Originally published at http://zz9.org. You can comment here or there.

Please download the February 2012 ZZ9 podcast from http://podcasts.owal.co.uk/zz9/ZZ9-2012-02.mp3

ZZ9's look at the latest Douglas Adams related news, a look back at February in Hitchhiker History, and what ZZ9 are up to in the near future.
In particular Dirk Maggs has recorded a description of what to expect at the Douglas Adams 60th Birthday Party.

Weblinks:

Latest Dirk Gently News:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/160212dirkgently.html

Douglas Adams The Party Virtual 60th (Sunday 11th March):
http://douglasadamstheparty.com

Hitchhiker Live Tour (June/July 2012): http://www.hitchhikerslive.com/

Simon Jones in Hay Fever:
http://www.guthrietheater.org/plays_events/plays/hay_fever

Doctor Who Magazine #444: https://www.facebook.com/doctorwhomagazine

Shada Novelisation (15th March): Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1849903271?ie=UTF8&tag=zz9pluralzalh-...

Gareth Roberts Shada Signing (14th March):
http://forbiddenplanet.com/events/2012/03/14/gareth-roberts-signs-shada/

The Hitchhiker App: http://www.thenewhitchhikersguide.com/

The International Douglas Adams Animation Competition:
http://www.theliteraryplatform.com/getting-the-book-invented

Doctor on the Go DVD (Series 2): Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001E6Q0UI?ie=UTF8&tag=zz9pluralzalh-...

Douglas Adams on Desert Island Discs:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/desert-island-discs/castaway/1d016bb1

Douglas Adams's Guide to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: This is
the cassette release of an expanded version of the BBC Radio 4
twentieth anniversary programme, the broadcast title was 'The Guide To
20 Years' Hitch-hiking'. ISBN: 0563552360. Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0563552360?ie=UTF8&tag=zz9pluralzalh-...

'Don't Panic: The Official Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy Companion'
was the original title of Neil Gaiman's book about Hitchhiker's and
Douglas Adams. It was added to by David K Dickson, then M J Simpson
and most recently in 2009 by Guy Adams. In the UK the current edition
is called 'Don't Panic: Douglas Adams & The Hitchhiker's Guide to the
Galaxy'. ISBN: 9781848564961. Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1848564961?ie=UTF8&tag=zz9pluralzalh-...

Cambridge Tour (Saturday 10th March) Facebook Event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/143490415770468/

Captain's Cabin Fan Gathering (Saturday 10th March) Facebook Event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/241077425977259/

Islington Tour (Sunday 11th March) Facebook Event:
https://www.facebook.com/events/219672804795641/

Picocon (Saturday February 18th):
http://www.union.ic.ac.uk/scc/icsf/social/events/picocon/

Eastercon (Thursday 6th - Monday 9th April): http://olympus2012.org/

Dirk Gently actor Stephen Managan and producer Chris Carey will be at the SFX event this coming weekend and there will be a Dirk Gently Q&A on the Friday which will also include some clips of the forthcoming shows - expected on BBC4 in March.

Details http://www.sfx.co.uk/2012/01/31/dirk-gently-on-the-case-at-the-sfx-weekender/

Hitchhiker's News from ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha.

ZZ9's January 2012 podcast is now available, rounding up the Hitchhiker's / Douglas Adams related news, interviewing Dirk Maggs, looking back at January in Hitchhiker history, and forward to what ZZ9 are doing in the near future.

You can find it at http://www.zz9.org/podcast

January sees the anniversary of the second Hitchhiker's radio series which originally went out at 22:30 Monday to Friday the week of January 21st.

Some of us use the anniversaries as an excuse to listen to the broadcasts, and this time we plan on tweeting whilst listening.

January 21st is this coming Saturday, so at 22:30 GMT, play Fit the Eighth and join the fun, and then the others each successive day.

Put the hashtag #hhgg so others can find your tweets, and also lookout for the Twitter account @ZZ9News.

Facebook Events:
Fit the Eighth - http://www.facebook.com/events/301172796595473/
Fit the Ninth - http://www.facebook.com/events/166453733458239/
Fit the Tenth - http://www.facebook.com/events/268542326546766/
Fit the Elventh - http://www.facebook.com/events/303260976393287/
Fit the Twelfth - http://www.facebook.com/events/151387754973100/

Hitchhiker's News from ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha.

The Literary Platform hosts an international competition inviting creatives to produce an animation that illustrates an audio recording of Douglas Adams talking about the evolution of the book when he was making the Voyager Expanded edition of Hitchhiker's back in 1993.

Judging Panel: Stephen Fry, Bob Stein (SocialBook, Inc), Ranjit Dhaliwal (The Guardian) and Merlin Nation / Chris Angelkov (Atyp).

Entry Deadline: 15th April
Winner Announced: 25th May (TowelDay)

Details: http://www.theliteraryplatform.com/getting-the-book-invented

Hitchhiker News from ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha.

The dates are out. Details at http://www.hitchhikerslive.com/

Hitchhiker News from ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha.

Honorary ZZ9er Kevin Jon Davies will be on the radio this evening and says that there will be "news for Doctor Who and Hitchhiker's Guide fans". Kevin and his son Liam will be the guests on the Evoke Radio show, Auntie Marc & Guests, between 18:00 and 20:00 GMT.

You can listen on the Internet via http://www.evokeradio.com/how-to-listen/ Kevin says that the video feed has a delay but the audio only feed should be pretty near real time so you can send messages to the show as it is broadcast.

Hitchhiker's News from ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is the book for discussion on the Up All Night Bookclub this Monday 12th (i.e. overnight Sunday 11th). The show airs on BBC Radio 5 Live between 01:00 and 05:00 GMT, with the bookclub between 01:35 and 03:00.

The programme webpage http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b017wxlt tells you how to get in contact with them if you want to join in, or listen via the Internet live (and on demand after it has been broadcast).

Hitchhiker's News from ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha.

ZZ9's December 2011 podcast is now available, rounding up the Hitchhiker's / Douglas Adams related news of the year and looking back at December in Hitchhiker history, and forward to what ZZ9 are doing in the near future.
You can find it at http://www.zz9.org/podcast

Tickets have gone on sale for the celebration of Douglas Adams's life that will be taking place at the HMV Apollo Hammersmith, London on Sunday 11 March 2012. They are thirty pounds plus fees and there are two different sources, HMV and Ticketmaster.

The event starts at 16:00, but there is no indication of its length. The description says: "11 March 2012 would have been Douglas Adams’ 60th Birthday. To celebrate this event, Douglas' family and friends, in association with 'Save The Rhino' (one of Douglas' favourite charities) are holding a very special birthday celebration in his honour at the Hammersmith Apollo in London. The event will feature science, music, comedy and interviews with some very special guests, including Brian Cox, Robin Ince, Terry Jones, Dara O’Briain, Stephen Mangan and many more."

Website: http://www.hmvtickets.com/events/4602?REFID=MAMA_APOLLO

Hitchhiker's News from ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha

Tonight, tomorrow and Saturday there is a production of the play based on Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency in the OUTheater in Groningen put on by Theatergroep Caesarion.

This looks to be a student production. Details (if you read Dutch) at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=305679036109853

Hitchhiker's News from ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha.

The Alley Theater in Louisville, Kentucky is staging the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy radio plays in November.

Details: http://thealleytheater.org/site/?p=1506

Hitchhiker's News from ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha.

Hitchhiker's actors, Susan Sheridan and Stephen Fry are appearing in the production of Howl's Moving Castle at the Southwark playhouse this winter between 28 November 2011 to 07 January 2012.

Details: southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/the-vault/howls-moving-castle

Hitchhiker's News from ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha.