Wossname -- October 2015 -- Main issue

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

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
October 2015 (Volume 18, Issue 10, Post 1)

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

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

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INDEX:

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) VIDEOS: TEAM PRATCHETT ON WORKING WITH SIR PTERRY
04) ODDS AND SODS
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD GAMES NEWS
07) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
08) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
09) "FANAC": DISCWORLD LIMERICK SLAM!
10) ROUNDWORLD TALES: THE ALCHEMY OF BILLIARD BALLS
11) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
12) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
13) CLOSE

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"I'm tremendously grateful to Terry for the chances he gave me, for the 
opportunity he gave me to change my life in ways I couldn't possibly 
imagine."

– Stephen Briggs

"People like to be told what they already know. Remember that. They get 
uncomfortable when you tell them *new* things. New things ... well, new 
things aren't what they expect. They like to know that, say, a dog will 
bite a man. That is what dogs do. They don't want to know that a man 
bites a dog, because the world is not supposed to happen like that. In 
short, what people *think* they want is news, but what they really crave 
is *olds*."

– Lord Vetinari to William de Worde (The Truth, Doubleday hardcover p. 77)

"We are delighted and honoured to display the Discworld Knight. Terry 
was a regular patron and would have been pleased to see this statue in 
the restaurant where he so often raised a glass with friends."

– Elizabeth Edwards, manager of the Queen's Head, Sir Pterry's local pub

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

October has been a month of waiting for me. Waiting on tenterhooks. 
Waiting for the Compleat Discworld Atlas to arrive. Waiting for 
Wossname's hose copy of Clacks to arrive. Waiting for a certain 
exclusive report to come back from the person who is vetting it... and 
as of today the waiting for all of these continues, but ticking clocks 
and hissing sand demand that we go to press... erm, to clacks... and so 
we shall.

Things waited for will arrive, and be reported on, but for the moment, 
enjoy this issue of Wossname which is full of news. And possibly some 
olds. And if you haven't re-read The Truth recently, do give it a go – 
coming back to it after almost fifteen years, I found The Truth to be a 
weighty and significant story disguised (brilliantly so) as a 
lightweight comedy caper. Beautiful stuff...

On with the show!

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) VIDEOS: TEAM PRATCHETT ON WORKING WITH SIR PTERRY

3.1 STEPHEN BRIGGS ON WORKING WITH SIR PTERRY

Here be a wonderful video of Mr Briggs at Sir Terry's home, talking 
about their 25-year collaboration and how it changed his world:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/fkjjw0fiyti5f8u/StephenBriggs_generic.mp4?dl=0

The video can also be accessed via http://www.shakespearecodex.co.uk/ – 
click on the orangeish button on the lower left of the homepage.

Many thanks go to Mr Briggs for this gift to the fans!

3.2 ROB WILKINS AND SANDRA KIDBY ANSWER FANS' QUESTIONS

In a lovely eleven minute video, Rob answers questions put to him by 
attendees of the Scheibenwelt (German Discworld) convention. He 
discusses the possible Discworld Lego set, forthcoming productions from 
Narrativia, and gives some fascinating bits of inside knowledge – 
including the fact that Sir Pterry left the world of the living to the 
sound of Meatloaf's classic Bat Out of Hell! Some quotes:

"Yes, there will be other adaptations, for the TV and for the big 
screen, but I can't be specific about which novels..."

"Terry really did leave behind a huge volume of unpublished material... 
The ideas are ideas we discussed together, so maybe some episodes of The 
Watch will be influenced by some of that material..."

"Did we ever have an argument? We argued every day! Every day I quit, 
and every day Terry sacked me... but we only argued if we were arguing 
about a plot point... we did argue, but it was always about the story... 
we did make it up very quickly..."

"Can you imagine being at the forefront of the creative process, sitting 
beside Terry Pratchett every day as he wrote..."

"I can honestly say that out of all the fan mail Terry received, 
Eskarina Smith was asked about the most..."

"Terry left what he called 'anchors' throughout his writing, and could 
refer back to them – something you as a reader would have skimmed over, 
wouldn't have even noticed at the time, and yet he would refer to it 
twenty-five novels later..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCLq7KNMu_8

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04) ODDS AND SODS

4.0 PETITION FOR A PRATCHETT STATUE

As mentioned in the previous issue...

"Sir Terry Pratchett is a national icon when it comes to creating 
fantasy worlds that bring joy to millions of people. With over 70 books 
and 75 million copies sold worldwide, he created a powerful legacy that 
has encouraged reading and creativity. And here in Salisbury we were 
lucky enough to have him as a local resident for over 20 years. He 
worked with local people and artists, and made wonderful contributions 
to the local hospital.

"But there is little to inform the guests and residents of this vastly 
popular city of Sir Terry's involvement, or the love the community had 
for him in return. Salisbury take pride in many notable statues and 
works of art across the city, but we would like to campaign for a 
permanent statue, in a prominent location, in memory of Sir Terry's 
incalculable role in the culture of this country.

"Our aim will be to contact local officials via Salisbury City Council 
to either encourage them to take on the project themselves, or grant us 
permission to work with them in making it happen. If funding becomes an 
issue, it is possible that crowd-sourcing some of the costs could be 
viable, with any additional money raised going towards those charities 
supported by Sir Terry."

If you wish to sign the online petition, go to:

http://chn.ge/1Jn8iVs

4.1 DISCWORLD BARON BOUGHT BY ROB WILKINS FOR PTERRY'S LOCAL

The Discworld Baron was auctioned to the tune of £5,000 for the Trussell 
Trust, making it the highest-priced of the Barons. At first it was 
credited to a mystery bidder, but soon the bidder was identified as none 
other than Rob Wilkins himself. Now it has been donated to a permanent 
place in the Queen's Head pub in Broad Chalke, Wiltshire – otherwise 
known as Sir Pterry's local!

The Charter Barons project raised £200,000 altogether for the Trussell 
Trust, which coordinates the ever-increasing number of vital food banks 
in the UK.

This from Discworld.com, formerly PJSM Prints:

"The Discworld Knight baron has this week taken up residency at The 
Queen's Head pub in Broad Chalke in Wiltshire, where it will be on 
display for the next couple of months before moving to its permanent 
home in the Chalke Valley. It is hard to imagine a more fitting tribute 
to Terry for whom this statue was dedicated. The design of the baron was 
already in production at the time of Terry's untimely passing on 12th 
March 2015. His family kindly gave permission for The Discworld Knight 
to remain in The Barons' Charter project in his memory and at the 
auction on 1st October, Rob Wilkins was the winning bidder. Rob worked 
alongside Terry for many years, and felt that the most fitting tribute 
to the author would be to secure the magnificent statue and place it in 
the author's favourite pub for all to admire. 'We all know that Terry 
had the most incredible sense of humour, and would have taken great 
delight in reappearing here to keep an eye on the locals,' he said..."

To read the whole announcement, go to:

http://discworld.com/discworld-knight-on-display-at-terrys-local-pub/

4.2 PAUL KIDBY NOMINATION AS ILLUSTRATOR

On The Bookseller:

"Illustrators are now listed on the CILIP Carnegie 2016 nominations 
list, revealed today (19th October), following last year's complaint 
from author/illustrator Sarah McIntyre. In October 2014, CILIP nominated 
Oliver and the Seawigs (OUP Children's Books) for the 2015 Carnegie 
medal, mentioning writer Philip Reeve as the author but not McIntyre, 
who illustrated the book. McIntyre, who said she co-created the story, 
suggested the organisers should open the award up to books attributed to 
co-authors. 'Because the book has a lot of illustrations it has a 
shorter text; the world is built by the pictures as well as the words.' 
Her campaign has paid off because the titles nominated for the 2016 
Carnegie medal are listed with both the author and illustrator. So both 
Jacqueline Wilson and Nick Sharratt are listed for Katy (Puffin), as are 
David Walliams and Tony Ross for Awful Auntie (HarperCollins Children's 
Books) and Terry Pratchett and Paul Kidby for The Shepherd's Crown 
(Doubleday Children's Books)..."

The full list of nominations can be found online at http://bit.ly/1PBvhne

http://bit.ly/1W6vRyt

4.3 HOW SIR PTERRY CHANGED THE WORLD'S VIEW OF ALZHEIMER'S

"Tim Parry from Alzheimer's Research UK said that the late author had 
transformed attitudes towards the disease. 'Terry Pratchett has played a 
huge role in just bringing it to people's attention and beginning to 
change the language towards the idea that we actually may be able to 
fight these diseases,' he said. 'He was the first person to say he 
wanted to kick it in the arse.' Parry, who is head of communications for 
the organisation, also spoke about how crucial it was to remove the 
stigma and shame around the disease, and that Pratchett's frank and very 
public discussion of his condition had helped..."

http://bit.ly/1N6SpaV

4.4 PICTURING PRATCHETT

In the Western Morning News:

"Members of the Exeter Camera Club have curated a series of exhibition 
to celebrate the club's 125th anniversary, making it one of the oldest 
camera clubs in the country. The black and white and monochrome 
photographs are currently being exhibited all month at The Cafe, 
Topsham, Devon. Photographer Phil Lockett paid tribute to author Terry 
Pratchett in his image 'A Tribute to Sir Terry'. He said: 'The image 
idea came very easily, it was the most natural of reactions when you 
hear news of a personal loss, to stop what you're doing or reading, take 
off your glasses and just absorb what that news meant. The book was one 
on my bookshelf I knew had his famous Death character appearing in, and 
I wanted him evident on the pages spread open. Death always speaks all 
in uppercase. I let the book fall open pretty much unguided and placed 
the glasses gently before taking the picture.'"

http://bit.ly/1Ml3MPn

The photograph: http://bit.ly/1GO2Lrs

4.5 REVIEW: THE WORLD OF POO

By Allen Adams for the Maine Edge:

"One of the reasons that Pratchett is so beloved is his ability to 
create richly detailed worlds. 'The World of Poo' was essentially a 
throwaway joke in 'Snuff,' and yet Pratchett managed to extrapolate that 
brief bit into something fully formed and – frankly – awfully funny. It 
is Pratchett all the way down, too, with plenty of winks and nods to 
various other Discworld properties and even a handful of his usual 
footnotes. As for readers of all ages, that is absolutely accurate. 
Granted, there's a lot of nuance that one could only pick up if one was 
familiar with Discworld, what with the sly references and central roles 
for a couple of Discworld's tertiary characters. However, while those 
details will enhance the enjoyment of the more experienced, younger 
readers will find plenty to delight them. It's a sweet story about a 
curious little boy who is fascinated by poo – no doubt there are more 
than a few kids just like Geoffrey out there in the wide world. Poo is 
hilarious and no one understands that better than little boys. 'The 
World of Poo' is a delight, working on multiple levels to engage and 
entertain young and old alike..."

http://bit.ly/1Kzmbk9

4.6 REVIEWS: THE SHEPHERD'S CROWN

***EDITOR'S NOTE: REMEMBER, IF YOU HAVEN'T YET READ THE SHEPHERD'S 
CROWN, BEWARE OF SPOILERS IN THESE REVIEWS!***

By Rene Nol for the Otago Times:

"Someone once said of Terry Pratchett that he was the kindest teacher 
you could ever have. Certainly for me he was the funniest. The research 
(he insisted it was pleasure reading) Pratchett did for his Discworld 
books was astoundingly wide-ranging, as he gleaned obscure tidbits, 
about the grittier side of Victorian London (from the sewers up, 
literally) say, to the sublime works of Leonardo da Vinci, among a host 
of subjects. These were then processed by Pratchett's lively imagination 
to reappear sometimes as major themes in his books, sometimes as 
one-liner jokes. Even a chance encounter was enough to set Pratchett's 
mind working: he once saw a large woman struggling with her wheeled 
suitcase, which appeared to have a mind of its own regarding where it 
was going. From this was born the Luggage, a chest on dozens of little 
legs. It was bound to follow its owner wherever that might be (even 
through time itself), and it radiated malevolence when in the mood.

"It is tempting to think Pratchett had his own demise at the front of 
his mind when he was writing The Shepherd's Crown..."

http://www.odt.co.nz/entertainment/books/359556/finale-fantasys-finest

By Scott Wilson on Popzara:

"Reading this novel made me realize just how different Discworld stories 
can be told just by changing the age of the character. Most of the 
political satire and adult humor is replaced with more toned down 
versions, which are pretty funny, but not in the same way. Another 
oddity about this novel is a trend that carried over from his previous 
book, Raising Steam, in which many of the point-of-view characters seen 
in different chapters only pop up once and are never heard from again, 
while established characters seem to miss out on the action. While it 
does a good job of saying goodbye to Discworld as a whole, The 
Shepherd's Crown feels like one of the weakest stories in the series. 
Many of the situations and villains are reused from earlier works 
without much more characterization. It carries many of the usual themes 
that Pratchett uses, such as sexism, change, and the inevitability of 
death, but everything seems to resolve entirely too easy, and very 
rarely is there much conflict between characters... The Shepherd's Crown 
is not an ending. It is, however, a reminder of stories that will never 
be told..."

http://bit.ly/1LVTp2x

By Hannah Sissons on Forge Fuse:

"The Shepherd's Crown is the fifth and final book about Tiffany and 
Pratchett keeps her spirit beautifully alive throughout. Pratchett's 
book is laced with ideas which he evidently wanted the world to know of 
before he departed... Whilst written for younger readers, this book can 
appreciated by anyone of any age. It stands for friendship, hard work, 
family and above all real magic; magic that is created, not by swishing 
a wand around or reading off spells, but by embracing our humanity, 
speaking for those with no voice and caring for those in need..."

http://forgetoday.com/fuse/the-shepherds-crown/

4.7 MUSINGS ON EQUAL RITES AND ON MORT

More from blogger Nat Wassell, on Cultured Vultures:

On Equal Rites: 'Equal Rites' is the third book in the series, and it is 
a landmark point in the series for several reasons. One of the things I 
noticed during this novel was that Sir Terry never tries to disguise the 
narrative voice as being anything but his own. There are a lot of 
metaphors that come up which involve comparisons to things like dodgems 
and radio, things that do not exist on the disc and therefore cannot be 
compared by anyone who is not firmly of our own world. I wonder if this 
is a deliberate move on Sir Terry's part, claiming Discworld for his own 
and allowing no one to mistake it as belonging to anyone but him. There 
is no omniscient third party here, telling the stories. There is only 
Terry Pratchett and his wacky, wonderful imagination..."

http://bit.ly/1LvVTTN

On Mort: "I think the fact that Death is one of the most fleshed out, 
sympathetic characters in the whole series tells you everything that you 
need to know about Discworld and the delight that Pratchett takes in 
inverting the norm. If Granny Weatherwax was Pratchett's muse, Death was 
his closest companion... When I was first discovering Discworld, 'Mort' 
was the title that kept coming up as the best place to start, although I 
never followed that advice. On doing some informal research now 
(stalking Tumblr and Goodreads) it seems that a lot of people agree on 
'Mort' being one of the best in the series. I'll be honest though; I 
didn't like it that much the first time round. I liked Death, but then 
it is difficult not to like him, he is so warm, so endearing, so funny. 
It was everything else that I didn't much care for; Mort as character 
was not my favourite, although I liked him more than Rincewind, and the 
story didn't quite make sense to me. If it had been the first book that 
I picked up, I cannot say for sure that I would have carried on with the 
rest of them. So I'm pleased to say that, the second time around, 'Mort' 
was much more enjoyable for me... In terms of style, the main thing I 
noticed is that one of my main gripes from the first three novels – the 
fact that Pratchett has a habit of repeating himself a lot – has been 
put to a stop here, and that Pratchett even comments on it, like he has 
suddenly realised he was doing it. It's self-conscious writing and it 
shows a respect for the reader; he knows that they will have noticed and 
he makes no apologies for it, but does accept he was doing it..."

http://culturedvultures.com/discworld-discussions-mort-1987/

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05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

5.0 REMINDER: WYRD SISTERS IN UPPINGHAM

It's that time at last! After a long run-up, the Uppingham Theatre 
Company will be staging their production of Wyrd Sisters at the end of 
this month. Many thanks to Vikki Shelton and her team for the updates – 
it looks like this production will be truly excellent!

When: Thursday 29th October through Saturday 31st October 2015
Venue: Uppingham Theatre, 32 Stockerston Road, Uppingham, Rutland LE15 9UD
Time: 7.30pm all evening shows; Saturday matinee 2.30pm
Tickets: £10 (includes a £2 charity donation per ticket to Rutland 
Reminders). Available in person from Uppingham Sports and Books, 9 High 
Street East, Uppingham. To purchase online, go to 
https://www.wegottickets.com/location/1664

A special Discworld menu to accompany the production, devised by the 
Uppingham Theatre Company's Vikki Shelton and approved by Colin Smythe, 
will be served at The Vaults restaurant, The Market Place, Uppingham 
LE15 9QH starting on the 18th October through to 31st October to help 
Uppingham Theatre Company raise money for Rutland Reminders (50p from 
the price of each plate). To enquire about booking a table for a pre 
Wyrd Sisters meal, or for more information, contact Tom on 01572 823259. 
"Please pre order your food to ensure its availability, and be mindful 
of the play's starting time if you are eating pre show"

http://www.uppinghamtheatrecompany.org.uk/

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

www.thevaultsuppingham.co.uk

Editor's note: for some fun photos of the cast larking about, go to 
http://wossname.dreamwidth.org/24897.html

5.1 NEW: MORT IN LISMORE, FOURECKS (OCTOBER)

The Lismore Theatre Company continues to present their production of 
Mort this month.

When: 30 and 31 October 2015; also, matinee performance on the 25th
Venue: Rochdale Theatre, 603 Ballina Rd, Goonellabah, New South Wales 2480
Time: 8pm all evening shows; 5pm matinee
Tickets: $20 all shows except for the performance on 31st October which 
is $30 as it will be a special Halloween fancy dress night. Tickets are 
available at the door, or to pre-purchase online go to:

http://www.trybooking.com/158774 (for all performances except the 31st)
http://www.trybooking.com/158775 (for the Halloween Gala night)

http://lismoretheatrecompany.org.au/

5.2 NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN WATLINGTON, NORFOLK (OCTOBER)

The Watlington Players will present their production of Wyrd Sisters at 
the end of this month.

When: 29th – 31st October
Venue: Watlington Village Hall, Church Road, Watlington, King's Lynn, 
Norfolk, PE33 0HE
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: £7 (£5 concessions). To purchase online, go to
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/watlingtonplayers

"If you wish to pay with cash or cheque, the box office can be called 
between 6.00pm and 7.00pm – 0845 052 9645.
We would like to invite you all to dress up as your favourite Pratchett 
or Halloween character for our Saturday night performance, however this 
will not be an essential!"

www.watlingtonplayers.com
www.facebook.com/watlingtonplayers

5.3 REMINDER: WYRD SISTERS IN CHARLTON, SOUTHEAST LONDON (OCTOBER)

The Alexandra Players will present their production of Wyrd Sisters at 
the end of this month.

When: 28th–31st October 2015
Venue: Alexandra Hall, Bramshot Avenue, Charlton, London SE7
Time: 8pm (Wednesday 28th, Thursday 29th, Friday 30th); 7pm (Saturday 31st)
Tickets: £9 (£8 concessions). To order online, go to 
http://alexandraplayers.org.uk/?page_id=2738 and use the booking form on 
the page, or for a block of more than four tickets email 
alexandraplayers at gmail.com

http://alexandraplayers.org.uk/

5.4 NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN DEREHAM, NORFOLK: OCTOBER AUDITIONS FOR 2016 
PRODUCTION

The Dereham Theatre Company will present their production of Wyrd 
Sisters next March. All performance royalties for will be donated to The 
Orangutan Foundation!

When: Thursday 10th March through Saturday 12th March 2016
Venue: Dereham Memorial Hall, 61 Norwich Street, Dereham NR19 1AD
Time: 7.30pm all performances
Tickets: TBA

But first: AUDITIONS THIS WEEK!

The online audition form can be found at http://dosoc.co.uk/audition.asp

Read-Through: Monday October 26th at 7:30pm.
Auditions: Saturday October 31st from approx. 11:00am till 5:00pm
Venue: The Studio, Rear of Dereham Memorial Hall, 62 Norwich Street, 
Dereham NR19 1AD

"It is beneficial to attend one or both read-throughs to get a feel for 
the play and characters, although not necessarily essential. Please make 
sure you are available for the whole Audition day. If you are unable to 
make this or need to attend at a specific time, please let us know ASAP. 
Whilst it will not count against you, learning the extracts ahead of 
Auditions will help us judge your comedic skill. Also whilst accents can 
be worked on (we have six months) we are looking for at least some 
effort in speaking with the appropriate dialect... There are 33 
individual parts and we're aiming for a cast of around twenty. Those not 
in lead parts are likely to be playing 2–4 characters throughout the 
production and there are plenty of lines (and comedy moments) to go 
around...

"A full Audition Timetable will be e-mailed by Thursday October 29th. 
However, if you have any further questions, e-mail me at 
secretary at dosoc.co.uk."

http://dosoc.co.uk/membersproduction2.asp

http://www.dosoc.co.uk/

5.5 NEW: MASKERADE IN CAMBRIDGE (DECEMBER)

Discworld plays and Cambridge Footlights – what's not to like? The ADC 
Theatre will present their production of Maskerade in December.

"After the sell-out success of Wyrd Sisters, Bawds bring another 
Discworld to the ADC Theatre with their unique mix of film, music and 
comedy, directed by a former President of the Footlights and dedicated 
to the proposition that 'in opera, no-one can hear you scream'."

When: Tuesday 8th – Saturday 12 December 2015
Venue: ADC Theatre, Park Street, Cambridge CB5 8AS (phone 01223 300085). 
"Parking is available in Park Street Car Park operated by Cambridge City 
Council. Street parking on Jesus Lane is often available for minibuses 
and other large vehicles. Approach must be made via Victoria Avenue or 
Maids Causeway due to traffic restrictions."
Time: 7.45pm
Tickets: £12/£10 concessions (Tue & Sat Matinee £10/£8 concessions). To 
book, go to https://www.adctheatre.com/whats-on/drama/maskerade.aspx and 
select a date from the drop-down menu on the right of the page

https://www.adctheatre.com

5.6 REMINDER: WYRD SISTERS IN HEXHAM (NOVEMBER)

The Queen's Hall Theatre Club will perform their production of Wyrd 
Sisters in November.

When: Thursday 26th – Saturday 28th November 2015
Venue: Main Theatre, Queen's Hall Arts Centre, Beaumont Street, Hexham, 
Northumberland NE46 3LS (Box Office 01434 652477)
Time: 7:30pm
Tickets: £10 (concessions £9, under 18s £7). The Box Office is open from 
10.00am – 5.00pm Monday to Friday & 10.00am to 4.00pm Saturday and one 
hour before the start of every performance. To buy online, go to 
http://bit.ly/1O5eIAp and click on the tab marked BOOK, then click the 
BOOK tab for the date of your choice.

http://www.queenshall.co.uk/events/terry-pratchett%E2%80%99s-wyrd-sisters
http://www.queenshall.co.uk/

5.7 REMINDER: UNSEEN ACADEMICALS IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE (NOVEMBER)

The Marlow Players will present their production of Unseen Academicals 
in November.

When: 12th, 13th and 14th November 2015
Venue: Shelley Theatre, Court Garden, Pound  Lane, Marlow, Bucks SL7 2AG
Time: 8pm all shows
Tickets: £12. To purchase online, go to 
http://marlowplayers.org.uk/product-category/boxoffice/

http://www.marlowplayers.org.uk/

5.8 REMINDER: MAKING MONEY IN BASILDON (NOVEMBER)

The Thalian Theatre Group are back in November with a new Discworld 
production: Making Money!

When: Thurs. 12th – Sat. 14th November 2015
Venue: Mirren Studio, Towngate Theatre, St Martin's Square, Basildon, 
Essex SS14 1DL.
Time: 8pm
Tickets:  £10 (£8.50 concessions), with a booking fee of £1. To purchase 
online, go to http://thaliantheatregroup.wix.com/thalian and click on 
the tickets image. To reserve tickets by phone, ring 01268 417854. A 
percentage of ticket sales will be donated to Alzheimer's Research UK.

Box Office telephone: 01268 465 465.

http://thaliantheatregroup.wix.com/thalian
www.facebook.com/ThalianTheatreGroup/info?tab=page_info

www.towngatetheatre.co.uk/

5.9 REMINDER: THE SHAKESPEARE CODEX WORLD PREMIERE IN ABINGDON (APRIL 2016)

"Discworld's 'stars' have to stop the elves taking over our world, make 
Shakespeare write A Midsummer Night's Dream ... and ensure the potato is 
discovered! Featuring Ridcully, Rincewind, Granny Weatherwax, Angua, 
Vetinari, Shakespeare, Queen Elizabeth I ... & the Earl of Oxford. Based 
loosely on The Science of Discworld II: the Globe, Lords & Ladies, and A 
Midsummer Night's Dream. Staged on 6 to 9 April 2016 (both Terry's and 
Shakespeare's birth month)... We're expecting quite a lot of interest in 
this show, so *early booking* (particularly for the weekend 
performances) is recommended. Block booking discounts will be available 
for the Wed and Thu performances."

When: 6th-9th April 2016
Venue: Unicorn Theatre, Medieval Abbey Buildings, Checker Walk/Thames 
Street, Abingdon, OXON, OX14 3HZ
Time: TBA
Tickets: £10.00 (Wed, Thu, Fri shows) and £11.00 (Sat mat and evening shows)

http://www.shakespearecodex.co.uk/

5.10 MASKERADE PRODUCTION WAS A TRIBUTE TO PRATCHETT

An article about the Henley Players' recent production of Maskerade 
featured tributes to Sir Pterry from sibling actors George and Harry Petrie:

Two brothers appearing in a play based on the work of Sir Terry 
Pratchett have each written their own tribute to the late author... 
Among the cast of the play, the plot of which is said to carry echoes of 
The Phantom of the Opera, are brothers George and Harry Petrie. 
Together, they decided to use the occasion to pay tribute to Sir Terry, 
who died in March.

George says: 'I grew up with Pratchett and in every book, movie, play or 
game I have enjoyed I can find certain similarities in his style. My 
views on both art and modern life are shaped by his unique way of 
looking at any subject. He saw both the way things often presented 
themselves as well as the way they looked from angles you hadn't 
considered before. I sincerely doubt I would be as cynical, or as in 
love with creative fiction as I am without his influence. Beyond what he 
meant as a writer, whose work I love, he also stood as an exemplar of 
what an artist should be: looking at genres outside your own and 
expanding your view of the world and your mind constantly; never looking 
down at alternative art forms but instead looking for ways you can 
express yourself through them. Above all, he held that money was 'an 
unavoidable consequence' and that the only reason to write, to create, 
was it gave you joy to do so.'

Harry says: 'Having come to Pratchett's works at a later point than my 
brother, I found their wonderful oddness and fantastic humour a constant 
joy. His inimitable style has left it's impression deep on both the way 
I write, as well as how I view the world. Having greatly felt his 
passing, as did legions upon throngs of his fans, finding a means of 
paying tribute to the man that had, and will always have an immense 
impact on me, has been no mean feat. But I hope, as I am sure my fellow 
cast members do, that our production of Maskerade will in some small way 
show our appreciation, respect and love for both the man and his works.'

http://bit.ly/1L7YzXw

5.11 NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN BELFAST (NOVEMBER)

The Bart Players will present their production of Wyrd Sisters in late 
November!

25th–28th November 2015
Venue: Bart Players, 183 Stranmillis Road, Belfast
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £10.00 (Concession for Under 18/Over 60s/Students £8.00; groups 
of 10 or more will earn a discount). Tickets can be purchased online at 
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/bartplayers – or by email to 
bartplayersbelfast at gmail.com,
or by phoning 028 9020 2280.

http://bartplayers.co.uk/

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

06) DISCWORLD GAMES NEWS

Here comes Clacks!

"The Fastest (non-magical) Messaging System on the Discworld. Using a 
semaphore system of shuttered lamps on top of high towers, the Grand 
Trunk Semaphore Company has revolutionised long distance communications 
on the Discworld. Their network of towers covers most of the Unamed 
Continent, but now the old postal service is fighting back. Driven by 
the determination of newly 'volunteered' Post Master 'Moist Von Lipwig' 
the Ankh-Morpork Post Office has challenged the Clacks operators to a 
race from Ankh-Morpork to Genua.

"Play against your friends and claim the title of Fastest Clacks 
Operator on the line, or Play together as a team to win the race across 
the Discworld and prove that Clacks is here to stay. In the box there is 
rules for 'player versus player', a 'co-operative race game' against the 
Post Office and a 'Children's introductory game'. Clacks artwork was 
created by Amber Grundy (a.k.a The Artful Nudger)."

Meanwhile, while Wossname awaits the delivery of our copy, here be the 
story of Clacks and how it came to Roundworld...

"Back in September 2011 Leonard Boyd and I (David Brashaw) who run 
Backspindle Games had recently published Guards! Guards! A Discworld 
Boardgame in conjunction with Z-Man Games. Both being from Ireland we 
thought, where was the best place to be just after its release? The 
Irish Discworld Convention, of course! This venture was not without its 
challenges as it took us five hours 'by car' to get there, while many 
others who had travelled from across Europe got there in less than four 
hours... We were mostly delayed by a Post Office van that was broken 
down at the Mad Cow roundabout. Funny how this later impacted 
subliminally in our game Clacks! (darn Post Office)... On the final day 
when we were all packed up and relaxing in the lounge, we talked with 
other delegates about the Sky TV adaptations of Discworld books. I had 
just said that my favorite one was Going Postal and the great race when 
Leonard came out with the statement, "I'm sure there is a good game in 
there somewhere." Hence we started talking about how many lamps were on 
a Clacks tower, the type of alphabet, semaphore, and transmission of 
words, and in no time at all had come up with an initial idea of a board 
game in which players would compete to transmit words.

"Once back safe and sound in County Down we developed the idea further, 
agreeing on how many lamps should be on a board, and Leonard devised the 
Clacks alphabet. We dug out our respective copies of Going Postal for 
reference purposes. Leonard then created a simple board and tile lamp 
stickers while I got some wooden blocks cut and painted them black with 
the interference of our cat — they became his plaything while drying on 
the windowsill — and we had a demo game ready to go...

This is a good, long, detailed diary of the development of Clacks, well 
worth taking the time to read while you await delivery of your own copy.

http://bit.ly/1GrWLtS

Not ordered your copy yet? You know you want to! You can get Clacks from...

http://www.backspindlegames.com/clacks/
http://www.discworldemporium.com/Clacks
http://discworld.com/products/games/clacks-a-discworld-board-game/

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

07) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS

7.0 NEW KIDBY PRINTS!

"Next week I am releasing my new fine art limited edition signed print: 
Drawings from the Shepherd's Crown. It features 12 iconic vignette 
illustrations including Tiffany, Rob Anybody, Mephistopheles the Goat 
and You the Cat."

A photo collage of the drawings:

http://bit.ly/1ZPJgue

7.1 DISCWORLD.COM UPDATES

"Welcome one and all to Spindlewinter at Discworld.com HQ. 'Tis the 
month for all things Eldritch and Discworld's finest have taken over our 
website until Hallows Eve. To celebrate the witching hour, you can now 
add the NEW Granny Weatherwax bust to your collection, and sport our 
elegant NEW Granny T-shirt. We're also hailing the return of the 
Collector's Death Pin and bringing our popular Roundworld section back. 
Not only that but we've added a handy 'New Products' section! Join us as 
the season changes, rejoice in the magic of Discworld and follow your 
heart to the Lancre Coven..."

* The Granny bust:

"Based on Paul Kidby's illustrations of Granny, this detailed bust is 
made from high-quality resin and is ideal for painting."

The unpainted Granny Weatherwax bust is priced at £28. For more 
information, and to order, go to:

http://discworld.com/products/busts/granny-bust-unpainted/

* The Granny t-shirt:

"A silhouette image of Discworld's foremost practitioner of headology, 
in striking colours from a design by Paper Panda. For this design in 
classic fit we use Gildan 200gsm weight garments in 100% cotton. They 
have taped neck and shoulders, seamless twin needle 7/8″ collar, 
quarter-turned to eliminate crease. The image is applied using a 
hard-wearing purple Superflex Vinyl. For the skinny fits we use combed 
and ringspun 100% cotton in 145gsm weight. They have shoulder taping to 
maintain shape, a longer body length and flattering side-seaming."

The Granny Weatherwax Papercut t-shirt is priced at £15. For more 
information, and to order, go to:

http://discworld.com/products/bags-clothing/granny-papercut-t-shirt

* The Death pin:

"When released back in 2008, this proved to be one of our most popular 
pins ever produced. Inspired by Death's Domain: A Discworld Mapp, the 
design features purple enameling, Death's famous piercing blue eyes and 
the motto 'NVLLA IVSTITIA EST EGO SOLVM EST'. The detailing and art 
nouveau styling is simply stunning. VERY LIMITED STOCK!"

The Death Pin is priced at £60. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://discworld.com/products/collectables/death-pin/

"Soon we'll be hearing the tramping of hogs and decking the 
Discworld.com halls with sausages again so we're delighted to introduce 
our fab new 'Festive Favourites' page, a quick-click option for all your 
Hogswatch specials, and some nifty stocking fillers. Keep an eye on this 
page over the coming weeks as we'll keep it up to date with all the 
finest finery for your festive frolics!"

* The Festive Favourites include a selection of button badges priced at 
£1 each (Nanny Ogg, Hogfather, Feegles, etc.), a Death as Hogfather pin 
priced at £3.50, and a Death as Hogfather 30mm metal cast miniature 
priced at £8.50. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://discworld.com/products/festive-fun

"We're feeling social here at Discworld.com HQ and are delighted to 
welcome you to our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as well as 
encouraging you to chat to us on email, Reddit and see our latest photos 
on Flickr. Please join us and do offer your opinions, we value your 
views and love seeing your photos and collections!"

https://www.facebook.com/discworldofficial
https://twitter.com/Discworld_com
https://instagram.com/discworld.com_official/
email: pr at discworld.com
https://www.reddit.com/user/discworld_com
https://www.flickr.com/photos/132892573@N05/

We're giving away a set of US paperback edition copies of the first four 
Tiffany novels this month. Simply email your answer to the following 
question to pr at discworld.com to be entered into the draw. "Name the 
third son of Lord Swivel". Good luck!"

...also...

* Terry Pratchett's Folio!

"This highly collectable hardback, originally produced for fans at the 
2014 UK Discworld convention when Terry himself was unable to attend, 
stands at just over five inches tall. 'Terry Pratchett's Folio', 
contains two scenes cut from Raising Steam, Terry's advice for life, Rob 
Wilkins' thoughts on Terry, an Ode to Multiple Universes, and is 
embossed with Terry's personal coat of arms. All proceeds from this 
special keepsake will go to the RICE centre in Bath."

The Terry Pratchett Folio is priced at £25. For more information, and to 
order, go to

http://discworld.com/products/collectables/terry-pratchetts-folio

* The Discworld survey!

"Please take a moment to help us! We'd like you to have your say on our 
future product range..."

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GWK39S8

http://discworld.com/

7.2 DISCWORLD EMPORIUM UPDATES

Get-cher Compleat Discworld Atlas heeeere! Companion piece to the 
Compleat Ankh-Morpork, now available to Roundworld customers!

"Your Compleat guide to the geography and topography of Discworld! The 
Compleat Discworld Atlas is a wondrously witty travel guide brought to 
you by The Ankh-Morpork Guild of Trespassers and Unseen University 
Press. Each atlas boasts full colour plate maps, sumptuous illustrations 
and a comprehensive gazetteer, all accompanied by a giant double-sided 
map featuring a magnificent vision of The World Turtle A'Tuin and 
wonderfully detailed delineation of the Disc on the reverse. The 
Compleat Discworld Atlas is our final collaboration with Sir Terry 
Pratchett. A project 3 years in the making, this new guide to the 
extraordinary world he created was completed before his untimely death 
in March 2015.

"To honour this auspicious publication each copy from the Emporium 
includes a souvenir travel poster as a gift from us."

The Compleat Discworld Atlas is priced at £25 (and that's cutting their 
own throats!). For more information, and to order, go to:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/Compleat-Discworld-Atlas

"Accompany your Discworld Atlas with our exclusive set of postcard 
prints, featuring 7a exotic scenes from the atlas itself. Send them, 
frame them, or use them to mark your place in your favourite Discworld 
books! The world is your mollusc with our exclusive set of postcard 
prints featuring artwork from the Compleat Discworld Atlas and Mrs 
Bradshaw's Handbook! Frame them, send them, or use them as bookmarks – 
each set includes 7a postcards from Ankh-Morpork, Lancre, Sto Lat, Big 
Cabbage, Uberwald, Genua, Old Treachery and Krull, each printed in a 
traditional vintage postcard finish."

The set includes postcards of the Wonderful Fanny, Big Cabbage, Lancre, 
Uberwald, Krull, Sto Lat, Genua, and of course Ankh-Morpork ("I survived 
the Mended Drum and all I got was this lousy postcard").

The Discworld Postcard Prints set is priced at £5. For more information, 
and to order, go to:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/Discworld-postcards

"A brand new puzzle game based on Discworld's "Clacks" semaphore 
messaging system, as featured in Sir Terry Pratchett's novel Going 
Postal! Play against your friends and claim the title of Fastest Clacks 
Operator on the line, or play together as a team to win the race against 
the Post Office across the Discworld in this strategic puzzle game from 
the makers of Guards! Guards!. Using a semaphore system of shuttered 
lamps on top of high towers, the Grand Trunk Semaphore Company has 
revolutionized long-distance communications on the Discworld. Their 
network of towers covers most of the Unnamed Continent, but now the old 
postal service is fighting back. Driven by the determination of newly 
"volunteered" Post Master Moist Von Lipwig, the Ankh-Morpork Post Office 
has challenged the Clacks operators to a race from Ankh-Morpork to 
Genua! Contains rules for a player vs. player game, a co-operative race 
game against the Post Office, and a children's introductory game."

Clacks is priced at £29. For more information, and to order, go to:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/Clacks

"As a Terry-appointed Ankh-Morpork Consulate we are officially 
authorised to issue these truly fantastic Discworld artefacts, each 
featuring individual numbers, immigration stamps from your travels 
around the Disc, and a 'real' Ankh-Morpork duty stamp fixed inside. 
Knowing Terry Pratchett fans to be nought but trustworthy, each passport 
is pre-endorsed ready for you to fill in your details as honestly, or as 
imaginatively, as you wish. The Passport contains vital information on 
prohibited goods, currency, and work permits along with space for stamps 
should you visit the Discworld Emporium in person, or any other place 
that is silly enough to stamp it. Measures 100 x 140mm."

Each Discworld Passport is priced at £10. For more information, and to 
order, go to:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/ankh-morpork-passport

"Our popular Turtle Moves design by 2016 Discworld Calendar artist Joe 
McLaren is now available on a brand new tote bag as well as our 
bestselling t-shirts! These cotton shoppers have 'bags' of room, and 
long handles for ease of toting!"

Each Discworld Turtle Moves tote bag is priced at £7.50. For more 
information, and to order, go to:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/Turtle-Moves-Tote-Bag

It's back to school time for all you UU students out there!

Choose from a fine collection of Unseen University clothing and 
accessories, including the UU hoodie (£28); UU Scarf (£40); UU 35mm 
Alumni Badge (£4.50); UU Doctoral Badge (£4.95); The Librarian's 'Ook' 
badge (£4). For more information on each, and to order, go to:

http://discworld.com/products/uu-clothing-badges/

"And finally, what better way to make your luggage stand out on the 
carousel (without numerous little legs) than a set of Discworld Luggage 
Labels! (warning: may irritate Sapient Pearwood). A set of six luggage 
labels harking from Discworld's new age of steam! Each label is a 
souvenir from adventures in Discworld travel, and has been printed to 
withstand the most rigorous of expeditions. With designs from favourite 
Discworld destinations including Lancre, Uberwald, and Ankh-Morpork 
along with designs from C.M.O.T. Dibbler travel, the Ankh-Morpork Guild 
of Trespassers, and the Ankh-Morpork and Sto Plains Hygienic Railway, 
our Discworld Luggage Labels will render your cases unique on the 
luggage carousel! Circular stickers measure 95mm diameter, rectangular 
designs measure 111 x 69mm."

Each Discworld Luggage Labels set is priced at £6. For more information, 
and to order, go to:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/Discworld-luggage-labels

http://www.discworldemporium.com/

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

08) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS: UPDATES AND REMINDERS

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld 
Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), meets next on Monday 2nd November 
2015 at the Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London, W2 1JQ. For more 
information, go to http://brokendrummers.org/ or email 
BrokenDrummers at gmail.com or nicholls.helen at yahoo.co.uk

*

Canberra, Australia has a new Discworld fan group, Drumknott's 
Irregulars! "We are a newly established Terry Pratchett & Discworld 
social group in Canberra called 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 all 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."

*

There is a new public Facebook meeting group, "The Gathering of the 
Loonies (Wincanton chapter)": "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. Next event Loonies 
Christmas Party. Same weekend as Hogswatch would have been. ie 27/28/29 
November."

Some updates, for anyone who'd like to attend:

The Victorian/Dickensian/Steampunk Gathering of The Loonies

Fri.
* Deck the hall with balls of holly – bring some spare decorations and 
help us decorate our hall for a weekend of festivities
* We want to put up a tree for geeks – so if you have small geeky things 
to put in the tree – Deathstar baubles – toy Daleks – miniature magic 
wands – a fairy Mr Spock – anything geeky (even some festive Watchmen or 
Feegles – it's not a Discworld Tree – it's a Geeky Tree)
* The Good Old Days – Charge your beer mugs and gather around the tables 
for a fun chat about things that made you the geeks you are today – what 
was your first costume? – who was your first geeky crush? – what geeky 
books would be on your desert island? The stuff that has made you – you.
Sat.
Morning
* The Victorian poor lived in hand-me downs & second hand clothes – so 
can we! Bring any costumes or bits of costumes you don't want to the 
Sweetman Hall and then buy/sell/barter/swop with somebody else.. Larks 
what fun we could have....
Lunchtime
* In Victorian times urchins didn't know where their next meal was 
coming from and neither do we – forage in food establishments for your 
lunch...
Afternoon
* Geeky afternoon of Games
* Tea Duelling
* Promenade up and down the High Street in you best Geeky togs.... 
Victorians loved nothing better than walking around showing off their 
finery – we can do the same in anything geeky – Steampunks – Victorians 
– Witches - Seamstresses – Trekky costumes – Fez's and long 
scarves....anything
Evening
* Join us for a geeky Xmas Meal – Bring crackers and have a festive 
Geeky dinner... [Note: Saturday supper at Bear is
£12 for two courses, £8.95 one course, or £3.95 for pudding only. 
Turkey, beef or vegetarian option (aromatic Moroccan stew with 
couscous), and Christmas Pudding to finish. Please call the Bear to book]
* After Dinner Victorians didn't sit watching the TV or playing video 
games – they gathered around the piano and sang songs and played silly 
parlour games and entertained themselves – we geeks can do the same – 
sing songs – tell jokes etc – NOT A SHOW – but everybody entertaining 
everybody...
* It's not Xmas without a Ghost Story (or a Doctor Who special!) – 
Finish the night with a spooky telling of A Christmas Carol by our own 
Scrooge – Mr Ebenezer Hicks!
Sun.
Morning
* Nothing Planned yet
* As you were so good at foraging on the Saturday see if you can repeat 
it on the Sunday!
Afternoon
* A Tea Party with Tea and cake (please bring cake) Party hosted by a 
Man in a funny Hat so wear a Hat and join in (maybe a small prise for 
the best hat?)
* Join the Queen for a small game of Croquet on our specially imported 
indoor crochet lawn
* Being Polite Victorians we will be invited to 'Vacate the premises' 
(No mucky words at this gathering!) (Pack up the Geeky Tree, collect 
stuff people brought and depart home.)

"This is by no means a finished or full plan – there is still space in 
it that we can fill with other stuff – if anybody has ideas or 
suggestions – shout out and if we can make them happen we will. This is 
not a Hogswatch and it is not intended as a big even so if you want to 
come see friends – have fun – great. But if you don't come it's possibly 
something your life will go on with without. We aren't advertising this 
big time – it's mainly targeted at the friends who have been gathering 
for more than 10 years now – to continue doing so..."

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. Our recent 'Murder In Morpork' mystery 
party was a great night out. With 26 people attending, we had 24 
suspects, our special guest – Vetinari, and one dead mime! It was a fun 
night of food and murder and we are planning another Murder in December 
so stay tuned. We also attend opening night at Brisbane Arts Theatre's 
Discworld plays." The Partisans currently have about 100 members who 
meet at least twice a month, usually in Brisbane.

Here be some upcoming events hosted by the Pratchett Partisans:

Carpe Jugul– Vinum! Halloween Party. Friday 30th Oct 7pm. Lady 
Margolotta's Castle. Appropriate Halloween/Discworld/Formal attire 
compulsory. $20 per person: platter food, games, prizes and dessert.

Discworld games afternoon Sat 14 November 2pm-8pm. Community meeting 
room Brisbane Square library. Drop in during the afternoon for Discworld 
board and card games, then dinner and drinks starting from 6pm at a 
local eatery.

Homicide at Hogswatch. Sat 19 December 6pm-10pm. Grand Central Hotel 
Dining Car. Will another Murder will be committed in Ankh Morpork? More 
details will be released soon.

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

*

The City of Small Gods is a group for fans in Adelaide and South 
Australia. For more information on their upcoming activities, go to 
www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

"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."

Upcoming events include:
Nov 15	Chain Maille Workshop (TBC)
Nov 26	Monthly Dinner and Games, Seven Stars Hotel, 187 Angas St
Nov 29	Planning Picnic, Botanic Park, 11.30am
Dec 6	Round World Events SA Annual General Meeting
Dec TBA	End of Year Dinner

For more info, go to http://ausdwcon.org/fan-clubs/adelaide/quiz/

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 5th November 2015 
(probably) from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight. For 
more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers at yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) next meets on Friday 6th 
November 2015 (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 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 next on Monday 2nd 
November 2015 at 6.30pm (probably) in Sydney at 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 
George Street, Sydney,2000. For more information, contact Sue (aka 
Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys at yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers, meets 
next on Monday 2nd November 2015 (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 at gmail.com>

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

09) THE DISCWORLD LIMERICK SLAM!

Here be a gem mined from the wilds of Facebook by one of our Newshounds. 
Marvellous stuff!

Hampus Lybeck of Gothenburg, Sweden started the proceedings with a 
challenge, "The rule of thumb is that there are limericks you can read 
with ladies present, limericks you can read with vicars present and then 
proper limericks." and then offered the first one:

 From Lancre (Bad Ass) hailed a witch
Who had an unfortunate glitch
Her time-line bifurcated
And she duplicated
Now her friends can't tell which witch is which.

...and this happened...

Lucie Zeale
There once was a Smith in Bad Ass
With seven fine boys and a lass
A wizard was she
And eventually
she could travel through time to the past.

Sarah Rutherford Smith
There once was a boy from Copperhead
Whose hair was indelibly red.
He enforced the laws,
Loved a girl with four paws
And had irrefutable street cred.

Ruth Leslie
There once was a dashing young author.
Who said to himself "Well I oughta",
bring Disc world to life,
let laughter run rife.
You did good, you well loved old author. Tah dah!

Roger McKillop
There's music frae oor Feegles moond,
whaur drinkin', an' fechtin' aboond,
Wi' a big bottle o' Scumble,
We'll jine in the rumble,
An' hope the roast ship isnae foond!

Dan Ladle
In Ankh-Morpork there was a dictator,
Who preferred to be earlier than later,
He talked to the rats and liked crunching the stat's
On things said at a Square named Sator

Tania Maria Cann Lewis
Headology, said Nanny Ogg
Whilst talking to Gaspode the Dog
Is a load of old Fanny
I leave it to Granny
I prefer just to swig at my grog

Lucie Zeale
There was a man from Llamedos
Who played a fine harp of course
With a dwarf and troll
They made rock and roll
And were the best band there ever was!

There was a wizard in Ankh
A tourist with luggage like a tank
Too far did they roam
 From Morporks loam
That straight off of the disc, they sank

Nicole B Hicks
Vimes walks the streets in the night
With nary a crim'nal in sight
The agony aunts
Hung two up, by their pants
And the rest are all hiding, in fright.

The Ankh is a curious river
Not so much a flow, as a quiver
You can skip more than a rock
If you're quick, you can walk
But it smells like a half-rotten liver.

Ruth Leslie
There once was a Magrat from Lancre,
Whose future was looking quite danker.
But she met a fool, who was destined to rule,
and all Verence could do,was to thank her.

Nicole B Hicks
The Alchemist's Guild has gone missing
In a pile of rubble, all hissing
Lots of bricks, I am told,
But none of them gold
So all of us are left wishing.

Monks sew up the trousers of time
Dumping bits in some unvisited clime
The Procrastinator rolls
And the Mandala scrolls
Whilst I fiddle about with this rhyme.

Nigel Finn
Leonard of Quirm was never quite sure,
How to continue limericks after line four,
When asked why this was,
He answered "Because."
Then he became distracted and sketched a detailed drawing of muscles in 
the human thumb, a nice little invention for keeping cheese at a 
consistent temperature, and a device for raining down fire on enemy ships.

Hampus Lybeck
A nice young man from Sutton Hoo
Knew a limerick that stopped at line two...

Nigel Finn Oook ook oooook ook ook,
Ook ook, oook ook ook,
ook ook OOK!
ook OOk OOK?
OOK ook OOOOK ook ook!

Nicole B Hicks
Though it looks like a cosmic mistake,
A world, round and flat, like a pancake,
The black-hatted creator,
Gave the Disc no equator,
Tis perfect, it requires no remake.

David Bond
Promotion in the halls of UU,
Was filling the dead men's pointy shoes,
Then along came Ridcully,
A fellow quite jolly,
Now the Bursar hides in the loos.

Nigel Finn
There once was a copper called Vimes,
Who knew he should move with the times,
He employed dwarfs and trolls,
A werewolf, some gargoyles,
And a vampire to help solve some crimes.

Nicole B Hicks
If wishes were horses, we'd ride
On A'tuins back, we'd abide
And while that would be merry
We can all be more Terry
And spread ripples on earth, far and wide.

A photog named Otto loves light
But crumbles away when it's bright
Shriek, if you must
Then sweep up the dust
So he can get the iconograph right

Nigel Finn
A man with a fowl on his head,
Was sick of the rumours they spread,
About a duck on his bonce,
So with much nonchalance,
He'd just reply "What duck?" instead.

Hampus Lybeck
 From the town of Ohulan Cutash
(Well, the suburb, Sheepridge, let's not clash)
came a man with a secret
So dreadful you won't hear it
 From me without huge loads of cash!

Roger McKillop
Tae write this poem, Daft Wullie wished.
Bit couldnae cause he wis pished!
He's reduced tae a mumble,
By scoffin' mair Scumble,
Than even he could hae wished!

Hampus Lybeck
There once was a young dwarf named Glod.
Through life did he happily plod.
Until this spot of bother;
His 'dad' was his mother
it turned out, or that's what I'm tlod.

Lucie Zeale
there once was a man called Groat
who drank turpentine for his throat
He lived with young Sidney
who was not of that kidney
a knowledge of pins was his boat.

Chris Browne
There once was a Reaper called Mort
Who travelled from Morpork to Tsort
Taking souls without fear
Till a change of career
Made him boss of the Sto Helit court.

There was a young Aching called Tiff
Whose cheeses had started to whiff
She did witchy magic
But the outcome was tragic
When Horace rolled over a cliff.

Nicole B Hicks
Young Sam, it is said, enjoys poo
 From animals which quack, oink or moo
When asked about smell
He just said, "Oh well,
I'm from Ankh, it's nothing too new."

Chris Browne
Ponder Stibbons said, wiping his specs
And flexing his magical pecs,
'No cause for alarm
'When splitting the thaum
'I leave all the hard parts to Hex'

Roger McKillop
Moose pipes soond oor warnin' clear,
The big wee Hag's stridin' up here!
She kens aboot the ship,
Wi' her hauns oan her hip,
"A reckonin'" aw' Feegles fear!

Hampus Lybeck
Old women who live in The Shades
have handbags that bristle with blades
for every occasion
from tea to castration
or wanton destruction and raids.

Chris Browne
Jools Stollop was built like a waif
Her beauty assured she was safe
To succeed as a model
On high heels she'd toddle
Wearing micromail frocks (does not chafe)

Hampus Lybeck
Goodie Whemper (Maysherestinpeace)
used research methodologies.
Turned witchcraft into science
despite Granny's annoyance
at their likeness to jommetries.

Nigel Finn
A five part limerick briefly summing up the events of Feet Of Clay;

A dwarf named Cheery Littlebottom
Announced to the room "I have found some
Arsenic that was used
By the person accused
Of killing the priest and Hopkinson"

Old Stoneface remained quite confused
By an overabundance of clues
He couldn't find a link
And he needed a drink
And both those thoughts gave him the blues

Vetinari, meanwhile, remained ill
The thing that poisoned him was still
A mystery to all,
A trained wasp in the wall
Seemed all that could cause it. untill;

"Why hadn't I seen it before!?"
Thought Vimes as he ran to the door,
"The butcher, the baker,
The candle-stick maker!
I've figured it out now, I'm sure!"

Meanwhile Dorfl had helped save the day
Which provoked Captain Carrot to say
"Let's reward this beings acts,
Since he stopped the attacks
By destroying the clay of his clay."

Roger McKillop
"Bit it wisnae an Aitken ship!"
Said Rob wi' tremulous lip.
Fir oor mutton roast,
He ken't he wis toast,
She'd a skillet firm in her grip!

Roger McKillop
The Big Yan an' Rob were lampooned,
An' liftit high aff the groond,
Thus Tiff made her point,
Ower the stolen lamb joint,
As oor lads landed an' mooned!

Nicole B Hicks
Things get cold on Cori Celesti
Bring wool socks, and a double thick vesty
Please don't anger Fate
You won't like him irate
And no priest on the Disc will dare bless thee.

There once was a crook called von Lipwig
On the end of a rope he danced a jig
An angel helped Moist
Slip from the joist
And got him an honest to gods gig.

Hampus Lybeck
A young lad from Pseudopolis
gave demonology a whiz
wished for long life and beauty
and chestfuls of booty
got a wizzard instead, what a miss!

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

10) ROUNDWORLD TALES: THE ALCHEMY OF BILLIARD BALLS

It seems that Moving Pictures' alchemists were echoing Roundworld history...

"When you played billiards during the early days of plastic, you took 
your life into your hands. Under the right circumstances, your bank shot 
could cause a ball to explode.

"Billiards played an important role in driving the development of 
synthetic plastic. In the Victorian era, billiard balls were made of 
ivory, a material created from carved tusks. But some feared (perhaps 
erroneously) that ivory's popularity was going to lead to a shortage of 
the material, as elephants would be hunted to near extinction. They were 
onto something — but it wouldn't happen for decades.

"Phelan and Collender, a major billiard table manufacturer, offered a 
$10,000 reward to any person who could make a non-ivory billiard ball. 
In 1869, an inventor named John Wesley Hyatt came up with a solution. He 
mixed nitrocellulose with alcohol and a waxy resin called camphor, and 
molded it into a ball that looked and felt a lot like ivory. This 
material, patented as Celluloid and later used for artificial dental 
plates, was the first mass-market synthetic plastic, launching what 
became known as the Age of Plastics. Unfortunately, nitrocellulose is 
also called guncotton, and it's combustible. It explodes so rapidly that 
it doesn't typically set anything on fire, but it can burst into flame 
and make a loud bang. And in boozy 19th-century pool halls, that was not 
such a great idea..."

http://bit.ly/1MLjei7

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

11) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

The excellent Kokay Maramot has some further Pratchett thoughts...

On Where's My Cow:

"My first story as a child was told to me by my father. I was probably 
the same age as Young Sam (in Where's My Cow). I remember the nights, 
inside my parent's room in our small starter home. My father would read 
it to me again, over and over – the tale of how the animals from all 
over the world, walked by pair inside Noah's Ark. To a child's 
imagination, the arc bent space and time, it was infinitely large 
inside! There came the largest elephant, the fiercest lions, the birds, 
the dogs, cats, probably a kangaroo hopped inside too, but at the age of 
one, the only exotic animal I could fit inside it were ducks and rats. 
My mother bought me a duck and a rat one day from some church vendor. 
One day, both disappeared. No, they didn't die, I would have remembered. 
Probably went and freed themselves in search of Noah's Ark. Every 
capricious kid must've been as wicked as Egypt's King Ramses!... I 
remember my father, patient man that he is, reading Noah's ark many 
times in one night. My mother was probably relieved that I was nagging 
someone else during bedtime! My parents celebrated their 28th wedding 
anniversary last May 17th! They should be congratulated!

"Noah's Ark must have been a big hit for a child of one, but it could be 
trying to fathers (and mothers) all over the world. So, Terry Pratchett, 
being a genius (as this site attest to the many books I've reviewed) 
released a truly interactive approach to the usual animal bedtime story 
with a twist in Where's My Cow? It is a plus if your household loves the 
Discworld series and is familiar with one of its heroes – Sir Samuel 
Vimes, Knight, Duke and Commander of Discworld's fictional police force..."

http://bit.ly/1IQJCdx

On reading Pratchett on public transport:

Got on the bus at around 10pm today. I had to finish a few things in the 
office and extended my hours. The bus I got on was a one year old yellow 
skinned smelly creature. At one year old, it's cleaner than most buses 
in the metro, but that doesn't mean it's on top condition. The aircon is 
busted and the cover seats are muddied. For two hours this will be my 
shell because it's going to be a turtle soon when it hits EDSA- the 
longest, most crowded and, most dreaded pass any Filipino commuter had 
to endure every day. Anyway, I've learned to shun all the noise and 
distraction by plugging my headphones and playing some music from my 
phone while reading. When I'm feeling confident and focused, I could do 
without the headphones and would read all the way through the ride 
without breaking my concentration. All the way through the ride is 
almost two hours of squeezing in a crowded world of people who looks 
like they had a long day and would like it to end as soon as possible. 
The bus crawled anyway... As I read I Shall Wear Midnight, I had to stop 
and look out the bus window and not look anyone directly in the eye or 
they will see tears flowing from behind my glasses. When I read Terry 
Pratchett, I am reminded of the people in my hometown, in this city, in 
this country. I am reminded of my old grand aunt, living alone in her 
house, burgled just a few days ago. I am reminded of the 44 police 
officers who died in an encounter with the rebels in my country at 
Mamasapano, Maguindanao. I am reminded of the people who doesn't know 
the sophisticated words to make sense of this new world. I am reminded 
of my father and mother. The people I ride the bus everyday who had to 
endure buses like this. No other author has made me glance thoughtfully 
at strangers before..."

http://bit.ly/1WcVcab

 From Pratchett Job, one blogger's ultimate top ten:

"Consider the output of your average author, who writes a handful of 
books over the course of their career. That's impressive in itself, 
hell, being able to get your book snapped up by an agent, skip through 
the minefield of the acquisition, editing, marketing and publicity 
processes before spotting your novel in your local Waterstones makes you 
The Big (Wo)Man in my eyes. Pratchett did this repeatedly. Several times 
a year for many years. While working on countless other things, raising 
a family, having hobbies. How? Seriously, how? And that's before we 
start discussing the quality of his books. This top 10 is Pratchett's 
zenith. Imagine being in the position where you are writing Small Gods 
and know you have something golden on your hands. Then doing it again. 
And again..."

The list includes Going Postal, The Last Hero. The Fifth Elephant, 
Pyramids, Small Gods, Lords and Ladies, Maskerade, Feet of Clay, Night 
Watch, and Thief of Time. This list and his reasons for his choices may 
not match your own, but it makes for a fascinating piece.

http://bit.ly/1OYFPwj

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

12) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

Some photos of a very pleased Paul Kidby with his Discworld baron, which 
fetched £5,000 for the Trussell Trust:
http://bit.ly/1iXdVUY
http://bit.ly/1KnedKX

...and here is the Discworld Baron in his new home, the Queen's Head
http://cml.sad.ukrd.com/image/448829-300x500.jpg

Sybil Ramkin and Errol, from the recent Harbour Theatre production of 
Guards! Guards!, nails the look:
https://fpearl.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/ramkin.jpg?w=1000&h=

...and the dragon-o-lantern carved for the production:
https://instagram.com/p/8_9UqptTDX/

...and a selection of iconographs from the production:
http://harbourtheater.com/2015/10/02/photos-from-guards-guards/

Gaspode and Laddie, drawn by the very talented Amy Simmonds:
http://bit.ly/1JOhWAW

The cast of Wyrd Sisters from this recent production by the Twin Lakes 
Playhouse of Mountain Home, Arkansas, has a definite Scottish Play look:
http://bit.ly/1K4tPCL

Paul Kidby's "American Gothic" colour portrait of Bill Door and Miss 
Flitworth:
http://on.fb.me/1XjxuGe

Some very good Discworld fanart by Peter Klijn:
http://bit.ly/1Gxw9Y5

And finally, a bijou diamond – Sir Pterry pictured with the Errol 
created for the first production of Guards! Guards! Photo courtesy of 
Stephen Briggs on the internet:
http://bit.ly/1MlcvRJ

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

13) CLOSE

News coming soon about a new – additional – Wossname format will be... 
well... coming soon! There may even be another October post. Watch this 
space...

– Annie Mac

Remember, the Wossname blog (_wossname.dreamwidth.org_) often features 
image-based posts and is worth checking now and again. The mirror 
version of this current issue can be viewed at 
http://wossname.dreamwidth.org/25513.html

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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