Wossname -- August 2016 -- Main issue

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

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
August 2016 (Volume 19, Issue 8, Post 1)

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

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

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

INDEX:

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

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

"Rob [Wilkins] ... created the first version of this site in the 1990s, 
writing all the code and designing it from scratch. Where would I have 
been without his remarkable (but little-known) computing and programing 
genius?"
– Colin Smythe, on his new Colin Smythe Ltd publishing website

"Often adolescent in humour, yes, and not exactly Joycean in style, 
Pratchett's work fizzes with originality and razor sharp allegory, 
taking aim at the ludicrous hypocrisies and conventions that we all 
somehow contrive to take seriously."
– Michael Honig, in Publishers Weekly

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

02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

Yes, the August issue was held back until September, but there waas a 
good reason – see section 4.1 below for an exclusive report on Discworld 
Convention 2016!

Now that Paul Kidby's amazing Discworld Colouring Book has been 
published – at least in *some* parts of Roundworld – publishers Gollancz 
are running a special contest for Discworld fans in the UK and Ireland 
(see item 3.1 below). For the rest of us outside that catchment area, 
here's a photo of Mr Kidby's progress in colouring in the prize:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CqsYxKxW8AAhlzq.jpg

Gollancz has also just published The Last Hero as an ebook, if that sort 
of thing takes your fancy. I have to admit that while the story of TLH 
stands on its own merits, it seems a shame to separate it from Paul 
Kidby's exquisite ilustrations, but there you go...

Right, on with the show!

– Annie Mac, Editor

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

03) ODDS AND SODS

3.0 NEW COLIN SMYTHE WEBSITE!

All Discworld conventiongoers, and a vast number of other Discworld 
fans, know well the name of Colin Smythe, "the man who discovered Terry 
Pratchett", who published his early novels, and who then served as his 
literary agent for the rest of The Author's days. But not everyone may 
realise that Colin Smythe is a world-respected publisher of fifty years' 
standing who, through the company Colin Smythe Ltd, offers some of the 
best and rarest of Irish literature, a fascinating selection of literary 
criticism, theatre history, biographies, and yes, even science fiction 
and fantasy works *not* by Terry Pratchett! And now the Colin Smythe Ltd 
internet presence is beautifully catalogued and up-to-date, all shiny 
and in good working order.

For the Pratchett-and-Discworld fan, there's a comprehensive set of 
infopages covering the entire oeuvre of Terry Pratchett – hundreds of 
individual pages, painstakingly compiled, and including all the 
Discworld novels in all their forms (books, audiobooks, graphic novels, 
films, radio and stage plays, etc.) and Discworld auxiliaries, both by 
Sir Terry himself (Where's My Cow?, The World of Poo, Mrs Bradshaw's 
Handbook) and collaborative works such as Good Omens, The Unadulterated 
Cat, the Long Earth series, the Discworld Companions, Folklore of 
Discworld, Mapps, Almanaks, Diaries, Calendars, Nanny Ogg's Cookbook and 
so on... the non-Discworld novels, short story collections and 
nonfiction collections... a compendium of works *about* the works of 
Terry Pratchett (articles, interviews, analyses – 45 years' worth so 
far!) and assorted articles and other contributions *by* him... the 
chronology and extensive biographical information for the life and times 
of Terence David John Pratchett, from earliest days to a collection of 
farewells and memorials, and so much more – including international fan 
convention literature (with links!). Even Wossname gets a mention!

A few of the many fascinating Pratchett-y things you'll learn by 
wandering around the site:

* Josh Kirby's secret name

* The true story of that German soup advert

* The lowdown on of sex and death (all right, sex *of* Death)

* Young Terry Pratchett's definition of autocracy

* What Discworld publication was a nonfiction bestseller

* What Discworld novel was originally titled Interesting Times

Furthermore, any fans of *other* great writers such as Yeats, Joyce, 
Shaw, Synge and Wilde will find invaluable resources in Colin Smythe 
Ltd's catalogue.

A wonderful, useful website. Do have a look!

http://colinsmythe.co.uk/


3.1 THE DISCWORLD COLOURING BOOK COLOURING-IN CONTEST!

For UK and Ireland Discworld fans: how are you at colouring inside the 
lines? Gollancz, publishers of the gorgeous new Discworld Colouring 
Book, offer you a challenge:

"Terry Pratchett's Discworld Colouring Book Competition!

"To celebrate publication, we're offering one lucky reader the chance to 
win a page from the book, hand-coloured by Paul Kidby himself! We've 
made a page available on the Gollancz website as a PDF, so no purchase 
is necessary. Just download the page and colour it in, then post a photo 
of your coloured page to social media, tagging @Gollancz on Twitter or 
Instagram, or GollanczPublishing on Facebook, with the hashtag 
#Octarine, and Paul Kidby will choose his favourite piece. The winner 
will receive the competition page, hand-coloured by Paul Kidby, as well 
as a signed copy of Terry Pratchett's Discworld Colouring Book. Five 
runners-up will each receive a copy of Terry Pratchett's Discworld 
Colouring Book.

"The closing date is midnight on 12th September 2016, and the winner 
will be announced during Gollanczfest (_http://www.gollanczfest.com/_) 
on Twitter (_https://twitter.com/gollancz_), Instagram 
(_https://www.instagram.com/gollancz/_), Facebook 
(_https://www.facebook.com/gollanczpublishing_) and the Gollancz blog 
(_http://www.gollancz.co.uk/_). The competition is open to residents of 
the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Please see 
http://www.orionbooks.co.uk/Information/Terms%20and%20Conditions.page 
for Terms and Conditions."

Click here to download the PDF: 
http://www.gollancz.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Discworld-Colouring-Page-2.pdf

http://www.gollancz.co.uk/2016/08/terry-pratchetts-discworld-colouring-book-competition/

http://www.paulkidby.com/

...and here be an early review of the Discworld Colouring Book, on The 
Bookbag:

"In Terry Pratchett's Discworld Colouring Book Kidby has produced a 
selection of some of his favourite characters all redrafted as line art. 
I liked this approach: there's nothing worse than trying to reproduce an 
original picture which you love – and failing. Here you get original 
pictures to complete, including many of your favourite characters: 
Granny Weatherwax, Sam Vimes, Archchancellor Ridcully, Rincewind, 
Tiffany Aching and Death. There are some colour prints at the end of the 
book, which I wasn't expecting. Fortunately I didn't spot them until I'd 
had a go, so I wasn't discouraged. You get some great quotes too... As 
well as the full-page and double-page spreads there are smaller 
projects: I idly coloured in a banana whilst listening to a disembodied 
voice tell me that my phone call was important to them. The paper is of 
better quality than I suspected at first glance – a black felt-tip pen 
didn't show through on the reverse no matter how hard I tried. I 
prefered the effect of using crayons – the result was more subtle, but 
give your creativity free rein and see what happens. I've got just the 
one quibble about the book and that rests with the double-page spreads 
where the picture is trapped in the spine of the book and it's 
impossible to colour proficiently without taking the book to pieces. It 
was fun trying though..."

http://bit.ly/2chxhCp


3.2 THE ARTIST KNOWN AS KIDBY!

In The Guardian, an interview/article by Alison Flood about Paul Kidby:

"Kidby first discovered Discworld in 1993, when he was given a copy of 
The Colour of Magic for his 29th birthday, and was immediately taken 
with Pratchett's writing. After drawing a range of Pratchett's 
characters for fun, he took a bundle of them along to a book signing in 
a WH Smith's in Bath, and handed them over to Pratchett. 'I queued for 
three hours – he was so popular and I'd had no idea about it,' says 
Kidby. 'When I got to Terry, I gave him some photocopies of the drawings 
I'd done in an envelope, and thought "that's it". He didn't need another 
illustrator; he had Josh Kirby, and he'd made it, he was successful. So 
I resigned myself to the fact that he wouldn't get in touch.' But a few 
weeks later, Pratchett rang him. 'He phoned up and said "this is the 
closest anyone's got to how I see the characters". And that was it – the 
beginning. It's a fantastic endorsement when an author says that … For 
me, creatively, to do my interpretation of a writer's character was 
pretty much top of the tree.'... Kidby was a freelance illustrator, 
painting popular video game characters like Sonic the Hedgehog for 
magazine covers. He'd always known he wanted to be an artist – as a 
teenager, he applied to art colleges and was offered a place in 
Hounslow, but ended up declining it as it was too far from where he 
lived. But his parents were friends with a retired art teacher and “I 
knocked on her door with my drawings and she very kindly looked through 
what I'd done, and took me under her wing”. On the side, Kidby started 
making false teeth during the day to bring in some money. 'At the time 
it was the most creative job I could get, as I was still working with my 
hands. I was 17,' he says. 'Looking back over my career path, I was 
always trying to do something more creative. False teeth were the 
beginning.'..."

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/aug/18/terry-pratchett-artist-illustrating-discworld-colouring-book


3.3 NEW STEPHEN BRIGGS WEBSITE!

Well, page-onna-website. Another new shiny thing in the world of 
published Pratchettry:

"As all children know, the way you get into a fantasy world is by 
accident… You go into the wardrobe, looking for somewhere to hide and – 
bingo. And that's how Stephen Briggs found Discworld. In 1990, he wrote 
to ask Terry if he could stage Wyrd Sisters. That was the first time 
anyone, anywhere in the world, had dramatised Terry's work. He had no 
idea it would go any further than one play (possibly two). But it did. 
So far, he has now adapted, staged and published twenty-two plays. He 
and Terry also worked together to produce the original Discworld Maps 
and Diaries, Nanny Ogg's Cookbook, The Discworld Companion (now called 
Turtle Recall) and The Wit & Wisdom of Discworld."

https://www.oberonbooks.com/stephen-briggs.html


3.4 LONG COSMOS REVIEW!

by Glen Seeber on News OK:

"In the five books, Pratchett and Baxter explored the ramifications from 
all sorts of angles, touching on governmental control versus individual 
freedom, strife between those who can step and those who are unable to 
do so, development of children whose mental capacity far outshines that 
of normal humanity, and treatment of beings common to the parallel 
worlds who did not develop on the home planet. In 'The Long Cosmos,' 
inhabitants of all of the worlds, including apelike creatures called 
trolls, living islands known as Traversers and, of course, humans, get a 
message from space saying, essentially, 'Join us.' The narrative jumps 
from one character to another, carrying the reader slowly toward a 
climax when most of the characters come together at last and find out 
just what is meant by the message... While 'The Long Cosmos' is an 
entertaining and satisfying conclusion to the five-novel series, 
first-time readers would be well advised to start with the first book, 
'The Long Earth,' and follow the story in order of publication. Things 
will make more sense..."

http://newsok.com/article/5511712


3.5 THE WITCH'S VACUUM CLEANER REVIEW!

By Juliette Harrisson on Den of Geek:

"The stories were edited and prepared by Pratchett shortly before his 
death, and the book includes an introduction from him that must be one 
of the last things he wrote. Like the first volume, this book is 
illustrated throughout by Mark Beech, whose style is clearly influenced 
by Quentin Blake's work, especially his work on Roald Dahl's books – it 
work very well here, immediately signalling the tone and style of the 
stories to the reader. His portrait of a waving Pratchett for the 
Introduction is particularly nice, and his interpretation of a small man 
in a big black hat is also, touchingly, distinctly Terry-like... 
Juvenilia by famous authors can vary a bit in quality, but one of the 
nice things about these stories is that they were written by a young 
man, for even younger people (and edited by the older Sir Terry as 
well). Most of the stories are relatively timeless or are clearly set in 
the past, so young readers will be able to enjoy them easily – one 
story, for example, makes a brief reference to this being 'the 
twenty-first century', despite the distinct absence of mobile phones or 
laptops... Regardless of the age of the author or intended audience, 
these stories are as funny, magical and whimsical as any of Pratchett's 
work. There are a few stories set in the mysterious town of Blackbury, 
and several in the Wild Welsh town of Llandanffwnfafegettupagogo, home 
of the fastest truncheon in the West and a delightful addition to the 
little-known 'amusing takes on Wales' subgenre (also including the works 
of Jasper Fforde and Malcolm Pryce). There are truly enchanting tales of 
dancing statues and visits to magical places in another realm of 
existence and several delicate touches of romance, not enough to put off 
young readers but enough to warm the hearts of older ones..."

http://bit.ly/2bS944Q


3.6 WHAT'S IN A NAME, ER, WORD...

 From the BBC's news site:

"'Moist' is the early front-runner in a search to find the most-hated 
word in the English language. The distasteful adjective – a favourite of 
Great British Bake Off presenting duo Mel and Sue – has topped polls in 
the UK, US and Canada, according to those behind the global survey. 
'Moist' – dubbed by comedian Miranda Hart the 'queen of all words' – 
also leads the way in the US, Canada and Australia, also coming second 
in the poll of Dutch opinion... Dan Braddock, from Oxford University 
Press, said this was the first time Oxford Dictionaries – which focuses 
on current English usage – had tried such an experiment and 'we're not 
entirely sure what to expect yet'... We thought for a long time about 
the question to open with, but we decided to go down the negative 
route,' he said..."

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-37183043


3.7 WHY FILMING THE WEE FREE MEN IS A GOOD CHOICE

Some good musings on the forthcoming film of The Wee Free Men, by Tom 
Bacon on Moviepilot::

"The Jim Henson Company – most famous for Farscape, Labyrinth and The 
Dark Crystal – is bringing one Discworld novel, Wee Free Men, to the big 
screen. Rhianna Pratchett, an award-winning scriptwriter in her own 
right, is adapting the novel for the feature film. But why have the team 
chosen Wee Free Men? 1. A 'Young Adult' Vibe with a Tremendous Star... 
The star of Wee Free Men is the brilliant character of Tiffany Aching, a 
9-year-old girl who is drawn into a fantasy realm of danger. Brought up 
as a shepherd in the hills of a region known as the Chalk, Tiffany 
Aching is the unwitting inheritor of her grandmother's witchcraft. She 
soon winds up forced to take a stand, becoming a trainee witch and 
battling against the elves of Fairyland! Tiffany is a formidable 
character, much-loved and with tremendous depth... 2. A Perfect 
Introduction to Discworld... 3. A Creative Fantasy Story...

"Wee Free Men has all the staples of fairytale mythology – from 
witchcraft to elves – but all are subverted, in that classic Pratchett 
style. Tiffany winds up on an epic quest into Fairyland, but Pratchett's 
Fairyland is a barren and dangerous place, one that would translate 
easily into a haunting location on the big screen. It's the beginning of 
a classic Hero's Journey, one that was only truly completed in The 
Shepherd's Crown, and it has all the mythic quality you'd expect of a 
classic..."

http://moviepilot.com/posts/4068544


3.8 THE LUGGAGE, ROUNDWORLD STYLE!

On M2, Isaac Taylor tells us of a digital-era travel accessory with some 
familiar characteristics:

"Ever since we read Terry Pratchett for the first time we dreamed of a 
suitcase that could follow us everywhere. While planet earth may not 
have any sapient pearwood to build magical chests out of, we do have a 
butt ton of robotics that can help make our dreams come true. Enter the 
Cowarobot R1, a travel companion that follows you on your journey. It 
can intelligently avoid obstacles and always dutifully keep up with it's 
human. This means your hands are free to deal with other things like 
passports, wallets, coffee, or whatever you normally use your hands for. 
At full charge it can go for 20km, and if it falls behind you, it 
quickly catches up with a max speed of 7.2km/h. It's fixed with a depth 
sensor as well as sonar technology to get around. An R1 bracelet on your 
wrist is what it uses to track you. And If you've left it somewhere you 
can double tap the screen and it quickly finds a path and navigates to 
wherever you are..."

http://www.m2now.co.nz/1-robotic-suitcase-follows-everywhere-go/

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

04) DISCWORLD CONVENTION NEWS

DWCON 2016 NEWS

4.1 AN EXCLUSIVE WOSSNAME REPORT

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

(Starts computer)

(Straps into saddle)

(Starts pedalling)

RIGHT – let's go!

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

THURSDAY (helping day)

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

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

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

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

FRIDAY (Registration Day)

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

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

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

SATURDAY (Costume Day)

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

SUNDAY (Lazy Day)

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

MONDAY (Wind Down Day)

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

Annnnnnnnnnnd – that was that!

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

EDITOR'S NOTE: to view Brian's superb Auditor costume, go to 
https://wossname.dreamwidth.org/file/27132.jpg


*

Here be a call to arms, or to greasepaint and props, from another Brian, 
the Brian known as Sabremeister:

"April 2018 would have seen Sir Terry Pratchett's 70th birthday. He had 
a well-known connection with the theatre, and so to celebrate, why not 
put on a play? Local theatre companies around the world can use this 
month to stage any Discworld play, in a great big celebration and 
commemoration of Sir Terry's life and work. I discussed the idea with 
Colin Smythe at the DW Convention 2016, and he said it was a good one, 
go for it. So here we are, going for it. Let everybody know, and book 
the performance slot at the next planning meeting at your local theatre 
group!"

There's a Facebook event page for this, which can be found at 
https://www.facebook.com/events/580653112059960/

To view the original announcement, go to 
http://discworld.livejournal.com/1107951.html


*

...and here be a fascinating pub quiz from the just-finished Convention, 
as reprinted on the interwebs:

"You weren't there and are curious what you missed? You were there but 
hit the bar afterwards and can't remember half of them? Or you're just 
looking for inspiration for devious questions to ask your friends? We 
have the questions and answers of the Thursday evening pub quiz for you, 
courtesy of Low King of the Dwarves Jennifer Delaney."

Questions are about Roundworld but sharing subject matter with various 
Discworld novels. Some samples:

What Belgian beer's name means "Sudden Death"?
In the works of HP Lovecraft, what university is located in the town of 
Arkham?
Where would you find the Pyramid of Cestius?
Three films tie on most Academy Awards won. Two tie for most 
nominations. But which film is in both categories?
Which religion has eight million gods and 80,000 shrines?
What is the oldest regiment in the British Army?
What was the first dukedom created in England, currently held by a 
member of the British royal family?
In Greek mythology, what was the first thing to exist?
What colour are post boxes on the island of Guernsey?

The answers are provided by clicking on the Answer button for each 
question. To view and take the full quiz, go to:

https://2016.dwcon.org/news/2016/08/26/pub-quiz-questions

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

05) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

5.0 NEW: TAMAHER IN CARDIFF (FEBRUARY 2017)

Monstrous Productions carry on from strength to strength! (see the 
review of their latest production below, item 5.7)

When: 22nd–25th February 2017
Venue: The Gate Theatre, Keppoch Street, Roath, Cardiff CF24 3JW
Time: 7.30pm (2.30pm matinee on the 25th)
Tickets: £7 (£5 concession), available from http://monstrousptc.com/

5.1 REMINDER: WYRD SISTERS IN LANCRE, ERM, LANCASHIRE! (SEPTEMBER)

The Greenbrook Methodist Church Theatre Group still have one more 
performance of their production of Wyrd Sisters to go!

When: 2nd September 2016
Venue: Greenbrook Methodist Church Theatre Group & Community Centre, 
Greenbrook Road, Burnley, Lancs BB12 6NZ
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £8 adult, £5 child, available by phoning Wendy on 01282 426 889

http://www.burnleymethodists.org.uk/greenbrook.htm

5.2 NEW: FEET OF CLAY IN ADELAIDE, FOURECKS (OCTOBER/NOVEMBER)

Adelaide's famous Unseen Theatre will be staging Feet of Clay as their 
next Pratchett production!

"It's Murder in Discworld!—which ordinarily is no big deal. But what 
bothers Commander Samuel Vimes, Head of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch, is 
that the unusual deaths of three harmless old men do not bear the clean, 
efficient marks of the Assassins' Guild. But that's only the start… 
someone is slowly poisoning the Patrician. No one knows who, no one 
knows why and, worst of all no one knows how – he just gets weaker and 
weaker. Added to that, the City Watch has got problems of its own. 
There's a werewolf suffering from Pre-Lunar Tension, Corporal Nobbs is 
hobnobbing with the nobs, and there's something really strange about the 
new dwarf recruit –  especially his earrings and eyeshadow. Who can you 
trust when there are mobs on the streets, plotters in the dark and all 
the clues point the wrong way? Nevertheless, Sam Vimes has got to find 
out not only whodunit, but howdunit too. He's not even sure what they 
dun. But soon as he knows what the questions are, he's going to want 
some answers. We don't want to give anything away, but Vimes may find 
that the truth is not out there at all. In fact, it may be inside – but 
inside what? or should we say whom?"

When: 21st October–5th November 2016 (preview Friday 21st October; 
opening night 22nd October 22; then season continues Wed.–Sat. to 5th 
November)
Venue: Bakehouse Theatre, 255 AngasStreet, Adelaide
Time: TBA
Tickets: Adults $22; Concession $18; Groups (6+) $16; TRev $16; Preview $15

http://unseen.com.au/

5.3 REMINDER: WYRD SISTERS IN EAST GRINSTEAD (OCTOBER)

The Ace Theatre Company will present their production of Wyrd Sisters in 
October.

When: 20th – 22nd October 2016
Venue: Chequer Mead Theatre, De La Warr Road, East Grinstead, West 
Sussex RH19 3BS
Time: all evening shows 7.30pm; matinee on Saturday 22nd, 2.30pm
Tickets: evening shows £13 (£11 concessions); Saturday matinee £11 (£9 
concessions), available from the Box Office by phoning 01342 302000, by 
email to tickets at chequermead.org.uk, or online at 
http://www.chequermead.org.uk/whats-on/theatre/event/?e=364967&cat= 
(click on the desired date button to purchase)

http://www.chequermead.org.uk/

5.4 REMINDER: GUARDS! GUARDS! IN BRISBANE (OCTOBER/NOVEMBER)

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
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

5.5 MORT IN THE LAND OF FOG (NOVEMBER)

Paeroa Little Theatre's major production for 2016 will be Mort!

When: 9th–18th November 2016
Venue: Paeroa Little Theatre, 1 Francis Street, Paeroa 3600, th North 
Island, Land of Fog, er, New Zealand
Time: TBA
Tickets: TBA

http://www.facebook.com/PaeroaLittleTheatre/

5.6 STILL QUITE NEW: WYRD SISTERS IN BOLTON, LANCS (MARCH 2017)

Bolton Little Theatre, "a vibrant amateur theatre company run by 
members" since 1931, will be presenting their production of Wyrd Sisters 
next March.

When: 6th–11th March 2017
Venue: Bolton Little Theatre, Hanover Street, Bolton BL1 4TG
Time: 7.30pm
Tickets: £10 (Monday night 3 for 2 special), available at 
boltonlittletheatre.ticketsource.co.uk – group bookings of 10+ (£9) 
should be booked through the Box Office. “You can book at Bolton Little 
Theatre box office in person or by telephone on Monday night from 7.30 
to 9pm and Friday mornings from 10.30 to 12 noon – no extra charge if 
paying by cash or cheque and you can book during the run of the plays or 
you can book online at boltonlittletheatre.ticketsource.co.uk ...credit 
card charges will apply. Tickets can be e-tickets (no charge) mobile 
phone ticket (50p) standard post (£1.50).”

http://www.boltonlittletheatre.co.uk/terry-pratchetts-wyrd-sisters/

5.7  REVIEWS: GOING POSTAL IN CARDIFF

by: togiraikonoka on The Sprout:

"I had previously seen Nightwatch and loved it, it was an amazing 
rendition of the book. Just like that show, with Going Postal, you have 
to rely on your own imagination as there are minimal props used and you 
are kept intrigued while the cast are switching around sets (which is 
perfect for this type of show, in my opinion). I thought it was 
brilliant when Mr Pump 'found' the postmaster's hat instead of Mr Groat 
like in the film, also I found it emotionally powering when Mr Lipwig 
put on the hat and could 'hear' the letters calling out to him and even 
made me tear up when he knew the post office was burning because he 
could hear the cries of the burning letters even without the hat on... 
The humor between Moist Von Lipwig and other characters was great fun, 
like when he stopped Stanley from going on a stamp speech as he was so 
excited to go from his collection of pins to stamps. I also enjoyed it 
especially when Mrs Maccalariat came in and mentions how worried she was 
about the golem who was cleaning the female bathroom... All in all, they 
managed to pull of a pretty great show and yet another fun filled 
rendition of the book..."

http://thesprout.co.uk/blog/2016/08/22/review-going-postal-the-gate-arts-centre/

By the twin bloggers known as CL Raven:

"We never miss a play and each time it gets bigger and better and we 
wonder how the hell they'll pull the next one off, as they get more 
ambitious every time. But they always do, with a brilliant cast and crew 
and a minimal set that really works. The Gate arts centre is the perfect 
venue for it. Directed by Amy Davies and Edward Thomas, Going Postal 
tells the story of Moist Von Lipwig... Asher Townsend, who plays Moist, 
was fantastic. He captured his cheeky character perfectly, even down to 
his smile, which often made the audience laugh. And his gold suit stole 
the show. The golems were a particular favourite of ours and their 
costumes were amazing. It's not easy to bring a thousands' year old 
pottery creature to life! Moist's scenes with Adora Bell Dearheart were 
always entertaining. Ellen Warren, who played Miss Dearheart was perfect 
for the role. She was exactly how Miss Dearheart should be. Josh Flynn, 
who played pin-obsessive Stanley and Neil Chappell who played Reacher 
Gilt's assistant Igor, got the most laughs. Josh's hyperactive portrayal 
of Stanley was hilarious. Pete Belsen did a great job as Junior 
Postmaster Groat... Michael's deadpan performance of Vetinari was 
spot-on. He had the dry sense of humour down perfectly. We're always 
astounded by the quality of acting in these productions, as well as the 
costumes and set props. It's clear how much fun everyone has doing this.."

https://clraven.wordpress.com/2016/08/24/going-postal/

5.8 REVIEWS: MORT AT THE EDINBURGH FRINGE

By Dominic Corr on TV Bomb:

A master in absurdity, Terry Pratchett used and abused the written word 
in his creation of the Discworld. Those unfamiliar with his works can 
still enjoy Mort for its story, characters and comedy, though fans of 
the original Discworld series will notice narrative gaps in the 
transition to the theatre. It happens, and really it's remarkable how 
much Duck in a Hat Theatre fit into an hour and twenty minutes. 
Personified Death is perhaps Pratchett's masterpiece: droll, witty and 
at times genuinely intimidating. Duck in a Hat's interpretation of the 
character is precise, humorous where it needs to be and fearfully 
commanding when called for... Whilst some cast members edge on the trims 
of mediocrity, the character of Mort is carried out well. A subtle 
mixture of charm and pathos draw the audience into the story effectively..."

http://www.tvbomb.co.uk/review/terry-pratchetts-mort/

By Caroline Cawley on Edinburgh Fringe Guru:

"The cast is comprised of eight members, many of them playing multiple 
roles. The standout performance is from Naoise Murphy as a rather nasal 
recruiter who's trying to help Death find a job. She also plays a 
waitress at a party who reacts violently to a goblet appearing on her 
tray seemingly out of nowhere, and a cursing robber whose prey escapes 
her by walking through a wall. In this adaptation, the voice of the 
actor playing Death has been electronically altered and, combined with 
his piercing eyes (provided by blue LEDs), he cuts an imposing cloaked 
figure as he stalks the stage. In general, however, the costumes are hit 
and miss... The audience appeared to enjoy the adaptation, but I believe 
this is only because of a decent script. The play benefits from 
Pratchett's popularity – there were clearly a large number of fans in 
the audience – while Duck in a Hat contribute only sporadically decent 
performances and generally poor production values..."

http://edinburgh.fringeguru.com/reviews/edinburgh-2016/terry-pratchetts-mort

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

06) 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 5th September 
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."

*

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

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


*

"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)" is a public Facebook 
meeting group: "This group, by request of Jo in Bear will continue to be 
used for future unofficial (not run by the Emporium) fan Gatherings in 
Wincanton. Look here for information." [Editor's note: this is an active 
group. If you use Facebook, it may be worth joining!]

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."

The next Monthly Dinner and Games at the Caledonian Hotel will be held 
on 29th September 2016, and there will be a Pirate Costume Bowling at 
Cross Road Bowl on 1st October. For more info, go to 
www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

*

The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Friday 7th October  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 2nd 
September 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 5th 
September 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 5th September 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>

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

07) DISCWORLD ARTS AND CRAFTS NEWS

7.1 FROM THE DISCWORLD EMPORIUM

* The 2017 Discworld calendar!

"Featuring the iconic fantasy artwork of Josh Kirby, the 2017 Discworld 
calendar is a nostalgic celebration of his spectacular and unmistakable 
cover illustrations for Terry Pratchett's earliest Discworld books. The 
2017 calendar features twelve pieces of artwork, along with all those 
important Discworld and roundworld dates that you'll still forget about 
despite them hanging on your wall in such a decorative fashion. Each 
calendar includes a full page of colourful artwork for each month along 
with plenty of space for your notes, reminders and appointments. 
Includes all major realtime calendrical data for Great Britain, Eire, 
Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA, as well as notable Discworld 
dates."

Each Calendar is priced at £14.99. For more information, ad to order, go to:

http://www.discworldemporium.com/terry-pratchett-discworld-calendar-2017

* An even more special Discworld Colouring Book!

"ARTIST'S EDITION! Paul has hand-picked a selection of his favourite 
colouring book illustrations including witches, dragons & feegles for 
this special edition, which features 40 pages of artist's quality 
display board and special binding for you to tear out and frame your 
finished masterpieces! Paul Kidby has designed the covers for the 
Discworld novels since 2002, and is the author and artist of the The Art 
Of Discworld. If Terry Pratchett's pen gave his characters life, Paul 
Kidby's brush allowed them to live it. Containing black-and-white line 
drawings based on Sir Terry Pratchett's Best Loved characters, his 
hugely popular artwork as well as original pieces produced exclusively 
for this book - featuring such iconic Discworld personalities as Granny 
Weatherwax, Sam Vimes, Archchancellor Ridcully, Rincewind, Tiffany 
Aching and, of course, DEATH – Terry Pratchett's Discworld Colouring 
Book is required ...reading? ...for all Discworld fans."

Each Artist's Edition Discworld Colouring Book is priced at £14.99 plus 
shipping (UK £3.50, Europe £7, Rest of World £10) and is now available 
for pre-order (publication date will be 3rd November 2016). For more 
information, and to pre-order, go to http://bit.ly/2bHipNW

* The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner in two editions!

"An illustrated collection of short stories by master storyteller Sir 
Terry Pratchett, featuring food fights, pirates, wizards and crooks!

"Poor Mr Swimble is having a bad day. Rabbits are bouncing out of his 
hat, pigeons are flying out of his jacket and every time he points his 
finger, something magically appears – cheese sandwiches, socks . . . 
even a small yellow elephant on wheels! It's becoming a real nuisance – 
and he's allergic to rabbits. His friends at the Magic Rectangle can't 
help, but the mysterious vacuum cleaner he saw that morning may have 
something to do with it . . . Fourteen fantastically funny stories from 
master storyteller Sir Terry Pratchett, full of food fights, pirates, 
wizards and crooks!"

The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner is priced at £12.99 plus shipping (UK £3.50, 
Europe £7, Rest of World £10). For more information, and to order, go to 
http://bit.ly/2bPII3p

Also available: " A special collector's edition of collected short 
stories by master storyteller Sir Terry Pratchett, complete with 
slipcase, critical commentary, two bonus stories a beautiful 
limited-edition print illustrated by Mark Beech, plus foreword penned by 
Rob Wilkins!"

The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner Deluxe Slipcase Edition is priced at £25 plus 
shipping (UK £3.50, Europe £7, Rest of World £10). For more information, 
and to order, go to
http://bit.ly/2bAsEok

* HOT ITEM: the Musicians' Guild LBE!

"Produced to coincide with the 2016 Discworld Convention in Warwick, 
this special edition LBE issue is a celebration of Ankh-Morpork's 
illustrious Musicians' Guild! Along with an assortment of current 
Discworld stamps, each LBE contains two new guild issues – the 
Musicians' Guild One Penny, and a rootin' tootin' limited edition 3p – 
exclusive to this LBE and the Musician's Guild First Day Cover. A 
generous amount of sports and rarities prizes have been sprinkled 
throughout the edition including dead letter labels and clacks-o-grams!

"With the triangle being our favourite musical instrument, what better 
time to introduce a new design of the most sought-after stamp of them 
all! Only 10 sports will ever be released of this illustrious issue, and 
TWO are waiting to be found in this LBE edition!

"Lucky collectors will find prize tickets entitling them to one of 25 
'sport' first day covers featuring rare sport musicians' Guild issues, 
or one of 25 large format sheets of limited edition 3p stamps compete 
with TWO whole rows of sport variant issues!!

"N.B. Special Editions tend to sell our VERY quickly, often within the 
first hour of release. To avoid disappointment we recommend the purchase 
of an LBE Season Ticket. Otherwise please have this page ready at the 
time of release and remember to refresh your browser. It is important to 
note that adding LBEs to your cart does NOT guarantee purchase - 
proceeding quickly to checkout once they have been added to cart is 
heartily advised."

Each Musicians' Guild Little Brown Envelope (LBE) is priced at £5.00. 
For more information, and to order, go to
http://www.discworldemporium.com/discworld-stamps/new%20stamps/musicians-guild-lbe

The Steam to Summer First Day Cover: "A charming piece of postal 
ephemera celebrating a summer of holidays and Discworld tourism thanks 
to the Ankh-Morpork & Sto Plains Hygienic Railway! Every First Day Cover 
features a full 'train set' of Ankh-Morpork Railway Farthing stamps, 
comprising seven different designs from Engine No.1 Iron Girder to a 
variety of cars and carriages of the A-M&SHR. Otherwise only available 
as a beautiful whole sheet. Inside each envelope you'll find a beautiful 
glossy advertising postcard promoting holidays on the rails, with a 
charming illustration of the seaside town of Quiremouth! Limited edition 
of 200 envelopes - available while stocks last."

Each Steam to Summer First Day Cover is priced at £10. For more 
information, and to order, go to

http://www.discworldemporium.com/discworld-stamps/new%20stamps/steam-to-summer-fdc

7.2 FROM DISCWORLD.COM

* The Perennial. Pratchett Diary!

"Sir Terry Pratchett left us, far too early, in March 2015. To celebrate 
his life and works, we've given over the 2017 Discworld Diary – which 
will be a perennial diary – to remembrances and tributes from some of 
those who knew and loved him and his extraordinary body of work. 
Contributors include Neil Gaiman, A S Byatt, Terry Pratchett's literary 
agent Colin Smythe, co-author of the Long Earth books Stephen Baxter, 
famed bookseller Rog Peyton, and many more. With an introduction from 
his daughter Rhianna Pratchett and an afterword from longtime friend and 
colleague Rob Wilkins. Exclusively embossed with Sir Terry's signature 
and sealed with his personal coat of arms – the design of which he 
oversaw himself.

Each Terry Pratchett Diary is priced at £20.00 and will be published on 
13th October 2016. For more information, and to pre-order, go to
http://discworld.com/products/books/terry-pratchett-diary/

* The Dark Side of the Turtle coaster!

"To celebrate the theme of this year's DWCON - A Discworld twist on a 
Roundworld classic."

Each Dark Side of the Turtle Coaster is priced at £2.50. For more 
information, and to order, go to
http://discworld.com/products/convention-launches/dark-side-turtle-coaster/

* The Greebowie Coaster!

"To celebrate the theme of this year's DWCON – Greebo with a Bowie-esque 
twist!"

Each Greebo as Bowie Coaster is priced at £2.50. For more information, 
and to order, go to
http://discworld.com/products/convention-launches/greebo-bowie-coaster/

* "Josh Kirby lives!"

Discworld.com has announced the formation of a partnership with the 
estate of the late Josh Kirby:

"The collaboration will give these unique and treasured works of art a 
new lease of life through a range of exclusive, high quality products. 
The move is the brainchild of Discworld.com's founder and owner Sandra 
Kidby, Kirby's niece and Estate Director Amy Anderson and Marketing 
Director Rob Liano. Kirby was renowned as one of the earliest Discworld 
cover artists and was also a highly regarded science fiction and fantasy 
painter in his own right, with many of his creations adorning the 
literary works of such greats as Ian Fleming, Isaac Asimov, Alfred 
Hitchcock, Richard Matheson, Jack Kerouac, Jules Verne and Edgar Rice 
Burroughs. He wasn't just a cover artist, he applied his talents to 
iconic film posters ranging from motion picture phenomenon Star Wars as 
well as Beastmaster, Krull and the unforgettable Monty Python's Life of 
Brian. His heroes and heroines were archetypal fantasy figures; his 
scenes infused with ribald humour and his works meticulously hand-painted."

To read the full announcement, go to 
http://discworld.com/discworld-com-joins-forces-estate-josh-kirby/


7.3 FROM THE PAUL KIDBY SHOP

The Discworld Colouring Book is here! And Paul Kidby's shop is offering 
an exclusive signed 'Pencil Eater' bookplate with each copy.

Priced at £13.50 (price includes postage & packaging for UK deliveries 
only). For more information, and to order, go to

http://bit.ly/2alSV63

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

08) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE: THIEF OF TIME

 From Anne at Hubward Ho, analysing Myria Lejean:

"I love Lady LeJean and her development, her struggle to cope with a 
physicality that has been thrust upon her. The Auditors are, 
essentially, a consciousness, a mind, without physical form, a body. 
Without physical form, the Auditors are undifferentiated—there is no 
individual identity or personality, and if one begins to develop, it is 
quickly destroyed. In Thief of Time, the Auditors realize that while 
they can easily manipulate the elements of the universe to create a 
perfect replica of a human body, it just lays there until the Auditors 
power it with their own consciousness. However, once that consciousness 
is separated from the rest by inhabiting a physical form, an individual 
develops. Once Lady LeJean gains her own consciousness, she finds 
herself thinking and acting more and more in human ways. The drive of 
hunger, the enjoyment of art, the appreciation of a cat's 
companionship—they are all the result of a physical form. It turns out 
that consciousness is like water: it takes the shape of its container... 
One of the main themes, and one of my favorite themes, in Thief of Time 
is that our physicality, our separation from other minds, our stupid, 
stupid bodies make us human. We exist within our limited perception of 
time and space, and that perception shapes how we think of ourselves and 
our universe. We need our skin in order to feel, and we need our brains 
in order to think, and we need our lungs and vocal cords and mouths and 
tongues and teeth in order to speak to each other, to share in the 
experience of being human and alive and in a body, to shorten the gap 
between my mind and yours..."

https://hubwardho.com/2016/08/16/she-is-an-immaterial-girl-living-in-a-material-world/

...and from Ryan at Hubward Ho, on (eventually) the same book:

"The story of Discworld writ large is all about the clash of known with 
unknown, civilized with uncivilized (that is, from the point of view of 
the 'civilized'). It's about the tension between reconciling with, and 
resisting, change and assimilation. How do you reconcile magic with the 
clacks? How much resilience to change do you need to show if you're a 
dwarf in the big city, far from home and tradition? In another writer's 
hands, this could seem uncomfortably like colonization, and at times it 
sort of does. But it's clear that Pratchett is well aware of this, as 
these tensions become the morally ambiguous backbone of stories like The 
Fifth Elephant, Thud!, Snuff, and Raising Steam.

"In its own way, Thief of Time is rife with the tension between 
reconciliation and resistance. All kinds of things cross over the edge 
from the wild and supernatural into the tame and ordinary. Pratchett 
observes that Chaos is 'Kaos with his hair combed and a tie on,' which 
in turn becomes Ronnie Soak, milk man. Godlike anthropomorphic 
personifications like War now have families. The child of Time is either 
a thief or a clock-maker. The heir to the House of Death is a 
schoolteacher. A cosmic being falls in love with chocolate. And in the 
wider context these characters subsist in a world in which 
magic-slinging, throat-cutting wizards would now rather stay at home, 
thank you, while clacks send messages flickering across the lands. This 
should be disappointing. Do we really want to find that the fantastic 
has become ordinary? Do we really want the whole world to be mapped? But 
in Pratchett's hands, it doesn't feel disappointing..."

https://hubwardho.com/2016/08/13/the-taming-of-the-world-a-report-from-the-edges/

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

09) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

Pterry at Dillons bookshop in Derby, 1996. The chain closed three years 
later:
http://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/images/localworld/ugc-images/276250/binaries/Dillons.jpg

"Nae king! Nae quin! Nae laird!" The Nac Mac Feegle present swords in 
Tiffany's kitchen, during the recent Unseen Theatre production of The 
Wee Free Men:
http://unseen.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/wfm-swords-tiff-kitchen800.jpg

The Cunning Artificer and a certain bibliophilic friend:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CqPCFMXWIAA-Q_g.jpg

A very pleased-looking Paul Kidby preparing signed copies of the 
Discworld Colouring Book:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cp57XgiWYAAcLb-.jpg

...and Lord Vetinari's Roundworld stunt double, Stephen Briggs, signing 
his co-authored works at this month's UK Discworld Convention:
https://twitter.com/StephenPBriggs/status/769880791094587392

Also from the latest DWCon, a very well-coiffed Lady Sybil, accompanied 
by a well-known anthropomorphic personification:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Cq3F3K-WIAAiJ7U.jpg

...and a helpful Igorina, from same:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CqyX-NzXEAEl9yX.jpg

An adorable Discworld recommendations 'toon by Tumblr user 
goddamnshinyrock, as linked by Discworld Ales:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CrAif9QWcAEd9Q6.jpg

...and finally, the "Light Rider", the 3D-printed motorbike "inspired by 
a skeleton". Hands up, anyone who thinks there just might be a Discworld 
fan among the design team:
http://ichef.bbci.co.uk/wwfeatures/wm/live/624_351/images/live/p0/43/cr/p043crxx.jpg

[If you want to know more about this motorcycle, go to 
http://www.bbc.com/autos/story/20160802-the-motorbike-inspired-by-a-skeleton 
– Ed.]

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

10) CLOSE

That quote up at the start of this issue comes from a piece on 
Publishers Weekly, "10 Best Satires", in which "Anything by Terry 
Pratchett" (yes, Mr Honig really does mean *anything*) rubs shoulders 
with such deathless works as Don Quixote, Catch-22 and Animal Farm. To 
read the whole piece, go to http://bit.ly/2bYUyNy

And that's the lot for August. Take care, and we'll see you at the end 
of this month!

– Annie Mac


The mirror version of this issue can be viewed at 
http://wossname.dreamwidth.org/40236.html

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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