Discworld Monthly Issue 232 August 2016
Table of Contents:
1. Editorial
2. News
3. Upcoming Book Releases
4. August Events
5. Future Events
6. Recurring Monthly Fan Meetings
7. Readers' Letters
8. DiscTrivia
9. Once the wizzard Rincewind camped by a billabong
10. Small Gods - Graphic Novel Competition
11. Mort - Folio Society Edition Review
12. What I did on my Holidays - Irish Discworld Convention Competition Winner
13. The Shepherd's Crown - Paperback Competition Result
14. The End
1. Editorial
Welcome to issue 232. August is going to be a busy month for us. We are going to London for the Small Gods Graphic Novel signing on the 6th August, to Wadfest on the 12th-14th August, visiting Cardiff to see Going Postal on the 19th August and then we are going to the 2016 Discworld Convention from 26th-29th August. So we are not sure exactly when we'll get a chance to write next month's issue! But it's going to be a blast.
Wadfest the sci-fi camping weekend created by long term Discworld fan Waddy needs your help. A huge price increase from the site means that if he doesn't sell 100 additional tickets in the next week Waddy will cancel Wadfest 2016.
The announcement made on 27th July can be found at www.facebook.com/OfficialWadfest/
Personally we really hope Wadfest isn't cancelled this year. We've been going to the event for years and have really enjoyed it. Please take a look at the Wadfest site (www.wadfest.co.uk) and see what has happened in the past and consider booking your tickets.
Wadfest is a family friendly camping event loosely themed on Sci-fi and fantasy. It features activities for the younger members such as smack the penguin and vehicles of mass destruction (a dry boat type race), a zombie game played with Nerf guns for kids of all ages, a charity auction, a Rocky Horror Trivia Quiz and a talent show. It even features on the Friday night a cocktail party with a difference.
Long term supporter of Discworld Monthly Elaine Boot (who you may remember organised a Nottingham Mini-meet for Discworld fans) is doing a memory walk to raise money for Alzheimer's Society in memory of Terry Pratchett. Elaine says "I am doing the memory walk because I would like to see a world without dementia."
In memory of Terry Pratchett, Nottingham Memory Walk, Wollaton Park, 10 Sep 2016
www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Elaine-Boot
We thought it would be nice if we could all help Elaine smash the 150GBP target that she has set herself. Elaine doesn't know this is in the newsletter we thought it would be a nice surprise and a way of thanking her for still "being more Terry".
Discworld Monthly is a fan run volunteer organisation that is partially funded by online sales of our fully licensed and authorised products. Please take a look at our range of pin badges, keyrings, fridge magnets, car "cling" stickers, mugs and mouse mats at: discworldmonthly.co.uk/shop
All profits are used to pay for prizes, postage, travel expenses, web site fees, domain renewals and various sundry costs that we have to cover to keep everything going.
Don't forget that as we hit 2000 followers on Twitter in July we are offering a discount code TW2000 that runs until 5th August. This code, which you can enter on the cart page, will give you a 50p discount on any order over 5 GBP excluding postage and packaging.
Want to ensure you get all the latest news direct from Discworld Monthly between issues? Then visit the Discworld Monthly Facebook page and hit the "Like" button. The page is an announcement-only page and is always the first place we post new information.
www.facebook.com/DiscworldMonthly
We include all our back issues on our website at discworldmonthly.co.uk where you can also find Terry Pratchett quotes, a full bibliography and links to articles we have written over the years.
If you visit a play or a talk and would like to let the world know about it, please feel free to email your review to info@discworldmonthly.co.uk and we will consider it for publication.
Also if you have written an article that you think we might want to include in the newsletter please feel free to email us at the address below. We will of course give credit for anything we use.
Please let us have any submissions for issue 233 of Discworld Monthly BEFORE Tuesday 23rd August 2016.
- Jason Anthony (Editor and Wizzard) info@discworldmonthly.co.uk
- William Barnett (Deputy Editor / Proofreader)
- Rachel Rowlands (News Hound / Feature writer)
- Amy Simmonds (Artist in Residence)
- Richard Massey (Damp Camp Master)
2. News
On 19th July 2016 the Jim Henson company announced that it has partnered up with Narrativia to develop "Wee Free Men" as a feature film.
The adaptation will be written by Rhianna Pratchett and produced by Brian Henson. Rhianna Pratchett, Rob Wilkins and Rob Brown of Narrativia and Vince Raisa of Jim Henson Company will serve as executive producers. Wee Free Men is a co-production between The Jim Henson Company and Narrativia.
"As a family owned company, we fully understand the importance of legacy properties," said Brian Henson, Chairman of The Jim Henson Company. "The Discworld series is a richly developed world with devoted fans, myself included, and there is no one better than Rhianna to bring Terry's beloved project to life on the big screen."
narrativia.com/wee-free-men-announcement.html
The Long Cosmos Review Round Up (new reviews since issue 231) * WARNING * The following reviews may contain spoilers...
The Independent - discworldmonthly.co.uk/uid/818
The Telegraph - discworldmonthly.co.uk/uid/819
The Guardian describes the paperback of the final Discworld novel, The Shepherd's Crown, as 'one of the most poignant and thought-provoking, not to mention fitting, send-offs' at: discworldmonthly.co.uk/uid/820
Ray Friesen, the illustrator and writer of the Small Gods graphic novel, will be signing copies of the graphic novel at Forbidden Planet in London on August 6th between 4 and 5pm.
discworldmonthly.co.uk/uid/822
News from Lady Sybil:
I have the latest issue of Locus in front of me, which is the July 2016 issue. The Locus Awards are the result of a readers' poll, some subscribers but most purchasers of the magazine, to the tune of 951 ballots, most sent in online. The Shepherd's Crown won the Young Adult category with a lead of 500 points over the next book, but according to their system, as a first-place vote gets 8 points, the number of points is much larger than the number of individual ballots, which was 242 votes, with the next book scoring 184 votes.
Readers may also like to know that "Black Dog" by Neil Gaiman won Best Novelette, and Trigger Warning, his new collection of short stories, won the Best Collection category.
The Nebula Awards were presented in Chicago over the weekend of May 12-15th [not 12th-14th April as stated in a previous DWM]. Terry had been given the special Solstice Award, and Rob was there to accept it. I quote from Locus July 2016:
"Jodi Lynn Nye presented the Solstice Award to Sir Terry Pratchett (posthumously) saying, "His books are filled with absurd fun, but at the heart of them ...is warmth and understanding of the human condition. In other words, he knows how silly we are, and he loves us anyway."Pratchett's friend and assistant Rob Wilkins accepted, saying "he sends his apologies. He's in a very fine dinner party right now with God and David Bowie." He thanked Cat Rambo [president] and the SFWA board and quoted Pratchett: "A man is not dead while his words are still spoken, while his name is still spoken." Rob then read Pratchett's poem, "An Ode to Multiple Universes". He dedicated the award to Pratchett, as well as to Jerry Davis, who "also succumbed to Alzheimer's Disease".
The Long Cosmos came into the Top 50 at no. 37, issue dated 8th July, having sold over 4,470 copies. This made it no. 1 in the original fiction bestsellers. However, by the following week it had dropped to no.3 having sold a further 2,550 copies, and had fallen out of the Top 50.
The Shepherd's Crown in paperback featured in the Children's and Young Adult fiction top ten throughout June, getting up to no. 3 and selling several thousand a week.
3. Upcoming Book Releases
* UK Releases *
Small Gods the Graphic Novel will be released on Thursday 28th July in the UK. It will have 144 pages and be published by Doubleday. See our very positive review of it in issue 231.
www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0857522965/87
The OFFICIAL DISCWORLD COLOURING BOOK by Paul Kidby. Each and every drawing in the book had been painstakingly recreated by Paul Kidby. Paul had to rationalise each picture to choose which lines to include and which to discard. Paul estimates that each illustration takes around 60 hours to convert.
The book is due for release on the 11th August 2016. It will have 96 pages of glorious Paul Kidby illustrations for you to colour in and enjoy.
It will be published by Gollancz / Orion and it's ISBN details are:
ISBN-10: 1473217474
ISBN-13: 978-1473217478
The book will measure 15 x 21 cm and will be 2.2cm thick.
It has an RRP of 9.99GBP.
/books_stpdiscworldcolouringbook.php
Terry Pratchett's Calendar 2017 illustrated by the late Josh Kirby will be released in the UK on the 18th August 2016.
www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1473218101/87
The Witch's Vacuum Cleaner (a collection of 14 short stories written by Terry as a young man) will be released on 25th August 2016 (the day before the Discworld Convention). The slipcase edition will feature an additional story.
/books_thewitchsvacuumcleaner.php
The Terry Pratchett Diary by Terry Pratchett and The Discworld Emporium should be published on 13th October 2016. It will be a perennial diary full of remembrances and tributes from some of those that loved him and his extraordinary body of work. With an introduction by Rhianna Pratchett and an afterword from Rob Wilkins.
ISBN-10: 1473208335
ISBN-13: 9781473208339
Transworld are continuing with the Discworld Collector's Library of hardbacks with covers by Joe McLaren. By popular demand, Transworld will expand the collection to include all the adult Discworld novels.
The first four novels will be released on 20th October 2016. We have uploaded an album of the new covers at: discworldmonthly.co.uk/uid/808
The Fifth Elephant (464 pages) www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/085752416X/87
The Truth (448 pages) www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0857524178/87
The Last Continent (416 pages) www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0857524143/87
Carpe Jugulum (416 pages) www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0857524151/87
The four titles listed above should soon be available to pre-order. We believe the RRP for each title will be approximately 12.99 GBP.
Discworld.com have the titles available for pre-order for 20GBP each featuring an exclusive embossing of Terry's signature.
Discworld Emprorium have the titles available to pre-order for 12.99GBP each featuring an exclusive book plate.
We really hope they keep the size and format the same as the original Gollancz editions so that we, as fans, can have a complete set of Discworld novels in one consistent format.
The Carpet People (with Mark Beech cover) is due for release in paperback on 1st June 2017.
ISBN-10: 0552573361
ISBN-13: 9780552573368
Author Joanne Harris (via Twitter) has confirmed she has written a new introduction for Wyrd Sisters. We don't have a release date for this yet but we suspect it will be sometime in 2017.
It has been confirmed that the new paperback editions of Mort and Guards! Guards! we mentioned previously will now be released in 2017.
* Other releases *
Small Gods The Graphic Novel (International Release) is scheduled to be published on the 23rd August 2016.
discworldmonthly.co.uk/USISBN/0857522965
4. August Events
[UK] Paul Kidby has confirmed some of his art will be shown at Widdershins 2016 - Pathways to the Faerie Realm from 25th June 2016 - 27th August 2016.
The free exhibition will take place at Green Hill Arts, Fore Street,
Moretonhampstead, Newton Abbot, Devon, TQ13 8LL
discworldmonthly.co.uk/uid/797
[UK] July 23rd - Sept 18th 2016. Discworld and Beyond, Paul Kidby's touring exhibition, is going to spend the summer in Nuneaton Museum and Art Gallery (Riversley Park, Coton Rd, Nuneaton CV11 5TU).
[UK] Richmond Amateur Dramatic Society will be performing Wyrd Sisters from Thu 28th to Sat 30th July and Thu 4th Aug to Sat 6th Aug 2016 at The Georgian Theatre Royal. Performances start at 7.30pm and tickets cost from 6.50 GBP to 12.50 GBP. The theatre is located in the heart of Richmond, North Yorkshire.
Box office 01748 825252
tickets.georgiantheatreroyal.co.uk/public/show.asp
[UK] Chameleon's Web Theatre Company will be touring with Carpe Jugulum this August around Essex. Most performances are at outdoor venues.
FRI 5th AUGUST 6pm - The Amphitheatre, Promenade Park, Maldon, Essex
SAT 6th AUGUST 7pm - The Tollesbury Community Centre, Tollesbury, Essex (Indoor Venue)
SUN 7th AUGUST 6pm - Beth Chatto Gardens, Elmstead Market, Colchester.
SAT 13th AUGUST 5pm - The Whalebone, Fingringhoe, Essex
SUN 14th AUGUST 6pm - Dedham Vale Vineyard, Boxted, Colchester.
Tickets are available from www.ticketsource.co.uk/chameleonsweb
Telephone bookings - 0333 6663366 (local rate) 1.50 GBP booking fee includes P and P.
Tour Information Line - 0793 6067657
[UK] Wadfest 2016, the Science Fiction Camping Event, dates have been announced. The event entitled: "Putting on the Flicks: It came from Planet W" will take place from 12th - 14th August at Wood Green, The Animal Shelter, King's Bush Farm, London Road, Godmachester, Cambs. PE29 2NH
Adult camping tickets cost 25 GBP with junior tickets costing 1p when booked with an adult. Adult visitor tickets cost 15 GBP. Concessions are available for students / people on low income and cost 20 GBP each.
[UK] Duck in a Hat will be performing Tim Foster's adaptation of MORT at the Studio in Paradise at Augustines in Edinburgh for the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe festival from 15th -28th August 2016 (excluding the 21st)
Tickets cost 9.50 GBP (8 GBP concessions) available from discworldmonthly.co.uk/uid/814
duckinahat.weebly.com/mort.html
[UK] Monstrous Productions will be performing Going Postal from August 17th - 20th at the Gate Theatre in Cardiff, South Wales.
Tickets are 8 GBP (6 GBP concessions) and can be ordered from 7889269b08cd.fikket.com/
Monstrous Productions Theatre Company are a Cardiff-based theatre company that solely performs plays by Terry Pratchett to raise money for Alzheimer's Research UK
www.facebook.com/MonstrousProductionsTheatreCompany
[UK] The Discworld Convention 2016: The Band With Rocks In will take place in Chesford Grange Hotel, Warwick from 26th-29th August 2016.
The event sold out in a matter of days when tickets first became available. Though the con have been running a waiting list for people still hoping to attend.
[UK, New] Greenbrook Methodist Theatre & Pantomime Groups will perform Wyrd Sisters from 31st August to 2nd September as adapted by Stephen Briggs.
Tickets: Adult 8GBP, Child 5GBP.
Tickets from Wendy (01282 426889) or Sandra (01282 429926)
www.burnleymethodists.org.uk/greenbrook.htm
5. Future Events
[Australia, Updated] Guards! Guards! Will be performed in Brisbane, Australia from 8th October - 12 November 2016 by Brisbane Art Theatre.
Tickets: 31 AUD Adults, 25 AUD Concessions. Group rate 10+ 25 AUD each, 75+ 20AUD each. Student rush 10 AUD (10 minutes before curtain up). Subscribers can redeem tickets for the show.
Tickets are available from: www.artstheatre.com.au/show/guardsguards
[UK, New] ACE Theatre Company will be performing Wyrd Sisters as adapted by Stephen Briggs on Thursday 20th and Friday 21st October 2016 at 7:30pm and Saturday 22nd October at 2:30pm and 7:30pm.
The location is the Chequer Mead theatre in East Grinstead.
Tickets: Evenings - 13GBP (concessions 11GBP) / Matinee - 11GBP (concessions 9GBP)
* Card transaction fee applies. *
Box Office 01342 302000
discworldmonthly.co.uk/uid/821
[New Zealand] Paeroa Little Theatre will be performing Mort (as adapted by Stephen Briggs) from November 9th to 18th 2016.
www.facebook.com/PaeroaLittleTheatre/
[UK] Bolton Little Theatre will be presenting "Wyrd Sisters" on 6th - 11th March 2017.
The address is Bolton Little Theatre, Hanover Street, Bolton BL1 4TG
discworldmonthly.co.uk/uid/788
[Germany] All the Witches and denizens of the Chalk are invited to the 5th German Discworld Convention which will take place at Castle Ludwigstein from May 18th to 21st in 2017.
Tickets are available now: www.Discworld-Convention.de
[Netherlands] Cabbagecon 4 - July 2017
The Cabbagecon team is proud to announce a new edition of the one and only Dutch Discworld convention.
After visiting the Ankh-Morpork Assassins' Guild in 2015, we will team up with the Guild of Merchants to explore the great city of Ankh-Morpork some more in 2017.
Come and see the sights, meet the colourful city-dwellers, try the local food and, in general, experience the unique atmosphere of the Disc's most famous city. The Ankh-Morpork Guild of Merchants has gracefully agreed to provide a balanced and representative programme of activities to keep all visitors entertained.
Cabbagecon 4 will be held at the Hotel Carlton President in Utrecht on 1-2 July 2017.
Check out our new website at www.dutchdwcon.nl
[Australia] Announcing The Discworld Grand Tour 2017.
The Ankh-Morpork Tourism Board invites you to a journey of wonder, whimsy, and, er, wossname at *Nullus Anxietas VI - The Discworld Grand Tour - The Australian Discworld Convention.*
The Discworld Grand Tour will be held on 4th-6th August 2017 at the Lakes Resort Hotel, Adelaide, South Australia. This convention will be a way to escape on a luxurious trip to the Discworld to enjoy three (or four) fabulous days of fun and frivolity with your fellow fans of the late, great Sir Terry Pratchett.
You can find out more about Nullus Anxietas VI - The Discworld Grand Tour - The Australian Discworld Convention and chat with other potential tourists at:
Website: ausdwcon.org
Facebook page: facebook.com/Ausdwcon
Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/ausdwcon2017
Twitter: twitter.com/ausdwcon
[Ireland] The 2017 Irish Discworld Convention will take place from 6-9th October 2017 [the weekend of my 46th Birthday - Ed] at the Cork International Hotel.
Sign up now for entry to all events except the gala dinner (tickets available separately) at:
6. Recurring Monthly Fan Meetings
[UK] The Broken Drummers meet at The Monkey Puzzle, Paddington, London, W2 1JQ, England at 7pm. For more information contact Helen Nicholls on helelnicholls@gmail.com
Also please note that due to email problems some addresses have been lost from the mailing list. If you are not getting Drummers emails and want to, please email Helen Nicholls on helelnicholls@gmail.com
Unless otherwise stated the Drummers meet on the first Monday of each month.
The Drummers are always happy to welcome new visitors. You can find out more about the Drummers at www.brokendrummers.org/ or
www.facebook.com/groups/55107511411/
[Adelaide, Australia] The City of Small Gods is a group for fans in Adelaide and South Australia. They have regular monthly dinner and games nights, longer games days, plus play outings, craft-y workshops, and fun social activities throughout the year. For more info and to join their mailing list, visit: cityofsmallgods.org.au
[Brisbane, Australia] The Pratchett Partisans meet monthly at either Brisbane or Indooroopilly to eat, drink and chat about all things Pratchett. For more info about their next meetup, check out: www.facebook.com/groups/pratchettpartisans/
[Melbourne, Australia] The Victorian Discworld Klatch is a social group for fans of Discworld and Terry Pratchett. We meet monthly for fun activities and to talk all things Pratchetty. Information on our current event can be found on www.facebook.com/groups/VictorianDiscworldKlatch/ or email victoriandiscworldklatch@gmail.com
[Perth, Australia] The Treacle Mining Corporation meet up to celebrate the works of Sir Terry Pratchett, and welcome any fans of science fiction and fantasy.
Join them for their monthly discussion of Discworld, Terry Pratchett and all things sci-fi and fantasy. They meet the first Monday of each month, subject to holidays, and all are welcome.
The group meets up at Carpe Cafe, 526 Murray Street, Perth, WA. Meeting at a cafe means they are under-18 friendly!
For details follow them on Twitter @Perth_Drummers, Instagram perth_drummers, and Facebook www.facebook.com/groups/Perth.Drummers/
Otherwise message Alexandra Ware directly at alexandra.ware@gmail.com
Unless otherwise stated the group meets up on the first Monday of each month.
[Sydney, Australia] Sydney Drummers normally meet on the first Monday of every month.
They meet at: 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney, 2000 from 6:30pm
For more information contact Sue (AKA Granny Weatherwax) on kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk
7. Readers' Letters
If you have any letters or comments, please email them to info@discworldmonthly.co.uk
We assume any correspondence is eligible for use in the newsletter unless otherwise stated, including the sender's email address. We may edit your letters using a variety of incompatible versions of popular word processing software.
It is vitally important that you don't pass off other people's work as your own. If you use information from other resources please let us know so we can give proper credit.
* From: "Malinda Mayer" malinda@capecodmanualtherapy.com
Do you have a contact for Carol McCollough? She is one of the organizers of the NWDWW in State College PA in June and I would like to get in touch with her.
DWM replies: Sorry, we don't but maybe one or our readers or perhaps Carol herself will see this and get in contact with you.
* From: "Gene Bennett" sspiffytoo@gmail.com
To all who will be attending MidAmeriCon 2, I have set up a Google Document so we can get in touch with each other there. If you want to add your contact info, great! Fill in as much or as little as you like.
discworldmonthly.co.uk/uid/817
* From: "Euan Hastie" wayward@xtra.co.nz
One Discworld book that is currently in limbo is a new edition of GURPS Discworld for the fourth edition of their game. It is currently languishing due to a lack of expected sales. As a fan of both Discworld and GURPS I thought it might help if I could get the word out. GURPS book are generally useful to non gamers as setting descriptions.
8. DiscTrivia
We're back with five challenging trivia questions for you. Good luck, Jason.
The (hopefully correct) answers can be found at the end of this issue.
9. Once the wizzard Rincewind camped by a billabong
Article by Dr. Rod Pitcher, PhD. (ozzwhispers.blogspot.com.au/)
In this article I discuss the event leading up to Rincewind's arrest for sheep stealing and his being deposited in the Bugarup Jail. I show how these events are similar to those described in the Roundworld song 'Waltzing Matilda'.
While making his way to Bugarup, in The Last Continent, Rincewind, the un-wizardly wizard (or wizzard), stops at a dry billabong to cook a meal of beer stew (it sounded a good idea at the time, as many things do, under the influence of beer).
Later, he is digging a hole to try to find water, surrounded by a mob of thirsty sheep, when a sheep thief approaches and thrusts a sheep into his tucker bag. Hidden by the hole, Rincewind admonishes him. The apparently disembodied voice coming from a sheep frightens the thief who runs away.
Rincewind is in the process of letting the sheep out of the bag when some mounted men come upon him and jump to the obvious conclusion that he has stolen the sheep. They are police troopers: The Watch!
The troopers arrest Rincewind and take him to the jail in Bugarup, where he is going to hang for stealing the sheep. He tries to explain the misunderstanding but, of course, typical of Rincewind, no-one will listen to him. He does, however, receive a good welcome from the jailers who are proud to have a sheep thief in their jail. It doesn't happen very often in the big city.
That doesn't mean that they won't hang him, though. But he will be a celebrity. Not many people get hung for sheep stealing. There are actually going to be ballads written about him!
Rincewind's adventure roughly follows the story of the swagman in "Waltzing Matilda" a bush ballad written by Banjo Patterson, one of Australia's best known poets. There seems to be no 'official' lyrics, and there are lots of minor variations in the words. One version starts:
Once a jolly swagman camped by a billabong
Under the shade of a coolibah tree,
And he sang as he watched and waited till his billy boiled:
"Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me?"
The swagman's story is a bit different from Rincewind's in that while he is boiling his billy, a sheep comes to drink at the billabong which, unlike Rincewind's, seems to have water in it. The swaggie grabs the sheep and puts it into his tucker bag.
Then:
Up rode the squatter, mounted on his thoroughbred.
Down came the troopers, one, two, and three.
"Whose is that jumbuck you've got in your tucker bag?
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me."
When the troopers try to arrest the swagman he jumps into the billabong, shouting "You'll never take me alive!" and drowns:
And his ghost may be heard as you pass by that billabong:
Singing "Who'll come a-waltzing Matilda, with me?"
A few translations of words might help:
waltzing matilda = to travel with a 'matilda' on your back
matilda = another name for a swagman's bundle of his belongings
swagman = a man who travels looking for work. Usually shortened to 'swaggie'
swag = a bundle of the swagman's belongings carried on his back
billabong = a waterhole
coolibah tree = a type of eucalyptus tree which grows near billabongs
billy = a tin can for boiling water to make tea
squatter = owner of a sheep station
tucker bag = a bag for carrying food (tucker)
troopers = policemen. The Watch!
jumbuck = sheep
So the swagman's story and fate is a bit different from that of Rincewind, who does eventually escape hanging and goes on to bring back The Wet and save XXXX from the long-time drought.
In the early colonial days Australia was a dumping ground for unwanted British convicts. Later, perhaps because of that background, a bit of sheep stealing or bank robbery was seen more as a protest against overbearing authority than a crime. Many old Australian families have a felon somewhere in their family tree.
XXXX appears to be named after XXXX (pronounced FourX), a brand of Australian beer.
More information, the words of the ballad, a glossary and the source of the quotations used above can be found at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waltzing_Matilda
10. Small Gods - Graphic Novel Competition
This month we are giving away a copy of the new Small Gods - Graphic Novel. We hope to get it signed at the Forbidden Planet signing at the beginning of August.
In order to win a copy of the novel we need to answer the following question:
Send your answers, along with your postal address to competitions@discworldmonthly.co.uk before August 23rd. Your address will only be used for sending out your prize should you be the lucky winner. Once prizes are sent out all address details will be destroyed. Entries received after the closing date or sent to any other address will be ignored. No more than one entry per person will be accepted - multiple entries will result in a ban from the competition. Failure to answer the questions or provide your postal address will prevent you from being entered into the competition. Answers to the questions must not be posted to any websites before the competition ends. The judges' decision is final. The competition is open to all readers.
11. Mort - Folio Society Edition Review
Review by Jason Anthony
The Folio Society released two editions of Mort in May this year. The standard and limited edition facsimile of a book within a book.
This is a review of the standard edition. I won't review the book itself as it's a story we all know and love. It's well known that Mort is probably my favourite Terry Pratchett novel. [I didn't know that - WB]
The standard edition comes in a card slipcase. A large silver image of Mort on one side of the case is the only indication of the book's content. The book itself is finished with a luxury tactile velveteen cloth cover that feels lush to the touch. The spine features Great A'Tuin with Terry Pratchett written across the shell and the name MORT in large letters and is finished with a Folio Society logo at the bottom, all picked out in silver. The standard edition features one of Omar Rayyan's beautiful illustrations glued to the front cover. (The limited edition has this illustration as a separate signed print - the limited edition is leather bound rather than cloth). The back cover is left blank.
The inside front and rear covers of the standard edition feature many illustrations based on Death motifs. Even Albert gets a nod with some of the food illustrations such as bacon and eggs and hamburgers.
The title page features another of Omar Rayyan's wonderful black and white sketches of Mort holding Death's scythe and looking very solemn. Both editions of the book feature a further seven full colour illustrations spread throughout the book.
The introduction to the book is written by long term fan of Terry Pratchett and well respected author A S Byatt. She compares Terry's works to the 'secondary worlds' as described by J. R. R. Tolkien but with an important twist. Terry was always happy to invent news ideas when needed to make the story work and to bend the rules to the world he created. It's an interesting article in its own right and well worth reading.
I'm going to put my hands up here and say that I am not the biggest fan of some of Omar's illustrations in the book. I personally feel some of the palettes are a bit muted. They are incredibly detailed and look amazing but they just don't always feel 100% right for me.
This is still by far the most impressive and beautiful edition of Mort I have ever seen and I am very proud to have a copy of it in my library. The limited edition which sold out very quickly looks amazing too. I've been lucky to see a 'lettered' copy that will be available to bid on in the Convention Charity Auction in August. The standard edition is still available from: www.foliosociety.com/book/MOR/mort for 34.95 GBP in the UK and 56.96 USD in the US.
If you are a collector of beautiful books then this needs to be part of your collection. Let's hope they produce more Pratchett editions in the future.
12. What I did on my Holidays - Irish Discworld Convention Competition Winner
Last month the Irish Discworld Convention asked you to write a story about what you thought of a previous IDWCon or what you might expect from a future one.
The quality of the submissions was very high and the committee thought long and hard about who to award the prize to. In the end they decided to award a set of prizes for each of the two winning entries published below.
Wot I Did on my Olidays
By a DraGon
I whent to Cork. Et was suhnny ish. Staid indoorz mostle. Had graet fun at Irish Dusk- DiscWurld convenshuin.
I saw Unkle Bernard n Reb n thut odd Ean. I met Misstur Colin. I liked him. I tallkd to Ladee Ja-C-Q-U-E-L-I-ne about uther dragons. Awnty Isobel cudlnt make it and I wuz saad.
Theer waz Lugage Wars and Poyntles witch wher very good. I luved the Maskuraid and the Awction. Doktor Pat is my eydol.
I triyd to join in wit WhereWuulf but didnt kno the gayme wuznt showting ThereWuulf at peeple. They ar mising a trik ther.
The Whatch theem was relly fun and I injoyed pretending to be Errol. I like Errol. I wuz sad wen it waz all over.
Tank yu Caaptin Shiv nd commmitttee.
PS I put a xtra m and t in cas yu nead them for th nex commmitttee shurts.
What I did on my Holidays
Almost seven years ago I was reading the Irish Times - my normal lunchtime routine - when I came across a book review for Unseen Academicals. As you can imagine I was very excited as I had not been aware of this books existence.
I duly read the review, and was unsurprised at the glowing reports that it was given and planned an excursion over the weekend to get a copy for myself, I could even meet up with my brother, David, and indulge in a pint or two as is our wont. But then, hidden (well almost) at the bottom of the article, the reviewer mentioned the upcoming inaugural Irish Discworld Convention (IDWCon) which would be taking place in Ennistymon the following weekend.
For me this was a case of going from complete ignorance about this convention (or "Con" to its aficionados) to a fanatical wish to attend. But wait, I said to myself before taking a (metaphorical) step back. I thought about the sort of weirdos, geeks and nerds who attend fan conventions. What if they spotted that I wasn't really one of them or even worse - that I was? I came up with the perfect solution and called my brother to inform him that we were both going to be attending.
In the interests full transparency, I feel obliged to reveal that I did in fact promise that if we were having an awful time, then we wouldn't bother staying on for the Saturday night and that I would drive us both back as soon as my blood alcohol level was within the legal limit.
What followed was a life changing weekend for me and a nice little break away from Dublin for David.
I left work on the Friday afternoon, picked up David and started on the long journey from Dublin to what I charmingly call "the middle of nowhere". Four hours later with one small diversion towards Cork as I got confused at the Limerick bypass we arrived.
I had no idea what to expect and when we finally arrived at the Falls Hotel the activities were well under way, and we both joined in and signed up to enter the Unseen University Challenge along with another two attendees who we met at the bar. This was the generally accepted manner of meeting new people and I just went with the flow.
Surprisingly the team managed to make it through to the Semi Finals - albeit with a completely different set of people (apart from me) due to the fact that the people you meet in bars can also get lost in bars.
There were quizzes (about the books), talks by various guests - including Terry discussing the upcoming films that were in production, games, and interviews. Throughout the weekend the emphasis was on having fun, meeting new people and indulging (if that was your wont) in dressing up as some of the more recognisable characters from the books.
I have to confess that due to the hectic programme and late night entertainment (where I met and danced with my wife for the first time[1]. I am unable to remember the exact details of each programme session that I attended (and there were lots). I do recall sitting next to my future brother-in- law[2] trying to convince him that I was nothing more than an innocent villager - something I might have had more success with if he wasn't a bloodthirsty werewolf.
I also managed at least two (short) conversations with Terry one of which was over a drink in the bar where we discussed his views on (organised) religion and politics, these being two of the subjects that he raised during his on stage interview.
Unfortunately real world interrupted and I had to make some tough decisions. Well not all that tough - I abandoned David to find his own way back to Dublin on Sunday, called my boss and informed him that I was taking Monday off, booked an extra night in the hotel and stayed on for the Gala Dinner - luckily there were still some tickets available[3] . I wasn't even put off by the fact that I had nothing suitable for such an auspicious occasion,
In hindsight I should have taken Tuesday off as well, and definitely arranged to arrive down on the Thursday afternoon rather than the Friday night. At least I have remedied this lapse of judgement in all of the subsequent "cons" that I have attended.
My final recollection was post Gala dinner[4], where I enjoyed a lovely head massage from an un-named current IDWCon chairperson[5]. If you need to ask, you probably shouldn't be asking :)
The whole weekend was a real eye opener for me. I had long considered that the sort of people who attended these events were in the 18-24 year old age bracket, definitely male and lived in the basement of their parents house. How wrong I was. The membership was made up of every age, sex, profession and social class and the only thing they (we) had in common was a love of the works of Terry Pratchett.
Seven years later, and my life is completely unrecognisable (apart from me still being a boring accountant) with a lovely wife and two gorgeous intelligent IDW daughters (4 & 3), and a multitude of people I consider good friends. Never have I been so grateful to one small unimportant article in the Irish Times.
[1] Clearly she wasn't my wife at the time as that would have been just crazy.
[2] Who I had never met before either (see note 1 above).
[3] Ah the first Irish Con, when you could still book your Gala ticket on the Sunday morning.
[4] Though I could have my timeline all wrong.
[5] Ok it was Shivers.
13. The Shepherd's Crown - Paperback Competition Result
Last month we picked up two copies of The Shepherd's Crown in paperback. One for our shelves and one to give away as a competition prize. We asked you to answer the following question:
The answer we were looking for was the French editions translator Patrick Couton.
We had 43 correct entries to the competition and the randomly selected winner is Andrew Wedge from Wigan in Lancashire.
Thank you to everyone that took part in the competition.
14. The End
Please let us have any submissions for issue 233 of Discworld Monthly BEFORE Tuesday 23rd August 2016.
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