Wossname – June 2018 – main issue
News and reviews about the works of Sir Terry Pratchett
wossname at pearwood.info
Fri Jun 29 06:55:40 AEST 2018
Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
June 2018 (Volume 21, Issue 6, 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.
********************************************************************
Editor in Chief: Annie Mac
News Editor: Vera P
Newshounds: Mogg, Sir J of Croydon Below, the Shadow, Mss C, Alison not
Aliss
Staff Writers: Asti, Pitt the Elder, Evil Steven Dread, Mrs Wynn-Jones
Staff Technomancer: Jason Parlevliet
Book Reviews: Annie Mac, Drusilla D'Afanguin, Your Name Here
Puzzle Editor: Tiff (still out there somewhere)
Bard in Residence: Weird Alice Lancrevic
Emergency Staff: Steven D'Aprano, Jason Parlevliet
World Membership Director: Steven D'Aprano (in his copious spare time)
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
INDEX:
01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
02) EDITOR'S LETTER
03) ODDS AND SODS
04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
05) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
06) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
07) ROUNDWORLD TALES
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
09) CLOSE
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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH
"The late & much regretted Terry Pratchett had a knack for developing
pretty cool ideas in a humorous & lighthearted way (unlike most
philosophers, who develop tedious ideas tediously)."
– blogger There Could Be Badgers gets to the heart of it
"Do the Interesting Times! And the Last Hero! Because you GET IT. Other
movie makers have tried, but you actually seem to get what is so
interesting and fun about sir Pratchett's stories! Oh gods, do them all
:D but mostly Cohen, because man, you nailed him here!"
– Pratchett fan Irys Korsak, commenting on the Troll Bridge trailer
...and a different sort of quote: Stephen Briggs' tweet in which he says
how much he enjoyed making the audio versions of Discworld books, and
various replies showing their appreciation for his work:
https://twitter.com/StephenPBriggs/status/1006852038058283008
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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR
The Chalke Valley History Festival is now in session – and the Shed of
Doom is LIVE! And a new feature has been added: Paul Kidby will be "in
conversation" with Rob Wilkins at the Shed of Doom at 11.30am on Sunday
1st July. The event is free with your Festival entry ticket, so do go
along with your questions and compliments.
*
Waterstones Leeds will be having a "Sir Terry Pratchett Quiz" next
month! They say: "A prize quiz for fans of the works of Sir Terry
Pratchett. Includes a picture round. Team size 1–4 people. Prizes for
winning team. Note – seating is limited and it is possible that this
event may sell out early."
When: Saturday 21st July
Venue: Waterstones Leeds, 93-97 Albion Street, Leeds LS1 5AP
Time: 5pm to 6.30pm
Tickets: £3, bookable online at
https://www.waterstones.com/events/sir-terry-pratchett-quiz/leeds#ticketscript
For further details, phone 01132444588
https://www.waterstones.com/events/sir-terry-pratchett-quiz/leeds
*
Colin Smythe, Terry Pratchett's original discoverer and lifetime
literary agent, is looking for your help to solve a mystery:
"Many readers have wondered whether Terry's American editors made
changes to his text. Terry was always consulted, and would himself make
changes while proof reading the US text to make sure there was no
misunderstanding of his meaning, using words and phrases that would be
familiar to readers on the other side of the Pond – two nations divided
by the same language, sort of thing. But there were occasions when,
during his proof-reading of the different editions he would revise the
text...."
On Colin's website (featured before in Wossname, but located at
http://colinsmythe.co.uk in case anyone forgot...), he lists as an
example some differences between versions in certain parts of the text
of Thief of Time, and says, "These are the only passages I've noticed as
I don't usually read American editions, but there must be more waiting
to be found. If you do discover any, please let me know." So if you have
ever come across differences between the UK and USA or Australian
(or...?) versions of a Discworld novel, send them along! For the record,
you Editor did find differences between the Irish/UK and Australian
versions of ToT, and will be trawling through galley proofs looking for
others.
To read the request with examples, go to:
http://colinsmythe.co.uk/miscellaneous-notes/ (second item on the page).
*
It looks like the long-awaited Troll Bridge film is finally in its
ready-to-go form. Not before time! See item 3.
*
Last but far from least, a relevant bit of news. The owner of a small
independent bookshop in Yorkshire, having had a "worst day ever" for
custom, tweeted an appeal to the general public – "if anyone was
thinking about buying a book now would be a great time! Things have been
tough recently - today the worst day ever. A card, a book, anything
makes a huge difference to a small business like ours. We'd be very
grateful for your support" – and was inundated with replies,
encouragement, retweets... and most importantly, a bumper crop of orders
(_https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-44640121_).
And given that Georgia Duffy's bookshop is called ImaginedThings , your
Editor imagines that there are probably some Pratchett titles available
for purchase (and Gaiman, and Baxter, et cetera)... and most importantly
of all, let's never forget that it was bricks and mortar bookshops,
including small ones, that gave our favourite author the success he so
richly deserved. So the next time you want to buy a book and are tempted
to patronise an internet-only, neighbourhood-destroying retail giant,
please think at least twice about taking the time to visit and support
your local bookshop instead.
And now, on with the show..
– Annie Mac, Editor
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
03) ODDS AND SODS
3.0 REMINDER: DISCWORLD AND BEYOND!
Paul Kidby's Discworld and Beyond exhibition is still on at the Bucks
Museum in Aylesbury through the 30th of this month (this Saturday, in
other words), after which it will move to the Maidstone Museum – opening
on 7th July and running though to 2nd September, with tickets priced at
£4 for adults, £2 for children and £10 per family ticket.
Currently...
When: now through 30th June 2018
Venue: Bucks County Museum, 9 Church Street, Aylesbury, Bucks HP20 2QP
Times: Tuesdays–Saturdays, 10am – 5pm.
Tickets: the charge for admission is £4 for adults (under-18s by donation)
http://www.buckscountymuseum.org/museum/events/536/paul-kidby-discworld-and-beyond-the-art-of-terry-pratchett/
Next month...
When: 7th July–2nd September 2018
Venue: the Maidstone Museum, St. Faith's Street, Maidstone, Kent ME14 1LH
Time: Tuesday–Saturday 10am–5pm, Sunday 12pm–4pm
Tickets: £4 for adults, £2 for children and £10 per family ticket,
available online at
https://museum.maidstone.gov.uk/whats-on/events/paul-kidby-discworld-beyond/
https://museum.maidstone.gov.uk/
3.1 TERRY PRATCHETT: HISWORLD WINS AWARD!
The wildly successful Terry Pratchett: HisWorld exhibit at the Salisbury
Museum has won an award much coveted in the museum sector. From Spire FM:
"An exhibition at Salisbury Museum honouring the life and work of South
Wiltshire author Sir Terry Pratchett has been given a national award.
The HisWorld displays at the Cathedral Close museum ran from September
2017 to January 2018, attracting more than 21,000 people from all over
the world. Now, it's been crowned the best Temporary or Touring
Exhibition in the UK at the Museums + Heritage Awards. The Salisbury
exhibition won against some stiff competition too – including from the
Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the
National Museums in Liverpool. The judges have explained why they picked
Salisbury's tribute to a local writing legend: 'The judges were
impressed by the immediacy of this exhibition, which demonstrated great
emotional connection as well as positive collaboration with the family
and which resulted in a marked change in visitor demographics and
brilliant trading results.'..."
https://www.spirefm.co.uk/news/local-news/2582381/award-win-for-salisburys-terry-pratchett-exhibition/
The official Museums and Heritage Twitter account tweeted:
Winner Temporary or Touring category is @Salisburymuseum for Terry
Pratchett: His World “an exhibition which demonstrated great emotional
connection and which resulted in a marked change in visitor
demographics” #MandHAwards
Paul Kidby tweeted:
"Thrilled that #HisWorld @SalisburyMuseum won best Temporary or Touring
Exhibition at Museums + Heritage Awards They described it “an exhibition
which demonstrated great emotional connection which resulted in a marked
change in visitor demographics”. Bravo and thanks to all."
Stephen Briggs tweeted:
I gather from a friend in the museum business that it was up against
some tough competition (Science Museum, National Trust, V&A etc) so
particularly well done to them!!!
Richard Henry, who curated the exhibit, tweeted:
Privileged to have been part of @terryandrob #HisWorld @SalisburyMuseum.
Thank you to everyone who was involved
Sophia Sample (visitor services at the Salisbury Museum) tweeted:
What a night! Can't we won best temporary exhibition for at #MandHAward.
A massive congratulations to @richardhenryflo and a nod above to
@terryandrob. And a huge thank you to all that came to @SalisburyMuseum
to share this experience. We enjoyed meeting every single one of you!
...and the last word goes to the official Pratchett Twitter account,
@terryandrob:
Thank you @MandHShow awards Thank you @SalisburyMuseum Thank you
@PaulKidby Thank you @rhipratchett Thank you @Kismet_Photos Thank you
@Discworld_com Thank you @richardhenryflo Thank you to all the fabulous
volunteers. And thank you to everyone who visited #HisWorld.
https://twitter.com/SalisburyMuseum
3.2 NEW UNSEEN ACADEMICALS AUDIOBOOK!
For audiobook fans, some exciting news – a new audiobook of Unseen
Academicals, read by an all-star cast, will be released next week (2nd
July):
"This Audible Original multicast dramatisation is directed by the multi
award-winning Dirk Maggs, best known for his adaptations of Douglas
Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere for
the BBC. Starring: Tom Alexander, Samantha Béart, Pippa Bennett-Warner,
Mark Benton, Stephen Briggs, Stephen Critchlow, Jon Culshaw, Phil Davis,
Ray Fearon, Tony Gardner, Edward Harrison, David Holt, Mathew Horne,
David Jason, Josie Lawrence, Toby Longworth, Harry Myers, Maggie
Service, Andrew Spooner, Steven Webb, Keith Wickham and Jaime Winstone."
https://bit.ly/2ttjfqz
3.3 GAME FOR A MOD!
We know Sir Pterry was a fan of Hex games and even participated in the
creation of Discworld ones, but did you know he participated in the
creative process of some non-Discworld games as well? By Ian Boudreau on
PC GamesN:
"The late Terry Pratchett is perhaps best known as the beloved and
prolific author of the Discworld novels, but it turns out he spent some
time in another fantasy universe, too. Pratchett was an enthusiastic
Elder Scrolls fan, and even contributed writing to mods for Oblivion and
Skyrim... 'What is so magnificent, and this warms my soul, is the
concept of games modding,' he said. Pratchett was much less interested
in following Oblivion's story than in finding mods that made the world
more immersive, and the amount of detail and time modders sunk into
their work continuously impressed him. Pratchett enjoyed making cheese
and boots and running a little vineyard, complete with seven employees
who his character would pay at the end of each in-game week. I just
enjoy the fact in this world that is rather controlled by commerce,
there is this inner world of people giving up their time and effort to
perfect some little detail about a computer game for the delectation of
others,' he said.
The full interview is available both in audio and text transcript at (_
http://theauthorhour.com/terry-pratchett/extras.php?autoplay=y_)
https://www.pcgamesn.com/terry-pratchett-oblivion-mods
...and by Aimee Hart for Game Revolution:
"Not only was Pratchett an avid fan of the two games, but he also wrote
mods for them too. This discovery was found out by David Oneacre, an
animator based in Boston. Oneacre noticed a transcript of cut content
from an interview Pratchett gave on The Author Hour radio program back
in 2009, where he was then asked by the host what his favorite video
game was. His answer was Oblivion. However, while the vanilla game was
beautiful and inspiring by itself, Pratchett found himself drawn to
something else entirely... There's one thing to play the mods that
people have created, but contributing to a mod yourself with your own
writing is entirely something else. Pratchett found time to write over
100 lines for a companion mod in Oblivion for a character named Vilja, a
Nord alchemist. What's more, Pratchett even wrote a version for Skyrim,
where Vilja's great-great-granddaughter is the companion..."
http://www.gamerevolution.com/news/391475-terry-pratchett-was-a-modder-for-oblivion-and-skyrim
3.4 AT LONG LAST, TROLL BRIDGE!
At long last, Troll Bridge! With fewer than 1,000 elephants! But yes,
there is now a complete trailer, and the – we're told – completed film
has been submitted for consideration to several independent film festivals.
Here be trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJIaTBB72CM
Here be a word from Snowgum Films: "TROLL BRIDGE exists because an awful
lot of people around the world though it should. Special thanks to The
Pratchett Estate, Discworld.com, The Foundry, Shotgun Software,
GarageFarm.NET Render Farm, Golaem, our 400+ volunteer pool, and over
2,000 backers. Every frame pressed with love – this is your production."
There is also a read-worthy musing about the Discworld series in general
and Troll Bridge in particular, here:
https://popcultureuncovered.com/2018/05/25/troll-bridge-sweeter-than-fresh-mined-treacle/
3.5 AN EGGY BIT OF CLOWNWORLD, ER, ROUNDWORLD
We've covered this one before, but it never gets old! Special thanks to
Mrs Cake of Bugarup University for sending this. By Jennifer Nalewicki
for Smithsonian:
"Debbie Smith has her work cut out for her. Since 2010 she has been the
artist responsible for recording the likeness of every clown registered
with Clowns International, the oldest established organization for
clowns in the United Kingdom. It's a seemingly straight-forward
task—that is, until you discover what she uses as a canvas: eggs. She
has tradition to thank for using such a tiny—and fragile—canvas. The
late Stan Bult, founder of the International Circus Clowns Club (now
Clowns International), began the practice in the 1940s. Though not a
clown himself, Bult was a clown enthusiast, and would capture the
appearances of various clowns by painting them onto hollowed-out eggs as
a way to copyright their facial features, ensuring that no two clowns
looked the same. Eventually the collection grew into what is now the
Clown Egg Registry, a compendium of hundreds of eggs housed inside the
London Clowns' Gallery-Museum in the UK. Over time, future egg artists
transitioned to using ceramic eggs rather than real ones, since they're
less prone to breakage, but beyond that the technique remains largely
the same, with artists recreating everything from a clown's bulbous red
nose to his or her polka-dot tie to the most minute details that set one
clown apart from the rest... It's not uncommon for Smith, a clown
herself (aka Jolly Dizzy the Clown) to spend up to three days painting a
portrait, often working on several in tandem, painting the clowns either
in person or from a photograph. She'll also create duplicates of eggs,
one for the clown to keep as a memento and one for the museum..."
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/gallery-london-houses-dozens-clown-egg-portraits-180968914/
[Note: the London Clown's Gallery-Museum is open on the first Friday of
the month from noon to 5 p.m. – Ed.]
3.6 MORE THREATS TO ORANGUTANS
Having spent some time today watching the beautiful and clever orangutan
family at Melbourne Zoo, this news makes me angrier than ever:
"Borneo is one of the most bio-diverse places on the planet and has some
of the world's oldest forests. In Ketapang, in West Kalimantan province,
the light dances through the thick canopy. It's hard to see more than a
few metres through the tangle of vines and branches. But from the air, a
canal 9km long can be seen cutting a scar into the thick green carpet of
the forest. It's the first part of a project by the Indonesian company
PT Mohairson Pawan Khatulistiwa (MPK), which wants to develop the land
as a logging plantation... An environmental assessment report was
commissioned to secure the licence, but it made no mention of orangutans
nor of the other animals in the area. Yet, between 800 and 1,000
critically endangered orangutans call this forest their home, according
to a 2017 survey conducted by the state Natural Resources Conservation
Centre (BKSDA) in partnership with international environmental groups.
That makes it the largest orangutan population living outside of a
protected area in Indonesia, said the report. If the logging goes ahead,
they will lose their home. International Animal Rescue (IAR) Indonesia
runs a nearby rescue and rehabilitation centre, taking in homeless and
orphaned orangutans. 'There is no way we can rescue over 1,000
orangutans,' says the IAR's national head, Karmele Llano Sanchez. 'So we
are going to lose one of the most important orangutan populations we
have left. With populations rapidly declining, every orangutan counts.'..."
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-44380704
3.7 NEW DISCWORLD IMAGINARIUM CALENDAR!
For those of us who would love to own Paul Kidby's amazing Discworld
Imaginarium book but find it a bit out of our price range, here's just
the thing – a 2019 calendar featuring some of the Imaginarium art:
"Get organised and add some Pratchett magic to your duties and
appointments with the official Discworld Calendar 2019! Features some of
the most iconic illustrations from Terry Pratchett's Discworld by cover
artist Paul Kidby as featured in the incredible Discworld Imaginarium!"
The 2019 Discworld Calendar is priced at an affordable £14.99 and will
be published on 23rd August. For more information, and to pre-order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/diaries-calendars/468-discworld-collector-s-edition-calendar-2019
3.8 ...AND UBERWALD STAMPS!
The Discworld Emporium's version of Teemer and Spools has been busy:
"A limited edition sheet of stamps from the Uberwald Post Office created
in celebration of the Uberwald League of Temperance in recognition of
its noble quest to spare the necks of Discworld's humble citizens –
AVAILABLE WHILE STOCKS LAST!"
The collection includes the Uberwald 60 Bizot Coffin limited edition
sheet (priced at £15 each), the Uberwald 30 Bizot stamp ("An enchanting
issue from the Uberwald Post Office featuring Dontgonearthe Castle,
ancient seat of the De Magpyr vampire dynasty, and home to Igor and his
carefully curated cobwebs, creaking doors and dust!", 45p each), and the
Pain in ze Neck Little Brown Envelope ("A limited edition lucky-dip
assortment of Discworld Stamps inspired by Dave's Pin & Stamp Exchange!
This latest 'Little Brown Envelope' introduces new issues from the
mysterious mountainous region of Uberwald - home to vampires,
werewolves, Igors dwarfs, trolls and centaurs!", £5 each).
For more information, and to order, go to https://www.discworldemporium.com/
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04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS
Editor's note: as Wossname normally only comes out once every month, do
check the Wossname blog for information on plays that might fall between
issue dates! Go to https://wossname.dreamwidth.org/ to see interim updates.
4.1 PLAYS IN JUNE, JULY AND AUGUST
* GUARDS! GUARDS! IN SUNBURY (JUNE)
The Riverside Players are staging their production of Guards!Guards!
right now!
When: tonight (29th) and 30th June
Venue: Riverside Arts Centre, Sunbury, TW16 5QF UK
Time: 7.30pm all evening shows, plus a 2.30pm matinee on the 30th
Tickets: £12, available online at
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/FHGHKJ (£1.50 booking fee applies)
https://www.manorplayers.org/
* WYRD SISTERS IN SHEFFIELD (JULY)
The Company's production of Wyrd Sisters, already staged earlier this
month, has a return date scheduled for July: "Adapted by Stephen Briggs
(who assures us the cast should still be able to be in the pub by 10
o'clock) and presented by The Company, a group of players who don't so
much stroll but saunter vaguely pubwards."
When: 11th July 2018
Venue: The University Drama Studio, Shearwood Road, Sheffield S10 2TD
on 13th–16th June, and outdoors on Dore Village Green on 11th July
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £8.50 (concessions £5.5), available online at
https://www.thecompanysheffield.co.uk/boxoffice/ or £9 (concessions £6)
on the door.
https://www.thecompanysheffield.co.uk/productions/wyrdsisters/
https://www.thecompanysheffield.co.uk/aboutus/howtofind.php
* WYRD SISTERS IN SWANSEA (JULY)
The Pontlliw Players will present their production of Wyrd Sisters in July
When: 26th–28th July 2018
Venue: Pontlliw Village Hall, Carmel Rd, Pontlliw, Swansea SA4 9EX
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £7, available from the Box Office by phoning 01792 897833 or
07986 135341, or by emailing tickets at pvh_online.org.uk
http://www.pvh-online.org.uk/
* LORDS AND LADIES IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE (JULY)
Beaconsfield Theatre Group and The Young Theatre will co-present Irana
Brown's adaptation of Lords and Ladies in July: "With a cast of
larger-than-life wizards, witches, yokels, rude mechanicals, elves,
trolls, a dwarf, orangutan (not a monkey!) and Oberonesque King of the
Fairies; With a Royal Wedding, live band and quirky folk songs and an
exciting talent-filled collaboration between Beaconsfield Theatre Group
and The Young Theatre – this show promises to be a visual summer feast
of funny and fun Discworldian entertainment not to be missed!"
When: 26th–29th July 2018
Venue: Davenies School, Station Road, Beaconsfield, Bucks HP9 1AA
(open-air production!)
Time: 7.30pm (26th– 27th); two matinee performances at noon and 4pm on
the 28th; one matinee, 2pm on the 29th
Tickets: "Ye olde Box Office opens soon" (phone 07572 657535)
All profits from the production will go to The Alzheimer's Society and
Young Minds.
https://btg-theatre.org/lords–ladies.html
* TAMAHER IN MICHIGAN (JULY)
The Young Artisan Workshop Children's Theatre will be staging their
production of The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents, directed by
Sadonna Croff, at the Riverwalk Theatre in late July!
When: 26th–29th July 2018
Venue: Riverwalk Theatre, 228 Museum Dr, Lansing, Michigan 48933 (phone
517-482-5700)
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: TBA on http://www.riverwalktheatre.com/box-office.html
"Tickets purchased on-line can be picked up at the Riverwalk Theatre
office during regular office hours, (Tues - Fri, 10 am - 5:30 pm) or 1/2
hour before the show at the box office window. We do not mail tickets
unless requested. 'SENIORS' are age 55+. Students are High School and
younger or College with ID. Children are 12 and under. When we receive
your sale via PayPal/e-mail, we will assign the best available seats and
send you an e-mail confirmation with the seat assignments. We charge a
SERVICE FEE of $2.00 per ticket on all Credit Card Sales in-house.
($2.00 per ticket online as well)"
http://www.riverwalktheatre.com/
* THE TRUTH IN CARDIFF (AUGUST)
Peculiar Productions' first Discworld play will be The Truth, directed
by Ellen Warren! "Peculiar Productions is a Cardiff-based multimedia
production company. We aim to produce two large shows or projects a
year, and we try to make one of those an adaptation of a work by beloved
British fantasy-comedy author Sir Terry Pratchett. All our members are
volunteers, and the proceeds of these large projects are donated to a
chosen charity, which we announce alongside each production or project."
When: 22nd–25th August 2018,
Venue: The Gate Arts Centre, Keppoch Street, Roath, Cardiff CF24 3JW
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £9 (£7 concessions; £1.25 processing fee applies if paying
online or via Paypal), already available online at
https://peculiarproductions.co.uk/tickets/ or by cheque or bank transfer
via email: info at peculiarproductions.co.uk. If using Paypal
(_https://www.paypal.com/uk/signin_), payment should be made to
info at peculiarproductions.co.uk – and "please ensure that you tell us
which performance you are booking for by adding a note." Credit card and
Paypal payments can also be made to http://peculiar_productions.fikket.com/
Proceeds from this production go to Cardiff Mind. If you're interested
in helping out on stage or behind the arras, or would just like to know
more about the Peculiar Productions team, go to
https://peculiarproductions.co.uk/about/
4.2 PLAYS LATER IN 2018
* MEN AT ARMS IN BRISBANE, FOURECKS (OCTOBER/NOVEMBER)
It will be a bit of a wait, but the Brisbane Arts Centre's next
Discworld production – Men at Arms – is already looking good! All props
to Fourecks for keeping the Disc alive on stage: "Men at Arms is the
15th novel in Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld series, a comic fantasy
universe with over 80 million books sold worldwide. Aficionados and
newcomers to the Disc will love this adaptation, brought to life by the
expertise of our Pratchett team."
When: 6th October through 3rd November 2018
Venue: Brisbane Arts Centre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Petrie Terrace (yes,
the suburb and the road share a name), Brisbane, Queensland 4000
Time: 7.30pm Thursdays, 8pm Fridays and Saturdays, 6.30pm Sundays.
"Doors close 5 minutes prior to performance. Late entry is not permitted."
Tickets: AU$34 ($28 concession or groups of 10 or more), available now
online at http://bit.ly/2zHKO5a – and there will be Student Rush tickets
priced at $15, available from the box office 15 minutes prior to curtain
on the dates
https://www.artstheatre.com.au/menatarms
* HOGFATHER IN ABINGDON (NOVEMBER)
The Studio Theatre Club's next Discworld production will be Hogfather! –
or as they say it, "another of our world Premiere Terry Pratchett shows,
dramatised by Terry's friend, Stephen Briggs". This is a change from the
previously announced staging of The Science of Discworld: Judgement Day.
When: 14th–17th November 2018
Venue: the Unicorn Theatre, Medieval Abbey Buildings, Checker Walk,
Abingdon,, Oxon OX14 3JB
Time: TBA
Tickets: on sale from 1st August, details to follow
[And now, already, rehearsals have started! – Ed.]
http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/beyond-quality-street
* GOING POSTAL IN BRISTOL (DECEMBER)
The Kelvin Players will be staging Going Postal in December 2018. Keep
an eye on their website: "Moist von Lipwig was a con artist, a fraud and
a man faced with a life choice: be hanged, or put Ankh-Morpork's ailing
postal service back on its feet. It was a tough decision. With the help
of a golem who has been at the bottom of hole in the ground for over two
hundred years, a pin fanatic and Junior Postman Groat, he's got to see
that the mail gets through. In taking on the evil chairman of the Grand
Trunk Semaphore Company, and a midnight killer, he's also got to stay
alive. Getting a date with Adora Bell Dearheart would be nice, too. In
the mad world of the mail, can a criminal succeed where honest men have
failed and died? Perhaps there's a shot at redemption for man who's
prepared to push the envelope..."
When: 5th–8th and 12th–15th December 2018
Venue: Kelvin Studios, 253B Gloucester Road, Bishopston, Bristol BS7 8NY
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: TBA
http://www.kelvinplayers.co.uk/coming-soon
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
05) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS
The Sir Terry Pratchett Book Club at Waterstones Leeds meets on the
first Tuesday of each month at 6pm in the Cafe W coffee shop (in
Waterstones), to discuss a Pratchett book. "Everyone is welcome, even if
you have not read the book. There is no need to register – just come
along. For details on which book we are reading this month check out our
events listing on waterstones.com
(_https://www.waterstones.com/events/search/shop/leeds-93_)."
The next meeting of the Sir Terry Pratchett Book Club will be on Tuesday
10th July from 6pm to 6.45pm at Waterstones, 93-97 Albion Street, Leeds
LS1 5JS. (phone 0113 244 4588). "This month we're discussing Witches
Abroad, one of the funniest Discworld books."
https://www.waterstones.com/events/sir-terry-pratchett-book-club/leeds-50095
https://www.waterstones.com/events/search/shop/leeds-93/category/6
*
The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld
Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), will be meeting next from 7pm on
Monday 2nd July 2018 at the Monkey Puzzle, 30 Southwick Street, London,
W2 1JQ. "We welcome anyone and everyone who enjoys Sir Terry's works, or
quite likes them or wants to find out more. We have had many visitors
from overseas who have enjoyed themselves and made new friends. The
discussions do not only concern the works of Sir Terry Pratchett but
wander and meander through other genres and authors and also leaping to
TV and Film production. We also find time for a quiz."
For more information, email BrokenDrummers at gmail.com or
nicholls.helen at yahoo.co.uk or join their Facebook group (if you must) at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/55107511411/permalink/10156634038566412/
*
Canberra, Australia's Discworld fan group is Drumknott's Irregulars:
"The group is open to all, people from interstate and overseas are
welcome, and our events will not be heavily themed. Come along to dinner
for a chat and good company. We welcome people from all fandoms (and
none) and we would love to see you at one of our events, even if you're
just passing through. Please contact us via Facebook
(_https://www.facebook.com/groups/824987924250161/_) or Google Groups
(_https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars_) or
join us at our next event."
*
For Facebook users in Fourecks: The Victorian Discworld Klatch is "a
social group for fans of Discworld and Terry Pratchett... run by a
dedicated team who meet monthly and organise events monthly." "If you'd
like to join our events please ask to join the Klatch."
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch
*
"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)" is a public Facebook
meeting group: "This group, by request of Jo in Bear will continue to be
used for future unofficial (not run by the Emporium) fan Gatherings in
Wincanton. Look here for information."
https://www.facebook.com/groups/373578522834654/
*
The Pratchett Partisans are a fan group who meet monthly at either
Brisbane or Indooroopilly to "eat, drink and chat about all things
Pratchett. We hold events such as Discworld dinners, games afternoons,
Discworld photo scavenger hunts. We also attend opening night at
Brisbane Arts Theatre's Discworld plays." The Partisans currently have
about 200 members who meet at least twice a month, usually in Brisbane.
For more info about their next meetup, join up at
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ or contact Ula
directly at uwilmott 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 the Caledonian, 219 O'Connell St North Adelaide. We have dinner
at 6.30pm followed by games until 9pm. The games are usually shorter
games like Pairs, Sushi Go, or Tiny Epic Defenders, with the occasional
Werewolf session, as these are the best sort of games that work in a pub
setting. Every few months, we have a full day's worth of board games at
La Scala Cafe, 169 Unley Rd, Unley in the function room starting at
10am. In addition, we will occasionally have other events to go and see
plays by Unseen Theatre Company, book discussions, craft, chain maille
or costuming workshops or other fun social activities."
The next CoSG events will be a Board Games Day at La Scala Cafe on
Sunday 15th July, the Monthly Dinner on Thursday 26th July (location
TBA), and a discussion of TAMAHER on Saturday 28th July at Kappy's
Coffee and Tea, 1/22 Compton Street,[Adelaide (_http://kappys.com.au/_).
The CoSG also have another identity. Here's the skinny:
Round World Events SA Inc is a not-for-profit incorporated association
whose aim is to run fun social Pratchett-themed events for people in
South Australia. Our first major event was the Unseen University
Convivium held in July 2012. We have also run three successful and
booked out Science Fiction and Fantasy themed quiz nights named Quiz
Long And Prosper, in 2013, 2014 and 2015! The association will run some
events under the City of Small Gods banner, but you do not have to be a
Round World Events SA member to be part of City of Small Gods. However,
we are always on the look out for new members for Round World Events SA
to help us organise future events! Membership is $20 a year (for
Adelaide locals) or $5 a year (for those not quite so close) and has the
following benefits:
A shiny membership certificate all of your very own
Discounted entry price to some of the events we run
A warm, fuzzy feeling deep down in your chest (no, not quite that deep)
For more information, or to join as a member, please email
RoundWorldEventsSA at gmail.com
www.cityofsmallgods.org.au
*
The Broken Vectis Drummers meet next on Thursday 5th July 2018
(probably) from 7.30pm at The Castle pub in Newport, Isle of Wight. For
more info and any queries, contact broken_vectis_drummers at yahoo.co.uk
*
The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) next meets on Friday 6th
July 2018 (possibly) at Wincanton's famous Bear Inn from 7pm onwards.
"Visitors and drop-ins are always welcome!"
*
The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of
Flatalists, a Pratchett fangroup, has been meeting on a regular basis
since 2005. The Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in
Victoria Street, Skipton, North Yorkshire, to discuss "all things
Pratchett" as well as having quizzes and raffles. Details of future
meetings are posted on the Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum:
http://www.discworldstamps.co.uk/forum/
*
Sydney Drummers (formerly Drummers Downunder) meet next on Monday 2nd
July 2018 (possibly) at 6.30pm 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, meet
next on Monday 2nd July 2018 (possibly) 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>
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
06) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE
This month sees some new Pratchett bloggers and an interesting range of
topics...
Blogger There Could Be Badgers muses on narrativium (the element, not
the Roundworld company):
"Narrativium is the element that ensures the correct functioning of
narrative causality – that is, the hypothesis that events follow a
certain course because that's what the story requires. This is, of
course, not at all true of the universe in which humanity has evolved
but, with some notable exceptions, it's certainly the universe most
human beings inhabit... as Pratchett et al remark, even the physical
laws we choose in order to explain our universe are determined by our
particular, human perspective. We cut the universe up into sequences of
discrete events, and generally impose 'beginnings' and 'endings' on
these sequences (indeed, there's a current of philosophical thought that
holds that events are nothing but beginnings, endings, and changes).
Even causation, that stalking horse of empirical observation, is
ambiguous: do we describe events as linked in causal chains because that
is the way the universe functions, or do we impose causal chains on the
universe because that is the way our narrative imperatives function?
Humans think in stories…"
https://therecouldbebadgers.wordpress.com/2018/06/16/on-the-fictional-reality-of-worlds/
Blogger Rain and Ink "fangirls" on her favourite writer:
"I'm not sure how I missed Pratchett at first. He is a writer that I
love reading. I started reading his books on a friend's recommendation
and since then I've ravenously, voraciously read as much of his work as
I can. The publication of his final book, completed by his assistant Rob
Wilkins due to Pratchett's demise, was bittersweet news – Pratchett's
books are gifts of joy to his readers, but knowing that this was the
final Pratchett was deeply saddening. I bought the book, and initially
fantasised about saving it for my last day – then, there'd always be one
more Pratchett to read. I eventually succumbed to curiosity and
temptation and read it anyway. Why Pratchett as the one writer, if
forced to limit myself, that I'd be happy to read for the rest of my
life? So many reasons – here are just a few of them:
"His books are diverse. He's known for writing comedic fantasy; but what
is less well known about his genre is that within the frame of comedic
fantasy he writes detective stories, adventure stories, romance,
political thrillers, supernatural plots – anything and everything. His
books are not fluff – he said himself that some readers/reviewers had
'accused' him of literature, and that is true. Often people get put off
by the idea of fantasy, assuming that fantasy books are meaningless,
nonsensical or not 'true literature' (whatever that means). This is not
true – and Pratchett is the perfect writer to prove this point. His
books will always make you think, they have more depth than a cursory
perusal of the plot summary would suggest. His books, as I said before,
are gifts of joy. There's something about reading a Pratchett that is
always uplifting. You're instilled with hope – you believe that things
can be better, that people can be better, that YOU can be better, that
the world can be better. His compassion, humanity and keen sense of
justice shine through..."
https://rainandink.wordpress.com/2018/06/14/fangirling-interlude-terry-pratchett/
Blogger Thoughtful Pigeon gets to grips with the Discworld Colouring
Book in a long and detailed post:
"This colouring book has images from various stories, along with
excerpts from the books themselves on a lot of the pages next to the
full page images and surrounded by their own art too so you have the
link to the Terry Pratchett works there too. It's been around for a
couple of years, it was first published in 2016, but somehow I've missed
it. I think it came out just after I'd bought a few too many colouring
books and was taking a break but it's in my collection now. I bought
this from the Discworld Emporium, though I've seen it on Amazon since,
and it cost £9.99. I don't know if there's any difference for those who
originally created the book where you get it from but I like the extra
Discworld touches from them so would recommend them anyway, you can see
what I mean in my haul post, they're very fast at delivery too. They
also have an artists version where you can pull out the artwork to
display it and these normally have thicker paper, I'm not sure if that's
the case here but it would definitely be easier if you plan on
displaying the pictures when you'd coloured them. It's worth knowing
that it does cost £5 more though so it's up to you which style you
prefer..."
https://thoughtfulpigeon.com/2018/06/13/book-review-terry-pratchetts-discworld-colouring-book-illustrated-by-paul-kidby/
Blogger This Sporadic Life meets Mort:
"This was not our first foray into the Discworld Universe, but it was
the first book either of us had directly interacted with. We've see the
Color of Magic movie several times and are already familiar with several
of the characters in the world. This story focuses on Mort, who begins
life as a bundle of elbows, completely inept in all that he does. As the
story progresses Mort becomes the apprentice to Death and begins to help
out in Deaths duty of culling souls into the next life... As the story
progresses Mort becomes more competent and is able to take over Death's
duties while Death takes a holiday. As he takes on these new duties he
becomes more real. The physical world effects him less because it's not
as real as he is. The idea of realness is a fascinating one to me. I've
only seen it once before, in my favorite fiction story, The Great
Divorce, by C.S. Lewis. In that story, their are Ghosts who are mere
shades of beings. Their realness is lacking, and the world they enter is
painful to them because of how real it is... I can't say for sure that
Terry Pratchett took this idea from Lewis, but I can say that it is the
same concept..."
https://thissporadiclife.wordpress.com/2018/06/08/review-mort/
Blogger Kibbin's Codex is a Death fan, but less enamoured of Mort itself:
"We're only four books in but I think it's safe to say that we already
have a clear winner for most popular Discworld character. Now perhaps
it's not one you might expect and I suspect it might not have been the
one who Sir Terry suspected when he first wrote about a terrible wizard
and hapless tourist. Yet he is already stepping out of the background
and into the leading role. Well maybe co-lead... Death isn't looking to
expand or anything but is just struggling to keep his mind on his work.
He knows all about how life ends and yet feels like he knows so little
about the subject itself. Work, hobbies and friends are all a mystery to
the Grim Reaper and so after showing Mort the ropes let him have at it
while he tries to wrap his head around things like alcohol and cats... I
must confess that there might be someone of a higher authority on this
book than me and that's Terry himself. He's gone on record as saying
that for him this is where the series really begins and I have to agree
but it's also the point where the jokes started serving the story rather
than the other way around and that's true too..."
https://kibbinscodex.wordpress.com/2018/05/31/what-us-mort/
Blogger Tegan Stevenson's review of Equal Rites:
"Taken at face value Equal Rites is an adventure fantasy story where a
young girl is fated to become a wizard despite the many, many obstacles
in her way. Eskarina, commonly referred to as Esk throughout the book,
is the eighth daughter of an eighth son but, as the blurb says, the
wizard Drum Billet didn't check whether or not she was a boy before he
passed his magic on to her. The title is pretty much a stroke of genius
as the story deals with issues of equality in a world where magic is
common and so is prejudice... Of course, I highly admire Terry
Pratchett's world-building abilities but, honestly, I wasn't sure how I
felt about Equal Rites after I finished it. There weren't as many
laugh-out-loud moments compared to The Light Fantastic but, I liked the
way it dealt with the sexism in education on the Discworld (let's be
honest, it's relatable) and there were concepts I loved such as the
difference between witch magic and wizard magic..."
https://teganstevensonwrites.wordpress.com/2018/05/30/equal-rites-by-terry-pratchett/
Blogger Little Lady Librarian gives four and a half out of five stars
to Maskerade:
"My good friend from grad school recommended this to me as my first
Discworld book based on both of our loves for The Phantom of the Opera.
And I have to say, this definitely does not disappoint. Pratchett takes
my most beloved tale and twists and turns it into ways I never thought
possible, but I extremely enjoyed. His characters felt real and
multi-faceted, and I'm sure they absolutely shine as they grow in the
various other Discworld books as well. While I'm sure there are
references to other Discworld books in this one (as it's the 18th in the
series), I found that I wasn't lacking in anything to understand what
was happening. In fact, it just made me want to read the rest of them
even more! I highly recommend this book to lovers of theatre and sci-fi,
which are certainly two genres I've rarely ever seen mixed together.
Trust me, it's so, so worth it..."
https://littleladylibrarian.wordpress.com/2018/05/28/maskerade-by-terry-pratchett/
Blogger A Paranoid Writer enjoys a return visit to his favourite
Discworld law enforcer:
"My sense of humor has been shaped and influenced by many, many things.
But I Love Lucy, Mel Brooks, various 80's and 90's comedies, and Terry
Pratchett are at the top of the list. Terry Pratchett's writing his
hilarious and effortless. The day that my writing gets to within
incoming-missile-from-space distance of that, I'll be thoroughly
delighted. I cannot convey my love for the Discworld through words. Nor
can I convey my desperate adoration and undying devotion to a certain
Samuel Vimes–captain of the Ankh-Morpork Night Watch–one of Pratchett's
most famous characters, and one of the best, in my opinion. That's why I
started my impromptu reread with the City Watch novels. Sam Vimes is a
treasure to be savored again and again... I have to express some
concern, though. I heard tell that over there in the BBC, they're making
a City Watch TV show, based on the Discworld novels. Granted, if they
stuck to the material, that show would be golden. However! I cannot
imagine any actor, English or otherwise, having the chops to capture and
adequately portray the man that is Samuel Vimes. It's unfathomable. I
know I'll have a difficult time accepting him, whoever he is. I hope
they just get an actor completely unheard of so I won't have any
previous impressions of him. Otherwise, I'm afraid that I will go postal
… with or without precision..."
https://aparanoidwriter.wordpress.com/2018/05/28/discworld-reread/
Blogger acallidryas' dichotomous review of Sourcery:
"...while I don't mind some of Pratchett's more preferred phrases being
gone, I do miss some of the stories of the stranger religions and myths
that are always provided as side bar in the novels. When you're as
prolific as Pratchett, you're bound to have a miss or two, and
unfortunately, that was Sourcery. The book isn't as fleshed out as the
others, and not just in terms of the missing call-backs to how Discworld
works. I didn't quite understand why the wizards were all fighting each
other, and I'm still not clear on how sorcery becomes such a problem. Or
why Coin's father became so malevolent. Or how the whole thing resolved
in the end? The book flowed on quickly, and never seemed to explain
itself, and I'm left rather unsatisfied with the plot itself. When I was
almost to the end, I was still waiting to see when the book was going to
really get started and explain itself. Which isn't to say it's not a fun
read. It is Pratchett, after all, who has barbarian maidens who dream of
being hairdressers but are constantly compelled by their genetic calling
to conduct feats of heroics instead. And the wonderful orangutan
librarian, one of the great heroes of the books. The creative
descriptions of the Disc and the characters keep the book moving. And
Pratchett's humorous, light writing, and delightful descriptions are
always fun. Each paragraph is great to read on its own. They just never
seemed to come together to make one story for this one..."
https://acallidryas.wordpress.com/2018/05/21/sourcery/
Blogger crazykiddingme's paean to the entire Discworld series:
"I have finished all 41 Discoworld[sic] novels by Terry Pratchett. It
was a three-year trek that took me from Ankh Morpork, around the great
turtle A'Tuin, to the peak of Cori Celesti, into the Dungeon Dimensions,
through the Agatean Empire and even dropped me into the valley of
Djelibeybi. I learned a lot and I will miss this world. But, like the
man says, all good things come to an end... I remember checking out
Night Watch in a bookstore when it came out and thinking about getting
into it. Then I realized that it was part of an anthology of novels that
all take place in the same universe and decided, if I was going to do
this, then I was going to start at the beginning and work my way to the
end. But it would be an undertaking and a half... I should remind you
that I am not a particularly intelligent or insightful person. Nor do I
have any experience whatsoever in literary analysis beyond some
undergrad courses that I took at McGill University. But since I
essentially binge read Pratchett novels, I imagine I saw a real
development not so much in how he wrote, but in the level of distinction
between the Discworld and our own Roundworld..."
https://crazykiddingme.wordpress.com/2018/05/20/my-journey-through-discworld/
Blogger Lunar Luci wibbles happily about Feet of Clay:
"Vimes is being his usual self, as lovable as can be. He and Vetinari
are utmost interesting together, and I looked forward to their
conversations more and more throughout the book. He's got a difficult
time, with three murders and no obvious clues. Of course, there are some
clues, but they don't make sense, and mostly consist of a bit of white
clay. Carrot, as always being an interesting character, is fun to read
about, with Angua added as well. As a werewolf, she has a different life
than most people in Ankh-Morpork (although there are enough other, even
stranger creatures out there), but she makes up for it by helping to
investigate the crimes in the way only she can. Cheery Littlebottom is
the newest addition to the Watch, and as difficult it may be to tell,
she is in fact a female dwarf. she runs the forensics in the Watch and
comes up with quite some ideas, most of them dismissed just as easily by
others. However, she stands strong and proves herself useful still...
When, eventually, it gets revealed who's done it, to me it was mostly a
'oh but of course' moment. I loved how it was absolutely not hidden at
all, but somehow, not anything you'd think of while reading it..."
https://lunarluci.wordpress.com/2018/05/20/book-review-feet-of-clay/
Blogger and bookseller Nicole Van Den Eng thinks about the legacy of
Pratchett:
"Terry Pratchett is an author who always sold in my bookstore. Readers
loved him. The covers of his work feature goofy characters with
exaggerated expressions... shortly after his death Neil Gaiman released
an article that quoted someone describing Pratchett as 'a jolly old
elf.' Gaiman went on to say, 'No. No, he wasn't.' Apparently, Terry
Pratchett was a relatively angry guy. That was baffling to me, how could
an author write such frivolous things without being the frivolous type?
... Rincewind, the main character [in tCoM], is a pessimist who failed
magic school and goes about his life entirely paranoid. He gets roped
into a vacation gone awry by a piece of sentient furniture and
grudgingly gets pulled into disaster after disaster, even though all he
wants is to go home. The humor is in the ludicrous situations and how
they get fixed (such as poking a monster in the eye rather than actually
defeating him.) I had fun reading The Color of Magic but I considered
the article by Gaiman the whole way through. There wasn't anything in
the book that betrayed a possibly less-than-happy author. It's hard to
see a comedian being anything other than funny... Envisioning Pratchett
separate from his work tells us he was more serious than he seemed. But
Pratchett's work tells us things often aren't as serious as they seem.
Perhaps what he wanted was to take serious things, and take the tragedy
out of them..."
https://conquerbooks.com/2018/05/17/terry-pratchetts-discworld-legacy/
...and finally, blogger Kathy invites us to join in a "Discworld
Read-a-thon":
"Last Wednesday in my 'Books On My TBR I'm Most Intimidated By' post, I
expressed my reluctance at reading through Terry Pratchett's Discworld
series–because 41 books is rather daunting, no matter how short or light
they are–and the lovely Nicole from The Bookworm Drinketh suggested that
we set up a readathon and gather other bloggers who might also be
interested. And since I'm terrible with solo commitments, that sounded
like the PERFECT thing. So here's how this is going to work:
"– We will read through one book per month, and every last Monday of
each month we will all post our reviews/thoughts/rants on that book.
We'll also include the blog links of all the other participants so that
we can all share and comment.
"– At the start of each month, Nicole and I will make a post introducing
the book we'll be reading that month and do a headcount of everyone
who's interested (Nicole will contact you afterwards and give you the
master list of all the participants). You're in no way required to join
in for every month, but if you do sign up, we ask that you commit to it
or let us know immediately if you change your mind. We will start on
July with THE COLOUR OF MAGIC, and the review post date will be July
23rd. "
https://pagesbelowvaultedsky.wordpress.com/2018/06/08/join-our-discworld-read-a-thon/
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
07) ROUNDWORLD TALES: THE REAL RAT KINGS
One Lucas Reilly has compiled an exhaustive history of rat kings,
including the possible origins of the term and a long list of rat king
sightings documented from the late 16th century to the present:
"If real, how do rat kings occur? Some theories are more crackpot than
others: In the 17th and 18th centuries, naturalists suggested the tails
had been woven during birth, glued by the afterbirth. Others suggested
that healthy rats deliberately tangled the tails of weaker rodents to
make a nest. Both theories are unlikely. The most plausible explanation
is that black rats – which have long, supple tails and reside in close
quarters during winter – may come in contact with a sticky or frozen
substance such as sebum (secreted from the critters' skin), sap, food,
feces, frozen urine, or frozen blood. The bonding agent may solidify as
the animals slumber. Once the rodents realize their tails are glued,
they might create a tighter knot as they attempt to wriggle free. This
explanation has a ring of truth: Most rat kings were discovered during
the winter or a frosty shoulder season, and they're usually found in a
tight shelter..."
http://mentalfloss.com/article/506504/almost-comprehensive-history-rat-kings
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH
The award won by the Terry Pratchett: HisWorld exhibit at Salisbury Museum:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DdXKz0jX0AABRZa.jpg
Paul Kidby touches up the Shed of Doom sign for the Chalke Valley
History Festival:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DeJJRCmWkAANA5u.jpg
...and here is the Shed of Doom in all its magnificence, as posted by Mr
Kidby on Twitter:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DgEk8DkX4AAbtOg.jpg
...and here is the Shed. Inna field. By a tent. Which happens to contain
a reconstruction of Sir Pterry's office, for the Chalke Valley History
Fest (as posted on Twitter by @CVHISTORYFEST):
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DgSJFIQWAAAVSmB.jpg
Neil Gaiman gets to grips with Aziraphale's flaming sword:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DdQ4SaZUwAACKfZ.jpg
...and the Good Omens crew film an amusing scene number:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DdQ4A-jVAAEQQFn.jpg
...and it seems all sorts of historical characters are sneaking in to
Good Omens. Here be Reece Shearsmith as that Bard feller:
https://twitter.com/GoodOmensAmazon/status/1009165213550034945
...while Stephen Briggs gets to grips with his script for Studio
Theatre's November production of Hogfather:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DdY5WvWW0AAYqAK.jpg
..and speaking of Mr Briggs, here is an iconograph of a fateful meeting
back in 1991, as posted by him on Twitter:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DddHCDgW0AAYoWV.jpg
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
09) CLOSE
Newshound Cas found an amusing Pratchett tale on Twitter: "My daughter
has just discoverered the joy of reading Terry Pratchett. She is now
working her way through our collection. What odd is that I don't recall
ever purposefully buying a signed copy for myself. She just opened Feet
of Clay... 'Look, this one is signed too!' Did the man sneak into
people's houses and sign them?"
https://twitter.com/Rosewind2007/status/1000647317689692160
Watch out, Horace, you've got competition: "A champion cheese-roller has
broken the all-time record for the most cheeses won in Gloucestershire's
death-defying races. Chris Anderson has now taken home a total of 22
double Gloucester cheeses in 14 years, after chasing the hefty 8lb
(3.6kg) cheeses down Cooper's Hill. The 30-year-old broke the record
held by Stephen Gyde after winning the first of this year's men's
downhill races. Mr Anderson said: 'I've got nothing to prove now, I'm
happy.'"
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-44279874
Did you know that "carcer" was a Latin word meaning "prison"? Well, now
you do...
Bernard (The Cunning Artificer) Pearson doesn't just run the
Ankh-Morpork Consulate and make wonderful things – he also writes. Here
be a long, rather interesting blog review of his new novel, Dovetail:
https://bookramblings288957187.wordpress.com/2018/06/12/dovetail-bernard-pearson/
Finally, for those of you who already have a GNU Terry Pratchett script
running on your blog/website/whatever, a Glorious 25th GNU script to add
for next May, with full how-to instructions. Note: Reg Shoe is included,
with "temp" in brackets:
https://clacksheader.wordpress.com/2018/05/25/lest-we-forget/
And that's it for June. Take care, try not to melt (or freeze, if you're
in Fourecks), and we'll see you next month!
– Annie Mac
This issue can be viewed on the clacks at
https://wossname.dreamwidth.org/64735.html
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