Pseudopolis Yard
All items for Pseudopolis Yard are listed below, in order of start time
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Friday
Knowing Me Knowing You
Pseudopolis Yard : 14:00 - 16:00 (2.0 hours)
Roll up! Roll up! Come meet the Brotherhoods!
We have Brethren, Sistren, and Othren of all shapes and sizes.
We have games…and maybe more *nudge wink*… for all.
So come on down and meet the men, women, apes, vampires, werewolves, zombies, golums, postal
workers and dunnikin divers who will all be helping .
Bring along yourselves, your games and your cookies…all will be welcome!
Werewolf - The big one
Pseudopolis Yard : 16:00 - 17:30 (1.5 hours)
It's not only members of secret societies that have to keep their identities hidden. Imagine if you were a werewolf in a village of normal[1] people, how well would you remain hidden while still feeding nightly? Now imagine if you were in one of several villages all with werewolves. How do you all stay secret? But if you are a villager, how do you remain safe?
Mega-Werewolf is a Discworld Convention tradition[2] where we play about ten games of the popular identity-discovery game Werewolf at the same time with a Grand Games Master calling out the phases and with each village having it's own GM to arbitrate and manage the chaos. As villages depopulate through werewolf attacks and evictions, we combine the survivors together into ever-smaller numbers of villages until there is only one left[3]. Then we shall see who survives - the villagers or the werewolves!
[1] For a given value of normal in any Discworld village!
[2] Actually, this is the third time the event has run making it a "well-established tradition".
[3] "There can be only one!" - C. MacLeod
Lodge Meeting
Pseudopolis Yard : 23:00 - 00:00 (1.0 hour)
This is your chance to join that very exclusive group that goes by the name of "The Ancient And Illustrious Order Of Old Bar Stewards Of Old Ank-Morepork", an order dedicated to raising money for Charity. You will be inducted into the order and gifted with the secret signs and words by which you can recognise another.
PLEASE be prepared to make TWO donations to charity during the meeting (so far the lodge has raised over £1,500 for charity in 4 meetings). You will also receive a fine certificate and ritual book.
Saturday
The Tools For Writing
Pseudopolis Yard : 09:00 - 10:00 (1.0 hour)
Writing can often be an intimidating and solitary pursuit. A pen, pencil or typewriter and some paper used to be the only writing tools available. Those tools are still in use today, but there are also computer programs to help build a story from its component parts, or shout at a monitor to good effect, or even edit the end result. Join writers Diane Duane, Peter Morwood, and Mark Oshiro as they talk about what methods and tools work best for them and how they can help you, no matter what kind of writing you are doing!
Nice Boots, Shame about the Bustle! The Victorianisation of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld on Screen
Pseudopolis Yard : 10:00 - 11:00 (1.0 hour)
The fractured nature of history on Discworld allows different period ideas to be comfortably juxtaposed within the books. When a television network is aiming its adaptation to reach a mainstream audience it looks for more consistency. This presentation will look at how the Victorian themes within the books have been the basis for a more Victorian look in the adaptations. I will poke fun at the unnecessary Victorianisation of costumes and I will ask how this bodes for the upcoming Watch series (Will it just look like Ripper Street?).
The Emporium Story – So far, so good.
Pseudopolis Yard : 11:00 - 12:00 (1.0 hour)
In A Hat Full of Sky, Terry wrote ‘It’s still magic, even if you know how it’s done’.
After 25 years working with Terry, Bernard and Reb talk about a little bit of magic from a life spent in the company of Discworld.
Million to one chances happen nine times out of ten
Pseudopolis Yard : 12:00 - 13:00 (1.0 hour)
by Ian Stewart DACFD (UU)
Well, that’s what it says in in Guards! Guards! Which just goes to show that probability is weird. I’ll explain just how weird, and why. I’ll tell you about the gambling mathematician Girolamo Cardano, who would have been completely at home in Ankh-Morpork. I’ll explain why fair dice aren’t fair. I’ll look at some probability puzzles with a Discworld slant. Finally I’ll transport the Monty Hall Problem into a Discworld setting and we’ll examine whether million to one chances can actually happen nine times out of ten.
PS: no sums. Well, no hard ones.
Interview Birdworld
Pseudopolis Yard : 13:00 - 14:00 (1.0 hour)
Stephen Briggs will interview Duncan Bolton from Birdworld about the park and the new owl parliament dedicated to Terry.
Translating Stories to Graphics
Pseudopolis Yard : 15:00 - 16:00 (1.0 hour)
A good story paints a picture in your head. Getting that image out of your head and onto some paper is the tricky part.
In this lecture, Ray Friesen will tell you all you want to know about this tricky part.
Lifting Pratchett off the page
Pseudopolis Yard : 16:00 - 17:00 (1.0 hour)
Stephen will relate how he came to perform his first audio book, and introduce you to the challenges of performing whole novels for unseen listeners, and the glamour of the audio book industry.
Readthrough of 'Men At Arms'
Pseudopolis Yard : 17:00 - 18:00 (1.0 hour)
Fancy a bit of that there acting but don't want to spend all Con rehearsing? Then maybe the DWCon Radio Play is for you! Gonne in 60 Seconds, Men at Arms will be a true blast with D'Eath in Ankh-Morpork.
Previous acting or voice over experience welcome but not essential. If you'd like to take part or leave me a note on Thursday.
Performance is using excerpts of Stephen Briggs' stage adaptation, with the kind permission of Stephen Briggs and the Estate of Sir Terry Pratchett.
Morris For The Uninitiated
Pseudopolis Yard : 19:00 - 20:00 (1.0 hour)
Two (or more) left feet?
Don't know your left from your right?
Want a taste of what Nobby does on his night off?
Here's your chance to learn to dance the Morris.
Courtesy of Ankh-Morpork Folk-Dance and Song Club, you'll be led through a simple, traditional Border Morris dance in easy stages - and without a groinin' in sight!
No experience needed, just suitable footwear and a sense of fun.
Sunday
Marmaduke Mousington
Pseudopolis Yard : 09:00 - 10:00 (1.0 hour)
Everyone’s favorite time travelling mouse! The long lost children’s book by Josh Kirby.
Join Ray Friesen while he talks about this projects
Charity Auction
Pseudopolis Yard : 11:00 - 13:00 (2.0 hours)
Ever wondered what happens when the Thieves' Guild members go over their quota?
Well wonder no more. All items that are procured via going over quota by the Thieves' Guild are handed over for redistribution.
The Patrician thought that might be an ideal solution. So he ordered the formation of the Guild of Auctioneers, Auctionettes and Auction Managers with the aim to sell these items to the highest bidder and redistribute the wealth to the charities chosen by the Convention they are attending.
The auction isn't just for buying things, the Auctionettes have all been schooled in various ways of presentation and this often is just as amusing as the items they are parading around the room.
The head Auctioneer Pat Harkin will be at the front making sure you empty your wallet for a selection of items that are as eclectic as they are rare.
Please remember your bidding paddle from your membership pack otherwise you will be issued with a Paddle of Shame and of course, your bulging wallet.
Charity Auction - Collection
Pseudopolis Yard : 13:00 - 14:00 (1.0 hour)
You did it! You managed to win an item in the Charity Auction, despite the "fiery" competition.
Here is where you get to pay, collect your goodies, walk off with them, drag them to your lair - and sleep on it. Preferably in that order
Please ensure that you physically collect them. We don't want to repeat the Unfortunate Coffin incident of 2010.
The Draw-off
Pseudopolis Yard : 15:00 - 16:00 (1.0 hour)
“Put your pencil to the mettle! And then draw fun pictures.”
Join Ray Friesen and a selection of our finest artists as they see if the pencil is indeed mightier than the sword.
How to Buckle a Swash
Pseudopolis Yard : 16:00 - 17:30 (1.5 hours)
When a new recruit joins the Watch, you can't just give them a sword and tell them to get on with it. You must teach them how to use it, how to eat with it, how to sleep with it...
Peter Morwood and Orjan Westin will explain and demonstrate what this meant, historically.
Morris For The Initiated
Pseudopolis Yard : 17:30 - 18:30 (1.0 hour)
They call it the Cuckoos Nest fnar fnar ..
A second opportunity to experience the Dark Art of Border Morris.
Test your stamina as you come face to face with a Gypsy, tackle a Petronella turn and find out the difference between a reel and a hey, all while learning one of the most popular modern Border Dances.
Previous dance experience of any type helpful but not essential, although you will need to be reasonably fit.
Monday
How to Raise a Dragon
Pseudopolis Yard : 10:00 - 12:00 (2.0 hours)
So you have obtained all those lovely dragon raising spell ingredients and you are ready to go!
WooHoo!
But, oh no, what’s this, the Anti-Dragon Brotherhood have discovered the locations of the Super-Secret Lodges of all of the pro-dragon Brotherhoods.
Defend! Defend!!
Narrativia Q&A
Pseudopolis Yard : 12:00 - 13:00 (1.0 hour)
Everything you still want to ask Rob Wilkins, regarding all the Narrativia information that was presented during the Convention.
Stephen Briggs Q&A
Pseudopolis Yard : 13:00 - 14:00 (1.0 hour)
Stephen’s happy to open the floor to questions and to ramble on about anything you want to quiz him about. Ask anything you like - though he doesn’t guarantee to answer!