Confirmed Guests

This devious being was born “The Cunning Artificer”, and possesses the power to forge magical and mystical objects that should only belong on the Disc. Some say they possess the power to entrance most honest people, and relieve them of their wits (and their hard earned cash). After he crossed over to Roundworld, he realised he had to use our currencies to gain power, so he sold his smuggled wares as “Clarecraft”. Eventually, this led to the setting-up of a Discworld Emporium in Wincanton, Somerset. Still residing there today, The Cunning Artificer gets more cunning by the day. Mr “Bernard Pearson” – as he is now known – was a guest at all the previous IDWCons, and in 2019 you may encounter a bearded, pipe-wielding fellow with a thunderously jolly demeanor mingling with the IDWCon attendees over a pint of Celtic goodness and a long and colourful chat. But beware, good citizens, for he is not all he seems.

Colin Smythe is the Agent who signed up Sir Terry to his publishing company, before he was Sir Terry. He published Terry's first book, The Carpet People, in 1971, and his next four novels, before coming to a co-publishing arrangement with Victor Gollancz. When this arrangement came to an end in 1987, Colin became Terry's agent. His publishing company, Colin Smythe Ltd, was started in 1966, and has since specialised in such wide-ranging subjects as 19th and 20th century Irish literature and criticism, Irish myths and folklore, heraldry and orders of knighthood, fly-fishing, and parapsychology. For his services to Irish literature he received an honorary Doctorate of Laws (LLD) from the University of Dublin in 1998.

Daniel hasn’t managed to accomplish much with his life, but one thing he has done with marginal success was to help build the largest and most complicated fan film in history. That film, of course, is an adaptation of the Discworld short story “Troll Bridge”, which Terry wrote in 1991. The adaptation has very much been Daniel’s life work – and now, after fifteen years of collaborating with some of the finest artists across the globe, it is complete and awaiting film festival programming. Daniel lives in Melbourne with his soulmate, two demanding cats, a He-Man figure collection, and a head full of impossible ideas.

Born in Reading, Berkshire, Isobel was already a lover of Discworld before becoming involved (at the same time as Bernard) in 1991. Ever since then, she has been the help that goes with the hindrance (i.e. Bernard) and the ultimate organiser (property Discworld Emporium). She now oversees production of such works as The Compleat Discworld Atlas. And as far as we outsiders can tell, the project went quite well! Another major project that Isobel was involved in was the memorable Discworld figurines and the “Unreal Estate”, which Bernard sculpted while Isobel rang Sir Terry frequently with questions and queries about characters and locations. When not caught up in Discworld shenanigans, Isobel likes to tend her garden and spend as much time as she can with her beautiful grandchildren.

Pat Harkin doesn’t know how he met Terry Pratchett, and if cornered will try to convince you that he met him for the first time twice: once online in a computer support forum (which is not as pervy as it sounds, but a lot more nerdy) and once at a signing. He has an extensive collection of Discworld memorabilia, to the extent that he is convinced that you could take away all the walls of his house and the roof wouldn’t fall down. At the 2004 Discworld Convention Charity Auction, he volunteered to stand in for Bernard Pearson for 10 minutes and is still waiting for him to come back. He is extremely proud of having been called “Lord of the Über Fans” by Terry, in the foreword to A Slip of The Keyboard, though he accepts that the title was considerably cooler before the taxi app came along.