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The Tolkien Society organises a number of regular annual events. As the society has grown the quantity of events has increased; hopefully those who have attended feel that the quality has also increased! This page presents a summary of the Society's annual events with a brief description of each and a link to further information: including a history of each event, reports of recent ones and details of the forthcoming ones.
| Event | Usual Dates | Brief Description |
|---|---|---|
| Birthday Toast | January 3rd | A simple toast raised to celebrate Tolkien's birthday. |
| Tolkien Reading Day | March 25th | An educational day, to encourage reading and reading Tolkien in particular. |
| AGM & Dinner | A weekend mid- to end of April | The Society's business meeting and semi-formal Annual Dinner. |
| Tolkien Weekend | A weekend in mid May | A celebration in the form of a country fair of Sarehole & Moseley, where Tolkien grew up. |
| Seminar | A weekend in June or July | A more literary weekend with papers and talks. |
| Summermoot | A weekend in July or August, or occasionally early September | An informal low-cost weekend, encouraging fellowship and enjoyment of a rural or urban location. |
| Oxonmoot | Usually the weekend nearest September 22nd | The major TS event, encompassing a Fan Convention with a remembrance of Tolkien. |
| Autumnmoot | A weekend in October or November | An autumn version of Summermoot. |
Frequently, the weekend events will start with an innmoot on the Friday evening and conclude with an outing to a venue of interest on the Sunday.
The Tolkien Society has been and still is involved with a number of Special Events; most notably The 1992 J.R.R. Tolkien Centenary Conference, celebrating Tolkien's 100th year, and Tolkien 2005 - The Ring Goes Ever On, celebrating 50 years of The Lord of the Rings.
The Birthday Toast was first suggested by Alex Lewis while he was Chairman (1988-1992). It was first held in 1992 and celebrated Tolkien's 100th birthday. The toast was initially simultaneous around the world, at 9pm GMT; however, in later years it was changed to be 9pm local time, thus producing a rolling event that lasted over 24 hours.
Tolkien Reading Day was suggested in 2002 and first held in 2003. It is an international event with participation from many people in many countries all around the world. Its exact content is very flexible; it can range from a small informal gathering of friends reading passages silently or aloud, to full-blown lectures at a college or university, or a school or library activity day. The Society has display panels that can be borrowed to help support such events.
The AGM is the longest running annual event, since it is a legal requirement; it was first held in 1970. From the mid-1970s it has been coupled with the Annual Dinner, a semi-formal meal with a guest speaker. It is frequently held in a hotel. The guest speakers have ranged through members of professor Tolkien's family, to authors or artists who have written about or been inspired by him. The AGM is free to members, though there is a cost associated with the dinner. The location moves around the country.
The Tolkien Weekend is held at and around Sarehole Mill and Moseley Bog; the originals of the Bywater Mill and the Old Forest in The Lord of the Rings. It first took place in 2000 and is organised jointly with Birmingham City Council and various local groups. It has an alternative name of Fun at Mill, a pun on 'trouble at t'mill'; each year has a slightly different version, such as: More Fun at Mill, or Fun at Mill Again.
The Seminars grew out of the original Workshops, which were first held in 1987. The name was changed because 'workshop' implies a hands-on type of event, where people can learn how to do things by trying them out, whereas a 'seminar' is more lectures and panels. Speakers are usually drawn from the Tolkien Society membership, or from other similar societies; though non-members are very welcome, whether they be from academia or other establishments. There is a charge for attending the Seminar. The location moves around the country.
Reports on recent Seminars ....
Summermoot is an informal weekend. It is intended to be a small low-cost gathering where people can explore an area, whether that be walking in a rural area or visiting an historic town. There is usually no charge to attend the event. The location moves around the country.
Reports on recent Summermoots ....
The forthcoming Summermoot ....
The largest Tolkien Society event and the one with the highest profile. It is to a large extent a fan convention, but its origins lie in remembering Tolkien; it was first held in 1974, the year after Tolkien's death. There is a remembrance at his graveside during the weekend. The activities during the weekend are wide, varying from talks and slide shows to games, auctions and a party; there is also a Dealers' Room and an Art Show. It is now held in a Oxford college, though for many years its home was the Oxford Town Hall. There is a charge to attend the event, which is comparable with similar conventions; usually accommodation is also provided at cost at the venue, or close by.
An autumn version of Summermoot. The first Autumnmoot is being held in 2003, on October 18-19th. It was suggested following a Summermoot held close to Westonbirt Arboretum, Wiltshire; autumn is the best time to view the colours of the leaves, so it was suggested returning at that time. There may, or may not, be another Autumnmoot. The location (probably) moves around the country.
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