Poet Michael Tolkien, the eldest grandson of the The Hobbit author, will write two novels based on stories his grandfather read to him as a child. Gerald Dickens, the great-great grandson of Charles, will narrate the audiobook versions. Both works are due to be released later this year. Publisher Thames River Press said the first book, Wish, was inspired by Florence Bone’s 1923 story, The Rose-Coloured Wish. It tells the story of two children who set out to use an evil enchanter’s wishing chain of stones to save their alpine valley, only to fall into trouble.
Read more about the books in the BBC article and more about Michael Tolkien at www.MichaelTolkien.com.
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It May not be Middle Earth – but Birmingham’s tourism bosses are hoping to cash in on Hobbit-mania with a new attraction devoted to author JRR Tolkien. Interest in the fantasy writer, who was raised in the city between 1895 and 1911, is expected to soar when the film version of his famous book hits cinema screens later this year. Scenery and architecture from Birmingham was reflected in his stories, most notably Perrott’s Folly and Edgbaston Waterworks, which are thought to be The Two Towers from Lord of the Rings.
But Birmingham has previously been accused of not making the most of its Tolkien links. Now a new gallery has opened at Sarehole Mill in Hall Green highlighting the author’s strong ties with the city with a series of displays and a short film. And a new tourism strategy hopes to build on the attraction with more publicity, a dedicated website, bids for heritage funding and conservation of Tolkien-related sites and buildings. Read More …
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This weekend in Hall of Fire we’re taking a quick diversion from our Fellowship of the Ring read-through to talk about a humble yet oddly important part of Middle-earth (and its peculiar inhabitants) — the village of Bree.
“Strange as News from Bree was still a saying in the Eastfarthing, descending from those days, when news from the North, South, and East could be heard in the inn…” — Fellowship of the Ring.
What sort of place is Bree? What are its inhabitants like? What conclusions can we draw about them from characters such as Barliman Butterbur, his employees Nob and Bob, as well as folk like Harry the Gatekeeper and Bill Ferny? In what ways are they similar — and different — to the folk of the Shire? Just how do the Big Folk and the Little Folk get on so well? And in the few Bree hobbits we meet, can we see any links in behaviour and culture to the Shirefolk? Continue reading “Hall of Fire tomorrow: Strange as News from Bree”
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Is banking funny? Using the bank collapse of Washington Mutual in 2008 is something of an epic banking story and a laid off trainer has produced a parody that folds in both “The Hobbit,” written by J.R.R. Tolkien and the state of banks. Reuters produced the following story:
Since T.S. Eliot’s brief career at Lloyds Bank of London, the connections between banking and literature have remained tenuous at best – especially when you narrow the focus to the genre of “banking-related fantasy novel parodies.”
But that did not stop Paul Erickson, a laid-off trainer of tellers and personal bankers for Washington Mutual, from taking an inspired crack at hilarity with “The Wobbit: A Parody.”
Read the rest right here.
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It seems since the official The Lord of the Rings store at WBShop.com had a redesign, we’ve been getting non-stop deals for Tolkien fans. The offers continue today as we learn of a new Earth Day promotion. WBShop.com is offering 20% LOTR items including Middle-earth canvases, Arwen’s Pendant, framed film cells, etc, etc. If you were looking for an excuse to build your collection, now’s the time! [WBShop.com Earth Day Promo] [LOTR Shirts] [Official Hobbit Shirt]
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Luke Evans is in the midst of filming the longest block he is involved in with The Hobbit shoot, and he just celebrated his birthday this past weekend. And yet, he still found time to phone in an interview with Collider.com in anticipation of the release of The Raven next week. The snippet linked here is actually just for the Hobbit bits, including some insight into filming in 48FPS. The full article will be posted in a few days time, so enjoy the preview.
Luke Evans talks The Hobbit.
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