Discworld Monthly Issue 244 August 2017
Table of Contents:
1. Editorial
2. News
2.1 CONVENTION NEWS
2.2 AUDITION NEWS
2.3 OTHER NEWS
3. Book Release News
4. July and August Events
4.1 JULY
4.2 AUGUST
5. Future Events
5.1 SEPTEMBER
5.2 OCTOBER
5.3 NOVEMBER
5.4 JANUARY 2018
5.5 FEBRUARY 2018
6. Recurring Monthly Fan Meetings
7. Readers' Letters
8. DiscTrivia
9. Review of Wyrd Sisters
10. Adaptations: Why we don't bring you lots of news about them, or even regurgitate old news about them.
11. Wedding Competition Extended...
12. The End
1. Editorial
Welcome to issue 244. The sun is shining and UK Convention memberships have gone on sale. Hurrah!
There is quite a bit of news around this month including information about new books and play / events that will be happening over the next few weeks.
For those of you who like camping, don't forget Wadfest (run by the real life formidable Waddy of Night Watch fame aka Constable Waddy) is on from the 11th -13th August at Wood Green Animal Shelter in Godmanchester. Whilst it's not a Discworld event, it certainly has a lot of familiar faces from the Discworld fandom who attend every year. wadfest.co.uk
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: Discworld Monthly 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. Without your ongoing support and sales of Discworld Monthly items we would not be able to continue to produce the newsletter.
You can also if you so wish donate directly to the Discworld Monthly paypal account info@discworldmonthly.co.uk
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.
Discworld Monthly Facebook Page
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 245 of Discworld Monthly BEFORE Monday 21st August 2017.
Jason Rincewind Anthony-Rowlands (Editor and Wizzard) info@discworldmonthly.co.uk
Rachel Anthony-Rowlands (Sub Editor and workaholic) rachel@discworldmonthly.co.uk
William Barnett (Not available for comment)
Richard Massey (Got mistaken for Neil more than once)
2. News
2.1 CONVENTION NEWS
[UPDATED: UK Discworld Convention]
The location and date of 2018 Discworld Convention in the UK has been announced.
It will be at the Chesford Grange Hotel on the weekend of 3rd - 6th August 2018.
Memberships have been released and have SOLD OUT.
Don't fret though, ConCom are now operating a waiting list for those who wish to have a chance of attending.
To find out more visit 2018.dwcon.org
[NEW, Scheibenwelt Convention News]
Scheibenwelt Convention have announced that the next German Discworld Convention will take place from the 3rd to the 6th of October 2019 at Castle Ludwigstein.
The theme will be Hogswatch.
Tickets are not on sale as yet but do visit their website to find out more information .
[NEW, Dutch Discworld Convention]
CabbageCon 4 happened in July this year but you don't have to wait two years for the next one!
CabbageCon 5 will be happening in 2018!
Register on their website now to be one of the first to know all about Cabbagecon 5 in 2018
2.2 AUDITION NEWS
We seem to have a plethora of auditions going on all around the world for various Discworld productions. If you ever dreamed of being Granny Weatherwax or Samual Vimes, now is the time to bite the gonne, swallow the dwarf bread and go to an audition!
[NEW, Bishops Stortford UK] Wyrd Sisters
Water Lane Theatre Company are holding auditions on the 25th and 27th July for their upcoming production of Terry Pratchett's brilliant 'Wyrd Sisters' in the upstairs room at Water Lane United Reformed Church, Water Lane, CM23 2JZ Bishops Stortford.
There are a wide range of parts available (from Dukes and Witches to ghosts and thespians) so just turn up and give it a go.
Performance dates: 9th, 10th & 11th November 2017.
For more Information visit: facebook.com
[NEW: Basildon, UK] The Truth
Thalian Theatre Group are holding auditions on the 25th and 27th of July and also the 1st of August for their upcoming production of The Truth. The auditions start at 8 PM for ages 16 and over and will be held at the Laindon Community Centre, Aston Road, Laindon, Basildon SS15 6NX UK
For further information please contact the director for this play, Jacqui on 07905685941 or Mike and Penny on 01268 417854.
[NEW: Adelaide, Australia] The Truth
Auditions for Sir Terry Pratchett's "THE TRUTH" will be held on Sunday 30th July at 3pm at Bakehouse Theatre, 255 Angas Street, Adelaide for their upcoming performances of The Truth in late October/early Nov 2017.
Please register your interest,through their audition mailing list at:- unseen.com.au
[NEW: Rhyl, UK] Wyrd Sisters
The Rhyl Liberty Players will be performing Wyrd Sisters later in October this year.
If you want to part of that production , they have auditions on the 3rd August at 7.30pm at The Rhyl Little Theatre, Vale Road, Rhyl, LL18 2BS
Just turn up on the day and give it your best!
[NEW: Roleystone WA, Australia] Mort
Roleystone Theatre are holding auditions for their upcoming production of Mort which will be run in November and December this year.
Auditions will take place on Saturday the 12th of August (12/08/2017), from 10am to 3pm. Booking sessions will be on each half hour until 3pm.
Please book an audition session by emailing the director Brad bradleytowton@hotmail.com
Auditionees will be provided excerpts from MORT on the day, and will be performed in pairs or small groups with other auditionees. The play is very character driven, so we are looking especially for people who can define and embody a role.
New and experienced actors alike are welcome to audition. There are many roles, to suit many character types. There are no child roles, but older teens are welcome.
Location: Roleystone Theatre, 587 Brookton Hwy, Roleystone, Western Australia, Australia 6111
[Reading UK] Maskerade
Would you like to be in Maskerade? Do you live in or near Reading (UK)?
Then you have a chance of getting a part in the Progress Theatre's production of Maskerade..
Auditions will be held on Sun 17 September at 2pm or Weds 20 September at 7.30pm at Progress Theatre.
The production itself will be happening from the 18th to the 27th January 2018 including Saturday matinees.
Auditions are open to all,but if cast you will need to join Progress Theatre (cost is 45GBP)
For more information visit: Maskerade Auditions
If you have any questions or would like to be considered but can't make the audition dates please contact director Chris Moran on 07729 501350 or at chris.moran@me.com or assistant director Jordan Emmett on 07932 976693 or at jdemmett27@hotmail.co.uk prior to the auditions.
If you know of any auditions taking place that we haven't listed here, drop us a line to either our editor at info@discworldmonthly.co.uk or direct to the person who writes this stuff rachel@discworldmonthly.co.uk
2.3 OTHER NEWS
[Paul Kidby Interview in Imagine FX]
Paul Kidby has had an article written about his work in Imagine FX magazine. It is a six page spread all about his career as an artist and how he got to illustrate our beloved Discworld.
To purchase your own copy head over to: myfavouritemagazines.co.uk
[Paul Kidby Sculpture]
Paul Kidby is working on a Nac Mac feegle sculpture. It will be cast at the fine art foundry and will be a limited edition. He has been posting work in progress images over on his facebook page and we can't wait to see the end result of his hard work
To see the image go to facebook.com (You don't need to be a member of Facebook as it is a public page)
[Micro Art Studio News]
Micro Art Studio has got its Discworld MEGA set of Discworld Miniatures back in stock.
This wonderful set of Discworld Miniatures has 49 figures and is the easiest way to make sure you've got them all.
These little figures are all wonderfully detailed and are ideal for someone who loves to assemble and paint them.
Head over to shop.microartstudio.com to purchase yours today.
Don't forget, you can still buy them all individually if you aren't too confident at painting them and wish to have a go before buying them all.
[Tip: many Warhammer and Games workshops run paint a figure workshops within their stores. These are usually free and have an expert on hand to help you learn how to paint your figure! Worth looking out for in your local town]
Hopefully next month we will have a review of the latest of their Discworld Bust series which is Death.
[Re-release of BBC Radio Plays]
BBC Radio 4 Extra have continued their programme of re-releasing previously recorded Pratchett radio plays.
This week sees Only You Can Save Mankind. It is only 3 episodes in length and is available on BBC Radio iPlayer.
Start date is the 26th July at 6pm BST and it will be available for 30 days on iPlayer.
BBC Radio iPlayer is available to listen to worldwide so that means fans all over the world have the opportunity to hear this wonderful radio play.
3. Book Release News
Truckers, Diggers, Wings, The Carpet People and Dragons at Crumbling Castle have all received mini make overs to their covers in the last month.
This is to tie them in with the gift editions and paperbacks of the Tiffany Aching series.
Take a look at the differences either over on the website version of this newsletter or on Facebook at: facebook.com
Terry Pratchett's Discworld Collectors' Edition Calendar 2018 will be released on the 17th August 2017 currently priced at 14.99GBP
It will contain illustrations by Paul Kidby and it available to preorder on Amazon through our affiliate link ISBN: 147321811X
The Illustrated Eric is due out in paperback on the 12th October 2017 with its luscious illustrations by Josh Kirby. [What makes this different from previous releases nobody knows.- - Rachel]
It's available to preorder on Amazon through our affiliate link ISBN: 147322327X
Terry Pratchetts Discworld Imaginarium by Paul Kidby has appeared on our radar.
It's being published by Gollancz/Orion, currently the release date is marked as being the 23rd November 2017.
Paul Kidby has collected the very best of his Discworld illustrations in this definitive volume, including 40 pieces never before seen, 30 pieces that have only appeared in foreign editions, limited editions and BCA editions, and 17 book cover illustrations since 2004 that have never been seen without cover text. If Terry Pratchett's pen gave his characters life, Paul Kidby's brush allowed them to live it.
Terry Pratchett's Discworld Imaginarium will be a Hardcover book with 272 pages with a RRP of 35.00GBP
ISBN-10: 1473223377
ISBN-13: 978-1473223370
To pre-order from our affiliate link at the Book Depository
Book Depository Affiliate Link
To pre-order from our affiliate link with Amazon UK (Currently unavailable to Pre-order but the placeholder is there)
As you know last issue we talked about the Discworld Collector's Library editions and which ones we will be getting next.
We now know that Thief of Time will be released sometime in October and we currently have dates for the end of November for the other three but time will ultimately confirm what the release dates are for all four.
We can now say with some confidence that the next three will be the ones we predicted, Night Watch, Monstrous Regiment and Going Postal as we have found cover images for all 3.
Pre-orders are not yet available but as soon as they are, we will add the information in the next issue.
As we get further information, we will keep you all informed.
Once these 4 have been published, there will only be 5 adult novels left that haven't had the Joe Mclaren treatment.
They are Thud!, Making Money, Unseen Academicals, Snuff and Raising Steam.
It appears currently that the Tiffany Aching books along with the Amazing Maurice and The Last Hero will not be getting the same wonderful covers as the rest of the series although we can hope that the publishers change their mind.
4. July and August Events
While we would love to attend each and every Pratchett production it simply isn't possible so if you manage to get to one, please consider writing us a review. It doesn't matter if you've never written a review before. Just see if you can write 200-500 words about your experience. All submissions should be emailed to info@discworldmonthly.co.uk
Don't forget to visit Pratchett Stage Productions for our most up-to-date list of stage productions.
4.1 JULY
[NEW, UK] Marlowe Players present Wyrd Sisters as adapted by Stephen Briggs.
Location: Darley Abbey Village Hall, Abbey Yard (off New Road), Darley Abbey, Derby DE22 1DS
Dates: Tuesday 25th July - Sat 29th July 2017
Time: door open at 7pm for a 730pm performance
Tickets: 7GBP
Website: marlowe-players.co.uk
Box Office: 07961 607372
Facebook: facebook.com
[UK] Capture the Castle Exhibition
Paul Kidby's Tower of Art and his Lancre Castle artwork are currently on display at Southampton City Art Gallery as part of the Capture the Castle exhibition.
Location: Southampton City Art Gallery, Commercial Road, Southampton SO14 7LP
Dates: 26th May 2017 until the 2nd September 2017
Opening Times: Mon to Fri: 10am-3pm, Sat: 10am - 5pm, Sun: Closed, Bank Holiday Mon: 10am-3pm
Tickets: Free Admission
4.2 AUGUST
[Leeds UK] Waterstones Book Club
Locations: Waterstones, 93-97 Albion Street, LS15JS Leeds
Date: 1st August 2017
Time: 18:00-18:45
This is a free event but as places are limited please contact Waterstones Leeds on 01132444588 to reserve your place in advance.
As this is meeting we will be reading Nation, a novel set in an alternative history our world.
"I believe that Nation is the best book I have ever written, or will write." - Sir Terry Pratchett
For more information contact us by phone 0113 2444 588 or email leeds@waterstones.com
Facebook event page: facebook.com
[Australia] Nullus Anxietas VI - The Australian Discworld Convention - THE DISCWORLD GRAND TOUR - 4th-6th August 2017 at Lakes Resort Hotel, West Lakes, South Australia
Tickets for The Discworld Grand Tour in August are now SOLD OUT! Eeek!
If you're still wanting to attend this fabulous convention then we suggest you do three things.
1. Get on the waiting list right now! Don't wait even a second here's the link Australian Discworld Convention Waiting List
2. Follow Dymocks Adelaide, We've heard they have some tickets
3. Pray to all the Gods
The Special Guests have also just been announced. They are: Stephen Briggs, Daniel Knight, Professor David Lloyd and Martin Pearson. Appearing virtually will be: Professor Ian Stewart, Ray Friesen and The Discworld Emporium.
If you purchased a Supporting Membership prior to February 4th 2017, you can upgrade at a later date to the early-bird price: Membership Shop
And of course, for all the information about the Discworld Grand Tour, including activities, venue, and more, visit our website at ausdwcon.org
[UK] Duck in a Hat theatre company presents Wyrd Sisters as adapted by Stephen Briggs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Location: Paradise in Augustines, (Venue 152) 41 George IV Bridge, EH1 1EL
Dates: Mon 14th - 19th August and 21st - 27th August
Time: 16.25
Tickets: Adult, 9.50GBP Concession 8.50GBP
Box Office Website: tickets.edfringe.com
Box Office: 0131 510 0022
[UK] Monstrous Productions presents Guards! Guards! as adapted by Stephen Briggs
Location: The Gate Arts Theatre, Keppoch St, Cardiff CF24 3JW
Dates: Wed 16th - Sat 19th August 2017
Times: Doors open at 7pm, Sat Matinee at 2.30pm
Tickets: 8GBP full price, or 6GBP for concessions
Box Office Website: monstrousproductions.fikket.com
[UK] Monifieth Amateur Dramatics presents Wyrd Sisters as adapted by Stephen Briggs
Location: Monifieth Theatre, 72 High Street, Monifieth, Angus, Scotland, DD5 4AG
Dates: Thurs 24th August - Sat 26th August, Thurs 31st August - Sat 2nd September 2017
Time: Performance starts at 7.30pm
Tickets: Full 9 GBP, Concessions 7GBP
Website: monifieththeatre.co.uk
Box Office: 01382 480043
5. Future Events
5.1 SEPTEMBER
[USA] The Fourth North American Discworld Convention - THE GENUAN ™ EXPERIENCE - 1st-4th September 2017 at The Sheraton New Orleans.
Join us in Genua for a banananana dacquiri* because our theme is all about the witches of Discworld and the many things they've encountered on their travels. You can now purchase your membership and book your hotel room! nadwcon2017.org
Get your tickets here: Purchase NADWCON Tickets
Pre-con tee-shirts also available, in a selection of 3 colors - Purple, Green and Glod - the 3 colors of Octarine!! NADWCON Merchandise
For all other information, please visit the website nadwcon2017.org or follow one of our social media outlets Facebook (NADWConvention), Twitter (@nadwcon), Pinterest (nadwcon), Tumblr (nadwconvention.tumblr.com), Instagram (nadwcon) and many more....
*Ogg approved.
[UK] Terry Pratchett: HisWorld - a new major Terry Pratchett Exhibition will take place at The Salisbury Museum from 16th Sept 2017 to 13 Jan 2018.
"This is an exclusive major exhibition based on the extraordinary life of Sir Terry Pratchett ... This unique exhibition will include artwork by Terry and treasured items owned by Terry which have never previously been on public display. It will also feature over forty original illustrations by Paul Kidby"
The Josh Kirby estate recently announced that the original artwork for Reaper Man will also be on view at the exhibition. It is a rare opportunity to see a Josh Kirby original in the UK as the last time was back in 2007.
Day Ticket Prices are as follows -
Standard day ticket - Adult 7.50GBP Child 3.60GBP Family (2 adults +up to 4 children) 18.50GBP Under 5's Free
[Australia] Brisbane Arts Theatre present Lords and Ladies as adapted by Irana Brown
Location: 210 Petrie Terrace, PETRIE TERRACE QLD 4000
Dates: 16 September - 21 October 2017 (7.30pm Thursdays, 8.00pm Fridays and Saturdays, 6.30pm Sundays)
Tickets: Adults 34AUD, Concession 28AUD, Group 10+ 27AUD, Student Rush 15AUD (10 mins before curtain)
Website: artstheatre.com.au
[UK] T.A.O.D.S present a performance of BBC4's radio play of Wyrd Sisters as adapted by Vince Foxall
Location:The Todmorden Hippodrome Theatre, Halifax Rd, Tormorden, West Yorkshire OL14 5BB UK
Dates: Fri 29th - Sat 30th September 2017
Times: Doors open at 7pm, Show starts at 7.30pm
Tickets: 6GBP
Website: todhip.org
Box Office: 0333 666 3366
5.2 OCTOBER
[UK] Twyford and Ruscombe Theatre Group present Mort as adapted by Stephen Briggs
Location: Loddon Hall, Loddon Hall Road, Twyford, Reading, Berkshire, RG10 9JA
Dates: Thursday 5th October - Sat 7th October 2017
Times: 8pm
Tickets: 7-10GBP (concessions available if ordered in advance)
Website: twyrusdrama.org.uk
Box Office: 0118 328 2825
To buy tickets online: Terry Pratchett's MORT Tickets
[Ireland] The 2017 Irish Discworld Convention will take place from 6-9th October 2017 [the weekend of my 46th Birthday, hint, hint - Ed] at the Cork International Hotel.
It has SOLD OUT of tickets but if you wish to get on the waiting list do so here:
Irish Discworld Convention Waiting List
To keep up with all the news that is happening visit their website here:
[UK] Erith Playhouse presents Mort as adapted by Stephen Briggs
Location: Erith Playhouse, 38-40 High Street, Erith, Kent, DA8 1QY
Dates: Mon 9th Oct 2017 - Sat 14th Oct 2017
Times: 8pm
Tickets: 10GBP
Website: playhouse.org.uk
Box Office: 01322 350345
[NEW, UK] Rhyl Liberty Players presents Wyrd Sisters as adapted by Stephen Briggs
Location: The Rhyl Little Theatre Vale Road Rhyl LL18 2BS
Dates: Tuesday 25th to Friday 28th October.
Website: rhyllittletheatre.co.uk
Box Office: 01745 342229
5.3 NOVEMBER
[SOUTH AFRICA] DISCWORLD DAY at The Moors Castle, Gauteng, South Africa
Location: The Moors Castle, 638 Larsens Road, 1739 Muldersdrift, Gauteng, South Africa
Date: 4th November 2017
LIMITED NO OF TICKETS available from Quicket - Discworld Day - South Africa
Tickets: Online - R60.00 At the Gate - R80.00 Kids under 12 FREE
Dogs and unruly luggages to be kept on leashes at all times.
To find out more visit their Facebook Event page
[NEW, AUSTRALIA] Roleystone theatre presents Mort as adapted by Stephen Briggs
Location: Roleystone Theatre, 587 Brookton Hwy, Roleystone, Western Australia, Australia 6111
Dates: 24th, 25th and 29th Nov then 1st and 2nd Dec 2017
Tickets: 20AUD Adults, 15AUD Under 18's and Pensioners.
Facebook: facebook.com
[UK] Studio Theatre Club present Raising Steam as adapted by Stephen Briggs. This has been postponed until 2018/19
5.4 JANUARY 2018
[NEW, UK] Progress Theatre presents Maskerade as adapted by Stephen Briggs
Location: Progress Theatre, The Mount, Reading RG1 5HL
Dates: Thurs 18th Jan 2018 - Sat 27th Jan 2018 (Saturday Matinees included)
Website: progresstheatre.co.uk
5.5 FEBRUARY 2018
[USA] Gainesville Theatre Alliance presents Monstrous Regiment as adapted by Stephen Briggs.
Location: UNG-Gainesville's Ed Cabell Theatre, 3820 Mundy Mill Road, Oakwood, GA 30566
Dates: Fri 16th Feb - Sat 24th Feb 2018
Time: 7:30pm on the 16th, 18th and 20th - 24th, with matinees at 2:30pm on Sat 17th and Sat 24th
Tickets: 18-20 USD Adults, 16-18USD Seniors and 12-14USD Students
Website: blog.ung.edu
Box Office: 678 717 3624.
Special Events at this production
FREE Stage Tour (a peek behind the scenes!)
1st Feb 2018 at 6:00pm
Preview Performance: Ticket is 10USD (Preview tickets go on sale 29th Jan 2018)
Thursday 15th Feb 2018 at 7:30pm
FREE Opening Night Reception: In the lobby following the performance with the cast and crew, catered by ACE Catering
Friday 16th Feb 2018
Talk Back with Cast & Crew: a lively (and free) Q&A session following the performance on Tuesday 20th Feb 2018
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
Unless otherwise stated the Drummers meet on the first Monday of each month.
In August there is a special weekend meetup on Sun 27th August at 12.30 at The Monkey Puzzle.
The Drummers are now holding irregular weekend meet-ups in addition to their regular Mondays. Dates are posted on their Facebook page and sent out via their mailing list.
The Drummers are always happy to welcome new visitors. You can find out more at: brokendrummers.org or Broken Dummers Facebook Page
[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: The Pratchett Partisans Facebook Group
[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 Victorian Discworld Klatch Facebook Group or email victoriandiscworldklatch@gmail.com
[Perth, Australia] The Treacle Mining Corporation meetup 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 @TreacleMiningCo, Instagram treacle_mining_corporation, and Facebook Treacle Mining Corporation Facebook Group
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.
Meeting location: 3 Wise Monkeys, 555 George Street, Sydney, 2000 from 6:30pm
For more information contact Sue (AKA Granny Weatherwax) on kenworthys@yahoo.co.uk
[Sydney, Australia] Western Drummers (western suburbs of Sydney NSW Australia) meet 6pm on the third Tuesday of the month at the Nepean Rowing Club for dinner chat and games.
Western Drummers Facebook Group
* Calling USA / Canadian Fans *
Appreciate Discworld and Sir Terry Pratchett? Want to chat and gather with other Discworld fans in the US and Canada? Regional Discworld fan Facebook groups are linked below!
Holy Wood Dreams (covers WA, OR, CA, NV, AZ, NM, and HI):
Holy Wood Dreams Facebook Page
Central US Discworld Fans (covers ID, MT, WY, ND, SD, NE, UT, CO, KS, OK, and TX):
Central US Discworld Fans Facebook Group
Midwest Discworld Fans (covers IL, IN, WI, MI, KY, MN, IA, and MO):
Midwest Discworld Fans Facebook Group
Southeast US Pratchett Fans (covers AR, LA, TN, MS, AL, GA, NC, SC, and FL):
Southeast US Pratchett Fans Facebook Group
Mid-Atlantic Discworld Fans (covers PA, OH, WV, VA, Washington DC, and MD):
Mid-Atlantic Discworld Fans Facebook Group
New England Discworld Fans (covers DE, NJ, NY, Ct, RI, MA, VT, NH, and ME):
New England Discworld Fans Facebook Group
Canadian Discworld Fans (covers Canada and Alaska):
Canadian Discworld Fans Facebook Group
If you are in a border state or a province between two groups, feel free to join both groups.
[Australia] Drumknott's Irregulars is a newly established Terry Pratchett social group based in Canberra. The group is open to anyone and their events are not heavily themed.
Facebook: Drumknott's Irregulars Facebook Group
Google Groups: Drumknott's Irregulars Google Group
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 cheesegrater, a balloon and a packet of Palma Violets.
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: "Neil Hutton" neil.hutton1@ntlworld.com
Firstly I would like to offer my sincere congratulations to the recent Bride and Groom, may your joining be as solid as that of Ankh and Morpork and as steadfast as Cohen's sword-arm.
Despite the happy opening to my missive, I write with much sadness in my heart. PTerry's sad passing occurred while i was being treated for leukemia and had succumbed to an infection due to having no immune system at the time. I was alternating between lucidity and delirium, and prayed fervently that the news I had been brought was a result of a fever dream. When I recovered I found that my worst fears had transpired and Pterry had indeed left this mortal plane. If I could have changed places with him at the time I would have gladly done so, his wit and wisdom are so much more use to the world than my meagre talents. This is the first time that I have felt that I can share with his fandom the sense of loss that I experienced, before now the emotions have been too raw to share. The only writing that I had not read at that stage was the Shepherd's Crown, and at this point I have still not had the heart to open the novel because when I have finished it I will not have any new Discworld books to look forward to. (I deliberately do not include non Discworld fiction) I never had the honour to meet the man himself, or have a favourite book signed by him, I am aware that many more people than I had a much deeper love for the literature and for the man himself due to personal experiences, but even after the time that has passed, I find myself more deeply affected by his loss than by the passing of some people that I personally knew (barring my parents loss) I followed his publications from the Dark side of the Sun with much affection and have never enjoyed another author's offerings as much. I offer my belated condolences to his family, his friends and the rest of the fans who miss him as much or more than I do. (And yes, the multiple exclamation marks in the subject line do denote mental instability)
* From: "Chris Bellekom" chris.bellekom@gmail.com
243 issues and I have never reacted once. I need to make my apologies for that. Thank you for your passion and for all the work on this newsletter. It has brought me tremendous joy over the years. It was and is informative, witty, effective and for me personally a constant reminder that I have an extended Pratchett-family. People that share a common trait and taste.
I wanted to congratulate you on your marriage. Hopefully you and your wife will have a happy and agreeable life together.
Jason replies: This letter is one of many we received congratulating Rachel and myself on our recently nuptials. We are truly overwhelmed by all your lovely comments. Thank you.
8. DiscTrivia
We're back with five challenging trivia questions for you - this month the questions are all variations of questions found in The Unseen University Challenge. Good luck
- Q1.
- Which novel ended with "There didn't seem to be any alternative"?
- Q2.
- What type of Brandy did Ridcully keep in in pointy hat?
- Q3.
- What is another name for Lucy Tockley?
- Q4.
- Where is the biggest non-magical library on the Discworld?
- Q5.
- What was the first known all-Dwarf rock band?
The (hopefully correctly spelled) answers can be found at the end of this issue and not in the DiscTrivia section like last issue.
9. Review of Wyrd Sisters
Review by Lisa Blackwell-Dickenson
It's not often I leave the house but you can't very well say no when a stage production of Wyrd Sisters is playing decidedly close to your home town, especially one adapted by Stephen Briggs, I had pretty high expectations! I was not disappointed!
Being more than a little nosey I had my ears open before we went into the hall, I had time because my husband was busy attacking the generously placed peanuts at the bar, and noted that a portion of the audience didn't know the book well ( I know, apparently these people DO exist, baffling) well, they laughed in all the right places and came out smiling having thoroughly enjoyed themselves, fun for all!
Sir Terry Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters is set in the Kingdom of Lancre and loosely follows the plot of a certain Shakespearean play that should not be named.
The production was beautifully put together and the quirks of some of the actors made them unforgettable, notably Nanny Ogg, played by the awesome Carey Brown and her abundance of sundries hidden in her bloomers, who was loved by the audience the second she bounced onto the stage and I do believe also got the largest applause come the end!
Dedric Smith and Ghislaine Davis gave wonderful performances as Lord and Lady Felmet. The Lord had us all giggling and his wife was truly terrifying as she commanded the stage! The actors were a delight to watch, it was still magic, even if we knew how it was done.
I would absolutely urge anybody to go and see your local am-dram Pratchett performers, you'll really enjoy it and it won't cost an arm and a leg...... only in our dreams are we free. The rest of the time we need wages.
10. Adaptations: Why we don't bring you lots of news about them, or even regurgitate old news about them.
Article by Rachel Anthony-Rowlands
We are all crying out for news about adaptations (big and small screen) of Terry's books but often there is nothing out there to say something is happening / not happening / in production / in production hell other than an announcement made somewhere over a year / two years / five years ago.
Often, no news is not always good news. Whilst we can honestly say that the process is a long and boring one just to get it to the set, not hearing anything about something can sometimes mean it's on hold, in production or it's been cancelled.
Currently I am sat here in between writing this, trying to find a little bit more info on the upcoming Good Omens series, which we know for definate is happening [for a given value of definite - Ed]. To the point we know it will be on Amazon Prime first followed by BBC Two and it will be in 6 parts of an hour long each. Filming is due to begin in late summer. The majority of the shoot will take place in the UK with around a month in South Africa at the end. Neil wrote all six episodes and it will probably be on TV in the second half of 2018.
We know all this because it has been announced in several places over the last 7 months with a full press release from Amazon Prime about it all back in January. Even Neil himself has tweeted bits about how the pre-production process is going in the last few months.
Hence why we know it is definitely going to appear on TV.
The amount of information about Good Omens proves that the current news is relevant news.
Now, let's look at another project we got told about. The Watch TV series.
The Watch TV series was first announced back in 2011. It was going to be a 13 episode series which would follow a 'crime of the week' episodic storyline on the BBC.
Fast forward time a bit and we heard little bits more about it in Oct 2012, with Narrativia saying "First of all, the budget for The Watch will be double of what has previously been reported. With thirteen sixty-minute episodes in the fantasy police procedural series and an overall budget of around 26 million GBP (as opposed to the 13-15 million GBP previously reported), the actual budget will be around 2 million GBP per episode"
Fast Forward a bit more in 2012 and there is bits about Rhianna Pratchett writing the series. Move on to 2014 and there is a sniff of it at the Polish convention " - No broadcast date has been announced... that the script is in development and shooting was to commence in 2015"
And yet here we are in 2017 with well... nothing new. Rob Wilkins has said on more than one occasion that the process is not linear and that production can stop at a moment's notice and that we would not hear anything more until they are actually on set. So three years with no news and six years after it was first announced - I will not hold my breathe. I know we will get Good Omens long before we see The Watch reach the light of day.
This brings me onto ones that never saw the light of day... or even anything more than an announcement.
Unseen Academicals
We had a wonderful run of adaptations from The Mob and Sky. Hogfather, The Colour of Magic and Going Postal were all brilliant adaptations which got us drooling for more. Which is why no-one was surprised when the announcement came in 2011 that they were going to adapt UA for the small screen with David Jason returning as Rincewind.
In June 2013, it was said to be scheduled for production in 2013. That information then disappeared from The Mob's website. Then we heard nothing. Eventually the rights returned to Narrativia and UA never got made.
Sourcery
"In 2010, Terry Pratchett stated that Sourcery would be the fifth Discworld novel to be adapted for Sky One, although he had initially wanted to adapt Making Money. However, he thought that it might work better as a film, and that he could have fun with characters like Nijel the Destroyer."
Source - SFX magazine, Issue 196, Mail Fantasy, P65, July 2010
And that was all we ever heard of it.
Which brings us to the announcements made since.
Mort (the movie) was announced at Terry's Memorial back in 2016. (It had been mooted before by Disney back in 2010 but was abandoned and there was even talk of an adaptation back in 1992/1998). It was reported that Terry Rossio would be writing the adaptation but there hasn't been a sniff since then. Does that mean its dead? No we've just not heard anything since.
The Wee Free Men was originally on the table as a movie as far back as 2006 with Sam Raimi at the helm with a script by Pamela Pettler. Sony Pictures Entertainment had acquired the rights to the book.
In June 2008, Terry Pratchett said: "I saw a script that I frankly thought was awful. It seemed to be Wee Free Men in name only. It had all the hallmarks of something that had been good, and then the studio had got involved. It probably won't get made."
By December 2009, it was reported that Terry had got back the rights.
In 2013 Rhianna Pratchett said she was writing a screenplay for it and finally showed us all the cover of the first draft in 2014 when on Narrativia's Facebook page.
"15 June 2014 - About to give this to my dad as a Father's Day surprise. First printed copy of the first draft of Wee Free Men."
In April 2016 it was then confirmed that it was going ahead at Terry's Memorial in London.
Later in July 2016 at San Diego Comic Con, it was announced that the Jim Henson company were going to develop The Wee Free Men into a film.
Now in late July 2017, we are waiting for more news about it, a whole year later.
So, as of today, we have had no more news about Good Omens since Neil tweeted about it a few weeks ago. We've heard nothing about The Watch since 2014, Unseen Academicals and Sorcery never really got much further than announcement stage back in 2013 / 2010 (respectively). Mort has had nothing appear about since it's announcement over 18 months ago and The Wee Free Men? well... a year is not long in the movie business but for now I will look forward to Good Omens.
(and for those who heard rumours about an animated rodent movie...well there was no official announcement about it and things get dropped by companies all the time so we may never hear anything officially about it either)
So to answer my title "Why we don't bring you lots of news about them, or even bring you old news about them."
We don't because there isn't lots of news to bring. And we don't regurgitate old news because it may well be that the project has been dropped.
We will always bring you only the most current news about adaptations and when I say current, I mean news that has been published in the last couple of weeks by the original source - aka press releases or tweets from the horse's mouth.
I wouldn't want you to get excited by something that isn't necessarily going to happen or is so far out of date as to be wrong.
11. Wedding Competition Extended...
Due to needing to release this month's issue early we've decided to extend the competition for a few more weeks and announce our winner in the next issue. So for your extended chance to win a Jason and Rachel commemorative Wedding mug as well as one of our wedding favours (a handmade dragon candle) you need to send us the answer to the following question:
"What is the name of the dragon at Caerphilly Castle, AND what does HIS name mean in English?"
Send your answer and full postal address to competitions@discworldmonthly.co.uk by Monday 21st August 2017. 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.
12. The End
Please let us have any submissions for issue 245 of Discworld Monthly BEFORE Monday 21st August 2017.
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If you have any problems un-subscribing visit our removal help page.* DiscTrivia Results *
- Q1.
- Which novel ended with "There didn't seem to be any alternative"?
- A1.
- The Colour of Magic
- Q2.
- What type of Brandy did Ridcully keep in in pointy hat?
- A2.
- Bentinck's Very Peculiar Old Brandy? (Reaper Man)
- Q3.
- What is another name for Lucy Tockley?
- A3.
- Diamanda (Lords and Ladies)
- Q4.
- Where is the biggest non-magical library on the Discworld?
- A4.
- It was in Ephebe, but after Small Gods it was in the Citadel of Kom, Omnia.
- Q5.
- What was the first known all-Dwarf rock band?
- A5.
- We're Certainly Dwarfs. (Soul Music)
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