Wossname -- July 2018 -- main issue

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

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
July 2018 (Volume 21, Issue 7, 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

"Terry was more worried than I was about getting bricks through our 
windows, and was more surprised than I was when Gollancz let us know 
we'd been shortlisted for a religious fiction prize. (Didn't get it.)"
– Neil Gaiman, tweeting on the religion aspects of Good Omens

“I am a writer. I became a show runner out of self preservation.”
– Neil again, at San Diego Comic Con

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

It's a short(ish) issue this month, but there's some exciting news – see 
Odds and Sods below.

Technically fan fiction, this is a delightful piece written by someone 
at Adelaide's Unseen Theatre some sixteen years ago. It's an elegy for 
Kerbie, the "official" theatre rat, on the occasion of his death... with 
a surprise guest star. Do read it!

http://unseen.com.au/news/demise-of-kerbie/

And now, on with the show..

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) ODDS AND SODS

3.1 GOOD OMENS NEWS

First of all... TEASER TRAILER! Hurrah!! With multiple exclamation 
marks!!! https://twitter.com/GoodOmensAmazon/status/1020458334405529600

...and an interview with the Gaiman from Entertainment Weekly:

"Gaiman has put all his book-writing on hold for the last several months 
to focus on showrunning, and now, he's about to walk into a meeting with 
a bunch of Amazon executives to discuss the show. It's a meeting he's 
been anticipating for a while. 'I got all gloomy the other day, and my 
wife was like, "What's the worst thing that could happen?"' he says. 
'And I was like, well, obviously, they will watch it and decide that 
this has been a waste of many tens of millions of dollars, close the 
entire project down, and nobody will ever talk to me again and 
occasionally it will be referred to as one of those strange, dark, awful 
things like Heaven's Gate or whatever.' He pauses. 'But that probably 
won't happen because most people seem to like it so far.' And how could 
they not? The show won't debut on Amazon until 2019, but it's already 
one of the most buzzed-about series of the new year, thanks to its 
starry cast and tongue-in-cheek tone... Director Douglas Mackinnon has 
been jotting down Gaiman's thoughts and musings on the series ever since 
production started, and EW got an exclusive look at his notes. Here, 
Gaiman breaks down those notes and explains how he's shepherding Good 
Omens from page to screen. 'I think we were talking about casting Adam 
and Eve,' Gaiman explains. 'Because in the very, very opening scene, we 
have Adam and Eve, and they're black because we're in Africa and we're 
in the Garden of Eden, and of course Adam and Eve would be black. And 
that was one of those places where it's like, if people are going to 
find this offensive, great. Let's know that, and let's own it. Doug 
grumbles about that, even now,' Gaiman says... Good Omens' funniest 
moments all come from the idea of powerful entities in mundane 
situations and normal people 'having to deal with a delirious reality of 
heightened, absolute madness. It was frustrating as a writer because 
when I got stuck, I didn't have Terry to call and say, "Hey, I'm 
stuck,"' Gaiman says. 'And when I did something really clever and got 
unstuck, I didn't have Terry to phone up and say, "Hey, I did this 
clever thing!" But I was determined to make a Good Omens that Terry 
would've liked. And the only way that I knew how to make that was to 
make a Good Omens that I would like.' And, he adds, he's become much 
more protective over Good Omens than he ever was when someone wanted to 
adapt his own solo work..."

http://ew.com/tv/2018/07/13/good-omens-neil-gaiman-comic-con/

...and another EW newsbit – it seems your Editor's favourite angry 
Missourian will be taking on a rather famous role:

"Good Omens has its God. Oscar winner Frances McDormand will provide the 
voice of God, it was announced Friday in San Diego at Comic-Con, in the 
upcoming Amazon series from Neil Gaiman, based on his and Terry 
Pratchett's 1990 cult novel. McDormand's voice interrupted Gaiman as he 
spoke about the series and the Amazon showrunners panel, where he 
introduced footage, which included concept art, photos, and video from 
the set, as well as interviews with Tennant and Sheen. Getting McDormand 
for the role, Gaiman says, was the 'strangest way I think we've ever 
cast anyone.' Noting that the role had to be played by a woman, he 
explains how the actress emailed him one day asking if she and her 
family could borrow his house in Scotland. He was happy to let her do 
so, adding in his email reply to her, 'By the way…' She, of course, said 
yes..."

http://ew.com/tv/2018/07/20/amazon-comic-con-frances-mcdormand-god-good-omens/

...and here be a very promising word from the Mighty Joss Whedon, who's 
been treated to a preview:

"Avengers director Joss Whedon has seen a sneak seven-minute peek of the 
upcoming Amazon/BBC series Good Omens and his reaction was pretty funny. 
[from @joss, Whedon's Twitter account] " Coffee with @neilhimself is a 
delight and a balm. Getting to see 7 minutes of GOOD OMENS on his 
laptop, that's like... well I've never tried crack but I'm gonna say 
crack. JUST WAIT till you see it... #GoodOmens #GreatArt #crack"

https://www.hotpress.com/Neil-Gaiman/Joss-Whedon-Compares-New-Neil-Gaiman-Series-to-Crack/22646090.html

3.2 UPDATE: DISCWORLD AND BEYOND EXHIBIT

Paul Kidby's Discworld and Beyond has now opened at the Maidstone Museum!

When: now through 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/

3.3 DISCWORLD MERCH CORNER

 From Discworld.com...

* The 2019 Discworld Quiz Diary!

It's a diary! It's a quiz! Coming to a Discworld shop near you – this 
one, for instance –  on the 2nd of August: "The 2019 Discworld Quiz 
Diary contains everything you needed to know – and a few things you 
didn't – about modern literature's favourite flat earth. One part diary, 
one part quiz on the arcane practices of the funniest creation in modern 
fantasy, 100% Discworld goodness. With their trademark mix of cultural 
ephemera, background detail and hilarious one-liners, the Discworld 
diaries are back. This year: trivia... Put your knowledge to the test, 
and all will be revealed. Well, except the last one; nobody knows that, 
not even Dibbler. These and other gems of knowledge await you within. 
Make every day a Discworld day, with the 2019 Discworld Quiz Diary."

The 2019 Discworld Quiz Diary is priced at £18. For more information, 
and to pre-order, go to:
https://discworld.com/products/embossed/terry-pratchetts-discworld-diary-2019/

And if you don't feel the need for a quiz in your diary, how about these?

City Watch 2019 Diary (£15):
"The City Watch design comes in a chestnut brown, embossed with the 
eponymous badge and the immortal line; 'So much universe, so little time'."
https://discworld.com/products/diary-calendar/city-watch-2019-diary/

Witches 2019 Diary (£15):
"The  Witches bee design comes in spring green, embossed with the 
immortal line; 'So much universe, so little time'."
https://discworld.com/products/diary-calendar/witches-2019-diary/

...or the Discworld Imaginarium Collectors' Edition 2019 Calendar (£15), 
released on 23rd August but available for pre-order now:
"The calendar dates are extensive, and exhaustively researched, and 
include all major real-time calendrical data for Great Britain, Eire, 
Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA, as well as notable Discworld 
dates. This year's calendar draws upon the whimsical, remarkable art of 
long-time Discworld collaborator, Paul Kidby – the man whose depictions 
Terry Pratchett himself described as being 'the closest anyone's got to 
how I see the characters'."
https://discworld.com/products/embossed/terry-pratchetts-discworld-collectors-edition-calendar-2019/

 From the Discworld Emporium...

* The "moderately fiendish" UU Library jigsaw puzzle!

"The Great Library at Unseen University, as you've never 'Unseen' it 
before! See the most magical library in the multiverse unfold before 
your eyes with our exclusive 1000 piece Discworld jigsaw puzzle, 
featuring an astonishing illustration to make any booklover go wobbly at 
the knees - Ook! We teamed up with Discworld artist David Wyatt to 
capture a view of this puzzling place with an incredible illustration 
packed full of details from Terry Pratchett's Discworld books – you may 
even spot a familiar face or two! Guaranteed to keep you entertained for 
days and possibly weeks, each puzzle is presented in a splendid 
spellbook box that you'll want to keep chained to your bookshelf! Health 
warning; this puzzle may have you reaching for the Dried Frog Pills, but 
we promise it won't make you go completely 'Bursar'!"

Each UU Library Jigsaw Puzzle measures measures 70 x 50cm when completed 
(the puzzle box measures 20.5 x 25.6 x 6.3cm) and is priced at £19.50. 
For more information, and to order, go to: 
https://www.discworldemporium.com/games-toys/407-unseen-university-library-jigsaw-puzzle

* The Band With Rocks In t-shirt!

"A shirt with soul...music! The official Band With Rocks In tour T-Shirt 
is the only shirt to be seen in this festival season - 'Bee There Orr 
Bee A Rectangular Thyng'! ~ Exclusively illustrated for the Discworld 
Emporium by Joe McLaren! ~ WORRY NOT! Our shirts rock harder than those 
of Mr Dibbler, and they won't fall to bits in the mosh pit! Our shirts 
are made with heavyweight 100% cotton and screen-printed with the finest 
quality inks for long-lasting definition."

Each Band With Rocks In t-shirt is priced at £15. For more information 
(including size chart), and to order, go to:
https://www.discworldemporium.com/clothing/469-band-with-rocks-in-t-shirt

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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/ for interim updates.

4.1 PLAYS IN JULY AND AUGUST

* 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: Covered Seating: £15, (concession £13, child £9). Uncovered 
Seating ("Does not include a chair! Bring a picnic blanket or your own 
seat") £14 adult (concession £12, child £8), available from 
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/whats-on/beaconsfield/davenies-school/lords-and-ladies
  or phone 07572 657535 for more information.

All profits from the production will go to The Alzheimer's Society and 
Young Minds.

https://btg-theatre.org/lords–ladies.html (Note: the website is 
currently down)

* 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 RINCE CYCLE IN SWANSEA (AUGUST)

Swansea Little Theatre will be running with Rincewind in Stephen Briggs' 
adaptation of the first two Discworld novels!

"As a punishment, failed wizard Rincewind is given the task of guiding 
and safeguarding the Disc's first tourist, Twoflower (with his magical 
luggage on legs). As they travel the city and beyond, they meet the 
world's oldest hero, Cohen the Barbarian. With him, and with Bethan (a 
qualified sacrificial victim), they encounter druids, trolls, 
adventurers, a hairdresser and a power-crazed wizard. Oh, and Death. But 
not fatally. Did we mention that Rincewind also has to save the world 
from destruction by a huge red star that will collide with the Discworld 
at Hogswatch? From the wonderful imagination of Terry Pratchett, we are 
transported to Discworld with its myriad of weird characters!  A must to 
see if you are a Pratchett fan."

When: 15th–18th August 2018
Venue: Dylan Thomas Theatre, Gloucester Place, Swansea SA1 1TY
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: £12 (£10 concessions), available from the box office by phoning 
01792 473238 (online purchase temporarily unavailable)

https://www.dylanthomastheatre.org.uk/whats-on.php?id=1979

* 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

* ERIC IN ADELAIDE (OCTOBER)

Unseen Theatre's ever-ongoing Discworld season (now in its 19th year, 
and rightly so!) returns in October with Eric! "An hilarious romp 
through space, time, history and the torture chambers of Hell. Eric has 
been described as 'the Discworld's only demonology hacker', but all he 
really wants is three wishes. That sounds simple enough, right? No, this 
is not your favourite fairytale from your childhood. Far from it. Well, 
maybe not that far……..just as far as the Discworld where demons, 
wizards, hell-hounds, hostile travel accessories, and more demons, 
thinly disguised as public servants with a penchant for excessive 
amounts of stationery and memos, are real..."

When: 5th–6th, 10th–13th and 18th–20th October 2018. Preview night is 
5th October; opening night is 6th October.
Venue: the Bakehouse Theatre, 255 Angas Street, Adelaide, South Australia
Time: 7.30pm all shows
Tickets: TBA

http://unseen.com.au/

* 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: 7.30pm all evening shows; 2.30pm matinee on Saturday 17th November
Tickets: £12, available online from 1st August by post (see 
_http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/ordering-tickets_) or online via 
http://www.wegottickets.com/StudioTheatre (note that there is a 10% 
booking charge). "If you're booking for one of the weekend performances 
(Friday or Saturday evening, Saturday matinee), please give a second and 
third choice, as these performances are expected to sell out really 
quickly. Orders by mail received before the box office opens will be 
left unopened until 1 August."

http://www.studiotheatreclub.com/whats-next

* 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

4.3 REVIEWS

GUARDS! GUARDS! IN SUNBURY (UK)

A long, detailed review by by Gill Lambourn:

"I enjoyed this production more than I expected simply from my literary 
preferences which don't lie in either fantasy or anarchic political 
humour. I liked the choice of music; it fitted the moment and amusingly 
added to the show... The various members of the brotherhood were well 
cast. Special mention of Richard Fordyce gave a nicely cross and hard 
done by performance; Robert Hardy was as ever totally solid on his lines 
and wonderfully clear. Subtlety is not his strong point but he is always 
a reliable and very competent member of any cast. He understood the 
story and his character and looked to be enjoying himself... Peter Smith 
created a nice Patrician who knew how to play the hand his was dealt to 
the best advantage. Despite being a kind and generally gentle person 
Peter has a good handle on playing slightly evil characters. Nice one 
Peter!!  In contrast to Peter who must be one of the longest standing 
Riverside members Sarah Boyle was making her debut and did it very 
convincingly. She was a perfect Lady Sybil and I look forward to seeing 
more of her in future... Guards! Guards! was an enjoyable evening of 
theatre and the FOH, bar staff and facilities at Riverside compare 
really favourably with any other amateur theatre experience. .."

https://sheppertonplayers.org.uk/reviews/guards-guards-june-2018/

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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."

The next meeting of the Sir Terry Pratchett Book Club will be on Tuesday 
7th August from 6pm to 6.50pm at Waterstones, 93-97 Albion Street, Leeds 
LS1 5JS. (phone 0113 244 4588). "This summer we are focusing on Terry's 
most popular series, Discworld. The book we are discussing this month is 
Small Gods where belief is all important and a tortoise needs help. This 
book club is free and open to anyone."

https://www.waterstones.com/events/sir-terry-pratchett-book-club/leeds-50096

*

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld 
Group" (motto "Nil percussio est"), will be meeting a week earlier than 
usual, on Monday, 30th July (instead of the usual "first Monday of the 
month") from 7pm 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 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 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 2nd August 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 3rd 
August 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 6th 
August 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 6th August 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

Blogger hobbleit falls for Guards! Guards!:

"Way back in the depths of time (1998, I think), my form teacher told my 
parents about a production of Guards! Guards! being performed at the 
Theatre Royal in Newcastle because he knew they liked Terry Pratchett. 
So we all went along. To be honest, I wasn't expecting much but it 
turned out to be absolutely hilarious so I went home, picked up the book 
and twelve year old me absolutely loved it. And I still do. Discworld is 
a fabulously rich world and Ankh Morpork is a wonderfully eclectic and 
strange city that just draws you in so you never want to leave. The 
characters are brilliant.  Captain Vimes, Nobby, Carrot and all the 
others in the City Watch are hilarious. I love the Librarian, he is a 
genius creation. Even Death makes an appearance, which is always welcome 
since he one of the best and funniest representations of the Grim Reaper 
that has ever been put to paper..."

https://hobbleit.wordpress.com/2018/07/18/july-re-read-4-guards-guards-by-terry-pratchett/

Blogger Tagfitty, a steam aficionado, reviews Raising Steam:

"First and foremost, Pratchett has a unique way with words. He can tell 
a story by switching which character he is following at any paragraph. 
Provided you get through his frequent wordplay, he writes well enough to 
limit confusion, even through the narrator switching who he is 
following. His writing uses lots of humorous elements. These include 
puns, rhyming, alliteration, funny sounding words, unique character 
names, and pretty much any sort of wordplay that tickles his fancy. 
There are some real gems of the sort in his books. Even so, some of the 
wordplay does fall a little flat from time to time, but it is rarely 
disruptive as he uses it throughout the books I have read... Even though 
the book can be funny, there is a fair amount of insight concerning the 
creation of locomotion, social changes, and yes even racial relations. 
Since this book takes place in a medieval fantasy world, race is handled 
metaphorically by humans, dwarfs, goblins, trolls, and the occasional 
gnome. I am also surprised at how well Pratchett describes how trains 
work and impact the world around it. In a lot of ways, it feels like I 
traveled back in time to see how people reacted to seeing a train for 
the first time. I could even see the thought process of how Moist 
figured out what kind of help needed to be hired so a train system could 
work in a realistic fashion. It is clear that Terry Pratchett did his 
homework..."

https://talkingaboutgames.blog/2018/07/17/book-review-raising-steam-by-terry-pratchett/

Also on the subject of Raising Steam, blogger butiliketurtles aka The 
Shelf Wanderer:

"I just can't make myself love another Moist Von Lipwig novel as much as 
I love Going Postal but I have made peace with that. I am a little sad 
to have completed this trio as it hadn't been that long since I read 
Making Money and for a while I wished for more of the trickery and 
charisma of Moist. But the Discworld still has many unread books in it 
and I must admit recently I have been pining as it has been a good six 
months since I read this one. So! There is always the satirical 
silliness and cleverness of Pratchett and in some way every book he has 
written is a little delicious... I love steam. I was raised around 
traction engines and steam engines and coal and locomotives of one sort 
or another because my Dad is a Putt-Putt man. If you don't know what 
that is, he is a steam enthusiast and also now proudly owns a Stationary 
Engine (which makes the noise Putt-Putt as it runs)...

"As with the other novels in the Lord Vetinari's world, sometimes there 
is an annoyance. An annoyance that can only be fixed by an opportunity 
and the right charismatic trickster at the reins. The narrative is about 
building a railway but it is also about Vetinari setting Moist off on a 
little job because he loathes travelling the long, long, long way by 
carriage to Bonk. This novel can feel feel quite long winded at times, 
it can feel a bit like a long train journey with interludes of 
entertainment and long periods of description but mostly it is 
enjoyable... Steam is a thing that Pratchett writes about with great 
love and he puts the great love of steam into the Disc with ease..."

https://theshelfwanderer.wordpress.com/2018/06/25/93-raising-steam/

[Editor's note: the above blog review includes the best 
Discworld-appropriate misspelling I've seen in a long time: "The laying 
of the steel tracks of the Ankh-Morpork and Sto Plains Hygienic Railway 
also coincides with a coo to dethrone the King of the dwarves." Very 
talented, those Discly coo beasties...]

Blogger Victoriamuses on Thud!:

"Pratchett refused to admit that he wrote 'magical realism', and yet 
Thud! (first published in 2005) seems to be a fine example of the genre. 
The 34th novel in the Discworld series and the 7th in the 'Watch Books', 
Thud! also acts as an exceptional demonstration of character 
development. Samuel 'Sam' Vimes was first introduced to the public as a 
disillusioned alcoholic policeman, but through the course of six novels 
and sixteen years, Vimes becomes much more than just that. By Thud! our 
beloved 'Captain of the Watch' is still an alcoholic, who still suffers 
from depression and he is still a policeman; but he's also a father, a 
husband, and a man who finds much more to appreciate in the world than 
ever before... Through fantasy, Pratchett approaches racism, religious 
extremism, and the radicalisation of young people... Pratchett's 
'real-world' influences are numerous. His writing echoes the fear of 
radicalisation in Britain following the 2005 London bombings, the 
ongoing Israeli and Palestinian conflict, the history of violence 
between Catholics and Protestants and even the gang and drug problems of 
major cities and the influence community leaders can have on followers. 
The contempt held by the new generation of dwarves and trolls sends a 
clear message: hatred breeds hatred. Even whilst exploring the complex 
emotions of collectives and individuals, and conspiracy theories 
involving mystical forces that perpetuate violence, Pratchett manages to 
explore prejudice on a much lower and nuanced level. The treatment of 
women in the watch, the simmering tension between vampires and 
werewolves and the mockery of the relationship between Tawnee a 'show 
girl' and Corporal Nobbs... Pratchett balances dark and complex with 
light and fanciful, which allows Thud! to realise a significant depth 
and complexity. We can find humour amidst angst in the relatable 
situations depicted: we've all had to incorporate technology into our 
lives at some point, most of us have been both guilty of some form of 
prejudice, and a victim of another..."

https://dnwhvictoria.wordpress.com/2018/07/16/reflections-on-thud/

Blogger Muse With Me returns with a review of Moving Pictures:

"While there is a lot about this book I found fairly standard as far as 
Discworld novels are concerned, there were some ideas that I really 
enjoyed. Ideas about the medium of film itself are played with, but it 
is the Hollywood film industry of our reality that is focus of parody. 
There are plenty of jokes throughout about the cut corners and 
compromises that make up 'movie magic', commercialization versus 
integrity, unfortunate stereotyping, and cheeky references to films the 
reader is likely familiar with. I especially liked that something 
eldritch was at play, instead of the advent of filmmaking simply coming 
about on its own. It allows the story to play with the very real notion 
of how the film medium can manipulate reality for the audience, 
immersing them in an illusion. Though all of its glamour, spectacle, and 
art are enjoyable, there is something at the heart of the Hollywood film 
industry that's a little uncanny too... The plotline at the heart of the 
story was the weakest part of the book for me, treading especially 
familiar territory: something goes awry with some sort of magic, leading 
to a nigh-cataclysmic turn of events that the core group of characters 
must reverse. Pratchett's writing was as skillful as ever, which kept me 
going... Moving Pictures is a fairly standard Discworld novel, not 
particularly remarkable compared to some of his stronger works. However, 
so far meeting the standard for this series means it's still a humorous, 
clever read full of great characters and colourful ideas. It is elevated 
a little more by its diverse cast of supporting characters as well, who 
in many ways steal the show from the protagonists..."

https://musewithmeblog.wordpress.com/2018/07/16/book-review-moving-pictures-by-terry-pratchett/

Blogger Jeroen is back with thoughts on Monstrous Regiment:

"The last years I've become rather tired of politics entering 
entertainment – not because I am against the underlying sentiments, but 
because films and books are being praised for being great for having 
political messages that have very little to do with the actual themes or 
qualities of plot and characterization in these works... For Terry 
Pratchett, I also make an exception, because his mocking satire is 
intelligent and piercing, and the issues of sexism and patriotism he 
takes up also happen to be the central theme of the novel. It makes 
sense for them to be there. Sometimes he goes down the road of 'women 
are better and men are stupid', which I find tiresome and 
unconstructive, but then turns it around in later pages. Besides, 
Pratchett wrote interesting female characters long before today's focus 
on it... Many of the jokes write themselves by this time, especially 
with the fantasy characters, but Pratchett never went so grim with the 
characters' backgrounds. The female soldiers found themselves in the 
army running from restrictions and abuse. Looking back at earlier novels 
of Pratchett, like Equal Rites (1987), where women's rights featured as 
well but the story was much lighter, and then looking at later novels 
like Night Watch (2002) which also went dark with the grittiness of 
revolutions, then a picture forms of Pratchett becoming angrier and 
having more to get off his chest..."

https://jeroenthoughts.wordpress.com/2018/07/16/terry-pratchett-monstrous-regiment-2003-review/

Blogger The Reading Bug appreciates the evolution of the Discworld 
novels from The Light Fantastic:

"When the early Discworld novels were published I read them with a 
degree of guilt. They were my guilty pleasures that I would put away in 
the presence of other adults. Not only did they have no pretensions to 
being anything other than a bit of fun, there were cheap jokes, stock 
characters, clichéd situations, and simple plot resolutions . There was 
just a lot of messing about. Cohen the Barbarian? Please! It wasn't 
until some time well into the series that they began to develop a depth 
(not god forbid seriousness) and a more lyrical quality to go with the 
silly jokes and the one liners. The light social commentary became more 
thoughtful, having a purpose of its own rather than just being an excuse 
for some humour. Most of all his characters became real, flawed, complex 
and fully-rounded. We wouldn't have 'Going Postal' or 'The Night Watch' 
without 'The Colour of Magic' and 'The Light Fantastic', but I am really 
glad we have..."

https://readingbug2016.wordpress.com/2018/07/13/the-light-fantastic-by-terry-pratchett-1986/

Blogger My Lady Scribbler embraces foot-the-ball in her review of Unseen 
Academicals:

Ostensibly, the book is about Unseen University trying to cobble 
together a football team, as the university is in danger of losing the 
main funding source for the wizards' daily meals (all nine of them). But 
as is typical with the works of Sir Pterry, it is impossible to sum up 
the entire plot of a Discworld book in one sentence. I can tell you that 
there is football. And pies. And lots of drinking. And an all-dwarves 
fashion show. And I believe Death (he who talks in small capitals) puts 
in an appearance. As is also typical with the Discworld books, there are 
moments where you will find yourself trying very hard not to laugh out 
loud, and probably puncturing a lung or two in the process. I seem to 
recall reading a comment from another fan who said they can't read 
Pratchett's books while taking public transit anymore, due to people 
giving them strange looks as they're laughing over a particularly juicy 
bit of text. Re-reading Unseen Academicals raises the question: How 
would the Disc have done the World Cup? Would it be Dolly Sisters vs. 
the Dimwell Old Pals? Uberwald vs. Quirm? Trolls vs. dwarves? (No, wait, 
that happens every year on Koom Valley Day.) Would Ankh-Morpork's 
national team have the Three Hippos in place of the Three Lions? What 
would be the ethics of jinxing a player instead of giving him the red 
card? The possibilities are (mostly) endless..."

https://myladyscribbler.wordpress.com/2018/07/12/shelf-life-terry-pratchett-and-unseen-academicals/

Blogger Lunar Luci is back with thoughts about The Amazing Maurice and 
his Educated Rodents:

"This book is definitely a standalone in the Discworld series. None of 
the characters have been in other books (at least not for what I've read 
yet), but that doesn't make it less good. It's specifically written for 
Young Adult readers, which is noticeable in the way Sir Pratchett[sic] 
has written the story. I liked mostly everything in the story (duh, it's 
Discworld), although Keith wasn't really doing it for me. It might just 
be because the book was mostly about the talking cat and the talking 
rats, but except for the parts with Malicia, Keith doesn't really have a 
point in being there. Agreeing with most others, a thing I didn't 
specifically like was the rat-king. I didn't see how it was relevant to 
the rest of the story, and felt like he was just a bit cramped in so the 
ending would be better. Other than that, it was amazing..."

https://lunarluci.wordpress.com/2018/07/01/book-review-the-amazing-maurice-and-his-educated-rodents/

Blogger Old Book Smells enjoyed Hogfather:

"I fancied some light relief and The Hogfather was available. It is 
primarily a Christmas tale, basically a parody of Father Christmas, so 
perfect for 30 degree summer heat. The same flatmate who lent me the 
book actually treated me to a viewing of the Sky adaption earlier in the 
year – I'd never actually seen it before! Marc Warren was particularly 
excellent as Mr Teatime. Anyway, I digress. On with the actual book. 
This is yet another Pratchett book set in the Discworld – instead of 
explaining its probably best if you look at a previous review here. 
Essentially some super shady guys called the Auditors want to remove 
everything irrational in the human world. They enlist the Assassin's 
Guild, who in turn assign their most unhinged member for the ultimate 
challenge…the murder of the Hogfather. Cue Death as the jolliest of 
stand-ins. This book is exactly what you would expect from Mr P. I loved 
it as per usual. It's quite hard to be subjective about his work – it's 
just something that I find cosy..."

https://oldbooksmells.wordpress.com/2018/06/29/21-the-hogfather-terry-pratchett/

And finally, blogger aperturereads' thoughts on reading Shaking Hands 
with Death:

"An absolute must read (or watch) for everyone – fan or Pratchett or not 
(not sure how you couldn't be, though!). The messages herein are vital 
to those who will come face to face with dementia and other degenerative 
diseases (that's everyone)... In this short book, we see Pratchett 
tackle head on the problems he faced after his diagnosis – both in terms 
of accepting his illness (he laments the fact that sufferers of other 
diseases can openly get support and medication whilst some sufferers of 
dementia are more or less told to get on with it), as well as assisted 
dying... This essay is poignant, Pratchett looking back to the 
relatively peaceful death of his grandfather, as well as the passing of 
his own father in comparison to how deaths were handled in the past. The 
author draws on his own experiences as well as those of people to whom 
he has spoken with to present a set of clear and concise reasons for his 
wish to legalise assisted dying. The base argument is essentially that 
everyone should have the right to a peaceful death, the Victorians 
understood that – as do some areas around the globe nowadays. I 
emphatically support the case as raised here and I hope that now, some 
years after the knighted author's death, society has already softened to 
the end of life he wanted those in need to have access to; the choice to 
die surrounded by friends and family as painlessly as possible, on your 
own terms..."

https://aperturereads.wordpress.com/2018/06/24/review-shaking-hands-with-death-terry-pratchett/

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

07) ROUNDWORLD TALES: THE DANCE OF THE BEES

Did you know that one in ten pollinating insects is on the verge of 
extinction, and a third of bee and butterfly species are in decline? Now 
the European Commission has proposed a programme called the EU 
Pollinators Initiative to investigate and – hopefully – ameliorate this 
situation. And that includes exploration of something Granny Weatherwax 
knew so well...

"Unravelling one of the most elaborate forms of non-human communication 
– the honeybee's waggle dance – could help researchers better understand 
insect brains and make farming more environmentally friendly. It's part 
of a field of work looking at insect neurology which is helping to 
unravel the complexity of their brains. Bees have evolved a unique, and 
ingenious, way to communicate with each other – the waggle dance. By 
shaking their abdomens in a particular way, a bee can tell others in its 
hive the specific direction and distance of a food source or a new site 
for a nest. 'If nectar or pollen is in the direction of the sun, a bee 
will run a figure of eight that is orientated towards the top of the 
hive. If pollen is found 90 degrees from the sun they will point that 
way instead,' explained Dr Elli Leadbeater, a bee expert from the School 
of Biological Sciences at the University of London, in the UK. The 
longer the bees spend dancing corresponds to the better quality of a 
food source, while the more time spent on each figure eight represents 
the distance from the pollen or nectar. Researchers now believe that 
decoding this information-packed dance further could reveal a link 
between bees' brains and how the surrounding environment affects them. 
In a project called BeeDanceGap, Dr Leadbeater is working to identify 
the exact genes in the bee brain that play a role in helping the insects 
understand this waggle dance. To do this, researchers must first 
identify the best dancing bees in a test hive and watch them as they 
reveal a food source to other worker bees. The newly educated bees are 
then captured as they leave the hive so their brain tissue can be 
genetically analysed to determine which genes associated with learning 
and memory were activated from following the waggle dance. Only a few 
individuals are used in this way and the genetic data provides a deep 
insight into the neurology of a bee's brain – at a time crucial to their 
future..."

https://morethanadodo.com/2018/06/18/decoding-the-honeybee-dance/

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

08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

Some Good Omens gems – Michael McKean looking appropriately grumpy as 
Shadwell:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DiKKxG_U8AI2Xf9.jpg

...and some highly amusing "small ads":
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DiKKxHBVAAAcSqK.jpg

...and a very excited, extravagantly bearded Neil Gaiman with the first 
Good Omens poster, at San Diego Comic Con as tweeted by @GoodOmensAmazon:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Diln0JXWsAISldP.jpg

The wonderful Librarian art from Discworld Beers:
https://www.discworldbeers.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/librarian-1.png

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

09) CLOSE

Last orders: Paul Kruzycki, the Discworld beers and ales brewer and Ales 
By Mail proprietor, has announced that production has ceased "for the 
foreseeable future". Those of you who can should hurry over to 
https://twitter.com/Craft_Beer_Shop to buy some of the last great tastes 
of the Disc. And as tweeted three years ago: 
https://twitter.com/DiscworldAles/status/636849757856641024 Many happy 
Roundworld beer and ale enthusiasts can thank Discworld Ales for the 
memories, too.

And that's it for July. Take care, and we'll see you next month!

– Annie Mac

This issue can be viewed on the clacks at 
https://wossname.dreamwidth.org/65767.html

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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