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…
Reading Day Event Information
Los Angeles, USA
Date: Saturday, March 22
Location: The Last Bookstore
Time: 2pm to 5pm
Find out more
Brisbane, Australia
Date: Saturday March 22
Location: Logan North Library
Time: 11am to 1pm
Find out more
Other locations
Tolkien Society Event Index
Do you have information about another Reading Day event that you’d like us to share? Email spymaster@theonering.net!
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HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!
Need a little dwarvish influence in your Valentine’s Day? Then join Fili and Kili to learn how to make your own Dwarventines! Continue reading “Happy Hobbit: Dwarventines – Episode 36”
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A new Happy Hobbit episode!
When Fili learns that a special guest is coming for dinner, and Kili is away in Mirkwood, she has to prepare a meal that is not only quick but delicious as well! (See below the video for the full recipe.) Continue reading “Happy Hobbit: Cheddar Broccoli Soup – Episode 35”
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Adding to an already lengthy list of scholarly works related to J.R.R. Tolkien’s writings and artwork, Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull are putting the finishing touches on a new edition of The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Other Verses from the Red Book, scheduled for release on October 4, 2014. Tolkien fans and scholars know the book, originally published in 1962, as a collection of entertaining poems wonderfully illustrated by artist Pauline Baynes. The original book contained 16 poems, some about Tom Bombadil, others related to Middle-earth, and still others unrelated to his invented fantasy world.
From Wayne and Christina’s webblog: “This new edition will contain the sixteen poems as published in 1962, together with the original drawings by Pauline Baynes. But it will also include earlier versions of the poems, where earlier versions exist – some of these were published in magazines and journals which are now hard to find – and it will reprint a later ‘Bombadil’ poem, Once upon a Time. In addition, we are very pleased to be allowed to publish for the first time, from Tolkien’s manuscript, the predecessor of Perry-the-Winkle, called The Bumpus, and the complete, tantalizingly brief fragment of a prose story featuring Tom Bombadil, in the days of ‘King Bonhedig’. To these, we have added an introduction, comments on the poems and on Tolkien’s preface, and glosses for unusual words, as we did previously for Roverandom and Farmer Giles of Ham.”
Those of us with well-worn copies of the book on our bookshelves will definitely want to add the new edition to our collections this October! Thanks to ringer malickfan for alerting us to this great news!
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Before I begin this review, I want to give a short blurb and let you all know from what perspective it comes from. I am an artist of sorts, so I definitely touch upon some of the visuals used in the films. I am also one of the younger members of TORn’s staff and did not pick up Tolkien’s books until after I saw the “really cool trailer” of ‘Fellowship of the Ring’ on TV back in my preteens. But despite Jackson’s films introducing me to Middle-earth, I have ultimately become a Tolkien fan with a good amount of appreciation for what the cast and crew behind Jackson’s Middle-earth adaptations have done for both the film industry and for the Tolkien legendarium, despite the many changes.
Continue reading “Ainu Laire’s Review of the Hobbit”
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Have you finished all of your Christmas shopping yet? If you’re like us, you have a few more things on your list and what better way to complete the task than buying some Hobbity presents. TORns staffers Mithril and Altaira scoured the internet to find the perfect Hobbit-related presents to celebrate the holidays and the release of “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” and we were astounded by how many wonderful choices there are. So, without further ado, here (in no particular order) are our top 10 gift suggestions for your favorite Hobbit fan (even if that happens to be you). All amounts are in U.S. dollars.
1) The musical score special editions: Amazon (DOS $19.29; AUJ $21.15)
Journey from the Carrock through Mirkwood to Laketown and on to Erebor, swept up in the intricate and thrilling soundscapes of Middle-earth created by Academy Award-Winning Howard Shore. The special edition features twelve extended tracks, a bonus track, expanded liner notes and interactive sheet music packaged in a hardcover DigiBook.
[Desolation of Smaug] [An Unexpected Journey]
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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.
