Wossname -- February 2015 -- early edition

[News and reviews about the works of Sir Terry Pratchett]

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
February 2015 (Volume 18, Issue 2, Post 1)

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WOSSNAME is a free publication offering news, reviews, and all the other 
stuff-that-fits pertaining to the works and activities of Sir Terry 
Pratchett. Originally founded by the late, great Joe Schaumburger for 
members of the worldwide Klatchian Foreign Legion and its affiliates, 
including the North American Discworld Society and other continental 
groups, Wossname is now for Discworld and Pratchett fans everywhere in 
Roundworld.
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Editor in Chief: Annie Mac
News Editor: Vera P
Newshounds: Mogg, Sir J of Croydon Below, the Shadow, Wolfiekins
Staff Writers: Asti, Pitt the Elder, Evil Steven Dread, Mrs Wynn-Jones
Staff Technomancers: Jason Parlevliet, Archchancellor Neil, DJ Helpful
Book Reviews: Annie Mac, Drusilla D'Afanguin, Your Name Here
Puzzle Editor: Tiff (still out there somewhere)
Bard in Residence: Weird Alice Lancrevic
Emergency Staff: Steven D'Aprano, Jason Parlevliet
World Membership Director: Steven D'Aprano (in his copious spare time)

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INDEX:

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) ODDS AND SODS
04) REVIEWS: DRAGONS AT CRUMBLING CASTLE
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
07) CLOSE

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"Pratchett fans of America, you rock my (Disc)world: @terryandrob's 
DRAGONS AT CRUMBLING CASTLE is a New York Times Bestseller!"

– Super-editor and inadvertent Wossname reporter Anne Hoppe, on Twitter

"For decades, dementia in all its forms was the great unspoken. But 
thanks to people like author Terry Pratchett, who has been very open 
with his personal experiences of the condition, people are far more 
willing to talk openly about it."

– Dominique Kent of The Live-In Homecare Information Hub

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

And here I thought I was getting some time off for the first half of 
this month! Oh well, some news – particularly about auditions for Unseen 
Theatre's newest Discworld production (item 5.1) – won't wait.

A few items to start...

This being St Valentine's week, Mrs Palm aka the Discworld Emporium is 
offering some very "reasonably priced" specials for one's loved one(s)! 
To see the offers and lovely illustrations, click on this link – 
http://bit.ly/1CjZcbJ – or proceed at the speed of love to item 6.

Last week National Libraries Day was celebrated across the UK. Ciara 
Eastell, head of libraries, culture and heritage for Devon county 
council and president of the Society of Chief Librarians, spills the 
beans – or perhaps, bananananas – on what it takes to become a Head 
Librarian. Oook!

http://bit.ly/1C9Ruks

A very important reminder: the Good Omens radio play has now been 
released on CD! The four-disc set includes the full six episodes as 
broadcast in December 2014, but with some extensions – shades of the 
Middle earth films! – and an additional 30 minutes of outtakes, i.e. an 
audio gag reel. The Good Omens CD set is available from the BBC Shop, 
many good booksellers, and that enormous evil internet commerce site 
that your Editor refuses to endorse...

...and finally, here's a photograph of London at night, taken by 
astronaut Sam Cristoforetti on the International Space Station. It 
clearly shows that Crowley *did* cause that sigil of evil to be created! 
Muhahahaha...

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B9EcZJiCQAIERiG.jpg:large

On with the show – even if it's a short one!

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) ODDS AND SODS

3.1 AN AWARD FOR NEIL GAIMAN

Neil Gaiman has received an Outstanding Contribution Award at this 
year's BBC Audio Drama Awards, for his work on the radio adaptations of 
Neverwhere and Good Omens. Accepting his award from presenter Lenny 
Henry, Gaiman said:

"I'm absolutely honoured, overwhelmed, thrilled by the award, it's a 
wonderful, wonderful thing. I've loved radio since I was a small child. 
You can do amazing things inside someone's head with radio and radio 
drama. Geniuses like Douglas Adams have paved the way before us. I'm 
thrilled I get to turn some of my stories into radio dramas. I don't 
remember a time that I didn't care about radio drama. From Under Milk 
Wood to Unman Wittering and Zigo, from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the 
Galaxy to Hancock's Half Hour, radio drama can become part of the fabric 
of one's life, exercising the imagination, making the listener into a 
collaborator with the actors and the writer and the director. It's 
faster and more fun and cheaper to make than a feature film, and 
sometimes a hundred times more effective..."

http://bit.ly/1FEFNmP


3.2 A LETTER TO CHERISH

UK fantasy author David Stone aka David Grimstone tells of the brief but 
life-changing reply he received after writing a letter to *The* Author 
over twenty years ago:

"It was 1993, I was fifteen years old and I’d been submitting around two 
hundred different manuscripts of varying length to publishers since 
first beginning to create stories after my twelfth birthday. After 
standard rejections, complicated rejections, rejections suggesting I 
change narratives and start on different sorts of fiction, polite 
suggestions that I choose to do something different with my life and 
even one or two strong hints that I should never have picked up a pen in 
the first place, I decided to write to my literary hero and tell him 
that I was giving up on my novel because – as I said – there was ‘no 
market for comic fantasy’... it could be argued [Pratchett's reply] 
forged an entire career for me. I haven’t been out of work since I 
signed that first deal in 2002, and I’ve written more than twenty-five 
books for children, teenagers and adults. Some of them have done quite 
well..."

Stone has framed the reply. To see it, and read his whole post, go to 
https://blokecalleddave.wordpress.com/2015/02/10/terrypratchett


3.3 STEELEYE SPAN TOUR UPDATES

Steeleye Span continue their tour. This weekend they will be playing at 
in Barrow-in-Furness.

When: Sunday 15th February 15
Venue: The Forum, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: £19.50 (concessions £17.50)

http://www.theforumbarrow.co.uk/

Another performance takes place in Harlow, Essex, next month.

When: Wednesday, 11th March
Venue: Harlow Playhouse, Playhouse Square, Harlow, Essex CM20 1LS
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: £23.50. To book, call the box office on (01279) 431945 or visit 
www.playhouseharlow.com

For more information, news and tour info, go to:

www.steeleyespan.org.uk

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04) REVIEWS: DRAGONS AT CRUMBLING CASTLE

By Tasha Robinson for NPR:

"They're airy, energetic and goofy, starting with the title story, which 
has King Arthur getting the news of the day from a series of town criers 
who collectively serve as a newspaper, right down to a sports-page 
crier, a pompous editorial crier, and a comics-page crier who draws 
pictures and travels with a jester. When the news crier informs Arthur 
about dragons invading a local castle, he sends the only available 
knight, a small boy who accumulates a group of similar misfits on his 
travels, then learns dragons aren't so bad. These kinds of wandering, 
unpredictable journeys that end in amiable places are common in 
Crumbling Castle, whether it's the infinitesimal dueling rulers on a 
well-populated Horton Hears a Who-style dust speck exploring a neighbor 
speck, or a pet tortoise taking a slow stroll out of his comfortable 
garden and down to the local pond.

"Dragons at Crumbling Castle includes pictures drawn in the style of 
celebrated children's book artist Quentin Blake, and evoking Blake's 
many illustrations for another celebrated British author: Roald Dahl. 
There's a suggestion here that publisher Clarion Books is trying to 
associate Crumbling Castle with Dahl books like Matilda and The Witches. 
Pratchett's early stories lack Dahl's gleeful sense of the macabre, but 
the comparison otherwise isn't far off. Both authors are fantasists with 
a wry British sense of humor and a talent for taking stories in 
unexpected directions. Both are humanists, with a dim eye toward 
people's most selfish and self-gratifying natures but confidence in the 
power of good will and determination. And both approach young readers 
without sentiment or condescension..."

http://n.pr/1Fuqtt4

Kirkus Reviews:

"The author admits to some minor editorial massaging, but these and all 
the rest feature characters heroic or hiss-worthy, pranks and battles 
aplenty, sly twists on familiar tropes and his trademark mix of silly 
humor and acute moral commentary. In the title tale, a lad makes peace 
between a town and a family of displaced dragons, and in another, rival 
rulers even smaller than Carpet People squabble over a newly discovered 
dust speck... All the stories come with sheaves of new illustrations 
depicting wide-eyed caricatures in comically stagey poses, drawn Quentin 
Blake-style in quick, sketchy pen strokes against swabs of monochrome 
wash. Juvenilia from a genius..."

www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/terry-pratchett/dragons-at-crumbling-castle/

School Library Journal:

"The oddness of the stories makes them funny and unique. Many feature 
British terminology, which might confuse younger readers but adds to the 
flavor of the book. General themes include good overcoming evil, 
cheaters never prospering, and courage defeating danger... Middle grade 
readers who enjoy Pratchett's other works or Dahl's tales are bound to 
enjoy this one."

The Booklist:

"It's a pleasure to read Pratchett's reflections in his introduction and 
to see his signature warmth, wit, and intelligence light up these simple 
stories. Appearing throughout the book, Beech's amusing ink-and-wash 
drawings perfectly capture the magic of the tales reminiscent of Quentin 
Blake's illustrations."

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05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

5.1 SMALL GODS IN FOURECKS: AUDITION TIME!

For their next production, the wonderful and absolutely wiz(z)ardly 
Unseen Theatre of Adelaide will be tackling Small Gods. Director Pamela 
Munt says:

"Pratchett's usual gently hilarious mirror-imaging of our world 
concentrates on quite a specific subject this time. The main target of 
his perceptive, satirical wit in Small Gods is religion and intolerance. 
Nevertheless it is still epic storytelling (with one foot of silliness 
stuck in the door), a comedic character piece, an awfully big adventure, 
and as always, it examines the never ending conflict between good and evil.

"* Information Night (this is when you can find out all about us and the 
play without having to put yourself in the spotlight) – Sunday 14th Feb 
at 2pm.
* Auditions: Sunday 22nd Feb at 4pm.
* Rehearsals: Start on Sun. 15th March and run on Tuesday, Thursday and 
Sunday evenings each week for 10 weeks.
* Performance Dates: May 15 to 30 (Wed. to Sat.) at 8pm
* All of the above held at: Bakehouse Theatre, 255 Angas Street, Adelaide."

To subscribe to the Small Gods audition list, go to
http://bit.ly/19dfBW2

To subscribe to the Unseen Theatre mailing list, go to
http://bit.ly/17pgOsB

For further information, email pamela at unseen.com.au or go to the 
website: http://www.unseen.com.au/


5.2 WYRD SISTERS IN UPPINGHAM, RUTLAND

The Uppingham Theatre Company Wyrd Sisters will present their production 
of Wyrd Sisters in October (25th to 31st). But first, it's audition time 
for Uppingham Theatre. Director Vikki Shelton will preside over 
auditions and read-throughs in May.

When: 4th, 6th, 11th and 13th May 2015
Venue: Don't Paddy's, Market Place, Uppingham (upstairs front room)
Time: 7:00pm on all days

Casting will be for Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, Magrat Garlick, 
Verence (late king of Lancre), Felmet, Lady Felmet, Vitoller, Mrs 
Vitoller, the Fool, Tomjon, Hwel, Sergeant, Demon, Robbers, Players, 
Guests, Guards, and Peasants.

Vikki writes:

"If you would like to be considered but cannot make any of the above 
dates please e mail us, [at]  info at uppinghamtheatrecompany.org.uk

"We also need people to help with front of house. Please remember that 
this is a public page if you wish to leave any contact details please do 
so via our email address."

Uppingham Theatre's Facebook page is now active:

www.facebook.com/pages/Uppingham-Theatre-Company/215743641793859


5.3 WYRD SISTERS IN EYNSFORD, KENT

The Riverside Players will be staging their comedy-centric production of 
Wyrd Sisters in May 2015.

When: 8th, 9th, 15th & 16th May 2015
Venue: Eynsford Village Hall, High Street, Eynsford, Kent DA4 0AA
Time: Friday 8th & 15th – 7.45pm; Saturday 9th & 16th – 3.00pm & 7.45pm
Tickets: Adult £11, Concessions £9 (under 16s, over 60s and students 
with NUS card), Family £35 (2 adults and 2 concessions). There is a 
Discount Code for buying advance tickets: 'ESME15' until 23rd April 2015

www.riversideplayers.co.uk
email: enquiries at riversideplayers.co.uk
telephone 07704279948

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06) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS

It's the Discworld Emporium versus Valentine's Day, and everyone wins!

"We love our dear customers, so for one weekend only as a Valentines 
gift from us, we're giving you 10% off specially selected items from our 
range. Simply enter the code ROSIE at checkout to apply the discount - 
offer begins midnight on Friday 13th and ends midnight Sunday 15th 
February. VIEW THE COLLECTION!"

www.discworldemporium.com/ValentineGifts

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

The Compleat Ankh-Morpork 1,000 piece jigsaw is priced at £17.50. For 
more info, and to order:

www.discworldemporium.com/Ankh-Morpork%20Jigsaw%20Puzzle

"Introducing the Definitive Discworld Stamps for the Year of the 
Spinning Mouse – six iconic issues from the Ankh-Morpork Post Office as 
designed by Moist Von Lipwig himself. These splendid stamps make their 
debut in the first Little Brown Envelope of 2015, and in an exclusive 
souvenir Stamp Set from the Ankh-Morpork Post Office. Our Definitive 
Stamp Set from the Ankh-Morpork Post Office is the ideal souvenir for 
any Going Postal fan! Contains all six new Definitive designs, printed 
by Teemer and Spools in Ankh-Morpork. The Definitive LBE contains at 
least three new stamps, along with an assortment of current Discworld 
Stamps, and a generous scattering of rarities – including the coveted $5 
River Gate Blue Triangle and Dead letter labels."

The 2015 LBE is priced at £5.00. For more info, and to order:

http://bit.ly/1Ciskxs

The AMPO Definitives Souvenir Stamp Set is priced at £4.00. For more 
info, and to order:

http://bit.ly/1vldBPW

"WATCH THIS SPACE! SINGLE STAMPS AND WHOLE SHEETS COMING VERY SOON!"

And the return of a favourite:

"Death's Cloak Pin, as also worn by Susan and Mort of course, is back! 
For cosplay or general wear, our ever-popular  Infinite Omega accessory 
is a faithful replica in antiqued pewter."

The Death's Cloak Pin is priced at £10.00. For more info, and to order:

http://bit.ly/1vleZlt

To write to the Discworld Emporium by land mail:

Discworld Emporium
The Discworld Emporium
41 High Street
Wincanton, Somerset BA9 9JU
United Kingdom

http://bit.ly/1DVFByu

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07) CLOSE

And that's the lot for the moment. I hope all the various apes of 
Roundworld had an excellently evolved Darwin Day. See you later this month!

– Annie Mac

Remember, the mirror version of this issue can be viewed at 
http://wossname.dreamwidth.org/7611.html

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

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Copyright (c) 2015 by Klatchian Foreign Legion