The first official Tolkien Reading Day was held on March 25, 2003. A New York journalist was wondering if there was such a thing as Tolkien Reading Day and asked the Tolkien Society about this in 2002. It was decided that there should be a Tolkien Reading day, and then the only debate was ‘when’ should it be held? Please go to the Tolkien Society’s official page for Tolkien Reading Day to find out just how and why March 25th was chosen.
You will also see some very helpful tips on what types of activities can be done to celebrate Tolkien Reading Day, from discussions about common themes or settings, to fun games to engage children with. Tolkien Reading Day can be held at a home, a school, a library or a bookstore or you can even take it outside, maybe at a picnic and add a meal to the event. And while the Middle-earth stories tend to be the more popular at a Tolkien Reading Day event, his other works, such as Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Letters from Father Christmas or Roverandam can be just as enchanting.
The theme for this year is Landscapes, a subject that Tolkien was particularly adept at envisioning and describing in wonderful detail. Middle-earth must have had very successful travel agents, how many times have you wondered what it would be like to visit some of the realms described?
Tolkien Forever, the Tolkien Smial in Southern California, will be hosting an event this Saturday, March 23. True, it is not the correct day, but a Saturday works better for drawing more people to the event in the ever busy Megalopolis that is So Cal. For those in the Los Angeles area, stop by their Facebook event page for details.
If you have a Tolkien Reading Day event happening in your area, please let us know the details so we can post it and let others know where they can go in an area near them. You can drop a line to Spymaster@TheOneRing.net.
Tolkien fans in Southern California will have an embarrassment of events to attend to share their love of all things Tolkien. From conventions and film screenings to enjoying the source material, here is a little rundown of events to attend and enjoy in the month of March.
First up is a Literary based Science Fiction convention in San Diego called Condor, taking place this weekend. TheOneRing.net will be hosting several discussions on Saturday and Sunday about The Hobbit, TheOneRing.net and Middle-earth. This weekend will be full of lots of interactive programming, so come on down and join in the fun.
On the following weekend, the American Cinematheque will be hosting a screening of The Hobbit and the LOTR Trilogy in a full day and night Middle-earth Marathon. This will be on Saturday, March 16 at the Aero Theater in Santa Monica. TheOneRing.net will be there to talk Tolkien, run trivia contests and play a game or two. And to help some lucky Tolkien fan to OD on Middle-earth, we have a pair of tickets to give away. Go to our Event Page on Facebook, RSVP to attend the screening and leave a message stating how you plan to survive the 15 hours or so that this marathon will take, and we’ll randomly award a pair of tickets to one lucky person. Hurry, this contest will close on Saturday at Midnight.
Just a week later, on March 23, Tolkien Forever will be hosting their annual Tolkien Reading Day event. This event is typically held on March 25, the Middle-earth New Year after the Destruction of the Ring. But March 25 is a Monday, so the event in Los Angeles was moved to the Saturday before, and is going to be at what looks to be a wicked cool used bookstore in Downtown LA called The Last Bookstore. Selections of Tolkien’s wide range of works will be read to any and all who show up, spreading the love for his written word. Visit the Facebook Event Page to see more details.
The final event for So Cal Tolkien fans to attend and enjoy will be Wondercon in Anaheim at the end of the month. This convention is typically held in San Francisco, but moved to Anaheim last year and this year because Moscone Center in San Fran has been undergoing renovations. Wondercon is a spin off from San Diego Comic Con and is run in a similar manner, but on a much smaller scale, making it more accessible for fans to enjoy all that the con has to offer. TheOneRing.net will have a panel at Wondercon, but the schedule is still pending, we will announce when and where you can find as soon as we know.
And there you have it, 4 weekends of Tolkien fandom, fun and friendship. What more could wee little Hobbits hope for?
Welcome to our collection of TORn’s hottest topics for the past week. If you’ve fallen behind on what’s happening on the Message Boards, here’s a great way to catch the highlights. Or if you’re new to TORn and want to enjoy some great conversations, just follow the links to some of our most popular discussions. Watch this space as every weekend we will spotlight the most popular buzz on TORn’s Message Boards. Everyone is welcome, so come on in and join in the fun!
We are just a few hours away from closing our ‘The One Expected Party’ auctions. Ringer staffer Peter (o2thx) was kind enough to allow us use of his personal eBay account to list the items – some of which you may never see auctioned again: John Howe ‘Barad-Dur’ Artist Proof Framed and signed by Richard Taylor, Peter Jackson and John Howe ; Alan Lee ‘Rivendell’ Artist Proof Framed and signed by Richard Taylor, Peter Jackson and Alan Lee; Alan Lee ‘Gandalf on Gwaihir’ Artist Proof signed by Alan Lee, Ian McKellen, and Richard Taylor. The Lord of the Rings Book and Bookend Gift Set from Houghton Mifflin; Air New Zealand Hobbit Gift Pack (not available for sale!); Official ‘The One Expected Party’ Goody Baggins; Badali Jewelry ‘Good Luck’ Pin Set in Shadowbox with Signatures; Original Donato Giancola ‘Galadriel and Aragorn’ Sketch Pencil and Chalk. Yes – amazing items! Don’t miss your chance to own these items! [The One Expected Party Auctions] [Donate]
We are just funneling back to our hotel rooms after an amazing night at ‘The One Expected Party,’ but before we allow ourselves a bit of sleep, we want to make sure you all have the URL for our exclusive auctions for items displayed at the event. Ringer staffer Peter (o2thx) was kind enough to allow us use of his personal eBay account to list the items – some of which you may never see auctioned again! Click the following link to place your bids today! Auctions will end in just two days. If you are not able to support TheOneRing.net by bidding on these items, please do consider a donation. Look for more reports from the party coming soon! [The One Expected Party Auctions] [Donate]
TheOneRing.net is thrilled to announce ‘The One Expected Party’ will be streamed LIVE from Hollywood today! Thanks to our stream supporters Machinima, Two Seven Zero Studios, and TechZulu, we will be bringing you uninterrupted coverage of all the amazing events taking place just blocks away from the official ceremony. Multiple cameras will allow you to fully immerse yourself in this event and one-on-one interview from our media headquarters will allow you to interact with both guests and VIPs! If you are still able to make it, tickets are available for the party at the door. LIVE Coverage will begin at 3pm PT. [LIVE Coverage] If you appreciate our efforts to make the live stream happen, please consider a donation to TheOneRing.net. We are a not for profit fan site that strives to grow our community through both online and offline fellowship. We would greatly appreciate your help! [Donate]
Local TV station TVNZ talked with TORn co-founder Chris Pirrotta (Calisuri) during last night’s ‘An Unexpected Art Show.’ The coverage features highlights from the show and information about our upcoming party.
You can still get tickets for ‘The One Expected Party!’ [Purchase Tickets]
Hollywood is in full Oscar mode right now, with street closures around the Hollywood & Highland complex, just two blocks from our party location, and every news channel talking non-stop about Oscar predictions. There are fans wandering around everywhere, taking photos of the life sized Golden Oscar statues lining the Red Carpet that is being put down. And TheOneRing.net is in the middle of all this, with our own set of decorations that will soon fill the inside and front facade of the American Legion Post #43, right here in Hollywood.
You will find here links to all the events, helpful hints on what to print and what to bring with you, and a timeline. Further attendee information will be given out with your registration materials when you arrive on Sunday afternoon.
Only days away from the Tolkien event of the year and we are pleased to announce our latest sponsor for ‘The One Expected Party’ – Sideshow Collectibles! Sideshow is not just a long-time friend of TheOneRing.net, they are also manufacturers of some of the best Tolkien related collectibles available!
Sideshow Collectibles
More than 15 years ago, Sideshow Collectibles embarked on a mission of connecting people with their favorite icons from the worlds of film, television and comic books. This innocent quest has since blossomed into a unique celebration of popular culture, made possible by a worldwide devoted community committed to the art and lifestyle of collecting.
Sideshow Experience is an insight into our travels, a showcasing of creative endeavors, personal expression, and meaningful relationships developed through this unusual journey.
Sideshow is pulling all the stops to help support our event. From loaning us a life-size troll, Gollum and a few other decorative pieces, they are also generously donating some extremely unique collectibles for our silent auctions and giveaways. We mentioned previously the Artist Proof Balrog, but we are now also pleased to announced a few other hand signed pieces of fine art: Gandalf On Gwaihir Over Helm’s Deep Artist Proof by Alan Lee (signed by Alan Lee, Richard Taylor, and Ian McKellen); Barad-Dur by John Howe (signed Richard Taylor, Peter Jackson and John Howe); and Rivendell Artist Proof by Alan Lee (signed by Richard Taylor, Alan Lee and Peter Jackson). Yea – those are some impressive pieces and available at the party!
Tickets are still available to the public, so don’t miss out! This will be one party you simply cannot miss!
With nearly two-centuries of award-winning history, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s Trade and Reference Division continues to publish some of the most renowned novels, non-fiction, children’s books and reference works in hardcover, Mariner Books trade paperbacks and ebooks. Its distinguished author list includes eight Nobel Prize winners, 47 Pulitzer Prize winners, 13 National Book Award winners, and more than 100 Caldecott, Newbery, Printz, and Silbert Medal and Honor recipients. HMH publishes such distinguished authors as Philip Roth, Temple Grandin, Tim O’Brien, and Umberto Eco, as well as The Best American series®, The American Heritage® family of dictionaries, The Gourmet Cookbook and other culinary classics, the Peterson Field Guides and books by J.R.R. Tolkien. Along with a celebrated lineup of children’s authors, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children’s Book Group is the publisher of some of the best-loved children’s books and book characters including Curious George, The Little Prince and The Polar Express. For more information, visit www.hmhbooks.com.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt are not only financially supporting the party; they are also sending a large number of their Tolkien publications and Hobbit movie tie-in books – and some other Middle-earth goodies! – to be used in our auctions and giveaways! We are grateful to have the continued support of our good friends at HMH!
We hope YOU can also join us all for a magical night in Hollywood! Purchase your tickets today!
Welcome to the latest “Getting to know…” questions that need answering. Based on the old Getting to know you threads that I used to post on the message boards here on TORn, so those familiar with them will know that the questions can be a little crazy and the answers even crazier.
This month we’re asking questions of uber fan from Brisbane Australia, Peter Kenny.
Hi Peter and thank you for joining in
Kelvarhin: What piece of Tolkien ephemera began your collection?
Peter: My very first Tolkien Book was a single volume paperback edition of The Lord of the Rings given to me as a gift in 1976. I still have that original copy in my collection.
Some of the Middle-earth clothing from Black Milk has made a splash on our Facebook page but with fashion and popular culture taking center stage this week leading up to our own One Expected Party on Oscar night, it seemed a good time to share it here. Will we see a Doorway party dress? How about Witch King leggings? While we kind of want to chastise the company for not hyphenating and not making the e lower case in Middle-earth, its pretty cool to see a company take geek culture in mainstream directions. Its R2-D2 dress is well-known on websites like Tumblr, Twitter and Pinterest. The Australian company gets our kudos for making geek, chic. In the meantime, if you want to or plan to be in the Los Angeles area this weekend and want to join us for the party, we would love to have you, even if you aren’t wearing all the names of the dwarves on your leggings. Tickets remain and with food and entertainment like One Man LOTR and Billy Boyd’s Beekcake on the musical menu, and Hobbit Oscar nominations for visual effects, hair and makeup and production design, it will be a night of legend.
The first official Tolkien Reading Day was held on March 25, 2003. A New York journalist was wondering if there was such a thing as Tolkien Reading Day and asked the Tolkien Society about this in 2002. It was decided that there should be a Tolkien Reading day, and then the only debate was ‘when’ should it be held? Please go to the Tolkien Society’s official page for Tolkien Reading Day to find out just how and why March 25th was chosen.
The theme for this year is Landscapes, a subject that Tolkien was particularly adept at envisioning and describing in wonderful detail. Middle-earth must have had very successful travel agents, how many times have you wondered what it would be like to visit some of the realms described?
We are just a few hours away from closing our ‘The One Expected Party’ 
Welcome to the latest “Getting to know…” questions that need answering. Based on the old Getting to know you threads that I used to post on the message boards here on TORn, so those familiar with them will know that the questions can be a little crazy and the answers even crazier.
