The beginning of this month was a whirlwind of excitement, fun, frolics and emotion. It was the 6th Australian Discworld Convention and I had all of the above words going through my life, then I drove to Adelaide for the Convention. The drive was fun as I had a co-pilot with me and we spent almost the entire time talking. The drive back was just as fun, we spent most of the time doing a brain dump of the Convention. Why? Well may you ask…
Discworld Grand Tour
For the first time the Australian Discworld Convention was held in Adelaide. It’s a much smaller place than both Melbourne and Sydney but I had confidence that it would go well. My confidence was well placed. We had a ball, there were very few problems.
Most of the panels/workshops/discussions went well. The cosplays were just outstanding. So many people getting together for a drink with friends.
This year we introduced a brand new game, one that seemed to work well. It ran almost the entire convention. Attendees had a passport with places for stamps to indicate you had completed tasks. Once you had completed the majority of those tasks you won a prize. So much fun was had doing these tasks. Photos were taken, videos exchanged and then it all had to be shown to Moist von Lipwig, someone with a stamp or someone in Ops in order to get the stamp. I don’t do the games but love watching other people do them, so my passport is pristine.
There are opportunities for everyone. If you just want to sit and read for a while then there is a place set aside. If you want to make something like chain maille earrings then the opportunity and materials are both provided. If you just want to sit and watch a panel discussion or play games then those activities are also possible.
For me, the weekend culminated in the Closing Ceremony. It seemed I was the only one who believed the location of the 7th Australian Discworld Convention was a secret. We revealed all at the Closing Ceremony with a video ad. You can view it here. Warning: laughter may occur.
Essentially, if you’re a Discworld fan, a Pratchett fan or just love conventions then this is the event to attend. It’s a pity it only happens every two years but we’d need a much bigger fan base and more volunteers in order to make it happen more often. And if that happened it might not be as friendly as it is currently.
Between conventions
You’ve missed the Convention. Don’t fret, there are things happening Australia-wide. Keep an eye on this page. Or have a look here for a list of the fan clubs around Australia. If you’re not on Facebook message me and I’ll put you in touch with the right person.