This month,  J.W. Braun reports from the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando Florida to tell you how you can win a free Harry Potter board game.  He also reviews The Sorcerer’s Companion: A Guide to the Magical World of Harry Potter and, in the mailbag section below the video, answers your questions.

 

J.W. Braun’s Mailbag

It seems strange that Sauron could show Denethor Frodo trapped at the Tower of Cirith Ungol but he could not get the Ring. When Frodo was captured at Cirith Ungol, why didn’t Sauron just send a Nazgul to the tower right away? It seems like he didn’t care about Frodo/Sam until too late. – Kathryn

Continue reading “J.W. Braun’s Bookshelf – June”

Note: This comes from our newest contributor Momosanla. Look for more great stuff from her soon.

If you’re looking for a good book to read on your summer holidays – fire up those digital readers because you’re in luck. The finalists for the 2012 Mythopoeic Awards were announced on Tuesday, May 22. Past award winners have included the Harry Potter series, Orson Scott Card for “Seventh Son” and Neil Gaiman for “Anansi Boys”. With a track record like that, you’re sure to find a quality read amongst the nominees.

The Mythopeoic Society, founded by Glen GoodKnight in October of 1967, is a group dedicated to the discussion of and the study of the literary genre of mythopoeia: authors who create an entirely “new and transformative” mythology or “incorporate and transform existing mythological material.” Specifically the society focuses on the works of Inklings members J.R.R Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and Charles Williams. Each year, since 1971, they have honored outstanding examples in both adult and children’s fiction and non-fiction studies. Continue reading “Mythopoeic award finalists (good reading) announced”

Some news from Publisher’s Weekly that shouldn’t impact readers of J.R.R. Tolkien but might be discomforting all the same. Long-time U.S. Tolkien publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt “officially filed for pre-packaged bankruptcy Monday morning, citing debts and liabilities of over $1 billion.”

The venerable company, in the publishing world for well over 100 years, has published every one of Tolkien’s works since “The Hobbit,” in 1938 which includes novels, essays and poems. The same company has published many noteworthy books about the author’s works including all 12 volumes of “The History of Middle-earth,” by Christopher Tolkien. (You can see the company’s Tolkien website if you click these words and you can read the rest of the Publisher’s Weekly story right here. Just a hunch but “The Hobbit,” will probably sell even more copies after December.

Welcome to this monthsThe Frodo Franchise “Getting to know…” questions that need answering.  It’s 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 author of “The Frodo Franchise” and TORn Staffer, Kristin Thompson.

Continue reading “Getting to know Kristin Thompson”

Yesterday we heard that, later this year, The Hobbit will be published in Latin, and you will remember that we reported a while back about the Irish language version of Tolkien’s book.  Ringer spy Ealbhchara (‘Elf-friend’ in Irish Gaelic) was at the official launch of the new translation, in Dublin, and he sent along a report.  Though Ealbhchara has nothing to do with the translation and publication, he prefaces his report with a confession:  ‘I hope you will forgive me if my report sounds promotional – in a way it is: I am keenly interested in promoting the Irish language (currently a minority language) and the publication of The Hobbit raises the status of the language significantly. Not to mention that I want An Hobad to sell well enough so that they’ll translate The Lord Of the Rings next!’

Ealbhchara’s full report follows after the break – it’s a fascinating read!  Many thanks to him for sending it along!

Continue reading “Some thoughts on the Irish language Hobbit…”