Newsletters

VELCOME FROM THE MAYOR OF SCHNAPP

My darlink fellow Discvorld fans, it’s hard to believe zat another IDWCon is merely 10 months avay!

For our 6^th Irish Discvorld Convention, ve’re very happy to be velcomed back to ze Cork International Hotel. Ze hotel’s quirkiness, comfortable lounge areas, good food and fantastick staff haf been praised highly by previous members and ve look forvard to beink back.

OK, I'll stop now. So, having previously done Witches, Watch, and Wizards for our themes, this time we could hardly leave out the Werewolves! We head to Überwald for the charming village of Schnapp, who are having their Sektoberfest. We hope to see many of you join us as various village members (both living and differently alive) – and if you’ve any desire not just to wear a costume but to be fully in character, please see the call for actors later in the newsletter. Previously we’ve brought you a murder mystery and a scavenger hunt, and again this time we’re keen to present another intriguing themed team game for those who like to participate fully. Of course, IDWCon embraces all fans and levels of participation, so if you want to come, relax, meet friends, and not take part in any dressing up or shenanigans, you’ll be in equally good company. The Programme team have already done some plotting and planning, but if you have any ideas you’d like us to consider please email us at info@idwcon.org. We look forward to welcoming, I mean, velcoming you all to Schnapp.

Sir Terry Pratchett was always generous with his time when it came to fans, and it’s still sad not to have him with us for these events, but we do our best to Speak His Name and Be More Terry.

This newsletter will be winging its way onto our website and into your inboxes on the Glorious 25th of May. To celebrate this occasion, many fans will be wearing black hats, wearing lilac, and speaking of “Truth! Justice! Reasonably Priced Love! And a hard-boiled egg!” (as in Night Watch). We'd also like to wish a Happy Towel Day to all you hoopy froods out there.

I’m looking forward to seeing my Discworld family again at the end of March 2019, and having a chance to meet friends old and new. Memberships are selling fast, and while we will have a waiting list when they do sell out, there are fewer than 50 places left at time of writing – so don’t delay too long.

Countess Shivers (IDWCon Chair, Honorary Mayor of Schnapp)

CALLING ALL THESPIANS

Schnapp may not have a large theatre like Ankh-Morpork's Dysk, but we still embrace the theatrical arts. If you would like to take part in a few small dramatic scenes this IDWCon, to be performed in front of the friendly townspeople of Schnapp, then please let us know as soon as possible! We have a variety of roles available, some of which are very suitable for those willing to do a bit of improvisation. So, if you want to join the Children of the Night in making beautiful theatre together, send us a carrier bat – though on second thought, sending a clacks message to us at info@idwcon.org might be quicker and more reliable.

GET SHIRTY

Don't forget to order your snazzy Pre-con T-shirts, featuring our logo in white outline on midnight-ish blue. You can order yours here – but don't delay, they'll only be available until the 2^nd of July!

THE SEKTOBERFEST SCOOP

Schnapp is very proud of its yearly festival of Sektoberfest, where we show off the best Überwald has to offer in terms of food, drink, song, and dance. Of course, this is all thanks to our Organisers (a mix of civic officials and regular volunteer townsfolk) who this year will be:

– Frau Gateaux
– Count Erick Manschpoof Angham (Not Ingham) Marvin Tybalt Severus von Gruber von Schnapp
– Dept. Sheriff Murdaug Dogberry
– Countess Shivers von Schnapp
– Ana R. Keymaker
– Jutht Igor
– Ptah r’Gemini
– Probably Rachel
– and Baron von Barkerstein.

Sektoberfest announcements and minutes of the planning meetings will be available in future editions of the Schnapp Gazette.

HOW TO TALK PROPER LIKE (IN ÜBERWALDEAN)

While most denizens of Überwald can get by in Morporkian, we do recommend that any visitors to our Sektoberfest celebrations practice a few local phrases. Here's a couple of examples to start you off:

Hello/Greetings : I greet you zis dark, dreary, unt unforgiving night, vherein ze bats fly, ze children of ze night make zeir sveet unt beautiful musick, unt ze chill of ze air ist like zat of mine own vorlorn soul

Goodbye : Farevell, unt may you rest in peace, or iff you are in pieces, may you not rest for lonk

VELCOME FROM THE MAYOR OF SCHNAPP

Time, she flies like ze graceful bat. In our last newsletter we had fewer than 50 memberships left, and now we have fewer than 30! It's wonderful to see that so many of you are coming to join us in Cork, and we have a mix of people coming back for their second convention, their sixth IDWCon, their twentieth (or more) Discworld convention and, of course, people coming for their very first fan event! Ve velcome you all viz open claws/wings/arms.

The committee and staff are eagerly Igoring away at sorting out our imminent waiting list, sketching out the programme and all its events, devising the member packs, merchandise, dramatics, volunteers, and so much more. Make sure you're signed up to these newsletters if you don't want to miss future announcements about our Gala Dinner, Maskerade, and more.

This week in Terry's home of the Chalke Valley, Paul Kidby and a team of talented people have put together a Shed of Doom, and Rob Wilkins is also doing a talk called The Write Fantastic. We hope anyone who gets to go along enjoys themselves immensely.

And coming up ever so soon is the convention that started it all, and inspired fans around the world to want to host their own events: the UK's DWCon will be taking place at the beginning of August. There may be a few IDWCon attendees floating around, and you'll be able to spot us sporting our gorgeous pre-con t-shirts (don't delay in ordering yours if you haven't already!).

Many thanks to the good people of Discworld Monthly for keeping all of us fans up to date on Discworld news and events, large and small. For an exhaustive list of everything Pratchett-related that's happening soon, or nearest your home, you can check their events page – or you can check our own events page on our website for a brief overview.

Looking forward to seeing some of you in August, and then all of you in 273 days!

Countess Shivers (IDWCon Chair, Honorary Mayor of Schnapp)

HISTORICAL SOCIETY BRINGS ART TO (UN)LIFE

In a recent talk given by the travelling historian Professor S. P. Engler to the local Schnapp Cultural, Historical, & Narrative Appreciation Public Partnership, townsfolk were enthralled by the focus on their very own family portraits. “The paintings here are extremely unique,” said Engler, “as they are created using the finest ‘Extract of Land Eel Paint’, which can lead to bizarre effects under some conditions.” The professor encouraged locals to investigate this phenomenon themselves, and went on to explain that the greatest of these effects could be seen under the light of a full moon. “Even the more recent paintings, such as those on display in the Sektoberfest Organisers’ Gallery, can be seen to exhibit some of these glorious effects, on occasion,” he explained.

As the meeting came to a close, Frau Gateaux thanked the historian and announced the next meeting of the Society will be held on the second Tuesday of next month. Refreshments were provided by the Schnapp chapter of the Überwald League of Temperance.

PRE-CON SHIRTS MUST GO

Don't forget that pre-con T-shirt orders end on the 2nd of July (that's just three days after this newsletter's publication). Order yours here – but make it Schnappy!

MAKE ROOM! MAKE ROOM!

So, what will happen when, some day soon, you come to our fancy website and discover, alas and alack, that our memberships have sold out? Or alternatively, when Real Life™ has happened, and you are tearfully forced to admit you can no longer attend? Well, for these purposes, our cunning imps have created The Waiting List. If you have memberships you need to pass on to people, or you’re desperate to attend but memberships are sold out, you'll be able to just fill out the handy form on our website, indicating how many memberships you have to trade or want to buy, and we'll put you in contact with the people in the opposite predicament.

Please note that we don’t handle any financial transactions between people selling their memberships and those buying them: IDWCon merely facilitates contact between members wishing to pass on their membership and those who are waiting. However, it is very important that when you do make any exchange of memberships, you email our membership coordinator at members@idwcon.org to let us know, so that we can adjust badge names and so forth, and keep track of everyone who is attending the convention. If you have any questions, please email our membership coordinator at the aforementioned address, and we'll do our best to answer them.

THE SEKTOBERFEST SCOOP

Well, my darling Schnappites, I know you’ve all been dying for the latest update from the Sektoberfest Committee (some of you for the second time!). Unlike our local Sheriff, I won’t leave you hanging: planning is storming ahead and we have had many, many detailed discussions about the colour scheme and possible flower displays. Special thanks to Count Erick Manschpoof Angham (Not Ingham) Marvin Tybalt Severus von Gruber von Schnapp for leading those sessions. I didn't need my Friday evenings anyway.

If the above news turns you green with envy (rather than the usual rigor mortis), well, we've still plenty of time for you to get involved in the Sektoberfest Planning Committee (i.e. take part in some of the dramatics at the convention) – just get in touch with us at info@idwcon.org. Until next time, my dead and deadly darlings!

– Frau Gateaux

HOW TO TALK PROPER LIKE (IN ÜBERWALDEAN)

Here's some more Überwaldean phrases to help Morporkian visitors at our Sektoberfest celebrations:

Please : I vill beseech upon you, kind zir / madam / Igor / creature of ze night, to bestow upon me great favour unt blessingen

Thank you : May ze vampires think your b-vord tastes blandt, unt ze verevolves choke on your bones

Sorry : Verily I beg you to haf vhatever mercy on mine pitiful soul zat your dark unt magnifizent personage can muster

VELCOME FROM THE MAYOR OF SCHNAPP

We Sold Out!!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you. We’re going to have a wonderful weekend, and we’re so pleased that the village of Schnapp has been filled to capacity with Discworld fans from all over the world.

The main convention hotel (Cork International) is now also sold out. If you haven’t yet booked your hotel room, details of the overflow hotel can be found here.

Don’t despair if you were saving up to buy a membership, though – we have a waiting list, and the closer it gets to IDWCon, the more likely it is that people may not be able to make it. We don’t refund memberships, but we will put anyone who can’t make it in touch with those seeking to attend. To that end, there’s also a second list for people selling their membership. More details can be found on this page.

So, it's just a short mayoral message this time as there’s so much news and highlights from DWCon to share. Now Read On...

Countess Shivers (IDWCon Chair, Honorary Mayor of Schnapp)

INTERNATIONAL DWCON HIGHLIGHTS AND NEWS

The sights! The sounds! The hugs! Some of your IDWCon fellow attendees undertook a mission: To boldly go to DWCon and see what they've done. It’s a different Convention than IDWCon – more than twice the size, but it's always something special when people who share the sense of humour and the love of Terry come together.

Some of the highlights: Rob Wilkins did not show us any footage at all from Good Omens, but we did get confirmation that it’s going to be wonderful – Neil and Rob have been on a mission from the beginning to make a show Terry would be proud of. The other big news for screen fans is that The Watch TV series now has a writer, Simon Allen. While there’s not a lot they can’t tell us yet, the enthusiasm for the project is at an all-time high. It goes without saying that the other guests – Paul Kidby, Colin Smythe, Stephen Briggs, Bernard Pearson & Reb & Ian of the Discworld Emporium, Diane Duane, Peter Morwood, Ian Stewart, Ray Friesen, Mark Oshiro, and Dirk Maggs – all dazzled and amused us in a variety of ways.

Troll Bridge is finished! If you don’t know the 15-year saga of the film adaptation of the short story of the same name, well, you can find out more on their website. But at long last, it's done. It is at this very minute doing the film festival rounds, so couldn’t have a full screening, but Daniel Knight and his team are understandably delighted that as soon as the film festival season is over, the (many) backers will reap the rewards.

The convention's theme of secret societies and Guards was well received, with mysteries and clues abounding. The actual Discworld secret society had another official Lodge meeting, but if you want to know more about that, you’ll have to come along to their meeting at IDWCon. The Charity Auction raised an amazing £9,000 for worthy causes; a great achievement for the auction team of Pat Harkin, Discworld Monthly's Rachel & Jason, and their glamorous assistants. Hedgehogs partied, raced and, of course, could never be buggered. A Dragon was Raised. The Maskerade was full of amazing costumes, as always. And the play was particularly impressive this year: Night Watch kept us all enthralled. Our heartfelt congratulations and thanks go out to the committee and volunteers for an amazing overall event.

CONFIDELITY, CONVIVIALITY, AND CONVENTIONS

Confidelity is a term that means getting enjoyment from the enjoyment of others. It’s what drives us to volunteer to run around behind the scenes helping the Convention happen. And it’s not just us that suffer from it! See the above review of the UK DWCon – the one that started it all. But there are so many spin-offs, and other events, that we wanted to share with you.

You can find a detailed list of all the other major Discworld Conventions, Gatherings, and Related Dates on this page of our website.

Most recently, NADWCon (the North American DWCon) have announced their guests and theme, and it looks very exciting – WITH 1000 ELEPHANTS! L.A. will become Holy Wood in July next year. Have a peek at their website for more info.

In other, more Irish news, Dublin will be hosting the famous World Science Fiction Convention (WorldCon) in August 2019 (now less than a year to go) – and they recently received a letter of support from the Irish President Michael D. Higgins. You can read all about it here. “Ireland is a land which celebrates stories and imagination”, he says, and it certainly is; we hope that those of you coming to join us at IDWCon will find that very much holds true.

THE SEKTOBERFEST SCOOP

So, my lovely children of the night, you'll all be eager (and indeed some of you will be Igor) to hear about what's been going on in the top-secret Sektoberfest Planning Committee meetings.

Well, this month's news is no secret – the bats in every belfry will have heard by now that the committee roster has changed. Baron von Barkerstein has chosen to leave the Sektoberfest Committee due to “personal reasons”. You know I don’t like to gossip, but… a little bat told me that the Baron’s departure had something to do with his frequent habit of providing his pets with more than the odd drop of whiskey, on occasion. Everyone knows about the local by-laws “It is illegal to get a fish drunk” and “It is illegal to give a dog whiskey”, and we all know how keen the Sheriff is to promote local traditions and uphold the Lore. Still, when a being’s only drinking companions are his pets, something like this was always bound to happen.

At present we've filled his space on the committee with our friend Frau Ni-Phace, and we'll see how it works out for us. There are still other openings available on the committee, so if any of the inhabitants of Schnapp want to help us fill the Sektoberfest Planning Committee meeting table (i.e. take part in some of the dramatics at the convention) – just get in touch with us at info@idwcon.org. Until next time, my dead and deadly darlings!

– Frau Gateaux

HOW TO TALK PROPER LIKE (IN ÜBERWALDEAN)

Here's some more Überwaldean phrases to help Morporkian visitors at our Sektoberfest celebrations:

1, 2, 3, 4, 5... : Vun (ha ha ha), two (ha ha ha), three (ha ha ha), many (ha ha ha), lots (ha ha ha)…

I would like some wine please : Ve do in fact drink... *significant pause* ...vine

I would like a beer please : Eine bier bitte, bitten by a bear

I don't speak Überwaldean : Mein own tongue dost betray me, unt my feeble mindt cannot comprehend your vords, nay ze very sounds from your lips are gratink upon mein ears

EQUIP YOURSELF FOR SEKTOBERFEST!

There's a little less than six months to go until our famous Sektoberfest festivities, and excitement is already rising in the village as the main preparations get under way. In anticipation of the hundreds of visitors flooding in from across the Disc and beyond, the Sektoberfest Planning Committee has taken the liberty of arranging a selection of traditional Überwaldean weres wares, which they have now unveiled and are available to pre-order. Each item will be hand-crafted by highly-trained goblins in the months running up to the event, ready for visitors to claim when they arrive.

Remember, all our merchandise profits will go directly toward improving Schnapp's Sektoberfest celebrations, or to charity. Please bear in mind that the last day to pre-order your merchandise will be the 28th February 2019; and while there may be a very limited amount of this merchandise available to purchase at the convention itself, this is not guaranteed, so pre-order to avoid disappointment!

A TASTE OF ÜBERWALD

While Sektoberfest is a general celebration of Überwaldean culture, it's especially known for its food and, most importantly, drink. Schnapp is famous across the Disc for its eponymous fruit (well, mostly fruit) spirits – so you may need a handy container to carry your favourite elixir around in. This smart and useful hipflask, which is engraved with the village seal, makes an excellent memento and a practical gift.

While the carrying flask is ideal for your favourite tipple, you may also need a vessel to sample a little of the large variety of beverages that Sektoberfest has to offer – such as this adorable shot-glass, styled to resemble the traditional Überwald glass stein. Replete with amusing motto, this ideal souvenir will look fantastic on your mantelpiece alongside the Quirmian miniature floral clock.

THE TRADITIONAL GARB

First and foremost among our authentic Schnappy clothing is the “Tieschurt” – a functional and decorative shirt, historically worn at Sektoberfest as an alternative to lederhosen or dirndls (and is strikingly similar to Roundworld T-shirts). This year's specially-crafted outfit displays Schnapp's village seal on the front and a depiction of some of the locals engaging in a traditional pastime on the back, and is available in unisex or ladies' fit versions.

THE FORMAL WEAR

Of course, there are plenty of Überwaldeans for whom formal wear is an absolute must, for that dramatic flair when meeting new victims visitors. This garment, the “Pferdekugelschurt” (practically indistinguishable from Roundworld polo shirts), is a traditional smart shirt in the Schmaltzberg region, and is ideal for discreetly declaring one's allegiance to the Old Country in almost any setting. Available in unisex or ladies' fit versions.

LOKO'S MAGIC SHIRTS

As well as the traditional garments, Schnapp is keen to show off its modern high-technomancy outlook with this Tieschurt brought right into the Century of the Anchovy by using a dash of magic from the Loko Magical Research Centre. In the daylight, this shirt proudly shows off our connection to the Igor clan – but it's at night that it really comes to life (as do many things in Überwald), giving off an eerie light. Available in unisex or ladies' fit versions.

VELCOME FROM THE MAYOR OF SCHNAPP

Even a Discvorld fan, who ist pure in intent unt books zeir membership on first sales night, may find zemselves unable to attend vhen ze IDWCon draws near unt ze autumn moon is bright.

As IDWCon draws ever closer, and it becomes time to book planes and trains and automobiles, some people will unfortunately discover that they cannot make it to Cork to join us for IDWCon at the end of March 2019. We hope that every member who signed up can make it, but for those who can't, please let us know as early as possible and add yourself to the ‘pass it along’ selling list. We have a waiting list of people who would be keen to take your place if you can't make it, and we'll put them straight in touch with you.

Equally, if you thought you couldn't join us and a change of circumstance means you now can, or you only heard about it after memberships had sold out, there is still a chance, so please add yourself to the waiting list.

What else have we been up to, with plotting and planning? Well, loot! If you missed our last newsletter, we now have some beautiful merchandise, exclusive to IDWCon members, available for pre-order.

Countess Shivers (IDWCon Chair, Honorary Mayor of Schnapp)

A CHARITABLE CONCERN

IDWCon is, of course, a not-for-profit voluntary organisation. One of the key events of the weekend is our charity auction, where fans bid on all manner of things, from official Discworld books or merchandise to unique fan creations, fully encompassing the spectrum from gorgeous to odd, and everything in between. The money raised from this auction, as well as all the revenue left over after the convention's costs have been met, goes to support our convention charities. Every year, we support the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, both in memory of Terry and the “embuggerance” but also because Alzheimers and dementia drastically change the lives of so many people in Ireland and their families. They are a very worthy cause, and we’re always proud to support them.

As always, we will also be supporting a local Cork charity and another national Irish charity. The Cork charity we've chosen is Shine. The Shine centre in Carrigaline work with children and adolescents who have been diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorders. As well as supporting the kids, Shine supports parents, carers and educators from across Cork City and County and they cater for all abilities. Shine works in the key intervention window where they can have a hugely positive impact on the development of children and give them the opportunity to develop their skills. We hope you'll help us brighten the future of many children with autism.

The national charity that we've chosen is Age Action. Their positive vision is for Ireland to become the best country in which to grow older. They aim to improve the quality of life of older people, especially those who are most disadvantaged and vulnerable, by enabling them to live full, independent and satisfying lives. They offer a range of supports for repairs, teach computer literacy, fight for the rights of the elderly and promote lifelong learning. They’ve also teamed up with another charity, Suas, to help improve children’s literacy.

STOP PRESS – GUEST ANNOUNCEMENT

We are very pleased to announce that Daniel Knight will be joining us (in person, for the first time!)  at IDWCon 2019. For the last decade, Daniel has been slaving away at the labour of love that is the long-anticipated film adaptation of the Discworld short story Troll Bridge – which is now officially finished! More information is available on our website's guest page.

WE NEED YOU (YES, YOU!)

Is your tongue more silver than Moist von Lipwig’s? Could you sell a pie to Dibbler? Are you more persuasive than Detritus with a siege weapon? If so, you're probably far too skilled for us. However, if you like to help out and are happy to chat to people at the con, you may make a great Merchandise Officer. We’re looking for a volunteer to help us co-ordinate the distribution of our wonderful merchandise items. This will mean a fair amount of time spent at the merch desk during the convention, but also first dibs on all our fangtastic merchandise items! If you're interested, please let us know at info@idwcon.org.

FINAL CASTING CALL

Due to Real Life™, one of our actors is no longer available, so there is an opportunity for any interested thespians to help us out with the IDWCon dramatics. Please send us an email at productions@idwcon.org before the end of November, and we'll schedule an audition. All levels of experience welcome!

THE SEKTOBERFEST SCOOP

Well dahlings, the committee has been as active as the fleas on Deputy Sheriff Murdaug Murphy (I jest, I jest).

Despite all our busy schedules we have been continuing to make this the greatest Sektoberfest ever. Despite all the pesky by-laws getting in the way, we are certain our special celebration dinner will be a success. The by-law about salmon handling is archaic and ridiculous! It is a perfectly respectable food. And don't even get me started on the laws about public shaving. I had to move the location of the werewolf grooming contest three times! If it’s not under the light of the moon the contestants just won’t have sufficient material to work with.

I am sure our Sheriff has a perfectly good reason for not using his power as Sheriff, vested in him by the famous Sheriff’s seal, to change those laws. An excellent reason that he refuses to tell me... or any of us. Well, back to the grindstone – our traditional Schnapp Singalong won’t organise itself, though how we can have a proper sing-along without any profane or obscene songs I just don’t know. Until next time, my dead and deadly darlings!

– Frau Gateaux

HOW TO TALK PROPER LIKE (IN ÜBERWALDEAN)

Here's some more Überwaldean phrases to help Morporkian visitors at our Sektoberfest celebrations:

How much is this... food/drink/loot? : Vhat cost to mein soul (may ze gods guard it) vould thou wrench vrom me for zis... delicious morsel / lovely libation / amazink item of IDWCon Merch?

Where is the Sheriff's Office? : Ze thin veiled semblance of civic order zat helps ze feeble humans sleep at night, unt maintains an uneasy truce among ze differently-alife, vhere does zat officer mete out vhat little yustice zey can?

VELCOME FROM THE MAYOR OF SCHNAPP

It is official, we will now soon be in the Year of the Incontrovertible Skunk! A very Happy Hogswatch to one and all. The website is bedecked in its festive finery, so do pop along for a look around. There are now fewer than a hundred days until the Irish Discworld Convention 2019 – what news do we have for you all in the meantime?

Well… the Diet of Bugs Commemoration Dinner has been announced (see below). A reminder about how to get here, in our travel tips section. And it's time to start thinking about your Maskerade entry! In general Discworld news, Snowgum Films have announced that the premiere of the long-awaited fan film Troll Bridge will take place in January, which is great news for our guest Daniel Knight.

As Roundworld Hogswatch nears, what better gift for the Discworld fan in your life than a little IDWCon magic? We have t-shirts, polo shirts, glow in the dark tshirts, mini tankard style shot glasses and hip flasks with our gorgeous IDWCon artwork. It’s all for collection at the con itself, so ideal for writing into Hogswatch cards as an IOU! Or treat your friend to a delicious dinner with our newly available gala tickets. All can be found in the Buy Stuff section of our website. This new year, if you find for whatever reason you can no longer join us, please be sure to let us know ASAP by adding your membership to the selling list, as we have lots of eager Discworld fans hoping to make it in your place.

Countess Shivers (IDWCon Chair, Honorary Mayor of Schnapp)

GALA DINNER BOOKING NOW OPEN

Sektoberfest is a time of celebration, but it is also a time of remembrance. In the grand tradition of Sektoberfest, we show our serious commitment through eating and drinking, and so we invite you all to the Diet of Bugs Nonacentennial Commemoration Dinner.

Nine hundred years ago, the three main factions within what is now Überwald (Vampires, Werewolves, and Dwarfs) held a great meeting, or Diet, in the town of Bugs, where they eventually arrived at a peace treaty which brought an end to centuries of emnity, most of which is still observed to this day, as we continue our pledge to use garlic only in cooking, to use silver only in decoration, and to acknowledge that while dwarfs are tasty they are not food.

This special event is our only separate-ticketed event at Sektoberfest, and if you want to attend, you can purchase your tickets over on our Buy Stuff page. At time of writing, over half the tickets have already been sold, so get your tickets for the Diet of Bugs Commemoration Dinner, and make it Schnappy!

There will be food for all palates (including those avoiding garlic): if you have any allergies, please provide full details when requesting your food. Like many Überwaldeans, you may wish to keep friends close and enemies closer; to facilitate this, you can provide the details of all the people you would like to sit with, or avoid. Of course, given the number of vampires that will be attending, it goes without saying that formal or evening wear is strongly encouraged, though of course the more... traditional appearance of many of the denizens of Überwald is also acceptable.

MAD ABOUT THE MASKERADE

Yes, it's that time of year where we remind those of you who want to take part in the Maskerade to make a start on your entries! For those of you who haven't witnessed a Maskerade before, it's a talent-show / costume-parade type event, which gives you (yes, you) a chance to show off your Discworld-related skills, be it in performance, theatrics or with a needle and thread. Acts range from carefully-rehearsed and stunningly-costumed virtuoso performances, to comedy skits dreamed up at breakfast the day before and thrown together with whatever comes to hand.

Whether you're an old hand or a complete novice, the atmosphere is always welcoming and supportive, and you're sure to be met with thunderous applause, so please do get in touch with us at info@idwcon.org if you'd like to give it a go. Not only will you have an unforgettable experience, you'll also be providing entertainment for your fellow attendees.

GET THERE WITHOUT DRIVING YOURSELF BATTY

At the convention draws ever closer, don't forget to make your travel arrangements in plenty of time! You can find out more on our Getting There page.

On a related note, if you’ve not yet sorted your accommodation, the hotel have had a handful of rooms become available again after initially selling out, so contact them quickly to get your hands on one.

THE SEKTOBERFEST SCOOP

Dahlings, ’tis the season for family, togetherness and pork pies, and the Sektoberfest committee have been run off our feet (and paws). All the tasty hoggy treats have had us thinking about food at Sektoberfest, and so we have released tickets for our Diet of Bugs Commemoration Dinner. All of our time has been spent on the dinner and convincing the rest of the Sektoberfest Planning Committee of my superior taste. So grab your tickets and show them the true meaning of style!

– Frau Gateaux

HOW TO TALK PROPER LIKE (IN ÜBERWALDEAN)

In the spirit of the festive season, this newsletter we'll introduce our Morporkian visitors to some traditional Hogswatch carols from Überwald, the most famous of which is, of course, ‘Silent Night’:

Silent night, unholy fright,
Naught is calm, viz things zat bite,
Round yon castle, midnight's dark child,
Chilling creatures stare out from ze wild
Sleep in fearful unrest,
Sleep in fearful unrest.

Another much-loved traditional carol is ‘In the Bleak Midwinter’:

In ze bleak midvinter,
Igor's creation groaned,
Ze lab locked tight viz iron,
“It's Aliiive” intoned.
Ze body sewn up, limb on limb,
Limb on limb,
In ze bleak midvinter,
It stirs, dark unt grim.

Some other famous Überwaldean Hogswatch songs include:

Deck ze Halls viz Creepy Cobwebs;
Bark, ze Hairy Verewolves Sing;
O Little Town of Bad Schüschein;
I Saw Three Bats Come Flying In;
Rudolf ze Red-Fanged Wampire;
and of course, All I Vant for Hogsvatch ist ze B-vord.

VELCOME FROM THE MAYOR OF SCHNAPP

The Con draws ever closer! Very very soon, we will be gathering in Cork – the committee and staff are all really hard at work now.

A few things to bear in mind with deadlines drawing near: make sure you have your travel arrangements and documents in order, your accommodation booked; some clothes are probably necessary, as are a toothbrush, and any friends or family you’re planning to bring.

The Sunday of the convention will be Mother’s Day, so why not order some special IDWCon loot for yer Mam? What mother doesn’t love a glow in the dark t-shirt or a hip flask? Pre-order your merch by the end of February to avoid being disappointed. And the Gala Dinner tickets are almost sold out, so if you want to join the fancy meal on the Sunday night, book now!

Countess Shivers (IDWCon Chair, Honorary Mayor of Schnapp)

THE B-VORD

We know a lot of you are concerned about how the convention will be affected by the B-vord (no, not that one – Brexit, of course!). Honestly, we are too! The UK's exit from the EU will likely have an impact, but it’s not yet clear if it’ll happen, if it’ll happen with a deal, or if it’ll happen without one. In the third scenario, there is no clarity at all. A lot of the committee (as well as our attendees and guests) will be travelling from the UK, so we’re all in the same boat (or plane), waiting to hear on final decisions and the impact thereof. Please continue to check with your own travel providers directly. The B-vord sucks!

NOW ENTERING ÜBERWALD – CHECK YOUR WEAPONS

a.k.a Pointy things, Blunt things, and “You could take your eye out with that”. Think you need an axe for cosplay? Is that broadsword really integral to your costume? Please make sure you've read our full weapons policy here, under the “Weapons” heading.

We are generally quite nice and responsible people, but there will be people drinking, and people eating copious amounts of sugar, and while you may think your harmless little foam sword won’t be a problem, weapons of any kind can easily be misused. The policy is there to help us all have a safe and happy convention.

Our Watch officers will check things over, and if it can be safely carried around, we will make accommodations. However, if there’s any possible risk, we’ll ask you to check it in with us, and we'll look after it for you (bringing it out as needed for e.g. the Maskerade or photoshoots), returning it to you at the end of the convention. Remember – no weapon which hasn't been approved by the Watch or Committee should be worn around the hotel or brought into common areas.

Want to learn how to use a weapon? Then make sure you sign up for our very popular sword classes at Registration on Friday.

U.U. CHALLENGE ON TOUR

After the success of the recent revival of Unseen University Challenge at the U.U.'s Open Weekend, it appears that the legendary gameshow is going on a Disc-wide tour, with the first stop being hosted by Bonk University. As such, it will be taking place during Sektoberfest – in an attempt to hamper the students – so any visitors of an academic bent are encouraged to start swotting up now, and forming their teams of up to four members, ready for battle on the field of Discworld trivia.

JUST IN TIME FOR LAST PRE-ORDERS & GALA

A quick reminder: pre-orders of exclusive convention merchandise as well as Gala Dinner tickets go off sale on 28th February, so order your shiny merch and tasty dinners here, before it's too late!

AUCTION LOTS GOING ONCE, GOING TWICE...

As laid down by age-old Tradition, our Sektoberfest weekend will play host to a grand Charity Auction, where all manner of goodies will be flogged off by our auctioneer extraordinaire, Pat Harkin, with all of the proceeds going directly to our charities. Of course, this means that we'll need some things to auction off, so please have a think about anything you might like to donate.

We'll happily accept anything Discworld-related, be it con swag, merchandise, memorabilia, and especially anything that you might have created or crafted – though we do have a limited amount of time to auction them off in, so make sure to get your donations in early. You'll need to hand them in to the Registration desk during the convention itself, but for now it'd be really useful for us to know what you're planning to bring, so please do send us an email at accounts@idwcon.org to let us know.

ROLL UP, ROLL UP, TO THE MASKERADE

There are still slots left in our Maskerade line up, so if you want to tread the boards or show off your amazing costume, sign up for the Maskerade and revel in the applause. If you have musical or technical requirements, then it would really help our amazing Tech crew to hear about it in advance. So whether it's fully impromptu, or scripted and scored, let us know at info@idwcon.org if you want to be involved.

THE SEKTOBERFEST SCOOP

Dahlings, dahlings, we are all in a rush and a bother, but as your Sektoberfest Planning Committee contact, I am taking a break from all the festival preparations to update you on our progress. I’m quite sure Igor and the Deputy can manage the hog wrangling, and the weather's a perfect Uberwaldean day, stormy with a moderate chance of lightning. You, my dear readers, are more important to me. And I have such a juicy piece of gossip for you!

No doubt thanks to my clever updates and cutting insights, Sektoberfest has gained the attention of a major Ankh-Morpork newspaper. A reporter from The Times will be attending to cover our Sektoberfest celebrations, and I have invited them as my special guest to the Commemoration Dinner. Who knows what kind of scandal important news they can share with us? Au revoir for now my dears, I’m off to prepare the shortlist for the Schnapps Tasting – how hard I work for you lucky creatures.

– Frau Gateaux

HOW TO TALK PROPER LIKE (IN ÜBERWALDEAN)

Here's some more Überwaldean phrases to help Morporkian visitors at our Sektoberfest celebrations:

How are you? : Vhat ails thy feeble unt fragile mortal frame?

I need some energy : Strap me to ze slab unt let ze electrickery flow!

I am hungover : Ze dirt of ze grave ztill clings in mine mouth, unt mine body ist a dried-out husk.

I am in perfectly good health : Mad, zey called me... MAAAD!!!!!

VELCOME FROM THE MAYOR OF SCHNAPP

My delightful denizens of the Disc,

So few days until we are all together in Ireland. It is going to be so wonderful to meet new faces, greet old friends and watch the magic of fans gathering together.

We have a weekend planned that we hope you’ll all enjoy. The committee and staff have been working hard behind the scenes, but the weekend itself won’t run without all of you. If you haven’t already, you can get in touch with your fellow attendees on our Facebook group and on Twitter.

At time of writing, there are a very small number of Gala Dinner tickets left, and a fortnight to buy them in, so either way it's your last chance to get them! We wish you safe travels in reaching us in Cork and look forward to welcoming you to Überwald.

Countess Shivers (IDWCon Chair, Honorary Mayor of Schnapp)

IDWCON DAY TICKETS

If you’d like a ticket for the whole weekend, please do continue to sign up to our waiting list here – we've worked our way through most of the list so should be a short wait. And if real life occurs and you can no longer join us, if you add yourself to the selling list here we’ll put you in touch with those in need.

However, some of you may be local to Cork, but unavailable for some or most of the weekend, and only able to join us for a few hours or one day of fun. For those people, day memberships will be available for sale from the Registration Desk at the convention itself. There will be a limited number, on a first-come, first-served basis, and will be cash payment only. The prices will be €15 for Friday, €20 on Saturday, €20 on Sunday, and €15 on Monday. On Sunday we will also be doing a half-price ticket for all mothers, due to it being Mother's Day. For some other Mother's Day excitement at the hotel, see the Sunday food update below.

MOTHERS' MEALS

If, like us, you forgot that it would be Mother's Day on the Sunday during the IDWCON: do not fret, the hotel is offering Mother's Day brunch to the general public. If you would like to book a lunch to celebrate the mothers in your life, you can do so by contacting the hotel directly.

It is recommended to book this special Mother's Day meal before arriving at the hotel, as availability during the weekend cannot be guaranteed. Other meals and snacks will of course be available for convention members in the Main Bar area during Sunday, separately from the Mother's Day brunch offered by the hotel's restaurant.

HOLD ON TO YOUR HATS

If you’ve ever spent some downtime in the lobby at Discworld Conventions, you may have noticed knitting needles clicking and crochet hooks… hooking? We’re an industrious lot when it comes to crafting, and with Age Action being one of our convention charities we’re hoping to help them by joining in on Innocent’s 2019 Big Knit campaign: making mini woolly hats for smoothie bottles to raise funds and awareness to help keep Ireland’s older inhabitants warm and well.

If you have any spare oddments of yarn, or old tools, we would be immensely grateful for donations to help reach our aim of 100 hats – and don’t feel left out if you’re a complete beginner, as there will be an event to teach you how to crochet and knit!

LIGHTS, CAMERA, TRACTION!

This year, Luggage Wars returns with even more grip and a new way of controlling your luggages – which means, hopefully, even more remote-controlled luggage carnage. However, we need your help. Crafting fine sapient pearwood beasts requires a ready supply of raw materials, so it would be most appreciated if you are able to bring any crafting materials, such as cardboard of all kinds, coloured paper, cloth, glue, duct tape, or practically anything else that can be spared which might help a luggage to survive tests of Style, Control, Damage, and Aggression.

THE SEKTOBERFEST SCOOP

Well dahlings, Sektoberfest is very nearly upon us. The Sektoberfest Planning Committee has been working harder than the only Igor in a village of vampires. I, personally, have been so busy I barely have time to write for you, my dear readers. And not all of the committee have been schnapping to it. I swear between Ptah and his building projects, the Count and his flowers, and Igor and hith jobth, I am the only one working at all. Even the normally reliable Sheriff seems to have too many bats in the belfry – he needs to schnapp out of it. Only I have left no schnapps untasted and no flowers un-arranged. No need to thank me now, you can do it at Sektoberfest!

– Frau Gateaux

HOW TO TALK PROPER LIKE (IN ÜBERWALDEAN)

Now that you've mastered the basics, here's some more advanced Überwaldean idioms:

To do something one is reluctant to do : To bite ze garlick deeply

To misunderstand something : To grab ze wronk end of ze stake

A very helpful person (esp. a child) : Marthter'th little Igor.

JUST VUN WEEK TO GO UNTIL SEKTOBERFEST!

My delightful denizens of the Disc,

We're nearly there! Just seven dark nights until we'll all gather in Überwald for Schnapp's famous Sektoberfest (IDWCon 2019). With that in mind, we've taken the liberty of putting together this checklist of things to remember, so that even the most scatter-brained of mad scientists will have everything they need to enjoy this historic occasion.

See you all very soon!

Countess Shivers (IDWCon Chair, Honorary Mayor of Schnapp)

THE ESSENTIALS

- Membership: Have you got a membership? It might seem obvious, but remember that you won't be allowed into any of the events or convention areas without one! To be extra sure, check to see if your badge name appears on our Membership List. Remember that all children have to be registered members too!

- Terms and Conditions: We know they're deathly dull, but we like to think our attendees are as meticulous as vampires, and will make sure they are aware of our ground rules. You can find them here – make sure to especially read the sections titled Weapons, Harassment and Decency, and Photography.

- Accommodation: If you're coming from a fair distance away, you'll need somewhere to sleep, whether it's a coffin containing the earth of the Old Country, or just a convenient place to hang up. You may have a room already booked at the Cork International, the Cork Airport, or another hotel, but best to double check. You can check main hotel and its close neighbour on the Book a Room page of our website; they may have a small number of spare rooms due to cancellations. If you have any queries about booking a room, please email the relevant hotel.

- Travel: Again, don't forget to make any travel arrangements you may need! Double check that you've booked any flights/ferries/trains etc. — we'd be sorry to miss you on account of a booking mishap. We're aware that there are circumstances outside of our control that may have a significant effect on your travel plans if you're coming from overseas, so please be sure to take sensible precautions, and check you have all the necessary travel and medical insurance you might need.

- Your Membership Pack: So, when you arrive at the convention (for those of you who haven’t attended the Irish Discworld Convention before), the most important thing to do on arrival is to collect your Membership Pack from the Registration Desk on (the desk opens at midday on Friday 29th, and while it's easy to find, there’ll also be maps around to hotel to help you). Your Membership Pack contains your event programme booklet, which will hopefully tell you everything you need to know, as well as your membership badge (without which you will be barred from entry) and an assortment of other goodies.

THE OTHER THINGS

- For those early bats among you, there will be a small social event informally organised by the convention on Thursday evening, in the main hotel Lobby area. It'll be a good chance for you to meet up and get to know your fellow attendees before the convention gets fully under way.

- Merchandise: If you pre-ordered some of our exclusive convention merchandise, then firstly thank you (not only does it make things easier for us, it also contributes to the convention's profits which are donated to charity); and secondly, we’ll give you a little chitty in your your membership pack with all your pre-bought items listed. All you need to do is take it to our convention merchandise stand, where you can give it to our tame Dibblers in exchange for your shiny stuff. For those of you that didn’t pre-order, there will be a very small number of T-shirts, Polo shirts, Glow-in-the-Dark shirts, hipflasks, and mini-tankard shot glasses available to purchase at the same merch stand, as well as a bunch of other wonderful surprise goodies, so make sure to bring a few spare Euros with you.

- Gala Dinner: Tickets for the Diet of Bugs Commemoration Dinner have now sold out. If you were lucky enough to get a ticket, you'll find it in your membership pack. Please remember that the dress code for the dinner is formal, semi-formal or costume (the nobility of Überwald wouldn't be seen dead in anything else).

- Maskerade: We're always looking for more victims volunteers to strut their stuff in our famous Maskerade, so if you're interested in joining, or just want to find out more, please do drop us an email at info@idwcon.org and we'll be happy to sign you up and answer any questions.

- Volunteering: And lastly, please have a think about whether you'd like to help us make this convention even better. There's plenty of ways to assist, at all levels of ability: from gophering to First Aid to helping the Tech Team. Just let us know at the Registration Desk if you'd like to help us with anything.

PACKING LIST

- Wallet/purse/money pouch

- Phone & Charger

- Any proof of Concession status (if required)

- Passport and any other travel documents (if travelling)

- Electric adaptor, if coming from outside UK/Ireland

- Costume (if you want to)

- Craft supplies (e.g. wool, scissors, cardboard, pens, paper, needles and thread, glue, etc)

- Donations for the Charity Auction

- Spare books for our book-swap table (preferably Terry Pratchett, but not compulsory)

- Clothes, toothbrush, and all those other boring things

- And a sizeable Luggage to carry all of the above!