The Walters Art Museum Jessica Weglein, Public Relations & Promotions Coordinator for The Walters Art Museum, writes: TheOneRing.net might be interested in the maps show that recently opened at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, which features maps made by Tolkien. Three original J.R.R. Tolkien maps created for The Hobbit and The Return of the King will be on view at the Walters Art Museum from March 16–June 8th! The special exhibition Maps: Finding Our Place in the World will feature such Tolkien maps as Thror’s Map, from The Hobbit, and Topographical View of Minas Tirith, from The Return of the King. Don’t miss the chance to see these original maps, drawn by the hand of J.R.R. Tolkien himself! Continue reading “Tolkien Maps Featured in Walters’ Exhibit”

Tolkien TowerA tower thought to have inspired one of JRR Tolkien’s Lord Of The Rings books has opened its doors to the public for the first time in two decades. Perrott’s Folly, a 96ft (29m) high tower in Edgbaston, Birmingham, is hosting a two week art exhibition. The 250-year-old monument is thought to have provided the inspiration for the trilogy’s second book, The Two Towers. It will be open to visitors as part of a weekend of Tolkien celebrations starting on 17 May. Read More

A 1937 first edition of JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit has been sold at auction to an anonymous bidder for £60,000 – twice what it was expected to reach. The Hobbit was Tolkien’s most successful book, establishing his name as an author, and came before the longer Lord Of The Rings trilogy. Maps, photographs and manuscripts will also be sold at Bonhams in London. The copy of The Hobbit is inscribed to Tolkien’s friend Elaine Griffiths, who had originally helped get it published. Tolkien’s Hobbit fetches £60,000

Tolkien SocietyOur friends from The Tolkien Society send along a call for papers and news about their latest seminar:

The theme for this year’s seminar is “Freedom, Fate and Choice in the Middle-earth writings of J. R. R. Tolkien”. Papers are sought on a wide range of topics related to this theme, including concepts such as free will and doom. The Middle-earth material ranges from The Silmarillion and The Children of Hurin through the twelve volumes of the History of Middle-earth and Tolkien’s Letters to The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.

For complete details and how to submit your paper, please visit the official Tolkien Society website. [Tolkien Society]

bbc-wordsoffantasy.jpgSusanne lets us in on a documentary ‘The Worlds of Fantasy’ airing on BBC4 in the UK. “The Worlds of Fantasy: Documentary series about fantasy fiction tells how, in the 1950s, JRR Tolkien and Mervyn Peake created texts that revolutionised and popularised the genre.”

Susanne continues: Great programme half of which is about Tolkein and other about Mervyn Peake. Watchers in the UK can access this via the BBC website for the next 6 days. Not sure if you can access it elsewhere but this the link. Very good interviews with other authors acknowledging their debt to Tolkein, TV footage of the Professor and comments from Tom Shipley and other Tolkein experts. Hope at least some Ringers can access this. Keep the good work and fingers crossed for the Hobbit! [Watch the Episode (UK Only)]

Jan writes: If you have a section called Upcoming and recent events, you most likely have readers in and around Albany, NY, I wonder if I might impose and have you run
the following: Tuesday, 1 April at 6:30 PM in the William K Sanford Library, Colonie, NY there will be a panel discussion on The Worlds of Tolkien. Contact: +1-518-456-5242;
jfinder@nycap.rr.com.