WOSSNAME

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

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

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

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

INDEX:

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

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

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

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

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

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

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

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

02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

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

*

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


*

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

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

*

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

https://bit.ly/2W3gz4E

*

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

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

And now, on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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

03) ODDS AND SODS

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

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

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

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

https://bit.ly/3m8AuKB

And a smattering of the rest...

From the BBC Media Centre:

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

https://bbc.in/37QT01H

From Guardian journalist Alison Flood, a longtime Pratchett enthusiast:

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

https://bit.ly/3y3u8id

From popculture site ScreenRant:

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

https://bit.ly/3yYx6Wk

3.1 ABOMINABLE SNOW BABY NEWS

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

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

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

https://narrativia.com/snowbaby.html

3.2 UNSEEN THEATRE: SADLY, SOON NO LONGER SEEN?

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

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

https://bit.ly/2Xy9TMV

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

3.3 PAUL KIDBY NEWS

From the Discworld artist's newsletter:

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

and

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

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

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

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

https://bit.ly/2XzuSyU

3.5 PRATCHETT BOOK CLUB UPDATES

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

Part five of Moving Pictures:

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

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

Part one of Reaper Man;

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

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

Part two:

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

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

Part three:

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

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

...and to finish, part four:

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

3.6 THE MERCH CORNER

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

* Tiffany's Hare necklace!

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

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

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

* Tiffany's White Horse necklace!

"This is an absolutely stunning piece of sterling silver jewellery and is a faithful reproduction of the pendant worn by Tiffany Aching in A Hat Full of Sky. This piece is based on Paul Kidby’s original design. The horse measures 55 tail to head, chain 18 inches. Designed exclusively for Discworld.com by Tom Lynall."

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

https://bit.ly/3yWbxFP

* The Shepherd's Crown necklace!

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

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

https://bit.ly/3slvkfi

3.7 BRITAIN'S REACTION TO "THE WATCH"

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

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

https://bit.ly/3g8J2gC

3.8 STORMS, TEACUPS, AND WHAT THE AUTHOR NEVER SAID

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

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

https://bit.ly/3m8EPgR

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

04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

4.1 FORTHCOMING PLAYS

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

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

* CARPE JUGULUM IN BRISBANE (SEPTEMBER–NOVEMBER 2021)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* WYRD SISTERS IN ADELAIDE (NOVEMBER 2021)

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

unseen.com.au

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

05) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

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

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

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

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

*

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

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

*

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

*

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

*

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

*

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

*

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

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

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


*

The Broken Vectis Drummers
broken_vectis_drummers@yahoo.co.uk

*

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

*

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

*

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

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

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

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

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

*

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

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

06) ROUNDWORLD TALES: NATION'S NAVIGATION

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

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

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

Sources: Smithsonian Magazine, Manoa, BBC, Wikipedia

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

07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

Blogger Alex aka frankfiction's thoughts on Mort:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

https://bit.ly/3AQFJCG

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

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

https://bit.ly/2VTBrvS

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

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

https://bit.ly/2W1FTs4

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

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

https://bit.ly/3m81rhz

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

08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

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

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

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

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

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

09) CLOSE

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

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

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

– Annie Mac

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

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
August 2019 (Volume 22, Issue 8, Post 1)

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

Editor in Chief: Annie Mac
News Editor: Vera P
Newshounds: Mogg, Sir J of Croydon Below, the Shadow, Mss C, Alison not Aliss
Staff Writers: Asti, Pitt the Elder, Evil Steven Dread, Mrs Wynn-Jones
Staff 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) MORE GOOD OMENS BITS AND BOBS
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
07) ROUNDWORLD TALES
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
09) CLOSE

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"I wrote the theme, they came up to my room, and I had that horrible moment when you have to play it for them and hope they don’t hate it. Neil just turned around and said, “Well, that’s Good Omens,” and I remember saying, “I’m glad you like it, because I haven’t got a Plan B.” From that point on, we were just flying."
– Good Omens score composer David Arnold on how the marvellous theme tune came to be

"You know, it's when people who proclaim themselves as "white supremacists" turn off Good Omens after the first few minutes, and then come on Twitter to tell me off, that I think sometimes a negative review is a marvelous and heartwarming thing.
– Neil Gaiman, on Twitter

"I don’t know how anyone could come to any conclusion other than that Aziraphale and Crowley are nonbinary, asexual partners who have been together and falling in love for over 6,000 years."
– web journalist S E Fleener

"Adam decides that instead of being the Antichrist, hurting and controlling his friends, and destroying the planet, he just wants to be a normal kid. He wants to be soft and playful and love his dog. He wants to be himself, not some monstrous dictator his friends fear. So, he rejects his biological father, Satan, calling the father who raised him his true dad. It’s a beautifully feminist moment that says we control our own fates – and demonstrates that not everyone would rather have power than love."
– ibid

"I just learned that Good Omens is on the nytbestsellers_ paperback list. I wish Terry was still here. Good Omens had never made it onto the NYT list in 30 years, and he would have been happy and, I think, satisfied."
– Neil Gaiman, well chuffed and rightly so, on Twitter

"Just to be clear (since I'm asked this a lot) I am not working on The Watch TV series, and haven't been for many years. The show is under the creative control of BBC Studios."
– Rhianna Pratchett diplomatically points out a certain distance between herself and this series

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

02) A LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

The August issue is a wee bit late this month, owing to yet more medical hijinks at the Fortress of Wossname: pneumonia struck the Other Half (he's much better now), and my long, slow recovery from a feral case of Official Aussie Flu means I've not been able to concentrate for long on collating and editing Wossname news (this is also my apology for any slips or glitches in this issue). For those of you in the parts of Roundworld who are now edging into Autumn, may I recommend that you get flu shots? I didn't, and am rather regretting it now...

A few quick mentions: Good Omens nominated for three categories in the Emmys (sadly not for any of the cast and crew), and Stephen Briggs has announced on Twitter that he has "now sent the texts for my dramatizations of 'Hogfather', 'Lords & Ladies' and 'Terry Pratchett: the Shakespeare Codex', to the publishers. If all goes according to their plan, those may get published around December."

And now, on with the show!

– Annie Mac, Editor

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

03) ODDS AND SODS

3.0 A CASTING FOR THE WATCH

An "exclusive" from Deadline.com:

"The Watch, BBC America’s eight-episode series based on Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, has cast its first main character. British actor Adam Hugill (Pennyworth) has landed one of the lead roles in the series, playing Carrot. Described as a 'punk rock thriller' inspired by the City Watch subset of Discworld novels, the character-driven series centers on 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..."

https://deadline.com/2019/08/the-watch-bbc-america-series-terry-pratchett-discworld-adam-hugill-cast-carrot-1202707717/

3.1a PRATCHETT HACKED IN DUBLIN

Exciting news from Trinity College Dublin:

"The Pratchett Project team at Trinity College Dublin is organising a hackathon to get fans of Terry Pratchett involved in the research they are doing. In this full-day event, you're invited to bring your laptop to Trinity to get to grips with some quantitative research on the publication history of Pratchett's work around the world. You don't need to be a Pratchett fan to come along. Anybody with an interest in digital humanities will enjoy this. The day will also feature interviews with some special guests who worked closely with Pratchett during his life, and you will have the chance to ask your questions too! Registration is free, but places are limited. So booking is a must. This event is going to be popular. So make sure you get your ticket early!"

When: Saturday 21st September 2019
Venue: Trinity Long Room Hub, College Green, Dublin 2
Time: 10am – 5pm
Tickets: free; to register for tickets, go to https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/terry-pratchett-hackathon-tickets-62640704032 and click on the green Register button

3.1b ...AND FOUND IN TRANSLATION

Another event at TCD in the same week!

"In celebration of the European Day of Languages, join us for an exploration of how comic fantasy author, Terry Pratchett's famous discworld novels are translated. This event, organised by EUNIC (European Union National Institutes for Culture) and Trinity Centre for Literary and Cultural Translation, and generously supported by ESSE (European Society for the Study of English), will focus on the plays on words that run throughout Pratchett's Discworld series. We will be joined by many of Pratchett's translators, to discuss how each one of them tackled the same challenges in their own languages. We are inviting Pratchett translators working in the following languages:

French (trans. Patrick Couton)
Hungarian (Anikó Sohár)
Polish (Piotr W. Cholewa)
Spanish (María Ferrer)

In this event, our discussion will focus on translating the comedy and plays on words found in Pyramids. Admittance is free, but booking a seat is a must."

When: Thursday, 26th September 2019
Venue: Examinations Hall, Trinity College Dublin
Time: 6pm – 7.30pm
Tickets: free; to register for tickets, go to https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/pratchett-translated-tickets-63435853345?aff=efbeventtix and click on the green Register button

3.2 TROLL BRIDGE IN FOURECKS... AND BEYOND

Snowgum Films' long-awaited film "Troll Bridge" is having its Adelaide premiere in September, presented by the City of Small Gods Terry Pratchett Fan Club: "See Terry Pratchett's Discworld brought to life on the big screen in this epic fan film lovingly created by Snowgum Films. This is your only opportunity to see Troll Bridge on the big screen in Adelaide, so don't miss out!" Also on the bill is "Run, Rincewind Run!", the now-legendary Discworld Convention fan film. Any profits from the screening will be donated to the Women's and Children's Hospital Foundation.

When: 21st September 2019
Venue: Mercury Cinema, 13 Morphett St, Adelaide, South Australia 5000
Time: 7:30pm
Tickets: $17 plus booking fee via Book Now button on https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?embed&eid=524929 or $20 at the door

Some other showings around Australia include Canberra Short Film Festival (15th September, details/booking at _https://www.csff.com.au/_), Oz Comic Con in Sydney (28th September, details/booking at _https://ozcomiccon.com/sydney/_), and Brisbane International Film Festival (13th October, details/booking at _https://biff.com.au/event/troll-bridge/_). There are also various international screenings; for more details, go to:

http://www.trollbridge.film/screenings

3.3 THE MERCH CORNER

Editor's note: I'm hoping to get the first item for Hogswatch, and already have the second one so I can recommend it wholeheartedly. The stamps are beautiful and elegantly presented, and the included receipt from the Thieves' Guild was a nice touch.

* The Mended Drum Jigsaw Puzzle

A definite must-have! In riotous colour, midway between Kidby and Kirby in style (and not quite like Player or Simonetti or McLaren but on a continuinuuinuum that contains all the great Discworld artists), David Wyatt's illustrations bring the Drum to wonderful life "Our Fiendishly Difficult Discworld Jigsaw puzzle packs as much punch as the clientele of Ankh-Morpork's notorious tavern, and contains more bits and pieces than the chunder on the cobbles – it’ll make you so drunk with puzzlement you may need a Klatchian coffee to sober up again afterwards! In our third Discworld puzzle illustrated by David Wyatt, you'll spot a host of familiar faces from Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels, such as Sgt. Angua of the City Watch, Rincewind, the Luggage, Lu-Tze and the Librarian, amid a melting pot of the glod, the bad and the ugly of Ankh-Morpork - it really is a pub with personality! Each puzzle includes a fold out poster to assist your puzzling endeavours and is presented in a splendid illustrated ledger box that will look right at home on your bookshelves."

Each Mended Drum Jigsaw Puzzle is rated "mildly fiendish", measures approximately 70 x 50cm when completed (puzzle box measures 20.5 x 25.6 x 6.3cm), and is priced at £19.50 plus shipping. For more information and to order, go to:

https://www.discworldemporium.com/games-toys/556-the-mended-drum-jigsaw-puzzle

There is also an interesting blog entry about the process of creating this puzzle: "The Drum has been a fixture of Discworld since the very beginning, and although it’s undergone one or two notable… renovations… it remains the tavern of choice for the Glod, the bad and the ugly of Morporkian society. From The Colour of Magic, when the Broken Drum had to hire Detritus as a splatter (like a bouncer, but trolls use more force) to its last appearance in Going Postal when a group of seasoned brawlers are seen discussing the finer points of fight choreography, the Drum has withstood time and narrative, its characterful clientele and their exploits remain just as fervent. We wanted to cram in as many details and allusions as possible, spanning the depth and breadth of the Drum's illustrious history. With that in mind, should you choose to avail yourself of this piece, we challenge you to spot the following familiar faces and devilish details from Ankh-Morpork’s favourite pub... A Wizzard, CMOT Dibbler, Death, Cohen the Barbarian, Dotsie and Sadie the Agony Aunts, Sgt. Angua, The Librarian, The Dean, The Senior Wrangler, Adora Belle Dearheart, Foul Ole Ron, Lu-Tze the Sweeper Gaspode the Wonder Dog, The Luggage, Igor, Reg Shoe, The head of the Thieves' Guild, A certain author's black hat, A fool, An Assassin, A Vampire, Goblins, A Troll, Dwarfs, The Band With Rocks In poster, A Game of Thud, A Swamp Dragon, and advert for Vimes’ cigar of choice, An Iconograph, The Ankh-Morpork times, Someone who should ‘learn the words’, at least four Discworld beers..."

Do read the whole piece: https://www.discworldemporium.com/blog/illustrating-the-mended-drum-n8

* The Going Postal 15th Anniversary Minisheet

Another must-have, in living colour! "A limited edition minisheet of stamps featuring a stunning new portrait of The Creator himself, Sir Terry Pratchett, in celebration of fifteen flatelic years of Going Postal and Discworld Stamps! To mark such a milestone year we commissioned a very special portrait of Terry by stamp artist and master of technical illustration Brian Delf. Terry's noble profile features on this exquisite limited edition Anniversary Minisheet featuring fifteen 'Penny Pratchett' stamps in various birthday colourways. presented in a presentation cover featuring Terry's portrait embossed in silver. Traditionally printed on authentic gummed stamp paper & perforated by hand." And you want to be quick about ordering this one, as it's a limited edition of only 300!

Each Minisheet measures 77 x 157mm (presentation cover measures 90 x 170mm) and is priced at £15. For more information and to order, go to:

https://www.discworldemporium.com/discworld-stamps/577-discworld-stamps-anniversary-minisheet

3.4 DISCWORLD AND BEYOND IN NORTHERN IRELAND

Paul Kidby's Discworld & Beyond touring exhibition will be opening in Co. Antrim next month!

"The beautifully realised paintings and drawings feature many of Paul’s favourite characters including Rincewind, the Wee Free Men and, of course, Death along with a host of witches, wizards, dragons and trolls. It also reveals some of Paul’s own work from his Charmed Realm collection, a book created by Paul and his wife Vanessa of myth and faerie influenced by British folklore and landscapes. All his illustrations are marked by a staggering quality of draughtsmanship and effective use of colour; bright for the book covers and muted shades for his faerie paintings. The exhibition brings to life the quirky characters and trademark humour of Sir Terry’s books. Paul said, 'It has been really exciting selecting some of my favourite paintings for the Discworld & Beyond exhibition. Visitors will be able to see many of their favourite Discworld illustrations up close and personal and celebrate the wonderful legacy of a great author who has inspired so many, including me!'"

When: 6th September 2019–31st October 2019
Venue: Larne Museum & Arts Centre, 2 Victoria Road, Larne, County Antrim, BT40 1RN
Time: Monday through Friday, 10am–4.30pm. The Museum is also open on one Saturday per month – for more information, ring 028 28 262443 or email marian.kelso@midandeastantrim.gov.uk
Tickets: free entry

https://www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk/things-to-do/museums-arts/larne-museum-and-arts-centre
https://www.paulkidby.com/event/discworld-beyond-a-paul-kidby-retrospective/

Editor's note: the exhibition also includes a one-time free screening of Troll Bridge on Saturday 7th September at 3pm. For more details, go to https://www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk/events/screening-of-troll-bridge

3.5 WHEN STICKS AND BUCKETS ATTACK!

In the runner-up for Weird Link of the Month (see item 3.6 below), The Wild Hunt, a "Modern Pagan News & Commentary" site, described a London protest march... by Morris dancers! From Liz Williams:

"Furious Morris dancers are planning a march on Parliament this month in order to protest about a proposed Bank Holiday switch by the British government. Currently, the May bank holiday is the focus of a number of celebrations: political, seasonal and social. May 1st is Beltane, celebrated in a number of ways by Britain’s Pagans and others – it is the scene of festivities around the country – but it also coincides with International Workers’ Day. However, there is now a proposal to scrap this ‘early’ May holiday and replace it with one on the following Friday... This change has been met with dismay by groups around the country, who have already established festivities on the earlier date. Some of these are very extensive, such as the Sweeps Festival in Rochester. This is a big event: Morris dancers, folk-art and live music attract an estimated 150,000 people and generates £60 million for the local economy. The Morris sides, in particular, are not happy about the proposed alteration... Mel Barnett from Medway’s Wolf’s Head and Vixen dancers (a Morris side well known to pagans in the UK as they often appear at Beltane and Samhain events) says, 'We are passionate about Sweeps. It is the highlight of our calendar. This switch could be disastrous for us.'..."

https://wildhunt.org/2019/07/morris-dancers-march-on-uk-parliament.html

3.6 WEIRD LINK OF THE MONTH: PERCEIVING OCTARINE IN ROUNDWORLD

A fascinating piece about "the colour of magic in office design", by Mark Eltringham for Workplace Insight:

~In the Discworld series of novels, the author Terry Pratchett introduces us to the colour of magic. He calls it octarine, a sort of greenish purple, described as ‘the undisputed pigment of the imagination’. It’s all fanciful but, in fact, such unseeable colours exist for the human eye. They are seemingly invisible to us most of the time because of the limitations of our vision and not just because they exist outside of the usual visible spectrum. Compared to many other animals, the typical human eye is only capable of perceiving light across a narrow band of wavelengths of somewhere between 390 and 750 nanometers. That is why we cannot see in certain bands of the infrared and ultra-violet spectrum. Yet there are other colours that exist within this range but which we are usually physically unable to perceive for most of the time. These are what researchers call the forbidden colours, which we tend to describe in relation to other colours, although that does not do them justice because it suggests they are in some way comparable to the tones and colour mixes with which we are familiar..."

https://workplaceinsight.net/the-colour-of-magic-in-office-design/

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

04) MORE GOOD OMENS BITS AND BOBS

4.1. GOOD OMENS SOUNDTRACK NOW AVAILABLE!

As you know well by now, your Editor flatly refuses to post any links to the company of a certain Evil Internet-based Villain of Commerce-related Global Domination, so here are some alternate sellers who can help you with your purchases...

On vinyl:

From Recordstore (UK): "Composer David Arnold’s soundtrack to the highly anticipated TV adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s 1990 comic fable makes its debut on vinyl. Amazon Prime's six episode mini-series follows the odd couple, angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and demon Crowley (David Tennant) in their quest to sabotage the end of the World, delivering a tongue in cheek adaptation of this powerful and funny story. From David Arnold, the award-winning composer of Sherlock and Casino Royale, comes a soundtrack that perfectly complements Good Omens’ drama and visual sensibilities. At times nostalgic and eerie but always varied, beautiful and full of excitement, this robust, yet funny music entity has become another character in the story. Here, Arnold has created a contemporary soundworld for heaven and hell. Tori Amos performs A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square as a closing song."

The Limited Edition Heavenly Blue & Hellish Red Double Vinyl package is priced at £23.99. To order, go to https://bit.ly/2zpB7pw

The vinyl set is also available from Norman Records, who say "Good Omens has that Stranger Things/Sabrina vibe to it where it’s kind of spooky and kind of campy at the same time, and Arnold’s compositions really add to the effect. Nice stuff with a hint of the Harry Potters about it. Silva Screen are the ones responsible for putting the music on wax." Priced at £24.49 with a shipping cost of £4.50, the link for purchase is https://bit.ly/342Y00j

On CD:

From Hello Merch (USA): "Following the odd couple, angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) and demon Crowley (David Tennant) in their quest to sabotage the end of the World. Amazon Prime’s six episode miniseries delivers a tongue in cheek adaptation of this powerful and funny story. From the Award-winning composer of Sherlock and Casino Royale comes a soundtrack that perfectly complements the Good Omens’ drama and visual sensibilities. At times nostalgic and eerie but always varied, beautiful and full of excitement, this robust, yet funny music entity has become another character in the story. Here, Arnold has created a contemporary soundworld for heaven and hell."

The two-CD set includes all 62 tracks from the series and is priced at US$25. For more information, and to order, go to:

https://www.hellomerch.com/products/good-omens-soundtrack-cd

Also note that Silva Screen offer the entire soundtrack for streaming or download, if you don't want to wait for physical copies!

http://www.silvascreen.com/good-omens-soundtrack-now-available/

...and for those of you who prefer your theme music "DIY", here be a free download of the theme tune from beckyy on Musescore:

https://musescore.com/user/7649801/scores/5607410

4.2 REVIEWS

A review of the original novel, by Colin Steele in the Canberra Times:

"Good Omens, published in 1990, is a cult classic. It has sold over five million copies and is now an Amazon/ BBC television series scripted by Neil Gaiman, who wrote in 2006 that 'the book is a funny novel about the end of the world and how are all going to die'. But it is not just a great story. It is a book of Swiftian satire infused with an ultimate belief in the essential decency of human nature... The new hardback edition comes with 12 full-colour illustrations of the characters in the TV series and five black and white line drawings by long time Pratchett Illustrator Paul Kidby. Michael Sheen is the prudish, antiquarian bookseller angel, Aziraphale and David Tennant the cynical, yet softhearted, Bentley driving, demon Crowley... The satire and humour of Good Omens is as vibrant as ever, as indeed are issues like climate change... My signed copy of the first edition of Good Omens, with annotations by Pratchett and Gaiman, now resides in the rare book collection of the University of Sydney Library. It was interesting, in their separate Meet the Author events in Canberra, how they jousted over their role in the writing of Good Omens. Gaiman recounts, in the Foreword, bizarre happenings with fans at book signings, including one fan who had his arm signed and returned half an hour later to show the inflamed ink signature tattooed by a nearby parlour..."

https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6280637/terry-pratchetts-good-omens-is-still-a-classic/

An articulate review of the Good Omens miniseries by blogger Theo Wolf:

"When it was announced earlier this year that the classic and “unfilmable” book was getting the television treatment it finally deserved, it seemed as big as TV news got... Michael Sheen and David Tennant shine as an angel and a demon on a comical campaign to keep the world from ending. Tennant’s portrayal of the demon Crowley, the sunglass-wearing angel who “did not so much Fall as Saunter Vaguely Downwards”, is absolutely superb. His performance is the perfect combination of swagger, eccentricity, and borderline drunkenness, which is reminiscent of Bill Nighy in Love Actually and, in my opinion, captured the character’s essence to a tee. Sheen too is wonderful, countering this bravado as the awkward and prudish angel Aziraphale. Both actors fully commit to their roles and it is hard to imagine better casting, not least because they gamely wear multiple silly costumes. The co-production between the BBC and Amazon also benefited from piquant performances by veteran actors. The great Bill Patterson is at his bemused best as the exasperated Mr. R. P. Tyler, and Derek Jacobi, no less, has a cameo as God’s Spokesman, Metatron (not to be confused with the leader of the Deceptions, an easy mistake to make if your name is Pepper Galadriel Moonchild). Michael McKean and Miranda Richardson are also supremely fun to watch as the aging witchfinder, Shadwell, and his accommodating landlady, Madame Tracy. Jon Hamm of Mad Men fame also nailed every fleeting moment he had as Aziraphale’s Armageddon-happy boss Gabriel. Although making only the occasional appearance, the show truly benefitted from his scenes. The third episode’s pre-credit scene, which showed the co-conspirators’ meetings through the ages, was quite possibly the show’s standout moment. The amusing sequence runs a stonking 30 minutes long and follows the pair from an early run-in as Noah is constructing his ark (where we learn why the unicorn no longer exist), through to a rendezvous during the French Revolution. It also treats viewers to the sight of Crowley hopping over consecrated ground to save his friend like a person walking barefoot on hot sand, this funny moment in their history was in many ways one of the most endearing of the show. The pre-credit scene also features three of the four League of Gentlemen (Jeremy Dyson was nowhere to be seen), which is never a bad thing... Good Omens proved to be a hugely enjoyable and imaginative premiere, which remained as true to Pratchett’s vision as I could have dared dream..."

https://theboar.org/2019/07/bbc-and-amazons-good-omens-review/

Good Omens as a feminist tract, by S E Fleenor on SyFywire:

"The satirical series has garnered intense reactions from audiences. In fact, according to USA Today, 15,000 people signed a petition to have the series canceled. (The petition has since been deleted.) Instead of addressing the actual platform for the series, Amazon, the petition was addressed to Netflix, which responded on Twitter, 'ok we promise not to make any more.' The people who signed the petition were upset by many things including what most of us would call representation in the series. After all, God is voiced by Frances McDormand – A WOMAN?!?! – and Adam and Eve are portrayed as the first humans would have been: as a Black couple. It is not surprising that trolls were infuriated by these concepts. One, in particular, took to Twitter to tell Gaiman off, not understanding how few f**** Gaiman gives.... Gaiman's works frequently feature feminist themes – which is not to say there aren’t also problematic elements – and seeing him make such a bold, progressive comment in response to vitriol only accentuates the series’ feminist lens. Besides, for every person who hates the series, there are many, many more who have loved it. It’s not hard to see why. The humor in the series is just the right mixture of absurd, insightful, and British. The storylines are varied and yet culminate in a tight, satisfying conclusion. The delightful and wicked commentary on the Christian apocalypse is by no means subtle, but by all means revelatory, if you will forgive the pun. Not least of all, Michael Sheen and David Tennant give truly fantastic performances, as does just about everyone in this star-studded series; notably, Sam Taylor Buck delivers an eleven-year-old Antichrist that is both terrifying and adorable.

"What’s really cool about the series is its persistent feminist and queer undertones, something desperately missing from the Christian apocalypse elsewhere. Fundamentally, the apocalypse imagined in Revelations and other Christian myths – and parodied in the series – is a patriarchal one. (Is there such thing as a feminist apocalypse? IDK, but Good Omens gets close.)... The most obviously queer and feminist aspects of the series are Aziraphale and Crowley and the relationship between them. Both characters embody paradoxes. Aziraphale is an angel who loves to eat and drink, who loves the carnality of humanity. Crowley is a demon who would like to keep his distance from mayhem ever since he got caught up in Lucifer’s rebellion. But, instead of being narrowly defined by the realities created for them, Aziraphale and Crowley engage in an act of forming themselves. They read, they appreciate music, they drink fine wines, and they scheme. Oh, do they scheme. Most importantly the two share a tender dandy love that is obviously queer, whether or not they would ascribe to any LGBTQ label. On top of that, considering that angels are not born, but created, and have no need of reproductive organs, it’s safe to say that they are nonbinary at least in a very literal sense (as is true to the novel), and perhaps socially and physically as well. For instance, Crowley seems as comfortable dressed as Crowley Poppins as he does Crowley Bowie. It doesn’t matter how femme or not his appearance is. It doesn’t matter if he’s wearing a skirt or sporting a wig. He’s always swaggering in his full gender-defying glory. At first, the queerness feels like subtext, like another time queer audiences have to read between the lines to see the love we so often wish for, but it’s hard to miss the genuine love and commitment between Aziraphale and Crowley. There’s an interaction so tender – and a line so potently delivered by Sheen that it will make your heart flutter and sink – that calling their love subtext feels impossible. Aziraphale has just provided Crowley with holy water so that if he decides he must, Crowley can end his existence. Aziraphale isn’t exactly happy about it, but he’d rather help Crowley than see him get hurt trying to steal holy water. An enthused Crowley offers Aziraphale a ride. 'Perhaps one day we could, I don’t know, go for a picnic. Dine at the Ritz,' Aziraphale says tentatively. 'Anywhere you want to go, I’ll take you,' Crowley replies. 'You go too fast for me, Crowley,' Aziraphale says before exiting the car. It’s a short exchange, but it is so tense, so emotionally-charged, so filled with love and hesitation and desire that I don’t know how anyone could come to any conclusion other than that Aziraphale and Crowley are nonbinary, asexual partners who have been together and falling in love for over 6,000 years. And, since Sheen and Tennant both came to similar conclusions (and Gaiman confirmed their love), I'm sticking to it..."

https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/good-omens-puts-a-feminist-and-queer-twist-on-the-apocalypse

Good Omens, the original book, reviewed in interview style on Brinkwire:

"Who is it aimed at? *When reading I often have a clue as to what group of people a book is more suited to right away, but with the intense almost inhuman nature of this book, I think it’s something that could be read by practically anyone.

"What did you enjoy most about it? *Out of the many reasons I loved Good Omens, If I had to choose my favourite part it would be how many unique and often unbelievable plot points it was able to make seem so effortlessly normal and easy to understand.

"What did you enjoy least? *When I adore a book as much as I now do this one, it’s near impossible to write this section of my review but if I could change one thing about Good Omens I could change, I felt like it was so fast-paced that I would have loved to be able to savour some of it more..."

https://en.brinkwire.com/news/young-adult-book-review-good-omens-by-terry-pratchett-and-neil-gaiman/

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

05) 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.

5.1 DISCWORLD PLAYS

* MASKERADE IN BRISBANE (SEPTEMBER)

Brisbane Arts Theatre continue their justified love affair with Discworld plays with a new production of Maskerade!

When: 14th September–12th October 2019 (Thursdays through Sundays)
Venue: Brisbane Arts Theatre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Petrie Terrace, QLD 4000
Time: all Thursday shows 7.30pm, all Friday and Saturday shows 8pm, all Sunday shows 6.30pm
Tickets: $23–34, available online at https://bit.ly/2IOWLdw or via the box office (phone (07) 3369 2344)

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

* MORT IN CANBERRA (ISH), FOURECKS (SEPTEMBER)

The Musical and Stage Performance students and the Live Production & Services students of Gungahlin College are staging their production of Mort in September!

"The students have found excitement and adventure as they explore the comic timing of this fun script, not to mention working out ways to help Death SPEAK IN A CAPITALISED TONE!"

When: 17th–21st September 2019
Venue: Gungahlin College Theatre, 23 Gozzard Street, Gungahlin, ACT
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: Adult $20, Concession $15, Family $55, available online via https://stagecenta.com/BkShowBooking.aspx?showid=5424

There will be a Dinner Show on Thursday 19th September, including a 3-course meal for $30/person (not including ticket price). "Please book your tickets... then email Adam Salter [at] mailto:adam..salter@ed.act.edu.au?subject=Dinner%20Show to book your seat at the table. Places are limited, so get in quick!"

https://stagecenta.com/showid/5424/ShowdetailsC.aspx

* THE FIFTH ELEPHANT IN SCUNTHORPE (OCTOBER)

Scunthorpe Little Theatre Club will stage their production of The Fifth Elephant in October!

"In Stephen Briggs’ brilliant adaptation of Terry Pratchett’s ‘The Fifth Elephant’, Commander Vimes is sent to wild, wintry Uberwald to establish trade links with the King of the Dwarfs, but ends up trying to stop an inter-species war. On his side, a talking dog, a reformed Vampyre and a self-made man. You can tell he’s self-made because the stitches still show. However, although Vimes may have arrived as Ankh-Morpork’s ambassador, he soon finds it’s not all golden chocolate balls. Before long he’s an escaped prisoner, out in the icy woods, wearing only the gloomy trousers of Uncle Vanya and being chased by a pack of fascist werewolves who don’t play by the rules."

When: 2nd-5th October 2019
Venue: Plowright Theatre, Laneham Street, Scunthorpe, Lincs DN15 6JP
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £11.90 plus £2.50 booking fee, available online via https://www.littletheatreclub.co.uk/#!/page_EVENTS -- or take advantage of a special "two tickets for £13.40" offer in the area: "Look out for our flyers around town and at the Plowright Theatre, there is a special booking form on the back. Please note this offer is only available direct from Scunthorpe Little Theatre Club, and not the Plowright Box Office."

https://www.littletheatreclub.co.uk/

* MASKERADE IN ELTHAM[1] (OCTOBER)

Eldorado Musical Productions will be staging their production of Maskerade in October!

When: 9th–12th October 2019
Venue: Bob Hope Theatre, Wythfield Road, Eltham SE9 5TG (box office phone 0208 850 3702)
Time: 7.45pm all evening shows; matinee at 2.30pm on the 12th
Tickets: £15 (£13 on opening night), not yet available but will be via https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/bob-hope-theatre and from the Box Office which is open Tuesdays through Saturdays 10am–1pm.

http://www.eldoradomusicalproductions.co.uk/maskerade/4594338795

[1] Note for Fourecksians: that's Eltham in Greater London, not the one in Melbourne – Ed.

* GOING POSTAL IN EMERALD, FOURECKS (OCTOBER)

The Gemco Players will present their production of Going Postal in October! "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: 11th–26th October 2019 (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only)
Venue: Gem Community Arts Centre, 19 Kilvington Drive, Emerald, VIC 3782
Time: all Friday and Saturday shows 8pm; Sunday matinees 2pm
Tickets: prices TBA. Tickets will be available online via https://www.trybooking.com/BAGWG from 9pm on 11th August

https://gemco-players.squarespace.com/whatson/2018/12/5/going-postal

* WITCHES ABROAD IN LISMORE, FOURECKS (OCTOBER)

The Lismore Theatre Company are taking on the Lancre not-really-a-coven in their production of Witches Abroad! "Three country witches find themselves reluctantly taking on the roles of collective Godmother to a kitchen maid in far-off Genua. But they have to stop her from marrying the Prince, and while they’re at it, end the tyranny of the girl’s Other Godmother. Of course, first they have to get to Genua, and that itself is an adventure…"

When: 11th–20th October 2019
Venue: Rochdale Theatre, 603 Ballina Rd, Goonellabah, New South Wales 2480
Time: 7.30pm all evening shows; 2pm matinee on Sunday 13th and Sunday 20th
Tickets: $23 adult, $17 concessions and Lismore Theatre Company members, available via https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=530195

https://www.lismoretheatrecompany.org.au/current-production

* JOHNNY AND THE DEAD IN LEEDS (NOVEMBER)

Leeds Children's Theatre will be presenting their production of Johnny and the Dead in November! "Sell the cemetery? Over their dead bodies ... Not many people can see the dead (not many would want to). Twelve-year-old Johnny Maxwell can. And he's got bad news for them: the council want to sell the cemetery as a building site, but they'd better watch out – the dead have learnt a thing or two from Johnny. They're not going to take it lying down ...especially since it's Halloween tomorrow. Besides, they're beginning to find that life is a lot more fun than it was when they were ... well ... alive. ​Particularly if they break a few
rules."

When: 6th–9th November 2019
Venue: Carriageworks Theatre main auditorium, Millennium Square, Leeds LS2 3AD
Time: all evening shows (Wednesday through Friday) 7pm, Saturday matinee 1pm and afternoon show 5.30pm
Tickets: adults £14.50, concessions £12.50, under-16s £10.50, family £46, available from the Box Office (phone 0113 376 0318; address Leeds Town Hall, The Headroom, LS1 3AD, open 10am–6pm Monday to Saturday), or by by email (boxoffice@leeds.gov.uk), or online via the theatre's website, although their calendar doesn't yet stretch to November: https://www.carriageworkstheatre.co.uk/plan-your-visit/how-to-book-tickets/

"The Box Office will charge a fee for postage if you wish to have your tickets mailed out. Family Tickets, restricted view seats and special offers are rarely sold online and should be purchased over the phone or in person."

www.leeds-childrens-theatre.co.uk

* GOING POSTAL IN ADELAIDE, FOURECKS

Unseen Theatre are back with a new Discworld production! This November, it's Going Postal: "Convicted con man and forger Moist von Lipwig is given a choice. The hangman's noose or get Ankh-Morpork's ancient post office up and running efficiently! It was a tough decision...Now the former criminal is up against really big problems. There's tons of undelivered mail. Ghosts are talking to him. One of the postmen is 18,000 years old. And you really wouldn't want to know what his new girlfriend can do with a shoe. To top it all off, shadowy characters don't want the mail moved. Instead, they want him dead... deader than all those dead letters. And here he'd thought that all he'd have to face was rain, snow, gloom of night, and the odd vicious dog or two."

When: 20th–30th November 2019
Venue: Bakehouse Main Theatre, 255 Angas Street, Adelaide, South Australia 5000
Time: 8pm all shows
Tickets: Adults $22, Conc $18, Fringe Benefits $16, Groups (6+) $16, Preview night (20th November) $16, all available soon

http://www.bakehousetheatre.com/shows/going-postal

5.2 REVIEWS

* MEN AT ARMS IN CARDIFF

By Melissa Compton for the Cardiff Times:

"Characterization was outstanding, with many character’s roles in the night beginning pre-show such as the crowd-pleasing clowns. The cast clearly loved the roles they played, excellent teamwork was also on display throughout the performance both during scenes and with changing sets... The performance was played out in scenes and narration which were indicated by the ringing of the bell, and a change in lighting. The introduction of the show’s principle characters at the beginning was very useful if you haven’t read the book. A raffle was held in the interval, which was led by the clowns and Dr Whiteface, with proceeds going to Nerve Tumours UK. There are a few character’s in the production that are villainised, the stern and authoritative Dr Whiteface is one of these as the head of the clown guild. The cast delivered emotional and passionate performances, especially Captain Vimes, from whom we see a range of emotions, ranging from worrying about retirement to protecting the one’s he cares about most..."

https://bit.ly/2L4zove

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

06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), will next meet on Monday 2nd September at
7pm at The Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London W2 1JQ.

The Drummers' August meet report, as tweeted by Helen: "We had a smaller gathering Monday night. Some of us had been in Leeds the day before. After a long drive home, Andrew didn't feel like going out again but I came along as did Pete, who I had last seen less than 24 hours earlier. Chris had lovingly created a quiz so intricate that we decided to save it for next time. I did not want others to regret having missed it. We had some very historical discussions on the Wars of the Roses. Chris is extremely keen on Richard III. Somehow that led to the Horrible Histories movie and the signing of the Viking song (Literally!), the Four Georges song and the Evil Emperor Emperors song, all of which can be found on YouTube (also check out Norman Style). We further discussed the passing of Paul Darrow, which led us on to Terry's intense dislike of Blakes 7... also learned that Paul Darrow was in an adaptation of Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers. This is available on YouTube, I watched the whole thing Tuesday morning."

https://twitter.com/BrokenDrummers/status/1159196903231447043

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, apart from the Troll Bridge Adelaide premiere (see item 3.2 above), will be the Monthly Dinner ("with special visitors!") at the Seven Stars Hotel on the 26th of September, a discussion of Moving Pictures, at Kappy's Tea and Coffee on 5th October, a Board Games day on the 6th at La Scala Cafe, 169 Unley Rd, Unley in the function room (starting at 10am), and a new Quiz Long and Prosper event on the 19th at the Clarence Gardens Bowling Club. This last event starts at 7.30pm and requires booking; for more details, and to book, go to https://ausdwcon.org/fan-clubs/adelaide/quiz/

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 September (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 September (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 September (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 September (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>

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

07) ROUNDWORLD TALES: THE REAL ERIC WHEELBRACE

All Discworld readers know of the (presumably) late Eric Wheelbrace, the celebrated (by hikers) and detested (by landowners) rambler and author of Walking in the Koom Valley and 100 Walks in the Ramtops, who would "never let unimportant things like hereditary land rights or troll armies stand in the way of his Right to Roam" and who finally disappeared during a Midsummer's Eve walk across Lancre's famous landmark-cum-interdimensional-gateway known as The Dancers. But did you know that Mr Wheelbrace was a caricature of an equally celebrated Roundworld rambler and author? Alfred Wainwright MBE (1907–1991) was a British fellwalker, guidebook author and illustrator whose Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells became the standard reference work to hundreds of the Lake District fells and whose Coast to Coast Walk guide, written from his copious notes, delineated a 192-mile-long footpath that is popular with fellwalkers to this day.

Alfred Wainwright was a dedicated walker even in early childhood, and had an interest in drawing and cartography that led to him making his own maps of England and his local area. In 1930 he went on a week's walking holiday in the Lake District and "fell in love" with the Fells. His Pictorial Guides have been in continuous publication since they were written and have sold more than two million copies. There are more up-to-date guides now by other authors, but Wainwright's guides are considered so iconic that the 214 fells described in the Pictorial Guides are now generally known as the Wainwrights.

When Wainwright died in 1991, his ashes were scattered over Innominate Tarn on Haystacks, his favourite fell. The Wainwright Society was founded in 2002 to promote Wainwright fellwalking traditions. A road bridge in Blackburn, his birthplace, was opened in 2008 and named the Wainwright Bridge in his honour. There is no evidence of his ever having found a gateway to the world of Elves on his walks.

Sources: Wikipedia and the L-space Discworld wiki

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

08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

Angua and Gaspode, from Peculiar Productions' triumphant new production of Men at Arms:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ECq1YvMW4AAI-XX.jpg

Some Aziraphale "headshots" by fan artist Remoss:
https://twitter.com/Remosss1/status/1156269983745396736/photo/1

Some excellent furniture in a science fiction bookshop and cafe in Gothenburg, as tweeted by Nea87585592:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D-yK3_NWkAAFx9w.jpg

Scunthorpe Little Theatre rehearsing for their forthcoming production of The Fifth Elephant. "Detritus" and his Piecemaker looking quite promising:
https://bit.ly/2Z2RUt1

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

09) CLOSE

Rincewind made a visit to Iowa this month! The public library in Ames, Iowa, ran their third annual Pub Fiction pub crawl last Thursday: "While a group of approximately 150 people walking around while dressed in iconic costumes is typically reminiscent of Halloween, this event is strictly for people older than 21 years old and goes to support Ames Public Library. 'I think it’s a fun way for people to come together and celebrate books in a new, exciting and different way. Support the library, support local businesses and have some fun,' said Sheila Schofer, director of Ames Public Library... James Honzatko, dressed as Rincewind the Wizard from Terry Pratchett’s 'Discworld' novels, and Andrew Doyle, dressed as Gregor from Franz Kafka’s 'The Metamorphosis,' both of Ames, said they enjoy having the opportunity to support the library while also dressing up and having fun..." There are even iconographs! Read all about it here:

https://www.amestrib.com/news/20190822/pub-fiction-takes-over-downtown-ames

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

– Annie Mac

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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

Copyright (c) 2019 by Wossname for the Klatchian Foreign Legion

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

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

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

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

INDEX:

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

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

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

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

*

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

*

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

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

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

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

*

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

Right, on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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

03) ODDS AND SODS

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

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

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

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

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

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

3.1 "TERRY PRATCHETT: HISWORLD" EXHIBIT OPENING SOON!

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

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

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

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

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

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

3.2 THE DISCWORLD IMAGINARIUM!

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

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

The Gollancz press release:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3.3 STEPHEN BRIGGS HAS A LOT TO SAY!

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

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

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

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

3.4 THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF DANCE!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

3.5 THE PASSING OF AN EDITOR OF NOTE

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

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

3.6 MINE'S A PINT... OOK!

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

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

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

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

3.7 NEW BOOKS!

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

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

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

3.8 FOR JOSH KIRBY FANS...

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

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

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

04) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS

4.1 AUSDWCON 2017 ROUND-UP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4.2 NADWCON NEWS

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

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

https://nadwcon2017.org/

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

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

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

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

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

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

05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

5.0 AUDITIONS

* MASKERADE IN READING

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

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

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

* MASKERADE IN YORK

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

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

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

5.1 PLAYS IN AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER

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

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

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

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

* WYRD SISTERS IN WEST YORKSHIRE (SEPTEMBER)

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

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

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

* LORDS AND LADIES IN BRISBANE (SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER)

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

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

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

5.2 PLAYS LATER IN 2017

* MORT IN READING (OCTOBER)

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

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

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

http://www.twyrusdrama.org.uk

* MORT IN KENT (OCTOBER)

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

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

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

* WYRD SISTERS IN RHYL, LLAMEDOS (OCTOBER)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* WYRD SISTERS IN HERTFORDSHIRE (NOVEMBER)

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

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

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

* MORT IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA (NOVEMBER/DECEMBER)

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

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

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

* LORDS AND LADIES IN NORWICH (DECEMBER)

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

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

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

* RAISING STEAM IN ABINGDON: A POSTPONEMENT

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

http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/discworld

5.3 PLAYS IN 2018

* MASKERADE IN READING (JANUARY 2018)

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

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

http://progresstheatre.co.uk/maskerade

* MONSTROUS REGIMENT IN GEORGIA USA (FEBRUARY 2018)

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

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

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

5.4 REVIEWS

* GUARDS! GUARDS! IN CARDIFF

By twin bloggers CL Raven:

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

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

* WYRD SISTERS AT THE EDINBURGH FRINGE

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

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

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

06) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS: UPDATES AND REMINDERS

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

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

*

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

*

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

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

*

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

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

*

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

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

*

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

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

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

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

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

www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

*

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

*

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

*

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

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

*

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

*

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

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

07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

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

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

http://bit.ly/2wPbpe2

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blogger Muse With Me returns with a review of Pyramids:

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

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

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

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

http://bit.ly/2iA9814

Blogger Filip Magnus on A Slip of the Keyboard:

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

http://bit.ly/2vfdrof

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

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

http://bit.ly/2vfbXKy

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

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

http://bit.ly/2xlfFQk

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

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

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

Blogger Middle Brow gives top marks to Going Postal:

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

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

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

Blogger Schlock Value was astonished by Strata:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

09) CLOSE

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

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

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

– Annie Mac


ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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

Copyright (c) 2017 by Klatchian Foreign Legion

From Brian Dominic, Wossname's fan man on the scene, who writes:

(Starts computer)

(Straps into saddle)

(Starts pedalling)

RIGHT – let's go!

    What follows is a very personal account of what was a fabulous weekend.................

THURSDAY (helping day)

    I'd arrived at the Ramada hotel (the overflow hotel just down the road from the Grange) reasonably early in the morning, and having been able to check in before The Allotted Time I was able to go up to the Grange, find Ops and ask if there was anything that needed doing. Eyes lit up. I was duly handed a thick wad of posters and some Blu-tac, and sent forth to decorate the hotel. The walls of the hotel were dotted with fake adverts for things a Morporkian might want to buy – all tastefully produced and in various sizes. I caught up with (and lent a hand to) the Official Renaming Detail, who were erecting the large signs that said "UPPER BROADWAY" "LOWER BROADWAY" "CAVERN CLUB" "STO LAT", "L SPACE (1 & 2)" (when joined together they were an l-shaped place) so that people would know where they were.

    After this, is was Goodie Bag Stuffing Time! Picture the scene: a long line of tables, stacked with Goodies – a "Mystery Envelope" packed with totally unknown goodies, the Posh Programme (which normally gets looked at by me after the event), the Read Me, which is a smaller and more convenient version of the Convention Programme – as suggested, this is the one you can use your highlighter and marker pen on to mark up those unmissable events you just HAVE to go to, plus a colouring sheet, a set of small coloured pencils to use on it, a commemorative medal and the all-important lanyard, pen and badge holder. One walked steadily down one side of the table, adding each article as one passed it, then left the full bags at the other end, picked up an empty bag and worked your way down the other side of the table, which had exactly the same things on it in the same order!

    After dinner, the evening was taken up with The Incredibly Hard Pub Quiz (well, she DOES have two years to put it together) with an incredibly picky Judge of What Is Right (the only village in the UK with an exclamation mark in it's name is Westward Ho!, but miss the exclamation mark off and you get nil points).

    That was about it for Thursday.................

FRIDAY (Registration Day)

    This was the day I now normally give to the Convention: I was on duty just after 0900 in Registration, to unite Convention goers with their badge and goodie bag. Old hands knew what to do, but newcomers had to be told what to do with their badge (no sniggers at the back, there!) and to put their hotel key cards there as well, to save them getting deprogrammed by their mobile phone. It was also our job to suggest that Newbies went to Der Troll's Guide For Der Confused – a briefing intended for new visitors. We also had to tactfully enquire if there were any issues which would require the addition of a blue spot to a badge which gave priority in queues and lifts. As the registrations progressed, we found our selves with less and less boxes to look through as more and more people arrived and the contents of the boxes (one envelope for each attendee) disappeared. When we got to two boxes, we moved the Registration table across Upper Broadway to a more shady spot, as we had been under the Greenhouse Roof on the outer side and were starting to gently bake. I'd been off site for some reason and arrived back as Bernard Pearson was about to read "Where's My Cow" - an experience I would have liked to share in, but people were crammed into the space provided and there was no way I could get any way near.

    I missed the Opening Ceremony, which actually finished before the scheduled time – something of a "first" – but got in for Terry Pratchett – a Memorial which were the highlights of the Memorial held earlier this year. I don't know how much of this may have leaked around to Oz, but I suspect it might get there sooner or later so I won't say to much about it. The only thing I WILL share is that the final item was "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life". I sat, I sang, I wept uncontrollably (and I wasn't the only one)...................

    Next up was Bedtime Stories, for which I didn't follow the pyjamas dress code! There was some interesting material, including the outline of a section of a book that will never be published (and which was shredded in stage after it had been read). Finally, I went to the Karaoke Session, which was rubbishy in that it didn't contain any of the ninety-odd songs I sing.

SATURDAY (Costume Day)

    This was the day I intended to wear my Auditor's costume all day and appear in the Masquerade. The first thing to do was to attend the Masquerade Rehearsal, to work out what things needed to happen in my piece, and get Pat Harkin to co-operate with what I wanted to do. After that, I costumed up and went a-wandering. I managed to drop in on a session or two – nobody stopped me.................... For lunch and dinner I dropped out of character – when I took off the mesh mask that effectively stopped people from seeing me I was quite surprised at how cool it was! It was very difficult to stay in character – stopping oneself from using "I" is very, very difficult! I dropped into the Stephen Briggs / Rob Watkins conversation but chickened out of How to fit a Corset and Sewing Cheats! After dinner, it was time to report backstage for the Masquerade. At least we could see each act as it went on but we couldn't unfortunately hear them, as we'd only got a monitor off the video system which was projecting images onto a large screen alongside the stage. Whilst the judges were deliberating, we all went for a photo shoot, then went back in to hear the results. After that, it was off to the late night Hedgehog Party, where everybody can bring food from their part of the country / world...............

SUNDAY (Lazy Day)

    I started off late on Sunday – my first event was at 1100 and was entitled "Liner notes – Annotating the Discworld" which gave an interesting insight into the adding of footnotes and the building up to a punch line. I went to Juke Box Jury, where the idea was to sing one tune to the words of another. In the course of this workshop, we came across a previously unknown version of The Dwarf Song, sung to the tune of "Let it Go" from Frozen......... later, I took in the children's Masquerade, seeing as how I hadn't seen the adult one. As I wasn't attending the Gala Dinner, I took myself into Leamington Spa to meet up with a group of similarly-minded attendees. I went back to the Con in time for Toast & Jam, where anybody can get up to sing anything (more or less) but this was disturbed by some Gawd-awful rattling on the ceiling (which was in fact the floor under the stage in the main Con performing space). I went up to investigate and found a 4 piece rock band setting up to perform............ which they did for around 90 minutes, following which I headed off.

MONDAY (Wind Down Day)

    I didn't do an awful lot today: I went to the feedback session which is always interesting, followed by The Day's Big Event "Witches Abroad – The Musical" which was excellent, given that there's very little time to rehearse. It inevitably over-ran so we all got booted out of the hall and got told to come back 30 minutes later than scheduled for the Closing Ceremony. The band I had supported was ushered into an area at the front, as we'd won the Battle of the Bands, one of the things which had run throughout the Convention but totally passed me by. Once all the rewards and presentations were completed, we went off to the Dead Monkey Party, which is a gentle winding-down party with loadsa food. I ended up playing my second game of Cards Against Humanity and actually won my first black card! (Authors' note: see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cards_Against_Humanity if you have no idea what this is all about....)

    Annnnnnnnnnnd – that was that!

    I drove back into The Real World^TM the next morning – the temporary traffic lights near the hotel which slowed everybody up, roadworks on a critical junction which caused even more chaos but at least after that, traffic was flowing...................

****************************************************************************************************************

And here, in all its sentient-life-hating-Auditor glory, is Brian's excellent costume:





Editor's note: We've been holding the August issue for this report. The full issue, email version, will go out in a few hours' time...

Oops...

In the main August 2015 issue posted out yesterday, item 4.3 should have read

THE MAKING OF NANNY OGG'S COOKBOOK FRENCH COVER ART!

Here be a series of screencaps of illustrator Marc Simonetti's process:

http://www.itsartmag.com/features/making-of-nanny-oggs-cookbook/

instead of

THE MAKING OF NANNY OGG'S FRENCH COVER ART!

The Making of Nanny Ogg's Cookbook cover art by Marc Simonetti

series of screencaps [investigate and write more]

http://www.itsartmag.com/features/making-of-nanny-oggs-cookbook/


Somehow in the finishing-off dash, this one escaped my proofreading imp. While the online version has been corrected, there's nothing I can do about the one already in your inboxes. Many apologies!

– your red-faced Editor

The production doesn't open until October, but the Uppingham Theatre Company's rehearsals are going well and they are definitely getting into the spirit of Discworld...




Granny can't be having with this...




...but Nanny always sees the fun side:




"It's not proper meddling!"

If you're going to be in or near London on the 26th, do your best to grab a ticket at noon on this coming Monday...




  "Join us to celebrate the publication of the final Discworld novel at THE SHEPHERD’S CROWN OFFICIAL MIDNIGHT EVENT at Waterstones Piccadilly, London on 26th August.

  "200 fans will experience the look and feel of Discworld recreated in store and treated to a first UK reading from the final Discworld novel.

  "Tickets and more information will be available on the Waterstones website at 12 noon, Monday 10th August. All books on the night will be exclusively stamped to mark this important occasion.

  "If you weren't able to purchase a ticket you are still welcome to come along and queue from 11:30pm to sample the Discworld experience and to purchase a copy of The Shepherd’s Crown when it goes on sale to the general public at the stroke of midnight."

To view on the web (page includes a promotional video and can be accessed by non-Facebook users, which as it happens is slightly over fifty per cent of the world's internet users), go to:

http://on.fb.me/1MRQBo2

From the 'private musings of Tiffany Aching':

On becoming

  Tiffany didn't often have nightmares, but sometimes, when she couldn't sleep, she found herself worrying about who she was and why she was and where she was and how she had got there. The tinkling and occasional twang answered the last question, and all the others amounted to whom would you have been by now if you hadn't been who you are?

  Supposing on that spring day young Tiffany Aching hadn't gone down to the stream with a frying pan because a monster had scared her brother. They could have gone for a walk in an entirely different direction! Would the Tiffany who didn't take her brother down to the stream on that day have ended up as a witch? What would she be doing now? Would she have become a witch anyway, bouncing through life until she landed in the slot marked witch? Supposing one of the other girls had gone down to the river that day? Would she be the witch today, watching Tiffany Aching being prodded by that stupid old woman with the stick, and dreaming and hoping that she would meet a village boy who would make a decent enough husband with enough manners to get out of the tin tub when he wanted a wee.

  It was a suddenly intriguing question because one answer meant that you could never change anybody, and that was horrible.


On witches

  Somehow everybody knew that witches were bad and witches were trouble and witches were a problem.

  Everybody knows, everybody knows, who knows what everybody knows? What is something that everybody knows? Is it something you've heard more than once? Who has made up all the things that everybody knows? Where did they come from, all these things that everybody knows? Who has been hanged for what everybody knows? Who has thrown stones for what everybody knows? And where does it all break down, when all everybody knows is what everybody says?


On naming a baby Tiffany

  There were the days when a potion really worked, or because of you a man could use his hand again, or a woman could walk again. Sometimes, when she had delivered a baby the delighted mother would ask her, if the baby was a girl, whether she could be named after Tiffany. She always said yes, but when the time came, it never happened. The child got a different name, one that ran in the family, perhaps, or one the mother really liked. Or maybe someone had wondered whether it was a good thing to name a baby after a witch. You didn't mind, or at least you didn't mind where anyone could see.


On Granny Weatherwax

  She wondered if Granny Weatherwax ever truly slept. She knew that the old woman lay down on a bed quite often, with a square of cardboard affixed to a string around her neck, and it read 'I Ate'nt Dead'. In fact it meant that granny was letting her mind ride unnoticed in the mind of a bird or of an animal, to keep an eye on what was happening in the world, and on the other hand perhaps it was there to reassure her if she woke up.

http://summerofpenguin.com/2015-08-03/terry-pratchetts-discworld

One from the vaults: a 15-minute reading from Good Omens, by Jon Strickland at the 2012 Cheltenham Literary Festival.

It's the wonderful scene (pages 74-79 in the Gollancz hardcover) in which Carmine 'Red' Zuigiber, aka War, gets her special delivery that signals the Apocalypse is nigh.

Auntie Beeb says: 'The towering double act's funny yet sinister sci-fi story.'

This programme will be available to listeners all over the world for the next 28 days. It really is quite good! To listen, go to:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01n7jpv

WOSSNAME
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
August 2014 (Volume 17, Issue 8, post 1)
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

INDEX:

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) TERRY PRATCHETT PRESENTS...
04) "DRAGONS AT CRUMBLING CASTLE" NEWS
05) ODDS AND SODS
06) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
07) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS
08) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
09) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
10) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
11) ROUNDWORLD TALES: *MISTER* BRADSHAW AND HIS GUIDE
12) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
13) CLOSE

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"Drumroll please...the book will be called: The Shepherd's Crown! We'll send more news your way as soon as we have it."

– Rob Wilkins at the 2014 UK Discworld Convention

"If there is an teenage boy in your life — and if you're worried he doesn't read — buy him a Discworld book. It may see him through."

– Chris McCrudden

"Time and again I come back to the library as where I got my real education, and The Way of Terry Pratchett is this: you go through the very, very top of a very big library and you read every last book, which effectively is what quite a lot of my adolescence was made of."

– the Master himself

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

02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

Just coming in under the wire for August, owing to technical difficulties...

In case you missed it in the Quotes of the Month section above: the next Tiffany Aching novel, which Sir Pterry is working on right now, will be called The Shepherd's Crown. Wannawannawanna new Tiffy novel! Anyone got a time machine I can borrow?

There are also new books coming out, from September through October. First up is the Dragons at Crumbling Castle story collection. There has already been a "teaser short" released – "The Abominable Snowman" – but as I neither own nor know anyone who owns a Kindle or similar abominati-, I mean e-reader, I can't offer a review. We can, however, offer a review of the title story itself (see item 4.3) from a copy graciously provided by Lauren Hyatt of Penguin Random. Also about to be released is A Slip of the Keyboard, the nonfiction companion volume to last year's A Blink of the Screen. And then – well, see item 3 below!

Do check the Close (item 13) for a very important announcement for WOSSNAME readers. And with no further ado, it's on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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

03) TERRY PRATCHETT PRESENTS...

Mrs Bradshaw's Handbook to Travelling Upon the Ankh-Morpork and Sto Plains Hygienic Railway!

The blurb:

Authorised by Mr Lipwig of the Ankh-Morpork and Sto Plains Hygienic Railway himself, Mrs Georgina Bradshaw's invaluable guide to the destinations and diversions of the railway deserves a place in the luggage of any traveller, or indeed armchair traveller, upon the Disc.

*From the twine walk of Great Slack to the souks of Zemphis: edifying sights along the route

*Ticketing, nostrums and transporting your swamp dragon: essential hints on the practicalities of travel

* Elegant resorts and quaint inns: respectable and sanitary lodgings for all species and heights.

* From worm-herding to Fustic Cake: diverting trivia on the crafts, foods and brassica traditions of the many industrious people for whom the railway is now a vital link to the Century of the Anchovy

Fully illustrated and replete with useful titbits, Mrs Bradshaw's Handbook offers a view of the Sto Plains like no other.

Mrs Bradshaw's Handbook will be released on 9th October 2014, but can be pre-ordered at a special price of £6.49 (or £10 for the audio CD version):

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0857522434/87

...and the cover looks like this.

...and Terry Pratchett also presents – so to speak – the first novel by Pratchett Prize winner Alexander Maskill! The Hive Construct is 352 pages long in hardcover and will be published on 25th September 2014 by Doubleday. "Praised by Terry and the judges for its originality and invention, The Hive Construct is an exciting SF debut to watch!"

The blurb:

Situated deep in the Sahara Desert, New Cairo is a city built on technology - from the huge, life-giving solar panels that keep it functioning in a radically changed, resource-scarce world to the artificial implants that have become the answer to all and any of mankind's medical problems. But it is also a divided city, dominated by a handful of omnipotent corporate dynasties. And when a devastating new computer virus begins to spread through the poorest districts, shutting down the life-giving implants that enable so many to survive, the city begins to slide into the anarchy of violent class struggle. Hiding amidst the chaos is Zala Ulora. A gifted hacker and fugitive from justice, she believes she might be able to earn her life back by tracing the virus to its source and destroying it before it destroys the city. Or before the city destroys itself...

The Hive Construct is available to pre-order from Amazon UK priced at £10.49 (Kindle edition £6.99)

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

04) "DRAGONS AT CRUMBLING CASTLE" NEWS

Coming September 2014: Dragons at Crumbling Castle! The blurb:

A beautifully illustrated collection of short stories by master storyteller Sir Terry Pratchett, featuring dragons, dinosaurs, cavemen and car races! Dragons have invaded Crumbling Castle, and all of King Arthur's knights are either on holiday or visiting their grannies. It's a disaster! Luckily, there's a spare suit of armour and a very small boy called Ralph who's willing to fill it.

4.1 A TEASER IN E-BOOK FORM!

Random House Children's Publishers have published an e-short, "The Abominable Snowman", from Terry Pratchett's forthcoming short story collection Dragons at Crumbling Castle. The story is priced at £1.49.

"The Abominable Snowman" is about "Captain the Honourable Sir Herbert Stephen Ernest Boring-Tristram-Boring (known to his friends as Bill). Sir Herbert is very bored but life gets more interesting when the famous explorer Amos Tence shows up at his front door and takes him of to the mountains of Chilistan to look for the abominable snowman.

"Kirsten Armstrong, fiction editor at RHCP UK, bought the world rights for Dragons from Pratchett's agent Colin Smythe, and said: 'These stories are full of Pratchett's trademark wit and imagination and will be adored by anyone aged eight to 108... they are a joy to read and share with young readers'..."

http://www.thebookseller.com/news/rhcp-publish-pratchett-e-short.html

4.2 TEASER IMAGES!

"When Hercules the tortoise wakes up from hibernation at the end of March (in fact about quarter to April), he decides it's time to Explore the World. "

http://tinyurl.com/o8ht85f

"So what do you make of Mark Beech's illustrations for Dragons at Crumbling Castle?" asks Lynsey on the Terry Pratchett Facebook page. "Here's one of our very favourites – Mark's portrait of the great man himself!"

http://tinyurl.com/noftygu

4.3 A WOSSNAME EXCLUSIVE REVIEW!

DRAGONS AT CRUMBLING CASTLE: A LONGISH REVIEW OF A SHORT STORY (WITH FOOTNOTES, NO LESS)

by Annie Mac

"In the days of King Arthur there were no newspapers, only town criers, who went around shouting the news at the tops of their voices..."

There are times when I regret having learned to read at an age when most children are still getting to grips with coherent speech, because I missed out on having bedtime stories read to me. Everyone else I know has fond childhood memories of being read to by a parent or other relative, and that sometimes makes me feel out of the loop. But what I did have was a rather awesome grandmother who, being bright but severely dyslexic, made up her own stories and told them to me – not only at bedtime, but also when she was working at her sewing machine or sitting darning socks (yes, I am old enough to remember when people darned socks[1]). And although my nan's stories were about small animals and children having adventures in the real world, with nary a dragon, knight or castle in sight, Dragons at Crumbling Castle has a feel that reminds me of the stories she told me... so maybe I didn't miss out as much as all that. And for the rest of you, who were fortunate enough to be read to, Dragons at Crumbling Castle should bring back the best feelings of those times when you were snuggled under the covers listening to magical words from the mysteries of adults and reading.

Terry Pratchett wrote Dragons at Crumbling Castle and its companion stories when he was still in his middle teens and a jobbing junior journalist for the Bucks Free Press, years away from being the world-famous Sir Terry. If I have my Pratchett history right, he was landed with writing the weekly children's stories duties when the previous author left, and rather than continue the tone of his predecessor – who wrote the kind of children's stories that, well, people who don't understand children tend to write – he brought his own style to the table. Luckily for us, he wrote several years' worth of these, and even more luckily, they were preserved so we who never lived in south Buckinghamshire's weekly news catchment area can enjoy them. This also means that adult readers (and other persons prone to analysing literature) can see the seeds of his future greatness – and the evidence of his early greatness as well.

Even though Dragons at Crumbling Castle is barely 2,500 words long, it it rich in concepts and tropes that Pratchett carried over to The Carpet People and developed further in his later works (even to the present day?). The trademark Pratchett wordplay is already in evidence[2]; in fact, the story opens with a scenario based on wordplay. Likewise for the portrayal of wizards as hapless or befuddled – fans of Discworld will find Fossfiddle the incompetent, or at least under-competent, wizard familiar: "The door wouldn't open, so Fossfiddle got out his spell book. '*Hopscotchalorum, Trempledingotram-lines!*' he chanted. '*Open!*' Instead the door turned into pink meringue. Fossfiddle always got things wrong." And there is the pointy hat, of course, making an early appearance: "No self-respecting wizard would be seen in public without a pointy hat", Pratchett tells us in one of the footnotes (yes, there are footnotes. If this isn't the first time a children's short story was presented with footnotes, I would be well surprised.) And we have the Friday Knight, who soon becomes known as Fortnight (and that's a pun, too), and other characters who do not fit the popular image of their kind – again, a very Pratchett thing.

The hero of the story, a young not-yet-knight – possibly, in fact, a mere stable-hand, or the boy who polishes the armour – called Ralph[3] – is a small but sensible lad whose pragmatism and willingness to do what needs doing is reminiscent of the nine-year-old Tiffany Aching in The Wee Free Men ("When he was out of sight he took off the armour and hid it behind a hedge, because it squeaked and was too hot, and put on his ordinary clothes.") He is also patently more courageous and level-headed than any of the adults he meets on his journey to the castle – another theme Pratchett has riffed on in his other YA works such as The Amazing Maurice and the Johnny Maxwell trilogy. Ralph considers things and then acts according to his conclusions, which in the story leads him to keeping his head while his older companions are all in a tizz. What is more, he does so politely and respectfully. An encouraging example for children, don't you think?

The plot and dialogue of Dragons at Crumbling Castle are, for me, strongly reminiscent of those "Fractured Fairy Tales" that were a much-loved feature of the Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon series we used to watch in the common room on Saturday mornings at my university student house, and also of the cartoons and poetry of the delightfully odd Shel Silverstein, whose works I discovered around that same time. In other words, joyously silly:

"'They[dragons] grow to be thirty feet tall,' said Fortnight, 'and then they take to roaring and rampaging and walking on the grass and other lawlessness and wicked deeds.'

'What sort of deeds?' asked Ralph interestedly.

'Oh – well, I don't know. Leaving taps running and slamming doors, I suppose.'"

The illustrations by Mark Beech capture that daftness perfectly. Beech's drawings are a stylistic cross between Pratchett's own (marvellous!) illustrations for The Carpet People and Johnny Hart's "Wizard of Id" comic strip, exactly suited to the text. There is a sort of visual pun in the story too, by the way, but you will have to discover that for yourselves.

Dragons at Crumbling Castle – the short story – is a charming piece and a great way to introduce the collection. If the rest of of the stories are up to this standard, and we know that they will be, you will definitely want to put Dragons at Crumbling Castle – the anthology – on your to-buy list ASAP! Highly recommended.


[1] As opposed to these days, when people merely mutter imprecations at them and throw them away

[2] but not taken down and used against him

[3] People often see the Name Ralph as comedic in its own right, but let's also not forget that it's an ancient name! If it was good enough for the Norsemen, it's good enough for a very small young hero...

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

05) ODDS AND SODS

5.1 WANT THE OOKBENCH? GET BIDDING!

From Books About Town, who commissioned the London bookbenches:

"Our 50 BookBench sculptures are on display on the streets of London until 15 September. They will then be sold at public auction on 7 October 2014 at an exclusive event at the Southbank Centre. Tickets will go on sale to the public on 13 August via the Southbank Centre box office. Proceeds will go to the National Literacy Trust, a charity dedicated to raising the literacy levels of disadvantaged children and young people across the UK.

"If you are unable to attend the auction in person you can register below to watch particular lots during the auction, bid online and/or place an automatic maximum bid. Please follow the link on the relevant bench. Once you have registered, you may need to reload the page to view lots again. Once logged in, you can access your watch list through 'My Bidder'.

For any auction enquiries, please email auction@literacytrust.org.uk.

http://www.booksabouttown.org.uk/?action=ViewPage&Id=9

And here is an iconograph of Mr Kidby signing autographs whilst sitting on the Ookbench:

http://tinyurl.com/kry9278

5.2 PTERRY Q&A IN THE NEW YORK TIMES

In the Sunday Book Review:

"Sell us on your favorite overlooked or underappreciated writer.

"G. K. Chesterton. These days recognized — that is if he is recognized at all — as the man who wrote the Father Brown stories. My grandmother actually knew him quite well and pointed out that she herself lived on Chesterton Green in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, here in the U.K. And the man was so well venerated that on one memorable occasion, he was late in sending a piece to The Strand Magazine and a railway train actually waited at the local station until Mr. Chesterton had finished writing his piece. When she told me that, I thought, Blimey, now that is celebrity...

"Which novels have had the most impact on you as a writer? Is there a particular book that made you want to write?

"It has to be 'The Wind in the Willows.' It fascinated me. He had toads living in great country houses and badgers and moles acting like British gentlemen. I read the pages so often they fell apart, and God bless him for leaving in the pieces called 'Wayfarers All' and 'The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.' I am sorry to say that certain publishers, who really should know better, have produced editions with those pieces cut from that wonderful book, stating they were simply too heavy for children. I scream at stuff like that. After all, 'The Pilgrim's Progress' was a book written for children. A good book, no matter its intended audience, should get people reading, and that's what started me writing. And once I started, I never stopped..."

http://tinyurl.com/nuzjs6e

And here is the article's excellent illustration on its own:

http://tinyurl.com/p9jubwc

5.3 THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING FEEGLE

In the Children's Books section of The Guardian, Firebird's op-ed on literary depictions of Scottishness and the meaning of being a Scot gives more than a passing nod to our favourite Wee Free Men:

"In Terry Pratchett's The Wee Free Men, the wee men of the title are also called the Nac Mac Feegle (Mac Feegle meaning 'sons of Feegle', with Feegle being a variation of Fingal, an 18th century name for Fionn Mac Cumhaill). The Nac Mac Feegle embody the stereotypical Scotsman to great comic effect: they are small with "shaggy red hair, and are covered all over with blue tattoos and blue paint, in patterns which indicate their clan", while their favourite occupations are "drinking, stealing, and fighting anything that gets in their way". The Feegle can also be called Pictsies, after the real Picts, so named by the Romans because they were 'painted' with blue woad. In later times, the Picts passed into legend, and it was believed that they lived in underground chambers and burial mounds. Indeed, James Knox wrote in 1831 that they were "unco wee bodies, but terrible strang", while Robert Chambers wrote in Popular Rhymes of Scotland (1870) that "short wee men they were, wi' red hair, and long arms" – much more like the Pictsies in The Wee Free Men than the real Picts of history... By looking at children's books, the stories that shape our formative years, we can see how history mixes with mythology, language and landscape to construct a uniquely Scottish past that informs the way Scottish people see themselves and their nation. There is however, one key element of "Scottishness" found in children's literature that I could hardly miss out – the literature itself. While all the books mentioned have taken much of their character from an existing Scottish identity, it is not a one-way process. All these stories also feed into the rich vein of mythology and tradition that makes up the complex, fascinating, shifting fusion of characteristics that we call Scottish..."

http://tinyurl.com/mc476g7

5.4 ANYONE FOR SCUMBLE?

"Summer time is here. As a geek, that means copious consumption of two things – books and alcohol. Our own Silvia Sellerio went on a quest to efficiently combine the two by recreating Nanny Ogg's Scumble from Terry Pratchett's epic Discworld series. While I can't vouch that it'll dissolve a nail, I can say it's deceptively strong and does indeed taste, 'Mostly of apples. Mostly.'"

Sellerio's recipe contains 95° proof grain alcohol, dry cider (as this is a USA recipe, presumably that means the no-alcoholic sort), green apple juice, vodka, light brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, a tonka bean, and, yes, apples. For the complete recipe and preparation method, go to:

http://kitchenoverlord.com/2014/07/02/nanny-oggs-scumble/

5.5 A LONG EARTH ROLE PLAYING GAME

Gamer Dannynat has a go at creating a game based on the Long Earth series:

"Over the past few months I've been reading The Long Earth series by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter and it has piqued my curiosity to see what it'd be like in an RPG. The premise for The Long Earth is that there an infinite number of worlds arbitrarily labelled East and West from our own. The concept is that, given an infinite space with infinite possibilities, what would happen to humanity?... The books follow the cast of characters as they discover worlds with intelligent life, stepping creatures and how humanity adapts to this 'endless frontier'..."

http://dannynat20.wordpress.com/2014/07/19/the-long-earth-rpg/

Another game fan, library assistant talesfromthebookcave, heartily recommends Treefrog Games' "Ankh-Morpork":

"I always think of Ankh-Morpork as Victorian London, but really it is an archetype of any crowded, sprawling, corrupt city. The aim of the game is to take control of the city following the disappearance of its dictator patrician Lord Vetinari. How you do this is determined by which 'personality' card you are dealt from pack. These are similar to the mission cards in Risk, and in fact it's a similar kind of game. If your 'personality' is that of vampire Dragon King of Arms, for example, you win by spreading trouble, whereas if you are the troll gangster Chrysoprase, you win by making money, or if you are one of the aristocratic Lords you must take control of a number of regions on the map. You work towards your goal by playing action cards which allow you to carry out various actions such as placing your own counters ('minions') in a region you are trying to control, buying real estate, and assassinating your opponents' minions. Meanwhile, your opponents are trying to achieve their own mission – and, of course, thwart you in yours. Discworld: Ankh-Morpork is a fun, open game. It's chaotic, like Ankh-Morpork itself. One player can seem to be clearly leading, then have their lead wiped back as a Random Event occurs (such as a flood, fire, or a rioting mob), or another player suddenly announces they've completed their mission. Another good thing about it is that unlike Risk it's a finite game – once all the cards have been used that's the end. (I've had games of Risk that have literally lasted days and ended up fierce/weary wars of attrition. Maybe that's just my family and friends though. Or me). You don't need to have read the Discworld books to play, but the experience is infinitely enhanced if you have. The drawings of the characters are brilliant, and it's a joy to see figures such as Foul Ole Ron, Rincewind or DEATH in the flesh..."

http://tinyurl.com/mwf6drn

5.6 IS AN ALZHEIMER'S CURE IN OUR OWN BLOOD?

Is a possible solution to Alzheimer's all in the blood? In New Scientist:

"The scientists behind the experiment have evidence on their side. Work in animals has shown that a transfusion of young mouse blood can improve cognition and the health of several organs in older mice. It could even make those animals look younger. The ramifications for the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries could be huge if the same thing happens in people... the idea of refreshing old blood with new harks back to the 1950s, when Clive McCay of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, stitched together the circulatory systems of an old and young mouse – a technique called heterochronic parabiosis. He found that the cartilage of the old mice soon appeared younger than would be expected. It wasn't until recently, however, that the mechanisms behind this experiment were more clearly understood. In 2005, Thomas Rando at Stanford University in California and his team found that young blood returned the liver and skeletal stem cells of old mice to a more youthful state during heterochronic parabiosis. The old mice were also able to repair injured muscles as well as young mice (Nature, doi.org/d4fkt5). Spooky things seemed to happen in the opposite direction, too: young mice that received old blood appeared to age prematurely. In some cases, injured muscles did not heal as fast as would be expected... So the billion-dollar question is: would a GDF11 boost have the same effect in humans? Wyss-Coray thinks it will, having taken the next step of injecting young human blood plasma into old mice. His preliminary results suggest that human blood has similar rejuvenating benefits for old mice as young mouse blood does..."

http://tinyurl.com/n68berh

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

06) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

6.1 REMINDER: SOUL MUSIC IN KINGSTON, FINAL NIGHT

If you're in London, you might be in with a chance to see Youth Music Theatre UK's final performance of their all-singing, all-dancing, all-Discworld production of Soul Music tonight!

Venue: Rose Theatre, 24-26 High Street, Kingston, London, KT1 1HL
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: £6–£26 including £1 booking fee per ticket. Plus £1.60 transaction fee per booking.

www.rosetheatrekingston.org/visiting-productions/soul-music-terry-pratchett

6.2 THE LAST CONTINENT IN ADELAIDE

Unseen Theatre's latest production – The Last Continent – starts next month!

When: 19th September through 4th October 2014
Venue: The Bakehouse Theatre, 255 Angas Street, Adelaide, South Australia 5000
Time: 8pm all shows
Tickets: Adults $20, Concessions $18, Groups (10+) $16, Preview all tix $15. To buy online, go to http://tinyurl.com/nqd4vlk and press the big red BUY TICKETS button

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

6.3 WYRD SISTERS AT SOUTHEND

"East Essex Players, who have recently celebrated their 50th anniversary, have decided to break away from their usual Earth based comedies to take on the fantasy of Pratchett's Discworld. 'We have performed a variety of comedy genres from Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit, to episodes of Fawlty Towers' says East Essex Players chairman Hazel Latcham, 'We are now looking forward to the challenge of a fantasy comedy that has a cult status.'"

When: 12th–15th November 2014
Venue: Dixon Studio, Palace Theatre, 430 London Road, Westcliff-on-Sea SS0 9LA
Time: TBA
Tickets: £11.50*, £10.50* *A £1.50 per ticket booking fee applies, capped at four per order. Groups of 10+ please call 01702 351135 to buy fee-free.
Box Office: 01702 351135. To buy online, go to link below and click on the button for the desired date:
http://tinyurl.com/qat2s74

http://www.eastessexplayers.co.uk/

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

07) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS

DWCON 2014: THE AFTERMATH

The creators of the Guards! Guards! board game had a great time at the convention:

"We had a great weekend in Manchester at the Discworld Convention 2014. We ran two brilliant games of our Guards! Guards! - Live Action Convention game. (The Palace Hotel is an amazing example of Victorian architecture and design on a very grand scale, which might have had something to do with why we had to send a search party out to find one of our Spell Run teams when they headed out to get their second spell and didn't come back!)

"We had an epic game of Guards! Guards! the boardgame on Sunday in which the Elucidated Brethren made a serious attempt to overrun the city with dragons (they almost succeeded too).
We had lots of folk play testing for us and got some great feed back and one or two new ideas to consider for our upcoming Discworld game Clacks which will be released next year.

"We also got to chat with our new and very talented friend Amber who has agreed to come onboard the team as our artist for the Clacks project. Can't wait to see her ideas.

"Finally, to any of you out there who have never been to a Discworld Convention (and there are many held each year around the world) we offer one simple piece of advice: Start planning now and get to one! You will not believe the amount of fun these guys can pack into a weekend."

And here are the Backspindle lads' DWcon 2014 photos:

http://tinyurl.com/or8hzpj

Also, a large selection of other DWcon 2014 photo and blog links:

http://dwcon.org/pages/88/photos-discworld-convention-2014

https://dwcon.org/news/2014/08/15/now-the-dust-has-settled

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

08) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS

This month's report from the Cunning Artificer(s):

Over the past few weeks we've welcomed visitors on their way to and from various fan gatherings such as DWCon, Nineworlds and Loncon. A big thank you for making the detour to visit us – you've certainly helped soothe our post convention blues, and we hope we were able to begin/end your convention adventures in a suitably geek-tastic fashion! To those who lent their skills and souls to organise 2014 Discworld Convention in Manchester earlier this month, we thank you. A marvellous time was had at the suitably grand Palace hotel, and it was a delight to spend time with conventioneers old and new in the name of Discworld.

In the coming weeks we'll be releasing brand new Discworld items that previewed at the convention:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/index.php?route=product/latest

Available now is our tribute to the Hag O' Hags – Granny Weatherwax's iconic borrowing sign recreated as a beautiful solid silver pendant and chain. Created in the historic workshops of Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter, each pendant has been hand-crafted so that no one sign is precisely the same – a precious accessory for any aspiring witch:

http://tinyurl.com/nq3mlrg

The Assassins' Guild Graduation set includes all you need to become a bona fide member of Ankh-Morpork's deadliest guild. Each set includes your very own Master Assassin's diploma, a Licence to Inhume, and your guild membership card:

http://tinyurl.com/lwfulyz

Those of an organised disposition rejoice! The Discworld Diary 2015: We R Igors, and Discworld Collector's Edition Calendar 2015 featuring the lively illustrations of Stephen Player are now available. Each diary includes a free poster featuring the many faces of Igor – exclusive to the Discworld Emporium:

http://tinyurl.com/nwsyw2k

New Discworld Stamps celebrating Ankh-Morpork's artistry and industry were released last Friday 15th. The Guild of Merchants 2p, and an issue from the 'Great Artworks of Ankh-Morpork' series featuring William Pouter's 'Man with Dog' are available singly and as beautiful whole sheets:

http://tinyurl.com/pkwer5f
http://tinyurl.com/kc269wp

[to see more] visit the NEW STAMPS section of our site for more information:

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

The Merchants' Guild 2p and 6p 'Man With Dog' also adorn our limited edition Ankh-Morpork Grand Exhibition first day covers, created to commemorate the convention. Each envelope features a decorative insert and exclusive hand-stamp from the A-M.P.O. Both new issues are also included in our latest Little Brown Envelope 'The Grand Exhibitionists' LBE' - a lucky dip of Discworld stamps with the chance of sports, rarities and other considered trifles!

To read this full letter online, go to:

http://tinyurl.com/oqymj2c

Editor's note: for dwellers in EcksEcksEcksEcks who wish to support the Book Depository site, the Igors diary can be purchased for AUD$22.25 at http://tinyurl.com/m43zh55

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

09) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

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

Next meeting: 1st September 2014, from 7pm onwards.

The Drummers' most recent meet report:

"I didn't make the meeting but Tim W. kindly sent a report: We started the, long awaited, quiz after Ponder and some others left. With the usual know-it-alls absent (except me, of course) hopes were high (as high as they ever get with one of my quizzes!). We began to the usual groans and moans and were half way through when a wandering Canadian named Morgan arrived, here on route to the Con. We continued then repeated the beginning of the quiz for Morgan to have a go. 5 out of 18 seemed the average (our Canadian friend) doing well, but the winner was our very own Mark with 9! I asked him later if he was writing the next quiz and he said 'we'll see'. The rest of the evening past pleasantly with discussions of Canadian/British politics and London attractions (if Morgan wasn't totally confused by the 'Million and One suggestions of what to do in London in two days', I'd be highly surprised!!) The meeting finished with the pub shutting and myself, Mark and Morgan walking back to Edgware Road Station."

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

*

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

*

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

*

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

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

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

*

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

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

*

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

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

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

*

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

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

*

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

Next meeting: Monday 1st September 2014 (probably).

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

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

*

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

Next meeting: TBA

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

https://www.facebook.com/westerndrummers

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

10) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

10.1 LONG EARTH/WAR/MARS REVIEWS

Blogger travelswithadiplomat reviews the three Long Earth novels.

Review of The Long Earth:
"I... found myself reading this trying to work out when Pratchett was authoring, when Baxter was. Both have quite different styles and it is fairly straightforward to pick out their individual ingredients in this mixture... It is a good opener and, with all alternative Earth stories, has capacity for the authors to go wherever they like, even away from the Discworld Conventions of Madison to the lands of other fans. I think it best to say it is a summary novel, a precis if you will of those great trail blazing novels from the likes of Bear, Stirling and others..."

http://tinyurl.com/n8o3862

Review of The Long War:
"When 'The Long Earth' came out with its Pratchett notion of a potato inspired device (quickly forgotten in this latest because it was a tad too ridiculous) that gave rise to an infinite series of earths for humanity to expand into, it created a vast series of options for the authors to explore. So vast, in fact, they've fallen short with this latest, directionless effort. All it has done, in truth, is show the brilliance of the idea (though rehashed somewhat – see Greg Bear's 'Eon') and the incapacity of the authors to deal with it... Part of the problem is Joshua Valiente's weary inclusion – it's almost as though the character isn't interested; part of the problem is the character of Sally – she's intensely dislikeable; part of the problem is that Lobsang's not in it enough; the whole of the problem is nothing gets the detail it deserves. We've too many threads fighting for four hundred pages of large print space and no one's a winner. As a reader I want to investigate more about the culture of Trolls, of Kobolds, of Beagles; I want a thorough story following Capt. Maggie on her personal starship Enterprise with the Cat; I need Joshua to be kicked in the backside to show some enthusiasm; I want the gifted Roberta and her Chinese expedition to get ten times the airtime. The whole East twenty million voyage is begging for a juicy hook to yank the reader. The disappearance of the Trolls (yet they are too easy to find) is casually handled; the chewing off of Joshua's appendage unexplained; the “war” that is the title is merely an apologetic after-note of vapid inconsequentialness scrawled in the final chapters. I've seen more fight in the Norse Sagas on Valhalla than I saw in this book..."

http://tinyurl.com/o7abxly

Review of The Long Mars:
"The content and style of it seems to be more Baxter than Pratchett – the latter's hand is clear in the Lobsang episodes but it seems the waning powers of the author have meant Baxter has taken a lead on this latest effort. It is heavier on the science fiction, with lighter touches on brow-breaking philosophy... This book is all about growth, all about exploration, all about potential. It's also an improvement on book two as it's more purposeful, more inventive, more hard science fiction than aimless fantasy. I get the feeling that Baxter took the lead on this one and the rhythm of the story is much better handled, despite the genius of Pratchett..."

http://tinyurl.com/nlgkv2p

Blogger Harriet Leslie aka Miss Heliotrope was impressed by The Long Earth:

"I am generally wary of collaborative novels, feeling that they in some respects detract from of both authors while failing to live up to their potential. However, these fears were unfounded in the case of The Long Earth. Here, Pratchett contributed the plot while Baxter brought the more serious science fiction aspects to the table. I feel that the two writers styles married well together and that Baxter managed admirably to write a book where the initial idea was not his own. However, as seems to be the case with many of the books I read, this one has split opinion (reviews here). I think this is due to the prominence of Pratchett in promotion of this title. Those who expected it to be more comic, in the vein of Discworld, seem to feel let down by the harder sci-fi. However, Baxter is well-renowned in his genre and has created a thoroughly thought through set of worlds, which benefit from Pratchett's somewhat lighter touch. The character of Lobsang is immediately recognisable as a Pratchett creation, but many of the more interesting aspects of the book, such as the concept of the probability tree, may well have come from Baxter..."

http://tinyurl.com/nwt64nl

Blogger Robert McGrath was perplexed by The Long Mars, but not disapproving by any means:

"It is all totally baffling to the point that it is difficult to even fathom what is going on. How can the splitting be localized, with a new / alternative time line for each local space? What in the world would the planet you are on have to do with alternate universes? And if the splitting is local, then why would it be “per planet” rather than per individual mind or whatever is causing the splits? I don't understand. The long treks step through zillions of alternative planets, playing out alternate geological and evolutionary scenarios. As expected, there is awesome weirdness to be found, and that is fun to read. And I do mean “awesome” and I do mean “weird”..."

http://tinyurl.com/mcfzfxo

...while blogger Geek Girl in Love was less sure:

"The book does a great job of conveying the diversity of the earths, and the combination of wonder and boredom that people experience when the take long journeys across thousands of earths in a year. The problem with this installment is that, even more than in the past books, the story is to' disjointed to make any cohesive or compelling narrative. I skimmed a lot – and so did the authors, who often start paragraphs with “Four years later...' The characters are engaging but there's no time to build a relationship with them because the narrative keeps jumping around... It's a great thought experiment but a fractured, disappointing novel..."

http://tinyurl.com/qem7kop

Blogger Frivolous Waste of Time has many criticisms of The Long War, but still liked it:

"The Long Earth was a slightly muddled novel, but it was carried by the strength of its ideas and compelling central conceit, as well as being anchored by the compelling central journey of Joshua and Lobsang. The Long War still has a lot of that brilliance, but it's even more muddled, and lacks the impact of the original... Simply put, there's too much damn stuff going on in The Long War. A lot of that stuff is good, but it's muddled, and too many plot lines are included. Now, I don't mind a wide plot at all, but pretty much all of them involve some kind of journey through the Long Earth, from Joshua's trip to find the trolls to a young woman's trip East with the Chinese. I reckon there are about five different journey narratives, and they begin to roll into one. The first book had lots of snippets from other characters as well, but the focus was very much on Joshua, but that focus is lost in The Long War. There's a lot of good stuff here, easily enough to make me want to come back for the next one, I just hope that The Long Mars is a bit more focused. Still, that imagination that made the first one so great is still there, and Pratchett and Baxter's hypothetical future remains as well developed and intriguing as ever..."

http://tinyurl.com/k4hhl3o

Blogger Richard aka velociraptor256 also had reservations about The Long Earth:

"So yes, it's a great concept, and Baxter and Pratchett get very inventive with it, with such things as human colonists setting out into the Long Earth like old American settlers, and the different climates and ecosystems of the Earths as they get further away from the Datum. But while these are good, they're not enough to overcome some major problems. Firstly, there isn't really much of a story. There are sources of conflict, such as the problems caused by people leaving the Datum and some rather bitter people who are physically unable to step, plus the dangerous situations that Joshua finds himself in. But there's no three-act structure, and no clear goal or conclusion that the characters are heading towards... For a big chunk of the story, the only characters onscreen are Joshua and Lobsang. The latter is an interesting one; he's friendly and charming enough, but also so powerful and all-seeing that you never feel truly comfortable in his company. Joshua, unfortunately, is another factor that lets the story down, as he's more dull. A bit like Alex Cross, he's too generic; I couldn't get much of a feel for the kind of person he is except that he's a practical guy who likes his privacy. He also doesn't have much of a voice (unlike Lobsang) – you can't look at his dialogue and instantly recognise him or link it to what he's said before; indeed, occasionally his dialogue doesn't feel like something a normal person would say, a pet peeve of mine in stories..."

http://tinyurl.com/nt7wo8f

10.2 AND THE REST

Blogger Danielle Tamara Fabella was very impressed with Eric:

"Eric is an incredibly entertaining, witty, and funny fantasy tale that pokes fun at its own genre without being self-deprecating... Rincewind is one of Pratchett's best and most hilarious Discworld characters, whose affinity for attracting imminent death (literally) has made him both a cynic full of gems of wisdom (taken from very unpleasant experiences) as well as an expert runner. He and Eric make a priceless misfit duo, who do not so much battle the forces of evil as threateningly wave their fingers at them before running in the other direction... While Eric is one of the shorter Discworld novels, it definitely delivers the grand adventure and good time Pratchett is known for..."

http://tinyurl.com/pxq4bgo

Scott Holstad was blown away by Small Gods:

"It's a great satirical take on organized religion and it has a lot to say about it. Pratchett handles it as deftly as he handles other serious subject matter, with humor and grace. The man's a genius! ... There's a lot about belief in this book, and a lot about God and gods. The more people believe, the greater the god. Brutha finds that his devoted belief is shaken, by his god, no less, as well as other so-called believers. And it does him a world of good. So I guess the lesson is we shouldn't take everything we're fed too literally or at face value. The philosophers in this book are the true thinkers and yet they are doubters. Pratchett's good. This book is both serious and hilarious at the same time..."

hankrules2011.wordpress.com/2014/08/17/a-review-of-small-gods

Blogger My One Contribution reviews The Truth in the light of Roundworld realities:

"What struck me most about The Truth is how safe and comfortable it was. The basic plot is that William de Worde becomes entangled with the first movable-type press in Ankh-Morpork and accidentally invents journalism. Neither the printing press nor journalism have a squeeky-clean history in the real world. The invention of the printing press went hand-in-glove with the Protestant Reformation in Europe that tore the continent apart for a couple of generations. Modern journalism has been the site of some pretty fierce political fighting and toppled some fairly entrenched powers. The Truth was written a decade before 'The News of the World' brought the profession into disrepute, but a century after the towering figures of Hurst et al used their newspapers to inspire the USA into war in Cuba and fired its colonial ambitions in the Philipines. Neither printing nor printed matter have been or should ever be this safe... This sense of safety is perhaps best illustrated by the story not told about Otto, the 'Black Ribboner' photographer. The light required to take photographs is actively dangerous to him, causing him at least pain and in the most serious incidents, disintegration. Fortunately, the sting is taken out – he carries around a vial of blood that cracks and rejuvenates him whenever he has one of his little 'accidents'. There is no real sign here of a tortured passion, or the twisted psychology that causes someone to pursue a profession that causes them continuous pain. The sharp edges are all carefully blunted. Mid way through the novel, he is forced in a way to revert to monstrous type to save his human friends, but the revelation of his true dark potential has no effect whatsoever on his relationships or his self-perception... To me, this means that the clear subtext of the novel is that everything's fine, everything's swell. Move along folks, there's nothing to see here. There's nothing going on that needs a good satiric skewering or a bit of cutting down to size..."

http://myonecontribution.wordpress.com/2014/08/18/the-truth-2000/

Blogger aliceisonline gives Equal Rites 4 of 5 stars:

"I loved Granny Weatherwax! I loved her attitude, out dated opinions, her stubborn assertion that she always right and always knows everything even thought that isn't always the case, and her slight hypocrisy... I really enjoyed reading more about the inner workings of the Unseen University, and more of the Head Librarian! ('Ook!'). The typical humour is still to be found, I laughed to myself several times out loud.. I'm all for equal rights and I love that Pratchett decided to try to tackle some of that in this book, but I can't help wishing that Esk had been older than eight years! She's just too young to really be able to understand what is going on around her, and while it is perhaps her ignorance or naivety that go her as far as she got (and made her able to put up with some of Granny's behaviours I suppose!), but I think more could have been done with an older character. She also acts much older than her eight years at times and seems able to understand things beyond her years..."

betweenscreens.com/2014/08/15/review-equal-rites-by-terry-pratchett/

Blogger suby3 has fallen under the spell of The Wee Free Men:

"Tiffany Aching is awesome. I want Tiffany to be my little sister. She is a charming, intelligent, funny, strong, curious, confident and lovely nine year old. Everyone loves Tiffany. Kids will love and relate to her and look up to her. While she's mature, it really feels like you are reading about a nine year old, which is fantastic. There is nothing more annoying than a child who is written like an adult or what the authors (unrealistic) idea of a child is. Tiffany's allies are the Nac Mac Feegle, or the Wee Free Men, who are hilarious and crazy. I think I might love them just as much as Tiffany. They provide a lot of the comedy in the book, and it is a very funny book. I laughed out loud two or three times, which a lot, because I never laugh during books. The Wee Free Men was filled with effortlessly funny moments. The Chalk is a great setting, and Tiffany's heritage plays a big role in the story. The book does still have a lot of depth mixed in with mischief and humor..."

http://tinyurl.com/kgybnle

Blogger Samantha Field is moved by the wit and wisdom of Maurice:

"This week's 'Wit and Wisdom' is of 'The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents'. I am currently re-reading this book and it makes me smile just as much as the first time I read it... Beautiful images are conquered in your head of dancing rats and sarcastic cats whilst there are also much darker and sad events in the book. It's definitely a good read – for adults and children..."

http://tinyurl.com/l5xs3xh

Blogger Nate aka Mind Worlds notices and accepts Pratchett's stylistic changes in Snuff:

"I wonder if Pratchett hasn't climbed into Vimes's battered head and squinted through Vimes's eyes at the grim, grim world. Granted, Pratchett's no stranger to dark themes. Case in point: DEATH as a major recurring character (though conspicuously absent from Snuff, the second book in the whole series to ever do so). Readers and reviewers have noted that since his diagnosis, Pratchett's imagination has gotten darker. They're right. The series hasn't been this straightforwardly serious since Night Watch... It's a decent story, trading mystery and madcap antics for murders and more madcap antics, peppered with Pratchett's practical wit and wisdom. Atop the peppering he pours, thick and pungent like molasses gravy, a moral about fantastic racism. Yup. As it turns out, Discworld goblins, who haven't crawled into the spotlight since Unseen Academics, are people too... Pratchett's casts are wide, wild, and wonderful, rife with telling details and hilarious incongruities. Still, I sense he stretched himself thin on this one. Feeney embodies every pure, naive, bizarrely competent rule-abiding good kid from early Carrot (Guards! Guards!) to Preston (I Shall Wear Midnight – another dark book). Stratford seems to stem from such a line of quirky psychopaths as Mr. Teatime (Hogfather) and especially Carcer (Night Watch). The main villains, the council of nobles, don't do much. The goblins, for being the subject of this literary tirade, appear for remarkably few pages (barring the inscrutable 'Stinky' and a compelling subplot back in Ankh-Morpork). Most egregious of all, Lord Vetinari shows signs of weakness: battling the daily crossword and actually listening to music instead of reading the sheet music. But I quibble..."

http://tinyurl.com/nlmbf68

Book-a-week blogger fiftytwobooks came late to Discworld books with Thud!, but has caught up since:

"This was the first Discworld novel I ever read. I don't even know why I picked it up – I guess I just wanted an easy read that would entertain me. I didn't realize that it would be so much more than that. Now it's a book that I read over and over again. Not only is it funny and light and a very fast read, it has lines that stick in my mind, and of course the book 'Where's my Cow?' which enchanted readers around the world... Recommendation: ***** Must read..."

http://fiftytwobooks2014.wordpress.com/2014/08/12/book-16-thud/

Blogger Elven Stardancer (er um what?) was bewitched by Wintersmith:

"How can a book about a thirteen year old witch, five hundred tiny blue tattoo-covered men with red hair, and a senior witch who goes to her own funeral after forecasting her long-delayed meeting with Death (she's 111yrs old or 113 depending on who's counting) for a few hours later, be romantic? I'm not even sure who the books are aimed at – children or adults – though a lot of the humour is very complex as well as being paradoxically quite childlike (not childish, I hasten to clarify). The book (one of a series of four about said young witch and her tiny protectors) is full of humour and quirkiness with precious little that can be described as traditionally romantic, and there is absolutely no direct mention of sex though this is hilariously alluded to by the little blue, Gaelic-sounding men). There is hardly anything in the way of romantic language, very little said about actual feelings, yet it remains one of the most romantic books I've ever read... The romantic element, it has just occurred to me, is as ghostly and ephemeral as the Wintersmith himself. Yet the story has turned winter into something incredibly evocative which, for me – I hate winter and go into hibernation after the clocks go back – is truly amazing..."

http://elvenstardancer.net/2014/07/18/wintersmith/

Captain Beardley's very short but deeply moved review of Nation:

"Just finished Nation. I don't think there are any words to describe how much it means to me, but I will try anyway. It's one of those books that you pour your heart into. You get very emotional when the chunk of pages still left unread starts to get smaller and smaller.
It's a very beautiful book. After reading it, I feel as though the little island and all of it's wonderful inhabitants will stay with me for a very long time."

http://tinyurl.com/ksktagf

Bilingual German blogger Nadine was gripped by Carpe Jugulum:

"I love the Lancre witches. On many occasions have I said that I hope to become a Granny Weatherwax or a Nanny Ogg when I'm old (I realise they are vastly different people and I suspect I am more of a Nanny but I'll take what I can get). With Granny gone for a large part of the book, Sir Terry had his hooks firmly set into me. After all, a Lancre without a Weatherwax is just not right. In her stead, the Quite Reverend Mightily Oats has arrived and brings with him a lot of discussion about religion, belief, and all things holy. With everything Terry Pratchett writes, there are wonderful bits of wisdom in everything Granny says. The nature of good and evil is no exception... Normally, the witches books leave me an emotional wreck. The lack of structure and frequent POV hopping prevented this from happening here. Sure, Granny Weatherwax standing on the edge and being gone for most of the beginning of the book was tough. She is such an essential part of Lancre – and Discworld, really – that her absence was all the more painful. One thing you will always get, however, is humor. Pratchett's vampires are dangerous and scary, but they also have their quirks. Agnes and Perdita's interactions, as well as Nanny Ogg just being Nanny Ogg make for more than enough scenes to make you laugh..."

http://tinyurl.com/qepfa97

Blogger Richard James Ford offers us a long essay about "what makes Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels so captivating": Worth a read:

"So, what does make Pratchett's writing so captivating? Is it his eccentric portrayal of his characters, or his parodied versions of already existing stories? Perhaps the reader feels familiar with his writings, due to the familiarity of the stories which have been moulded into his own ideas? The truth is: there is no answer. He is regarded as eccentric beyond belief, and all of his ideas are his own. Even if he bases them upon an already existing story, he still adapts the idea into his own, always in a more outlandish fashion than its origin, only referring back with glimpses of familiarity. It will never be possible to comprehend this man's brain, or how the ideas form inside his head. You could say that his writing is so satisfying solely because of the gargantuan amount of humour inside of it. Yet you would be wrong. There is more to the humour, more to the way his characters are created, sculpted into something which Pratchett was aiming for all along; something more in-depth than just a few laughs. He integrates beliefs and values into his humour that somehow make the reader take the views on board more than if they were conveyed seriously. So if a reason had to be chosen, it would be that: that he expresses subjects that he feels strongly about through his writing, particularly his humour. However, the reason for why his Discworld Novels are so captivating cannot be put down solely to that..."

http://tinyurl.com/kweb3h9

Blogger notwithoutmybowlerhat reviews the recent much-lauded Lifeline Theatre production of Monstrous Regiment:

"The play was vivacious, interesting, and captured the spirit of Terry Pratchett. I was curious how they were going to catch the pithy remarks by the narrator, which I love best about his work. For those of you who have not read books by the author, he makes these wonderful, snarky comments about Morris dancing (which I happen to love), laundry, etc. I think they managed to convey that humor well. The acting was good but Michaela Petro who played Maladict, was phenomenal. Maledict is a coffee-drinking vampire who abstains from human blood. She managed to convey the aristocratic, java obsessed vampire so well. She was a pure joy to watch throughout the play. She is someone to watch for in the Chicago theater scene. Also Katie McLean Hainsworth, the actor who played Igor, was amazing too. She really got into the character in her posture and pose. Lifeline did a nice job with the staging. It's a small theater with no curtain but they make excellent use of the stage..."

http://tinyurl.com/n454tgp

Blogger Jennifer Kathleen, a passionate Discworld and Harry Potter fan, presents an amusing (or at least bemusing) intertextual piece – wondering what Hogwarts student house each of the main A-M Watch characters might have been "sorted" to. She sees Vimes as a "Ravenclaw-Hufflepuff mix", Carrot is a Hufflepuff, Angua a Gryffindor, and Cheery Littlebottom "definitely a Ravenclaw first and foremost and maybe a Gryffindor second". And then we come to Nobby and Colon:

"Unfortunately, Hogwarts doesn't have a house for characters whose sole purpose is to be bumbling comedic relief and to have things happen to them. Some would have you believe it's Hufflepuff, but those people are talking out their asses. Between them, they display traits of all houses – Colon's years of experience mean a surprising degree of street smarts, Nobby's low form of cunning in thievery, their combined foolhardiness and tendency to rush in when they do anything at all, their adamant loyalty to Vimes and the Watch (usually). But overall, I think it might actually just be funniest if they were Squibs..."

http://tinyurl.com/nzwec25

...and finally, a Tor Books blog post by Chris McCrudden, "12 Reasons to Read and Love Terry Pratchett's Discworld":

"1. The Discworld
2. He is the King of Ridiculous Fantastical Comedy
3. You don't have to start at the beginning.
4. You have several different series to choose from
5. But Granny Weatherwax is Everything!
6. Let's talk about DEATH
7. And Ankh Morpork
8. And Religion
9. A note on the Dungeon Dimensions
10. Josh Kirby's Covers
11. Quotability
12. And finally, he keeps boys reading for pleasure through the dark, lonely days of adolescence..."

Each Reason is explored at greater length in the blogpost:

http://tinyurl.com/lovlfxq

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

11) ROUNDWORLD TALES: *MISTER* BRADSHAW AND HIS GUIDE

Any reader who didn't instantly recognise the character of widowed travel enthusiast Mrs Georgina Bradshaw in Raising Steam must never have experienced any British railways. My own reaction to the character was a surprised "oh, of *course* he had to include that!" giggle. For the rest of you: George Bradshaw was a mapmaker and printer famous for his Railway Companion, a book of, yes, railway timetables that was an invaluable aid for any 19th-century rail traveller.

Born in Salford, Lancashire (later a suburb of Manchester and later still the home of Coronation Street!) in 1801, Bradshaw opened an engraving business in Belfast in 1820, then returned to the city of his birth in 1822 to open a successful engraving and printing business. In 1841 he founded a weekly magazine, Bradshaw's Manchester Journal, "to sell at the cheap price of a penny-halfpenny a week", and soon changed the title to Bradshaw’s Journal: A Miscellany of Literature, published now out of London. "Bradshaw's Railway Time Tables and Assistant to Railway Travelling", the world's first compilation of railway timetables, was published in 1839 when the railways of Britain were almost as new as the Ankh-Morpork Hygienic Railway was to Raising Steam's Mrs Bradshaw. The book was cloth-bound and cost sixpence; in 1840 the title was changed to Bradshaw's Railway Companion, now priced at one shilling, although within a year the price had dropped back to the original. New volumes were issued as needed to keep up to date. Up through the end of the First World war, any railway timetable was called "a Bradshaw" whether it was the genuine article or not.

Having a book of railway timetables became less necessary when the 100-plus railway companies were merged into "the Big Four". While Bradshaw's did modernise the guide in the 1950s, its usefulness was on the wane. The final edition, No. 1521, was published in 1961. Bradshaw himself was long since dust, having died more than a century earlier in 1853, but his railway guides will live forever as a part of the history of Britain.

Sources include:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Bradshaw
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradshaw%27s_Guide
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/journeysbyrail/9666372/Bradshaw-the-man-behind-the-guide.html

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

12) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

Paul Kidby, sitting on his Ookbench!

http://tinyurl.com/q64gg6w

It's not so much this picture as the comment beneath it:

http://tinyurl.com/nko2ppj

A reminder that a great new Discworld-themed game is coming soon from the lads at Backspindle:

http://backspindlegames.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Clacks-image.jpg

The Cunning Artificer's handsome kiosk at DWcon 2014:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BuhcnxOIEAAr46x.jpg:large

The Hat! As photographed at DWcon 2014 by Oda Rygh:

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

Kaye Elling, a most excellent Dwarf:

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

...and with dwarf bread:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BumzK7SIIAEc3Pk.jpg

A rather familiar-looking "Twoflower", auctioning for charity:

http://tinyurl.com/pkyf77v

...and worth revisiting – a celebration of Marc Simonetti's French Discworld covers:

http://tinyurl.com/lop2v2y

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

13) CLOSE

So...

A recent programme broadcast on USA radio's "This American Life" featured a book written by none other than WOSSNAME's late great founder Joe Schaumburger! here's a bit of the transcript of show 532, "Magic Words", originally aired on 15th August 2014:

"There's this book full of magic words that one of our contributors, Jonathan Goldstein, found in his apartment when he was moving recently. He hadn't looked at it in over 30 years. It's called 'Ultra-Psychonics – How To Work Miracles With The Limitless Power Of Psychoatomic Energy.' It was written by a man named Walter Delaney, published in 1975. The book's premise, its basic premise, is that just as objects are composed of atoms, thoughts are composed of psychic atoms, or what Delaney calls psychons, ultrons, and egons..."

"Did Walter Delaney really believe what he was writing? Believe, for instance, that while the old-fashioned zodiac was outdated, his psychonic zodiac with its cryanox, vernox, estavox and invernox signs was more scientific as it was seasonally based? And that even if you were born under the estavox summer sign, you might exhibit a more cryanox winter type personality if you were born in an air conditioned hospital? The back of the book refers to him as, quote, "one of the world's leading authorities on the psychic and occult sciences." But I could find no mention of him anywhere on the internet. It was only when I searched on Walter Delaney and pseudonym that I finally got a lead. It turns out that like so many other mystical men from Leonard Susskind to Regis Philbin to my father Buzz Goldstein, Walter Delaney was originally a Jew from the Bronx by the name of Joseph Schaumburger. Schaumburger passed away in 2011. But I managed to track down his daughter, Barbara. She was in her early 20s when her dad was writing the book, and she remembers it clearly. At the time, Schaumburger was living in New Jersey and making a decent wage as an editor at a publishing house that specialized in occult self help books with titles like 'Secrets From Beyond The Pyramids' and 'The Magic Of Chantomatics.' And he was astonished by the amount of money he saw writers making..."

To read the full transcript of the show, follow the link below and scroll down to "Act One. I Believe I Can Fly". It's absolutely fascinating in a painful, how-can-people-be-so-gullible way. CMOT Dibbler would be proud!

http://tinyurl.com/pzamsx3

You may remember the sad story of the rescued orangutan who'd been captured and forced to become an unwilling Seamstress. Her story has a far happier continuing:

http://tinyurl.com/ojutjf4

The final two books in the Gollancz Discworld Collector's Library – the first being last, in other words The Colour of Magic and The Light Fantastic – are now available to purchase. Have a shufti at this page for the lot:

http://tinyurl.com/lc2udcz

As always these days, a mirror version of this issue is available to read at http://wossname.dreamwidth.org/

However...to all of you, dear Readers, especially the very many of you who was reduced to writing "where is the rest of this month's WOSSNAME?" and "why is this month's WOSSNAME cut short?" emails to your Editor over the years, here be an important pre-announcement announcement:

!!!FREE AT LAST!!! !!!FREE AT LAST!!! WOSSNAME WILL AT LAST BE FREE OF THE FRUSTRATIONS AND DEPREDATIONS OF YAHOOGROUPS!!! WITH MULTIPLE EXCLAMATION MARKS!!!! (though not quite five of them...) We have finally set up a way to send WOSSNAME directly to your inboxes! This is partly the cause of the technical difficulties that delayed the issue you're reading right now – it's hard to get things off a crashed server – but we think things are ready to go now. So this will, I hope, be the last-ever issue of WOSSNAME you will have to get via Yahoogroups. There's no decision yet at this end on whether to close the group there or not, as the archives are useful, but at least the likelihood of issues actually getting through to you intact should be one hundred per cent.

Stand by for the official announcement soon. In the meantime, happy approaching final third of the Roundworld year to all, and to all a good night – afternoon – whatever...

– Annie Mac

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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