Why You Want to Go to the Gala Dinner
At my second-last Discworld convention, I was talking to someone who hadn't been to this event before. I was about to go get ready for the Gala Dinner, and asked if he was going. He said no, and sounded a little surprised - he'd thought the Gala Dinner was a couples thing, and he would have felt awkward going alone. I laughed, and told him I'd never had a date at one of them, but hadn't missed one yet. I saw the same guy after the dinner, and stayed up until five the next morning with him. Now we're married.
I can't guarantee you'll get married to someone you meet the night of the
Gala Dinner, but I can tell you I'm not the only one to get together with my
future spouse that night. I haven't missed a Gala Dinner at a Discworld
convention yet. They're always the most exciting night of the convention,
and never for the reasons I expect. I have made friends with people at my
table whom I'd never met before that night. I have had bonding experiences
that would take a short story to explain (ask me about "The Order of the
Water Glass" sometime) and might scare you off, but left us laughing so hard
it hurt, and had the hotel staff vowing to work at any hotel the convention
chose in the future. And there was that one time Terry kissed me and Briggs
asked for my autograph.
The Gala Dinner is a night for extremes. People dress up, and there can't be many places where you can see a man in white tie and tails sitting next to a be-warted witch and sharing her dessert. Besides, everyone's going to be watching the alchemist in the white lab coat and mad hair at the next table who's offered to turn your drinking water (or wine, if you're brave) any colour you like. But he stops when the man in the black robes and skull cap stands up at the head table and Looks at you, because you laughed in the wrong place during his speech and now all you can think about is scorpions and how much you miss your mother. But then the man in the white dinner jacket stands up, and suddenly the world's a much happier place again.
In some ways, it's the best Terry-time in the weekend. Yes, there will be
plenty of chances during the convention to hear the man's voice live, in
person. But I always seem to enjoy the Gala Dinner speech the most. The
readings are great, but in a pinch you can always read the book when you're
at home. The Guest of Honour interview is great, and the Kaffee Klatches are
great, but the after dinner speech is where he gets to choose his own theme
and speak in non-fiction.
This is one of the big events of the convention.
It will sell out.
There will be extra treats, extra surprises, special entertainment, more guild excitement, good food, and probably something else. You never know what might happen.
Get your ticket early, or you risk never finding out what it might be.
Joann Richardson
A printable booking form for Gala Dinner tickets will be available on this site in early 2008 and copies will be mailed to all members by post.