Tolkien researcher John Garth is the author of Tolkien and the Great War: The Threshold of Middle-earth. Michael Martinez, who describes it as “a great biographical portrait of a young man who sees his world divided between life and death” chats with the author over on Xenite.org about how Tolkien’s experiences of war might have influenced his fiction.
An excerpt:
From almost as early as [Tolkien] could remember he had lived in and around Birmingham, one of the biggest industrial cities of the era, and as a lover both of nature and of rural life he was acutely aware of the encroachment of the town. He was also well aware of the Arts & Crafts Movement spearheaded by William Morris, one of his favourite authors (The House of the Wolfings, The Roots of the Mountains, etc.), and I’m sure his own views on the alienating effects of ‘mechanical’ labour were considerably shaped by those of Morris and his followers.
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Wellington will roll out its really, really long red carpet and throw a world-class party for “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” on November 28. The date of the event has been guessed about for months but today it was confirmed in New Zealand.
The Embassy Theatre has long been the expected spot of the premiere and today’s story confirms it, giving the beautiful site another world-class event to go along with its 2003 hosting of “The Return of the King.” (You can check out TORn’s scrapbook of that event right here.)
Middle-earth royalty, many from the film, would be likely to attend and walk down Wellington’s Courtenay Place which serves as a weekend hot-spot in Wellington that typically stays open until the sun rises.
“I know I speak for a company of hobbits, dwarves, elves and orcs when I say that this city holds a special place in all our hearts,” director Peter Jackson said of the event at www.stuff.co.nz.
“We cannot think of a more perfect way to send ‘The Hobbit’ off into the world than to celebrate with a huge party here in Wellington, where the journey began.”
TheOneRing.net, long friends with Red Carpet Tours, is supporting their longer tour of Middle-earth, one we definitely recommend, but also hope to put together a shorter trip focused on the premiere. You can read Red Carpet’s full itinerary and sign up while details for a micro-trip will be announced ASAP. In addition, both groups will host a joint party in Wellington at a hotel in central Wellington
The two films based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Hobbit,” is currently filming and is expected to finish principal photography later this month with pickups for the first film scheduled for later. TheOneRing.net spent a five-week stint embedded on set for the films with content coming later, as agreed before the embed began. We also fully expect to cover the premiere, and everything else ‘Hobbit’ related, as possible.
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Sam wrote in with a video he posted at YouTube from the recently passed annual Middle-earth Weekend in Birmingham near Sarehole Mill, famously a site of inspiration for Tolkien. The video, shot by Ian Fish with photography from Ellie Gibbons is an 11-minute taste of the weekend which doesn’t feel dramatically different from fan gatherings around the world, except that it takes place in J.R.R. Tolkien’s childhood stomping grounds. Included are costumes, interviews and a look at the mill that will seem familiar to readers of “The Hobbit,” and “Lord of the Rings.” Enjoy!
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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”
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I never considered myself a tattoo guy.
Until now.
It started innocently enough. I wanted to commemorate what I considered no small achievement: reading all 12 volumes of the History of Middle-earth in one year. I made the pledge and started the trek in January of 2011, and managed to turn the last page in mid-December of that year. (I wrote about the experience here and here)
So what could I do to mark this considerable milestone?
I’d had every opportunity in my younger days to become one of the Inked. Lived with several bands, traveled around with all sorts of characters in a circus-like caravan for years before pretending to settle down and got a “real job”.
But never once did I feel the urge to get a tattoo. Big, small, cool or silly, it never crossed my mind as anything I would ever want to do. “How permanent!” “Do I really want everyone to see and judge me?” “Wouldn’t it affect my job or the impression customers and co-workers would get?” All of that crossed my mind, but not in any sort of huge, conflicting way. I just never wanted one.
So why, when searching for an appropriately Big Sign statement to mark the conclusion of my most recent Tolkienian Journey, was that one of the first things that came to mind?
Mayhap, as some have speculated (myself included), it’s a sort of midlife crisis, only instead of a Porsche I got some ink. (By the way – if this truly is the midpoint of my life, 50% gone and 50% still to come, I’ll take it, say thankee-sai.)
Others have said, simply, “I think he’s lost his mind…”
Possibly so.
Continue reading “Under My Skin: Externalizing Tolkien”
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We thought readers might be interested in this:
“Tolkien’s literary masterpiece The Hobbit has been given a bit of a makeover and now it’s better than ever. Well…sort of? Anyway, brace yourselves, because The Hobbit is now available as Gaeilge. Yes, really.
The Cork Independent reports that the classic novel by JRR Tolkien has been successfully translated into Irish by Nicholas Williams and edited by Dr Alan Titley, the former Professor of Modern Irish at University College Cork.” You can read the full story right here.
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