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Tolkien Society AGM 2013
The AGM in 2013 is on 20th April and is to be held at the Comfort Hotel, St Albans. Here is more information and a booking form.
Tolkien reading day
On 25th March 2013 the Tolkien Society invites you to join in exploring the wonderful creation that is the world of Middle-earth. The purpose of Tolkien Reading Day is to invite everyone to discover and enjoy the books written by J.R.R. Tolkien through talking about them and through activities associated with them.
This year our Tolkien Reading Day topic is "Tolkien's Landscapes". From the homely feeling of the Shire, to the dramatic Misty Mountains or the plains of Rohan, the landscapes of Middle-earth are a significant part of the appeal of Tolkien's work to many readers. Discuss the real-world inspiration for your favourite areas, the many wonderful artists who've portrayed Tolkien's world or where you'd most like to live.
Launched in 2003 Tolkien Reading Day event has sparked interest in reading and reading groups across several nations and ages, from primary schoolchildren to university students and library users of all ages. 25th March has significance to Tolkien's readers, as it is the day of the Downfall of Sauron at the conclusion of the 'War of the Ring' in The Lord of the Rings.
An Unexpected Briefing - Air New Zealand
Not only very funny and great visuals, but a great safety video too! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBlRbrB_Gnc
BLUE PLAQUE UNVEILED FOR TOLKIEN IN LEEDS
A blue plaque to JRR Tolkien has been established by Leeds Civic Trust at 2 Darnley Road, West Park, Leeds. Dr Kersten Hall, graduate of St Anne's College, Oxford and Visiting Fellow to the Faculty of Arts at the University of Leeds, unveiled the plaque on 1st October 2012. The Tolkien Society and its members have been instrumental in securing this recognition for this former residence of JRR Tolkien while he was at the University of Leeds in the 1920s. Read more.
Conference in 2012
In 2012, from 16th–20th August, Tolkien societies
from around the world collborated to organise The Return of the
Ring
,
a Tolkien conference at Loughborough University.
Attendees who wish to provide feedback on the event, but did not do so at the time, can comment using the online feedback form.
There is a review of the event on TheOneRing.net. The Middle-earth network has posted a report including the video greeting from Sir Peter Jackson, Alan Lee and John Howe.
Tolkien Studies New Editor
Michael D.C. Drout and Verlyn Flieger welcome David Bratman as third co-editor of the regular academic journal Tolkien Studies. Bratman, who for many years compiled the notable Year's Work section, will also be Book Review Editor, succeeding Doug Anderson, who has left because of a dispute with the publisher. Colleague Merlin DeTardo will now be in full charge of the Year's Work.
Christopher Tolkien - new interview
Christopher Tolkien has given an interview to leading French newspaper Le Monde, a very rare event. The interview contains historical background on Christopher Tolkien's involvement with the genesis of The Lord of the Rings, his views on the Lord of the Rings movies, and comments from the Tolkien Estate solicitor, Cathleen Blackburn. You can find the Le Monde article here and an English translation here.
Tolkien was nominated by CS Lewis for the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1961.
It is interesting to see the variety of reactions to the news that Tolkien did not win a Nobel Prize for literature. It is a top 10 story on the BBC (www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-16440150), the Guardian (www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/jan/05/jrr-tolkien-nobel-prize), and in Svenska Dagblat (Swedish language website www.sydsvenskan.se/kultur-och-nojen/article1597798/Nu-avslojas-det-Greene-tvaa-pa-listan-1961.html), the newspaper that broke the story ... the news is that Graham Green did not win the Nobel Prize for literature
Simon Tolkien
Simon Tolkien's The King of Diamonds, the second in his Inspector Trave series, was published March 15. As with The Inheritance, this murder mystery is set in Oxford, the Old Bailey, and Europe and is rooted in events of World War II. A review of the novel will appear in the fall issue of Mallorn.
Christopher Tolkien Text is Republished
Tolkien's publishers HarperCollins UK are making available an academic text and commentary by Christopher Tolkien.
First published in 1960, The Saga of King Heidrek the Wise translates a saga from 12th century Iceland, a story of legendary kings and warriors, including the woman warrior Hervor, her family and their feuds.
The original edition in the Nelsons Icelandic Texts series has become difficult and expensive to obtain in the last half century. The book is now available as a print-on-demand hardback priced £40 from www.tolkien.co.uk
For more information about the original publication and the Viking Society for Northern Research, see
http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/press/953-The_Saga_of_King_Heidrek_the_Wise.php
Tolkien Society on Twitter
Radagast knew many things that the birds, and other creatures, told him; and Manwe knew much that passed in Middle-earth from the news great Eagles brought him.
We know Gwaihir and the eagles of The Hobbit could speak (let's face it eagles hardly cheep or twitter) but now the Tolkien Society now has a presence on the social network Twitter. So we can tell people (from time to time) via Tweets about events and news from within and without the Society.
White Tree Fund
Formed by the Tolkien/Lord of the Rings community initially to respond to the need of victims of the tsunami disaster, now for other disasters. White Tree Fund homepage.
