The Mythgard Academy fundraising campaign will come to a close this Saturday with a live webathon.

The Mythgard Institute, through the Mythgard Academy, offer free online courses about fantasy and science fiction works. Courses have often focused on Tolkien, including The Lord of the Rings, Unfinished Tales and The Book of Lost Tales Part One.

To keep this initiative going, the Mythgard Institute are conducting a fund-raising campaign. Donors receive special perks, including the right to choose which book an Academy course will focus on.

The webathon, which brings an end to this year’s campaign, will start at 5pm EST (10pm GMT) and end around 10pm EST (3am GMT). The schedule is as follows:

• The New Whovian: In the first hour, Corey Olsen will be join Mythgard students Katherine Sas and Curtis Weyant, podcast hosts of Kat and Curt’s TV Re-View, to discuss Doctor Who (Corey is a wide-eyed newbie, eager to discuss his impressions).
• Inside the Inklings: In the second hour, Mythgard Academy Wizard Ed Powell will be interviewing Sørina Higgins, author of the Oddest Inkling blog and Mythgard faculty member, on the Inklings—their lives, their loves, and their literature.
• The Great Hobbit Movie Debate: In the third hour, Sørina has challenged Corey to a debate about the Hobbit films, throwing down the gauntlet and daring him to defend the films against her own far more scathing critique (Will sparks fly? You must attend to find out!).
• Riddles in the Dark, the Extended Edition: Finally, in the last two hours, the Riddles in the Dark team will focus on the just-released Extended Edition of The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug.

Register to reserve a seat for the webathon here.

About the Author: Daniel Helen

Daniel is an Officer without Portfolio and Trustee of The Tolkien Society. Elected in 2014, he is mainly responsible for the Society's digital operations, including this website.