“Something wicked this way comes”

“Can you tell by the pricking of your thumbs?”

Why yes, we can. And by the gentle thrum of the standing stones, the glamour of the elves peeking into this world, by the unmistakable caterwauling of Greebo... and the drumbeat and gentle tinkling of bells that indicates… Morris dancers?

And that something wicked is…

THE 2020 DISCWORLD CONVENTION!

Our Queen, by which we mean Chair, and her courtiers, people-in-waiting, guards, servants and assorted Oggs, by which we mean the Committee, cordially welcome you to Lancre for a weekend of witches, wizards, elves, magic, and one cat who may be any one of Alive, Dead, and Bloody Furious.

For this, the 12th Discworld Convention, we will be taking inspiration from (if you hadn’t guessed it already), Lords and Ladies, the book where our beloved Witches and Wizards finally meet and… co-operate?... we learn a lot more about Lancre, and discover that elves, despite their wonder, marvels and fantasies, are Bad.

There have obviously been a lot of questions, and here we answer some of them:

When is it happening?

“I can do next Tuesday” says Nanny Ogg, but we can’t, so as you may have already gathered, it’s August 7th - 10th 2020.

Where is it happening?

Why, the Royal Palace of Lancre, of course - which for that weekend only will look suspiciously like the Birmingham Hilton Metropole Hotel. For those of you who’ve been before, yes, that one. Why? It’s big enough. And they’ve promised to behave. And if they don’t, the Queen will terrify them into submission.

What should I do next?

STEP 1

Register an account on the newly-launched Convention website. 

Warning: If you have a Hotmail, Live, Outlook or other Microsoft email address, you will need to add us (@dwcon.org) to your Safe Senders list before registering, as the emails to activate your account may not arrive. The instructions for doing so differ depending on your email service, so please ask your nearest search engine for guidance.

If your email service allows you to whitelist us, we recommend you do so. 

If you are having problems registering, please contact us.

STEP 2

Have a good old read of the website where you can find out about nearly everything, and generally familiarise yourself with what you’re letting yourself in for:

• Membership prices and information
• Accommodation
• About the Convention
• New to the Discworld Convention? Read our handy guide
• Our rules and policies

STEP 3

Buy your memberships (when they’re available).

Because of concerns about school holiday timing, as well as the feeding frenzy that was membership booking for 2018 and 2016, this year we will be releasing memberships in three waves to help folks out who live in different timezones or simply aren’t available at a particular time.

We do not yet have the date for the first wave, but you will receive an email in advance of it happening - and if you miss out, there will be two more chances.

In 2018 over 100 memberships became available through the waiting list, so if you’re unlucky enough to miss out the first time round there’s a reasonable chance you’ll get a nice surprise later.

Find out more about memberships, including pricing information and concessions.

STEP 4

Book your accommodation (when it’s available).

The Hilton Metropole has enough rooms to fit everyone who wants one. Rooms will be bookable later this year. Have a look at our hotel room information and familiarise yourself with the options before booking opens. Family bookings, those who need accessibility accommodations for their room should also check the hotel room information for their next steps.

That's it! You're all set.

So, without further ado, gather your pointy hats, cats, and sticks with bells on, and we hope to see you all in August 2020.

With love,

The Convention Committee