TORn Staffer Mithril, Reading Day 2014Yesterday, March 25, was officially Tolkien Reading Day. Celebrated annually by the Tolkien Society since 2003, Reading Day is exactly what it sounds like: a day “to encourage fans to celebrate and promote the life and works of J.R.R. Tolkien by reading favourite passages.” March 25th was chosen to commemorate the day in Middle-earth history of the destruction of the One Ring and the downfall of Sauron, but events are often held throughout the week surrounding the official date.

Fans worldwide celebrate Reading Day with a variety of events. Wheaton College’s Tolkien Society in Illinois and the University of New Mexico Hobbit Society in Albuquerque hosted gatherings this year to share their favorite Tolkien pieces. And tomorrow (3/27), the Israeli Tolkien Society will host a picnic in Tel-Aviv. In Los Angeles, the local smial of the Tolkien Society, Tolkien Forever, will host a Reading Day event this Saturday, 3/28, at the famous Last Bookstore.

Tolkien Books Box SetThe theme for this year’s Reading Day is Friendship, chosen not only to commemorate how Frodo and Sam’s friendship triumphed in Mordor, but also to “celebrate the deep friendships that Tolkien developed in his own life and in his work.” By extension, a shared love of Tolkien’s work has inspired countless friendships, traversing continents and oceans. So share your love of Tolkien by joining a Reading Day event, or simply sharing your favorite passage with a friend!

treeandleaf J.R.R. Tolkien’s short story Leaf by Niggle is one of my favourite of his works. Written in 1938-39, and first published in the Dublin Review in January 1945, the piece is often considered an allegory of Tolkien’s own creative process (respected Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey argues in his book The Author of the Century that it functions as an autobiographical allegory).

Adam Dens and his friends have adapted this work into a short, 17-minute film. There are some sound issues here and there, but it’s worth a watch in my opinion. Go check it out. Adam writes: Continue reading “Watch this new fan-film based on Leaf by Niggle”

If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.

AragornReading_RevWelcome to The Great Hall of Poets, our regular monthly feature showcasing the talent of Middle-earth fans. Each month we will feature a small selection of the poems submitted, but we hope you will read all of the poems that we have received here in our Great Hall of Poets.

So come and join us by the hearth and enjoy!

If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net
One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.

Continue reading “The Great Hall of Poets”

CourtofThingolMelian-progress-1b-web Artist Donato Giancola has recently begun work on a new, and very large, Tolkien-inspired painting. It depicts the moment in J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion when Beren declares his love for Thingol and Melian’s dauighter and vows to undertake the quest of the Silmarils.

We’ve got a fabulous sneak peek of the work-in-progress for you — check it out below! Continue reading “Tolkien art: Beren and Luthien in the Court of Thingol and Melian”

If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.

prologues (header)

 

Do you remember the first shot of every Middle-earth film?

Sure you do.

It’s also interesting to note the similarities of every opening – further reinforcing the connections between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Continue reading “The Middle-earth prologues”

300891id6a_TheHobbit_TDOS_Tauriel_BusShelter_48inW_x_70inH.indd Here’s a transcript of a long but interesting roundtable question and answer session that Evangeline Lilly conducted with a number of reporters on her final day on the set of The Hobbit as Tauriel. As you’ll gather as you read along, the contents were under strict embargo until recently.

The transcript traverses not just her role, but also Lilly’s recently released children’s book, The Squickerwonkers.

Continue reading “Evangeline Lilly chats about her last day on the set of The Hobbit”

If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.