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Telling friends, family and work colleagues that you’re “really into Tolkien” can provoke both amusement and bemusement. We’re used to this; we’re also used to being asked the same familiar questions again and again. I’ve pooled together a selection of the most-asked questions with a handy cheat-sheet of suggested answers. (more…)

February 2015

First, heartfelt congratulations to Dr Andrew Higgins upon receiving his Ph.D. for his thesis, The Genesis of Tolkien’s Mythology. Eglerio! A laita se!

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Was Tolkien the first writer in English to use the word ‘quisling’?

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the-hobbit-the-desolation-of-smaug-extended-edition-19

The Extended Edition of 2013’s The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug was released on Monday 3rd November. Tolkien film-aficionados have got used to the obligatory 11-month wait for the “proper” version of the film, but is the extra half-an-hour of “juicy” book-based shenanigans really worth it? Warning: spoilers ahead. (more…)

January 2015

All the usual disclaimers apply about newness, completeness and relevance (or
any other implication of responsibility) 🙂

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