“Ac se wonna hrefin | But the black raven fus ofer fægum | eager over the doomed fela…
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In my wanderings around the internet, I recently stumbled across this great little interview with Simon Tolkien on the Mythopoeic Society website.
Simon is, of course, the son of Christopher Tolkien and the grandson of J.R.R. Tolkien, and a published author in his own right. He has written four novels. The most recent, Orders from Berlin
In the interview, which originally appeared in the Society’s journal Mythprint in June 2010, Simon speaks of his memories of his grandparents, his own writing process and his father’s work compiling The Silmarillion. Enjoy!
As part of the 2014 Oxford Literary Festival, The Bodleian Libraries is hosting a talk by Carolyne Larrington and Diane Purkiss — authors of Magical Tales: Myth, Legend, and Enchantment in Children’s Books on March 26 at the Old Bodleian Library.
Hear how the medieval literature studied in Oxford by some of the world’s best-loved children’s authors — including J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis — inspired magical landscapes and mythic beings in their fiction. Magical Tales accompanied last year’s record-breaking Bodleian exhibition, Magical Books: From the Middle Ages to Middle Earth. Continue reading “Bodleian Libraries talk: Magical Tales: Wolves and Volumes”
Tolkien scholar John Garth examines the the facts behind a newly discovered photograph dating to 1907 that shows a fifteen-year-old J.R.R. Tolkien with his school cadet corps.
Continue reading “New photo reveals J.R.R. Tolkien at fifteen, a warrior-to-be”
Since 2003, fans of J.R.R. Tolkien’s work have gathered each March to celebrate and share his writing with each other and the public. Set by the Tolkien Society on March 25 to commemorate the downfall of Sauron in “The Lord of the Rings,” the idea of Tolkien Reading Day was inspired by the annual bloomsday celebration of the works of James Joyce.
In Los Angeles, the local smial of the Tolkien Society, Tolkien Forever, has been observing Reading Day since 2006. Open to all who appreciate Tolkien’s work, volunteers sign up to read selections that may range from favorites like “Riddles in the Dark” to lesser-known pieces like the children’s book “Mr. Bliss.”
This year in Los Angeles, Reading Day will be held on Saturday, March 22, and will return to The Last Bookstore downtown, a venue worth visiting for any book lover. Volunteers who would would like to sign up to read should visit the Facebook event page for more details. Come out and share your favorite Tolkien selection with everyone!
For those in other parts of the country and the world, the Tolkien Society is cataloging events around the globe as they are scheduled. Don’t see your town on the list? Start your own Tolkien Reading Day! All you need is a few friends and a copy of “The Hobbit” to get started…
Date: Saturday, March 22
Location: The Last Bookstore
Time: 2pm to 5pm
Find out more
Date: Saturday March 22
Location: Logan North Library
Time: 11am to 1pm
Find out more
Do you have information about another Reading Day event that you’d like us to share? Email spymaster@theonering.net!
Ten facts you probably know about Middle-earth. I’m not entirely sure they make one a “super fan” (which is, frankly, the sort of exclusionary title wielded to make others feel that they’re not real fans). Enjoying Tolkien is surely not some sort of contest to prove one is the biggest fan.
Still it is a nice little list with plenty of nods to some lesser-known but important characters from Tolkien such as Celebrimbor, Feanor, Gothmog and Oropher. So read and enjoy! Minor nitpick: there are more than two Elvish languages (at least conceptually), but Sindarin and Quenya were probably the best developed. Continue reading “HuffPost: Ten facts only Rings ‘super fans’ know”
