercise books and a sketch pad, is tipped to sell for £8,000..."

The collection – four exercise books and a sketchpad – will be sold at auction on the 31st of this month. Lucky for some well-heeled Discworld fan, we hope!

https://dailym.ai/2KtNy7n

3.2 DISCWORLD DAY 2018 AT BIRDWORLD!

Remember the opening last year of the Terry Pratchett Owl Parliament? Get your Wizzard hat out, because it's time for another celebration:

"On Saturday 26th May, we will officially celebrate Discworld Day at the Terry Pratchett Owl Parliament with the assistance of Discworld dignitaries and special guests, Rob Wilkins and Stephen Briggs. The Terry Pratchett Owl Parliament was officially opened at Birdworld in 2017 and now the beautifully crafted exhibit which was created in collaboration with the World Owl Trust (WOT) is celebrating its 1st anniversary as a much-loved exhibit at the 26-acre park. The Owl Parliament was created both as a satellite of the WOT’s collection and to recognise Sir Terry’s passion for these mysterious birds of prey. Visitors familiar with the popular Discworld novels are able to easily recognise a number of the references within the interactive space but with the unique stylizing of these aviaries, everyone exploring the exhibit will be drawn into the mythical and wonderful world of Sir Terry Pratchett.

"To celebrate the day, visitors will be invited to join in with plenty of Discworld fun and games throughout the day including, a themed quiz trail, costume prizes for both adults and children, a charity raffle packed full of prizes, educational talks including an owl-themed flying display and even a special Q&A session for fans with Rob Wilkins and Stephen Briggs. Mark Anderson, Birdworld General Manager, commented: 'We’re extremely proud to be hosting Discworld Day in honour of The Terry Pratchett Owl Parliament at Birdworld. We are looking forward to being able to showcase such an extraordinary selection of owl species, many of which are threatened with the loss of habitat in the wild and for visitors of all ages to immerse themselves in the mysterious world of Sir Terry Pratchett in the process. The Terry Pratchett Owl Parliament has quickly become a favourite exhibit at the park and to celebrate Sir Terry’s memory with an event such as this, we hope will be a fitting tribute to the award-winning author.'

"To book tickets online in advance to save 10%, visit our bookings page or arrive in Discworld-themed costume on the day to receive a discounted entry rate of 25% per person. A special prize will be awarded on the day to the best dressed adult and child visitor! Buy your tickets online at least one day in advance to benefit from our advance discount. Please note online tickets cannot be used on the day of purchase."

When: 26th May 2018
Venue: Birdworld, Holt Pound, Farnham, Surrey, GU10 4LD
Time: TBA (regular Birdworld opening times are 10am–6pm)
Tickets: Day Tickets are adult £14.36, child 3–6 £11.66, child 7–15 £12.56, concessions £12.56, family £44.96, family extra child £10.76, disabled child £9.23, available online via http://birdworld.co.uk/product-category/tickets/

https://birdworld.co.uk/owls/discworld-day/

3.3 DISCWORLD AND BEYOND IN AYLESBURY!

Paul Kidby's gorgeous Discworld and Beyond exhibition has a new temporary home at the Bucks Museum in Aylesbury:

"This exhibition comprises 47 of Paul’s drawings, oil paintings and watercolours in which you will find favourite Pratchett characters including Rincewind, the Wee Free Men and of course, Death, as well as book jackets and some lesser known Discworld art work. Also, on display is a selection of Paul’s own fantasy pictures inspired by British folklore and landscapes including from the recently published book The Charmed Realm."

When: now through 30th June 2018
Venue: Bucks County Museum, 9 Church Street, Aylesbury, Bucks HP20 2QP
Times: Tuesdays–Saturdays, 10am–5pm.
Tickets: the charge for admission is £4 for adults (under-18s by donation)

After 30th June, the Discworld and Beyond exhibition will move to Maidstone, Kent. Details to follow soon...

http://www.buckscountymuseum.org/museum/events/536/paul-kidby-discworld-and-beyond-the-art-of-terry-pratchett/

3.4 THE HISWORLD COMPANION!

Paul Kidby has announced "a new chapter" on his website – the Terry Pratchett HisWorld Official Exhibition Companion:

"Sir Terry Pratchett’s career as a best-selling author spanned more than forty years and brought him international acclaim, selling a phenomenal eighty-five million books during his lifetime that were translated into thirty-eight languages. Three years after his untimely death the popularity of his work continues to grow and he is regularly cited as a major influence over his peers and young writers alike.

"The record-breaking HisWorld exhibition at Salisbury Museum captivated audiences who were, for the first time, given unparalleled access to the author’s inner sanctum and writing room ‘The Chapel’ and the plethora of interesting artefacts that surrounded him. Through beautiful photography and expanded descriptions, this stunning companion to the exhibition traces Terry’s journey from the short stories he wrote while still at school, to his own hand-drawn sketches for The Carpet People and beyond. Also included are iconic images of objects collected throughout his life, from his original typewriter to his Knightly sword.

"Essays by his daughter Rhianna, his friend and business manager Rob Wilkins, artist of choice Paul Kidby and Discworld luminaries Bernard Pearson, Stephen Briggs and Colin Smythe are complemented by writing from Jake Keen on the forging of Terry’s sword, Richard Henry – Finds Liaison Officer for Salisbury Museum and HisWorld exhibition curator, The Josh Kirby Estate, Professor Roy Jones – Terry’s Dementia Specialist and Nick Cowen – Senior Rights of Way Officer for Wiltshire County Council, on the Chalke Valley, which was such a major influence on Terry’s writing."

The HisWorld Companion will be published on 1st October 2018 by Dunmanifestin, and will be available in a hardback edition and a collector’s, slipcased limited edition. To read the announcement online, go to:

https://www.paulkidby.com/announcing-hisworld-a-new-chapter/

3.5 PIZZA AND FEEGLES!

Young readers in the UK are soon to get an interesting treat. From The Bookseller:

'Penguin Random House Children’s imprint Puffin will this summer give away 700,000 story booklets to children eating at PizzaExpress. The booklets will contain the stories The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett, The Giant Jumperee by Julia Donaldson and Helen Oxenbury, You Choose in Space by Nick Sharratt and Pippa Goodhart, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney, as well as tips to help families read together. Puffin and PizzaExpress are also running a book cover design competition with the winning entry receiving their family portrait by Jeff Kinney.'The booklets will be given out until 18th June. In total, the Puffin and PizzaExpress partnership will last for a year.'

https://www.thebookseller.com/news/puffin-partners-pizzaexpress-784656

3.6. CHALKE VALLEY HISTORY TICKETS!

As mentioned in last month's issue, the 2018 Chalke Valley History Festival – "The largest festival in the UK dedicated entirely to History... Offering a unique blend of talks, discussions & debates alongside a vast living history through-the-ages encampment, interactive living history events, fabulous food and drinks, shopping emporium and stunning air displays ~ a celebration of history like no other..." – will feature a talk by Rob Wilkins ("The Write Fantastic: Terry Pratchett", about the Salisbury area's most famous modern writer) and a performance by "Time-travelling Magicians" Rhys Morgan and Robert West, as presented by the Ankh-Morpork Guild Of Conjurors. Both events require tickets, which must be purchased online at least one day in advance of the performance date; on the upside, buying a ticket to either event also gives you free entry on the day to the entire festival.

The Write Fantastic, a talk by Rob Wilkins: "Sir Terry Pratchett is one of the most popular authors to have ever lived. His Discworld novels have sold tens of millions all over the world. Many were written here, in Broad Chalke, and in this talk his right-hand man and collaborator, Rob Wilkins, will talk about his life, his work, his inspiration and his profound love of the Chalke Valley."

When: Saturday 30th June 2018
Venue: Hiscox Tent, Chalke Valley History Festival, Broadchalke, Salisbury, Wiltshire
Time: 10am (duration one hour)
Tickets: £14.50, available online at https://programme.cvhf.org.uk/?date=2018-06-30

Morgan & West: "How lucky we are to have the brilliant, fantastical, uproarious and hugely acclaimed Time-Travelling Magicians, Morgan & West, performing at the Festival. With their unique brand of wit and whimsy, theirs is a magic show unlike any other. Inspired by the music halls of the Victorian age, they bring magic, mystery, charm and humour to one of the very best double acts around."

When: Sunday 1st July 2018
Venue: Hiscox Tent, Chalke Valley History Festival, Broadchalke, Salisbury, Wiltshire
Time: 10am (duration one hour)
Tickets: £15, available online at https://programme.cvhf.org.uk/?date=2018-07-01

General tickets to the festival, which runs from 25th June to 1st July 2018, can also be purchased via the Ticket Office (phone 01722 781133, open Mon-Fri 10am–2pm)

https://cvhf.org.uk/

3.7 ALMOST A PRATCHETT CO-AUTHOR!

Read all about it! Journalist Mike Buckingham's missed opportunity:

"One of my biggest stories on the Bucks Herald was when I sat in on the Great Train Robbery in court. Another interesting point to make is that while working at this paper I became good friends with Terry Pratchett. We actually started a book together. I wish I had kept the manuscript because I would be worth millions. We did not finish the book because I moved elsewhere..."

https://bit.ly/2rKa0Sy

3.8 THE MENDED DRUM, OPEN FOR DRINKS IN ROUNDWORLD!

Pratchett fans, and fans of good food and real ale (and occasional quaffing) in the York area, should hie themselves to The Mended Drum:

"In order to legitimize the use of the name, permission was sought and granted by the author Terry Pratchett himself. Coincidentally almost as if it were fate, and unknown to us at the time, Terry’s next novel was his take on the old Charles Dickens novel, Oliver Twist, which he called Dodger! We think that this showed that it was meant to be. From being a derelict building, closed down for years not far from falling down on its own having had a reputation of an old style village boozer, the Star became The Mended Drum. Over the few years since its rebirth, the Mended Drum has gone from strength to strength with the current managers Ricki and Lisa doing a fantastic job, and shifting the focus to the craft cask and keg ales, building up strong relationships with local brewers and becoming a firm favourite with the local branch of CAMRA, leading to them recently being given the prestigious title of pub of the season..."

The Mended Drum is located on Tollerton Road, Huby, York YO61 1HT. Bar opening hours are Monday–Thursday 17:00–11:30, Friday 16:00–00:30, Saturday 12:00–00:30 and Sunday 12:00–11:30; the kitchen is open Thursdays through Sundays (see website for serving hours).

https://www.themendeddrum.com
https://twitter.com/MendedDrumHuby

3.9 HUMANIST FUNERALS: A SEND-OFF IN GOOD COMPANY

If you'd like a send-off like Sir Pterry's when THAT TIME COMES, you might want to have a look at Humanists UK's funeral tribute archive:

"The life stories of ordinary people who have their death marked with a humanist funeral are to be immortalised for all time, thanks to a new initiative from Humanists UK. Working with the Bishopsgate Institute, they have created the first national online archive of funeral tributes from the thousands of funerals conducted by their celebrants each year. The Humanist Funeral Tribute Archive is being launched today and will be accessible through the Bishopsgate Institute’s online Catalogue. Over 50 tributes are now online, with more being submitted all the time, and academics and several Humanists UK patrons have hailed the initiative... Research published in 2016 shows that one in seven British people want a humanist funeral, when they die. Humanists UK has provided humanist funerals since the 1890s, pioneering the concept of a non-religious funeral. Famous people to have had Humanists UK funerals include Terry Pratchett, Doris Lessing, Victoria Wood, Linda Smith, Warren Mitchell, Cynthia Payne, Ronnie Barker, Bob Monkhouse, Claire Rayner, and John Noakes..."

http://www.politics.co.uk/opinion-formers/humanists-uk/article/humanists-uk-launches-first-ever-funeral-tribute-archive

3.10 THE ODD PODS CORNER

Fourecks-based Land of Fog lit-head Joel Martin, MC of the podcast The Morning Bell, recommends: "Pratchat, a podcast about the work of Terry Pratchett hosted by Elizabeth Flux and Ben McKenzie, is a great example of a podcast celebrating and diving deep into the work of a literary icon. They do it with a style and humour that is definitely infectious!"

http://pratchatpodcast.com/

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04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

Editor's note: as Wossname normally only comes out once every month, do check the Wossname blog for information on plays that might fall between issue dates! Go to https://wossname.dreamwidth.org/ for interim updates.

4.1 PLAYS IN MAY AND JUNE

* GUARDS! GUARDS! IN PLYMOUTH (MAY)

City College Plymouth are currently staging their production of Guards! Guards! in May.

When: tonight–18th May 2018
Venue: Tilt Theatre, Performing Arts, City College Plymouth, Plymouth
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £5 (concessions £3), available online by going to http://bit.ly/2HZba37 and clicking on the desired date button.

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

* MORT IN READING (MAY)

Caversham Park Theatre are also presenting their production of Mort this week – and they're promoting audience participation: "Dress Up for Discworld! Any Character, any performance, especially Saturday evening."

When: 17th–19th May 2018
Venue: Milestone Centre, Milestone Way Precinct, Caversham, Reading RG4 6PF
Time: 8pm (17th and 18th) and 7.30pm (19th)
Tickets: £7 plus an online booking fee, available from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/223486 or by ringing the Box Office on 01189 481 377

* MORT IN AXMINSTER (MAY)

The Axminster Drama Club's next production will be Mort! "A tall, gangly, warm-hearted, youth whose naivety belies his innate intelligence and whose sense of fair play – driven more by hormones than justice – lands him and his 'victim' into an alternate reality. Death, meanwhile, inspired perhaps by Mort’s gallivanting, takes time off from his duties to explore the world of the living and their doings..."

When: 24th–26th May 2018
Venue: Axminster Guildhall, West Street, Axminster, Devon EX13 5NX (phone 01297 32088)
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £10, available from The Archway Bookshop (Church Street, Town Centre, Axminster EX13 5AQ, phone 01297 33744) or online via https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/axminster-drama-club

https://facebook.com/axminsterdramaclub

* WYRD SISTERS IN HARROGATE (JUNE)

The Woodlands Drama Group will be staging their production of Wyrd Sisters next month!

When: 6th–9th June 2018
Venue: Studio Theatre, 6 Oxford Street, Harrogate, HG1 1QF UK
Time: 7.45pm all evening shows; 2.30pm matinee on the 9th
Tickets: £10, available from https://bit.ly/2I0jJOW

http://www.harrogatetheatre.co.uk/whats-on/Wyrd-Sisters-Presented-By-Woodlands-Drama-Group

* WYRD SISTERS IN SHEFFIELD (JUNE/JULY)

The Company's production of Wyrd Sisters will be staged in June and July: "Adapted by Stephen Briggs (who assures us the cast should still be able to be in the pub by 10 o'clock) and presented by The Company, a group of players who don't so much stroll but saunter vaguely pubwards."

When: 13th–16th June and 11th July 2018
Venue: The University Drama Studio, Shearwood Road, Sheffield S10 2TD on 13th–16th June, and outdoors on Dore Village Green on 11th July
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £8.50 (concessions £5.5), available online at https://www.thecompanysheffield.co.uk/boxoffice/ or £9 (concessions £6) on the door.

https://www.thecompanysheffield.co.uk/productions/wyrdsisters/
https://www.thecompanysheffield.co.uk/aboutus/howtofind.php

4.2 PLAYS LATER IN 2018

* WYRD SISTERS IN SWANSEA (JULY)

The Pontlliw Players will present their production of Wyrd Sisters in July

When: 26th–28th July 2018
Venue: Pontlliw Village Hall, Carmel Rd, Pontlliw, Swansea SA4 9EX
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £7, available from the Box Office by phoning 01792 897833 or 07986 135341, or by emailing tickets@pvh_online.org.uk

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

* LORDS AND LADIES IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE (JULY)

Beaconsfield Theatre Group and The Young Theatre will co-present Irana Brown's adaptation of Lords and Ladies in July: "With a cast of larger-than-life wizards, witches, yokels, rude mechanicals, elves, trolls, a dwarf, orangutan (not a monkey!) and Oberonesque King of the Fairies; With a Royal Wedding, live band and quirky folk songs and an exciting talent-filled collaboration between Beaconsfield Theatre Group and The Young Theatre – this show promises to be a visual summer feast of funny and fun Discworldian entertainment not to be missed!"

When: 26th–29th July 2018
Venue: Davenies School, Station Road, Beaconsfield, Bucks HP9 1AA (open-air production!)
Time: 7.30pm (26th– 27th); two matinee performances at noon and 4pm on the 28th; one matinee, 2pm on the 29th
Tickets: "Ye olde Box Office opens soon" (phone 07572 657535)

All profits from the production will go to The Alzheimer's Society and Young Minds.

https://btg-theatre.org/lords–ladies.html

* THE TRUTH IN CARDIFF (AUGUST)

Peculiar Productions' first Discworld play will be The Truth, directed by Ellen Warren! "Peculiar Productions is a Cardiff-based multimedia production company. We aim to produce two large shows or projects a year, and we try to make one of those an adaptation of a work by beloved British fantasy-comedy author Sir Terry Pratchett. All our members are volunteers, and the proceeds of these large projects are donated to a chosen charity, which we announce alongside each production or project."

When: 22nd–25th August 2018,
Venue: The Gate Arts Centre, Keppoch Street, Roath, Cardiff CF24 3JW
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £9 (£7 concessions; £1.25 processing fee applies if paying online or via Paypal), already available online at https://peculiarproductions.co.uk/tickets/ or by cheque or bank transfer via email: info@peculiarproductions.co.uk. If using Paypal (_https://www.paypal.com/uk/signin_), payment should be made to info@peculiarproductions.co.uk – and "please ensure that you tell us which performance you are booking for by adding a note." Credit card and Paypal payments can also be made to http://peculiar_productions.fikket.com/

Proceeds from this production go to Cardiff Mind. If you're interested in helping out on stage or behind the arras, or would just like to know more about the Peculiar Productions team, go to https://peculiarproductions.co.uk/about/

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

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

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

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

* HOGFATHER IN ABINGDON (NOVEMBER)

The Studio Theatre Club's next Discworld production will be Hogfather! – or as they say it, "another of our world Premiere Terry Pratchett shows, dramatised by Terry's friend, Stephen Briggs". This is a change from the previously announced staging of The Science of Discworld: Judgement Day.

When: 14th–17th November 2018
Venue: the Unicorn Theatre, Medieval Abbey Buildings, Checker Walk, Abingdon,, Oxon OX14 3JB
Time: TBA
Tickets: on sale form 1st August, details to follow

"If you're interested in being involved in the show, the first reading will be on 25 June at 7:30pm."

http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/beyond-quality-street

* GOING POSTAL IN BRISTOL (DECEMBER)

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

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

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

4.3 REVIEWS

* GUARDS! GUARDS! IN CHORLEY

A blog review of Chorley Little Theatre's recent production, by the Bristol Bookworm:

"The reason I was retrying Discworld was the knowledge that Guards! Guards! was on this season’s programme at Chorley Little Theatre. As could only be expected at this juncture, the play was well-acted and directed, and the set builders had done a brilliant job. There was one entertaining moment where the Night Watch managed to all end up inside the secret society without all making their way through the door! The set and costumes were designed to mimic the cartoonish designs of Discworld covers, and many of the jokes are taken word for word from the text. In some ways, there are more jokes in the play as timing and delivery allow for some which are not possible in text. I liked the use of a crow to deliver footnotes and other important asides. And Death, one of my favourite characters, appeared in a way which managed to be both humorous and ominous..."

https://bristolbookworm.wordpress.com/2018/04/28/guards-guards-chorley-little-theatre/

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05) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

The Sir Terry Pratchett Book Club at Waterstones Leeds meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 6pm in the Cafe W coffee shop (in Waterstones), to discuss a Pratchett book. "Everyone is welcome, even if you have not read the book. There is no need to register – just come along. For details on which book we are reading this month check out our events listing on waterstones.com (_https://www.waterstones.com/events/search/shop/leeds-93_)."

The next meeting of the Sir Terry Pratchett Book Club will be on Tuesday 5th June from 6pm to 6.45pm at Waterstones, 93-97 Albion Street, Leeds LS1 5JS. (phone 0113 244 4588). "This summer we are focusing on Terry's most popular series, Discworld. The book we are discussing this month is Reaper Man where Death starts a new career."

https://www.waterstones.com/events/search/shop/leeds-93/category/6
https://www.waterstones.com/events/sir-terry-pratchett-book-club/leeds-49033

*

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), will be meeting next from 7pm on Monday 4th June 2018 at the Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London, W2 1JQ. "We welcome anyone and everyone who enjoys Sir Terry's works, or quite likes them or wants to find out more. We have had many visitors from overseas who have enjoyed themselves and made new friends. The discussions do not only concern the works of Sir Terry Pratchett but wander and meander through other genres and authors and also leaping to TV and Film production. We also find time for a quiz."

For more information, email BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group (if you must) at https://www.facebook.com/groups/55107511411/permalink/10156634038566412/

*

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."

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

*

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

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

*

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

The next CoSG events will be .

The 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! 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 June 2018 (probably) from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight. For more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) next meets on Friday 1st June 2018 (possibly) 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 June 2018 (possibly) at 6.30pm in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney 2000. For more information, contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meet next on Monday 4th June 2018 (possibly) 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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06) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

Blogger Crown Jules loved The Long Earth:

"An engrossing and clever book. The characters are likeable, and engaging. The mystery is endless, and unfathomable. Brilliantly mixing the serious tone of the plot with the levity of humour and character. And it ends on a cliffhanger! So I’m immediately going to have to start the next..."

https://crownjulespresents.com/2018/05/14/the-long-earth-terry-pratchett-stephen-baxter-book-review/

Blogger and author James Goldsworthy gives full marks to Dodger:

"I just finished listening to the audio book version of Dodger by Terry Pratchett and loved it. It may very well be my favourite non Discworld book. The thing I continue to love about his books is how we all know people in our real lives who are just like the characters in his books. Rather that should be, the characters in his books are just like people most of us know or have had experience of in real life. Sir Pratchett was clearly very skilled in observing the quirks and foibles of not only individual people but of society as a whole. The fact that he used that skill in creating his characters for his books demonstrates just how incredibly talented he was. I know it’s all been said before but I don’t care, what an incredible writer and what a wonderful mind."

https://jamesgoldsworthyauthor.com/2018/04/28/what-a-great-story/

Blogger Heart's Quill's rather bizarre description of their journey into Pratchett is worth reading for a giggle, if only to see Rincewind described as a terrorist:

"I am not an avid reader of fantasy, though I do love me a good tale... after some digging and procrastinating, I came upon Terry Pratchett and his Discworld series. I did hear his name before, in very respectful and awed tones. I figured to give his stories a try. No harm in it, and gazed at the series. I was looking at a giant, distant mountain, that Discworld. My goodness, he wrote a lot. Thankfully the mountain was actually separate hills superimposed after each other. Though each hill would prove quite the climb. Therefore, I began from the first hill: The Color of Magic. In less than fifty steps, I slipped and fell, hit my head on a protruding stone, somehow found my finger going up my nose, and kicked my behind all the fifty steps down. It was hard. From word one, the story had me in a daze. I knew a place Ankh-Morpork, and it was a city but had the name suitable for an evil castle. I was introduced to two rogues who may have been sitting somewhere outside Ankh-Morpork, and they see a fire? It was pretty confusing. Then, this wizard Rincewind comes along and turns out it was him who caused the flames and was he running away? Nothing made proper sense. I got turned off immediately... Months passed and I was itching again. I wanted to read and found my mind was set on Pratchett. His cowboy hat and short white beard and his loose smile, surely there must be something I was missing. Turns out I was missing a lot..."

https://jurnidblog.wordpress.com/2018/04/27/from-pyromaniac-wizard-to-the-watchers-of-the-night/

Blogger fantasyst95 returns with a review of Soul Music:

"The Death series is one of my favourites in the Discworld books, second to the escapades of the Witches. Somehow, the musings of Pratchett with regards to the nature of time add another dimension to the quirky universe and the narrative. Of course, we were still treated to meeting some of the Ankh-Morpork regulars, as is only fitting. I also liked the way the tone was set in relation to the music. It was written in a perspective from which one understands the presence and acknowledging other people’s reaction to it, without really understanding the hype behind it all. I’ll confess I’m not a particular fan of rock music myself. Unless it’s an iconic rock song from the 80’s…say, Summer of ’69 by Bryan Adams or Bon Jovi’s Livin’ on a Prayer (I am listening to this as I type), I’m not familiar at all. The rock music I do listen to is definitely my mum’s influence… they were songs she grew up with. It’s not my bag at all, so I found the viewpoint of the distant observer one I could relate to..."

https://reviewsfeed.net/2018/04/26/book-review-soul-music-terry-pratchett/

Blogger aquavitae733346514 reviews The Light Fantastic:

"Terry Pratchett looked at the world in a way that was true, relentless, cynical, and yet hilariously funny... Pratchett makes satirical parallels to just about everything. The character of Twoflower is a Tourist, something that the Discworld has not seen before. He embodies all the clichés of tourism, with his camera (where a little demon paints the view), his conviction that nothing bad will ever really happen to him, and his labelling of everything he sees as ‘quaint’, ‘picturesque’, and so on... Pratchett also manages to satirize computer programmers, in a chapter involving druids. Their stone circles are in fact large computer circuits, and they stand around discussing bugs in the system when the circles don’t ‘come on line’ as they should. The way the author finds innovative methods to create humour and poke fun at the real world seems endlessly creative... adore this author. His books are light, funny, and extremely clever..."

https://aquavitae733346514.wordpress.com/2018/04/25/review-the-light-fantastic-by-terry-pratchett/

Blogger Erik Shinker aka The Past Due Review praises Maskerade:

"Maskerade saunters its way through the drama inherent in the dramatic arts and takes no prisoners in its parody of hoity toity opera-goers from the days of yore. Entertaining in its cheekiness, the novel is a welcome satire of a genre that takes itself a little too seriously... Maskerade makes reference to multiple operas and musicals that will be easily recognized... The novel also calls back to the previous books involving the witches, though one shouldn’t be too lost without having read them. Characters from the City Watch books also make appearances and are referred to in passing, which helps add a dimension of connection to the series as a whole. This novel is built around parody and, as such, doesn’t add too much outside of the realm in terms of exploration of themes or technique. As I have mentioned before, some of the Discworld novels are better than others, and this feels like one that Pratchett wrote simply because he wanted to parody The Phantom of the Opera. That doesn’t make the book bad or a let-down, but it does confine it to mere entertainment rather than something more...

http://thepastduereview.com/2018/05/02/maskerade-review/

Blogger Earth and Skye on Mort:

Death is always considered such a horrifying and exacting end. But, in the case of Mort, it’s really just a beginning… and an apprenticeship. With Pratchett’s unique and entertaining take on it. Alright, that introduction to this review feels very confusing and convoluted. But, honestly, that’s generally how I feel before, during and after reading one of the Discworld novels. They’re weird, they’re confusing, and they have a completely unique take on the world. Even when I feel like there may be a far better, more amazing message than what I’ve absorbed, I feel like I’ve learnt something interesting and fantastic after I turn the last page. The fact that this story is about the personification of Death, something that I have been struggling to deal with a little lately, just makes it all the more fun and poignant. I loved the princess in distress with her noble rescuer theme throughout this. Yet, it was the fact that the ending wasn’t quite one that I expected that was really enjoyable..."

https://earthandskye.org/2018/04/24/mort-by-terry-pratchett/

...and on Equal Rites:

There is an incredibly poignant and obvious message in this novel – that we are all equal and entitled to equal rights. That’s not to say that this tale isn’t filled with Pratchett’s (I hesitate to say) typical sense of humour. There is the satirical humour scattered throughout that draws you into his world, whether you want it to or not. Luckily, for me, I was ready and happy to be swept along in his chaotic, entertaining realm... As I’ve mentioned before, I completely loved the fact that this book highlights women’s rights and equality. It is something that I strongly believe in, and although sometimes it is a topic touched upon, it isn’t something that people tend to really delve into when writing or reading. We talk about equality, but I haven’t actually read such a well written novel that highlights the importance of this. The fact that this story was written in the 80’s and is still discussing issues that we are facing today just heightens my respect for Terry Pratchett..."

https://earthandskye.org/2018/04/23/equal-rites-by-terry-pratchett/

Blogger Sarah approves of I Shall Wear Midnight:

"Although geared towards younger readers it is probably better enjoyed by adults, or at least older teenagers, due to some rather darker moments not really suitable for children – such as the loss of an unborn baby to a rather young teenager, after suffering from a nasty beating by her father. Controversial element aside this is a rather enjoyable tale at 4 out of 5 stars, which progresses the series of Tiffany Aching novels with an intelligence and maturity akin to that of Tiffany’s developing character..."

https://kingdom.wordpress.com/2018/05/08/discworld-book-38-i-shall-wear-midnight-book-review/

Blogger Elliot Baye read his first Pratchett short story – The Hades Business:

"The telling is incredibly humorous, although that’s an expected trademark of Pratchett’s. Even the idea behind the story is creative and fun. The writing is very simple, which is also no surprise considering that he wrote the tale at the ripe old age of thirteen. Yet, unlike many other writings by young teens, I did not feel embarrassed as a reader. I think, perhaps because the story is so lighthearted, there’s a sense of innocence and levity that carries through... the original take on Hell and the Devil was quite interesting. I did like Crucible, since he’s almost a villain protagonist—the Devil is actually a pretty decent guy in this one, though I do understand Crucible’s unwillingness to trust him. I doubt I would, either. As is likely expected, it does take a basic understanding and knowledge of Christian tales—but not much. I enjoyed every moment that the Devil swore, whether it was to his domain or the other, especially towards the end, which was also highly entertaining..."

https://elliottbaye.wordpress.com/2018/05/07/review-may-7-2018/

Blogger Abby Spear eventually found her way to enjoying Witches Abroad:

"I will admit at the very start I was super confused, the way everything was worded was weird and very hard for me to grasp, I even thought about putting it back but it really gripes me to give up on a book so I persevered. I’m glad I did because about 40 pages in I found my footing and from there everything was fine. The humour was great, the story incredibly original and I found the characters filled me with a sense of nostalgia (for what I’m not so sure). There were a lot of adult jokes so I’m glad I read it properly this time around, as an 11 year old I definitely wouldn’t have grasped them especially because they were so cleverly written..."

https://abbeyspear.wordpress.com/2018/04/20/witches-abroad-a-review/

Blogger Amasyn read a Discworld novel for the first time – Equal Rites – and thoroughly approved:

"This book was so funny and thought provoking. I absolutely loved the characters, Granny Weatherwax being my favorite. Granny Weatherwax was hilarious and sassy and everything that I love book characters to be. She was no nonsense and I just loved her. Esk was also a strong character, I enjoyed how authentically young she was without being naive and how she wasn’t afraid to stand up to boys. I enjoyed the social issues that Pratchett address, obviously this one is about equal rights between woman and men. It never felt heavy handed or over the top. It really just made me think. I can see the merit in re-reading this book and picking up on all the nuances that are placed throughout the story..."

https://amaysnreads.wordpress.com/2018/05/12/post-a-day-may-i-read-my-first-discworld-novel/

Blogger Lawrence Fargerberg recommends Moving Pictures:

"If you have never read any Terry Pratchett, you must! Pratchett is an author I file under ‘comfort-reading’, he is entertaining and you can easily get lost in his comic fantasy world... Moving Pictures is quite clearly a send up of Hollywood, most of the action takes places in Holy Wood, a hill not far from Ankh-Morpork. When the Alchemists stop blowing themselves up, a regular occurrence in Ankh-Morpork, they invent moving pictures. Using this technology they start to make clicks (movies), and everyone in Discworld wants to be part of the new business. Our main characters are Victor Tugelbend, a dropout from the magicians Unseen University, Ginger, a girl from ‘a little town you’ve never heard of’, and the notorious salesman Cut-My-Own-Throat Dibbler – sound familiar? Pratchett takes the idea of the Hollywood dream and subverts it completely. These three set out to become stars, but with stardom comes responsibility. With his usual combination of fantasy, comedy and satire Pratchett produced another hilarious novel. I think surreal is the best way to describe Terry Pratchett’s Discworld. Moving Pictures is just that, and this is why I love his writing. He is so entertaining yet he does make his readers think about the world they live in..."

https://lawrencefargerbergblog.wordpress.com/2018/04/14/moving-pictures-terry-pratchett/

Blogger Pete contradicts himself repeatedly in a barely-coherent review of Pyramids that's a bit priceless and a lot clueless:

"As always, Pratchett’s humor is consistently wonderful and his writing is vivid and unusual. Discworld books might be light in theme and story, but I have always struggled through Pratchett’s writing, but he has a tendency to leave out speech tags or deliberately throw the reader off during conversations. I find myself rereading passages to get a grip on what’s happening and who’s speaking. This can be frustrating, but it’s something I’ve found in every Pratchett book I’ve read, which is a good handful by this point. After the first 150 pages, the plot seems to tumble apart and slow down significantly. I never understood what the characters wanted, and I don’t think the characters did either. There was a lot of wandering through deserts and talking about camels and quantum physics. There’s a forgettable female character who, as with many of Pratchett’s female sidekicks, is a strong-willed, vaguely romantic object. I’m pretty tired of sexual tension in his books, but as long as the protagonist is male, they will be clueless and awkward and some girl will fill the role of the witty and intelligent love interest. The jokes are the same and the characters just have different names..."

https://litlens.org/2018/04/21/pyramids-a-meandering-stroll-through-the-desert/

...and finally, blogger, author and technomancer David Langford tells the tale of Bicarb, a Hex application he wrote for a certain client called Terry Pratchett:

"The 'deliberate repetition for effect' card could be played only so often, especially if you hadn’t noticed the repetition of 'repetition' and the fact that it’s now appeared four times in one paragraph. Terry Pratchett was another author who worried about such things. In 1998 he invited me to write a little Windows application to monitor his own use of favourite words. This, he stipulated, was to be named Bicarb because the idea was to stop you repeating...

https://milfordsfwriters.wordpress.com/2018/04/19/the-silicon-critic-by-david-langford/

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07) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

No longer invisible, the scribblings and drawings of a certain Buckinghamshire schoolboy:
https://dailym.ai/2rGjHkY (just an ordinary schoolboy's bag... not)
https://dailym.ai/2rDqxI8 (the birth of a short story; lovely handwriting!)
https://dailym.ai/2rGjQF2 (Carpet People title calligraphy practice)
https://dailym.ai/2KZB6gT (oodles of doodles)
https://dailym.ai/2wDdkUH (drawing the Carpet People)

A glimpse of the current Discworld and Beyond exhibition at Aylesbury's Bucks Museum, from Paul Kidby's Twitter account:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dc553zQX4AAIdk4.jpg

Mr Kidby's cover to the forthcoming Terry Pratchett: HisWorld book – in itself a work of great beauty:
https://bit.ly/2KVNUoa

The magnificent carved (or should that be carven?) Ankh-Morpork Coat of Arms, as displayed at Birdworld's Terry Pratchett Owl Parliament:
http://birdworld.co.uk/management/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/coatofarms-500x466.jpg

Unseen Theatre's beautiful set for their 2009 production of Making Money beautifully brought Ankh-Morpork's financial centre to life:
https://bit.ly/2HSmZfg

Quaffing at The Mended Drum – it happens on Roundworld too! As posted on https://twitter.com/MendedDrumHuby:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DblDNODWkAE1ThF.jpg

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08) CLOSE

If you're looking for an interesting op-ed with a Pratchett twist, here's an essay from Alabama journalist Mark Hughes Cobb, who has written various thoughtful and intelligent pieces about the works of Pratchett – on how Crowley and Aziraphale have a more reasonable view of world domination-or-destruction than your average evil overlord: "What’s the deal with madmen and mass destruction? If you wipe out everyone and everything, what’s left to do? Where will you stand, arms akimbo, gloating uncontrollably? Where will you relocate your hollowed-out volcano lairs? Shark will be left flopping in the debris, seeking the unemployment office with thousands of minions scurrying in jumpsuits and pained expressions, possibly because, being evil, you don’t provide healthcare... Given orders to launch Armageddon, [Aziraphale and Crowley] decide, uh, No... After millennia on terra firma, the angels rather like it; the whole holy war thing seems as distant and mildly humiliating as high school..."

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/news/20180425/mark-hughes-cobb-whats-point-of-all-that-evil

A tip of the Wossname wizarding hat goes to Pratchett fan Sofia Tayton, who tweeted a wonderful gesture after visiting the A-M Consulate, otherwise known as the Discworld Emporium: "My haul from my first ever visit to the Emporium today. This was my 40th birthday treat. In my 'real' life I work with elderly & vulnerable clients, and am a dementia friend. In memory of Sir Terry I'm donating the same amount I spent in store today to the Alzheimers Society."

https://twitter.com/SofiaTayton/status/990256228600303616

For those of you who celebrate Star Wars on the Glorious 25th (mostly out in the Far West, I'm told), it's worth noting that the forthcoming film "Solo" looks very promising indeed... but I'll take The Kite over the Millennium Falcon any time...

...and finally, a news item that I imagine would have tickled Sir Pterry's Men of the Sheds bone:

"A souped-up motorised shed has broken its own land speed record on a Welsh beach as it hit 100mph. The Fastest Shed smashed its previous 80mph (129km/h) record for the fastest shed at a land speed event at Pendine Sands in Carmarthenshire on Saturday. Owner Kevin Nicks said it was "marvellous" to hit 101mph (160 km/h) in what he said was the only road legal motorised shed in the world. 'It couldn't have gone better, I'm so happy,' said the 53-year-old gardener. Mr Nicks, from Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire, spent more than £13,000 creating his bespoke shed on wheels, which now boasts a turbo-charged 400 brake horsepower engine that is more powerful than many sports cars..."

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-44054814

And that's it for May. Take care, and we'll see you next month!

– Annie Mac

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

Copyright (c) 2018 by Klatchian Foreign Legion

Here's hoping all of you Pratchett fans in London are having a lovely (and warm) Bank Holiday!

And for those of you who would like to enjoy the monthly gathering of The Broken Drummers at the Monkey Puzzle in Paddington, please note that due to said Bank Holiday the regular meeting time has been brought forward this month to 3pm.

The Monkey Puzzle was an old favourite of mine in my London days, and with all the myriad changes in London over the years, it's wonderful to see that the pub is still going and still popular.

Have fun!

- Annie Mac, Editor

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
March 2018 (Volume 21, Issue 3, Post 2)

********************************************************************
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 PLAYS NEWS
05) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
08) ROUNDWORLD TALES: MUCKY STUFF
09) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
10) CLOSE

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"Perhaps the answer lies in one of Adams’ descriptions of Earth from the original Hitchhiker’s: “This planet has – or rather had – a problem, which was this: most of the people living on it were unhappy for pretty much all of the time.” If British science fiction and fantasy can alleviate that at the same time as performing the basic requirements of the genre – to reflect modern life, to make us think and to be exciting – then I’d rather have one good old giggle than a dozen dour dystopias."
– Guardian journalist David Barnett has high hopes for Good Omens and The Watch

"I’d always been scornful of fantasy until I read my first Terry Pratchett novel."
– author Val McDermid, speaking to The Guardian

"Fans of my father want certain things and I am trying to look after that, but at the same time I am still trying to do what I want to do.”"
– Rhianna Pratchett, in an interview in Dubai, March 2018

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

The Soul Cake Duck is coming! Yes, it's that time of year again, when Spring peeps over the horizon (unless you live in Fourecks or other places at similar latitudes) and the chocolate flows free. I hope all our readers enjoy a good long holiday weekend and don't expire of chocolate-overdose like a certain former Auditor...

Agatean Whispers on the Clacks: in the rush to make content from the announcement about The Watch (see item 3.1), certain quarters forgot to fact-check, or indeed, to proofread. Witness this gem from Cinema Blend: "Amazon is also looking at developing Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash and Terry Pratchett's Ringworld as either films or series." (It's in the second paragraph at https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2316432/The-Dark-Tower-Series-Isnt-Dead-After-All if you want to see for yourself). This is particularly amusing, given that Ringworld author Larry Niven and Sir Pterry did know each other and were working on a collaborative outline for a novel. But no, the Disc hasn't suddenly gone ring-shaped!

Let's raise a thimble of scumble to the memory of Jan Kantůrek, the famous Czech translator, who has died recently, and note the iconograph of him with The Author in section 9 below. Along with his considerable body of translating work, Kantůrek had the distinction of translating books about two of literature's most famous barbarians – Conan and Cohen – and has a wikipage (_https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Kant%C5%AFrek_). Jan Kantůrek's ear for effectively translated humour was, I'm told, a large part of the reasons novels have sold over three-quarters of a million copies in the Czech Republic. Legend has it that Vlastimir Talas (owner of Talpress, the Czech Discworld publishing house) had asked him to find out which Czech translator would be best to translate Discworld, and after much research Kantůrek came to the conclusion that none would be up to the job of coping with the humour and puns. the publisher's reaction was, "Well, whether you know it or not, you've talked yourself into the job!" He will be much missed.

Now then... on with the show!

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) ODDS AND SODS

3.1 HERE COMES THE WATCH!

At last, some news about the long-promised "CSI: Ankh-Morpork" television series, aka The Watch. By now the rumours and more-then-rumours have already trickled out around the internet, but here is the earliest announcement as posted on Deadline:

"Terry Pratchett fans may want to stay close to a television screen over the next couple of years: his comedy fantasy book series Discworld has become his latest work to be snapped up for a small screen adaptation. BBC Studios is developing a six-part series based on the long-running epic novel series. I hear that Simon Allen, who has written series including Strike Back, The Musketeers and Sky’s forthcoming reboot of Das Boot, is writing the series, which has a working title of The Watch. BBC Studios is looking to set up the show as a returnable franchise. No broadcasters are currently attached but the production arm of the British public broadcaster, which is now free to sell to all third-party broadcasters, is eyeing the adaptation as a major international co-production. It is co-producing the series with Narrativia, the production company founded by Pratchett in 2012... The urban-set stories follow the clashes between the fantasy world and modern civilization and largely revolve around the growth of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch from a hopeless gang of three to a fully equipped police force. This force is run by Sam Vimes, a cynical, working-class street cop who battles dragons with other characters including werewolves, trolls and zombies. It would be perfect for a Pratchett-style CSI crime of the week procedural cop drama with supernatural elements..."

https://bit.ly/2F5A9Qt

And in the Radio Times:

"The Watch is likely to be set in the principal city of Ankh-Morpork and revolve around the growth of the City Watch from a “hopeless gang of three” to a serious police force run by Sam Vimes, the cynical, working-class street cop. The Ankh-Morpork City Watch are the focus of eight Discworld novels and a short story. With Discworld’s cast of werewolves, dragons, trolls and zombies, we can look forward to something quite visually spectacular. The series is being executive produced by BBC Studios’ Head of Drama Hilary Salmon, whose CV includes Luther and Silent Witness. And while it may be a BBC show, it could potentially become a major international co-production..."

http://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2018-03-02/terry-pratchett-discworld-tv-series-bbc-studios/

And on The Bookseller:

"Jon Wood, group publisher at Orion, commented on the news of their introduction to the small screen: 'We’re absolutely delighted to hear the news that Terry’s fantastic books are going to be adapted by the BBC. Following their wonderful work on Jonathan Strange, as well their fantastic roster of drama and comedy, we await this adaptation with huge excitement, as no doubt fans the world over do as well. There’s no writer quite like Terry – we are tremendously proud to publish him – and we’re certain this will result in a television programme quite like no other too.'..."

https://bit.ly/2CYFszi

3.2 TERRY PRATCHETT: HISWORLD AWARD NOMINATION

From Katy Griffin for the Salisbury Journal:

"Thousands of visitors flocked to see the Terry Pratchett: HisWorld exhibition at Salisbury Museum, which has been nominated in the Best Temporary or Touring Exhibition category in the Museum and Heritage Awards. The museum worked closely with the Estate of Sir Terry Pratchett and artist Paul Kidby, who illustrated many of the Discworld publications, to put the exhibition together. A spokesman for the museum said: 'Right from the moment the doors opened, it was clear that we had a hit on our hands. By the time the exhibition closed on January 14 this year, more than 21,000 people had come to see the exhibition, literally from all over the world. We are so very proud to have reached the shortlist.'... It is up against other entries including the National Trust for its Prejudice & Pride exhibition, the Science Museum in London for Robots: The 500-Year Quest to Make, Victoria and Albert Museum for You Say You Want a Revolution? The annual Museums and Heritage Awards, which are now in its 16th year, recognise projects of excellence, and innovative and ground-breaking initiatives from galleries and visitor attractions across the UK and overseas..."

http://bit.ly/2poamgS

3.3 ...AND HERE COMES THE SHED OF DOOM!

The Terry Pratchett: HisWorld exhibit may have come to its end, but the part of the exhibit that featured Sir Pterry's wonderful re-created office will be back! It's being prepared for the 2018 Chalke Valley History Festival. Another report by Katy Griffin in the Salisbury Journal:

"This summer there will be the new Live History Live programme – a series of some 50 events at the weekend... Also new for 2018, the festival will be celebrating its Chalke Valley History Heroes. There will be a series of talks about the antiquarian and historian, John Aubrey, photographer and designer Cecil Beaton, authors Terry Pratchett and William Golding, artist Henry Lamb and former Prime Minister Anthony Eden. There will be a recreation of Terry Pratchett’s extraordinary writing office in a new special exhibition called The Shed of Doom and, on the Sunday morning, courtesy of the Discworld Conjuror’s Guild, the Festival will be welcoming the fabulous and award-winning Time-Travelling Magicians Morgan & West..."

The 2018 Chalke Valley History Festival will take place from 25th June to 1st July this year. Tickets will be available from next month (April).

https://bit.ly/2pAm5sF

More on the festival, from Paul Kidby's own website:

The Chalke Valley History festival is held in Broad Chalke, a small village outside Salisbury in which Sir Terry Pratchett made his home for the past several decades. Founded in 2011, it brings in thousands of attendees each year. This year we are excited to announce that the Discworld will come home to the Chalke Valley. Following on the success of Terry Pratchett: HisWorld, the record-breaking exhibition at Salisbury Museum, the office of Sir Terry will be re-created at the History Festival, giving visitors the chance to see the inner-sanctum from where Sir Terry penned his best-selling novels... The most stunning part of this this installation will be the brand-new Shed of Doom. The creation of Discworld Dark Lord, Evil Harry Dread, this menacing monolith will tower over visitors. Standing a full 18 feet tall, this horticultural horror is precisely based upon drawings by Paul Kidby..."

https://www.paulkidby.com/event/discworld-at-the-chalke-valley-history-festival/

http://cvhf.org.uk

3.4 GOOD OMENS: READY FOR POST-PRODUCTION NOW

From the Radio Times, by Eleanor Bley Griffiths:

"The filming and production for Good Omens sounds just about as epic as the story itself – but now the last day of principal photography has arrived in Cape Town after 109 days, and showrunner Neil Gaiman has marked the occasion with a special message to cast and crew. 'Over a hundred days of shooting,' he writes, in a photograph of the call sheet shared by director Douglas Mackinnon. 'We've been frozen and broiled, sandstormed and snowed, dogbitten and burned down. We've not had any two days of shooting that were like any other two. Through it all we’ve persisted, telling a story about Peace vs War, about looking after this world because it’s the only one we have, about making the right choices. Thank you, all of you, from Terry Pratchett and from me.'..."

https://bit.ly/2pBun3E

3.5 PRATCHETT AND CHAUCER: BEST BUDS?

Over the past twelve years the Arizona State University English department in Tempe, Arizona has held a biennial Chaucer day. This year's event, the ASU Chaucer Celebration: Twenty-First-Century Chaucer, included include readings, viewings of early printed editions of Chaucer texts and a re-enactment of an updated version of “The Canterbury Tales” starring ASU students and faculty. YA author Kim Zarins, who participated in the readings, was asked , "If you had to compare Chaucer to a contemporary writer or artist, who would it be and why?", and answered, "Both [Chaucer and Pratchett] make you laugh out loud, plus both are razor-sharp satirists with a keen radar for hypocrisy in society. They both use stock characters who nonetheless become real people as muddled and contradictory as the rest of us, yet the stock element is still there, which makes me think there can be stock qualities to ourselves, but that doesn’t make us any less real. Chaucer and Pratchett are shockingly brilliant, yet down-to-earth enough (or down-to-Discworld enough) that they are always open to slapstick and cheesy puns, which I’m a sucker for. Both tickle your brain but then tug on your heart. I pay my deep respects to Pratchett and his character Death when I retell the Pardoner’s Tale, which I’d done on intuition without thinking about it further, and now I’m really glad I put the two authors together. They would have been great friends."

http://bit.ly/2HNUSJM

3.6 SMALL SCREEN DISCWORLD SO FAR: A RETROSPECTIVE

By Andrew Blair on Den of Geek:

"Starting with Hogfather in 2006 as part of the festive schedules, Vadim Jean and his team followed this with The Colour Of Magic (adapting the book of the same name and its follow up The Light Fantastic) in 2008, finishing with Going Postal in 2010. Plans were afoot for adaptations of Unseen Academicals and Sourcery but these never came to fruition. Which is a shame, as by the time of Going Postal the Mob had really got the hang of adapting Terry Pratchett books. They had begun with the 20th Discworld novel, Hogfather... The first person cast was Ian Richardson as the voice of Death. Richardson passed away shortly after the broadcast, and was replaced by Christopher Lee for The Colour Of Magic (Lee had previously voiced Death for Cosgrove Hall’s animations for Soul Music and Wyrd Sisters). Richardson and Marnix van den Broeke (wearing the costume) bring Death right out of the books. Both were inspired casting. Now, though, I’m about to get my curmudgeon on. There’s a sense of strain and tiredness to the finished productions... They feel very safe. You can understand why this might be reasonable for a Christmas broadcast, but both Hogfather and The Colour Of Magic feel like they’re focussed on whimsy at the expense of weight, character and darkness. Comedy is a key reason for Pratchett’s popularity, but it’s not the only colour he painted with...

"Where I think Going Postal has the edge is that it benefits from the enthusiasm and experience of the previous two adaptations, a great book to work with, and having more people come on board to tackle the script and directing job. All of a sudden, the characters seem more real, more rounded, and Suchet’s Reacher Gilt is a suitably nasty piece of work. There are tones other than ‘What larks’, some genuine pathos, and more lived-in feel to Ankh-Morpork. Getting it right three stories in isn’t exactly unheard of in television, and if these three had been a series you could see it being renewed..."

https://bit.ly/2pDSwFP

3.7 SOUTH AFRICA CELEBRATES: NOT QUITE A CONVENTION BUT MORE THAN AFTERNOON TEA

The second annual South African Discworld Day is coming up! "Join in a celebration of life on Sir Terry Pratchett's Birthday (28 April) by honoring his legacy and experiencing his Discworld.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..."

There are mny activities planned. A limited number of tickets are available from https://www.quicket.co.za/events/40656-discworld-day-interesting-times-in-ankh-morpork/#/

Tickets are R70 online (see above), or R90 at the gate/on the day (under-12s have free entry). Parking costs R10 per car. "Dogs and unruly luggages to be kept on leashes at all times. Please note – there is a 1km dirt road to the venue but it is suitable for most cars."

Here be a map to the location: https://goo.gl/maps/TkgXqikT9k62

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04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

Editor's note: as Wossname normally only comes out once every month, do check the Wossname blog for information on plays that might fall between issue dates! Go to https://wossname.dreamwidth.org/ for interim updates.

4.1 PLAYS IN APRIL AND MAY

* WYRD SISTERS IN BENDIGO, FOURECKS (APRIL)

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

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

https://bendigotheatrecompany.org/

* MONSTROUS REGIMENT IN ILLINOIS, USA (APRIL)

The Green Man Theatre Troupe will be staging their production of Monstrous Regiment in April. Good to see more and more American Discworld productions going on!

When: 13th April–29th April 2018, Fridays through Sundays
Venue: First United Methodist Church, 232 S.York Street, Elmhurst, IL 60126
Time: 7.30pm all evening shows, 2pm Sunday matinees
Tickets: $17 (students and seniors $15), available from the Box Office (630 464 2646)

http://www.greenmantheatre.org

* WYRD SISTERS IN HAMPSHIRE (APRIL)

The Headley Theatre Club will be presenting Wyrd Sisters in what looks to be a fun evening in April!

When: 13th–14th and 20th–21st April 2018
Venue: Headley Village Hall, Arford Road, Headley, Bordon, Hants GU35 8LJ
Time: 8pm all shows, but if you arrive at 7.30pm you'll be serenaded pre-show by the Mended Drum Folk Club!
Tickets: £8, available online at www.headley-village.com/drama olr from Ticketsource at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/headley-theatre-club or by ringing the Box Office on 01428 717358. NOTE: an additional £5 gets you fed by Porkers, Pies and Puddings

http://www.headley-village.com/drama

* WYRD SISTERS IN SOUTHAMPTON (APRIL)

The Maskers Theatre Company, "one of the South’s leading non-professional theatre groups", are also taking on Wyrd Sisters next month: "The Maskers has its own premises – a studio/workshop acquired and converted with lottery funding in 1994 - where equipment and wardrobe are stored and set construction takes place. Since then our activities, both technical and social, have flourished. Our performances are often reviewed as being of a professional standard; all of this is enhanced by the beautiful setting in which we are privileged to perform."

When: 17th–20th April 2018
Venue: Berry Theatre, Emsworth Road, Shirley, Southampton SO15 3LX
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £10–£12.50, available from http://www.theberrytheatre.co.uk/whats-on/spring-18/wyrd-sisters/ (scroll down and click on your desired date) or by phoning 023 8065 2333.

http://maskers.org.uk/productions/2018/WyrdSisters/show.php

* MORT IN YORKSHIRE (APRIL)

Skipton Players bring their production of Mort to the stage in April.

When: 17th–21st April 2018
Venue: Skipton Little Theatre, Clifford Street, Skipton, N Yorks BD23 2AD
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £10 (concessions £5), available online at http://www.skiptonlittletheatre.org.uk/book-online/ or through the Box Office by phoning 07527 141176

Website: http://www.skiptonlittletheatre.org.uk/

* WYRD SISTERS IN SWITZERLAND (APRIL/MAY)

Attention all Francophone Discworld fans! Theatre de la Cite de Fribourg will stage their production of Wyrd Sisters ("Trois soercieres") – adapted by Christophe Vaillot, Alain Le Coultre and Serge K. Keller from the Patrick Couton translation of Stephen Briggs' version – in April and May.

When: 19th–21st and 27th–28th April, 4th–5th and 10th–12th May 2018
Venue: Theatre de la Cite de Fribourg, Grandes-Rames 36, 1700 Fribourg, La Sarine, Switzerland
Time: 8pm all evening shows; 5.30pm matinees on 29th April and 6th May
Tickets: adults CHF 18, seniors and students CHF 13. There is also a students-only discount price of CHF10 on Thursdays. To reserve tickets, ring Fribourg Tourisme on +41 26 350 11 00 – tickets can then be collected at the theatre.

Note: there will be a celebration of Sir Pterry's 70th birthday after the final April show (28th, the day of his birth), and the public are welcome to attend.

http://www.tcf.ch

* JINGO IN DORSET (APRIL)

The Castle Players will present their production of Jingo in April "in celebration of what would have been Sir Terry Pratchett's 70th Birthday". A good choice!

When: 26th–28th April 2018
Venue: The Village Hall, High Street, Lytchett Matravers, Poole, Dorset BH16 6DD
Time: 7.45pm evening shows; Saturday matinee 2.30pm
Tickets: £10 (concessions £9), bookable by phone (07938 965434) or available from the Rose and Crown in Lytchett Matravers or online at https://www.castleplayers.com/tickets

https://www.castleplayers.com

* GUARDS! GUARDS! IN CHORLEY (APRIL)

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

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

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

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

* MORT IN BIRKENHEAD (APRIL)

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

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

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

* THE FIFTH ELEPHANT IN ESSEX (APRIL/MAY)

Chelmsford Theatre Workshop is having a go at staging The Fifth Elephant, directed by Mark Preston. A good choice: "April 2018 will see groups from all over the UK perform plays to mark Terry Pratchett’s 70th birthday, and Chelmsford Theatre Workshop will be proud to contribute to this anniversary event."

When: 25th–28th April and 2nd–5th May 2018
Venue: Old Court Theatre, 233 Springfield Road, Chelmsford, Essex CM2 6JT
Time: 7.45pm all shows
Tickets: £10 (concessions £9), available from the Box Office by phoning 01245 606505

https://ctw.org.uk/season-2017-2018/

* GUARDS! GUARDS! IN PLYMOUTH (MAY)

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

When: 16th–18th May 2018
Venue: Tilt Theatre, Performing Arts, City College Plymouth, Plymouth
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £5 (concessions £3), available online by going to http://bit.ly/2HZba37 and clicking on the desired date button.

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

* MORT IN READING (MAY)

Caversham Park Theatre will be staging their production of Mort in May – and they're promoting audience participation: "Dress Up for Discworld! Any Character, any performance, especially Saturday evening". Sounds good!

When: 17th–19th May 2018
Venue: Milestone Centre, Milestone Way Precinct, Caversham, Reading RG4 6PF
Time: 8pm (17th and 18th) and 7.30pm (19th)
Tickets: £7 plus an online booking fee, available from https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/223486 or by ringing the Box Office on 01189 481 377

http://www.kelvinplayers.co.uk/

4.2 PLAYS LATER IN 2018

* WYRD SISTERS IN SHEFFIELD (JUNE/JULY)

The Company invite you to their production of Wyrd Sisters this June and July.

When: 13th–16th June and 11th July 2018
Venue: The University Drama Studio, Shearwood Road, Sheffield S10 2TD on 13th–16th June, and outdoors on Dore Village Green on 11th July
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £8.50 (concessions £5.5), available online at https://www.thecompanysheffield.co.uk/boxoffice/ or £9 (concessions £6) on the door.

https://www.thecompanysheffield.co.uk/productions/wyrdsisters/
https://www.thecompanysheffield.co.uk/aboutus/howtofind.php

* WYRD SISTERS IN SWANSEA (JULY)

The Pontlliw Players will present their production of Wyrd Sisters in July

When: 26th–28th July 2018
Venue: Pontlliw Village Hall, Carmel Rd, Pontlliw, Swansea SA4 9EX
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £7, available from the Box Office by phoning 01792 897833 or 07986 135341, or by emailing tickets@pvh_online.org.uk

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

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

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

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

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

* THE SCIENCE OF DISCWORLD IV IN ABINGDON (NOVEMBER)

The Studio Theatre Club's next Discworld production will be Stephen Briggs' dramatisation of the fourth Science of Discworld novel, Judgement Day!

When: 14th–17th November 2018
Venue: the Unicorn Theatre, Medieval Abbey Buildings, Checker Walk, Abingdon,, Oxon OX14 3JB
Time: TBA
Tickets: TBA

http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/beyond-quality-street

* GOING POSTAL IN BRISTOL (DECEMBER)

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

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

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

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05) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS

5.1 DISCWORLD EMPORIUM UPDATES

* Stamps from the Queendom of Ptraci!

"The Djelibeybi 1 Talent postage stamp, and 5 Ptascp issue featuring the royal visage of Queen Ptraci, are available to collect as single stamps or in beautiful whole sheets... and in the latest Little Brown Envelope edition! Every envelope in this LBE edition contains both new issues, plus a random assortment of current Discworld Stamps with a chance of sports and rarities!"

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

* The return of Discworld miniatures!

"These exquisitely detailed character busts from miniature sculpture experts Micro Art Studio have returned to the Emporium – now with even more DEATH! Created from the illustrations of Paul Kidby, these fantastic mini-figures stand between 12.5-13.5cm tall with an elegant metal-effect painted finish! Each bust is also available in an unpainted finish, so you can bring Death to life with a paintbrush and create your own Discworld masterpiece!"

https://www.discworldemporium.com/37-discworld-miniatures

* The Wilkins speaks!

"The largest festival of history in the UK lands in Broad Chalke, Wiltshire this summer. Of course the Chalke was also home to a certain Sir Terry Pratchett, renowned history buff and legendary writer of books. With such a festival in Terry's back garden, what could be more appropriate than the presence of his own shed! From designs by Paul Kidby, Evil Harry Dread's Shed of Doom will be built at this year's festival, through which visitors can enter a recreation of Terry's writing office. If you missed out on the Terry Pratchett: Hisworld Exhibition, it's another chance to visit your favourite author's place of work, and with talks by Rob Wilkins and Paul Kidby, it's sure to be a fitting celebration of the man in the hat in the glorious valley he called home!"

To win tickets to Rob Wilkins' Talk The Write Fantastic: Terry Pratchett, on Saturday 30th June, check back on the festival competition page:
https://cvhf.org.uk/competitions-heroes/

http://www.discworldemporium.com/

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06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), will be meeting next from 7pm on Monday 2nd April 2018 at the Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London, W2 1JQ. "We welcome anyone and everyone who enjoys Sir Terry's works, or quite likes them or wants to find out more. We have had many visitors from overseas who have enjoyed themselves and made new friends. The discussions do not only concern the works of Sir Terry Pratchett but wander and meander through other genres and authors and also leaping to TV and Film production. We also find time for a quiz."

Broken Drummers are also going to the Victoria and Albert Museum around two-ish next Monday (2nd April, also known this year as Easter Monday bank holiday) before the regular meetup at the Monkey Puzzle. For more information, email BrokenDrummers@gmail.com or nicholls.helen@yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group (if you must) at https://www.facebook.com/groups/55107511411/permalink/10156634038566412/

From the Drummers' most recent meet report, by Helen Nicholls:

"Nine of us met on Monday, undeterred by the cold spell. Some of us had already been to the Nightwatchers event at the Tower of London a couple of weeks earlier. We had to walk around the Tower after dark with headphones pretending that we were being recruited into an intelligence agency. We initially had to make contact with a person in a red scarf by asking a question that included the word "midnight"? Marina was the one who did this but was told to go away until the rest of our party had arrived. She was later told off for not taking it seriously by the person who gave out the equipment... Edmund, a special constable in his spare time, did a quiz on the City Watch books. Surprisingly, he managed to avoid death threats despite having a lot of questions. I won and will do the next one. I did joke at one point about doing a quiz on the meeting reports to see who reads them. I was tempted as it could lead people to go through the old ones to swot up but I have decided that that would be mean..."

*

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." The Loonies' next event will be the Did You Bring a Beer Along weekend, celebrating 20 years of The Last Continent and what should have been Sir Pterry's 70th birthday, from 27th–29th April.

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

*

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

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

*

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

The next CoSG events will be a celebration of Terry Pratchett's birthday on 28th April (details not yet finalised) and a Board Games Day at La Scala on 29th April.

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! 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 5th April 2018 (probably) from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight. For more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) next meets on Friday 6th April 2018 (possibly) at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards. "Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"

*

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

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

*

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

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meet next on Monday 2nd April 2018 (possibly) 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 Retrovold's thoughts on A Slip of the Keyboard:

"Terry Pratchett was undoubtedly a genius in many things. Be it his ability to humor you beyond reason with his vast fantastical ideas or completely emotionally disarm you with his ability to get right to the point of being a human (or not) without you even excepting it. Those are one of the main reasons I’ve always loved his stories, they are done right, with everything a good story needs. They make you laugh hysterically, they make you adore Death but they also make you weep and nod in agreement. Terry Pratchett is simply a brilliant writer and world is much emptier without him. Even in his “autobiography” (it’s, not in the traditional sense of the word), he is utterly charming but also inspiring... Whichever story you choose, you learn a lot. Not only about Terry Pratchett as a person, but also about Terry Pratchett the writer. It is definitely a book for devoted fans, but I’d say, it is also a must-read for anyone who aspires or desires to write their own stories..."

https://retrovold.com/2018/02/28/a-slip-of-the-keyboard-fun-for-writers/

Blogger bookramblings142 celebrates – and quantifies – Pratchett's "Uncle Jim" children's stories:

"Now trying to find local newspapers from over 50 years ago is largely a fruitless task so the first time I saw some of these stories from Terry’s early days was on a website started by the Bucks Free Press in association with the Friends of High Wycombe Libraries in June 2010, which posted 2 of them and the first 4 parts of what would become Terry’s first novel The Carpet People. They indicated that they intended to make them all available before they were told to stop quite quickly after the site was started as Terry owned the copyright. The site never actually added any more work and was eventually taken down by the end of 2012. What they did have on the site though was a partially useful list that showed the first time Terry wrote as Uncle Jim was published on the 8th October 1965 and the last they listed was 20th December 1968, in total there were 167 parts listed making up 47 distinct stories... During Terry’s tenure as Uncle Jim a lot of the stories are centred on the fictional county of Gritshire, its county town of Blackbury with surrounding towns like East Slate and Umbridge (on the river Um) and the notorious Even Moor where strange things happen in the wild places. The characters gradually develop over the stories so you really feel that there is such a community where odd events occur almost every day and almost feel sorry for the largely incompetent county councillors who just seem to invite disaster with their every plan for improvement..."

https://bookramblings288957187.wordpress.com/2018/02/27/uncle-jim/

Blogger katyboo1 aka Making Them Readers, mother of young Discworld fan Oscar, gives more Tiffany thoughts, this time about A Hat Full of Sky:

"For me, A Hat Full of Sky is so special because it shows Pratchett’s commitment to his theories of what magic is in a non-magical world. It’s where everything he’s been hinting at gets spelled out for those at the back. It’s him, doubling down on what it means to be a witch and what magic really is, and what that means for those of us stuck on a round world where witches don’t exist any more, except that for Pratchett they very much do. It’s the most humane, passionate and angry of his books and every time I read it, or in this case, have it read to me by my son, it makes me cry. Oscar loved it too, almost certainly for different reasons. He’s an eleven year old boy. He’s got the joy I had of reading Pratchett the first time at a young age, and loving the story, and the funny bits, and then reading it again and again as he grows and seeing the layers, the cleverness, the wisdom and the complexity of the books that will make them endure long after other more ‘worthy’ tomes have fallen by the wayside..."

https://makingthemreaders.wordpress.com/2018/02/26/a-hat-full-of-sky-by-terry-pratchett/

Blogger Josh Mauthe aka Clyde Umney returns to hold forth on Only You Can Save Mankind:

"If that all sounds a bit darker than the usual Pratchett fare, well, it is. That’s not to say that some of Pratchett’s usual clever wordplay and light language doesn’t make its way in there, nor some clever dialogue. But in many ways, Only You Can Save Mankind feels like a very different book, one that’s more cynical and more uncertain as to where we’re going as a species. It’s a book set against the backdrop of Desert Storm, where the war has been turned into TV highlights and students complain that the war gets boring to watch unless there’s good action. That background helps to shine a light on the intent behind the main plot, in which Johnny finds himself drawn into a Galaga/Space Invaders-style video game to help the aliens survive, because they can handle no more slaughtering at the hands of humans who find war to only be an entertaining game... this is not Pratchett scolding video games; rather, this is undeniably (and sometimes too overtly) a book about media and war, and one clearly inspired by the war that’s playing out in the background of the novel..."

https://clydeumney.wordpress.com/2018/02/24/only-you-can-save-mankind-by-terry-pratchett/

Blogger Molo Writes recommends Jingo:

"Stereotypes are regularly presented, challenged, and debunked with Pratchett’s typical wit and frank humor. Jingo also explores the role of law enforcement in maintaining social stability and resolving conflicts while remaining objective and without abuses of power. Jingo is a great work of satirical fantasy, and though it’s twenty years old at this point, it remains relevant. I was only a couple of pages in when I realized the source of conflict and debate in Jingo is extremely applicable to current geopolitical posturing over the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. I’d recommend this for anyone looking for more satirical fantasy who doesn’t mind a long read (the book is about 440 pages) and anyone looking for a lighthearted primer on jingoism..."

https://molowrites.wordpress.com/2018/03/04/review-jingo/

Blogger Read Recently has mixed Tiffany feelings re I Shall Wear Midnight:

"For some reason, I’ve become less fond of the Tiffany Aching Saga as she aged and became an adult. Perhaps it’s because we already have the three (four) witches series and Pratchett only has so much to say with witch characters? Perhaps it’s just me. Anyway, this one has Tiffany facing off against a spirit called the Cunning Man, which inflames hatred of witches in the local people. There is a subplot involving the local baron getting married, and since Tiffany rescued him from the Elves when they were younger a lot of people assumed that they would grow up to be more than friends, and they didn’t. All things considered, it’s a good story and a fine example of its kind, but it feels to me like there’s nothing new here for Tiffany which, as you might recall, was my problem with The Shepherd’s Crown, the next Tiffany book and also the last Pratchett book ever. But still, it is a good book, and therefore recommended..."

https://readrecently.wordpress.com/2018/03/23/read-recently-april-2017-pratchett/

...whereas blogger MJ's take on ISWM has no Tiffany doubts at all:

"I’m very terrified of starting ‘The Shepherd’s Crown’ because I know that was the last novel Terry Pratchett wrote, and he was incredibly ill. Anyway, this book was fantastic – as usual... I hugely appreciated the dynamic between Tiffany and her father, he seems to be the only character (aside from the Feegles) who consistently believes in Tiffany’s abilities. It was nice to have a little familial relief between the attacks against Tiffany. It was so frustrating to be solidly on Tiff’s side and to see such unfair treatment aimed at her – but obviously that’s the point. The book does wind down pretty rapidly toward the end, presumably because Pratchett wasn’t sure if he would be able to write another novel. For example, Tiffany’s new love interest becomes integrated into her life very quickly at the end – time skips forward to see them happy together. But, I refuse to see that as a negative. The writing is spectacular, nothing can detract from that..."

https://miriammj.com/2018/03/22/i-shall-wear-midnight-terry-pratchett/

Another Clyde Umney blog, this one on a re-read of Good Omens after first encountering it a decade ago:

"Since then, I’ve come to know and deeply love the work of Terry Pratchett, and I’ve become more familiar with the work of Neil Gaiman (who, at the time I last read Good Omens, had only had a couple of novels published). That’s made it a perfect excuse to revisit the book, and see how it holds up as a work by two of my favorite writers. The answer: it holds up perfectly and then some, representing some wonderful union of the best of each author’s sensibilities, and creating something wonderful in the process... in typical Pratchett style, from the get-go, there are reversals and oddities, from the way that the Antichrist is raised by a family who doesn’t know what their child is and simply raises him normally to the way the book follows an angel and demon as they attempt to prevent all of this from happening. And through it all, Gaiman fleshes out the mythology and imagination of the piece, playing off of Pratchett’s wry social commentary and gleeful silliness. The result is, first of all, laugh-out-loud, consistently, constantly hilarious, from page one until the end...

"But what makes Good Omens great isn’t the sly parodies of The Omen or the wonderful silliness. No, what makes it great is what makes so many Pratchett (and Gaiman, to a different extent) books great: the way it uses the plot to get to something more meaningful and profound. What begins as a book about the end of the world becomes a study of human frailty (the demon Crowley’s thoughts about how human nature trumps anything he can ever come up with ring as true today as they did when the novel was first written), but also what makes life worth living. As with so many books by these two, the final confrontation doesn’t come down to an action sequence – it comes down to ideas, to optimism (or hope, perhaps) in the face of defeat and cynicism..."

https://clydeumney.wordpress.com/2018/03/20/good-omens-by-neil-gaiman-and-terry-pratchett/

Blogger Earth and Skye was well satisfied with The Light Fantastic:

"This story is every bit as entertaining and funny as the first one, and it finishes this small story arc off perfectly. Personally, my favourite line is “Rincewind said, grinning like a necrophiliac in a morgue”. (I may not have got the grammar in this quote perfect though). It kind of sums up the entire story perfectly. Wrong, funny and with great descriptives that I have never thought of using in my own writing… sometimes because it is just this side of wrong. I also love the long, rambling sentences. As someone who has read many science papers with these kinds of convoluted bits of wording, I normally find them frustrating. But, somehow Pratchett is able to make them fun, engaging and poetic in a way that no other author or writer I have come across is able to do. I really enjoyed Rincewind as the chief protagonist. He is completely inept, a total coward, and not quite capable of even being a real wizard. Yet, at the end of this tale, he is kind of able to find his own power and space..."

https://earthandskye.org/2018/03/21/the-light-fantastic-by-terry-pratchett/

Blogger The Shelf Wanderer's thoughts on Moving Pictures, being mainly a Lancre Witches and Moist von Lipwig fan:

"This novel is quintessentially Pratchett: it could stand alone quite happily if you haven’t read many, but if you ever find yourself in conversation about Pratchett, you may find yourself describing the features of this novel. This novel is one that really hits (what I’m going to call for this post) the Pratchett Swag. Pratchett Swag is all about distorting ideas or industries or poking fun at things and thoroughly doing a good job while making it funny or humorous or just a little plain weird. PS (yes I’m coining the term), seems to come and go for me, some novels feel really complete in their PS and others seem to drift a little from it. After reading a good handful I feel as if I’m getting the grasp on what PS really is. Moving Pictures is dripping with PS. But – it isn’t my favourite Discworld novel. I’m not sure what it is that makes a Discworld novel really tick for me but it’s a combination of PS and something else (but what that something else is I’m not sure)...

"I’m certain that there are film references that I didn’t clock in this novel, but the glaringly obvious I enjoyed. I enjoyed ‘laddie’ the handsome but stupid dog who always wants to please and rescue and be a good boy, while the scruffy, now-managing-an-actor-in-secret, intelligent Gaspode is thoroughly jealous. I think there is also a hint at King Kong in there or other classic monster-grabbing-love-interest-movies. Ginger and Victor have all the dumb luck but are enjoyable characters on and off screen. I wasn’t expecting Pratchett’s twist to be what it was, but will we see them again? I’m assuming not but who knows. Gaspode is a little of an unlikely hero in this novel, but the ending also seemed a little shoe horned and rushed after such a long build up of ‘Holy Wood’. I’d say it’s worth reading if you’re exploring Pratchett and there are very fun moments but it is not the novel I’d start with if you’re new to Pratchett..."

https://theshelfwanderer.wordpress.com/2018/03/20/86-moving-pictures/

Blogger Audra Edmonson has thought long and carefully about the Discworld series:

"Pratchett had a lot of time and space to develop his world and his characters. I’ll admit that his first books aren’t as meaningful or as well-written. You can see his style develop. You can see his characters grow. That’s part of what makes it so incredible... Pratchett was an atheist, and yet, somehow his books give me more faith, not less. He pokes fun at pantheons and pretty much every religion, showing the hypocrisy and contradictions, and yet…he still shows us that humans must have faith. We must. Otherwise we aren’t human. And despite our hypocrisy and contradictions and members of each religion who do awful, stupid things, there are still people in each place and faith that do amazing things. In the end, people are people, and that seems to be the point...

"Pratchett’s characters are usually the non-hero types; Sam Vimes, jaded copper and alcoholic, Tiffany Aching, too young and too stubborn for her own good, Rincewind, professional coward and wizard, Moist von Lipwig, conman and scumbag, and a host of other memorable, larger-and-smaller-than-life characters. They don’t believe in themselves. They have doubts. They’re up against things they’re not trained for, don’t have experience with, or are absolutely scared of, and time and again we see them overcome the odds. They aren’t incredible people. They are normal people who do amazing things. That’s what I love. I don’t like heroic types in books. Of course Hercules did amazing things, he’s Hercules. Give me your average Vimes who just does the job that’s in front of him and thereby saves the world from dragons. Give me your average Glenda who knows the ins and outs of a good pie and also shows the world how to love someone everyone hates. It’s in those times when people become noble. It’s in those times readers can be inspired to do great things, even in nongreat situations..."

https://audraedmonson.wordpress.com/2018/03/19/discworld-book-series-review/

Blogger Deborah O’Carroll aka The Page Dreamer gives Guards! Guards! a 5/5 rating:

"It’s hilarious and a mess and doesn’t take itself seriously, and is basically a fun rollick. It takes SO MANY fantasy tropes and turns them on their heads. It has footnotes. (And one of its footnotes had footnotes.) Any book that has as detailed a thing about libraries on page three as this one has is bound to be great. (Also, the librarian is an orangutan. Because it can.) The blurb (at least the one I read) seems to act like the book is about Carrot, but it’s really about Vimes. Captain Vimes is the LAST person you’d think of as a hero or even as Main Character material. He’s the most unlikely hero imaginable. But I surprised myself by realizing by the end that I absolutely loved him! He’s great... There are no chapters, just scene breaks, so it feels like a movie. This also makes it impossible to stop reading, which is awkward for those of us who need to remember to go sleep sometime..."

https://thepagedreamer.wordpress.com/2018/03/13/guards-guards-terry-pratchett/

Blogger Thomas H Brand's thoughts on A Blink of the Screen:

"I can never quite get my head around Terry Pratchett doing short fiction. I don’t know why, but for me he’s a long form writer. That’s not to say anything in this collection is bad, far from it. Possibly it's because he books usually have so many layers and meanings and shorter fiction doesn’t really have time for these. Pratchett himself says – in his notes – that he found short fictions hard to to, so maybe he thought the same thing. So reading A Blink of the Screen is enjoyable, yet slightly weird. We’re in that strange place where you’re defining each work as inferior to his full novels, but inferior Pratchett is still superior to most writers. I think, if I had to put my finger on it, the issue I have is all of them feel like rough ideas waiting to be developed. As if Pratchett was simply putting down an idea on paper, fleshing it out a little bit with the intention of coming back later. I couldn’t help feeling like there was more there somewhere... Pratchett was never an author lacking confidence, style, or ability. But reading through this collection is an interesting way for a fan of his work – which should of course be everyone – so gain a snapshot of how his writing developed."

https://thomashbrand.com/2018/03/10/review-a-blink-of-the-screen/

...and finally, blogger Jodie Portugal has some interesting observations about the Discworld series:

It was Mort, where I think the Discworld, fell into place, Death takes a holiday to explore humanity and leaves a human in his position without explaining the details. Then shows himself to be a massive hypocrite when the titular Mort screws it up. That’s the Discworld in a nutshell, trying to find order in organised chaos. Favourite stories, however, have to be the Ankh Morpork City Watch, I read this article years ago where Pterry intended in Guards! Guards! for Captain Carrot to be the lead. Please, he’s the decoy protagonist, the moment Samuel Vimes walked on, that was pretty much it. I love Carrot as a character, but in comparison to Vimes, Carrot stood no chance. Prince Valiant is standing opposite an alcoholic, jaded nihilist who loved and hates the city of Ankh Morpork and everyone in equal measures. Now that’s my type of character and the real audience surrogate. The fact that he ended the series the happiest henpecked husband, married to the wealthiest woman in the city, settled and a proud and contented father to young Sam. Perfect ending right there..."

https://jvoportugal.wordpress.com/2018/03/15/saying-goodbye-to-the-discworld/

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08) ROUNDWORLD TALES: A LOAD OF, ERM, PURE

If you've read Dodger (and if not, you certainly should!), or taken notice of how the infamous Harry King began his path to tycoonhood, you will have encountered references to "the pure" – a substance of great importance for a subset of the toshers who worked in Victorian London and other great cities, namely the animal droppings known in today's more euphemistic jargon as dog poo.

Dog faeces were an excellent medium for "purifying" leather, hence the name. When hand-rubbed (surely an awful job!) into raw leather, the hide became smoother, more pliable, and most importantly, more pleasant to the nose. Leather-bound books were especially popular in the nineteenth century – and while the smell of a leather-bound book is a delight to be savoured, an entire collection of poorly-prepared leather bindings would be quite the opposite. Also, in those days that preceded the discovery of plastics and other artificial materials, leather was a vital part of daily life, from personal products to industrial essentials.

The tanning of leather was a complicated process that started with salt-scrubbing, rinsing and a lime (or often, urine) soak to loosen the hairs. Then, after assiduous scraping, it was time to let the pure-finder's finest do its job. Lastly the leather would be subjected to a series of progressively stronger tannin baths, and where necessary, oiling or waxing to make the end product waterproof, an absolute necessity in a world where the only transport required harnesses and reins. In a pinch, pigeon droppings could be substituted for "the pure", but the result would be an inferior leather.

For nearly a century from the 1830s, pure-finding was a lucrative if less than fragrant (or perhaps overly fragrant) trade. Within twenty years, though, this trade had become so popular – pure-finders were at first young men, but soon women and children were competing for the profits from "brown gold" – that price competition made it difficult to thrive, and some of the older pure-finders complained at length about it to Henry Mayhew when he was collecting data for his sweeping survey of London's poor. The pure-finders also had to compete with street-cleaners in the better parts of the city, racing to snare their "goods" before their rivals cleared it away.

Because the driest, whitest "pure" was most prized by tanners, some pure-finders whose buckets came up a bit short would steal lime mortar from buildings and mix it with the droppings to make it look more worthy of top price. There were even songs about pure-finding, especially popular among the working classes. Today, the tanning of leather is a rather less haphazard (and stinkily romantic) affair – but if you're out walking with your dogs and carefully cleaning up after them, spare a thought for the pure-finders of long ago, who would have followed you with more of an eye for potential profit then for avoiding a fine!

Sources: Wikipedia, https://www.vettimes.co.uk – and of course, certain novels by Sir Terry Pratchett

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09) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

A selection of iconographs from Thorpe Players' recent production of Wyrd Sisters:
http://thorpe-players.squarespace.com/wyrd-sisters

Paul Kidby's exquisite portrait of Granny and Tiffany:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DXwkUjUWAAAUK5w.jpg

...and his depiction of the Shed of Doom! (see item 3.3 above):
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DZS5ksLXkAAXNSc.jpg and https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DZS5lMqX4AAEF3E.jpg

The Author and the translator – Sir Pterry and Czech Discworld translator Jan Kanturek, some years ago:
https://clacksheader.files.wordpress.com/2018/03/pratchett-and-kantc5afrek.png

Best-ever fan art of Granny Weatherwax, or an 1890 drawing of Virginia Woolf's mum by an artist called William Rothenstein? You decide, muhahaha:
http://bit.ly/2FQlHjf

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10) CLOSE

Penguin will be releasing a new edition of The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents – a book no home with young readers should be without! – on 26th April. The cover illustration, by Laura Ellen Andersen, is... well... your mileage may vary from mine, but what lies *behind* the cover is as wonderful as always.

About that Rhianna Pratchett interview quoted at the top of this issue – the link is https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/film/rhianna-pratchett-on-building-her-own-universe-1.716702 and contains some interesting bits...

And that's it for March. Take care, and we'll see you next month!

– Annie Mac


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