The next series of podcasts in the Mythgard Academy programme, starting Tuesday 20 May at 9:30pm EST, will focus on The Book of Lost Tales Part One.
This podcast series, hosted by the Tolkien Professor, Corey Olsen, will explore “Middle-earth” in its very infancy. “The Book of Lost Tales”, published as volumes one and two of The History of Middle-earth series, contains the earliest versions of tales which were only glimpsed at in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and were published (posthumously) in full, after many decades of changes and revisions, in The Silmarilion.
From the Mythgard Academy page (where you’ll find links for registrations):
Have you ever wondered how J.R.R. Tolkien’s compelling and detailed fictional world developed? Would you like to study how stories and mythologies grow? Are you interested to read Tolkien’s early works published in The History of Middle-earth series, but you’ve been a little intimidated about beginning? Do you find that The Silmarillion just doesn’t contain enough names to suit you?
Mythgard Academy classes are free and are open for anyone to attend thanks to a fund-raising campaign last year. The classes can be attended live and are also available afterwards through the Mythgard podcast feed and iTunes U.
The Mythgard Institute also offers a range of online courses, often Tolkien-based or related, which can be taken purely for pleasure, to develop your understanding and knowledge of language and literature, and can even contribute towards a Master’s level degree.
