Quotations from P G Wodehouse are copyright of, and reprinted by permission of, the Trustees of the Wodehouse Estate © 2010 The P G Wodehouse Society (UK)

Wooster Sauce

 

The Society’s quarterly journal, Wooster Sauce, is 24 pages – sometimes more – of articles, information, photos, graphics and quotes. It is a cornerstone of the P G Wodehouse Society (UK) and a real bargain for the Society’s £15 annual membership fee. For its first decade, Wooster Sauce was edited by Wodehouse scholar Tony Ring. The present editor is past president of The Wodehouse Society (US) Elin Murphy, and contributions come from members – and occasionally non-members – from all over the world.

 

What are you likely to read in Wooster Sauce, you ask? In a nutshell, a variety of articles on Wodehouse-related topics, ranging from the impressively scholarly to the purely humorous. Through the Sauce pages, you will obtain information on both Wodehouse and the Society while also being thoroughly entertained. Regular and semi-regular features include:

 

• Reports on Society doings, such as our thrice-yearly meetings, annual cricket matches, and biennial formal dinner. The September 2007 issue included a 12-page supplement devoted to the Society’s unforgettable Week With Wodehouse in July, including coloured photographs.
• Future Events, detailing what lies ahead for Society members, so that you can mark your calendar now.
• The latest in Society news, including our all-important Back the Berkshire campaign (click here for details).
• "My First Wodehouse Experience" – articles from members describing the moment they discovered Wodehouse and the effect it had on their lives.
• Poets’ Corner, wherein we are treated to an original PGW poem, often seen in print only once previously.
• Recent Press Comment – a cross-section of the innumerable references to Wodehouse in the press.
• Bibliographic Corner, a column offering insights into the world of Wodehouse book collecting.
• Profiles of well-known and not-so-well-known names and personalities in the Wodehouse world.
• Letters to the Editor, a chance to comment on past articles or pose questions to other members.
• Up-to-date information and reviews on the latest Wodehouse-related books, audio-books, CDs, and theatre productions.
• "Quick ones" from members describing personal experiences, unusual sightings of Wodehouse works or references, or intriguing informational snippets.

 

Humour is our watchword, but we occasionally examine the serious aspects of Wodehouse’s life and work as well. For example, the four issues published in 2007 included:

 

• "Our Last Visit to Plum" – a reminiscence by Wodehouse’s grandson, Sir Edward Cazalet, on the last time he and his wife visited the Wodehouses in Remsenburg.
• "The Fun of Flying" – an article by Dutch member Hetty Litjens about the Wodehouse Google Earth Project.
• Four chapters in a series by one of our Russian members, Masha Lebedeva, on Russian references in Wodehouse stories.
• "The Lady and the Duke" – in which PG Wyndham Brooks offers intriguing ideas on the sources of two PGW characters.
• Reprints of articles by well-known media figures: "Dash it, Jeeves! Why are we so funny?" by Telegraph literary editor Sam Leith; and "Carry on, Jeeves! And on, and on ..." by columnist and Radio 4 presenter James Naughtie.
• "Whirlwind Wodehouse Weddings" – Norman Murphy explains how PGW characters managed fast-track weddings.
• "Books on Wodehouse in Print" as explained by Tony Ring.
• "Jivusu in the Offing" – another article by Hetty Litjens, this time on the Jeeves phenomenon in Japan.
• "A Late Delivery" – a PGW letter that never made it to its recipient.
• Random House editor (and Society member) Tony Whittome describes the newest Wodehouse publishing venture.
• "A Letter from Aunt Agatha" – in which Indian member Ranjitha Ashok defends Bertie’s infamous aunt against some foul charges.
• "Bertie’s Uncles George" by American member Charles E Gould, Jr, who examines which Uncle George was which.
• "Impending Doom Revisited" – an account of a meeting with an angry swan by Paul Rush.
• "A Sermon on Brotherly Love" written by Stephen Persing and delivered at the October 2007 convention of The Wodehouse Society (US) at Providence, Rhode Island.
• "Plum Did His Bit" – a description by Murray Hedgcock of Wodehouse’s contribution to the WWII-era Shelter Book.

 

Contributions to Wooster Sauce come from Wodehouse scholars and from those who are simply fans of The Master’s work. We welcome all of them, whether original articles, additions to series such as "My First Wodehouse Experience", or simple snippets of information.

 

By The Way, a 2-page supplement that accompanies the March, June and September issues of Wooster Sauce, offers a different perspective on aspects of Wodehouse’s life and work. Through By The Way we have enjoyed "What the Well-Dressed Man Is Wearing", learned the names and breeds of Wodehouse pets, and seen how Jeeves has been depicted in book illustrations over time, among many other articles. There is also a bonus "Christmas collectible", republishing rare pieces of Wodehouse’s writing that members may not otherwise be able to read.

 

Trust us and read Wooster Sauce for a thoroughly Wodehousean experience. And Wooster Sauce needs you, too! In addition to welcoming articles of both humorous and scholarly natures, we are always looking for reviewers of plays, books, CDs, and audio-books, as well as reporters of Society events. If you think you can contribute – or if you simply want to know more about the journal – get in touch with Elin Murphy at editor@pgwodehousesociety.org.uk.