In late April of 2011, Leïa Tortoise and Anilori attended their first Wincanton Discworld Event, the Spring Fling.

Among other things, they met Dr Pat Harkin, a famous fan we already noticed for his prowess during the Nation signing tour and recognized him amongst the Going Postal extras, and they discovered that there was even a range of products at his name, the PHAS, la "Pat Harkin Appreciation Society"!

Here is a transcript of the interview :

The Vade-Mecum : So, you're just about the biggest Discworld fan in the entire universe...

Pat Harkin : Well, I'm very lucky with my job, I have lots of time off, so I can go to all the meetings in the world ! I've been to the German, Irish, American and Australian conventions, and to all the English ones except the first one – that's eleven !

A friend lent me Colour of Magic about four or five years after it came out, and I really got into it. There wasn't an Internet back then, but there were bulletin boards ; particularly one named Cix. Terry was on there as well, so I knew him before I knew he was an author. So I was in very early, but not the earliest.

I have a supporting wife and a very flexible job at the university ; I can timeshift. I was an extra in Colour of Magic and Going Postal ; there weren't any fan extras in Hogfather, but I made it into The Twelve Days of Hogswatch, which was a series of short features they made for the website. I was interviewed as a pathologist at the university. And I attended both signings of Nation, so I have two copies of the limited edition.

My son, who's also a Pat Harkin, is in too ; he comes to all the conventions and about half of the world events. He was in Australia too. The conventions are all very different. In Ireland it was about a hundred people, most of whom had never met Terry before, it was very intimate. In Australia there were about 400 people. The German convention is very young, mostly people in their twenties. I'm the only Brit who has been to both German conventions. At the end of June I'm going to Rotterdam, the very first Dutch convention.

VM : And now you have a fan following of your own, the Pat Harkin Appreciation Society...

PH : [laughs] Some crazy forumers did it ; it's good to make money for charity with silly things. I had to sign a bag of marbles !

I do all the auctions at the conventions ; Bernard used to do them, but in 2002 he wasn't well and I took over for ten minutes. I've been doing it for nine years!

VM : Thank you !

Many thanks to him for reviewing this transcript, allowing us to share it, and signing the Dedicacium!

("thank you to being interested")