Wossname -- May 2016 -- Main issue
News and reviews about the works of Sir Terry Pratchett
wossname at pearwood.info
Tue May 31 20:55:52 AEST 2016
Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
May 2016 (Volume 19, Issue 5, Post 1)
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WOSSNAME is a free publication offering news, reviews, and all the other
stuff-that-fits pertaining to the works of Sir Terry Pratchett.
Originally founded by the late, great Joe Schaumburger for members of
the worldwide Klatchian Foreign Legion and its affiliates, including the
North American Discworld Society and other continental groups, Wossname
is now for Discworld and Pratchett fans everywhere in Roundworld.
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Editor in Chief: Annie Mac
News Editor: Vera P
Newshounds: Mogg, Sir J of Croydon Below, the Shadow, Mss C, Alison not
Aliss
Staff Writers: Asti, Pitt the Elder, Evil Steven Dread, Mrs Wynn-Jones
Staff 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) DISCWORLD: BAD FOR CHILDREN? UM, NO
04) ODDS AND SODS
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
06) DISCWORLD GAMES NEWS
07) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
08) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
09) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
10) ROUNDWORLD TALES: EXPLODING BILLIARD BALLS, CHEESE ROLLING
11) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
12) CLOSE
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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
"I know what my father would say if anyone told him that his books
encourage "difficult behaviour." He would say 'Good!'"
– Rhianna Pratchett on Twitter, reacting to the daft "news" (see item 3
below), 7 May 2016
"Fantasy "encourages difficult behaviour." Yes, like thoughtfulness, an
open mind and frequent use of the imagination" – ibid
"The logic of dictators and book-burners throughout history,
crystallised in all its nonsensical glory: that imagination can only
flourish when it's kept inside a cage. "
– author Samantha Shannon, on the same subject
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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR
So there I was, relieved that I'd remembered to put a Glorious 25th post
up on the Wossname blog and sure I could find the time to finish
collating bits for the full May issue... and suddenly it was midnight of
last night and I realised I was about to run out of May. Oops!
After a rush to panic stations, working through much of last night and
again after work today, I *think* this is the May issue. Possibly even
free of major mistakes. Here's hoping...
– Annie Mac, Editor
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
03) THERE'S ALWAYS ONE...
First reported in early May by Ben Falconer in the Gloucester Citizen:
"Pupils at an alternative school have been told stories including Harry
Potter should be a closed book. The headteacher of Nailsworth's Acorn
School believes JK Rowling's stories of the schoolboy wizard, which have
sold millions worldwide to be 'insensitive and addictive', 'encourage
difficult behaviour' and 'can damage the sensitive subconscious brains
of young children.' In his blog on the school website, Graeme Whiting
said: 'I want children to read literature that is conducive to their age
and leave those mystical and frightening texts for when they can discern
reality, and when they have first learned to love beauty. Harry Potter,
Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, The Hunger Games, and Terry
Pratchett, to mention only a few of the modern world's "must-haves",
contain deeply insensitive and addictive material which I am certain
encourages difficult behaviour in children...' He declined to comment on
the record and referred us to a parent of a boy at Acorn School and
former teacher there, Nikki Ellis. She said: "I absolutely agree with
Graeme Whiting's views. For me, having read the first book of Harry
Potter and watched one of the movies I feel that the darkness of the
books is so palpable that it wasn't the sort of thing that we would want
to expose young children to in their formative years. I thinks there's
an element that's so detailed and about occultism that it can
desensitise children to the dark things in the world at a time when we
want to build them up in a positive way. They are being exposed to
things that can drag them into the dark world and the occult. And
particularly in Harry Potter it suggests that ordinary people are boring
or wrong and only the people who have magic powers are interesting. And
right from the beginning the child is orphaned. These things are
portrayed in a graphic way." She suggested that children should not read
Harry Potter books before the age of 12. She was also said that parents
should pay attention to other children's literature, including books by
Roald Dahl. "I love the humour of Roald Dahl but there's a degrading
element to his books. There are better books out there for children."
She suggested that Michael Morpurgo's books, as well as classics like
Heidi, and Little House on the Prairie were all more suitable books for
nine and ten year olds. "We as adults have can become complacent, but
parents should really look at it from the child's point of view.'..."
http://bit.ly/1sHPUpL
...and by Jamie Wiseman in the Stroud News and Journal:
"Graeme Whiting, head of Nailsworth's Acorn School, said the much-loved
books which have between them sold millions of copies worldwide, can
'damage the sensitive subconscious brains of young children'. Writing in
a blog post titled 'The Imagination of the Child' on the school website,
Mr Whiting criticised the sensationalism and occultism of modern
literature, which he believes 'encourages difficult behaviour in
children'. Preferring instead the 'old-fashioned values of traditional
literature' he said pupils should instead be exposed to beauty of
Wordsworth, Keats, Shelley, Dickens and Shakespeare. The founder of the
independent school, which has been ranked as 'outstanding' by OFSTED,
suggested children should need a 'special licence' to buy the texts.
'Children are innocent and pure at the same time, and don't need to be
mistreated by cramming their imagination that lies deep within them,
with inappropriate things,' he wrote... The SNJ approached Mr Whiting
but he was not available to comment at the time. No one from the school
was available to comment."
http://bit.ly/1OZl3Kg
...and was picked up and sent around the world, ending up in such press
organs as the Los Angeles Times, where Michael Straub showed a proper
amount of eye-rollery:
"Whiting praised the 'old-fashioned values of traditional literature,'
offering as examples William Shakespeare, John Keats, Charles Dickens
and 'Shelley.' (He didn't specify whether he meant Percy Bysshe Shelley,
author of 'The Necessity of Atheism,' or Mary Shelley, author of the
pioneering horror novel 'Frankenstein.')..."
http://lat.ms/1T7nZIH
...and here be a good op-ed in The Guardian by author Samantha Shannon,
examining the differences (if any) between what this Whiting entity
considers "old-fashioned values of traditional literature" and "dark,
demonic literature":
"Let's take Shakespeare as our main example. If you're not familiar with
Titus Andronicus, one of the Bard's earliest plays, you should know that
in it, Lavinia, daughter of Titus, is brutally raped. To ensure that she
can betray her rapists' identities to no living soul, they take her
hands and tongue. Her rapists mock the silence they inflicted: 'So, now
go tell, an if thy tongue can speak, / Who 'twas that cut thy tongue and
ravish'd thee'. She is eventually able to name them only by gripping a
stick in her mouth, steadying it with the stumps of her arms, and
scratching their names in the dirt. She lives long enough to see them
murdered by her father – who then murders her, in turn, out of shame
that she was raped. Titus then has the rapists baked into a pie. If
that's not going to damage the 'sensitive subconscious brains of young
children', nothing will. When I tried to think of an instance of similar
grotesqueness in Harry Potter, the closest I could remember with was the
scene in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in which Wormtail slices
off his own hand, providing the necessary 'flesh of the servant' to
resurrect Voldemort. Grim, yes – but let's face it, it's not quite in
the same league as the image of the silent, violated, mutilated
Lavinia... I'd be here all day if I were to continue plucking examples
of fantasy from Shakespeare, but it's worth noting that some of Mr
Whiting's other alternatives to the darkness of sensational literature
include Keats and Shelley. (I'm going to assume he doesn't mean Mary
Shelley, because her fiction is, you know, quite dark.) I'm no Keats
scholar, but I have read 'Lamia', and good luck trying to explain the
story behind that one to a nine-year-old..."
http://bit.ly/1WjP2Vm
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
04) ODDS AND SODS
4.1 WHAT SIR PTERRY LEFT BEHIND
Some people seem keen to know what people they don't know leave in their
wills. Here is an article about Sir Terry Pratchett's will, in The Sun:
"The Discworld genius died aged 66 in March 2015, eight years after
being diagnosed with Alzheimer's. He sold more than 70 million books
worldwide and famously dubbed his dementia an "embuggerance".Sir Terry,
who once described writing as 'the most fun you can have with you
clothes on', left a detailed 15-page will. But his legacy, which
amounted to £11.4 million after tax, was far less than the £42 million
some experts claimed he had made from his 40-book Discworld series. Sir
Terry's will put the sum into a trust run by his widow, Lady Lyn, 72,
and the Queen's bankers, Coutts. It will pay Lady Lyn an income during
her lifetime and also benefit the couple's daughter Rhianna, 39, and her
children. The author, one of biggest-selling British writers in history,
also left his £1.5 million manor house and its farmland in Broade
Chalke, Wilts, to his family..."
http://bit.ly/1Pe2NCy
4.2 ILLUSTRATING MORT
An image-heavy piece in n The Guardian about the Folio Society's
"illuminated" edition of Mort, fully illustrated by Omar Rayyan. Do go
have a shufti at the images themselves, but for now, here are some text
extracts, quoted from the illustrator himself:
"Mort is one of my favourite books. I don't get as much time to read as
I would like, but I felt it important that I knew the all the Discworld
novels, not just this one. For one summer, I listened ravenously to the
entire series on audiobook while working on other projects. That really
solidified my respect for Pratchett and his use of Discworld as a mirror
held up to our society … you name it, it is there."
"Being asked to illustrate Discworld was a brilliant opportunity. The
works are iconic, the world is visually rich, but this also made it more
daunting. The possibility of stepping on someone else's vision of that
world, which is made so real and concrete in the books, is frighteningly
great. It was truly a daunting challenge with more responsibilities than
any other commission I have had. But what fun!"
"I have not met or spoken with Paul Kidby – that he has been the main
illustrator associated with Discworld has made presenting my
interpretation that much more tricky. Paul's fantastic paintings are
great fun and I love the movement, energy, humour and over-the-top
detail. I know my vision has a tad different flavour than his, but I
hope he approves of my efforts."
http://bit.ly/1TTGZfA
For the serious collector, copies of the Folio Society's illustrated
Mort can be purchased from the link below:
http://www.foliosociety.com/book/MOR/mort
Be warned: it will set you back a bit (e.g. the Australian price is
$74.95). Then again, the leather-bound limited edition – long since sold
out – cost rather a lot more:
"The Folio Society Limited Edition of Mort has become the fastest
selling title in Folio history – selling out in 13 hours. The edition of
the Terry Pratchett novel, which was limited to 500 copies, went on sale
for £120 a copy... The book was bound in black leather (to replicate
Mort's volume in Death's own library) with the title blocked in gold
leaf on the spine, and is accompanied by an exclusive print signed by
the artist, Omar Rayyan. Folio editorial director, Tom Walker, said: 'We
simply couldn't resist following what felt like a design instruction
directly from the bony hand of Death – in the final pages of the book
Death's apprentice, Mort, is given the book of his own life from his
master – we followed the description precisely to create this wonderful
limited edition version of the Folio Mort. Both editions feel worthy of
a place on the shelves of the Unseen Library'..."
http://www.thebookseller.com/news/folio-title-sells-out-13-hours-329763
4.3 LOST IN AMERICA?
The University of Alabama is offering a Terry Pratchett interim
course... apparently as no-one in America has heard of him. Er...
"Andrea Barton, an instructor in the University of Alabama English
department is teaching an interim course of Terry Pratchett's work,
dubbed "Special Topics in Literature: Discworld." Pratchett, an English
author of fantasy novels, specifically comical works, is renowned for
his Discworld series of 41 novels... Barton did not rule out the
possibility of most Americans not recognizing Terry Pratchett, an author
who earned appreciation for his Discworld series of 41 novels and who
sold more than a staggering 85 million copies of his books across 37
languages in his career that spanned five decades. He was appointed as
an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire)... Barton admitted
it's strange that not many Americans actually recognize Pratchett,
despite his work being so accessible to readers. He presented a very
smart blue-collar personality. Barton also pointed out that 'It's
interesting that the higher you go in academia, the more likely they are
to recognize his work.'..."
http://bit.ly/25xbvDf
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
5.1 NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN DARLINGTON, FOURECKS (JUNE - JULY)
Darlington Theatre Players will present their production of Wyrd Sisters
in June and July.
When: 17th June–9th July 2016
Venue: Marloo Theatre, 20 Marloo Road, Greenmount, Western Australia
(phone 08 9255 1212)
Time: 8pm evening shows; 2pm Sunday matinees
Tickets: adults $22, concession/child $20, family ticket $70, available
from Gwyne Marshall (Bookings Officer) at the Marloo Theatre Box Office
(phone 08 9255 1783). To purchase online, go to
http://www.marlootheatre.com.au/wyrdsisters nd click on the Buy Tickets
button
http://www.marlootheatre.com.au/
5.2 REMINDER: WYRD SISTERS IN BEDFORDSHIRE (JUNE)
The Masquerade Theatre Group will be bringing their production of Wyrd
Sisters to the stage in early June.
When: Friday 3rd & Saturday 4th June 2016
Venue: Parkside Community Hall, Woburn Street, Ampthill, Bedfordshire
MK45 2HX (phone 01525 634 215)
Time: 7:45pm
Tickets: £10, available from 07817528077 or masqueradetheatregroup at gmail.com
5.3 NEW: MORT IN BERKSHIRE (JULY)
Theale Green School will be staging Stephen Briggs' adaptation of Mort
in July! There are two in-school performances scheduled, and then one
performance that is open to the public at a separate venue.
When: 13th July
Venue: Greek Theatre, Bradfield College, Bradfield, Reading, Berks RG7
6BZ (13th)
Time: 7pm
Tickets: £7 (£5 concessions). Purchasing information TBA
5.4 REMINDER : LORDS AND LADIES IN NEWCASTLE (JULY)
The People's Theatre, "the premier amateur theatre company in the North
of England", will stage their production of Lords and Ladies, adapted by
Irana Brown, in July. "We're no strangers to Discworld and this funny
and fast-moving adaptation of (the much-missed) Sir Terry's fourteenth
novel sees the welcome return of Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg to our
stage. It promises to be lots of fun, so book early to avoid
disappointment!"
When: 19th-23rd July 2016
Venue: People's Theatre, Stephenson Road, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE6 5QF.
Phone: (0191) 275 9875
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £13.50 (£11 concessions). Box Office on 0191 265 5020 or email
tickets.peoplestheatre at email.com. (Box Office is open weekdays
10.30am–1pm and Mon, Wed, Fri evenings 7.30–8.30pm). To book online, go
to the inappropriately-named Intelligent Tickets, and be prepared to
jump through a truly daft series of hoops:
http://www.intelligent-tickets.co.uk/index.php?th=pe
http://bit.ly/1lMl3Vj
5.5 REMINDER: WYRD SISTERS IN RICHMOND, YORKSHIRE (JULY)
The Richmond Amateur Dramatic Society will be staging their production
of Wyrd Sisters in July
When: 28th–30th July and 4th–6th August 2016
Venue: Georgian Theatre Royal, Victoria Road, Richmond, North Yorkshire,
DL10 4DW
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £6.50 to £12.50, available online at
https://tickets.georgiantheatreroyal.co.uk/ or ring the box office 01748
825252
http://www.richmond-ads.org.uk/
http://www.georgiantheatreroyal.co.uk/
5.6 REMINDER: MORT IN YORK (JULY)
We Are Theatre will be presenting their production of Mort in July.
Getting closer now...
When: 21st and 22nd June 2016
Venue: Joseph Rowntree Theatre, Haxby Road, York YO31 8TA
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £10 (£8 concessions), available from the York Theatre Royal box
office (phone 01904 623568). For group bookings, contact
wearetheatre at googlemail.com or ring 07521 364107
www.wearetheatre.co.uk
5.7 REMINDER: CARPE JUGULUM IN SLOUGH (JULY)
Colnbrook Amateur Stage Theatre aka CAST will stage their production of
the Stephen Briggs adaptation of Carpe Jugulum in July!
When: 13th-16th July 2016
Venue: CAST, Colnbrook Village Hall,. Vicarage Way, Colnbrook, Berks SL3
0RF. Phone 07944 215487 (Secretary)
Time: 7.45pm all shows
Tickets: TBA. Normally £8 (£6 concessions), eventually available online
at http://www.cast-online.org.uk/box-office/
http://www.cast-online.org.uk/
5.8 REMINDER: GOING POSTAL IN CARDIFF (AUGUST)
The Monstrous Productions Theatre Company, who specialise in staging
Pratchett plays and have so far raised – and donated – over £18,000 for
Alzheimer's Research UK, are taking on the Ankh-Morpork Post Office for
their next project!
"Moist Von Lipwig is a conman, forger and all-round confidence
trickster, always on the look out for the next big game. Until one of
his many personas has a run-in with the law and is hanged to within a
inch of his life. And so begins the biggest game of all. He must restore
Ankh-Morpork's defunct post office to it's former glory or else have a
second shot at dancing the hemp fandango. On his side he has the Disc's
oldest junior postman, Stanley ('ask me about pins!') and his pottery
probation officer, Mr Pump. It's a mighty task, made mightier by
competition from Ankh-Morpork's newest technology, the Clacks, and its
piratical owner, Reacher Gilt."
When: 17th-20th August 2016
Venue: The Gate Arts Centre, Keppoch Street, Roath, Cardiff CF24 3JW
Time: 7.30pm evening shows (doors open at 7pm); 2.30pm matinee on the
20th (doors open 2pm)
Tickets: £8 (£6 concessions), available from
http://7889269b08cd.fikket.com/ – also by email
(monstrousproductions2012 at gmail.com, pay by cheque or bank transfer)
Also, if you are local to the Cardiff area (or fond of travelling), the
Monstrous company works to a great model: "We announce auditions for
upcoming productions about a month before casting. We have a laid back
audition process and people travel from all over the South Wales area.
No experience is necessary, our only stipulation is that members must be
over 18 and younger than 70. Membership is £10 per year. We rehearse
twice a week over the course of a few months, with some social
activities thrown in."
http://www.monstrousptc.com/
5.9 REMINDER: GUARDS! GUARDS! IN BRISBANE (OCTOBER)
The Brisbane Arts Theatre takes on yet another Discworld play later this
year, in October and November.
"From the legendary author Sir Terry Pratchett comes the eighth novel in
the Discworld series and first featuring the Ankh-Morpork City Watch.
Long believed extinct, a superb specimen, The Noble Dragon has appeared
in Discworld's greatest city. Not only does this unwelcome visitor have
a nasty habit of charbroiling everything in its path, in rather short
order it is crowned King (it is a noble dragon, after all). With some
help from an orangutan librarian, it is the task of the Night Watch to
overpower the secret brotherhood and restore order to the kingdom in
this fantastical Discworld adventure."
When: 8th October through 12th November 2016
Venue: Brisbane Arts Theatre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane, QLD 4000.
Phone: (07) 3369 2344
Time: 8pm Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays (except 10th November); 6.30pm
Sundays (16th & 30th October)
Tickets: Adults $31, Concession $25, Group 10+ $25, Group 75+ $20,
Student Rush $10 (10 mins before curtain), available online at
http://bit.ly/1QGbXBF
http://www.artstheatre.com.au/show/guardsguards
5.10 REVIEW: WYRD SISTERS IN MARYLAND
By Kyla Hanington:
"There is no stage for this production; the action takes place on the
floor. No matter where you sit, at some point actors will be facing you
and at another point they may well have their backs to you; this is a
play which uses all 360 degrees. Because there's no stage, there's no
set. Instead, the scene changes – and there are a lot of them,
twenty-two! – are done with props and a large screen TV on one wall
providing images of the settings. A wheeled cart is a table for a magic
ball in one scene and a cauldron for another; the throne room is created
by a chair with a golden cushion upon it. These prop-driven scenes work;
the setting for each scene is clear and the changes between them happen
quickly... Linda Pattison as Nanny Ogg is inspired. Terry Pratchett fans
know Nanny Ogg as a joyful, rosy-cheeked, rogue; Pattison plays her with
gusto. I could easily believe Pratchett met Pattison and then developed
Nanny Ogg based on that meeting, so perfect was she for the role. She is
particularly amusing when being threatened with torture; she delivers
her cheeky lines with a twinkle in her eye that would have made
Pratchett proud.
"The play's villains are the Duke and Duchess Felmet, played by John
McCloskey and Cathy Barth respectively. McCloskey does a terrific Nixon
impersonation and gets the audience squirming in their seats as he tries
– in increasingly dramatic measures – to wash the blood off his hands.
Barth is a stand-out as the Duchess. She's one to watch – her facial
expressions as the Duke talks are hilarious, and she is able to convey
with body language alone frustration, anger, and despair... The real
show stealer, however, has no lines. Marie Nearing as Greebo the cat is
without question the stand out performance of the play, and it's worth
going to the show twice just so that one time can be spent watching what
old Greebo gets up in each of her scenes. From coughing up a hairball to
batting at audience members' shoes to catching a mouse, Nearing does an
incredible feline performance that is entertaining, amazingly accurate,
and frankly riveting.
"Without a traditional set, costumes, make-up, sound, and special
effects take on increased importance and the designers of these elements
meet the challenge. Special effects and sound, designed by Steve
Beitzell, and managed by Kathryn Breon for the performances, create
ambiance and, of course, the magic used by the witches. Along with the
smoky demon, there are flames, flashes, bangs, and an earthquake.
Make-up and costumes capture time, place, and characters beautifully.
Pattison as make-up designer does a stand-out job; of particular note is
her work in creating the demon, the cat, and the ever-increasing blood
on the Duke's hands..."
http://dcmetrotheaterarts.com/2016/05/09/wyrd-sisters-mad-goddard-space-flight-center1/
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
06) DISCWORLD GAMES NEWS
6.1 "CLACKS" AND "GUARDS! GUARDS!": STILL A FEW COPIES LEFT FOR SALE!
This from the Backspindle lads:
"The last of our Guards! Guards! games have been selling out. Once the
copies we have are sold, there will be no more printed as the licence
has ended. Copies can still be ordered here (FREE UK delivery):
http://www.backspindlegames.com/guards-guards/
"Our Clacks! game has sold out in shops around the UK and the US. We
have very limited stock remaining in our warehouse, but are hoping to go
to reprint soon in English, Polish and in Czech. If you'd like to order
a copy, you can from here http://www.backspindlegames.com/clacks/
"We also have a few Moist von Lipwig miniatures available too."
6.2 SHAMELESS PLUG DEPARTMENT
Codinca, by Backspindle Games, isn't a Discworld game, but it *is* an
exciting-looking game and the Backspindle lads deserve a plug for all
they've done for Discworld tabletop gaming!
"We are delighted that our new very cool pocket/travel version of
Codinca is now available on pre-order from our website. The game is
being released at this year's UK Games Expo and pre-ordered copies can
be collected there. As we are flying in a limited amount for the Expo we
hope to dispatch the other pre-ordered games by w/c 27 June 2016.
At the UK Games Expo we are also running the first ever British 'Speed
Codinca' championship. Players play two-player games against each other
and a chess timer. You can try the game and sign up on the Friday, then
try to win the 'very cool one-off trophy and some of our games' on the
Saturday at our Booth, F7.
"In 2012 Codinca was shortlisted as one of the best new strategy games
at the UK Games Expo. Since then we have improved it, made it travel
size, made the playing tiles chunky and bright (see below) and have had
lots of great feedback with players at recent conventions... The game
includes rules in English, French, German, Spanish, Polish & Dutch. It
is quick to learn and is a super 10-15 minute filler game."
For a short how-to-play video, go to
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke1wTOQMDp8
Pocket Codinca is priced at £14.99 plus postage. For more information,
and to pre-order, go to:
http://www.backspindlegames.com/codinca/
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
07) 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 6th June 2016
2016 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's Discworld fan group is 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."
*
"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 at 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 on Terry's latest, craft, chain
maille or costuming workshops or other fun social activities."
For more info, go to www.cityofsmallgods.org.au
*
The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 2nd June 2016
(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 3rd
June 2016 (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 6th
June 2016 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 6th June 2016 (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>
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
08) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS
8.1 From Discworld.com:
"We have a host of handy pre-order options on the website to help you
secure one of our exclusively embossed copies of Terry's forthcoming
titles. Following The Shepherd's Crown paperback at the beginning of the
month, 30th June sees the release of The Long Cosmos followed by the
graphic novel of Small Gods on 28th July. The one you've all been
waiting for and we've been selling in droves is Paul Kidby's Discworld
Colouring Book, out on 11th August. Finally, it's The Witch's Vacuum
Cleaner on August 25th, in both standard and slipcase editions. A great
selection for the coming season, and there's sure to be something to
keep you engrossed during those long summer days!"
To view pre-order options, go to http://discworld.com/products/pre-orders
Competition time! The current one is open until the 24th of June; all
you have to do is answer correctly the following question, "Where did
Vetinari wear the lilac sprig he picked up during the glorious
revolution?", and you might win a "memorial goodie bag... with a second
winner receiving a sparkly Terry silhouette T-Shirt as worn by the choir
on the night!" To enter, go to:
http://discworld.com/gloroius-25th-may-competition
Also, although the Glorious 25th has come and gone gone this year, you
can always order a special memorial Pin to wear next year, now that
they're back in stock! "Commissioned for the Terry Pratchett Memorial,
to celebrate Terry's life and work, this pin features a sprig of lilac,
a symbol of Discworld remembrance immortalised in Night Watch. Measuring
30mm high, this pin spells out Terry's name in golden detailing."
Each Pin is priced at £8.00. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://discworld.com/products/collectables/terry-s-memorial-pin
8.2 From the Discworld Emporium:
* The Big Wahoonie t-shirt!
"Celebrate Ankh-Morpork in style with an official Big Wahoonie T-shirt!!
This splendid shirt features Discworld's stinkiest vegetable,
illustrated by Vladimir Stankovic, screenprinted onto sumptuous dark
teal cotton. 100% heavyweight cotton tee with a slim & tailored style
for a flattering fit. Please check your size carefully before ordering!"
Each Big Wahoonie t-shirt is priced at £15.00. For more information, and
to order, go to:
http://www.discworldemporium.com/big-wahoonie-t-shirt
* The ever-popular Hard Boiled Egg!
Get ready for next year's Glorious 25th with the famous egg:
"Commemorate the Glorious 25th of May with Vimes and the Watch with this
elegant inscribed hard-boiled egg - a fitting tribute to the boys of
Treacle Mine Road. Each egg stands at 2 inches high, and is produced in
an ivory finish and presented in a lilac cotton drawstring pouch."
Each Egg is priced at £5.00. For more information, and to order, go to:
http://www.discworldemporium.com/cunning-creations/Homeware/Hard%20Boiled%20Egg
* Tote that Turtle!
"Official Discworld tote bag featuring the sublime artwork of Joe
McLaren, cover artist for the 2016 Discworld Calendar and Discworld
Collector's Library Hardback editions from Gollancz.. Measures 37 x
43cm, with handles 32cm long. 100% cotton."
Each Turtle Moves tote is priced at £7.50. For more information, and to
order, go to:
http://www.discworldemporium.com/the-turtle-moves/Turtle-Moves-Tote-Bag
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
09) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
Back to Nat Wassell of the Cultured Vultures blog, for a look at Maskerade:
"Maskerade is sometimes included on lists of what people dismissively
call Pratchett's 'gimmick novels', a list that usually contains titles
such as 'Moving Pictures', 'Soul Music' and the later 'Unseen
Academicals'. In a lot of cases, I think that dismissing such titles as
gimmicks dismisses some excellent work on Pratchett's part; I am, for
example, still hung on up the quote from 'Moving Pictures' that talks
about the human tragedy of never finding what you are good at doing and
being able to do it. 'Maskerade' is a parody, that is not disputed, but
it is a clever one, and not without moments of brilliance. I first read
it before I had discovered 'The Phantom of the Opera' and enjoyed it
well enough, but on this second read, knowing the source material, I can
say that, like most parodies, it is definitely better for knowing what
is being sent up... Pratchett returns to his use of the 'Macbeth' parody
that opened 'Wyrd Sisters', a clever move because it hints subtly that
this story will be of a similar vein to that one, and it is; 'WS'
addressed the theatre, 'Maskerade' deals with the opera and all of its
eccentricities. There is also the familiar discussion in this novel
about good and bad, the nature of evil and the price of being good.
Agnes says that she does not want to be a witch because 'they [witches]
think that just because they're right that's the same as good!'. Late in
the story, confronting the Ghost in the theatre, Granny says, 'The
trouble is, you see, that if you do know Right from Wrong you can't
choose Wrong. You just can't do it and live'. It is a topic that has
come up before, but the choice the witches make every day, especially
Granny, is such a defining part of her character that I do not think it
hurts the reader to be reminded of it. Granny barely clings to her
humanity and she knows it, so it is important that we know it too..."
http://culturedvultures.com/discworld-discussions-maskerade-1995/
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
10) ROUNDWORLD TALES: FINDING HORACE, AND THE DANGERS OF OCTO-CELLULOSE
Cheese rolling never fails to amuse those of us who have never rolled a
cheese. But some do take it very seriously:
"Thousands of people lined a steep hill in Gloucestershire to watch
crowds of thrill-seekers fling themselves down in pursuit of a wheel of
cheese. The 8lb (3.6kg) Double Gloucester is chased 200 yards down the
1:2 gradient Cooper's Hill at Brockworth every year. Chris Anderson, 28,
won the first two downhill races - his 16th and 17th Cheese Rolling
victories in total. 'It's brilliant, I'm really happy,' said the soldier
from Brockworth who serves with 1 Rifles. 'My friend Izzy John sadly
passed away recently so this is for him and his family. He won it
multiple times,' he said. 'Cheese rolling is really important to
Brockworth. It got cancelled in 2009 and the organisers this year have
done a brilliant job and I'm really happy to win it for the community.'
"Competitors travelled from across the world to take part in the races
with TV crews from across Europe also in attendance. Warning signs are
put up around the site warning spectators and competitors that they are
attending entirely at their own risk. In 2010 the official event was
cancelled over safety fears when more than 15,000 people turned up the
previous year to watch the competition. Since then it has been held
unofficially with roads closed up to 2.5 miles (4km) around the slope."
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-36412881
Plastic billiard balls, back in the early days, were about as safe to
use as anything the Ankh-Morpork Guild of Alchemists could come up with:
"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../. The
clack of billiard balls rolling together can be a satisfying sound
during a game well played. A small flash-bang going off in a dark, smoky
billiard hall is another thing entirely..."
http://mentalfloss.com/article/64247/first-plastic-billiard-balls-routinely-exploded
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
11) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
A great set of photographs from the official Terry Pratchett Memorial
event in London, on Discworld.com:
http://bit.ly/1WuupWl
...and another one -- click on individual photos to enlarge:
http://bit.ly/1WutR2A
A perfect set of Wyrd Sisters, with a certain cat, from the MAD
production (see item 5.10):
http://bit.ly/24I9WPd
Since I don't have any photo links for the Pratchett shepherding hut in
winter, here's Amanda Owen's (aka The Yorkshire Shepherdess) so you can
imagine Tiffany spending winter nights in hers:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CiNKGsIXAAAmcgT.jpg:large
...and here is the inside cover illustration by Omar Rayyan, from the
Folio Society.'s new edition of Mort:
http://bit.ly/20QJ2BQ
...and finally, a rare 'un from Stephen Player – Nanny Ogg and
Casanunda's candlelit dinner in the Goat and Bush, from the 2015
Discworld Calendar:
http://playergallery.com/playergallery/2015_calendar.html#1
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
12) CLOSE
And that's the lot for May. Take care, and we'll see you next month!
– Annie Mac
The mirror version of this issue can be viewed at
http://wossname.dreamwidth.org/36647.html
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