Wossname – July-August 2021 – Main issue

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

Wossname
Newsletter of the Klatchian Foreign Legion
July-August 2021 (Volume 24, Issue 7-8, Post 1)

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WOSSNAME is a free publication offering news, reviews, and all the other 
stuff-that-fits pertaining to the works of Sir Terry Pratchett. 
Originally founded by the late, great Joe Schaumburger for members of 
the worldwide Klatchian Foreign Legion and its affiliates, including the 
North American Discworld Society and other continental groups, Wossname 
is now for Discworld and Pratchett fans everywhere in Roundworld.
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Editor in Chief: Annie Mac
News Editor: Vera P
Newshounds: Mogg, Sir J of Croydon Below, the Shadow, Mss C, Alison not 
Aliss
Staff Writers: Asti, Pitt the Elder, Evil Steven Dread, Mrs Wynn-Jones
Staff 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)

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INDEX:

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

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01) QUOTES OF THE MONTH

“For the whole of my life since I was nine years old I have enjoyed 
words… Words turn us from monkeys into me. We make them, change them, 
trace them around, eat them and live by them - they are workhorses, 
carrying any burden, and their usage is the skill of the author’s trade, 
hugely versatile; there are times when the wrong word is the right word, 
and times when words can be manipulated so that silence shouts. Their 
care, feeding and indeed breeding is part of the craft of which I am a 
journeyman.”
– Sir Pterry, in an address he gave at Trinity College Dublin, 2010

"Terry's not here any longer, but when he was, we had talked about what 
we wanted to do with ‘Good Omens,’ and where the story went next. And 
now, thanks to BBC Studios and Amazon, I get to take it there."
– Neil Gaiman

"The presence of those seeking the truth is infinitely to be preferred 
to the presence of those who think they’ve found it."
– Monstrous Regiment

"Perhaps [the gods] do exist. I want to know why they act as if they don't."
– Mau, in Nation

"I don’t know what Terry Pratchett’s view on the gender politics of 2021 
would be. No one does. The much-beloved Discworld author died in 2015."
– author Marc Burrows

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02) LETTER FROM YOUR EDITOR

Back in June, I said here that "I never thought that by June of 2021 I 
would still be publishing Wossname in the middle of a pandemic, but here 
we are." And indeed here we are still, with the Delta variant of 
Covid-19 sweeping across the world, including in Fourecks where its 
rapid spread has initiated a new set of nationwide lockdowns. Can we 
have 2022 now please? A 2022 where this virus has finally eased down, if 
not disappeared?

*

Good Omens has been greenlit for a second series. Read about it in item 
3.0 below!


*

Much is being made of a certain "Twitter war", and both Good Omens 
co-author Neil Gaiman and Pratchett the Younger have taken it on 
themselves to join in. Of all that has been written about this incident, 
you might find the views of Marc Burrows, award-winning author of 
biography The Magic of Terry Pratchett, most intelligent and nuanced 
(and if you're not into intelligence and nuance, why on earth are you a 
Discworld fan, eh?); his essay is featured in item 3.8 below. And while 
we're at it, always remember that the most obvious and honest takeaway 
from Sir Pterry's characters and stories is essentially that it's best 
to let people be themselves, so long as "being themselves" doesn't harm 
society at large. Oh, and don't treat people as things.

By the way, did I mention that Marc Burrows' biography "The Magic of 
Terry Pratchett" won the 2021 Locus Award for non-fiction? Well, it did. 
Congratulations, Marc!

*

The passing of a wizard: vale Wymondham town crier Pete Green, who died 
in a house fire in June: "The former town crier was a stalwart of 
Wymondham, serving as a town councillor for the last three years of his 
life, in a political party of his own founding. He worked as an incense 
trader and a bookbinder, organised local steampunk events and regularly 
enjoyed re-enactment events. And it was through these that he struck up 
a friendship with author Terry Pratchett, providing inspiration for the 
character Archchancellor Ridcully in the Discworld saga..."

https://bit.ly/2W3gz4E

*

Now this from a very pleased Good Omens director Douglas Mackinnon: 
"1,000,000 views for our lockdown scene on YouTube.  Not bad for 
something made in a kitchen, an attic, a spare room and a library." 
https://bit.ly/3CTaAkc

For those of you who might want to see it again: https://bit.ly/3xXdqAO

And now, on with the show...

– Annie Mac, Editor

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03) ODDS AND SODS

3.0 GOOD OMENS NEWS: HERE WE GO AGAIN... MINUS SIR PTERRY'S INPUT

So here we are, two years on from the original release of the Good Omens 
miniseries, and it's now confirmed that the second series millions of 
people wanted is officially a "go". First, here be an extract from 
original source material co-writer Neil Gaiman's take on it:

"Terry was clear on what he wanted from Good Omens on the telly. He 
wanted the story told, and if that worked, he wanted the rest of the 
story told. So, once Good Omens the TV series had been released by 
Amazon and the BBC, to global acclaim, many awards and joy,  So in 
September 2017 I sat down in St James' Park, beside the director, 
Douglas Mackinnon, on a chair with my name on it, as Showrunner of Good 
Omens. The chair slowly and elegantly lowered itself to the ground 
underneath me and fell apart, and I thought, that's not really a good 
omen. Fortunately, under Douglas's leadership, that chair was the only 
thing that collapsed.

"Rob Wilkins (Terry's representative on Earth) and I had the 
conversation with the BBC and Amazon about doing some more. And they got 
very excited. We talked to Michael Sheen and David Tennant about doing 
some more. They also got very excited. We told them a little about the 
plot. They got even more excited. I'd been a fan of John Finnemore's for 
years, and had had the joy of working with him on a radio show called 
With Great Pleasure, where I picked passages I loved, had amazing 
readers read them aloud and talked about them. I asked John if he'd be 
willing to work with me on writing the next round of Good Omens, and was 
overjoyed when he said yes. We have some surprise guest collaborators 
too. And Douglas Mackinnon is returning to oversee the whole thing with 
me. So that's the plan. We've been keeping it secret for a long time 
(mostly because otherwise my mail and Twitter feeds would have turned 
into gushing torrents of What Can You Tell Us About It? long ago) but we 
are now at the point where sets are being built in Scotland (which is 
where we're shooting, and more about filming things in Scotland soon), 
and we can't really keep it secret any longer..."

https://bit.ly/3m8AuKB

And a smattering of the rest...

 From the BBC Media Centre:

"The second season of the six-part humorous fantasy drama will begin 
filming later this year in Scotland and will premiere on Amazon Prime 
Video in 240 countries and territories around the world at a later date. 
The new season will explore storylines that go beyond the original 
source material to illuminate the uncanny friendship between Aziraphale, 
a fussy angel and rare book dealer, and the fast-living demon Crowley... 
Neil Gaiman continues as executive producer and will co-showrun along 
with executive producer Douglas Mackinnon who will also return to 
direct. Rob Wilkins, John Finnemore and BBC Studios Productions’ Head of 
Comedy Josh Cole will also executive produce with Finnemore serving as 
co-writer alongside Gaiman. Good Omens is based on the well-loved and 
internationally bestselling novel ‘Good Omens’ by Terry Pratchett 
(Hogfather) and Gaiman. The new season is produced by multi-award 
winning BBC Studios Productions alongside Amazon Studios, Narrativia and 
The Blank Corporation... Douglas Mackinnon says: 'Taking Good Omens to 
my home country of Scotland to film a second season is an exciting dream 
come true for me. And with Michael Sheen and David Tennant returning as 
Aziraphale and Crowley, we really have an angel and a demon on our 
side.' Rob Wilkins says: 'Terry and Neil always knew that Crowley and 
Aziraphale wouldn’t remain content to appear in only one story, and long 
harboured plans to expand upon their adventures. David and Michael’s 
stellar performances made this an absolute necessity. Terry would have 
been delighted with how they brought their characters to life, and just 
as delighted as I am that a second season is now underway.' Michael 
Sheen says: 'Personally I’m against it, but the world isn’t going to 
just save itself, is it? If David and I can manage to not fall out too 
badly this time it may even have a chance of getting finished.' David 
Tennant says: 'The return of Good Omens is great news for me, 
personally. As I get to work with Michael again, and I get to say Neil’s 
wonderful words once more. It’s probably less good for the universe as 
it almost certainly means there will be some fresh existential threat to 
its existence to deal with, but, you know - swings and roundabouts...'..."

https://bbc.in/37QT01H

 From Guardian journalist Alison Flood, a longtime Pratchett enthusiast:

"There are concerns out there about the fact that, unlike the first 
season, there is no published source material for the second. But 
Gaiman, who is staying on as executive producer and co-showrunner, has 
said the sequel will follow a storyline he and Pratchett dreamed up back 
in 1989, while they were attending a convention in Seattle and sharing a 
hotel room in order to save money. It was the middle of the night, 
recounts Gaiman, and neither of them could sleep... The Nice and 
Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, felt pretty wrapped up at 
the end of Good Omens, in both the book and show. But I’m not averse to 
finding out what happened next. As Gaiman has pointed out, we’ll also be 
discovering what happened before. And the world most definitely needs 
more of Crowley and Aziraphale... Pratchett might not have a direct hand 
in this new series, but Rob Wilkins, who manages the Pratchett estate, 
has said the late author would have been delighted that a second season 
is under way..."

https://bit.ly/3y3u8id

 From popculture site ScreenRant:

"The existence of 668: The Neighbor of the Beast had been confirmed in 
earlier interviews by both Neil Gaiman and Sir Terry Pratchett. As such, 
there's no reason to believe that Gaiman is now lying about having a 
story worked out, just as new fans are clamoring for a follow-up to the 
Good Omens series despite its quite definitive ending. Given that, and 
Gaiman's own track record for being choosy when it comes to whom he 
allows to adapt his work into television or film, there is every reason 
to believe that Good Omens season 2 will honor Pratchett's legacy and be 
written in a tone consistent with his oeuvre. The fan fears about a Good 
Omens sequel being nothing more than a cynical cash-grab are easy to 
understand, given the disastrous premiere of The Watch earlier this 
year...  The series was roundly condemned by Sir Terry's family, 
friends, and fans..."

https://bit.ly/3yYx6Wk

3.1 ABOMINABLE SNOW BABY NEWS

More news about the upcoming 30-minute animated film of The Abominable 
Snow Baby. I think this includes updates. Apologies for pandemic brain 
if I've featured this before...

Channel 4 has announced a trio of top stars to head up their 
high-profile Christmas 2021 animated special Terry Pratchett’s The 
Abominable Snow Baby produced by Eagle Eye Drama, the production company 
recently launched by the team behind global drama brand Walter Presents, 
in association with Narrativia, the independent production company, 
launched in 2012 by one of Britain’s most illustrious and well-loved 
authors, Sir Terry Pratchett... Screen legend and comedy icon Julie 
Walters (Harry Potter, Mamma Mia, Paddington) will star as the voice of 
fearless ‘Granny’, whilst Hugh Dancy (Black Hawk Down, Ella Enchanted, 
Hannibal, Downton Abbey 2) will take on the role of her courageous 
grandson ‘Albert’ with narration from ‘Homeland’ star David Harewood 
(Homeland, Supergirl, Blood Diamond)... Created with traditional hand 
drawn animation techniques to capture the timeless nature of Terry 
Pratchett’s story, The Abominable Snow Baby is part of a long and 
established tradition of Channel 4’s animated Christmas specials such as 
The Snowman, The Tiger Who Came to Tea, and last year’s Quentin Blake’s 
Clown. Channel 4 Head of Drama, Caroline Hollick said: 'Channel 4’s 
original Christmas animation has become a real highlight over the years 
and this year will be no exception. I’m delighted Julie Walters, Hugh 
Dancy and David Harewood will be bringing to life this wonderful, funny 
and moving yuletide tale. I know it’s only July but with this amazing 
cast line up I can hardly wait….it’s definitely going to be a merry 
Terry Christmas.'"

To read all the details available so far, go to:

https://narrativia.com/snowbaby.html

3.2 UNSEEN THEATRE: SADLY, SOON NO LONGER SEEN?

The Bakehouse Theatre in Adelaide, South Australia, home of the Unseen 
Theatre and a "stalwart of the local theatre scene for many years", has 
been bought by unsympathetic new owners and will close next year. As 
reported by Suzie Keen for InReview:

"New owners took over the building last year, and founder and creative 
producer Peter Green tells InReview the theatre has been negotiating for 
some time to try to extend its tenancy, but without success. 'It’s gut 
wrenching in some respects,' he said. 'I’m most sad that it won’t be a 
theatre any more. To me it’s a great little venue and it’s perfect for 
independent theatre makers to be able to do shows and be in the city, 
not to mention the Fringe program every year. I’m sad for all the people 
who have used the theatre and would have continued to want to use the 
theatre.' Green established Bakehouse Theatre in 1998, with its name a 
nod to the building’s early use as a bakery from 1890... [Pamela] Munt's 
Unseen Theatre Company, which specialises in Discworld plays by UK 
author Terry Pratchett, is Bakehouse’s resident company, and a wide 
range of other theatre groups also regularly use the venue, including 
local companies STARC Productions and Joh Hartog Productions... It’s not 
known what the new owners plan to do with the site at 255 Angas Street..."

https://bit.ly/2Xy9TMV

Editor's note: Agnes isn't ready to sing yet, though! Unseen Theatre 
expects to continue its legendary run of Discworld plays with a new 
production of Wyrd Sisters in November.

3.3 PAUL KIDBY NEWS

 From the Discworld artist's newsletter:

"In the studio we are in the very final stages of preparing The Ultimate 
Discworld Companion which has a deadline with our publishers Gollancz 
next week. There are 300 illustrations overall, with 41 new drawings, 
including Blind Io, Ruby, Horace the Cheese and many more. The text has 
been painstakingly edited to hunt down any gremlins that were lurking. 
Our trusty editor for this edition, (and all the previous books I have 
worked on recently), is my clever sister, who has a PhD in Biochemistry, 
studied Russian for fun and is a whizz when it comes to punctuation, 
categorization and grammar because her career was spent editing science 
books for the Oxford University Press. She sent me my very first 
Discworld book, The Colour of Magic, so, all in all, has played an 
integral part in my career one way and another. Lin is now retired to a 
remote Welsh farmhouse and when she is not in her polytunnel or battling 
slugs and the elements, (mostly rain), she corrects our copy with her 
exacting eagle eye. This edition runs to approx. 440 pages, (with around 
300 illustrations), so it has been no mean feat."

and

"Seven Stories, The National Centre for Children’s Books in Newcastle 
opened their doors last week to their new exhibition  Once There Was 
Magic [https://www.sevenstories.org.uk/exhibitions/once-there-was-magic] 
... 'In this magical hour-long experience, you will journey through the 
Wild Woods where fiery portals offer a glimpse into the magical worlds 
of Cressida Cowell, J. K. Rowling, Terry Pratchett, Philip Pullman, and 
many more.' Some of my drawings are on show and a bronze of my favourite 
Nac Mac Feegle."

3.4 A JOURNEY TO ANKH-MORPORK... OR AT LEAST, TO ITS EMBASSY

As mentioned in the June issue of Wossname, the Discworld Emporium, home 
of the Cunning Artificer and his team and also the site of 
Ankh-Morpork's Roundworld embassy, has closed its doors "for the 
foreseeable future" to concentrate on online commerce. But during its 
twenty-year history as a bricks-and-mortar enterprise, the Emporium was 
a Mecca of sorts for Discworld fans all over the world, with many 
planning their holidays to include a "pilgrimage" to the famous shop. In 
2018, fan Robert Armour was one of them. Over to reporter Rebecca Cook 
at Somerset Live:

"Robert Armour travelled to the Wincanton shop in 2018 while on a cycle 
tour with friends. After passing through Basingstoke, Bristol and Wells, 
the group headed to Salisbury, then stopped at the Discworld Emporium. 
Mr Armour said: 'My memory of the shop is buying some rather spiffing 
librarian themed socks, chatting to the staff and sending an anonymous 
postcard "from Ankh-Morpork" to a friend who is also a fan.' When asked 
why they decided to stop at the Wincanton haunt, he said, 'Why wouldn't 
you - it's legendary! Anybody who has read a Discworld book would feel 
the pull towards the hub.'..."

https://bit.ly/2XzuSyU

3.5  PRATCHETT BOOK CLUB UPDATES

On the website of publishers Tor, Emmet Asher-Perrin continues a 
Discworld discussion page. This time it's the wrap-up of Moving 
Pictures, and the start of Reaper Man.

Part five of Moving Pictures:

"There’s a lot to be said for the idea of using the Discworld as a 
distant sort of frame to highlight what makes movie magic different from 
magical magic. This also falls into the realm of what makes stories 
magic in general, while highlighting certain things about film that are 
particular to the art form itself—convenience, nick-of-time heroics, the 
shiny-ness of it all. And, of course, the idea of belief (or in this 
case, the suspension of disbelief), which is something that Pratchett 
comes back to in his work over and over. And that’s a beautiful thought 
to end this book on, in fact: If our beliefs create reality, then, in 
their own particular way, movies must be a little bit real. No matter 
how unreal they are from a purely scientific standpoint...the decision 
to have Gaspode go back to his old life once the Holy Wood magic wears 
off puts me in mind of a particular Hollywood choice that always 
infuriated me: If you’ve ever watched Breakfast at Tiffany’s, you know 
that there’s a very important cat which serves as a sort of metaphor: 
Holly Golightly insists that she doesn’t belong to the cat and he 
doesn’t belong to her, signaling her determination to refuse roots and 
stability in her life. The film ends with her having a breakdown over 
the idea of letting the cat go; she is forced to admit to her lover that 
she does want a committed relationship, the same way she wants to keep 
the cat. Thing is, if you’ve ever read the Truman Capote novella that 
the film is based on, you know that’s not how the story goes. In the 
book, Holly sticks to her belief that she and the cat don’t belong to 
each other… and unsurprisingly, she and narrator do not end up happily 
ever after together. The point being that Pratchett has, quite 
pointedly, provided a perfect breaking point in the Holy Wood magic in 
Gaspode's reversion. Gaspode goes back to a life where he belongs to 
himself, and is largely content with that fact. The parallels are 
striking here, at least to my brain..."

https://www.tor.com/2021/07/09/terry-pratchett-book-club-moving-pictures-part-v/

Part one of Reaper Man;

"The thing that’s great about Reaper Man as a second book about Death is 
that where Mort was about the idea of Death having a family, Reaper Man 
is essentially a book about Death as a broad-reaching concept that 
permeates every facet of reality. Everything dies, and all sentient 
creatures are aware of that fact, and that knowledge holds a constant, 
niggling spot in our consciousness (or subconscious). So this book is 
devoted to considering the many different ways that we talk and think 
about and personify Death. Which is sort of like Pratchett taking a 
flashlight to the back of his own skull, really... The Bursar’s aside 
remembering Hogswatch Eve is, of course, extremely ironic to read if you 
know what’s coming for Death down the line—but moreover, it lays the 
groundwork for Hogfather effortlessly. (I’m guessing because Hogfather 
wasn’t conceived yet; I’d imagine that this aside got written and then 
earmarked for later as something to expound upon, et voilà.) We’re 
rounding the corner on one of Pratchett’s central pieces of mythos as an 
author and a thinker, how humans catalogue and construct rules and 
meanings to order reality, and how that is probably more relevant to 
human experience than anything else about us. Recognizing this link 
between waiting for the Hogfather and waiting for Death to arrive is key 
string linking these thoughts together..."

https://www.tor.com/2021/07/16/terry-pratchett-book-club-reaper-man-part-i/

Part two:

"I think that Terry Pratchett is an incredible writer or I wouldn’t be 
here doing this. He has created created a literal world full of stories 
and characters that many people love the world over, and so many of 
those tales are worth recounting and sharing and dissecting. But the 
Death books are always the ones that make me cry. There’s a certain 
obviousness about that, I suppose, because the character is designed in 
such a way that he confronts most of life’s biggest questions and 
conundrums and hardships. In effect, Pratchett’s Death stories are 
always about life and the meaning we infuse it with. Death stories are 
about the little things that mean everything in our specifically human 
view. They are also largely as philosophical, as sentimental, even 
arguably as religious as Pratchett ever gets. And I say that because I 
truly do believe that many fantasy authors create their own versions of 
faith through their writing, and in some ways, I think that Death is who 
Pratchett believes in. I think he proves it over and over again with 
these books, and there’s something deeply personal about that. I suppose 
I also wonder if Death is really the closest we get to Pratchett’s 
heart... One of the other ways that Death stories function is via their 
ability to take note of the many ways that most humans bog down their 
lives in vagaries and social rules that on the surface make no sense at 
all. Death devotes a considerable amount of time to trying to glean what 
people actually mean beneath what they’re saying..."

https://www.tor.com/2021/07/23/terry-pratchett-book-club-reaper-man-part-ii/

Part three:

"I do appreciate from the worldbuilding standpoint that Pratchett 
explains, even in the vaguest terms, that people can share or give away 
life to others, even if he doesn’t explain how or why. Just to make 
sense of little Sal existing jointly on Death’s hourglass, even a 
little. It doesn’t take much! Things don’t always need to be 
over-explained, just given enough space on the page to make it clear 
that the author isn’t ignoring it... While Windle and his Fresh Start 
pals are supposed to get more focus in the narrative due to being an 
allegory for minority rights groups (which sort of works? But is also 
kinda pointless here?), I’m afraid I’m stuck on Ridcully and the wizards 
deciding that destroying a compost heap makes them “mean” now, and that 
promptly backfiring as their curse words come to life..."

https://www.tor.com/2021/07/30/terry-pratchett-book-club-reaper-man-part-iii/

...and to finish, part four:

"I do like Windle’s arc in the story, and the idea that a person might 
find their “people” and purpose even after their life has ended. We 
really can’t know when things will find us, the defining moments, 
actions, and people who will make them up. And sometimes it happens 
after you’d prefer it—I remember feeling unbearably lonely while 
studying abroad and suddenly finding a great group of friends in my last 
few weeks there, while doing an archaeological dig. Was it sad that it 
happened so late in the game? Of course. Would I have traded those weeks 
for anything? Absolutely not. Sometimes the important bits are fleeting, 
or come in right at the end, and that’s not a bad thing. It’s just a 
weird facet of life and time. I think a lot, as a reader and a writer, 
about how time affects story. People have said that “happily ever after” 
is all about when you end a tale, and that’s certainly true, but there’s 
a bigger issue at work here—that when you widen your scope (whether 
through distance or time), you can see how small any given story really 
is. It’s a drop in the bucket, every time, no matter how dire the 
stakes, no matter how many fates held in the balance. Sometimes 
expanding that scope too far can make the smaller stories feel… not 
necessarily meaningless so much as baffling. You get the reminder that 
you’ve invested a great deal of brainspace, energy, even love, into 
something quite tiny..."

3.6 THE MERCH CORNER

Shiny things! Lovely necklaces based on the Tiffany Aching series, all 
now back in stock!

* Tiffany's Hare necklace!

"The hare measures 50mm across, chain length 18ins. Designed exclusively 
for Discworld.com by Tom Lynall. Now redesigned and looking absolutely 
stunning, the hare has leaped back into stock just in time for the 
launch of The Shepherd’s Crown. A breathtaking reproduction of Tiffany’s 
hare necklace, this elegant boxed necklace is available in both silver 
and gold plate. The perfect gift for all would-be witches."

Each gold necklace is priced at £55. Each silver necklace is priced at 
£45. For more info, and to order, go to:

https://discworld.com/products/hare-pendants/

* Tiffany's White Horse necklace!

"This is an absolutely stunning piece of sterling silver jewellery and 
is a faithful reproduction of the pendant worn by Tiffany Aching in A 
Hat Full of Sky. This piece is based on Paul Kidby’s original design. 
The horse measures 55 tail to head, chain 18 inches. Designed 
exclusively for Discworld.com by Tom Lynall."

Each White Horse necklace is priced at £45. For more info, and to order, 
go to:

https://bit.ly/3yWbxFP

* The Shepherd's Crown necklace!

"Celebrate the conclusion of her journey with this beautiful necklace, 
featuring ornate hand-crafted charms, each representing elements from 
the Tiffany Aching series. A finely detailed silver shepherd’s crown, a 
gold plated honey bee and a delicate blue stone, mounted in silver, 
representing the flowers and butterflies of the chalk."

Each Shepherd's Crown necklace is priced at £60. For more info, and to 
order, go to:

https://bit.ly/3slvkfi

3.7 BRITAIN'S REACTION TO "THE WATCH"

Yes, The Watch finally aired on its home ground, so to speak. Here be a 
representative review, by James Walton for The Spectator:

"Science-fiction drama The Watch is a BBC production with quite a starry 
cast (Anna Chancellor and James Fleet among them) and an 
expensive-looking steam-punk set. It was broadcast in America earlier 
this year and has been on iPlayer for a few weeks. So why has it taken 
until now for it to appear on BBC2 — and in the traditionally quiet TV 
month of August? After seeing the first two episodes on Thursday, it 
wasn’t hard to form a hypothesis: because it’s terrible. The show is 
loosely based on characters created by Terry Pratchett — which cunningly 
ensures that it’ll have a ready-made audience of Pratchett fans and, 
less cunningly, that they’ll hate it for the liberties it takes. But 
even for those of us who don’t know our Pratchett so well, The Watch is 
an obvious mess: clumsy in its storytelling and tonally all over the 
place, with an uneasy mix of solemnity and mostly feeble jokes. Above 
all, Richard Dormer’s central performance is an eye-popping, 
eyebrow-wiggling, head-swivelling, neck-stretching display of hamminess 
rarely seen on screen since the days of James Finlayson in Laurel and 
Hardy..."

https://bit.ly/3g8J2gC

3.8 STORMS, TEACUPS, AND WHAT THE AUTHOR NEVER SAID

A long and insightful essay by Pratchett biographer Marc Burrows in The 
New Statesman:

"Pratchett’s name was invoked after a Twitter user went viral on 30 July 
for claiming that 'the GCs' (Gender Criticals – a name adopted by those 
arguing against some trans rights on the basis of biological sex) “are 
trying to recruit Terry Pratchett posthumously”. The Gender Criticals’ 
argument seemed to be that Pratchett’s down-to-earth style and 
indomitable and expertly drawn female characters suggest the author 
would have been sympathetic to their views... I revisited all 60 of his 
novels and read hundreds of articles and interviews when researching my 
biography of Terry Pratchett. Even with all of that swimming around my 
head I wouldn’t dream of second guessing his views on this issue, and 
not just because predicting the opinions of someone who has been dead 
for six years is a fairly pointless exercise. The way he approached 
social issues in his books evolved over time... Indeed, many of his 
jokes and stories take aim at PC culture, like the “Campaign For Equal 
Heights” that advocates for rights for dwarves and gnomes but is mostly 
run by over-earnest humans, or the undead activist Reg Shoe, who goes to 
cemeteries to beg his fellow corpses to “not take it lying down”. Back 
on Earth, rather than the Discworld, the teenage protagonists of 1993’s 
Johnny and the Dead struggle to make sense of a world where acceptable 
language is always changing: “you're not allowed to call them dinosaurs 
anymore,” says one. “You have to call them pre-petroleum persons”. And 
yet, as Pratchett’s writing became more sophisticated, the analogies and 
ideas became more nuanced... We cannot know Pratchett’s views on the 
gender wars, but we can assume they would be insightful, compassionate 
and wise. He knew that people were nuanced and complicated, messy and 
changeable, that there are no simple answers, no meaning of life..."

https://bit.ly/3m8EPgR

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

04) DISCWORLD PLAYS NEWS

4.1 FORTHCOMING PLAYS

*MORT IN SUBURBAN MELBOURNE, FOURECKS (SEPTEMBER 2021... OR NOT)

"How good is it to see Fourecksian Discworld productions getting back to 
normal?", it said here in the previous issue. But pandemic-related 
issues meant it had to be rescheduled to early September. However, with 
the current Greater Melbourne lockdown extended until at least 2nd 
September, things have changed once again. TryBooking still has tickets 
listed for Friday 10th September and Saturday 18th September but the 
links don't work, and Mort is not to be found amongst the Basin 
Theatre's current and forthcoming listings, so it seems likely that this 
production has been cancelled for now.

* CARPE JUGULUM IN BRISBANE (SEPTEMBER–NOVEMBER 2021)

Brisbane Arts Theatre is still set for their production of Carpe Jugulum 
to open next month... but again, in the current Delta outbreak, things 
can change rapidly.

"In this life there are givers and takers. It’s safe to say that 
vampires are very much in the latter camp... It’s common sense not to 
invite vampires into your home (unless you want a permanent house guest, 
that is) – however the King of Lancre has invited the city’s newest 
fanged residents to celebrate the birth of his daughter… and they have 
no intention of leaving… ever. As the residents of Lancre are about to 
discover – it’ll take a lot more than garlic and crucifixes to take back 
their home."

When: 11th September–6th November 2021
Venue: Brisbane Arts Theatre, 210 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane, Queensland 4000
Time: Fridays and Saturdays 8pm, select Thursdays 7:30pm, select Sundays 
6:30pm (check calendar when booking)
Tickets: $36 (concessions/groups $29, Student Rush $16; $2 transaction 
fee applies), available online via 
https://aubat.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/5866

https://www.artstheatre.com.au/productions/carpe-jugulum/

* MURDER IN ANKH-MORPORK IN ABINGDON (NOVEMBER 2021)

Stephen Briggs' new Discworld play is finally on the cards to be staged! "

The principal city on Discworld is protected by the multiverse's most 
diverse police force. But a new threat is emerging - the Disc's first 
and only firearm. The Gonne. Terry's friend and collaborator, Stephen 
Briggs, got special permission to put together an affectionate mash-up 
incorporating characters and bits from Guards! Guards!, Thud! and Feet 
of Clay, woven respectfully into the core plot of Men at Arms.

"16 November 2021 marks 50 years of Terry as a published author. By a 
delightful coincidence, the revised dates for our delayed Discworld play 
– MURDER IN ANKH-MORPORK – are the same week as that anniversary. 'The 
Carpet People' was published on 16 November 1971. And on 17-20 November 
2021, we will be staging a celebration of Terry's work – featuring some 
of his best-loved characters – the Ankh-Morpork's City Watch. We are 
delighted that the show will be officially sponsored by Terry's Estate."

When: 17th – 20th November 2021
Venue: Unicorn Theatre, Checker Walk, Abingdon OX14 3JB
Time: evening performances at 19.30, plus a 14.30 matinee on Saturday
20th November
Tickets: £12, available for purchase from 14th September – keep an eye
here for details!

https://www.studiotheatreclub.com/murder-in-ankh-morpork

* WYRD SISTERS IN ADELAIDE (NOVEMBER 2021)

The Unseen Theatre is planning another Pratchett production! This time 
it's a return to Wyrd Sisters, with performances scheduled for 
17th,18th,19th, 20th, 24th, 25th, 26th and 27th November 2021. However, 
please note that due to the ongoing Delta outbreak, it's worth waiting 
to see what happens...

unseen.com.au

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

05) DISCWORLD MEETING GROUPS NEWS

Remember, one day, possibly in the not too distant future, Discworld 
fans will be able to meet in the real Roundworld again. So keep this 
information handy! Also note there are a few updates below... 
[Confession: I've no idea if any of this is up to date. Will try to 
determine if I can manage it – Ed.]

A new Fourecksian meeting group joins the gang: the Purdeigh Islanders, 
based in Hobart, Tasmania. "Purdeigh (or Purdee) Island lies hubwards of 
Fourecks. Roundworld islanders are fans of the great Sir Terry Pratchett 
resident in Tasmania, the island state of Australia."

The Purdeigh Islanders is a private group. To join in, go to their 
Facebook page and see if they'll have you!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/205967619882683/

*

The Broken Drummers, "London's Premier Unofficially Official Discworld 
Group"
BrokenDrummers at gmail.com or nicholls.helen at yahoo.co.uk or join their 
Facebook group at https://bit.ly/2YrPGW7

NOTE: the Drummers are still meeting occasionally via Zoom. Check out 
the above link for updates!

*

Drumknott's Irregulars
Facebook https://bit.ly/31FlSrq or Google Groups 
https:groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/drumknotts-irregulars or join us 
at our next event."

*

The Victorian Discworld Klatch
https://www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch

*

"The Gathering of the Loonies (Wincanton chapter)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/373578522834654/

*

The Pratchett Partisans
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/ or contact Ula 
directly at uwilmott at yahoo.com.au

*

The City of Small Gods
www.cityofsmallgods.org.au

"What are we doing while we're stuck at home due to COVID-19? Given that 
our normal social gatherings can't happen while everyone's under 
lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are instead trying to host 
regular activities and discussions online. Most of these will be done 
via our Discord Server – https://discord.gg/3RVzsyJ – which has several 
text chat channels and a few voice chat channels as well. We will still 
use our Facebook group – https://facebook.com/groups/cityofsmallgods – 
to coordinate scheduled events. When things get back to normal... 
(semi-) regular social meetings are generally held on the last Thursday 
of the month at a pub or restaurant in Adelaide. We have dinner at 
6.30pm followed by games until 9pm.

"We'll try to keep this page up to date (no promises!) but always check 
emails on the mailing list or our Facebook Group for further details of 
these events."


*

The Broken Vectis Drummers
broken_vectis_drummers at yahoo.co.uk

*

The Wincanton Omnian Temperance Society (WOTS) meets at Wincanton's 
famous Bear Inn when social gatherings are possible.

*

The Northern Institute of the Ankh-Morpork and District Society of 
Flatalists normally meet at The Narrowboat Pub in Victoria Street, 
Skipton, North Yorkshire, Details of future meetings are posted on the 
Events section of the Discworld Stamps forum: 
http://www.discworldstamps.co.uk/forum/

*

Sydney now hosts two groups of fans who meet on a regular basis.

In the CBD, The Mended Drummers (Sydney) meet on the first Monday of 
each month at Albion Place Hotel from 6.00pm. Join the Facebook Group – 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/downunderdrummers/ – for more information.

And over in the western suburbs of Sydney you can find the Western 
Drummers who meet on the third Tuesday of each month at the Nepean 
Rowers Club from 6pm. Join their Facebook Group – 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/100376433635355/ – for more information.

All we do is chat over a few drinks, with subjects ranging far and wide, 
have a Discworld themed quiz and generally enjoy the company of fellow 
discworld fans.  Sometimes we end up getting together for a Zombie Walk, 
table top games or Supanova - nothing formal, just a loose group of like 
minded people.

Editor's note: If either of these supersedes the Sydney Drummers, please 
let Wossname know! Still posting the original for now: Sydney Drummers 
(formerly Drummers Downunder)
Contact Sue (aka Granny Weatherwax): kenworthys at yahoo.co.uk

*

The Treacle Mining Corporation, formerly known as Perth Drummers 
https://bit.ly/2EKSCqu – or message Alexandra Ware directly at 
<alexandra.ware at gmail.com>

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

06) ROUNDWORLD TALES: NATION'S NAVIGATION

Wayfinding – the use of homemade sea charts constructed of sticks, 
leaves, shells, pebbles and similar materials to aid long-ago Pacific 
peoples to find their way from island to island – would have been the 
navigation aid of choice for Mau's people in Nation. We "trousermen" 
find our way using maps and compasses (and these days, GPS), but 
Polynesian wayfinders were navigating with precision by the movements of 
waves, wind, skies and seabirds over 3,000 years ago, to discover and 
settle more than 1,000 scattered islands across the Polynesian Triangle 
between New Zealand, Hawaii and Easter Island. With the coming of 
European colonialism, wayfinding was suppressed and eventually almost 
lost as a branch of knowledge; but in modern times, it's experienced a 
resurgence – and one of the most famous traditional wayfinders was 
called – wait for it – Mau!

The Marshallese, or people of Majol, used stick charts for navigation. 
These charts were first described to Europeans by the missionary LH 
Gulick: "These maps consist of small sticks tied together in straight or 
curved lines, intended to represent the currents or waves to be met, 
while the islands are to be found at certain points where these lines 
meet." But the Marshallese stick charts are more of an illustration of 
the interaction between ocean and land than a set map. According to 
anthropologist Adrienne Kaeppler, curved sticks indicate where swells go 
around an island, while short straight ones indicate currents near those 
islands, which are represented by cowrie shells. Unlike the maps and 
compasses that accompanied European sailors, these stick charts weren't 
taken on voyages; rather, they were used to tutor sailors on land, to be 
memorised before they began their voyages. According to the Marshallese, 
there are four main types of ocean swells: rilib, kaelib, bungdockerik 
and bundockeing. Each type represents a different effect of the 
interaction between land and sea and was shown on stick charts by 
different shapes and lengths of sticks and leaves.

The modern resurgence of traditional wayfinding began in 1976 with the 
successful voyage of traditional Polynesian waʻa kaulua (a double-hulled 
sailing canoe) "Hokule'a" from Hawaii to Tahiti, a journey of nearly 
4,000 kilometres that was accomplished without any modern charts or 
devices. Some 17,000 Tahitians, over half of the island's population, 
waited on the beach and cheered as Hokule‘a entered Pape'ete harbour, 
and the world was awed by this dramatic demonstration of the accuracy of 
wayfinding. Mentoring the twelve-strong crew on their journey was Mau 
Piailug, a master wayfinder from the Micronesian atoll of Satawal, whose 
grandfather taught him the arts of wayfinding when the young Mau could 
barely walk. Mau also helped to add one important modern touch to 
traditional wayfinding: not long before his death, more than thirty 
years after the first voyage of Hokule‘a, he gave assent – as the elder 
of all wayfinders – to the tradition-breaking change of accepting women 
to be trained as wayfinders. In 2022, Hokule‘a will attempt to navigate 
the entire Pacific Ocean, a voyage expected to last for six years and 
cover more than 65,000 kilometres – and the navigator will be a woman 
called Tamiko Fernelius. I think Nation's Mau would approve!

Sources: Smithsonian Magazine, Manoa, BBC, Wikipedia

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

07) AROUND THE BLOGOSPHERE

Blogger Alex aka frankfiction's thoughts on Mort:

"Up until now, Death has been described in the Discworld series as 
dedicated to his job, sarcastic, a little mean, and professional to a 
fault. Death prides himself on his personal service, but everyone is 
terrified of him. No one wants to die, and no one wants to see Death 
come for them. Mort is the first Discworld novel centered on this 
beloved anthropomorphic personification and the crushing loneliness he 
feels because no one ever wants him around or invites him to parties. 
This book gave me so many feelings because, while Pratchett is always 
good-natured in his descriptions of difficult topics, Death’s feelings 
were incredibly relatable. So much so that this book gutted me and I 
cried at the bittersweet ending... This story is just so perfectly 
rounded in every way. The narrative fits neatly within three hundred 
pages, flows well, none of the sections are forced, and there is genuine 
tension with regards to what will happen at the end. While I also wanted 
to know the ending of Pratchett’s other three novels, this story was the 
first where I felt that things probably wouldn’t work out for all the 
characters. Something was going to go wrong, and I didn’t know who was 
going to get the worst of it..."

https://frankfiction.blog/2021/08/07/mort/

Blogger Haley's The Long War four out of five stars:

"I found this book to be very reminiscent of titles of Jules Verne. Most 
of the story is about exploring and documentation of what is observed 
and that reminds me of The Mysterious Island or 20,000 Leagues Under the 
Sea. Just like these titles, the novel is very back-to-basics Sci-Fi, 
which is refreshing given the complexities of modern Sci-Fi novels. It 
would be easy for the story to be muddied as they are traveling through 
millions of worlds, but Pratchett and Baxter are able to connect 
everything seamlessly, even with two different writing styles. The 
characters overall are relatable and you get invested in their journey 
but the real star of the book is the world building aspect. I kept 
thinking about Minecraft while reading this and imagining what I would 
build on each world and what resources there would be... Something that 
I was a little disappointed with was the lack of war considering that it 
is in the title. I found myself with only a few pages left wondering 
when the conflict would take place. In the end it turned out to be more 
about the threat of war and tension that really lead the story. Perhaps 
there will be a large conflict later on in the series, but I would have 
liked to see how battle would have taken place when everyone could just 
step to the next world when they were in danger. Overall, it is a solid 
Sci-Fi read with great visual descriptions..."

https://fablestorynovel.com/2021/08/02/the-long-war-by-terry-pratchett-and-stephen-baxter/

Blogger Sam Hope's review of Equal Rites features thoughts about the use 
of magic in fantasy and games:

"Being one of the earlier Discworld books, there are still quite a lot 
of things that are a bit out of sync with the rest of the series. The 
use of magic is much more present and flashy than in later books, with 
Granny and the Archchancellor of the Unseen University having a full on 
transforming magical duel, in the style of The Sword in the Stone, but 
some of the fundamentals of how magic, and the world at large, works are 
still present... Wizards, as per traditional fantasy tropes, tend to 
like flashy displays of magic. This often includes ritual chanting, arm 
waving, and specific words in order to obtain some loud noise or 
visually dazzling effect that allows them to show of their magical 
skills in style. You can summon a demon with three milliliters of mouse 
blood and two sticks, but if you’re not going to put in the effort with 
the pentagrams, dribbly candles, and weird smells, what’s the point? ... 
Witches are pragmatists, willing to put in the hard boring work needed 
to do things by magic. This is one of my most treasured aspects of the 
Discworld: the mundane is magical, but more importantly, magic is 
mundane. Being a witch is a job, and its not always glamorous. You might 
be standing on the edge between worlds, stopping the world being invaded 
by otherworldly beings, but that doesn’t mean that you’ll get any 
prestige out of it or be hailed as heroes. In a world of high fantasy, 
why would they? We are no longer amazed by electricity when we turn on a 
light, why would someone from the Discworld be particularity impressed 
by someone casting a spell? They might fear to play with magic due to 
lack of knowledge, in the same way we rely on electricians rather than 
trying to wire our own houses, but it remains just a job..."

https://bit.ly/3AQFJCG

Blogger Hedwig is back with a review of Men at Arms:

"Men At Arms sees the expansion of the Night Watch at an attempt to be 
more inclusive. What we end up with is a troll named Detritus, a dwarf 
named Cuddy and Angua, a young woman (in appearance). Vimes is on his 
way to retirement, due to marry Lady Sybill Ramkin in a matter of days 
and the mood in the air is something usually totally foreign to Ankh 
Morpork; change. Things are changing and change usually brings people 
causing problems. A constant discussion through the book is how the 
Watch and just in Discworld as a whole, approaches matters of racial 
inequality. This is usually delivered between the conflict between 
Trolls and Dwarves that just seems to exist because it has for years and 
the subtle digs towards the community of the undead and trolls over all 
in particular. To be fair to Pratchett, he did write this in 1993, a 
long way from the jaded ‘creatures as inserts for discussions of racism’ 
conversation today. But the message is still clear, the Disc has 
prejudice the same as ours. And I do think it’s dealt with in in an 
interesting way... Many of the too real moments tended to center around 
Vimes himself. I was really taken aback at how much the mirror was 
turned on him this time. It’s very clear in the previous novel that he 
is trying to deal with a lot of his own issues by drinking through it, 
grunting and generally staying away from confronting anything... I could 
go on forever about the wonderful points it makes, from the sexism Angua 
has to handle and her own hidden identity, to the critique of weaponry 
and how it corrupts honest and decent people but I think I’ve made my 
point. This book is fantastic..."

https://bit.ly/2VTBrvS

...and blogger Tegan Stevenson returns with thoughts on Moving Pictures:

"This book was pretty unexpected and it had a weird sense of order in 
the chaos that unfolded. Sometimes the plot of a Discworld book feels 
like an idea was thrown at the imagined world just to see what would 
stick, in the same way that someone could throw spaghetti at a window 
and see the smudges of tomato sauce that’s left behind (weird metaphor, 
I know). I love this, by the way, and Moving Pictures was definitely 
sort of smudgy in the best way... Moving Pictures is a very Discworld 
tale where reality and imagination meets. Then reality and imagination 
fight it out until there’s only one left standing. That doesn’t 
necessarily mean the same thing as winning... The story can also be 
hilarious, particularly when Victor recognises the ridiculousness of 
what is happening around him. There is a whole cast of characters who 
don’t have a lot in common except that they are all drawn to Holy Wood. 
Money, power, discovery, vanity… there are a whole host of reasons why 
someone might want to be in the business of moving pictures and I think 
that this book shows that..."

https://bit.ly/2W1FTs4

Also returning, blogger Feminist Quill's review of Witches Abroad is 
marginally less idiosyncratic than some of her others:

"Pratchett delights in upending tropes and shaking them until all the 
loose change falls out. And this is essentially the approach he took 
toward parody in Wyrd Sisters. I will never look at Macbeth the same way 
again. In Witches Abroad, he takes on the entire Grimm’s universe while 
snarkily commenting on the quirks of the English tourist. It’s a 
slightly weird perspective to read about. The haughty demeanour of the 
witches as they wander around in foreign countries, refusing to 
understand or comply with local traditions gets a little annoying when 
the word “imperialism” insists on constantly floating up to the surface 
of my brain. The witches excel at not using magic – just as the wizards 
do. This is a point that is drilled into each and every one of the 
Discworld books – unlike most YA or Fantasy books, the magic of the 
Discworld is secondary to Pratchett’s musings on humanity. And while 
this point is very much present in Witches Abroad, Pratchett’s line of 
philosophical inquiry is extended here to the powers of stories and 
storytelling, and to the concept of knowing oneself. On one level, it’s 
a slightly ironic take for a professional storyteller to have. On a 
deeper level, it’s incredibly poetic..."

https://bit.ly/3m81rhz

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

08) IMAGES OF THE MONTH

The Author raises a hat! Photo uncredited, but presumably either by 
Junior or the Wilkins:
https://bit.ly/37OZZbK

Dedicated fan Robert Armour at the end of his "pilgrimage" to the 
Ankh-Morpork Consulate:
https://bit.ly/2Xz8AgL

An absolutely magical Lego Vimes, created by Finnish Lego artist Eero 
Okkonen:
https://bit.ly/3ANyPON

Editor's note: if you want to know more about how Mr Okkonen created 
this figure, his blogpost reveals all:
https://bit.ly/3xSwWOX

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

09) CLOSE

Remember, the new Collector's Edition of Clacks can be ordered now! For 
more info, and to preorder, go to: https://bit.ly/2UsvEMq

And that's it for this issue, and for Wossname for a little while. I'll 
be taking a mental health break until we're closer to Hogswatch, but 
remember, any time-dependent news will make its way to the Wossname 
blog. And my thanks go to the various Wossname readers who Clacksmailed 
me to offer support and encouragement!

More than ever, mind how you go, and we hope to see you in a couple of 
months...

– Annie Mac

This issue can be viewed on the Clacks at 
https://wossname.dreamwidth.org/82419.html

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

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